The Manic Street Preachers combine haunting lyrics, melodious tunes and thumping anthems. This album is another of my all time favourites.

The album starts with "Elvis Impersonator Blackpool Pier," which sounds as though it is going to be a fun romp of a song. But, instead, it's a jaded look at how out of place such royalty and colour and happiness is.

The second song is the stand out on for me. The anthemic "A Design For Life" is a song that never fails to make me smile. Whilst its subject matter is class wars (as is true of a lot of the Manics' work) its tune is upbeat, and the guitar part played by James Dean Bradfield is rousing.

The title song from the album is one that I can relate to with every time I hear it. When I first heard it, way back in 1996, it was the first time I'd listened to an album and thought, "This is me. They get me!" It was an incredible feeling. These lines break my heart every time: "I look to the future it makes me cry, But it seems too real to tell you why." The theme of displacement is another one that runs through this album.

People who love music! From James Dean Bradfield's incredible lead guitar and faultless vocals, to Nicky Wire's flamboyant bass. Added to that, the lyrics are poignant and befriending. They make you feel less alone.

A Design For Life. It will always be one of my favourite all time songs. You have to play the fake drums to it. I think it's, like, the law, or something. But, in general, the whole album has great lyrics and fantastic melodies.

Buy the back catalogue of the Manic Street Preachers. And I did this. They have other great albums. This one, though, will always be my favourite. It caught me at a time when I really needed it.

Included. Less of a freak. Less alone. It made me feel okay to acknowledge I wasn't happy.

Manic Street Preachers. They consist of James Dean Bradfield on lead guitar and lead vocals, Nicky Wire on bass, and Sean Moore on drums. Their former member, Ritchie Edwards, disappeared in early 1995. His car was found near a cliff top in Bristol, but he has never been found since. He suffered from bipolar and anorexia.

The band eventually decided to continue without him, and their music most commonly deals with the way the lower classes get a far worse deal in just about everything than people with more money.

Their style is described as punk rock, and that fits them perfectly.

It has the most beautiful, heart wrenching lyrics. Bradfield's voice is somewhat fragile, which makes the impact of the lyrics even greater. The tunes are fantastic, also. It's a really great album.

Interested in buying this? Support Writing.Com by making your purchase of Everything Must Go   from Amazon.Com!

Created Oct 09, 2017 at 10:06am • Submit your own review...