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Product Description
Review
And so the Manic Street Preachers bid farewell to music-making, "for at least two years" so they claim. But then, anyone who knows how soundbite-savvy bassist/pop provocateur Nicky Wire can be, knows not to believe a word that comes out of his mouth. The band's early mission statement to make one great album and split is now as distant a memory as their wonderfully camp explosion into indie rock; a refreshing alternative to baggy and grunge, all inflammatory slogans, spouting literature and politics in skin-tight jeans, eyeliner and Coke-sculpted hair (they couldn't afford hairspray). As the Welsh act celebrates 25 years together, they find themselves a decidedly un-Manics proposition. They're still going for a start, and seething apocalyptic punk rock and sneering diatribes now sit rather awkwardly alongside mainstream acceptance, stadium sing-alongs and sedate attire.
But then these conflicting elements are what make Manic Street Preachers one of the most gloriously infuriating and subsequently utterly compelling bands around. And it's reflected in their music, their paradox-ridden contrariness captured and collected here chronologically for the first time. So the career-defining vitriol of Faster, You Love Us, Stay Beautiful and Motown Junk and the epic melancholy of Motorcycle Emptiness, Little Baby Nothing, From Despair to Where and La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh) - all must-hears - arrive before the act's most successful anthem-penning period as a trio (A Design for Life, Everything Must Go, Australia, If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next), and then lead into the decidedly dodgy-in-places most recent offerings. The Masses Against the Classes, Your Love Alone Is Not Enough, Autumnsong, (It's Not War) Just the End of Love and Postcards From a Young Man provide sonic relief from a clanger-heavy second disc containing such meandering low points as The Everlasting, Empty Souls and the frankly bizarre So Why So Sad.
But such ups and downs are exactly what makes Manic Street Preachers tick. As the ultimate rock'n'roll survivors, they have battled through more than most - the majority of their peers having either given up long ago or are currently to be found embarking on cringe-worthy comebacks. National Treasures is imperfect in places but it's an honest, true and ultimately triumphant musical document of where the Manics have been and what they've achieved; where they've stumbled and where they've soared. In short: an indispensable guide to an iconic band.
--Camilla Pia
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Product Description
STANDARD EDITION : 2CD set. Chronological 38-track compilation of every single from 1991 to 2011! Includes their new cover of The The's "This Is The Day".
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
'So, what do you get on MSPs NATIONAL TREASURES?' I hear you cry.
Well, the standard edition contains 2 CDs, CD 1 (77:27) covers the years up to 1996 from MOTOWN JUNK but excludes the original YOU LOVE US in favour of the re-recorded version, CD 2 (75:24) brings you bang up to date with THIS IS THE DAY as the last track.
The DELUXE VERSION also contains a region 0 DVD that runs a whopping 2 hours and 40 minutes and includes all 38 videos plus the original YOU LOVE US, an alternate AUTUMNSONG with the 2 girls dressed as an angel and devil and a promo for JACKIE COLLINS... which has the current MSP intercut with snippets of Richey mainly from the Astoria '92 show that was used in the SLASH'N'BURN video. The packaging for the DELUXE VERSION is the paperback sized format that the most 2 recent MSP CDs have been available in and contains some beautiful photographs of MSP with and without Richey, the only issue with this packaging is that it tends to mark the CDs, my tip is to take them out and either stick them in a jewel case or burn your own copy.
The songs run in chronological order and for this reason the CD is superior to FOREVER DELAYED which felt pretty slapdash to my ears and if my memory serves me right it contained the radio edit version of MOTORCYCLE EMPTINESS but NATIONAL TREASURES contains the full glorious 6 minute version.
To review the music contained on these CDs seems arbitrary, I mean, if you've got this far in the review and have never heard FASTER or A DESIGN FOR LIFE then I doubt I can convince you that they were better than anything the likes of Oasis or Blur recorded with mere words but if you've got this far in the review and are contemplating buying this, all I can say is buy it as it really is astoundingly good.
Is it the worth the extra fiver for the DVD? I'd say so.
Well, the standard edition contains 2 CDs, CD 1 (77:27) covers the years up to 1996 from MOTOWN JUNK but excludes the original YOU LOVE US in favour of the re-recorded version, CD 2 (75:24) brings you bang up to date with THIS IS THE DAY as the last track.
The DELUXE VERSION also contains a region 0 DVD that runs a whopping 2 hours and 40 minutes and includes all 38 videos plus the original YOU LOVE US, an alternate AUTUMNSONG with the 2 girls dressed as an angel and devil and a promo for JACKIE COLLINS... which has the current MSP intercut with snippets of Richey mainly from the Astoria '92 show that was used in the SLASH'N'BURN video. The packaging for the DELUXE VERSION is the paperback sized format that the most 2 recent MSP CDs have been available in and contains some beautiful photographs of MSP with and without Richey, the only issue with this packaging is that it tends to mark the CDs, my tip is to take them out and either stick them in a jewel case or burn your own copy.
The songs run in chronological order and for this reason the CD is superior to FOREVER DELAYED which felt pretty slapdash to my ears and if my memory serves me right it contained the radio edit version of MOTORCYCLE EMPTINESS but NATIONAL TREASURES contains the full glorious 6 minute version.
To review the music contained on these CDs seems arbitrary, I mean, if you've got this far in the review and have never heard FASTER or A DESIGN FOR LIFE then I doubt I can convince you that they were better than anything the likes of Oasis or Blur recorded with mere words but if you've got this far in the review and are contemplating buying this, all I can say is buy it as it really is astoundingly good.
Is it the worth the extra fiver for the DVD? I'd say so.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
These two CDs contain the complete singles from the Manic Street Preachers' twenty-five year musical career and it appears that most people tend to either love, hate or not know the band. Quite honestly, in my opinion there aren't many artists who have produced finer music over the same period and, although not everything they have released has been uniformly excellent, their high points - and there are many - are enough to raise hairs on necks, send shivers down spines and make fists joyously punch the air. From tender ballads to anthems of alienation or political/social rage, the writing of Bradfield, Edwards and Wire is head and shoulders above the general homogenous blandness which passes as popular music these days. As musicians, they're an incredibly tight group, and Bradfield is an incredible individual talent, with a powerful and yet beautiful voice and a superb musical ability, both in songwriting and performing - he is perhaps the most underrated guitarist around.
I was a little late in discovering the Manics, compared to some fans. My first album of theirs was 1994's The Holy Bible (represented here by "Faster", "She Is Suffering" and "Revol") which is an absolutely stunning piece of work and still remains their finest collection of songs, in my opinion. Dark, intelligent, powerful and magnificent, it was therefore a little bit of a shock to the system when Richie Edwards went missing and the band released "Everything Must Go" with the utterly brilliant lead single "A Design For Life", followed by equally strong singles, "Everything Must Go", "Kevin Carter" and "Australia". It could be said that the best tracks on that album weren't even singles. Their first album as a three-piece was almost a new sound for the group at that point, was infinitely more mainstream than The Holy Bible and yet it was perhaps their most commercially strong material they'd ever released and, arguably, remains so. This led me to explore their first two albums and I found some more mindblowingly great songs which I now count amongst my very favourites such as, "Motorcycle Emptiness" and "La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh)". It was at that point the Manics became elevated to the top tier of my very favourite artists.
"This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours" polarised many fans, with a large proportion of long-term admirers being disappointed by the mainstream feel of the follow-up to their greatest commercial success to date. It still contained some cracking songs, though, such as "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next", "Tsunami" and "You Stole The Sun From My Heart". The Manics then went into commercial free-fall and, for a while, became a less urgent and essential band. However, they still released a handful of excellent singles such as "Let Robeson Sing" and "Ocean Spray". The Manic Street Preachers that the fans knew and loved truly came back to life with the magnificent "Send Away The Tigers" which rivals "Everything Must Go" when it comes to having track after track of catchy, bombastic, anthemic songs. "Autumnsong", "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" and "Indian Summer" just scratch the surface of that album's bounty. More Manic Street Preachers gold followed with "Journal For Plague Lovers", their 2009 album which has a feel similar to "The Holy Bible" and is sadly unrepresented here and last year's "Postcards From A Young Man" which is also amongst the best work they have done during their musical lives.
I could continue to wax lyrical about the Manic Street Preachers, but I think I've said enough. This is an absolutely fantastic compilation and gives a good representative overview of the band's work throughout their career. If you have never heard of this band and like intelligent, catchy guitar-based music, give it a go. If you have only heard a couple of Manics songs, like them and want to hear more, buy this. If you're a Manic Street Preachers fan and have everything else, buy this for the one song not available anywhere else - listening to it, even though you've heard everything else before, will bring you immense pleasure and remind you (if you needed reminding) of exactly why you love the band so much. Don't stop here, though. If you have nothing but a best of this band, then you really do need to hear the other album tracks on (at least) "The Holy Bible", "Eveything Must Go", "Send Away The Tigers", "Journal For Plague Lovers" and "Postcards From A Young Man"... and that's me being brutal. They haven't released anything that isn't worth hearing, including National Treasures. Especially National Treasures. This is the day - to buy this album. Wonderful stuff.
I was a little late in discovering the Manics, compared to some fans. My first album of theirs was 1994's The Holy Bible (represented here by "Faster", "She Is Suffering" and "Revol") which is an absolutely stunning piece of work and still remains their finest collection of songs, in my opinion. Dark, intelligent, powerful and magnificent, it was therefore a little bit of a shock to the system when Richie Edwards went missing and the band released "Everything Must Go" with the utterly brilliant lead single "A Design For Life", followed by equally strong singles, "Everything Must Go", "Kevin Carter" and "Australia". It could be said that the best tracks on that album weren't even singles. Their first album as a three-piece was almost a new sound for the group at that point, was infinitely more mainstream than The Holy Bible and yet it was perhaps their most commercially strong material they'd ever released and, arguably, remains so. This led me to explore their first two albums and I found some more mindblowingly great songs which I now count amongst my very favourites such as, "Motorcycle Emptiness" and "La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh)". It was at that point the Manics became elevated to the top tier of my very favourite artists.
"This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours" polarised many fans, with a large proportion of long-term admirers being disappointed by the mainstream feel of the follow-up to their greatest commercial success to date. It still contained some cracking songs, though, such as "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next", "Tsunami" and "You Stole The Sun From My Heart". The Manics then went into commercial free-fall and, for a while, became a less urgent and essential band. However, they still released a handful of excellent singles such as "Let Robeson Sing" and "Ocean Spray". The Manic Street Preachers that the fans knew and loved truly came back to life with the magnificent "Send Away The Tigers" which rivals "Everything Must Go" when it comes to having track after track of catchy, bombastic, anthemic songs. "Autumnsong", "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" and "Indian Summer" just scratch the surface of that album's bounty. More Manic Street Preachers gold followed with "Journal For Plague Lovers", their 2009 album which has a feel similar to "The Holy Bible" and is sadly unrepresented here and last year's "Postcards From A Young Man" which is also amongst the best work they have done during their musical lives.
I could continue to wax lyrical about the Manic Street Preachers, but I think I've said enough. This is an absolutely fantastic compilation and gives a good representative overview of the band's work throughout their career. If you have never heard of this band and like intelligent, catchy guitar-based music, give it a go. If you have only heard a couple of Manics songs, like them and want to hear more, buy this. If you're a Manic Street Preachers fan and have everything else, buy this for the one song not available anywhere else - listening to it, even though you've heard everything else before, will bring you immense pleasure and remind you (if you needed reminding) of exactly why you love the band so much. Don't stop here, though. If you have nothing but a best of this band, then you really do need to hear the other album tracks on (at least) "The Holy Bible", "Eveything Must Go", "Send Away The Tigers", "Journal For Plague Lovers" and "Postcards From A Young Man"... and that's me being brutal. They haven't released anything that isn't worth hearing, including National Treasures. Especially National Treasures. This is the day - to buy this album. Wonderful stuff.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I already own all the music on these discs but bought it because the Generation Terrorists songs have needed remastering for years. They sound amazing here - you can hear Nicky's bass at the start of Stay Beautiful for the first time ever!
All the tracks sound fresh presumably because they've been remastered with i pod use in mind which Forever Delayed presumably wasn't.
Brilliantly all the tracks are also the full length album versions - this benefits The Everlasting and Motorcycle Emptiness in particular.
I'm of the opinion that the last three Manics albums are as good as the first three and both discs here are perfect in my eyes/ears.
All the tracks sound fresh presumably because they've been remastered with i pod use in mind which Forever Delayed presumably wasn't.
Brilliantly all the tracks are also the full length album versions - this benefits The Everlasting and Motorcycle Emptiness in particular.
I'm of the opinion that the last three Manics albums are as good as the first three and both discs here are perfect in my eyes/ears.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
VFM Great CD
When I first ordered this CD I didn't realise how many tracks were on it, it represents fantastic value for money with all their singles on there. Read more
Published 22 days ago by Merlin712
Why Ambassador! You Are Spoiling Us!
Yes! Their best stuff is on the albums that weren't released as singles.
Yes! 18 of these songs have already appeared (in edited form, mind) on 2002's "Forever Delayed". Read more
Yes! 18 of these songs have already appeared (in edited form, mind) on 2002's "Forever Delayed". Read more
Published 3 months ago by AZ F
A good buy.
Bought this for my son for Xmas. It arrived on time and he loves it! What else can one say?
Published 4 months ago by Forever Amber
MANICS
This was part of a Christmas present . It arrived on time, was well packaged and as decribed. No problems at all, will use this service again...
Published 4 months ago by TONY
Great Indie band.....
Fantastic collection from one of the great bands from the brit pop era.....great lyrics and tunes,would definatly reccomend it...classic. Read more
Published 5 months ago by mid somerset
Good item.
This CD is a great gift for anyone who is a fan of the manic street preachers, it's just like there greatest hits, safe to say my dad loved his christmas present this year.
Published 5 months ago by Becs
An excellent collection of the Manics Hits.
I was fortunate to see the manics play all these tracks live at O2, and they are great. I enjoy the manics but haven't bought all the albums, and this was a nice way to get all the... Read more
Published 5 months ago by James Lever
Definitive compilation from one of UK's most definitive bands.
The main reason this album is so good is because every one of the Manic Street Preachers' singles is a gem. Read more
Published 5 months ago by M. Campion
Manics are a National Treasure
Having all of the Manics Singles in one place, proves beyond doubt that they are the top singles band of the last twenty years. It is quality from start to finish
Published 5 months ago by late_lark
Amazing - must buy!
Totally love this. Good for existing fans and a 'must have' for you lucky people yet to discover the magic of the manics.
Published 5 months ago by Bigvinny58
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