Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant album and value for money, 11 May 2000
By A Customer
Wowww! What can I say? This has to be one of the best rock albums I have ever bought! A great piece of work from argubaly the worlds greatest band, with songs such as 'La Tristesse' and 'Roses in the Hospital' to the brilliant 'Sleepflower'. This is definetly the sort of album you listen to when you're on your own in the car or at home. Fantastic, a definite 5 star award from me!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Hint Of Things To Come, 4 Jul 2007
This, along with 'Generation Terrorists' was a tantalising hint at the greatness that would come on the Manic Street Preacher's landmark, career-defining masterpiece, 1994's 'The Holy Bible'. The songs are polished, yet frequently intense.
It has often been said that 'Sleepflower' was the Manics attempt at a grunge song, and if so, it was a very valiant effort, since it sounds very much like a Nirvana song. James vocals appear to have improved drastically since 'Generation Terrorists', whilst the lyrics are radically different to GT, and less political. 'From Despair To Where', follows in the same glossy vein, sounding highly-produced and expensive. Indeed, the Manics did spend a fortune on recording this album, to a ridiculous extent, and this is certainly clear from the production values.
'Scream To A Sigh (La Tristesse Durera)', also sounds quite majestic, with thoughtful subject matter, lamenting over the neglect of war heroes, the title referencing the final line of Van Gogh's suicide note. Chillingly, Richey memorised Van Gogh's suicide note, along with a great many others. 'La Tristesse Durera' also contains some of JDB's finest guitar work to date. Lavish expenditure did create some spectacular results, this song being one of them.
'Yourself' and 'Symphony Of Tourette' have the same grungey feel as 'Sleepflower', the first being a self-loathing diatribe and the latter being a foul-mouthed, violent outburst surrounded by heavy, disjointed guitars and frenetic drums. It is one of the most impressive songs on the album.
'Life Becoming A Landslide' is one of Richey's sadder lyrics, containing the words: "My idea of love comes from, a childhood glimpse of pornography/But there is no true love, just a finely tuned jealousy." This was one of the most obvious hints at what would be Richey Edward's lasting legacy: a sadness and loneliness which was to cripple him to the point of despair. After the beauty of this, 'Drug Drug Druggy' seems distinctly underwhelming and average, though 'Roses in the Hospital' more than makes up for this, being the most iconic-sounding song on the album and an MSP classic. Cigarette burns are mentioned, and the song references 'Rudie Can't Fail', by the Clash. 'Roses...' also contains one of JDB's most memorable vocals, as he executes a powerful and raw performance, full of force and anger.
'Nostalgic Pushead' is yet more evidence of high budget, yet for all that, it seems to lack soul, and much of this album does not replicate the same Joie De Vivre as GT, but this zeal would soon be found again on their next album. 'Nostalgic Pushead' interestingly also contains the sound of Sean Moore dropping a snooker ball into a frying pan, such was the freedom to explore whatever musical indulgence they desired. This freedom is very much hit and miss.
Yet album closer 'Gold Against The Soul' is a fairly promising end to what is a good, solid album. At five and a half minutes it is the longest song on the album, but pans out impressively, with spiky guitars, prominent drums, and the lyric "Rock and Roll has a conscience", presumably as a reference to their own body of work.
This album is undeniably good, and has some truly magical moments both lyrically and musically, but for all of it's extravagance, time would prove that the Manics were at their best when production values were spartan and budget was tight. This is an impressive record regardless.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Standing in the shadows of giants?, 27 Jan 2005
Hmm, the early Manics, i.e. with Richey... what do most people think? Inevitably you think of the Holy Bible, one of the greatest albums ever, and to Generation Terrorist, the unpolished debut effort, with such memorable songs as Motorcycle Emptiness. Yet stuck between the two lies Gold Against the Soul, and it is shame that it is so forgotten, because it is truely a hidden gem. At only 10 tracks, it is dwarfed in size by Generation Terrorist, and it did not hit the personal notes that the Holy Bible did, focusing more on society's problems than on those of Richey. It has none of the depressed genius splendour of the latter album, yet none of the exuberant youth of the former, prefering instead the middle ground of something which is virtually undefinable, yet quintessentially Manics.
It opens in ebulliant style with Sleepflower, led by powerful guitar riffs, driven by Richie' and Nicky's powerful lyrics about insomnia ("A memory fades to a pale landscape..."), and with a killer guitar break in the middle, it is a fantastic way to kick off the album. It drives the listener quickly onto the two main tracks off the album, and two of the best ever written by the band - From Despair to Where and La Tristessa Durera (Scream to a Sigh). The former blends quiet hissing with shouting power in a song which brilliantly blends guitars with strings to make it an instant classic. The riff of the latter will stick in your mind forever, and it is an example of true genius at work, telling songs of despair and disruption in society ("I sold my medals, it payed a bill, it sells at market stalls, parades Milan catwalks..."). Then the album surprisingly drops slightly in quality, with the next three songs entertaining but lacking in realy substance; lyrically Life Becoming a Landslide is powerful but the song ends up as almost dreary, although what is second-rate for the Manics far exceeds the best of many bands. The pace is picked up again with the amazing Roses in the Hospital, Richie exceeding even his own lyrical standards with the contrast between the beauty of the roses and the pain of the hospital. The song is another classic, finsihing with a typical homage to their major influence - the Clash - and yet it is followed by something better. Nostalgic Pushead is driven by crashing lyrics, incredible pace, and harkens back to the socialist leanings of the band ("Rebellion it always sells at a profit/I'm a piece of fashion in Soho square..."). it is a disappointment then to drop onto Symphony of Tourettes, which is adequate but simply not of the same standard. however all is redeemed with the title track, which is simply incredible, even if its production does not perhaps do justice to its writing.
This album is not perfect, and viewed with the Holy Bible, is not of the same level, but then few albums are. Yet it is still for me a top-rate album, the muscic is incredible, boiling the blood yet bringing a tear to the eye, the lyrics are powerful and cover a range of major issues, always sticking to the socialist principles that they kicked off with. In short, buy this album, it is incredible. If it is a choice between this and the Holy Bible, go for the latter, but otherwise, this is a good insight into the tortured genius that is, or more correctly was, Richey James
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