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This has now cemented its position as my favorite power metal album in a very long time -- possibly my favorite since Powerwolf's Lupus Dei from 2007. I'll have to think about that some more.
 
MindRuler said:
Criminally underrated! Too smooth and polished for the "true" bluesfan but oh boy what a great guitar player ánd vocalist.
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So true. I was lucky to see him live back in 2018 and was impressed!

Edit: Initially I was reluctant to go precisely for the allegations of Robert Cray being too smooth and polished. I am glad I did ignore those comments!

www.setlist.fm

The Robert Cray Band Setlist at G Live, Guildford

Get the The Robert Cray Band Setlist of the concert at G Live, Guildford, England on October 29, 2018 and other The Robert Cray Band Setlists for free on setlist.fm!
www.setlist.fm www.setlist.fm
 
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GhostofCain said:
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Since you've been posting MSP albums here for quite some time, you're as good a person as any to ask - what is this legendary band about?
I honestly probably never heard anything by them and I don't know anything about them (apart from having a weird ex-member who's probably topped himself).

So, what's their MO? Are they hard-rock? Brit-pop? Pop punk? And where should I start with them (and what to expect there)? They seem to be hugely popular and have a massive fanbase, so I don't like missing out on them.
 
JudasMyGuide said:
Since you've been posting MSP albums here for quite some time, you're as good a person as any to ask - what is this legendary band about?
I honestly probably never heard anything by them and I don't know anything about them (apart from having a weird ex-member who's probably topped himself).

So, what's their MO? Are they hard-rock? Brit-pop? Pop punk? And where should I start with them (and what to expect there)? They seem to be hugely popular and have a massive fanbase, so I don't like missing out on them.
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If I were to label them, I would use the term alternative rock, although they have diverse influences ranging from pop rock to metal. Their lyrics are influenced by their leftist/republican views, cultural icons, different art movements and, lately, a general feeling of sadness and disillusion at how the world has evolved. They are a Welsh legend, still active and releasing albums regularly.

A good introduction to the band is this compilation, released in 2011 and containing all their singles with Sony up to that date:

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en.wikipedia.org

National Treasures – The Complete Singles - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Their discography is quite varied. I will try and give a succinct review of each album:

- Generation Terrorists (1992). An ambitious, albeit overlong, debut album, with lots of glam rock, punk rock, and hard rock influences. It features the classics 'Motorcycle Emptiness' and 'You Love Us'.
- Gold Against the Soul (1993). The second album presents a more polished sound and is probably the hardest rocking one they have released. 'La Tristesse Durera' is a wonderful song.
- The Holy Bible (1994). This is a bleak post-punk/alternative rock masterpiece. One of the best album of the 90s. 'Faster' is my favourite track off the album.
- Everything Must Go (1996). The follow-up album to The Holy Bible, released after the tragic disappearance of Richey Edwards, was always going to be a difficult one. The band delivered a masterpiece, broadening their sound (the Britpop label was only attached to them as a result of this) and creating in the process one of the best album of the 90s. 'A Design for Life' is an all time classic.
- This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours (1998). A hugely successful album, with some absolute classics (like the homage to the International Brigades 'If You Tolerate This Your Children Will be Next' or 'You Stole the Sun from My Heart'), but also a calmer soft-rock/Welsh folk sound.
- Know Your Enemy (2001). This is probably their weakest album. Originally intended as two separate albums (one more acoustic, the other punkier and with a harder edge), the final result was a bit of a hotchpotch. It does contain some beauties, like 'Ocean Spray'.
- Lifeblood (2004). A more experimental album, with touches of synth pop added to the band's sound. A commercial failure, but it features one of my favourite songs from the band, the melancholic 'Solitude Sometimes Is'.
- Send Away the Tigers (2007). A superb comeback album with the band doing what they do best: stadium alternative rock. 'Your Love Alone is Not Enough' and 'Autumnsong' are two great tracks, although the whole album is pure gold.
- Journal for Plague Lovers (2009). Richey Edwards left some lyrics to the band before his disappearance, and this album is the result of putting music to them. Probably their closest release sonically to The Holy Bible and a very strong album. My favourite song is 'Jackie Collins Existential Question Time', followed by the Rush-influenced title track.
- Postcards from a Young Man (2010). This album is kind of cut from the same cloth as Send Away the Tigers, featuring anthemic songs but adding some gospel backing vocals. 'Some Kind of Nothingness' might be my favourite song off this album.
- Rewind the Film (2013). An intimate acoustic album. Although I like all of it, I love the song '30 Year War'.
- Futurology (2014). This could be described as a colder album, inspired by Krautrock and early Simple Minds. 'Futurology' and 'Walk me to the Bridge' are two great songs.
- Resistance Is Futile (2018). After two albums exploring different sounds, this was a return to the anthemic alternative rock the band does so well. 'International Blue' is a superb single, 'Liverpool Revisited' a beautiful homage to the city's fight for justice against the British establishment, 'Broken Algorithms' a furious attack of social media companies... I love the introspective 'A Song for the Sadness'.
- The Ultra Vivid Lament (2021). Their latest album was described by the band as ABBA played by The Clash because most of the songs were written on a piano. Lyrics are more introspective, but they still get political when it matters. It contains some outstanding tracks, like 'Complicated Illusions'.

You might also find this post useful: https://forum.maidenfans.com/threads/manic-street-preachers.71734/post-991178

We also have a thread with multiple examples of their music: https://forum.maidenfans.com/threads/manic-street-preachers.71734/

I hope you will find this helpful!
 
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JudasMyGuide said:
That's more than I hoped for, very elaborate, I'll use this as a starting point, thank you very much!

(I'll try to post my eventual thoughts and experiences in the MSP thread)
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You’re welcome!

For what is worth, @The_7th_one and yours truly ranked their discography here:

Manic Street Preachers

I was lucky enough to see Manic Street Preachers play Spectators of Suicide at the gig I went to last month. Apparently it had only been played live twice before this tour (at one show in 1986 and another one in 2008)!
forum.maidenfans.com
 
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