Listen to Generation Terrorists, one of the best debut albums I've ever heard.

Gold Against the Soul was pretty great too.

i dont like any of their songs

So before the manics came along, no recording artist in the history of music had achieved any/or all of the above?! Im sold! ;OP

for some thoughts on N Wire.

http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/2714792

as for self mutilation, not cool really is it. He didn't even have the bollocks to spell the words correctly on his arm..Over rated, political poppycock. As for NYE 1999, the worst night out of my life watching them in Cardiff.. Laughable.

and these are all the reasons why I still can't help loving them.

never a judge a book by it cover!

correct

All it means that in an age where most acts are here today and gone tomorrow, they are still together and can still pull the punters.

But they were always wank.

Not only are they shit, but worse than that they are shit that thinks its important. Politicaly important at that.

I hate inane sloganeering at the best of times, but when married to ploddy verse chorus verse chorus middle eight chorus end route one shite its just too much to bear.

Oh and one wears a dress. Ooooh, take that the government!

it's NME. although you +10 indie points for the cutting comment about Everything Must Go. RICHIE 4 EVER

whoops, picture confused me.

Still, Q is just NME for grown-ups. Same ears, different ages.

except trade the manics for oasis. and the whole glastonbury bit.

i had a very similar experience, i loved the manics, my first gig was the manics back in '01. Having seen them tear through a set of classics in '05 and loving every second, i was terrified by "your love alone..." as its a terrible song.

anyway, i still went to see the manics, and i remembered by they were the most important band i listened to when i was a teenager. And my friends who saw them were wowed by them and said they were the best band of the weekend.

Godlike geniuses? yes. Whilst the early manics propaganda of 20 million records then splitting up was perhaps a lot more talk then walk, the Holy Bible is without a doubt one of the most important records of the 90s. Lyrically, its untouchable. Stark, repulsive imagery and a manifesto against stark, rock guitars. Underproduced and understated.

its the musical equivilent of watching a documentry about Holocaust, Self Harm, Anoexica and Old People wanting to commit suicide.

i'd like to see any of you make a record that honest and brilliant.

The manics knew they were for real - and the holy bible is proof that they were.

weighed down by loads of shite songs and albums. Nicky wire is an absolute bawbag of the highest order who still thinks he is relevant today, and takes himself far too seriously. Away and play with the buses Nicky, we don't care what you have to say!!!

of a yes_ post?

So that always results in a last minute scramble around for someone that will accept the "your career's over fuck off" award, the manics said themselves (in Q nonetheless after winning record of the year) that they considered their career on the downward slope before the success of this one. I honestly think half of you lot slag them off without listening to them (same with idlewild) because it seems a cool indie scenster thing to do... ok they play arena sized dad rock but so do kasabian and countless others that are fauned over on these very forums and NO ONE gets the hypocrisy of it.

that theyre one of the most important bands in the world to me. the manics are one of a very small handful who've had a resounding impact on my life. they made me give a shit about art, literature, music and life in general...

but that doesnt mean they deserve some sort of validatory nod from the nme, as if to say 'fine work boys, youre accepted into the british rock canon'.

the very fact that the nme think theyre in a position to do that is frankly laughable.

Don't mind James Dean Bradfield as he has talent.Cannot be doing with Nicky 'look at me' Wire who just seems an obnoxious numpty with an over-inflated ego.
I agree with Motorcycle Emptyness being a stand out track and that was way back when Richie Edwards was in the band.

I'd go so far as to say they are pretty undervalued, especially by the indier than thou crowd who are far too cool to like em.

They have always been criticized at almost every stage of their career. When started, lots of people despised them because they were sloganeering and anti lad. Obviously they had no commercial viability with Holy Bible and thats around the only time they gained any artistic credibility or cool, despite the obvious personal issues in the band. Then in their later career they've been pounded first for going commercial, then for trying to go back to their roots and so on and so forth. They can never win.

On Everything Must Go for those who think it is a non Richey record, half of it was written (music and lyrics) before he left, the second half came later, so the finished article would not have been radically different. Whether it would have come out at all though is quite another matter.

Fact is they've stuck around and carried more fans through years and years of changes, and not petered out. They still have fans who go to every single gig on every single tour they do, and in fairness there aren't many bands who in their later days inspire that kind of devotion.

God Like Geniuses, well that is up for debate, but as a continually important band on many levels over the course of 15 years, I think it's about time they got a few gongs.