The Y!X Review: Manic Street Preachers - Journal For Plague Lovers
Posted Tue 19 May 2009 5:59PM NZST by The Eclectic in The Eclectic
"Journal For Plague Lovers" is the ninth studio album from Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers, but harks back to their third, "The Holy Bible".
The comparison is two-fold - the outstanding cover art on both is by English painter Jenny Saville, but - much more importantly - are the lyrics written by Richey James Edwards.
"The Holy Bible" was the last Manics album to feature Edwards before he disappeared in February 1995.
Fourteen years on Edwards has been declared 'presumed dead' by his family and the remaining Manics have used lyrics he handed to them before his disappearance as the heart of the songs.
And generally the songs are excellent. A clip from Christian Bale film "The Machinist" opens up the album as part of 'Peeled Apples', a hard rocking start to the disc.
But it's not all rock and roll - the acoustic laden 'Facing Page: Top Left' provides an interesting background to a song hinting at a fear of anything new, before the album heads downbeat for 'Doors Closing Slowly' and 'All Is Vanity'.
However it's the rollicking riff of 'Me and Stephen Hawking' which, combined with James Dean Bradfield's superior vocals, is the outstanding track from my first few listens to the album.
But the music is almost secondary to the interest in the use of Edwards' hand-written lyrics.
It's always perilous to try and read too much into lyrics, but given what transpired with Edwards chances are these particular words are going to be analysed for years to come.
"Here I am rise and shine, weighed down of course" and "Today the doctors allow the illusion of choice" may or may not give an insight into Edwards' mind at the time, but above all they're a step above what what the Manics have produced in the last decade.
And that holds, even if it's not always clear what Edwards is trying to say - they lyrics to 'Jackie Collins Existential Question Time' being a case in point - "If a married man f**** a catholic and his wife dies without knowing does that make him unfaithful, people?".
The final track (excluding the 'hidden' track 'Bag Lady') is 'William's Last Words' which, given it's placing on the album, is tempting to read as Edwards' suicide note.
However, the poignancy of the lyrics (and the fact, musically, it's a fantastic song) is lost with Nicky Wire's virtually tuneless vocals, taking the reins from regular singer Bradfield because of the latter's unsuitability for the song.
In an interview with the NME Bradfield says Wire's vocals are "like a mixture between Mark E Smith, Lou Reed and Katharine Hepburn". Unfortunately I don't think that's true - they're more like what you hear in the local pub when the village drunk gets his shot at karaoke fame.
I really want to hear the song sung by someone who can actually hold a note - because it could be a classic. And that's not the emotion this type of song demands.
However, I shouldn't let the conclusion of the album take away from what is, at heart, a raw rock album that pays tribute to a lost bandmate and close friend.
If you're a Manics fan you're sure to love it. If you haven't experienced them before then you're in for a treat.
The comparison is two-fold - the outstanding cover art on both is by English painter Jenny Saville, but - much more importantly - are the lyrics written by Richey James Edwards.
"The Holy Bible" was the last Manics album to feature Edwards before he disappeared in February 1995.
Fourteen years on Edwards has been declared 'presumed dead' by his family and the remaining Manics have used lyrics he handed to them before his disappearance as the heart of the songs.
And generally the songs are excellent. A clip from Christian Bale film "The Machinist" opens up the album as part of 'Peeled Apples', a hard rocking start to the disc.
But it's not all rock and roll - the acoustic laden 'Facing Page: Top Left' provides an interesting background to a song hinting at a fear of anything new, before the album heads downbeat for 'Doors Closing Slowly' and 'All Is Vanity'.
However it's the rollicking riff of 'Me and Stephen Hawking' which, combined with James Dean Bradfield's superior vocals, is the outstanding track from my first few listens to the album.
But the music is almost secondary to the interest in the use of Edwards' hand-written lyrics.
It's always perilous to try and read too much into lyrics, but given what transpired with Edwards chances are these particular words are going to be analysed for years to come.
"Here I am rise and shine, weighed down of course" and "Today the doctors allow the illusion of choice" may or may not give an insight into Edwards' mind at the time, but above all they're a step above what what the Manics have produced in the last decade.
And that holds, even if it's not always clear what Edwards is trying to say - they lyrics to 'Jackie Collins Existential Question Time' being a case in point - "If a married man f**** a catholic and his wife dies without knowing does that make him unfaithful, people?".
The final track (excluding the 'hidden' track 'Bag Lady') is 'William's Last Words' which, given it's placing on the album, is tempting to read as Edwards' suicide note.
However, the poignancy of the lyrics (and the fact, musically, it's a fantastic song) is lost with Nicky Wire's virtually tuneless vocals, taking the reins from regular singer Bradfield because of the latter's unsuitability for the song.
In an interview with the NME Bradfield says Wire's vocals are "like a mixture between Mark E Smith, Lou Reed and Katharine Hepburn". Unfortunately I don't think that's true - they're more like what you hear in the local pub when the village drunk gets his shot at karaoke fame.
I really want to hear the song sung by someone who can actually hold a note - because it could be a classic. And that's not the emotion this type of song demands.
However, I shouldn't let the conclusion of the album take away from what is, at heart, a raw rock album that pays tribute to a lost bandmate and close friend.
If you're a Manics fan you're sure to love it. If you haven't experienced them before then you're in for a treat.
