Search - Manic Street Preachers :: Generation Terrorists

Beautiful, empty, dying.

Angry Mofo | 04/14/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Spring is finally upon us, it would seem - after winter's last gasp, it's finally warm, dazzlingly sunny, the sweaters and coats and various other garments have been shed, and the intoxicating springtime scent is in the air. It is the time of youth - narcissistic, confused, invulnerable youth, of the sort that Yukio Mishima was hopelessly obsessed with. Doubtless, there is no album that reflects this better than the Manic Street Preachers' loud, angry, ridiculous and brilliant 1992 debut. These were the days when the boys strutted around dressed in boas, eyeliner and shirts bearing incomprehensible slogans, roared as if possessed from miniscule stages, threatened to record one multiplatinum album and split up, announced their plans to light themselves on fire live on television, and in the case of Richey James Edwards, engraved "4 REAL" into their arms. Truly, this is the way youth was meant to be lived, this is what the concept of youth is all about - fighting like furies, sloganeering with glorious eloquence, laughing in the face of one's own ridiculousness, caring nothing for money but dead-set on victory, preening, crashing and burning with a most manly energy yet possessed of a certain feminine elegance in the meantime. Is there anything more beautiful and haunting in the middle of a smouldering summer night or a clear spring day than James Dean Bradfield's mournful yet aggressive wail, evocative of gorgeous flowers growing on a desolate highway underneath a dirty billboard, of such timeless lines as "H-bomb the only thing that will bring a freedom to life," "You are pure, you are snow, we are the useless sluts that they mould," "Rock and roll is our epiphany, culture, alienation, boredom and despair," "Daylight bores the sunshine out of me, I need to be alone amongst the weeds," "Love's sweet exile," "Repeat after me - imitation demigods" and "All we want from you are the kicks you've given us"? The answer: no. It is an unfortunate fact that too many people waste their youth on meaningless pursuits, too much in a hurry to become old, not realizing that they'll never have another chance. Others take the course of fashionable decadence without getting to the essence of it. But thankfully, they have all now been redeemed, since the Manic Street Preachers have lived their youth for them the way they themselves should have lived it. Generation Terrorists isn't the best album ever made, but as a record of this redemption, it is absolutely timeless, even if the boys themselves eventually grew up and things turned much darker just a little bit down the road. And hey, "Motorcycle Emptiness" and "Little Baby Nothing" must surely rank among the ten best rock anthems of all time. This is most certainly required listening."

Motorcycle Emptiness

Tezcatlipoca | 06/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard the Manics on the radio, at the time "This Is My Truth Tell me Yours" had been released and the charts had "If You Tolerate This..." but it was a wee bit earlier in 1996 that "A Design For Life" made the top five, would have made the top slot too."Motorcycle Emptiness" I first heard on a tape done by my girlfriend last year, and following this I bought "Generation Terrorists". Most of the songs, if not all are pretty amazing - consider Clash mixed with Pistols mixed with Guns & Roses. Some of the riffs are very similar.Listen to the drums on "Motorcycle Emptiness", listen to the way the Bass throbs behind the attack and swoop of JDB.Consider that the single is about [$$$] and that the album is around the same price and then go buy it. If you only like "Motorcycle Emptiness" you will NOT have wasted your money."

Slashing & Burning

Tezcatlipoca | Espinho,Portugal | 07/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the early 90's came from Wales one of the decade's finest rock outfits in the form of the Manic Street Preachers.



Welding together the Clash's political agenda and the Guns&Roses' rambunctiousness they were notorious even before releasing a note of music for taking their opinions to extremes that even the aforementioned influences would hesitate in following.



Among several interviews in which they alternatively proclaimed their political beliefs or lambasted the music business(and its members) came the infamous carving of 4Real in the arm by Richey James which made them the talk of the town.



When it came to recording their debut they promised to part ways after its release but while the failed to disband they did offer us some of last decade's best rock&roll.



Due to their inexperience the álbum is less musically complex than later offerings(especially than their masterpiece"The Holy Bible") but hás enough high energy rockers(with"You love us"and"Slash&Burn" at the top of the heap)to put to shame all competition.



Moreover it features one of the 90's defining songs-"Motorcycle Emptiness".



Fans of any kind of rock should find much to please them here.



"