REISSUED
Manic Street Preachers
Everything Must Go 20 (SONY)
Where Manic Street Preachers’ 1994 album The Holy Bible was a creative peak and a tragic chapter in their tale, 1996’s follow-up, Everything Must Go, vaulted beyond expectations to provide them with a brilliant new start rather than merely a happy ending.
Following the disappearance in early 1995 of rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards, the remaining three members eventually decided not to disband and began working on the album that they knew could have been their last. Instead, the soaring “A Design for Life” was a U.K. number two single, the first of four to reach the Top 10. The reconfigured group soon found themselves reborn as arena heroes.
Unjustly overlooked in nearly topped the U.K. album chart and kick-started interest in other countries. Singer/ guitarist James Dean Bradfield and drummer Sean Moore crafted a solid collection of stirring, melodic rock tunes around thought-provoking lyrics by bassist Nicky Wire and Edwards, and the songs have aged well over the past 20 years.
