This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours (Limited Edition) - Manic Street Preachers

...one of the tracks on this album. At the start of their career in the music industry they had a cause and played some brilliant music making some top albums. For me they reached their peak in the previous album ‘Everything Must Go’, and this is just not up there with that and others. Having said that I think there are some really good songs on here, it is just not as good and their latest offering ‘Know Your Enemy’ seems to ...
...
Like I said this album has some good songs on it, though it also has some weaker songs and overall is pretty average. It starts strongly but then peters out towards the end and is not the best release ever from the Manic Street Preachers. This sort of thing is just not as good as some songs that they did earlier and is much more commercialized and in that sense is a run of the mill album. A change of direction and style, and not a good one ... more

That title really sums up to me what I think of the Manic Street Preachers, as well as being a line from one of the tracks on this album. At the start of their career in the music industry they had a cause and played some brilliant music making some top albums. For me they reached their peak in the previous album ‘Everything Must Go’, and this is just not up there with that and others. Having said that I think there are some really good songs on here, it is just not as good and their latest offering ‘Know Your Enemy’ seems to continue this trend. A bit sad really, this is my truth tell me yours.

Like I said this album has some good songs on it, though it also has some weaker songs and overall is pretty average. It starts strongly but then peters out towards the end and is not the best release ever from the Manic Street Preachers. This sort of thing is just not as good as some songs that they did earlier and is much more commercialized and in that sense is a run of the mill album. A change of direction and style, and not a good one at that. Maybe it was too much to live up to the huge success and brilliance of the previous album, maybe they are starting to drag out. On the up side there are still some really good songs such as ‘If you Tolerate this then your Children will be Next’, ‘Stole the Sun from my Heart’ and ‘Ready for Drowning’. They are not quite down and out yet, flashes remain.

1. The Everlasting 6.09

Not quite everlasting though at over six minutes in length comes pretty close. It does drag on a bit towards then end with a lot of instrumental breaks but generally it holds out well. Not a classic, but not a bad song with a good chorus it lacks some real guitars but is pleasant enough to listen to. Good lyrics by Nicky Wire as well.

‘In the beginning, when we were winning, and our smiles were genuine’

2. If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next 4.50

I really like this song and is up there with my favorites from the album. Written about the Spanish Civil war it has some great lyrics, I especially like the one below. The title makes the main chorus line and is more of the powerful stuff that is often missing from this album. The drums are clearer on this track and is more heavy than The Everlasting.

‘So if I can shoot rabbits then I can shoot fascists’

3. You Stole the Sun from My Heart 4.20

Has a great chorus on here, though the rest of the song is slightly lacking. It bursts into life at this point with drums and electric guitar for a bit of rock music, though the rest of the verses are lacking. Released as a single off the album

‘Drinking water to stay thin, or is it to purify, I love you all the same’

4. Ready for Drowning 4.31

Another really good song and one of the best on the album. A true story as the lyrics say about a Welsh village that was flooded to provide a water source for Northern England. As the chorus says ‘where are we going, we are not ready for drowning’. A very good lyrical song as it works its way through the story with some really good phrases. Musically good as well, though it is one of the last off a good run towards the end.

‘Look through my Venetian blinds, dusting the past off my mind.

5. Tsunami 3.50

Released as a single off the album it was a good enough reason for me to buy it then so I have gone back to re-buy on CD now, hence the review. Good enough song, though not as good as the previous one. Has a nice strings jingle through out though it does get irritating after a few listens.

‘Disco dancing with the rapist, your only crime is silence’

6. My Little Empire 4.09

As sung by Nicky Wire a rare event possible thankfully after this song. Good guitars are the only real advantage to this song. Also quite good lyrically again, the line ‘I’m happy being sad’ is about the best though it repeats itself like ‘I’m bored of being bored, I’m tired of being tired’. Generally slow and drones on and not the best to listen to.

‘I’m happy being sad’

7. I’m Not Working 5.31

Not really much better as a follow up to the last number. Slow and takes a while before anything really happens. When someone does start to sing it is just as slow and lacks inspiriting. Not much happening with the instruments the drums are the only thing here. There is a humming throughout as well. At first I though it was my CD but it is just this track as it is there in the background all this time.

‘Sweating out intelligence, like I don’t know what it is.’

8. You’re Tender and Your Tired 4.37

Better though still not excellent. Has a better feel to the song as it moves at a quicker pace and has a better chorus. Great vocals as well from James Dean Bradfield a real sign on the album that he can sing. Backing vocals are not as impressive, overall a good song that is better than others around it.

‘You’re tender and you’re tired and can’t be bothered to decide, whether to live or die.’

9. Born a Girl 4.12

Less impressive again as the standard slips on the album. Very, very average again seems to lack inspiration. The chorus attempts to pull back but is still too slow and has nothing solid behind it. The vocals are too isolated and seem strange all alone.

‘And I wish I had been born a girl, instead of this mess of a man.’

10. Be Natural 5.12

A much better song and keeps up the tail end of the album. Sounds not unlike some older stuff that they have done and is really quite good. Just about great in all areas, very well sung, there are some great lyrics and the guitars are about at their best on the album. Really nice to listen to.

‘Star bright keep me safe – today and tonight’

11. Black Dog on my Shoulder 4.48

Not the best song, though very nice vocals and well sung. Depressing theme to the song, though it is a more upbeat sound to this song. The guitars are not heavy but sound nice and though is not great it is at least listen able. Never reaches the top level in quality like so many others the Manics have done.

‘My mouth is so dry, my eyes are shut tight, there’s a black dog coming tonight’

12. Nobody Loves You 4.44

Another good song and a real taste of the older style that is not enough of on here. A really good chorus that has great guitars and a lovely sound to it. Just great and really pleasant to listen to. Why could they not have done the whole album like this?

‘Nobody loved you – nobody made you feel so alone, nobody loved you, no no’

13. S.Y.M.M 5.57

The last song on the album and in my opinion the worst. It is about the Hillsborough football disaster, and the SYMM stands for South Yorkshire Mass Murders as a reference to the police who handled the whole thing where they let too many people into the ground. Not a powerful protest song, just a poor song that never takes off and is a really droll and poor end to the album. Too long and too sad and down.

‘South South Yorkshire mass murders, how can you sleep at night?’

Overall I would not recommend this Manic Street Preachers album to people who are getting their first taste of the Welsh band. Look at some of the other things they have done especially The Holy Bible and Everything Must Go, then go back and judge this. Who knows you may find this a work of art. For me though it is little better than average and not a fair reflection on them at all.
 

...less