This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours

by

Manic Street Preachers

Edit

I have put off writing a review on this album simply because I don't think anything I could write would do it justice. This is one of the greatest releases of the 90s, and were it not for a couple of so-so tracks, I would put on the 'All-Time" list. Perhaps on the strength of the other songs this *is* and "All-Time greatest" album. No matter, though, because the Manics really outdid themselves on this one.

This was the first album by the Manics I ever purchased. Living in the States, I was not at all familiar with their music, and had only read a couple of (positive) reviews about them. The moment I heard the stirring strings and emotional chorus of opening track "The Everlasting", I was hooked.

"Everlasting", penned by bassist Nick Wire (as would all tracks on this album), is an autobiographical look of sorts at the history of the band. However, as it is written in the similar style to most Manics songs (metaphorically and full of grandiose statements), it can be viewed by the listener as look back at life, to see where we came from, and how we got here. Though the band now slag the song off and are hesitant to play it live, one gets the feeling that it is because the song hits a little too close to home, and exposes a bit more than they'd like. It certainly ha snothing to do with the quality of the song itself.

Moving on, the album only picks up steam with the next few tracks. "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" is a rousing anthem akin to "Design for Life", the standout track from the Manics previous (and equally stunning) album. A song (strangely) about the Spanish Civil War, "If you..." features an impassioned performance, musically and lyrically, by the band, culminating in the line in the bridge when vocalist james Dean Bradfield sings "And on the streets tonight an old man plays with newspaper cuttings fo his glory days".

Other standouts on the album include the rocking "You Stole the Sun From My Heart", the string-laden ballad "Black Dog On My Shoulder", the rousing "tsunami", with its sitar (!) and washes of keyboards, and the soaring "Nobody loved You", an emotional tribute to missing lyricist/guitarist Richey Edwards.

Musically, the production runs from the grandiose and luxurious (Everlasting, If You Tolerate...etc.) to the quiet and reflective (Born a Girl, My Little Empire, etc.) Guitarist and principal songwriter James Bradfield, along with drummer Sean Moore, create a vast canvas of music that runs the gamut of styles. Always intriguing, never boring, the duo (and Bradfield, in particular), show that they are among the greatest arrangers of their generation.

Speaking of Bradfield, his vocals on this album are nothing short of spectacular. I'm not sure which album the Amazon.com reviewer was listening to for the above review, but contrary to what he wrote, Bradfield's range seems only to improve with age, and his performance on songs such as The Everlasting and If You Tolerate This...really showcase his natural singing ability. Even on the earlier, louder, Manics albums, Bradfield always "sung" more than "screamed", but it has only been recently that his true talent in that area really shines through. Everyone already knew he was an excellent guitarist (his work here does nothing to dispel that notion).

Lyrically, Nicky Wire has produced another interesting, thought-provoking, occasionally-annoying series of songs for Bradfield to croon. As with any Wire product, some lines are simply brilliant ("No vendettas, just a cherry blossom tree") to annoying ("But it's really not the kind of thing that people want to hear us sing") to the downright bad ("Delirium on helium"--ouch). Still, it is obvious Nicky writes form his heart, and the honesty comes across clearly in the context of the music.

one more beef to point out: the Manics have this habit of hanging on for a song or two too long on albums, and "This IS My truth" is no exception. "I'm not working" plods on for over 6 minutes and really doesn't do much, whilst "SYMM", though captivating musically, suffers from a very substandard lyrical composition from Wire.

Beyond those minor greivances, though, lies a tremendous album. I have owned the album for over five years now, and each time I listen to it it sounds as fresh an invigorating as the first time I put it in. This certainly ranks up there with "Everything Must Go" among the best of the Manics' very fine career.

No You Love Us spurts from this album. Nicky uses more direct words and you know what he means. Not a masterpiece like GT, and The Holy Bible. Not as good as EMG but it is the Manics and they still mean something. As a Manics fan I prefer their earlier stuff, many new fans like EMG and after, but Im a new fan and like the Richey era. This is nothing like the Punk of GT or the sorrow of The Holy Bible. It is on it's own. Nobody loved You does seem the perfect song on it, singing mostly about Richey, it is a beautiful piece. I would never insult the Manics but this is not their greatest, it is still better than all the junk in the charts at the moment.