Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of Manic Street Preachers (disc 2)

Amazon Review

Lipstick Traces, the Manic Street Preachers' unexpected collection of B-sides, rarities and covers, proves that in some cases you can judge a book by its cover. In this case, that cover is a gaudy leopard skin print with lipstick red titles--it surely couldn't be anybody else. It's almost a defiant (if overdue) gesture to critics and fans alike, as if attempting to compensate for the soulless hits collection that Forever Delayed brought. Here is the other side of that schizophrenic Manics beast--the urgent Bradfield delivery and razor-sharp lyrics. Here's what made everyone love them in the first place.

Lipstick Traces kicks off with the piano-driven, rocky, passionate "Prologue to History", which celebrates ev...  Read full review »

A Review

This is a good compilation and all manic street preachers fans should have it but I don't think it shows the quality of their b-sides. Although there are lots of good song on it, it is...  Read full review »

B sides = second choice

This is a 2 CD compilation of B sides, rare tracks and covers. So by their very nature it is full of songs that were either not good enough to make the albums or not the usual material that a Manics fan would accept. Therefore Lipstick Traces contains a lot of weak tracks, particularly on the 1st disc, however it is saved on the 2nd by the inclusion of some eclectic cover versions.
James Dean Bradfield tends to shout a lot of his lyrics so the slower covers give t...  Read full review »

Manic on the back of this album!!!

I can honestly say this was my most pleasant Manics surprise yet - (apart from seeing them live). I didn't realise they had all these hidden B-side treasures - admittedly, these were mainly from their 'glory years' early to mid 90s - b4 fame, money & er, pies, seemed to get to their heads & seriously affect their output. Back in the days of The Holy Bible & b4, as far as I can remember, no-one actually gave a toss about the Manics apart maybe the trendiest London gig-goers, so it's a nice surprise to discover all these longstanding gems like 'Donkeys', 'Sculpture of Man' & 'Comfort Comes' wi...  Read full review »

Lipstick Smeared across my chest!

This album a collection of 35 b-sides and rarities is named "Lipstick Traces" after Greil Marcus's book of the same name that describes the story of The sex Pistols on the road. Its contents is as musically varied, personal, political, and tragic as the history of the welsh band the Manic Street Preachers themselves. Beginning with "Prologue to History" that's musically a throwback to the rhythms of Madchester, coupled with Nicky Wire's pleading lyrics about politics, and a creeping fear of his own irrelevance "Today a poet who can't play guitar,Tomorrow Steve Ovett has injured his calf,Next year the world's greatest politician,Yesterday the boy who once had a mission." Of The two "new" tracks "4ever delayed" is a sublime piece of Emotional stadium rock that makes up for what it lacks lyrically with world weary verses, and a sky scraping guitar led chorus. The second Judge Yr'self the last composition to feature missing lyricist Richey Edwards, is a fearsome slab of post holy bible rock, with a pile driving riff and stuttering vocals welded to lyrics by Richey that depict him inspecting his own self inflicted wounds "Heal yourself, Hurt yourself, Judge Yr'self" This track leads you to wonder what would have happened if Richey had stuck around? Would the Manics have imploded in hate or again rallied against everything around them, what is clear is that after Richey departed the scene the Manic's became a different band one touched by tragedy, and loss.

This tragedy is touched upon in tracks like "Sepia" a wide screen reminiscent strum that's words call to mind sadness, Hollywood Films, and Richey himself, " Just like the moment, In Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, I'm perpetually stuck in a sepia film, But bleeding inside I manage to keep it all in, I keep it all in."

Of the "classic" b-sides included here the highlights are "Comfort comes" with its spindling guitar line claustrophobic vocals from James Dean Bradfield and Richey's lyrics that plead for comfort anywhere. "Spectators of Suicide" w...  Read full review »

Self-important & boring

It seems the manics become more like the rock-band institutions they used to resent with this release, this is highlighted by the in...  Read full review »