Everything

Title: Everything (a book about Manic Street Preachers)
Author: Simon Price
Published: Umm... good question. Doesn't really say... 1999!
Genre: Music biography
Pages: 265, + discography, list of websites, and index.


I'm still stuck in the Manics-groove (I quite like it here...), and bought and read this as well. Everything (a boastful, yet quite accurate title) tells the story of the Welsh band Manic Street Preachers, all the way from their bored childhoods to the publication of their 1998 album This is my truth tell me yours. There's your basic history, some interviews (snips and whole ones), plenty of photographs and even analytical essays on all of the members, the fans and other important aspects. Like hoovering. There's also a lot of commentary and backgound on the albums and songs, which is always interesting to read.

For most of it, Mr. Price was there for the ride, and the rest of the info comes from other sources. It's not the whole truth, it's not the complete truth, but it is his truth. And it's written so that, whenever I thought to put the book down, I was always tempted (unless I had to get off a bus or go back to work) to read juuust one more paragraph. Chapter? Five more minutes!

An interesting book on one of the most interesting bands out there.


(From interview with Steve Lamacq)
RE: 'Because when you're at school, you're led to believe that music is going to change your life, you hope a band's gonna reflect the way you feel, and they don't. All they do is just reduce you to a shit second gear.'
NW: 'You do get this feeling of total depression. And there's nothing you can do to control it, to smash your walls. And that's what we're trying to articulate.'
SL: 'You couldn't find that in any music, any album?'
JDB: 'In each other. It sounds a bit soppy, but...'
NW: 'We really do love each other.'
SL: 'So what would you say your chief motivation is?'
RE: 'To write music, obviously, and to make people address issues that are really important.'
NW: 'But James wants to write brilliant songs anyway. He's a talented person.'
JDB: 'I just want to create the greatest record ever... boring old tepid muso, aren't I?'
RE: 'It's really hard for us to convince you... that we're for real.'

(RE = Richey Edwards, NW = Nicky Wire, JDB = James Dean Bradfield)