Classic Album Review,Manic Street Preachers, The Holy Bible (US MIX)

Manic Street Preachers, The Holy Bible (US MIX) (Epic-1994)

I have never been a big fan of this band, well till now. I have heard this album many times before and each time I did enjoy it but I always felt that something was missing. The first single 'Faster' I always loved. With the first single being so good the album was for me going to be great.

Not so. For me the UK mix just sounds so weak, as if they just didn't know how to record the album. But this band is a live band who play gigs all the time. Most of the time the studio album is trying to capture the band in there element. Here in the UK mix it sounds as if the band have been told by the older neighbors to turn it down and have done so.

Again like previous blogs I will not go on and talk about the songs individually as many people have heard this and know it. What you have here is a review of a mix, ha ha yes it is that simple. Most bands that have a record deal in the UK and America can have there albums changed in some way for the American market. The Manic Street Preachers were also given this treatment.

The above picture is from the Beatles album 'Yesterday and Today' taken in 1966 it was a picture never intended to be used as an album cover. But the band insisted stating the butchering of the toy dolls represents what the American record company was doing to there albums. It was very normal for the US record companies to split albums into compilation style albums and release more of them that a named 'studio' album. This is why the Beatles sold so many more albums in America as the tracks were split up between more albums than in the UK. With fewer tracks and more albums that means more money to the record company. The band were more annoyed at this not just as it ripped people off but also as they really did put a lot of effort into the sequence the albums were played. The cover was at the time so insulting that the complaints poured in and the record company pulled all 250,000 copies.
All albums were destroyed and most punters never saw it but the label learned a lesson.

If you know someone with this album in mint condition in both stereo and mono then you have about $10,000-$13,000 worth of record.

Back to the Manics, they had a UK remix and were happy with it. It was now going to be printed and released so all is well. The band had sent there two previous albums to the US for them to 'butcher' the albums. This was hated by the band and the instantly felt it was a waste of time on this third album to even think the US mix will be anything that they are after. The other albums were re sequenced and tracks removed due to religious or political reasons. but this time a re mix was suggested.

The mixer this time was Tom Lord-Alge. At the time he was not really known in the music business outside of the US and even then much of his work had been out with rock music. The band got the mix back expecting to hate it and return it back with the usual dismissive remarks. But shock horror it was good. Really good so good it was way better than the UK mix. It is bigger and louder, the band sound alive on this album. The drums come over as they should, as does the whole band. The band are great musicians and can play. Now you can hear it. This mix was intended for college radio in the states (In America you don't get paid for radio plays so ANY radio is a must) hoping to get the rock and grunge fans as well it was exactly as an album this angry should sound.

There was a problem as the album was pretty much out in the UK and the band do not have the money to pull and replace an album. So it was decided to let the UK mix stay and the US mix be released as normal. After some time the album was picked up by college radio and started to get the band there first interest in America.  And rightfully so the album sounds amazing, nothing like what was in the charts in the mid 90s. Everything else was pop music and dance music. The time was right and the band looked so out of place that they market themselves so easily.

The UK festivals were booked and played but without Richey James as he was in rehab. After coming out of rehab a winter tour was played and during this the band were gaining more interest in America. A tour was booked for them, only a support tour but that is how you break the states.

On 1 February 1995, Edwards disappeared from the Embassy Hotel at Bayswater Road in London after checking out at 7:00 am. This was the same day that he and James were to travel to America for interviews prior to the gigs they were to play, The tour was canceled and the band went on hiatus.

I don't blame anyone for the failing this album had in selling as it was too late to change the UK album. Also the trouble Edwards had mentally can't be blamed on anyone as well. The US mix was never released after Edwards went missing. Only being added into the Special Edition in the 10 year anniversary album in 2004.

If it had come out and if they had played those gigs this could have been a big album. It was big in its contents and sound but the sales never happened and it has yet to even get an award in the UK. For years a secret kept by the band and due to the fact Edwards has never been found the band put this album out the way as it must have been hard to look at it so soon after Edwards diapered. Now you have a chance to own a great album listen to the UK mix and enjoy a band frustrated and anagary at the world and then listen to the US mix for an all out rock attack. I think 94 would have loved the rock feel of the album and taken it to heart. I also think the sales would have been there. But not sure on Richey.