Product Description

Those fans that discovered this album when it was first released deserve to feel ever so slightly smug. It took most ofthe rest of the world until EVERYTHING MUST GO before this album was fully appreciated. Sounding like a cross between metal and punk, the energy and melody never lets up for one second. After the first three tracks are over, a quick lie-down is in order before you tackle the sentiment of "Motorcycle Emptiness". Lyrically, the Manics are giants; it is a great pity that their statements of ironic values of the 80s and90s are not listened to more. Thank goodness this album wasfinally discovered.

Track Listing

1. Slash N' Burn
2. Nat West-Barclays-Midland-Lloyds
3. Born to End
4. Motorcycle Emptiness
5. You Love Us
6. Love's Sweet Exile
7. Little Baby Nothing
8. Repeat (Star and Stripes)
9. Tennessee
10. Another Invented Disease
11. Stay Beautiful
12. So Dead
13. Repeat
14. Spectators of Suicide
15. Damn Dog
16. Crucifix Kiss
17. Methadone Pretty
18. Condemned to Rock 'N' Roll

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8419 in Music
• Released on: 2002-11-04
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Condemned to Rock N' Roll
This is an album that shaped rock music as we know it. It's one of those that grabs you right from the off and pulls you in right until the very end. Yes, that's despite all 18 tracks of it.....

So it fuses James Dean Bradfield's wailing guitar, Nicky Wire's punching bass and sometimes controversial lyrics, Richey James's brilliant topical discussions, as well as Sean Moore's relentless drumming. Sounds all right doesn't it. But can it sustain the quality needed for 74 minutes?

You bet.

You see, after purchasing their latest offering, 'Send Away The Tigers', I was keen to know what Nicky Wire meant when he said that the Manics were trying to 'recreate their old sound'. So I bought their debut, 'Generation Terrorists'.

The opener, 'Slash N' Burn' is a great opener. We're immediately thrust into the world of The Clash meets Guns N' Roses, and a youthful punk influence. This was 1992 you know, although it is now 15 years ago, would you believe. 'Natwest-Barclays-Midlands-Lloyds' is one of those that Wire/James were going to write with its topical and political influences oozing through JDB's wailing vocals. 'Born To End' continues the trend of the previous openers, before the album's real gem is unearthed. 'Motorcycle Emptiness' is an anthem. Not just that, it screams confidence, and more importantly, shows the Manics as one of the influential bands of the 90s. 'You Love Us', which made their 'Forever Delayed: Greatest Hits' collection, as well as the previous track, is typical, punk-rock Manic Street Preachers. Another one of my favourites, and a definite crowd favourite in gigs.

The standard dips slightly for the next one. 'Love's Sweet Exile' is good, but doesn't have that edge that the first five tracks seemed to show in abundance. 'Little Baby Nothing' also made it onto their 'Greatest Hits', and it's not difficult to understand why. The lyrics are so thought-provoking, and the tune is brilliant. The next track is very unusual, as it seems the Manics are intent on going a bit Breakbeat/ Trip-Hop (probably to make it blindingly obvious that this is the US version of 'Repeat'). The song is ok, but nothing special. Credit must be given though, full marks for ambition. 'Tennessee' is again, classic Manics, plenty of meaty riffs a la G N' Roses, and it's very good. 'Another Invented Disease' is similar musically, but the more topical Manics songs are the better ones lyrically, as it portrays them as a very intelligent band, and very conscious of current affairs. 'Stay Beautiful' is again, very good, although by now we're realising that the second half of the album isn't as good as the first, although it doesn't mean to say it's a disappointment by any means. 'So Dead' is again, excellent. The trademark sound has been well and truly stamped throughout this record, and it's hard to complain of it. 'Repeat' (the UK version) is better than the US version, because it's more punk and no-frills rock n' roll. 'Spectators of Suicide' slow things down again, to soak up some of the great lyrics James and Wire have to offer. 'Damn Dog' is a cover song, although I'm uncertain of who recorded the original. 'Crucifix Kiss' is excellent, as is 'Methadone Pretty', but the real gem of this second half of the record is 'Condemned to Rock N' Roll', a six-minute something all-out rocker, which has everything Guns N' Roses might have had on some of their songs.

The Manic Street Preachers were determined to enter the scene with a bang. And indeed they did- 'Generation Terrorists' is the Manics at their very finest. Very highly recommended. 9.5/10.

Generation Terrific
After the Manics' return to Guitar Hero territory with Send Away the Tigers, I felt the need to dig out this rough diamond. And damn, it's fine. If you go back four or five years, you'd be met with fans claiming that Generation Terrorists hadn't aged well, but for some reason it sounds rejuvenated again in 2007. Upon its release in the early 90s it was completely out of sync with the British indie rock scene of stargazers in their 'loose fit' clothing, and it's no different now, the antithesis of all the indie kids with their guitars held as high as possible and their Talking Heads book of songwriting accompanying them through their short-lived careers before the bandwagon collapses.

Looking back, Generation Terrorists was an extraordinarily ambitious debut. A 73 minute double album of glam/punk/metal/softrock, incorporating dance remixes by the Bomb Squad, poetry intros and Meatloaf-style duets with pornstars. I mean, c'mon, you're sold already, right? The many literary and political references in the lyrics and philosophical quotes on the sleeve might not impress NME readers in an age when most of the current NME bands are little more than gap year students, but it was a brave new world after the antipathetic music scene the Manics were born into.

The musical and lyrical ambitions might not always have been met, but Generation Terrorists has its fair share of Manics classics. Motorcycle Emptiness often vies with A Design For Life for the title of the ultimate Manics song, You Love Us is their evergreen calling card and Little Baby Nothing is a slab of twisted melodic pop that deservedly joined the other two on 2002's greatest hits compilation Forever Delayed. Stay Beautiful remains a live favourite with a chorus chant to end all chorus chants, while the grand finale of Condemned to Rock 'N' Roll has a gloriously unashamed RAWK guitar solo that lasts longer than many full songs these days. Even the cover of Damn Dog, which previously sounded like such a mistake and afterthought, has a playfulness to it that's easier to appreciate in an era where the Manics have once again pressed the fun button.

It's not all about pink rose-tinted spectacles. Natwest-Barclays-Midlands-Lloyds is still a duff note so early on in the tracklisting, and some of the lyrics on the album do fall under the dreaded banner of 'Sixth Form', but the flaws add to the charm of this mental collection.

PS. If anyone from Sony is reading, it's time for a remastering.

The most awesome debut ever
This is my favourite debut ever, just beating the Stone Roses. The fact is it's a brilliant album. Of course, it contains Motorcycle emptiness. One of the most brilliant anthems of the 90's. But it also has a bundle of other classics as well. Slash n burn is a phenomenal album opener with a brilliant intro that gives way to an explosive riff ridden tune. You love us and love's sweet exile are two fantastic punk singles with James' masterful guitar work, and Richey and Nicky's brilliant lyrics. In fact there isn't a song I don't like, although the second half isn't as good as the first. However, despite it not being perfect, I'm still gonna give it 5 stars because it's such a passionate and vitalising album that demands your attention every time.

Top 5 tracks: Motorcycle emptiness, slash n burn, you love us, stay beautiful, Love's sweet exile