Product Description

This tenth anniversary re-issue of The Holy Bible, Richey James' last album with the band, features: the original album re-mastered; an alternate U.S. mix of the album; 4 live tracks from the Holy Bible tour; 2 demos; extended sleeve notes and and an 80 minute DVD packed with live footage and interviews.

Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Yes
2. Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit'sworldwouldfallapart
3. Of Walking Abortion
4. She Is Suffering
5. Archives Of Pain
6. Revol
7. 4st 7lb
8. Mausoleum
9. Faster
10. This Is Yesterday
11. Die In The Summertime
12. The Intense Humming Of Evil
13. P.C.P.
14. The Intense Humming Of Evil - Live
15. 4st 7lb - Live
16. Yes - Live
17. Of Walking Abortion - Live

Disc 2:

1. Yes
2. Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit'sworldwouldfallapart
3. Of Walking Abortion
4. She Is Suffering
5. Archives Of Pain
6. Revol
7. 4st 7lb
8. Mausoleum
9. Faster
10. This Is Yesterday
11. Die In The Summertime
12. The Intense Humming Of Evil
13. P.C.P.
14. Die In The Summertime - Demo
15. Mausoleum - Demo
16. Of Walking Abortion - Radio 1 Evening Session
17. She Is Suffering - Radio 1 Evening Session
18. Yes - Radio 1 Evening Session

Disc 3:

1. Faster - Top Of The Pops
2. Faster - Butt Naked
3. P.C.P. - Butt Naked
4. She Is Suffering - Butt Naked
5. 4st 7lb - Mtv Most Wanted
6. She Is Suffering - Mtv Most Wanted
7. Faster - Glastonbury '94
8. P.C.P. - Glastonbury '94
9. Yes - Glastonbury '94
10. Revol - Reading '94
11. Faster - Us Video
12. Judge Yr'self - Video
13. Yes - New Film
14. Band Interview (30 Mins)
15. Faster (Hidden Video Extra)
16. Revol (Hidden Video Extra)
17. She Is Suffering (Hidden Video Extra)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20267 in Music
• Released on: 2004-12-06
• Number of discs: 3
• Format: Explicit Lyrics

CD Description
10th anniversary reissue of seminal third album from the Welsh political rockers, their last made before the disappearance of guitarist and main lyricist Richey Edwards. Searing, scathing, dangerous, sinister and brutally aggressive, this is one of the classic rock albums of the 90s and is still considered by many Manics fans to be their best ever album. This remastered version includes a bonus disc featuring the USmix of the album, live and demo versions and a DVD of videos and live performances.

Customer Reviews

Now, more than ever..
I'm not going to waste time waxing lyrical about this album, it's content, how each track affects me etc.. because that would only apply to me, and not you. What I will say is this.. 10 years ago when this album was released I decided not to buy it based on the reviews at the time which suggested it was too harsh, too out there, too tuneless, too loud, too everything. Given that I'd loved the sound of Motorcycle Emptiness I assumed that I just wouldn't get on with this album. All of this, combined with a lack of free cash meant that I didn't get it.

Now, a decade further on and I have more free cash, this album is purchased and I have to say.. it's essential. It's been in the car for a fortnight now, constantly on the MP3 player and is being played to death and back.

The Holy Bible could well be an antidote to the manufactured pap that we are bombarded with at this time... pop idol, fame academy, x factor etc. it's THAT important. It isn't an easy album, but it's much preferable to the bile that we are being subjected to right now. We should take our hats off to whomever is responsible for this reissue (whatever the motives).. this album reminds us of how far the music industry has fallen.

This album demands your attention, it grabs you, it hurts you, it screams at you and makes you think, it drags you back to a time when you really felt that your views would count and could make a difference. Maybe that's stupid, maybe we're all just playing the game, but if this album insists that you take just some small piece of integrity into your life once again, then The Holy Bible has served it's purpose.

An Absolute Classic
One of the best albums of the 90s has become even more essential. The 10th Anniversary Edition of The Holy Bible comes in three discs with extras galore.

The original album superbly matches metallic art-punk with horrific yet compulsive lyrics. Musically, it is quite a departure for a band whose other albums have more of an anthemic rock element - the influences here are strictly arty (post) punk with James Dean Bradfield on superb form on vocals and guitar. The first 60% of the album is pretty near musically perfect with just a couple of not-quite-so-brilliant songs later on.

The Holy Bible has of course passed into mythical folklore with the disappearance of chief lyricist Richey James a few months after the album's release. Was the LP his extended suicide note? The words are often absolutely horrific and nihilistic yet also compulsive when they do connect. The (self) disgust of the repeated "Who's responsible. You f-king are." At the end of Of Walking Abortion is brilliant as are the more beautiful (yet still horrific) images of 4st 7lb "I want to walk in the snow and not soil its purity". Even a song whose words I don't agree with such as the pro-capital punishment Archives Of Pain is effective - "Give them the respect they deserve".

The real brilliance of The Holy Bible is how superbly the songs, playing and music match the intensity of the lyrics. The audio extras on the 10th Anniversary Edition include a whole US mix of the album (which the band prefer to the original), radio sessions and live versions of Holy Bible tracks recorded in 1994. Even better, the third disc is a DVD including TV and live appearances at the time and a new interview with the band.

Since I stopped the ridiculous practice of awarding quarter stars in my reviews (on my website), I've been trying to award five stars for albums and films when it's deserved. It is this time - a brilliant album with extras galore.

Some sort of power
This album is fantastic.
As for the re-released 10 year addition, i think it is a very well put together package. Aesthetically the 10 year anniversary album is impressive. The liner notes, with a small essay written on the historical aspect of the album, is interesting, and leaves one with a sense of the power that the album has. The notes also pointed me in the direction of Pinter's "No man's land", which was nice!
I was excited by the extras that came with this edition. I found the live tracks to be just awesome; a real insight the band's power as a live act at the time.
It has been noted that this album was released close to "lifeblood", the bands latest studio album, and so making the band painfully susceptible to comparisons with their selves today, and their past glory. All i can say is, the band burned bright here, they were awesome in their attitude, their presentation and their music- no band could ever sustain this sort of form for any period of time. It must have taken sheer nerve to carry this album off, and the reissue of it demonstrates just how much gusto the band did have.
Of course they changed, and arguably never reproduced the what they did here, but their brilliance is preserved in an excellent cd package, and all the little extras like the DVD footage makes for an inspiring look at a band who gave pretty much all they had, and did suffer for it.