Twenty years ago this past summer, Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers released The Holy Bible. The group’s early style of tight white jeans and spray-painted ladies blouses was traded in for military chic, and their previous glam-rock leanings were abandoned in favor of a harder, darker sound that drew comparisons to groups like Joy Division and Nine Inch Nails. Troubled rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards penned the majority of the album’s lyrics, with themes including eating disorders, the Holocaust, and American consumerism (for more, check out our New Ordered piece from August). The Holy Bible was a far cry from the other guitar-based records that were topping the charts at the time.
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the remaining Manics (Edwards famously disappeared on the eve of an American tour in 1995) announced a series of live dates in Glasgow, Manchester, Dublin, and London in which they will play The Holy Bible in its entirety. Now, the band has announced a special 20th anniversary box set reissue of the classic album.
The box set will include four CDs and the album on vinyl for the first time since its release in 1994. Additionally, a 40-page book will also be part of the set. Read the full statement from the band:
“The record will be available with BBC recordings of the 1994 Astoria shows released commercially for the first time and a beautifully curated book with rare, previously unseen images, including exclusive photos by Mitch Ikeda, handwritten lyrics, sleeve notes from Keith Cameron and notes from the band.
“The 12” x 12” box contains the remastered album on 180gm heavyweight vinyl plus 4 CDs and a 40 page book. The cd’s will contain the full album, the remastered US version, b-sides, mixes live versions and a previously unreleased version of ‘Revol’. There is also a live CD of the band’s last performances with guitarist Richey Edwards from the Astoria on December 1994. It is rounded up with a few acoustic tracks from the album from a recent Radio 4 Mastertapes session the band did in Maida Vale in September of this year (which airs on 17th November at 11pm).”
The Holy Bible box set will not be released until December 8, but it is currently available for pre-order from MyPlayDirect. Check out the full track listing below:
VINYL – THE HOLY BIBLE 20 REMASTERED
Yes
Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit’sworldwouldfallapart
Of Walking Abortion
She Is Suffering
Archives Of Pain
Revol
4st 7lb
Side 2.
Mausoleum
Faster
This Is Yesterday
Die In The Summertime
The Intense Humming Of Evil
P.C.P.
CD1: THE HOLY BIBLE (REMASTERED)
Yes
Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit’sworldwouldfallapart
Of Walking Abortion
She Is Suffering
Archives Of Pain
Revol
4st 7lb
Mausoleum
Faster
This Is Yesterday
Die In The Summertime
The Intense Humming Of Evil
P.C.P.
CD2: THE HOLY BIBLE – US MIX (REMASTERED)
Yes
ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit’sworldwouldfallapart
Of Walking Abortion
She Is Suffering
Archives Of Pain
Revol
4st 7lb
Mausoleum
Faster
This Is Yesterday
Die In The Summertime
The Intense Humming Of Evil
P.C.P.
CD3: B-SIDES + LIVE
Sculpture Of Man (Album Version)
New Art Riot (In E Minor) (Live from the Clapham Grand)
Too Cold Here
You Love Us (Original ‘Heavenly’ Version)
Love’s Sweet Exile (Bangkok Live)
Drug Drug Druggy (Live at Glastonbury)
Roses In The Hospital (Live at Glastonbury)
You Love Us (Live at Glastonbury)
Love Torn Us Under
The Drowners (Live)
Stay With Me (Live)
La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh) (Vocal Mix)
La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh) (Dub Mix)
Faster (Dub Mix)
Faster (Vocal Mix)
Revol (Previously Unreleased)
CD 4: LIVE BBC IN CONCERT, THE ASTORIA, DECEMBER 1994
P.C.P.
From Despair to Where
Yes
Faster
She Is Suffering
La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh)
Slash ‘n’ Burn
Motorcycle Emptiness
New Art Riot
Life Becoming a Landslide
Revol
4st 7lb
This Is Yesterday
+ RADIO 4 MASTERTAPES, MAIDA VALE, SEPTEMBER 2014
4st 7lb (Excerpt)
Faster
P.C.P
This Is Yesterday
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