By their own admission Blackwood in Gwent is not the most likely of places for a band to begin their illustrious history, but James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey James Edwards, and Sean Moore are one of the most important bands to have ever come from the UK. This is simply because they are unrelenting, opinionated, intelligent, and anti-mediocre.
The ethos of the band has recently been typified by Nicky Wire brilliantly, "do what they want, and do it for the music". There are large corner of fans in the media that cry out for each album to be another Generation Terrorists, which one imagines was largely ignored in mainstream, and recapture the punk energy and glorious solos now occupied by The
From "Motown Junk", a great punk anthem to be followed by "You Love Us", at first believed to be an exercise in pretension and arrogance, but on reflection is a wonderfully blatant kick up the arse for the times; coming across all punk, slash-lite solos, dressing up like Hanoi Rocks, it could quite easily be equated to "Anarchy in the UK" in terms of significance. Then comes the ballad, "Motorcycle Emptiness", largely inspired by Nicky Wire's politics studies, and backed by a now legendary video when they went to Thailand. Pity it ends up as backing music for a mobile phone ad.
Gold against the Soul, was their attempt to get American, it is fair to say. "Despair to Where" and "La Tristesse Durera" were good songs, but the latter was backed by a video that had the Amercian Alt-MTV look all over it, and three of the band members were now smarter in appearance, well defined except for Sean who kept the long haired look till the next album at least. Then the return to the terrorism angst on "The Holy Bible", widely regarding as their most under-rated record. Including "Faster", "PCP" and "Revol", the catchy punk with a message had returned with the political and philosophical statements, to an audience lacking in awareness amongst the mainstream.
Tragedy, and publicity unfortunately struck the band with the mysterious departure of longtime rythmn guitarist, joint lyricist and friend Richey James Edwards. The band continued and hit mainstream adulation with single "A Design for Life", unwittingly an anthem for the average beer guzzling lout about town, but followed by the excellent "Kevin Carter"; a song Richey wrote the lyrics for about a photographer killed whilst in the far east, and "Everything Must Go", anthemic but lacking in any substance. Better songs like "Elvis impersonator" and "Interiors" were worth more of a listen, but Everything must go, propelled the band from a band groups raved about, to a group everyone knew about.
Consolidation seemed the next step, with the melodic "This is my Truth, Tell me yours"; the first album to get a mixed response from fans and media alike. Some critics loved the songwriting, others felt they had sold out. Ditto with the fans. "If you tolerate this your children will be next" ascended to the top spot, and its suprisingly ambiguous nature had left the majority misunderstanding the message. Rather than being Anti-war, it was pro-war, or perhaps pro-revolutionary or pro uprising. "You stole the sun from my heart" was a rabble rouser, "Tsunami" was delicate, but years down the line "The Everlasting" is the song off the album that stirs the goosebumps. Melodic and melancholy, incredibly well written, and chorus lyrics "in the beginning, when we were winning, when the smiles were genuine" are so emotional, ballad-writers for Westlife and then Boyzone must have been shaking their heads in disbelief.
The Decade of Destruction and Decadence finished with a climactic decimation with "The Masses Against the Classes", quite possibly the last cathartic punk song to mean so much. Finally, "Know Your Enemy" featured compromises, a great Beach-boys inspired "So Why so Sad", and a grunting, unapologetic "Found that Soul" were the first two singles lifted, with the former winning in the charts. "Ocean Spray" a part beautiful and part rocking tribute to James Dean Bradfield's mother, who died of cancer; and Topical observations of Cuban past and present History, with "Baby Elian" a stinging attack on America's stranglehold on a young Cuban boy, and "Let Robeson Sing", a tribute to 60's activist Paul Robeson.
Contractual Greatest Hits, and self-imposed B-sides and rarities followed, preceded by a breaktaking concert in Cuba. The concert sacrificed any chance of playing in the U.S. again, once they had Cuba stamped on their passports. Given their disdain for the country, and Americans are too dumb to get them, it wasn't such a bad loss. Recently Wire admitted that the gig was wonderful but also the most damaging to the band, but performances of "Let Robeson Sing" and "Baby Elian" envigorated Cuban emotions, and the recruitment of a street musician to play Sean Moore's Cornet parts on "Kevin Carter" and "Ocean Spray" had the typical Cuban jazz swagger reminiscent of Buena Vista Social Club, and on "Ocean Spray" in particular, soared through the ether. Legendary producer Tony Visconti has worked on six songs with the band at time of press, but such an impressive history should not go unnoticed. Or unrewarded.
Craig Aston.
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Related Links:
Their Official Site.
Stay Beautiful Fansite.
Or click here for the third page of Bands You Can't Help But Love, featuring The Divine Comedy, Ooberman and My Life Story.
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