Gold Against the Soul
Encyclopedia
Gold Against the Soul is the second album by Welsh
rock band
Manic Street Preachers
released on June 14, 1993.
All lyrics were written by Nicky Wire
and Richey James Edwards
, all music was written by James Dean Bradfield
and Sean Moore
.
and the album was more reflective of the despair and melancholy of their later work like The Holy Bible
, though The Holy Bible was itself highly politicised
at times. An exception is the title track ("Gold Against The Soul") which contains lyrics like "Close the pits sanctify Roy Lynk
an OBE
" and "White liberal hates slavery/Needs Thai labour to clean his home."
"La Tristesse Durera" (literally "the sadness will go on") is the title of a biography
of Vincent van Gogh
, although the song is not about him, but about a war veteran
.
The band themselves have described this as their least favourite album and the most unfocused period of their career, with Bradfield saying "All we wanted to do was go under the corporate wing. We thought we could ignore it but you do get affected." Bradfield has said that they were being encouraged to write more "radio conscious" songs and this is evident, especially in the stadium rock style anthems "Life Becoming a Landslide
" and "From Despair to Where
". Nevertheless, these tracks have become classics among fans.
Incidentally, the band's image had changed to a more mainstream
rock band look.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
released on June 14, 1993.
All lyrics were written by Nicky Wire
Nicky Wire
Nicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the lyricist, bassist and occasional vocalist with the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early life:...
and Richey James Edwards
Richey James Edwards
Richard James Edwards was a Welsh musician who was rhythm guitarist and lyricist of the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. He was known for his politicized and intellectual songwriting which, combined with an enigmatic and eloquent character, has assured him cult status...
, all music was written by James Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...
and Sean Moore
Sean Moore (musician)
Sean Anthony Moore is the writer, drummer/percussionist and sometime trumpet player of the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early years:...
.
Album overview
The lyrics of the album are considerably less political than their previous album Generation TerroristsGeneration Terrorists
- Personnel :Manic Street Preachers*James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, guitar*Richey Edwards – guitar*Sean Moore – drums, percussion, backing vocals*Nicky Wire – bass, piano on Little Baby NothingAdditional personnel...
and the album was more reflective of the despair and melancholy of their later work like The Holy Bible
The Holy Bible (album)
The Holy Bible is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 29 August 1994 by Epic Records and was the last of the band's albums released before the disappearance of lyricist and guitarist Richey Edwards , on 1 February 1995.Edwards was...
, though The Holy Bible was itself highly politicised
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
at times. An exception is the title track ("Gold Against The Soul") which contains lyrics like "Close the pits sanctify Roy Lynk
Union of Democratic Mineworkers
The Union of Democratic Mineworkers is a British trade union not recognised by the TUC or the Labour party for coal miners, which is based in Nottinghamshire, England...
an OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
" and "White liberal hates slavery/Needs Thai labour to clean his home."
"La Tristesse Durera" (literally "the sadness will go on") is the title of a biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
, although the song is not about him, but about a war veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
.
The band themselves have described this as their least favourite album and the most unfocused period of their career, with Bradfield saying "All we wanted to do was go under the corporate wing. We thought we could ignore it but you do get affected." Bradfield has said that they were being encouraged to write more "radio conscious" songs and this is evident, especially in the stadium rock style anthems "Life Becoming a Landslide
Life Becoming a Landslide EP
"Life Becoming a Landslide" is an EP by the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. The title track is taken from their second album Gold Against the Soul. It remains an important insight into the mindset of the band's lyricist/guitarist Richey Edwards, and a poignant exploration of the...
" and "From Despair to Where
From Despair To Where
"From Despair to Where" is a song by the Manic Street Preachers, released in 1993 - the first single to be released from the album Gold Against the Soul June 20, 1993....
". Nevertheless, these tracks have become classics among fans.
Incidentally, the band's image had changed to a more mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
rock band look.
Track listing
All tracks written by Bradfield/Moore (music) and Edwards/Wire (lyrics).Personnel
- James Dean Bradfield - vocals, guitars, backing vocals
- Sean Moore - drums, percussion, drum programming (tracks 8, 10), backing vocals
- Richey Edwards - guitar, backing vocals, lyrics
- Nicky Wire - bass, backing vocals, lyrics
Additional personnel
- Dave EringaDave EringaDave Eringa is an English record producer from Essex who has engineered, mixed, produced, and played on albums by such bands as Manic Street Preachers, Ocean Colour Scene, Idlewild, 3 Colours Red, South and Johnny Boy...
, Ian Kewley - piano, organ - Nick Ingham - string arrangements
- ShovelM PeopleM People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
- percussion