8th March 1999


Single of the Week

"You Stole The Sun From My Heart" by Manic Street Preachers

Musically at least, this pneumatic thrill of a track was amongst the most upbeat songs on "This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours"; a prime example of what the valley boys do best. A lilting verse underpinned with cascading guitar, then the dam breaks in the chorus - a soaring thing of malevolent beauty, a maverick glint in its eye as it whips up a storm bigger than El Nino. This is closest to "Generation Terrorists"-era Manics than we've had for a long time, and as those days of over-ambitious, bombastic glory were when I loved them best, "You Stole The Sun From My Heart" does it for me.

"Socialist Serenade" is the first b-side, and despite its school magazine lyrics (guess who wrote 'em?), is a undulating snake in the grass, sneaking up behind you and locking its fang-like guitar hooks into your ankles. Best of all however is a live version of "Train In Vain", the cover that the band now favour in their set (snatching that particular crown from "Suicide Is Painless" and "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head"). With James' guitar riff cutting through the Clash song like a chainsaw through butter, the Manics pay homage to the punk masters with a reverential - but undeniably unique - version of Strummer and Jones' classic.

They're still sorely in need of a damn good backlash though.

Rating: 9/10

The Rest

"At My Most Beautiful" by REM

REM seem to be in the middle of a cyclical zenith at the moment, after the dreadful downturn of the past couple of albums. "At My Most Beautiful" is what it says: beautiful. A piano and strings ensemble with Stipe's soft but rich tones wafting around like smoke from a church candle, the track is almost hymn-like in tone, and one of their best tracks of this ilk since "Losing My Religion".

The LP sessions have obviously been milked dry by previous single releases, as the b-sides are both from "Later With Jools Holland". The first is a sleazily drawled cover of Iggy Pop classic "The Passenger", Holland's ragtime piano adding a surreal element to the mix. Second extra track is "Country Feedback", a song from REM's more barren days, and whilst indeed being a little maudlin and directionless, still manages to lull you into a sense of relaxed numbness.

Rating: 8/10

"Writing To Reach You" by Travis

Pre-empting criticism, Travis themselves acknowledge the debt this song owes Oasis' "Wonderwall" (the intro and instrumental breaks in particular nipping round that song's heels), but this satisfyingly stellar epic manages to carve out its own niche, and sees a welcome return from the Glasgow boys. Fran's vocals veer between hazily fazed and crystalline clear whilst guitar work of particularly shiny lustre carries them forward like a surfer on a tidal wave.

"Green Behind The Ears" cranks things up a bit, with a rockier number that reminds you why Travis and The Stereophonics used to rival each other for the "best new guitar band in Britain" title (my money's still on Fran and the boys' more languid romanticism, over Kelly & co's mostly strained gymnastics). "Reach You" is an acoustic folkish love song, Fran and his guitar against the world, with vocals so clear and sharp they draw blood.

Rating: 8/10

"Better Best Forgotten" by Steps

After all those earnest boys with guitars, I'm in need of some aural floss. Thank heavens for Steps then, as they bounce back with another Abbaesque slice of syncopated beats and synchronised dancing, never losing focus on the main thing that people look to Pop for: FUN. Each Step-ette takes a solo verse (Lisa's obviously being the best by far) before the band reunite for the infectious chorus which confirms their position as the new kings and queens of Pop. Bless.

B-sides are an unimaginative remix (which merely seems to have turned up the eq's bass) and an even less imaginative instrumental version. Fortunately, things are quickly redeemed by the fact that the disc includes an enhanced section, which not only shows you the song's dance steps, but also includes the video - and therefore lots of footage of Lisa (I know I'm a sad old man - tell me something I don't know).

By the way, for those of you that constantly take sanctimonious offence at my inclusion of the odd shiny pop nugget into these pages, read HeadCleaner's reasoning behind this, and don't clog up my mailbox with your opinions on why Swine Flu are infinitely more deserving of the attention.

Rating: 8/10

"How Long's A Tear Take To Dry" by The Beautiful South

Bringing up the rear because of the stiff competition this week, and not through being a bad song, the South yet again buff up pop's grubby and cynical side with a jauntily acerbic duet, upbeat music hiding a cynically malicious little number. Lyric of the week must surely go to "This heart was like a Tardis, I went and lost the key in a fight, I've never found a locksmith, will you be my locksmith tonight? Will I shite." which is about as far from "take a chance on a happy ending" as you can probably get. Mention must also go to the "Scooby Doo on Tetley's" cartoon video (sadly not included here).

The National Week of the Crap Remix again spews up a pointless extra track here (buggered if I could tell the difference), with other b-side being an agressively acoustic "Perfect 10", not making this the best value single ever pressed.

Rating: 7/10

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