Everything Must Go (Manic Street Preachers album)

Untitled

For the album by Steely Dan, see Everything Must Go (Steely Dan album).

Everything Must Go is the fourth album by Manic Street Preachers, released in 1996. It contains five songs with lyrics by Richey James Edwards, who disappeared on February 1, 1995 and is the last album to feature his contributions.

The album takes its name from a play by Patrick Jones, Nicky Wire's brother.

Everything Must Go represents a change of style for the Manics. Their previous album, The Holy Bible, had been a stark, disturbing album with a minimal amount of instrumentation whilst this album embraces synths and strings, has a more commercial feel and fits with the Britpop movement that was prevalent at the time. The lyrical focus of the album is also shifted, due in part to Edwards' departure. Instead of introspective and autobiographical tracks such as 4st 7lbs, Wire's predilection for grandiose, historical and political themes dominates. These themes would continue through their next album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours.

Subjects tackled on the album include the tragic life of the photographer Kevin Carter, on the track of the same name, Willem de Kooning, and the maltreatment of animals in captivity on "Small Black Flowers That Grow in the Sky". The latter track, with lyrics by Richey James Edwards, can also be interpreted as an exploration of his mental state before his disappearance; the line "Here chewing your tail is joy" for instance may be as much about Richey's self harm as it is the tormented self injury of zoo animals.

Part of the rhythm guitar on "No Surface All Feeling" was played by Edwards before his disappearance, making it the only other instance of Edwards' own guitarwork being present on a Manic Street Preachers studio album, besides on the single La Tristesse Durera from their 1993 album Gold Against The Soul, in the band's history (Bradfield would typically perform all the guitar parts for their recordings).

So far the album has gone double platinum in the UK. In 1998 Q magazine readers voted it the 11th greatest album of all time, while in 2000 the same magazine placed it at number 39 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.

As with the lead single "A Design for Life", the album peaked at number 2 in the UK charts. "Everything Must Go", "Kevin Carter" and "Australia" were also released as singles.

Track listing

1. "Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier" (Music Bradfield/Moore, lyrics Wire/James) – 3:28
2. "A Design for Life" (Music Bradfield/Moore, lyrics Wire) – 4:16
3. "Kevin Carter" (Music Bradfield/Moore/Wire, lyrics James) – 3:24
4. "Enola/Alone" (Music Bradfield/Moore, lyrics Wire) – 4:07
5. "Everything Must Go" (Music Bradfield/Moore, lyrics Wire) – 3:41
6. "Small Black Flowers That Grow in the Sky" (Music Bradfield/Moore/Wire, lyrics James) – 3:02
7. "The Girl Who Wanted to Be God" (Music Bradfield/Moore, lyrics Wire/James) – 3:35
8. "Removables" (Music Bradfield/Moore/Wire, lyrics James) - 3:31
9. "Australia" (Music Bradfield/Moore, lyrics Wire)– 4:04
10. "Interiors (Song for Willem de Kooning)" (Music Bradfield/Moore, lyrics Wire) – 4:17
11. "Further Away" (Music Bradfield/Moore, lyrics Wire) – 3:38
12. "No Surface All Feeling" (Music Bradfield/Moore, lyrics Wire) – 4:13

Musicians

• James Dean Bradfield - Electric and acoustic guitars, vocals, piano, backing vocals
• Sean Moore - Drums, percussion, trumpet solo, backing vocals
• Nicky Wire - Bass, backing vocals
• John Green - Hammond organ, keyboards
• Martin Ditchum - Percussion
• Julie Aliss - Harp
• Gini Ball - Violin
• Sally Herbert - Violin
• Anne Stephenson - Violin
• Chris Pitsillides - Viola
• Clare Orsler - Viola
• Martin Greene - String arrangements

10th Anniversary Edition

A 10th anniversary edition of the album was released on November 6th, 2006. It included the original album, demos, B-sides, remixes, rehearsals and alternate takes of the album's songs, spread out over two CDs. An additional DVD, featuring music videos, live performances, TV appearances, a 45-minute documentary on the making of the album, and two films by Patrick Jones, completed the three-disc set.

10th Anniversary Edition Track listing

Disc one

1. "Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier"
2. "A Design For Life"
3. "Kevin Carter"
4. "Enola/Alone"
5. "Everything Must Go"
6. "Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky"
7. "The Girl Who Wanted To Be God"
8. "Removables"
9. "Australia"
10. "Interiors (Song For Willem de Kooning)"
11. "Further Away"
12. "No Surface All Feeling"
13. "Enola/Alone" (live)
14. "Kevin Carter" (live)
15. "Interiors (Song For Willem de Kooning)" (live)
16. "Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier" (live)
17. "Everything Must Go" (live)
18. "A Design For Life" (live)
19. "A Design For Life" (Stealth Sonic Orchestra Remix)

Disc two

1. "Dixie"
2. "No Surface All Feeling" (demo)
3. "Further Away" (demo)
4. "Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky" (demo)
5. "No One Knows What It's Like To Be Me" (demo)
6. "Australia" (acoustic demo)
7. "No Surface All Feeling" (acoustic demo)
8. "Interiors (Song For Willem de Kooning)" (acoustic demo)
9. "The Girl Who Wanted To Be God" (acoustic demo)
10. "A Design For Life" (first rehearsal)
11. "Kevin Carter" (first rehearsal)
12. "Mr Carbohydrate" (A Design For Life B-side)
13. "Dead Trees And Traffic Islands" (A Design For Life B-side)
14. "Dead Passive" (A Design For Life B-side)
15. "Black Garden" (Everything Must Go B-side)
    • The original B-side version of the song featured "Glory, Glory" as the intro to the song; on the 10th Anniversary disc the intro has been removed due to "Glory, Glory" appearing as a separate track
16. "Hanging On" (Everything Must Go B-side)
17. "No One Knows What It's Like To Be Me" (Everything Must Go B-side)
18. "Horses Under Starlight" (Kevin Carter B-side)
19. "Sepia" (Kevin Carter B-side)
20. "First Republic" (Kevin Carter B-side)
21. "Australia" (Stephen Hague production)
22. "The Girl Who Wanted To Be God" (Stephen Hague production)
23. "Glory, Glory"

DVD

1. "The Making of 'Everything Must Go'"
2. "Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky" (Later with Jools Holland)
3. "Australia" (Later with Jools Holland)
4. "A Design For Life" (TFI Friday)
5. "No Surface All Feeling" (Reading 1997)
6. "Everything Must Go" (Saturday Live)
7. "A Design For Life" (BRIT Awards + speech)
8. "Enola/Alone" (Live from Manchester Nynex, 1997)
9. "Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky" (Live from Manchester Nynex, 1997)
10. "The Girl Who Wanted To Be God" (Live from Manchester Nynex, 1997)
11. "Further Away" (new video by Patrick Jones)
12. "Home Movie" (by Patrick Jones)
13. "A Design For Life" (music video)
14. "Everything Must Go" (music video)
15. "Kevin Carter" (music video)
16. "Australia" (music video)