Manic Street Preachers – Lifeblood (20th Anniversary)

Manic Street Preachers have confirmed the release of a 20th Anniversary Edition of their seventh studio album ‘Lifeblood’. As with other Manics re-issues, the new releases feature many remastered tracks, b-sides, demos and outtakes, new liner notes by John Harris and unseen pictures by Mitch Ikeda. Available on CD, 3CD bookset, double vinyl, double coloured vinyl, limited artwork prints and digital – two brand new remixes of the lead track ‘1985’ by Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and sometime collaborator Welsh artist Gwenno appear on the cd and digital versions.

Described by Nicky Wire as “our most estranged album of all” the record came at a time when the band were reflecting on what they had become and what they could be. The band looked to the music they had liked when they were young for inspiration, New Order circa ‘Low Life’, Prefab Sprout ‘Steve McQueen’, Thomas Dolby ‘The Flat Earth’, early Simple Minds, and the kind of cerebral electronic pop that dominated the early-to-mid 1980s. Wire said at the time “The main lyrical themes are death and solitude and ghosts. Being haunted by history and being haunted by your own past.” James Dean Bradfield commented “I loved making Lifeblood, because it was interesting. I loved chasing these other versions of what we were trying to do.”

They started work in Cardiff before heading to New York to work with legendary producer Tony Visconti. Next stop was Ireland with Greg Haver, the producer who had worked on their previous two albums. Finishing touches were brought by Tom Elmhirst (Bowie/ Goldfrapp/Adele), the mix engineer who gave the songs a lustrous sheen and sparkle, which combined their backwards glances with a hint of futurism. Mojo Magazine described it at the time as “An album that nails its subtle-but-tenacious hooks with dignity and maturity”.

The 1CD anniversary edition features remastered audio of the original 12 album tracks, overseen by James Dean Bradfield, and two brand new remixes of ‘1985’ by Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Gwenno alongside a redesigned digipak sleeve and including a 20 page booklet. The 3CD anniversary bookset edition features remastered audio of the original 12 album tracks, overseen by James Dean Bradfield on disc 1 while discs 2 & 3 comprise B-sides, Demos, Outtakes and two brand new remixes of ‘1985’ by Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Gwenno. The 3CD bookset also includes brand new liner notes by John Harris and previously unseen photographs by Mitch Ikeda. The 2LP anniversary edition features remastered audio of the original 12 album tracks, overseen by James Dean Bradfield, alongside a redesigned gatefold sleeve and 20 page booklet mirroring the original 2004 CD release.

Format – CD, 3CD Bookset, 2LP & Limited Edition Transparent Red Coloured Vinyl 2LP