When the Manic Street Preachers first appeared on the scene a decade ago they had a simple plan: release one six-million selling double album and then split up. It didn't quite work out that way of course, which is why we now have this long-awaited, 20-track Greatest Hits package, just in time for the Christmas market. The Manics' iconic status has long been assured, largely because of the way they recovered from the traumatic disappearance of guitarist Richey Edwards. Musically, however, they've always bordered on the erratic - something that's reflected throughout this disappointingly uneven collection. True, there are some memorably punchy moments here, mostly recorded around the time of their biggest commercial success Everything Must Go. But the mix is spoiled by the inclusion of several forgettable rants, where the band are have clearly substituted crass slogans for proper songwriting. The tracklisting also disappoints, yielding a measly three songs from the Richey-era albums The Holy Bible and Gold Against The Soul. Still, give the Manics their due, they'll be remembered long after most of their contemporaries have been forgotten - and the quality of the obligatory two new tracks suggests that there's plenty of life left in them yet.

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