168 Songs of Hatred and Failure

A forensic exploration of their compositions and recordings, and everything that has been poured into them … completely definitive * MOJO ★★★★★ *The essential document of this group’s existence * RECORD COLLECTOR ★★★★★ *The definitive account of this remarkable band’s discography to date - one that demands to be heard in full * OBSERVER *Does for Manic Street Preachers what Ian MacDonald’s Revolution in the Head did for The Beatles * UNCUT *No one understands the inner workings and shared aesthetics of Manic Street Preachers like Keith Cameron … phenomenal – NICKY WIRECameron expertly tracks [the Manics’] trajectory in all its glory and tragedy, his song-by-song approach allowing for exhilarating close reading … The book’s carefully curated selection allows for a fascinating analysis of this wildly idiosyncratic band, one that catches as much of their complicated spirit as it does their turbulent history … This is heaven for Manics fans, but even those readers without any spray-painted white denim lurking in their wardrobe will find it hard to deny the power of the story that unfolds through Cameron’s rich analysis … Superb – Victoria Segal * THE TIMES *An astute study of some of the key songs from the Manics’ four-decades-spanning catalogue, it solidifies their status as one of the best, most idiosyncratic bands of their generation … It will inspire you to relisten and re-evaluate. This is ultimately a rather uplifting saga about friendship, resilience and an insatiable desire to create the perfect pop song … The whole Manics gamut, a definitive account * BIG ISSUE *

A journalist since 1988, Keith Cameron is currently a contributing editor at MOJO. He previously worked for Sounds and New Musical Express, and his writing has appeared in the Guardian, The Times, the Sunday Times, Scotland On Sunday, Kerrang! and Q. He is author of Mudhoney: The Sound and the Fury from Seattle, acclaimed by Mark Lanegan as ‘the definitive book on ‘90s Seattle music’.