Possibly lost to the mists of time but I’m pretty sure it took me a couple of months to warm to Everything Must Go after its release on 20th May 1996. There’s a lot going on lyrically and melodically in this record, even through it is filed under indie or alternative rock. Their first release since Richey disappeared, you can hear the raw anguish of the trio left behind. Such a powerful album, and listening to it again now after all these years I’m blown away with how good it is.
No Surface All Feeling is my favourite track but I could have picked any one of them. The Manics have a lot of great stuff in their back catalogue but this album is the peak imho, a triumph.