Tuesday, November 25, 2008

From despair to somewhere

Richey Edwards, lyricist, ideologue, stylist and half-assed guitarist for the Manic Street Preachers has finally been declared dead, nearly 14 years after his disappearance; as such, he warrants an obituary in the Daily Telegraph. I can't help but think that, had his body been found in 1995, he wouldn't have earned such a niche among the war heroes and Tory MPs. So essentially he's being honoured for his post mortem achievements, and the hotly debated Cult of Richey; we are encouraged to remember the myth and the mystery rather than the man.

10 comments:

West said...

....I didn't even know he was ill...

;?

xxx
Bob

untsci - rude anagram in there, I fancy...

Unknown said...

When I see a picture of Richey, I'm catapulted back to the summer of 1992 - standing at the bike sheds at school, hoping no one would notice that I didn't inhale my cigarette properly, and idolising Rosie, who was a year older than me but infinitely cooler, dressed in tight black leggings, long purple scarves, biker-style boots and lashings of black eyeliner. She idolised Richey, and through her adulation I developed an abiding love for the Manics, and their unique mix of trashy glamour and political engagement. I find it hard to look at them now, with their workaday clothes and pudgy middle-aged faces. Sometimes I wish they'd followed through on their threat to disband after Generation Terrorists: we'd never have had to watch them get old, and perhaps Richey would be a semi-contented librarian instead of a dead legend.

realdoc said...

I cannot keep up with your blogging Tim so
Richie ...aw shame;
G'n'R no;
with DT gone Dr Who will be a nihilistic well of nothingness for me anyway;
absinthe and Baudrillard...my head hurts;
eggheads..I'll just stop now shall I

Anonymous said...

I always thought it was inspired having a non-playing but "conceptual" member in the band.

Could he really play guitar or did they always leave it unplugged?

Tim F said...

He's not, Bob. He's helping out in Elvis's chip shop.

It's the fact that they no longer matter that's so sad, Bureauista. Still, the next album will be sprinkled with Richeydust, so we'll see.

Never stop, Doc. Sorry about the overload. "G'n'R no" is a pretty sound reaction to the whole scenario.

I think he'd managed a couple of chords by the end, Billy, but I think he was the only guitarist to have an amp that went one quieter.

West said...

Elvis's version of 'Motown Junk' is a belter:

"We live in urban hell - we destroy rock 'n' roll..uh-huh-huh...sing it fellas..."

[You have to say it in the voice, obviously...]

xxx
Bob

wierd viceifification: aregummo

A herb? Or an oriental paper folding art? Hmm....

Christopher said...

Everything all right out there in Bangkok? No need to send out search and rescue parties or food parcels? You will reassure us, won't you?

Tim F said...

All's well, Christopher, unless one happens to be stuck at the airport, where the main problems seems to be that nobody knows what's going on. The head of the military has suggested the government should resign and call an election, but insisted that this is not, repeat, NOT, a coup.

garfer said...

Post Richie the Manics have specialised in dull plodding dirges the popularity of which I have always found inexplicable.

Richie was always a bit Sixth Form angsty, but he meant it 4 REAL.

I'm convinced he is a Phuket ladyboy.

Tim F said...

I think the present-day Manics still mean it, Garfer, but they can't articulate it. They were meant to be coming to town this weekend, but I suspect they've discovered a prior engagement.