10 Bad Opening Songs On Great Rock Music Albums
7. Yes - The Holy Bible (Manic Street Preachers)
Manic Street Preachers' Richey Edwards was not in a good place during the recording of The Holy Bible.
Alcoholism, fuelled by a deteriorating mental state and anorexia nervosa, meant that Edwards would routinely pass out during recording sessions or break down crying in the studio. This would be the final album Richey would appear on before his disappearance the following year.
Yes, which opens the album up, is lyrically extreme to say the least. Drummer Sean Moore recalls getting a copy of the words from Edwards and being utterly baffled at how he was going to write music for them.
It's written from the perspective of a prostitute, which should give you an idea of where things are going. It proceeds to get very graphic very quickly, dropping a C-bomb in the first verse.
Abrasive lyrics aren't always a bad thing; just ask a punk fan. The Manics' own history is full of examples of spicy wordplay, but this just feels unfocused. Edwards' violent stream of conscious isn't poetic or insightful - it's uncouth and a little bit frightening.
To give Richey credit, the rest of the album turns out really well, but this one spot right at the beginning casts a grim shadow.