Watching the Top Of The Pops programme about 1996 recently I was struck by how much of an impact A Design For Life had on me. I was never a huge fan of the Manic Street Preachers- I own a few odds and ends, Generation Terrorists on vinyl, a CD compilation with a bonus disc of remixes and a handful of singles. A Design For Life is the peak for me, a song where everything comes together- their lives and backgrounds, the loss of Richey Edwards, Nicky Wire's lyrics, the power of their music and the addition of the string quartet. They said at the time the song rescued them from the despair they all felt after Richey went missing. If nothing else, it was a heck of a way to return, from the famous opening line about libraries giving us power to the many memorable lines that follow- 'I wish I had a bottle', 'a shallow piece of dignity', 'we don't talk about love/ we only want to get drunk/ and we are not allowed to spend/ as we are told that this is the end'- Nicky Wire found a way to be concise and powerful and moving, writing about class, identity, work, socialism, rejection and pride. James' guitar part and slightly strangled vocals add to the drama as do the strings and the swell into the chorus is huge and moving.
It's a world away from what other British guitar bands were doing in 1996, none of the flag waving, shallow, arch, nod and a wink patriotism of a lot of the Britpop songs. This remix strips things back, a violin part leading the tune, Nicky's bass pumping away and James' vocal isolated. Slower and less anthemic but still hitting the mark. Stealth Sonic Orchestra were otherwise known as Apollo 440, formed in Liverpool in 1990 and responsible for a slew of Manic's remixes.
A Design For Life (Stealth Sonic Orchestra Remix)