Kevin Cummins - Assassinated Beauty - Manic Street Preachers, 1991–1995

[MSPKYE]

From http://www.faber.co.uk/media/mediali...e_autumn14.pdf

An iconic selection of photographs of the most iconoclastic British band of the late twentieth century, Manic Street Preachers. In the early nineties, a group of disaffected and fiercely political young men from the Welsh valleys
exploded onto a British music scene still in thrall to rave and acid house. With their early singles ‘Motown Junk’, ‘You Love Us’ and ‘Stay Beautiful’ the Manics reminded us at a moment of great hedonistic indulgence that pop is an instrument to provoke and destabilise. It was the legendary photographer Kevin Cummins who captured James, Sean, Richie and Nicky in their most uncompromising, glam-fixated early years.

This is a unique record of a band on a mission to reclaim rockn ’n’ roll through literature, image and thrilling guitar pop. Working at the NME and already famous for his association with the classic images
of Joy Division, The Smiths and Stone Roses, Cummins was the ideal photographer to capture the essence of a band who understood and manipulated androgynous, decadent and provocative imagery. These photographs document the period just before the release of Generation Terrorists (1992) up to Holy Bible (1995) and the subsequent disappearance of guitarist and lyricist, Richie Edwards. A revealing mix of studio shots and never-seen-before behind the scenes photographs of a band at arguably their creative zenith, this is the ultimate portrait of one of the last great British rock n roll bands.

[Marwood]

Ah, excellent. And £25 seems like a not-too-bad price, thought this might be going for silly money.

[hummingbird]

oh how lovely. A picture book

[franny]

Will it be £3 in Fopp in a couple of years though?

[wirelover]

Sounds exciting!

[wireobsessed]

Why is it only 1991-1995? I'm getting a bit sick of the same period being covered. Mitch's book surely does it brilliantly and Nicky's just added to that. Wish it was a much longer time scale...Guess I'm greedy but hey!

[hummingbird]

probably cos they were all prettier then

[wireobsessed]

Yeah maybe

[Takk]

Originally Posted by hummingbird

probably cos they were all prettier then

or at least more interestingly dressed etc. Pictures of guys in normal clothes aren't nearly so interesting.

[hummingbird]

Originally Posted by Takk

or at least more interestingly dressed etc. Pictures of guys in normal clothes aren't nearly so interesting.

also true

[Smiling#Girl]

Originally Posted by wireobsessed

Why is it only 1991-1995? I'm getting a bit sick of the same period being covered. Mitch's book surely does it brilliantly and Nicky's just added to that. Wish it was a much longer time scale...Guess I'm greedy but hey!

As already said that was the time when they were young and made some effort to look like a proper rock band.
Btw when I use a photo of them as a screensaver,for example,I always pick one from that period with them all on.

[Nature's Discontent]

Originally Posted by MSPKYE

[...]and never-seen-before behind the scenes photographs[...]

Golly, take my money already

Originally Posted by franny

Will it be £3 in Fopp in a couple of years though?

I think we both know the answer to that (Yes).

[Abstract Unknown Girl]

I don't mind seeing more photos from the early years; they were a very striking band back then compared to now (although that's completely fair enough and not a criticism given their current ages and the stage of life they're at now).

[Oh Nick...!]

Maybe because that's when he photographed them...?

[cool-groovey-morning-fine]

Originally Posted by Smiling#Girl

As already said that was the time when they were young and made some effort to look like a proper rock band.
Btw when I use a photo of them as a screensaver,for example,I always pick one from that period with them all on.

Same. All the pictures on my walls are from the glam years.