(Richey) must have read books from day one while the rest of us were watching telly. He's very intelligent. I think he finds it difficult talking to people who aren't similarly educated. He'd sit there quoting things and I'd be nodding thinking, 'I don't know what you're talking about.' Ian Ballard, Damaged Goods Records (who put out the 'New Art Riot' EP in 1990) I signed the Manics,I suppose, because I went to see a gig in Guildford and I thought they were the most exciting thing I'd seen since the Clash in 1977... who I also signed. I just thought they were amazing, it's refreshing all the way through, even for an old fart like me. They're no more anarchistic than anyone else of their age, or my age come to that. They have something to say, they're pissed off about where they live, they're pissed off about unemployment, but they're not so pissed off that they can't enjoy themselves and express themselves. And that's what young people are meant to do. Tim Bowen, Managing Director, Sony/Columbia When I first got into the Manics I had the same feeling I had with Public Enemy. They were just one of those bands that, if you were going to get into them, ypu had to decide, you had to let them take you over. I don't think anybody else will ever make an album remotely like The Holy Bible ever again. It's so fucking awesome, it's the kind of album any lesser band would spend the rest of their career trying to live up to, or live down. Martin Carr, the Boo Radleys The culture of despair has given way to the culture of sympathy. The same shallow scum that once threw stones are now falling over themselves to salute the band's valiant Carrying On In The Face Of Loss. Dickon Edwards, Orlando

Aren't Terrorvision the band who once ran over one of their fans? Good fucking idea. I can think of a few bands who should do that. The Manics, for instance. Richard Parfitt, 60ft Dolls Thing about the Manics is that they've become total pros, There's no ego to deal with, no bullshit and none of the mayhem that normally goes with life on the roads. Deptford Andy (long-standing roadie) They look like someone doing the Clash in a school play. Steve Hanley, The Fall When I first met them, they were very Clash-based, and I helped them get that stereo guitar sound. They weren't particularly opinionated, they just bashed it down. They demoed about half the songs that later turned up on Generation Terrorists. Nick and Richey didn't play on anything, James did all their parts. They never professed to being musicians. In fact, they never turned up for the 'Bored Out Of My Mind' session. They were a good bunch of boys, really, even though they used to look really aggressive. If they owed me £20 for a session, the next time they came in they'd put it down on the table before anything else. You could trust them. Glen Powell, South Bank Studios I asked whether I could put out a single, and after a couple of phone calls, they came round my house in Walthamstow to suss me out. Basically, I was being auditioned to see if I could do their single! We sat around playing video games, as you do. James and Richey did most of the talking - they were very straightforward and down to earth. They recorded the tracks at the Workshop in Redditch over two days. It was the only studio I knew about. Ian Ballard