The Brits 97: Manic Street Preachers 'Australia (Radio edit)

Chart Peak: 7

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The trio of James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore and Nicky Wire completed the Manics' fourth album Everything Must Go following the disappearance of Richey James. The Top 10 single 'Australia' comes from the platinum album produced by Best British Producer nominee Mike Hedges. 

Believe it or not this is at least the third time I've tried to launch this spin-off blog, which is why the name of it is a pun on the title of an album that was released over two-and-a-half years ago. Anyway, the ground rules for the moment are essentially the same as over on Now That's What I Call A Challenge, except that it's about compilations that aren't part of the Now! series and I'm trying to limit the length of time I spend writing each entry. To tie in with all the fifteen years ago activity I'm doing at Charting 1997, we're starting with the tie-in compilation from that year's Brit Awards, which I wouldn't even have thought about buying at the time but was happy to pick up for a quid in late December 2010.

It would've been unthinkable even a couple of years earlier, but the Manics were among the big stars of the 1997 Brits: as well as the nomination for their producer mentioned in the sleeve notes, the band themselves were up for Best British Group, Best British Album, Best British Single and Best British Video, though those last two related not to this song but to the more famous 'A Design For Life'. Still, Sony put this album out so I suppose they were keener to include the more current single or something. Even though I was one of the many who discovered the band through their 1996 material and regard Everything Must Go as one of their two best albums, this track was never a particular favourite of mine and I was faintly disappointed when it was chosen as a single, being possibly the most traditional rock track they'd ever done. That said, there are times when a bit of powerchordage can be satisfying, and it did earn them their fourth UK Top 10 single of 1996, a unique achievement for a British act that year.

Buy Everything Must Go 10th Anniversary Edition