Manic Street Preachers about "culture, alienation, boredom and despair" has gained them a loyal following and cult status. With their debut album, "Generation Terrorists", the Manic Street Preachers proclaimed it would be the "greatest rock album ever", as well as hoping to sell "sixteen million copies" around the world, after which they would split up. Despite the album's failure to meet this level of success, the band carried on with their career. The group became a trio after Richey Edwards disappeared in February 1995. The band went on to gain critical and commercial success in spite of his absence. Edwards was legally "presumed
Lipstick Traces (A Secret History of Manic Street Preachers) Lipstick Traces (A Secret History of Manic Street Preachers) Lipstick Traces (A Secret History of Manic Street Preachers) is a compilation album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, and consists of various B-sides, rarities and cover versions. It was released on 14 July 2003 by record label Sony, it reached number 11 on the UK Album Chart. It is named after the Greil Marcus book "" and shares its title with a bootleg album of Manics rarities (more simply titled "Lipstick Traces"). The sleeve was designed principally by Nicky Wire and contrasted greatly from the simple, graphically precise