Manic Street Preachers the band's first LP. The Manics intended to restore revolution to rock and roll at a time when Britain was dominated by shoegaze and acid house. The "NME" gave "Suicide Alley" an enthusiastic review, citing a press release by Richey Edwards: "We are as far away from anything in the '80s as possible." After the release of "Suicide Alley," Edwards joined the band on rhythm guitar and contributed to lyrics alongside Wire. Edwards also designed record sleeves and artwork, and drove the band to and from gigs. In 1990 the Manic Street Preachers signed a deal with label Damaged Goods
Manic Street Preachers title track and "The Guerilla Tapestry". Bradfield plays guitar on both songs. Furthermore, the track "Hiraeth" features a section called "Spoken Word", in which Nicky Wire talks about Welsh identity. In February 2006, the band contributed a cover version of "The Instrumental" to the album "Still Unravished: A Tribute to the June Brides". In February 2008, the Manics covered Rihanna's hit pop song "Umbrella". Their version appeared on a CD titled "NME Awards 2008" given away free with a special souvenir box-set issue of "NME" magazine, which went on sale 27 February. Additionally, the Manics' version of the song was