Lipstick Traces (A Secret History of Manic Street Preachers)

Infobox Album |
Name = Lipstick Traces
Type = Compilation album
Artist = Manic Street Preachers


Released = July 14, 2003
Recorded = 1989 through 2002
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 118:18
Label = Sony
Producer = Various
Reviews =
*Allmusic rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Aopkbu3raan5k link]
*Pitchfork rating|6.3|10 [http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/19681/Manic_Street_Preachers_Lipstick_Traces_A_Secret_History_of_Manic_Street_ 2/24/2004] |
Last album = "Forever Delayed"
(2002)
This album = "Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of Manic Street Preachers"
(2003)
Next album = "Lifeblood"
(2004)

"Lipstick Traces (A Secret History Of Manic Street Preachers)" is an album of various b-sides, rarities and cover versions by Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers released in 2003.

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 album consists mainly of previously released material, except for "4 Ever Delayed" (recorded originally for Forever Delayed but unused due to complications), "Judge Yr'self" (a track recorded in 1995 for the Judge Dredd film soundtrack but never used), "Been a Son" (recorded for a BBC Radio One session) and "Last Christmas" which was performed by James Dean Bradfield on the UK TV programme TFI Friday.

The album received a far more positive reception from fans than the "Forever Delayed" greatest hits album, which was heavily criticised for favoring the band's more commercially successful singles. The only recurring criticism of "Lipstick Traces" was the exclusion of the infamous fan favorite "Patrick Bateman", from the "La Tristesse Durera" single. The band explained that it was excluded mainly because it was almost seven minutes long and simply would not fit on the album. Bradfield has also been very critical of the song in the past, saying that it had great lyrics but the music was dreadful. Fans also missed "Too Cold Here", from the "Revol" single. The song was very successful in fans voting on the official site.

The sleeve was designed principally by Nicky Wire which contrasted greatly from the simple, graphically precise covers designed by Farrow Design, who have done the majority of design work for the band since 1996. The DIY leopard print cover was symbolic of the band going back to their punk roots. Initial copies came in a gatefold sleeve with a basic inlay; further inserts could be downloaded and printed off from the band's official website.

As part of the promotion for the album, the band did a signing tour around the UK. At the final signing session in London, they also played a short set of tracks from the album.

Track listing

Disc one

B-sides and rarities.
#"Prologue To History" - 4:47 (from "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next")
#"4 Ever Delayed" - 3:38 (previously unreleased)
#"Sorrow 16" - 3:46 (from "Motown Junk")
#"Judge Yr'self" - 3:03 (previously unreleased)
#"Socialist Serenade" - 4:15 (from "You Stole the Sun from My Heart")
#"Donkeys" - 3:13 (from "Roses in the Hospital")
#"Comfort Comes" - 3:29 (from "Life Becoming A Landslide")
#"Mr Carbohydrate" - 4:16 (from "A Design for Life")
#"Dead Trees And Traffic Islands" - 3:45 (from "A Design for Life")
#"Horses Under Starlight" - 3:10 (from "Kevin Carter")
#"Sepia - 3:56 (from "Kevin Carter")
#"Sculpture Of Man" - 1:55 (from "Faster/P.C.P.")
#"Spectators Of Suicide (Heavenly Recordings version)" - 5:06 (from "You Love Us (Heavenly)")
#"Democracy Coma" - 3:45 (from "Love's Sweet Exile/Repeat")
#"Strip It Down (live)" - 2:42 (from "You Love Us (Heavenly)")
#"Bored Out Of My Mind" - 2:57 (from "Motorcycle Emptiness")
#"Just A Kid" - 3:36 (from "Ocean Spray")
#"Close My Eyes" - 4:29 (from "The Masses Against the Classes")
#"Valley Boy" - 5:10 (from "The Everlasting")
#"We Her Majesty's Prisoners" - 5:22 (from "Motown Junk")

Disc two

Cover Versions.
#"We Are All Bourgeois Now" (originally by McCarthy) - 4:35
#"Rock 'N' Roll Music" (originally by Chuck Berry) - 2:55
#"It's So Easy (live)" (originally by Guns N' Roses) - 2:54
#"Take The Skinheads Bowling" (originally by Camper Van Beethoven) - 2:30
#"Been a Son" (originally by Nirvana) - 2:28
#"Out Of Time" (originally by the Rolling Stones) - 3:34
#"Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" (originally by B. J. Thomas) - 2:58
#"Bright Eyes (live)" (originally by Art Garfunkel) - 3:14
#"Train In Vain (live)" also on "You Stole the Sun from My Heart" (originally by The Clash) - 3:16
#"Wrote For Luck" (originally by Happy Mondays) - 2:43
#"What's My Name (live)" (originally by The Clash) - 1:45
#"Velocity Girl" (originally by Primal Scream) - 1:41
#"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (originally by Andy Williams) - 3:13
#"Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel" (traditional, famously recorded by Paul Robeson) - 2:07
#"Last Christmas (live)" (originally by Wham!) - 2:05

Missing Tracks

*Suicide Alley
*UK Channel Boredom
*Tennessee (I Get Low)
*New Art Riot
*Last Exit on Yesterday
*Teenage 20/20
*You Love Us (Heavenly Recording)
*Starlover
*R.P. Mc Murphy
*Soul Contamination
*A Vision Of Dead Desire
*Ain't Going Down
*Under My Wheels (originally by Alice Cooper)
*Sleeping With The NME
*Never Want Again
*Dead Yankee Drawl
*Hibernation
*Patrick Bateman
*Roses In The Hospital (Single Version)
*Us Against You
*Are Mothers Saints
*Charles Windsor (originally by McCarthy)
*The Drowners (originally by Suede)
*Stay with Me (originally by Faces)
*Too Cold Here
*Love Torn Us Under
*Dead Passive
*Black Garden
*Hanging On
*No One Knows What It's Like To Be Me
*First Republic
*Montana/Autumn/78
*Black Holes For The Young (featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
*Buildings For Dead People
*Locust Valley
*Ballad Of The Bangkok Novotel
*Pedestal
*Groundhog Days
*Little Trolls
*Masking Tape
*Fear Of Motion
*Automatik Teknicolour
*It's All Gone
*Unstoppable Salvation
*Happy Ending