A fairly recent addition to my Manics collection is one that I've been putting off for a long time. I'd read about this flexidisc that was included free with a copy of NME many years ago. A few years later I found a copy at one of the record stalls they used to have at Reading Festival. It was during the peak of my Manics collecting days, but I remember it being in terrible condition and being over-priced. On top of that, it was the Friday and the record would have to survive three more days in my tent; I didn't fancy its chances.
Over the years that followed, I saw many copies on eBay but they often looked like they were in terrible condition. I guess it also just seemed too easy - if I really wanted a copy it wouldn't take much effort. A while ago I was in Sister Ray Records in London and found this copy. It was the first time I'd seen it in real life since that time at Reading Festival many years before. I was buying a few other records, it was in reasonably good condition (despite being over 20 years old) and most of all, it was a mere £3.50. I'm glad I finally bought it.
Of course, musically, there's little of interest to say - the four songs are just short snippets of songs from The Holy Bible. It would have been very exciting to have been a Manics fan back in the day, getting this flexi-7" and hearing bits of these songs that would go on to me legendary. One curious thing is that each snippet starts with the quote that the full song starts with, but isn't necessarily the beginning of the song - sometimes it goes from the quote straight into the middle of the song.
The record itself is one of only two flexidiscs in my collection (so far), although I remember my parents having one. The quality is, as you'd imagine from such thin vinyl, terrible. The sleeve is also pretty flimsy - made of the thinnest paper rather than card. It's no wonder that so many are in such bad condition - it'd be quite the challenge to look after it. I think it was selotaped to the magazine cover as most copies I've ever seen show signs of the tape. It's there on mine too, but not too badly.
Format: 7" one-sided flexidisc
Tracks: 4
Cost: £3.50 second-hand
Bought: Sister Ray London
When: 11/03/16
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: no
