From Amazon.co.uk
A month before the release of their sixth album in early 2001, the Manic Street Preachers organised a one-off gig in Cuba. Louder than War contains footage of the entire concert (famously attended by President Fidel Castro), as well as the group's caper around the island. The country was chosen by the Manics because of Cuba's anti-American stance, a position that band members supported and have drawn upon in their material. Superbly produced and edited, the end result however fails to represent the group's visit and views in a positive light. Reading between the lines, it's obvious that their trip was just as much a challenge to Americanisation as Wham's 1985 tour of China. The band verbally acknowledge that communism has always been openly romanticised, however they fail to recognise the extent to which they have done the same with this "promotional" concert, and the subsequent merchandising and PR opportunities. Putting ideological issues aside, the disc provides further evidence of the Manics' flair for live performance. The dulled colours of the visual material create a drab, if somewhat oppressive atmosphere, but add much needed authenticity to the proceedings. The unreleased tour diary sets the scene more comprehensively than the previously broadcast Cuba documentary, which is also contained on this disc. This is a must for all Manics fans, as well as those wanting a non-guidebook (if somewhat romanticised) view of modern-day, urban Cuba. On the DVD: The disc is stuffed full of bonus material but the extensive track listing does exaggerate the amount of original footage featured (the same live performance material being used both in the "gig" section, and in the Cuba documentary). There's also loads of hidden bonus material that can be accessed by selecting/clicking on the "Bonus Feature" captions that intermittently pop-up: such as their meeting with Fidel Castro, and a full-length version of the Radio Progresso interview. There are breathtaking photos of the guys featured in the photo gallery, and the Manics' discography is particularly thorough (the highest chart positions, the artwork and track listings of all their single and album releases are all included). Furthermore, all of the live footage can be listened to in either Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround or PCM stereo. The menus are relatively straightforward to use, however the utilisation of the group's trademark blocky typeface in the sub-menus occasionally makes it difficult to read/select track names. The DVD-ROM link is also particularly tricky to access, mainly due to the basic and rather confusing instructions provided on the disc for accessing this "exclusive" link.--John Galilee
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