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Is it something in the water coming off the Brecon Beacons? How else to explain the longevity of South Wales bands like Feeder and the Manics way beyond the eras that spawned them. Staying true to their beliefs has certainly helped, creating a lasting bond with their fans.

Feeder never had the political dynamic of the Manics but their own home-grown values haven’t changed since their Polythene debut 20 years ago. They’ve grown up, survived their traumas and got better at what they do.

Like their earlier Singles Collection a decade back, they haven’t bothered with chronologyon this three-CD Best Of. Instead they’ve compiled a couple of stonking set lists. The first starts with Feeling A Moment, Come softwareuiphraseguid=“0a0980d1-d6df-4a82-8d59-f44819d81970”>Back Around and Eskimo while the second kicks in with We Are The People, Universe Of Life and Idaho.

Polythene remains the most common touchstone with five tracks as they zip around their catalogue. Although interestingly all four tracks from Echo Park are corralled onto the first CD while the four tracks from Silent Cry are confined to the second.

The third CD contains nine new tracks with enough forceful musical and lyrical hooks to prove that this collection is not an epitaph.

Hugh Fielder has been writing about music for 50 years. Actually 61 if you include the essay he wrote about the Rolling Stones in exchange for taking time off school to see them at the Ipswich Gaumont in 1964. He was news editor of Sounds magazine from 1975 to 1992 and editor of Tower Records Top magazine from 1992 to 2001. Since then he has been freelance. He has interviewed the great, the good and the not so good and written books about some of them. His favourite possession is a piece of columnar basalt he brought back from Iceland.

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