If, like me, you adore the Manic Street Preachers’ socially aware lyrics but don’t fancy owning all their albums, ‘Forever Delayed’, is the succinct solution to your conundrum.

‘Forever Delayed’ comprises the cream of the band’s 13-year career of albums ‘Generation Terrorists’ (1992); ‘Gold Against the Soul’ (1993); ‘The Holy Bible’ (1994); ‘Everything Must Go’ (1996); ‘This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours’ (1999) and ‘Know Your Enemy’ (2001).

The 20-track album fittingly opens with ‘A Design for Life’ — a song initially released as a single in 1995, preceding the successes that would follow the album it would eventually be included on: ‘Everything Must Go’.

‘Everything Must Go’ was spawned after a yearlong hiatus by the band, following the disappearance of Richey James — band guitarist and lyricist — on February 1, 1995. After this break, James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire and Sean Moore slowly returned to the scene; they haven’t stopped since.

Other songs off the 1996 ‘Everything Must Go’ included on ‘Forever Delayed’: ‘Australia’, ‘Kevin Carter’, and the title track ‘Everything Must Go’.

Tracks five and 13 — ‘There by the grace of God’ and ‘Door to the river’ — are new offerings recorded in 2002. Singles featured include No.11 ‘The masses against the classes’, No.17 ‘Suicide is painless’, and No.20 ‘Motown Junk’.

Other treats: ‘Motorcycle Emptiness’, ‘La Trastisse Durera (Scream to a sigh)’, ‘If you tolerate this you children will be next’, ‘You stole the sun from my heart’, ’So why so sad’.

Through lyrics like the opening line for ‘A Design for Life’ — “Libraries gave us power” — for instance, the MSP have continuously challenged their fans to open their minds, and they have inspired. The CD booklet contains pertinent content for the discerning MSP listener.

And even though the fate of the missing Richey James remains a mystery, almost eight years since his disappearance, the band continues to keep his spirit alive in the credits.

Thank you, boys.