Anyone between the age of 25 and 30 remembers the first incarnation of the Manic Street Preachers. The "first incarnation" means the Richey James years, when the Manics were an exciting, confrontational band, not sweater-wearing AOR junk. Those very Manics released the 1991 single "Motorcycle Emptiness". It was almost instantly hailed as a classic. Perfect Smithsian melancholy. A depressing masterpiece. The song debunked the stereotypical rock and roll lifestyle. The fame, women, drugs, all of it collected into a single metaphor -- a motorcycle -- and passed off as meaningless and emotionally empty. Taking nothing away from the Manics, who composed an excellent single, but Yo La Tengo beat them to the punch when they released "Speeding Motorcycle" the year before, in 1990. And THAT was a cover version in itself -- a version of West Virginian singer/songwriter Daniel Johnston's 1983 tune. The two songs are almost identical in sentiment. Both songs take the motorcycle -- a symbol of speed and wild living -- and deglamourise it completely. The motorcycle may be fun but it is also extremely dangerous. The solution, somewhat predictably, is love life without taking unnecessary chances. Long time Manics fans are advised to seek out the "Motorcycle Emptiness"'s older brother.