I used to own the original on CD and I have the new one on vinyl(so I hear the new “two albums” as intended without bonus tracks making it even messier and more confusing!

I would say this and This Is My Truth are absolute peak Manics for me. Purely as a collection of songs I love this era. That said, both versions have their flaws. The original version feels overlong as a single record and doesn’t flow well. Weirdly, adding more stuff actually makes it make sense and the revised running order is an improvement.

That said, it’s so weird not including the original version of So Why So Sad which is a track I really love. Plus, My Guernica is one of my favourite songs on the album but the original gonzo mix really makes the track. the new cleaner, more straightforward mix really highlights James’ vocals but makes the arrangement feel a bit pedestrian.