I liked their earlier stuff, The Holy Bible is one of my favourite albums, but I think things went down hill after Richey left. Everything Must Go was decent I suppose but everything up to Journal for Plague Lovers is awful. Basically, if Richey had an input in it, I usually like it. So yeah, I think that from a creative p.o.v his leaving hindered them, but at the time he was so unstable they probably wouldn't have lasted long if he stayed, so it's kind of a catch 22 situation.
As for the members themselves, Nicky is a bit embarrassing now, a forty odd year old father of two still prancing about in dresses saying he hates everything just to be controversial. I think he's just trying to recapture his youth which is sad in any one really.
I think Richey was an attention seeking tortured genuis. He deffo had problems but I think he used it to his advantage. I actually think the '4 REAL' incident was a publicity stunt though obviously there has to be something wrong with someone to do that to themselves in the first place. But even though he always went on about how he felt used coz people was always asking him to show them his scars, he still always did it.
In short he was extremely intelligent and slightly manipulative, but seemed a genuinely sweet and sensitive guy who had issues and couldn't deal with them.
I love Motorcycle Emptiness, Love's Sweet Exile, Die in the Summertime, 4st 7lbs and Faster.
Is that enough for you :)
Now another question. Do people think Richey is dead or alive?
