Customer Reviews

Know Your Enemy

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Manic Street Preachers might be the most aptly named band I've ever heard. They've always been a bit too smart for the States, and that might explain why "Know Your Enemy", their most American radio-friendly album to date, won't get much airplay here. Well, that, and the theme of the album, which is a wonderfully scathing indictment of the Americanization of the world.

The first two singles, "Found that Soul" and "So why So sad" make a nice introduction to the album - calling up the ghosts of Joe Strummer and Brian Wilson respectively. "Year of Purification" might be the best song REM never wrote.

Although I'd probably get smashed over the head with something if I ever mentioned it in front of the Manics, this album reminds me, above all else, of U2's "Achtung Baby". Not so much as the album sounds like U2, but that it seems like a radical re-working of a band, a new direction, embracing irony, maturity, and technology. Listening to "Miss Europa Disco Dancer" or "Wattsville Blues" makes me think of, well, "Zooropa" and "Numb".

The standouts, though, on the first few listenings of the album are the final two 'proper' tracks - "Baby Elian" and "Freedom of Speech Won't Feed My Children". It's strange to hear a perspective of the Elian debacle that so closely matches my own, considering that I actually live in Florida, and I don't think that these Brits have ever even visited the State that threw the election.

The Manics will probably never live up to the frenzied brilliance of "The Holy Bible", and they might never again capture the earnestness of "Everything Must Go", but "Know Your Enemy" is still better than 99% of the music you'll hear on the radio today.

For an ostensibly political band, MSP didn't seem to have much meaningful to say. Their political points seem simplistic and are stated with something less than depth and intelligence. Their views are their views -- this is not a critique of their politics. But I've heard their political points made much more convincingly on other discs. I guess Nicky Wire just isn't the thinker that Richey Edwards was.

As far as the tunes go, I've heard better and worse. Some songs are interestingly crafted and really quite attractive; others shouldn't have been released. I thought the disc quite uneven, sometimes trying.

This set seems a sort of step backwards for an important band. It makes me wonder if they didn't lose something more than a band member when Richey went away -- or at least that MSP might have now put a little too much distance between themselves and that formative time to attempt a "return to their roots", as this album is sometimes billed.

The often misunderstood, underappreciated Know Your Enemy...I have to admit that I hesitated to buy it because of the negative press. But now that I have it, I really enjoy it. Maybe it's not in the same league as Everything Must Go or This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours, but it's still a rewarding listen.

I agree with most reviewers that stylistically KYE is all over the place. I don't actually mind that - as long as each song delivers. And I have to say that the first half of the CD is excellent. Even the songs with very split opinions - I found to be very enjoyable. I like the vocoder sound in Wattsville and don't mind Nick's voice. I found Europa to be very catchy and totally get the ciriticism of club culture.

But it's the second half of the CD where things start to fall apart somewhat. Actually it sounds more coherent now, but some of the songs just don't do it for me. His Last Painting is interesting, I like Royal Correspondent, and I really like The Convalescent, but some of the songs on the second half sound pretty flat, especially compared to the wild variety in the first half.

The bottom line is that 65 minutes for this CD is way too long. KYE has about eleven or twelve good to very good songs, but the weaker songs in the second half needed to be cut - 50 minutes for this CD would have been ideal. Mostly because of the filler songs still in place, I do not rate this as a classic. It's not the first place to learn the greatness of MSP - that's for Everything Must Go. But KYE is still one that every MSP fan should have and will appreciate.

The Manics have produced many great pieces of music, but only two complete albums - The Holy Bible, and Know Your Enemy. After the majesty and totally devastating Holy Bible, and the subsequent 'loss' of Richie Edwards the Manics went into a serious slump with their next two albums. I've never understood the popularity of 'Everything Must Go', it has some good tracks but is pretty disappointing, and the lacklustre 'Truth' was the band in a serious rut. 'Know Your Enemy' changed all that. Here are the Manics back to their politically challenging and musically diverse best. My only criticism of the album lies in the some of the production techniques, but overall, this a gritty, brilliant album that too many people have missed out on. The stand-out tracks - 'Let Robeson Sing', 'Found That Soul', 'Wattsville Blues', 'Ocean Spray', 'So Why So Sad' - are as good as anything they've ever done, and the seamless nature of the album creates a feeling that the album is greater than the sum of its parts, and that is the sign of a truly fine record.

Just under nine years on from the sprawling 'Generation Terrorists', the Manics decided to release ANOTHER sprawling album. Their critics usually point out that any LP from their catalogue is best shorn of two or three tracks, although with the haphazard 'Enemy they may have a point. The dull opener 'Found that Soul' and why-wasn't-this-a-B-side 'Wattsville Blues' exemplify the filler material. However, all is far from lost. 'So Why So Sad' was the most glistening, life-affirming dose of wonderfullness to enter the British Top Ten in 2001. 'Miss Europa Disco Dancer' deliciously combines a lyrical critique of club culture with suitably throbbing backing tracks. 'Let Robeson Sing' is a splendidly simple and effective ode to late folk singer Paul Robeson. Oh, and best of all, the scathing erudition many felt was lost post-Holy Bible is restored, (the title of 'Intravenous Agnostic' alone demonstrates this point) even if to less glory. 'Enemy can be described in simple terms because it is a simple record; the best tunes are those you find yourself endeared to upon the first listen. Yes, some of it grates, yes it is overlong, yes it is wordy, and yes it dropped out of the chart courtesy of the vitriol and a trip to havana. But there should always be albums like this. But at least it's not boring. But least this group has principle and intelligence in a sea of dross.

"Know Your Enemy" sees the Manics in a sort of identity crisis. Their 2 previous albums "This Is My Truth.." and "Everything Must Go" were wonderfully produced and saw their songwriting at a peak, and were deservedly multi-platinum (in the UK at least.). Commercial success apparently made think they were deserting both their politics and their roots, so the result is an album that sees all their previous styles colliding into a bit of a mess, with Nicky Wire's lyrics becoming more politically confrontational. For the best example of this, look no further then the last track "Freedom Of Speech.." where Wire rejects the US goverment, the British monarchy, and communism, (sample line: "Royalty, hereditary, unelected, becomes just like Stalin, human and useless") with the Dali Llama thrown in for good measure. Doesn't leave much left! The America bashing runs thru most of the album, notably on the song about Elian Gonzalez, and those easily offended should beware. James is still one of the best singers around, and musically things peak early with a number of driving tracks with a variety of moods, and hooks galore. But the second half of the album drags on with barely a memorable moment, with many songs appearing under-produced and under-written, like the otherwise enjoyable "His Last Painting." Repeated listenings do reward the listener, but even then the whole thing adds up to a slightly dissapointing album that's mainly for the hardcore fans (like me!). Still a good album, but one wonders if their next one will see a new direction, or more retreads through their old styles. But the Manics remain at the forefront of British modern-rock, and we're all the better for their presense.

I bought this CD the first day it came out here in the States. After the magnificent "This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours" and the equally stunning "Everything Must Go", I was expecting just as much from "Know Your Enemy".

Well, after listening to KYE a couple times, I have to say that this is an altogether different record. Although I haven't listened to albums before EMG, many people have said that this album goes back to the sound of their older days (i.e, "Generation Terrorists", "Gold Against The Soul", "The Holy Bible"). Where TIMTTMY and EMG go for a big dynamic sound (i.e., loud guitars with an orchestra backing them) that constituted their production, KYE has a sound that, for the most part, does away with the brightness and vibrancy you hear in TIMTTMY and EMG. In other words, back to basics you could say...which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

But in any case, there are a couple good tracks on KYE including "Found That Soul", "So Why So Sad", "Intravenous Agnostic", "The Year Of Purification", and "Miss Europa Disco Dancer". "So Why So Sad" has that sixties/Beach Boys influence written all over it while "Miss Europa Disco Dancer" has seventies disco/Bee Gees written all over that (why they decided on seventies disco is beyond me, but it seems to work well here). But probably the most interesting track is "Freedom Of Speech..." where they insult the Dalai Lama (i.e., "We love to kiss the Dalai Lama's a**") and display visible sarcasm towards the Beastie Boys (i.e., "All bow down to the Beastie Boys"). Yeah, fairly interesting stuff.

To sum it up, KYE is still worth a listen. However, if you're looking for a great follow-up to TIMTTMY and EMG, you may be in for a disappointment.

BTW, check out the video for "So Why So Sad" on the Manics' official web site. All I will say is that it's California Dreamin' all gone wrong!(think advancing soldiers on a beach populated with tourists).

BTW (again), the Manics have a live concert DVD available only throughout Europe. You can order it throught amazon.co.uk. However, it's a Region 2 DVD (North America is Region 1). It is titled "Leaving The Twentieth Century...". Highly recommended!

While waiting for this album, I was not sure if it was going to be up to par with the other Manics albums. Whenever a band says "we hated ourselves on the last album, we're doing something different" or "this is the best stuff we've ever done", it always makes you worried that it is going to be the biggest load of crap ever. Luckily, after recieveing this album from the lovely amazon.co.uk, I found that Nicky Wire didn't lie about the quality after all! With the exception of 2 songs, this album is up to par with everything else they've done. And, with the exception of Intrenevous Agnostic, the lyrics are some of the best they've ever done as well. I think it could be also a great introduction album to the Manics. The album is diverse enough to allow almost anyone to pick a track they like. All in all, a very enjoyable album that should dissappoint no one.

while i was preparing to hear this album, i played the old manics albums non-stop for a week or so. they inspired me all over again, and i would readily admit that they were one of my favorite bands. maybe i set expectations high, but with this band, that's understandable. they've done some really good stuff in the past. "know your enemy" made my euphoric anticipation seem almost foolish. this album is not bad by any means, but it's not exactly groundbreaking or jawdropping. first quip - it's way too long to have any hope of success. it's amazingly difficult to hold a listener's attention for 75 minutes no matter how good a band is. as a result, you'll find a lot of great material chopped up by its weaker counterparts. "found that soul," a refreshingly loud rocker starts the album quite well, infusing an energy akin to that of "sleepflower" on 93's "gold against the soul." it's followed by singer/guitarist james dean bradfield's first lyrical attempt with "ocean spray," what appears to be a touching tribute to his mother passing away from cancer. it's simple but quite powerful. the next couple of tracks are nice, inoffensive numbers, with good lyrics as usual. "so why so sad" is a little overrated, but it's still one of the more distinguished songs here. "intravenous agnostic" hints at an attempt to reconcile the band's hard-punk glory days with the lighter, more orchestral sound of the last two albums. it sounds forced, unnatural. it shatters the cohesion this record could have had. "let robeson sing" is a nice touch, but it's a little childish, at least by manics standards, in its fawning praise of the man. i didn't know him, so maybe he deserves it, but my impression still stands. the rest of the album is a uneasy mix of interesting sounds and a few boring songs. "wattsville blues" poorly utilizes nicky wire's first attempt at singing, and the tinny percussion at the beginning is simply annoying. "miss europa disco dancer" is not the manics' best effort, but they do pull off the funky bass-heavy sound impressively well. however, the songwriting that was so strong in their past albums seems to have dissipated. there's a lot of political material (see "baby elian" and "freedom of speech won't feed my children", essentially attacks on america) but because of the album's weaknesses, they don't really have a resounding effect. it's nothing close to the harrowing sentiments expressed on "the holy bible" or the overpowering and honest ones on "everything must go" and "this is my truth, tell me yours." a good album overall, with some major flaws nonetheless, but certainly not an ideal starting point for a manics collection. let's hope they can right the ship.

Most of the press reviews of the Manics' latest effort, Lifeblood, a polished but rather tepid effort, made a point of dissing this album. I'll say right from the outset that this album has its flaws: a few tracks could probably have been left off (and Miss Europa Disco Dancer definitely SHOULD have been); it was recorded quickly, most songs in three takes or so, and some of the arrangements could have been more developed; also, Wire's lyrics are not always at their best, either oversimplifying the complex (Baby Elian) or making a fairly commonplace observation totally incomprehensible (Intravenous Agnostic).
But the one criticism of this album I refuse to give any credence to is that it is a failed attempt to return to past glories. It's hard to see what justification there is for this claim - the recording style is more basic than the preceding This Is My Truth (an inferior album to this one; six good songs and a bunch of turkeys), but that's hardly 'returning to their roots' - their first two albums were extremely lushly produced and they sounded more like Guns 'n' Roses anyone else.
The musical influences are different too - early Manics, in addition to Guns, had traces of punk, particularly the Sex Pistols, in the songwriting. Here, they've clearly been listening to REM and JAMC. It's not a Holy Bible rehash either - it's far too warm and organic.
One of the best things about this album is the sense that, unlike with the albums that preceded and followed it, the band are really following their own muse. This does lead one obvious dud, the aforementioned Miss Europa, a terrible attempt to make a funky disco song. But the REM-influenced tracks, particularly the infectious The Year Of Purification, are a joy.
There are several excellent tracks towards the end of the album, right when things could be getting dull. My Guernica is an excellent rock song with a load of cool Mary Chain-style noise over the top, The Convalescent is a brilliantly arranged pop song, the keyboards, guitars and vocal parts meshing together in an inspired fashion - both melodic and exhileratingly rock 'n' roll. Epicentre has a slightly folkish edge to begin with, until you reach the bridge and chorus, which are pure Manics, and gloriously catchy. Baby Elian has a slight melody but makes up for it with a soaring chorus, and Freedom of Speech is a great slice of punkish pop with a piercing synth and genuinely witty and incisive lyrics.
I don't like the fact that I am compelled to give star ratings to albums - I don't think they're particularly helpful. Four stars is probably a bit much, objectively, it's more like three and a half. My message here is: if you like the Manics, but have been put off this by negative reviews, you could well find some of the songs on here become favourites. It's not perfect, but somehow I don't think it's intended to be. What it is, is an enjoyable and underrated album from an excellent band. For those of us who enjoy rough edges, it's a particular treat.