Manic Street Preachers - Know Your Enemy
|
List Price: Our Price: $6.25 You Save: $11.73 (65%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Know Your Enemy
Free Music Review: Manics still have it
Hit: 5 Stars
After a couple of milder albums, the Manic Street Preachers are back at it and better than ever. Though they will never again recapture the strange, pre-Richey-Edwards-disappearace glory of The Holy Bible, with tracks like Intravenous Agnostic and My Guernica, who wants them to? This album won't break into mainstream American radio--it has too much soul, integrity and politial contrversy to appeal to the common music fan. By their own admission, the Manics won't last much longer--and with Know Your Enemy, it's clear how much we will lose when they go.Free Music Review: What are these peope on!!
Hit: 5 Stars
Can't understand why anyone would dislike this album, its fantastic.
Talk about loud and raw rock n roll.
The most rock sounding Manic Street Preachers album.
Then you get all these moaners awwwww theres no classics like "Design for life" and all the rest of it, who cares, who wants to make the same album twice, or three times - thats unbearably boring.
Get your head out of the toilet!!
Free Music Review: best manics album ever!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
This album blew me away. Simple. The power put into its lyrics and music is uncontested. It combines the most powerful songs from all the other albums and molds them into one incredible CD. Worth more than I paid for it.Free Music Review: Unfairly maligned
Hit: 4 Stars
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.
Free Music Review: MANIC FOR THE MANICS
Hit: 4 Stars
with the release of 1998's creativity failure of 'This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours,' it seemed that the Manics' spark of adventure and idealism (put into 4-minute juggernaut,rock songs)had been washed away, and that their spirit was now laid to rest. But their fight for survival began with their thrilling, breathtaking New Year's Eve concert at Cardiff Millennium Stadium (on the DVD,'Leaving The 20th Century.') and the release of the rocking, dynamic single, 'The Masses Against The Classes, the intensity and determination within the band was still there...and growing.
Thus their latest album,'Know Your Enemy,'not only re-ignites the group's artistic spark, it engulfs it! 'Found That Soul,''Intravenous Agnostic,''My Guernica,''The Convalescent' and 'Freedom Of Speech Won't Feed My Children' would blast your eardrums into oblivion! With this album, there are some catchy numbers, as usual. The sarcastic, but lovely, jingle in 'So Why So Sad.' The trippy,groove-based tracks of 'Wattsville Blues' and 'Miss Europa Disco Dancer.' Plus, the modern day folkish 'Let Robeson Sing' and 'Baby Elian.'
As for the lyricism of bassist Nicky Wire, he seems to be progressing and improving finely and maturely. It is safe to say that Nicky Wire is one of the greatest lyricists in modern music, today (along with U2's Bono and PJ Harvey). Just reading Wire's lyrics in the KYE booklet will put you in awe and fasicination. James Dean Bradfield put all maximum efforts into his vocals and guitar (and he's great!)and Sean Moore's drumming is quite impressive and knows how to keep a beat.
Overall, 'Know Your Enemy' is a very superb rock record (The only problem I had was that it's a tid bit too long, due to the song 'Epicentre' but it's a great song) and whoever has a bone to pick with this album should shut their lousy face. they were expecting part 2 of 'The Holy Bible'(poor saps).
Plus, I could care less if the Manics don't believe in America, Great Britain, or any other nation. The Manic Street Preachers are about belief and trust...and that you don't have to let corporation and congolmerates run your life. Maybe this isn't a great review, but I felt that I had to say that the Manic Street Preachers are important group (better than almost any music group in the U.S.A.)and an important part of my life...that and they can create a hell of a rock song. 'Know Your Enemy' is one example.