What can we honestly say is the Manics 3rd best album?
 

The general consensus is that The Holy Bible and Everything Must Go are the top two Manics albums. You would have to work hard to argue against that now well established view.

But what is the Manics' third best album?

Is it the No.1 album with the No.1 single that is their top seller?

Is it the artistic success using Richey's left behind lyrics?

Is it the album that was one last shot at mass communication but was actually terrible which the band never mention as we all know it is secretly Wire's favourite?

Joking aside, everyone will have their own view on the band's 3rd best album. I think you can argue strongly for just about all of them, except maybe GATS, RTF, RiF (the hardcore among us still hold on to KYE and Lifeblood as under appreciated Manics albums)

Anyhow, as we get excited for the tour, what is your views on the 3rd best Manics album?

It’s Journal for me. They are at their best when they’re arty, a bit weird and they take risks.

futurology is solid, either that or know your enemy. but if they ever come around at making a soundtrack or a sandinista!-style album that will make it to the third just because i've been waiting so long for it to happen.

As The Holy Bible isn't even in my top 5, it's strange to consider it in these terms. I suppose GT, TIMTTMY, SATT and Futurology all have a claim. A certain segment of the fanbase would definitely go with either GT or SATT.

I would have to go for Journal. Or Futurology. Or maybe Lifeblood. Depends what mood I’m in!

Very hard this! Currently I've only been listening to RIF. While I feel their last album was really dropped by everyone after a few weeks. I still like it.
I can't even refer to any ranking posts I might have made as it changes too often.
I can't even work out which is my top album without "No but what about-" or "Argh! I forgot how-".

But great thread! Nice to be stumped.

I think it's Journal for me.

THB used to be my favourite album of all time, but I can't really listen to it any more - it's just too relentlessly dark. Lifeblood is my favourite Manics album now and I think SATT and Futurology (or possibly TIMTTMY depending on my mood) would fill up my top three. So this question doesn't really work for me!

Easy for me this one - it's Journal. The album is so solid with no fillers and each song is interesting and fits the aesthetic of the album as a whole. Each song is very lean and structured so well.

Whether there are any "hits" is another question although Marlon JD and the title track are bangers!

Tough and brilliant question.
I would say currently for me it's between Lifeblood and KYE.
Leaning more to KYE as it has so much going on, good and bad but there's an amazing album in there somewhere!

Entirely subjective, of course, but Holy Bible honestly is my third best Manics album. Generation Terrorists and Everything Must Go is first and second, for me, respectively.

Personal opinion and trying to guess what a consensus is are two different things.

I also think you have to ask who the consensus is referring to - critics (professional and/or amateur), fans (maybe even sub-divided into causual fans and hardcore fans?!) and then the general public who may like the odd album but not consider themselves fans in general.

Anyway, for me Lifeblood is their 3rd-best album.

I think more widely This Is My Truth... has the strongest shout because it was so successful, won the Brits like EMG, had their first UK number 1 single on it etc, and I think is fairly well-regarded by many fans and critics, even if not universally loved (though what is?).

Putting THB and EMG as the top 2 in that order is fair I think when you're talking about a general consensus view, for lots of reasons (but personally I'd rank them the other way round for my personal tastes).

Another vote here for Journal. The fact that it's a great companion piece to their top two albums gives it a nice sense of symmetry too. THB & EMG are the best showpieces of the two sides of the band and Journal sits right in the middle for me.

We're talking "general, held to be true, median opinion" here, right? THB and EMG are considered their best by a very "wikipedia article" level glance. Anyway, even then the third would have to be a cult favourite, because the muso cock rock music historian doesn't really like any more of their stuff after that. So either Lifeblood or Journal I'd say. From what I hear fans usually lisy. Around my Eastern European quarters of their fandom Lifeblood is no 1 or 2, actually. On this forum it seems Journal comes first, then Lifeblood or KYE.

This is a good question. I firmly put myself in the Holy Bible and EMG best two category. Third best for me is a tough call between GT and JFPL. I prefer the anger and energy and overall songwriting on GT but the production is fucking awful. JFPL has equally good lyrics but less anger and considerably better production. Hmmm... I'm going for Live at the Nynex 1997.