The Folly of the Manics - What should they have done?

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One of the things I love most about the Manics is how they believed so strongly in the rock n roll myth. It took them from the rubble and shit of Blackwood to the soft rock of GT, the stadium rock of GATS, and the post-punk of THB in 3 years (!) before they reached their critical and commercial apex in 1996. The Manics were always about each era - it was the manifesto that inspired the lyrics and drove the music.

But because of this, they've made some questionable decisions in their history - artistic decisions that perhaps were the wrong move. Some of them they acknowledge, some of them they don't. And some of them they are completely wrong about (Lifeblood anyone?).

So, I thought about us pointing out some errors the Manics made at certain points and perhaps we can imagine what they might have done instead and what might have come of it?

DISCLAIMER: This thread is just for fun. And a bit of daydreaming. It is not meant as a criticism of the band.

I have a few, but I'll get us started with one that's close to my heart:

1. Know Your Enemy.
This era is a complete mess. (In a good way!) I do love the second half of the album. But Cuba was so incredibly naive and egotistical. The two singles was a crap idea.

What they should have done: They should have released two albums over two years as Wire has often mentioned. One could have been completely angular and weird (a la Intravenous Agnostic) whilst the other more commercial (SWSS, Door to the River, FD), They should have put Masses on one of those albums. They should have included most of the b-sides on those albums. They shouldn't have gotten so fat.

What would have happened: It would have saved us from a (crap) Greatest Hits era (although Jimbo looked good in 2002!), and a pretty pointless stop-gap b-sides era. It would have also lead to a reimagined Lifeblood, or perhaps straight into a less superficial SATT type era with straightforward rock without having to be afraid about commercial failure and being forgotten.