How do you rank the studio albums?

[Glass Angel]

1. Journal for Plague Lovers - because it's everything it should be, massive and grim, but more mature and more melodic than The Holy Bible.

2. Everything Must Go - my introduction to the Manics, with Britpop but not of it, the album that expanded my musical horizons.

3. Generation Terrorists - yes, it's too long, it's too ambitious and pretentious, but the lyrics are genius and no band ever has or ever will better Motorcycle Emptiness.

4. Futurology - It's fair to say the Manics have had some poor albums over the years, and the phrase 'return to form' has been very overused, but it really is and I love it. Still not decided whether Let's Go To War is the best or worst song on it though!

5. The Holy Bible - it's their masterpiece, no doubt, and melodic compared to those it is compared to (Nirvana, Joy Division), it's just a bit heavy going to be my favorite.

6. Gold Against The Soul - guilty pleasure, I love it! I recently read someone call the Manics 'Bon Jovi with a politics degree'. Well, I quite like Bon Jovi.

7. Postcards From A Young Man - I'm not sure how coherent it is as an album, but there are so many great songs on this album.

8. Lifeblood - I know JDB doesn't like Lifeblood, but I think it's been unfairly dismissed, the music is beautiful and the lyrics are clever, although it's not the most memorable or sing along album.

9. Send Away The Tigers - it's okay, enough good songs, but also a bit mainstream for my taste. Ignore what I said about Bon Jovi just now!

8. Rewind The Film - it just doesn't really sound like the Manics, and I'm not a fan of the duets.

11. This Is My Truth, Tell My Yours - Tolerate and Tsunami are two of my favorite Manics' songs, but the rest of the album is pretty boring. I think Nicky might have been struggling with solo lyrics at this point, and SYMM is just dire.

12. Know Your Enemy - I'll admit not having listened to it much, but the album struck me as incoherent, and turned me off the band for years, sad to say.