How do you rank the studio albums?

[Velocitygirl]

SATT's a funny one, for me. I've been a fan since the mid 90s, but SATT came out at around the same time I was nursing my terminally ill mother. My head just wasn't in the right frame for anything the Manics (or any other band) were up to. I bought it, just didn't listen to it that much and had no real opinion of it. It just passed me by.

I still rarely listen to it now and I thought it might be because it reminded me of a difficult time. But nah ... I just don't like it very much.

[blackflower]

I love SATT. It’s a big, melodic, anthemic album but for me it works perfectly, unlike with PFAYM. I’m not too keen on Your Love Alone but aside from that it’s an album I really enjoy and can’t quite understand the hate it sometimes gets.

[Son of Stopped]

I've recovered from the poll rankings to say Resistance Is Futile will age better than SATT and PFAYM!

[IntlDebris]

When SATT came out I was right in the middle of a big new wave and post-punk era in my life, so it was just about the last Manics album I wanted (especially after loving Lifeblood and with Nicky's "the next one will be even more electronic" quote still ricocheting around my head). I was obsessively listening to Wire and Tears for Fears, so songs like 'Your Love Alone' and Guns'n'Roses homages put me off immediately (it took until Futurology to respark my interest in the band).

SATT's biggest fault, opinions on tracks aside, is that it's a bit Manics-by-numbers. For the first time in their career they weren't really trying anything new, but going for a safer option. After three albums that left them disappointed in their own work in one way or another, it kind of makes sense, and it was the start of three albums that tried to recapture elements of the past. For better or worse, they evidently needed that period - and the boost in confidence that came from the critical acclaim all three albums got - because it allowed them to come back and do some much less typically-Manicsy albums afterwards and regain the momentum they were making originally.

[dolphin]

I've always rather liked SATT although it's a bit one dimensional. It needed an acoustic guitar song or something to break it up a bit.

[dolphin]

Originally Posted by River Boy

The Holy Bible
Everything Must Go
Lifeblood
Futurology
Journal for Plague Lovers
Generation Terrorists
Gold Against the Soul
Know Your Enemy
Send Away the Tigers
Rewind the Film
Postcards from a Young Man
This is My Truth
Resistance is Futile

The order in the middle is open to debate but the top two and bottom two are right on the money for me.

[River Boy]

Originally Posted by dolphin

The order in the middle is open to debate but the top two and bottom two are right on the money for me.

I hadn't been on the forum for a while so no idea how Resistance is Futile went down with the fanbase. Prior to its release, I didn't think I'd put anything behind Truth, though a part of me hopes that I've just been in a bad mood and will eventually warm to something on it.

[Donkey]

The Holy Bible
Everything Must Go
Gold Against the Soul
Generation Terrorists

Journal for Plague Lovers
Lifeblood
This is My Truth Tell Me Yours (CD2 20th Anniv., the original album behind Futurology)
Futurology (without the first song)

silence

Know Your Enemy
Send Away the Tigers





Rewind the Film
Postcards from a Young Man
Resistance is Futile


the collection of (all) b-sides (without Picturesque) would be between EMG and GATS

[Captain Beyond]

1. The Holy Bible
2. This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
3. Send Away The Tigers
4. Everything Must Go
5. Generation Terrorists
6. Rewind the Film
7. Gold Against the Soul
8. Lifeblood
9. Futurology
10. Know Your Enemy
11. Journal for Plague Lovers
12. Postcards from a Young Man
13. Resistance Is Futile

[IntlDebris]

Originally Posted by IntlDebris

Finally bought myself a SATT 10th Anniversary Edition and have reassessed it slightly. It's still a weak Manics album, but there are songs on there I like. Now with Underdogs fucked off, I find the first seven tracks perfectly enjoyable. The title track and Indian Summer are the only two which I'd say I'd miss if the album were erased from history, but it no longer actually annoys me. I'll have to see if the same is true for GATS and PFAYM soon.

PFAYM has definitely grown. It's still overstuffed in places, too samey, and has a couple of unlistenably awful songs, but I actually found myself enjoying quite a bit of it on recent replays.

GATS, less so, the singles aside.

[Son of Stopped]

Originally Posted by Son of Stopped

1.KYE
2.JFPL
3.SATT
4.EMG
5.THB
6.TIMTTMY
7. LB
8. GATS
9. GT
)

First ever ranking when the wus just nine.

Originally Posted by Son of Stopped

Last posted in this thread in 2014?!!

1. Journal For Plague Lovers
2. The Holy Bible
3. Everything Must Go
4. Futurology
5. Lifeblood
6. Resistance Is Futile
7. Know Your Enemy
8. This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
9. Rewind The Film
10. Generation Terrorists
11. Send Away The Tigers
12. Gold Against The Soul
13. Postcards From A Young Man

Thread bump! Copied and pasted the above to paste back into this thread!

1. Know Your Enemy (Top if Door To The River)
2. Journal For Plague Lovers
3. The Holy Bible
4. The Ultra Vivid Lament
5. Lifeblood
6. Futurology
7. Everything Must Go
8. Rewind The Film
9. Resistance Is Futile
10.This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
11. Send Away The Tigers
12. Generation Terrorists
13. Gold Against The Soul (Top 3 if reissue version)
14. Postcards From A Young Man

See you here next year then! *Hibernates

[Europa Gluten Free]

2010

Originally Posted by Europa Gluten Free

Simply going by what I listen to most often:

The Holy Bible
Journal For Plague Lovers
Lifeblood
Know Your Enemy
This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
Everything Must Go
Postcards From A Young Man
Generation Terrorists
Gold Against The Soul
Send Away The Tigers

2014

Originally Posted by Europa Gluten Free

We can rank them to our hearts content but surely there is no debate that top 3 - in whatever order - are THB, EMG, and JFPL, while the worst is PFAYM...!?

Originally Posted by Europa Gluten Free

Objectively - in terms of commercial and critical response - I think the albums should be ranked as such:

EMG
THB
JFPL
TIMT
SATT
F
GT
RTF
KYE
GATS
LB
PFAYM

My preferred order would be:

THB
EMG
JFPL
TIMT
LB
F
KYE
SATT
RTF
GT
GATS
PFAYM

2024

So this is the 2024 update. A lot of movers and shakers. I still mostly listen to songs from Lifeblood, This is My Truth, and the Know your Enemy re-release. I probably just mostly listen to my own Manics playlists.

Anyway here is my 2024 ranking:

The Holy Bible
This is My Truth
Everything Must Go
Journal for Plague Lovers
Lifeblood
Know Your Enemy
The Ultra Vivid Lament
Futurology
Generation Terrorists
Send Away the Tigers
Gold Against the Soul
Rewind the Film
Postcards From a Young Man
Resistance is Futile


Hope I haven't left any out!

EDIT: Forgot RTF. For a reason.