The "Know Your Enemy" Appreciation Thread

[sculptureofabloke]

Originally Posted by The Gutless Wonder

Singles means b-sides though!

Great era for b-sides. Feel like I could say that about every album though. There are always a couple of b-sides that are better than half the album of the time, at least!

Originally Posted by Manicben

I really like that it's messy and doesn't know what to do with itself.

Definitely. I can see why people would use that as a criticism, but I agree with you there.

[tzb]

I can only think of 3 b-sides I rate from this era - BOTBN, Groundhog Days and Locust Valley. What are people's favourites? I might have to relisten.

[sculptureofabloke]

Them three and Fear Of Motion, I'd say. I love the Avalanches mix of So Why So Sad and Kinobe mix of Ocean Spray, too. The Ian Brown mix of Robeson can fuck off though.

[Son of Stopped]

It's bad enough I started this thread, but things might get worse if I admit to liking the Ian Brown remix...

I can hear how it wasn't good enough (only lyrically) to make the album but Pedestal is what I'd a Manic Street preachers strip bar would sound like?

I really love Just A Kid and glad it made it to Lipstick Traces.

And I like the guitar solo in Locust Valley.

[exopotamie]

Originally Posted by tzb

I can only think of 3 b-sides I rate from this era - BOTBN, Groundhog Days and Locust Valley. What are people's favourites? I might have to relisten.

I'm a big fan of "Masking Tape."

[Siouxsie Sway]

Originally Posted by sculptureofabloke

Great era for b-sides. Feel like I could say that about every album though. There are always a couple of b-sides that are better than half the album of the time, at least!

agreed!

[Bobafettish]

Originally Posted by nocultureicons

So you find it consistently forgettable?

Pretty much
There's nothing good, nothing bad, my reaction is "Oh yeah, KYE"


Baby Elian is the best on there!

[UEF]

Originally Posted by Son of Stopped

Before my internet time... but what four songs leaked from the album?

IIRC, the 4 planned singles. SWSS, FTS, OS, IA

Intravenous was used in the spoiler site for the upcoming album at the time and also seemed to be highlighted along with SWSS, FTS and OS on the online 'extra content' that could be accessed once you'd bought the CD.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by tzb

I can only think of 3 b-sides I rate from this era - BOTBN, Groundhog Days and Locust Valley. What are people's favourites? I might have to relisten.

Well for one you've forgotten Fear of Motion which is one of their very best b-sides (IMO naturally, derp).

Then there's Masking Tape which is also fantastic and also ranks high on my lists.

Just a Kid is very good, and I know people generally hate Pedestal but I've always loved its warped, menacing and mystic groove. The closest thing to a stalker anthem from the Manics and it's positively creepy. Nicky's backing vocals are hauntingly good.

It's probably the weakest era of the golden period of Manics b-sides (1998-2005) but that's a very relative thing considering its companion eras are so stunning. A damn good period for quality b-sides.

[UEF]

Masking Tape and Groundhog Days were wicked

P-P-Pick up a Pedestal, less so.

[madcap07]

Originally Posted by franny

Interesting theory, I don't think it's as bleak as you make out and often I think that Wire exxagerates his feelings to make better lyrics, he's hardly a tortured soul is he?

However you do have a point, the whole idea of KYE was to bring back the idealism, the dreary outlook and the experimental music. It's definitely an album like THB which has to be heard in full to get the entire experience.

Of course not...it's far from being as bleak as THB. You can't hardly beat that in term of bleakness
And you're totally right to relate them as to be taken in their entirety to get the experience.
I don't know about Wire...He's probably not a tortured soul in the way Richey was, but I'm sure he must be someone quite sensitive and well, as we know, loud-mouthed. and he's kinda twisted It's just the way I sort of perceive him through what he writes or says. But I won't say more as I don't know him personally. I can't really judge.

[three_days]

Really a great album. It has the least real "standouts" of any Manics album, but is a really consistent long album (unlike say, GT) and is great for driving, etc.

And of course it spawned maybe by favourite B-Side, Locust Valley!

[deadmartyr]

I like the album and it came out just after I became a big fan of music. The Manics were always my favourite band, but I'd not listened to EMG much despite having it since it came out, and had only bought a handful of their singles prior to KYE, so the album is a special one for me.

I remember going into college a few hours early on the Monday of So Why So Sad and Found That Soul's release so I could walk a long journey to get to Virgin to buy the singles, and that was the start of me becoming a dedicated fan of the band and it was an exciting time. I knew they did great b-sides before then, so that was part of the fun of getting the singles.

Pedestal is a solid track, Nicky's voice sounded fine on Ballad of the Bangkok Novetel and it's a cool track, but Locust Valley is the one that stands out the most from the era and really should've been on the album and it has a solo I sometimes rewind back to for another listen. I think of Locust Valley and Dead Martyrs as a linked duo and they should've been together on the record. Masking Tape, Just a Kid, and Groundhog Days are also great and make me think of a hot summer.

The album itself is an appealing mess, is in need of some track removals, and with a few changes to tzb's revised tracklist I could see a great rock album. The Year of Purification and Royal Correspondent are songs that have been slated that I like, though I prefer the prior by a wide margin, thinking it's great. Epicentre is my least favoured track, then Wattsville Blues, and then So Why So Sad but they're still quite good. Although it's a pretty straightforward song Found That Soul is in my top 10 Manics songs.

The single choices seemed to be the ones they could only realistically choose (for the singles purpose), though perhaps they could've just dropped Robeson and gone for three singles. Intravenous Agnostic is the only other song I could've seen being a single.

For me, the album betters TIMT, SATT and despite having some much better songs GT is underneath it too.

[Son of Stopped]

I used to be ambivelent to "Epicentre" but over time and guess what?...
It's another favourite on the album! (I even think it's the closest they've got to Sting?) Don't know why, I don't even like Sting but...argh! To be confused, confused, confused by KYE, is to love, love, love KYE. And I do, yes I do, yes I do, yes I do, yes I do...

[The Gutless Wonder]

It's not better than Truth for me but hey, I still love it. I like Ian Brown's remix of Robeson and Felix Da Housecats (funky bass beat going on there!), Masking Tape is awesome. Kinobes remix of Ocean Spray, Ellis Island Sound remix of OS as well. Groundhog Days I love, Just A Kid. Have to get my brain in gear a bit and ponder them some more!