How do you rank the studio albums?

[sofarsideways]

This is always difficult, and I am really struggling to place the two new albums... buuuut:

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

...that looks weird. I am not sure it is right. ANGST

[Takk]

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

[MoMoney MoJunk]

Originally Posted by MoMoney MoJunk

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

Not sure why I put RTF so far down here. It's the same except:

5. Rewind the Film
6. Generation Terrorists
7. Futurology

[Radiomanic]

The Masterpiece

TIMTTMY - This is everything MSP ever stood for and still stand for today. No other artist could release an album like this and have it reach Number 1. SYMM still one of the creepiest songs ever put to tape.


Exceptional Quality

RTF - It's that fucking good I like it more after every listen, coming back with this after PFAYM is like coming back from the dead and winning a marathon. I didn't expect them to write an album this good ever again, yet they bounced back with their best in absolutely ages.

KYE - Their only one true 'punk' record, without production or direction. Yet it works exceptionally well. The polar opposite of TIMTTMY.


A Damn Good Time

EMG - Just a great rock album. Great production, passionate vocals, brilliant guitar parts. A real contrast to what came before it and in my opion, a vast improvement.

LB - Ahead of its time, a piece of art. Forever a guilty pleasure, seeing as the band like to think it was widely hated. Features (along with TIMTTMY) some of their most unusal and experimental work, and all the better for it.

F - Lifeblood Part 2, except less moody and more energetic. I prefer the moody version, still full of great songs and interesting sounds. Except the rap, please don't ever try rapping ever again.

THB US Version - THB, but so much better. Simple.

JFPL - Too similar to THB for me to rate it too highly, however some of the tracks are of course very strong and it's nice to hear them raging once again.

THB - Understand why everyone rates it and it is a great record, just not that great. It was their first true 'Manics' album, them finding their feet and not being afraid to stand on them. However Killing Joke had explored similar musical themes four years earlier... and did it much better.


Could've done better

SATT - Cock Rock boardaring on Dad Rock. Still some good songs in there such as Underdogs, Renditon...but on the whole it's just a sequel to GATS which just wasn't needed after the bravery of Lifeblood.

GATS - Dad Rock bordering on Cock Rock. Their impression of late 80s Glam Rock hadn't worked on GT so they decided to give Queen and Bon Jovi a run for their money instead. It didn't work, save for a fairly good first half (bar the awful Yourself).


Pretty Embarrassing

GT - Guns N Roses were so 1987, this was so outdated and don't even start on the fake drums. Shame, because they were clearly a competent band and the songs themselves sound great live. There could've been a good album in here had they stuck to their Heavenly sound.


It NEVER Happened

PFAYM - This one was made by a band pretending to be MSP, it's the only explanation for it's vile existence. I will quite happily take this to my grave, with the words 'Postcards for a Young Man was Fucking Shit!' on my tombstone. Rock Bottom.

[Takk]

Originally Posted by NasalScarecrow

Blimey!

I know, it sank fast, huh?

[WaffenS]

Originally Posted by WaffenS

1. Lifeblood (10/10)
2. The Holy Bible (10/10)
3. This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours (9/10)
4. Futurology (8.5/10)
5. Know Your Enemy (8.5/10)
6. Generation Terrorists (8/10)
7. Journal For Plague Lovers (8/10)
8. Gold Against the Soul (7.5/10)
9. Everything Must Go (7.5/10)
10. Send Away The Tigers (7/10)
11. Rewind The Film (6/10)
12. PFAYM (5/10)

My list has changed a little a bit: Futurology isn't highly rated now

1. Lifeblood (10/10)
2. The Holy Bible (10/10)
3. This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours (9/10)
4. Know your Enemy (90/10)
5. Journal Four Plague Lovers (8.5/10)
6. Everything Must Go(8/10)
7. Generation Terrorists(8/10)
8. Gold Against the Soul (7.5/10)
9. Futurology (7.5/10)
10. Send Away The Tigers (7/10)
11. Rewind The Film (6/10)
12. PFAYM

[David27]

1. Holy Bible
2. Journal For Plague Lovers
3. Everything Must Go
4. Futurology
5. Postcards
6. Lifeblood
7. Generation Terrorists
8. Send Away the Tigers
9. Rewind the Film
10. Know Your Enemy
11. Gold Against the Soul
12. This is My Truth

[Nature's Discontent]

Originally Posted by Nature's Discontent

Excellent:

1. Everything Must Go
2. The Holy Bible
3. Journal For Plague Lovers

Very good:

4. This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
5. Generation Terrorists

Good:

6. Know Your Enemy
7. Gold Against The Soul
8. Lifeblood

Not bad, but certainly very patchy:

9. Rewind The Film
10. Send Away The Tigers

Nigh on unlistenable:

11. Postcards From A Young Man

This is pretty much the same except maybe I'd put Lifeblood above GATS ('tis the season, right now, after all ), and Futurology would slot in behind GATS but well ahead of RTF in the 'Good' category:

1.EMG
2.THB
3.JFPL
4.TIMTTMY
5.GT
6.KYE
7.LB
8.GATS
9.FT
10.RTF
11.SATT
12.PFAYM

[Librarian On Fire]

I’ve been thinking about this for days now. With the addition of “Rewind The Film” and “Futurology” there has been some slight movement of placings. To be fair most of the albums have a ten year lead over the two recent releases. For each album to be completely different from its predecessor is what makes listing the albums so difficult.

1) “Know Your Enemy”. I know it’s not perfect and far from being their best album, but I love it to bits. The album I play the most. I just love the urgency of it. The quickly recorded tracks. So often it feels like the band have completely forgotten about it.

2) “This Is My Truth Now Tell Me Yours”. Nicky has never equalled the quality of his writing on TIMTNMY. Deeply personal most of the times, it almost makes feel too much of a voyeur listening in. I divide the album into quite clearly defined brackets. The first three anthems songs. The quiet three songs in the middle. The three best songs at the end. Perhaps some more reworking on “Black Holes For The Young” should have seen it replace “I’m Not Working”, but the listed track recording stands well.

3) “The Holy Bible”. A masterpiece in every way. An album of immense intelligence and meaning. The most perfect legacy of Richey.

4) “Everything Must Go”. They came off the back of HB and released this. Upbeat at times. Evidence of Richey still being involved with his lyrics being included. It was an exciting time to be a fan around this release. It does bring back memories of youth, friends, obsessions and energy. Not sure where they all went.

5) “Rewind The Film”. I like my Manics when they are quieter. Like so many things in life, it gets better with age and for those of age. It sits quite comfortably alongside “TIMTNTMY for deep introspection.

6) “Futurology”. It’s still really difficult for me to see where in my list I can rate this album. I do find it a little overthought in places. A little too Manics at times. I rate it half way. I do admit that I’m not playing it as much as I thought I would be.

7) “Journal For Plague Lovers”. I always see JFPL as the extension of HB. I think it time we will see the appreciation for this album grow.

8) “Lifeblood”. An album that was good from the beginning. It’s dug its heels in and says I’m not going to be bottom in any list. Nicky’s second best album of lyrics.

9) “Generation Terrorists”. I can vividly remember being at the Captain Cook pub and telling Chris how good this band are. I always ended up playing disc 1 the most. Now days band have to think small at the beginning. I liked how they thought big from the beginning.

10) “Gold Against The Soul”. Some great singles from this album. Image wise, I like this period more than the HB period. even if they do look a bit too much like they are dressing as if they are in a band. There is a bit too much going on in all the songs but thankfully the band moved on quickly from this.

11) “Send Away The Tigers”. Was this the band trying to write a follow up to KYE. I find James vocals on SATT far too forced. It doesn’t make for enjoyable listening for me. There are some good songs on here. “Underdogs” being worthy of a mention.

12) “Postcards From A Young Man”. The sound of a band celebrating themselves, celebrating themselves. Fat, bloated self indulgence. Nicky with that stupid glitter heart on his cheek from this period nearly had me crying. From being cool to looking like a 12 year old at a birthday party.

[BeautyBeyondLust]

Originally Posted by BeautyBeyondLust

Over-thought it way too much, erased it and started again with the focus on favourite (leaving only the tiniest gap between GT and THB) rather than "best", and settled on this:

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

I've changed my mind already

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

I do need to give Lifeblood, Futurology and KYE more concentrated listens though.

[dolphin]

Lifeblood attracts severe criticism from some but looking at the last few pages of this thread, it would probably sneak into the top half of the list overall.

[Littlesue]

In the past its usually comes in about 4th in the overall average of polls, wonder if the band ever know this.

[Geranium Terrorists]

Another attempt...

1. THB (prev. position 1)
2. EMG (prev. position 2)
3. KYE (prev. position 4)

4. RTF (prev. position 5)
5. GT (prev. position 3)
6. LB (prev. position 9)

7. GATS (prev. position 8)
8. TIMT (prev. position 6)

9. F (prev. position 10)
10. JFPL (prev. position 7)

11. SATT (prev. position 11)
12. PFAYM (prev. position 12)

The bottom two are essentially set in stone. The album I'm most worried about is JFPL. I'm keep thinking that I'm putting it too low, but then putting it higher just doesn't seem to work. At the moment there is a bit of a battle going on between it and Futurology... it can't get any lower though, and I think it'll eventually win.

[Routine Builder]

For me it goes something this (though it gets a bit arbitrary after fifth or sixth)

1. The Holy Bible
2. Journal for Plague Lovers
3. Everything Must Go
4. Futurology
5. Know Your Enemy
6. Lifeblood
7. Rewind the Film
8. This is my truth
9. Generation Terrorist
10. Send Away the Tigers
11. Gold Against the Soul
12. Postcards for a Young Man

[dolphin]

Originally Posted by Routine Builder

For me it goes something this (though it gets a bit arbitrary after fifth or sixth)

1. The Holy Bible
2. Journal for Plague Lovers
3. Everything Must Go
4. Futurology
5. Know Your Enemy
6. Lifeblood
7. Rewind the Film
8. This is my truth
9. Generation Terrorist
10. Send Away the Tigers
11. Gold Against the Soul
12. Postcards for a Young Man

This is pretty close to what I would go with except Futurology would be lower and the much-maligned SATT a bit higher.