The "Know Your Enemy" Appreciation Thread

[franny]

Originally Posted by madcap07

I may just be slapped, banned or else for what I'm about to say but , let's go...:

IMO, Know You Enemy is to be taken a bit like Nicky's Holy Bible. It's full of disgust, hate, delusion, sadness, with himself, the world, society...It's like his vision of life at the time. Maybe that's why this album hasn't been received like the previous ones. Maybe we weren't expecting that. It's just so pessimistic through and through and sometimes obscure.
I personaly think Nicky wasn't feeling very well at this point of his life and needed to speak things out (just like I think he did when making IKTZ).
Most lines are very depressing or full of contained rage.
And musically, maybe they just felt the need to experiment and that brought us the likes of Miss Europa Disco Dancer or Ocean Spray.
Maybe they were simply pissed by being critically acclaimed for EMG and TIMT

I don't know, it's just how I feel about this album. It's not on my top list, but I listen to it regularly. There are some great songs on it...

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.

[Bobafettish]

Now this is going to be laughed at, but I find, out of all of the albums, KYE is the most consistant. It has the fewest stand out tracks of any Manic's album, but then, I personally don't think there's a particularly bad track on there.
Certain songs, I literally can't remember how they go.
I think it works as an album, as for singles? Well, naa mate

[nocultureicons]

Originally Posted by bobafetti

Now this is going to be laughed at, but I find, out of all of the albums, KYE is the most consistant. It has the fewest stand out tracks of any Manic's album, but then, I personally don't think there's a particularly bad track on there.
Certain songs, I literally can't remember how they go.
I think it works as an album, as for singles? Well, naa mate

So you find it consistently forgettable?

[Embla Claymore]

Am I the only one who doesn't care about singles? I mean, I consider an album as a whole and it's really not important if there are no 'good singles' on it.
Forget about what the record companies require, from an artistic/creative point of view, I think singles are completely meaningless....

Just my two cents!

[The Gutless Wonder]

Well I thought the singles were good ones!

[foundthatsoul]

I judge albums based on how often I listen to them, and to be honest I'd rather stick on KYE than TIMTTMY or dreary Lifeblood, so I'll happily join an Appreciation. The great songs on it are amazing, unfortunately it's just the bad songs are dire. Royal Correspondent is simply one of worst things they ever recorded, but I do still enjoy listening to KYE in full for the contrast and for the sheer hot mess of some of the tracks. Oh and unfortunately the KYE era visually was a complete mess also

His Last Painting is without a doubt one of the best tracks, it's so underrated.

[Son of Stopped]

I still smile at the "food/chewed" rhyme. There is a gentle self parody of the bands "left" stance in "Royal Correspondent" as well as a pisstake on the other side as well.
This thread took it's time, but the KYE love is flowing... slowly...

[gallafield]

Originally Posted by foundthatsoul

I judge albums based on how often I listen to them, and to be honest I'd rather stick on KYE than TIMTTMY or dreary Lifeblood, so I'll happily join an Appreciation. The great songs on it are amazing, unfortunately it's just the bad songs are dire. Royal Correspondent is simply one of worst things they ever recorded, but I do still enjoy listening to KYE in full for the contrast and for the sheer hot mess of some of the tracks. Oh and unfortunately the KYE era visually was a complete mess also

His Last Painting is without a doubt one of the best tracks, it's so underrated.

the bold bits: yes, so very true.

it was also the album that got me into the manics, the first one i bought as a new album on the day of release, so i'll always have a fond memory of it.
i think of it as a "when it's good it's very very good, but when it's bad it's utter wank" album. found that soul, epicentre, his last painting, the convalescentm, intravenus agnostic are all bloody brilliant.

[The Gutless Wonder]

Never understood the abject hatred for this record. Such a mix of stuff going on in it.

[nocultureicons]

I love Royal Correspondent... never understood the dislike for it.

[The Gutless Wonder]

I just LOVE the guitar solo in Royal Correspondent!

[Son of Stopped]

I love the bassline (Is it a chorus or a flanged pedal, Manic Musicians?) and when the drumshot klcks in as well.

[Flint]

I don't really dislike it but for me it's one of those rare songs that have kinda worn out in active listening. That said, it's full of really nifty things musically - the drumbeat, the filtered guitar/bass/whatever, etc.

[Siouxsie Sway]

Originally Posted by BlackStone

Am I the only one who doesn't care about singles? I mean, I consider an album as a whole and it's really not important if there are no 'good singles' on it.
Forget about what the record companies require, from an artistic/creative point of view, I think singles are completely meaningless....

Just my two cents!

I don't care about singles. I never buy any, only whole albums and EP's, so...I'm with you on this!

[The Gutless Wonder]

Singles means b-sides though!