Know Your Enemy [ECD] - Manic Street Preachers > Reviews > Know your Enema

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Advantages:	Catchy tunes, Muso Kudos
Disadvantages:	Pretentious drivel,repetetive choruses, just read the op, you'll get my jist

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

Why do the Manics make me jump around, well, it's because they make me seethe with righteous fury. I cannot stand the fact that a band with a mediocre song writing talent at best is applauded by musos the world round and thus the Manics are vaunted as rock gods and amongst the best bands the UK has ever produced. Still I’ll stay true to my scientific nature and try and give you what amounts to an objective viewpoint on the band. I HATE THEM!!! Objective enough??

The Manics formed in 1991 in their hometown of Blackwood, Wales. The “Generation Terrorists” were very much molded on the late 70’s punk movement and to be honest if they had stayed that way it wouldn’t be so bad, these days they wear NYLON SHIRTS instead of leather pants.

Of course in the climate of the time they bucked against much of what the music industry was about and so became favourites of the press. During an interview with the NME's Steve Lamaq (now a Radio 1 DJ) Lamaq questioned the conviction of the groups politics, hinting that the Mainics were putting it on for effect. Now personally I would have have retorted with a well argued diatribe, Richey James chose to cut the words "4 Real" into his arm, ten out of ten for conviction and ten out of ten for stupidity. This of course cemented their bad boy image in the minds of the press and the public. Now of course they wear PASTEL BLUE NYLON SHIRTS!!

“I am the girl who wanted to be God
I am the girl who wanted to be God”
…….The girl who wanted to be God

James’s behaviour became more erratic and finally he disappeared without a trace, last seen on the Severn Bridge in Bristol in 1995. This of course helped to build a mystique around the group. There are still reports of Richey turning up here and there, a bit like Elvis. Elvis wore NYLON JUMPSUITS.

Now a trio, James Dean Bradfield (vocals/guitar), Nicky Wire (bass), Sean Moore (drums) the band released “Everything must go” in 1996 to “critical” acclaim and succeeded in alienating the fan base they had built up with their bad boy image. This album marked a change from the angry young man, politically driven songs to a more mature (NYLON SHIRT WEARING) style, which remains today.

“And if you need an explanation
Then everything must go
And if you need an explanation
Then everything must go.”
…….everything must go.

I suppose the main reason I hate the band is that music journalists love them, I suppose when they were starting out it was justified. I’d rather interview somebody with a disposition for self-mutilation than a bland boy band. It would give a better interview wouldn’t it. The Manics obviously want to show the world they are intelligent, who else writes songs about the Spanish civil war and Pulitzer prize winning photographers. It’s just that when they do it all seems a little bit forced to me, as though they are trying to say look at us aren’t we radical, aren’t we clever. I would have thought they would have grown out of that kind of thing by now, they’re old enough to wear NYLON SHIRTS after all.

“Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter”
…….Kevin Carter

The other thing that gripes me is when they release anything, the media fall over themselves to get exclusives and you can’t turn Radio One on without hearing them for weeks on end. The part, which really gets to me is finding myself humming the tunes, GAH!!! I suppose fair is fair the tunes are catchy little ditties in general it’s just the lyrics that jar against them. Though this is something to do with the song writing process, Bradfield writes the music and Wire writes the lyrics and the two are glued together by the magic that is the Manics…..

This must be why we end up getting classic choruses like “A design for-or life, A design for-or life, A desiiiiiiign……. Forrrrrrrrrr liiiiiiife.” Have lyrics ever been so seamlessly bolted to the music. And another thing doesn’t Wire seem to understand is that a chorus is meant to consist of something a little more than just repeating one phrase three (or four times, depending on how adventurous he feels) times over.

“A design for life
A design for life
A design for life
A design for life”
…….A design for life

Was that objective or not, I’m not sure I’m really bothered. Deep down I know my one voice of dissention isn’t going to make a damn bit of difference. I know that next time the Manics bless us with one of their offerings the press will fall over themselves again and I’ll end up humming the tunes and getting annoyed again.

Discography
1992 Generation Terrorists (Columbia)
1993 Gold Against the Soul (Columbia)
1994 The Holy Bible (Epic)
1996 Everything Must Go (Epic)
1998 This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours (Virgin)
2001 Know Your Enemy (Virgin)

I welcome comments and ratings but don't rate me down if you don't agree with me....

This op was written about the Manics in general since there is no actual category for me to spout my bile about them this seemed the most logical place. I'll move it when a category has been formed