Know Your Enemy (Manic Street Preachers album)

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Know Your Enemy
KnowYourEnemyAlbumCover.jpg
Studio album by
Manic Street Preachers
Released19 March 2001
RecordedAugust–December 2000
StudioRockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales
GenreAlternative rock
Length75:34
LabelEpic
Producer
Manic Street Preachers chronology
This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
(1998) 		Know Your Enemy
(2001) 		Forever Delayed
(2002)
Singles from Know Your Enemy
  1. "So Why So Sad"
    Released: 26 February 2001
  2. "Found That Soul"
    Released: 26 February 2001
  3. "Ocean Spray"
    Released: 4 June 2001
  4. "Let Robeson Sing"
    Released: 10 September 2001

Know Your Enemy is the sixth studio album by Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 19 March 2001 by record label Virgin. It was supported by four singles; two of them, "So Why So Sad" and "Found That Soul", were released on the same day for promotional purposes.[1]

Know Your Enemy was a commercial success, albeit not as successful as its predecessor This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours. Critics were somewhat divided in their opinions, but its reception has been mostly positive.

Background[]

The album features Nicky Wire's debut as a lead vocalist, on the track "Wattsville Blues", and James Dean Bradfield's debut as a lyricist, on "Ocean Spray". Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine plays guitar on the album's final track.[2]

The left-wing political convictions of the Manic Street Preachers are apparent in many of the album's songs. "Baby Elián" comments on the strained relations between the United States and Cuba as seen in the Elián González affair. The band also pays tribute to singer and Civil Rights activist Paul Robeson in the song "Let Robeson Sing".[2]

About the political side of the record Wire spoke in an interview about the subject: "Unfortunately it was four years before everyone else got interested in politics. It took everyone else a war. Where have these people been the last four years? Forty years? American foreign policy's never changed. There's a track called 'Freedom of Speech Won't Feed My Children' about forcing freedom on societies that says everything we ever needed to say." Wire also described the album as "a deeply flawed, highly enjoyable folly".[3]

Musically, the album departs from the arena rock sound of their previous two albums for a bigger and more abrasive rock sound.[4] The album also features influences from various genres. On the album's diverse sound Pitchfork Media stated that: "Know Your Enemy finds the Manics attempting to write a protest song in just about every genre."[5] The punk rock-influenced "riotous" sound of the tracks "Found That Soul", "Intravenous Agnostic", and "Dead Martyrs" attribute influences to Sonic Youth and Joy Division. Tracks such as "The Year of Purification" and "Epicentre" foray to a R.E.M.-indebted jangle-pop style.[5] The tracks "So Why So Sad" and "Miss Europa Disco Dancer" were described as "a Beach Boys homage" and "a disco parody" respectively.[4][5][6][7] The tracks "My Guernica", "His Last Painting", and "The Convalescent" were also described as "dark, marching and charging post-punk anthems".[6]

Sean Moore stated in an interview to a Spanish reporter in 2014 that the songs included in Know Your Enemy were originally meant for two different albums with different sounds and concepts. The songs ended up all together in one album as the record label was not inclined to put out two albums at the same time (as they would do in 2013-2014 with Rewind the Film and Futurology). For this reason, Moore describes the album as "strange" and "confusing".[8]

Nicky Wire reflected on the album in 2021: "Musically, I was particularly lazy and destructive. Constantly saying, 'It's too tight - can't we use the demo?' Too many lyrics just weren't finished. The original idea was to have two albums: one called Solidarity, after the Polish trade union movement, and one called Door to the River, which was the softer side. James just looked at me: 'Why are you trying to do this weird shit all the time?' In a nice way."[9]

Release[]

Know Your Enemy was released on 19 March 2001. The album debuted and peaked on number 2 in the UK Album Chart, spending a total of 16 weeks there.[10] In Ireland the album reached number 5. Around the world it was pretty successful,[2] peaking at number 3 in Finland and remaining 5 weeks in the Finnish charts.[11] It was number 6 in Denmark,[12] number 7 in Sweden,[13] and number 8 in Norway and in Greece.[14] In Germany,[15] Belgium[16] and in Australia[17] it charted within the top 20.

Four singles from the album were released. "So Why So Sad" and "Found That Soul" were released on the same day while "Ocean Spray" and "Let Robeson Sing" were released later. All four singles charted within the top 20 in the UK Singles Chart.[10]

Know Your Enemy has reached the top 10 in seven countries. It peaked at number 5 in the European charts. Since its release on March 2001 Know Your Enemy has sold more than half a million copies worldwide, with more than 200.000 of those being in the UK alone.[18]

In 2021, Nicky Wire reflected on the album's reputation and sales: "To this day, you see Know Your Enemy at service stations for £2.99, because they bought so many thinking it was by one of those commercial bands! In retrospect, it sold half a million copies. Imagine what we'd give for that now."[9]

Reception[]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic57/100[19]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic2.5/5 stars[7]
Alternative Press6/10[19]
Robert Christgau(2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention)[20]
Dotmusic3.5/5 stars[21]
Mojo3.5/5 stars[19]
NME7/10[22]
Pitchfork7.5/10[5]
PopMattersunfavourable[23]
Q3/5 stars[19]
Rolling Stoneunfavourable[24]

Know Your Enemy received generally mixed reviews from critics. At Metacritic the album has a score of 57, which indicates "mixed or average reviews".[19]

Robert Christgau gave the album a two-star honorable mention, calling it "punk propaganda poppified" and citing "Ocean Spray" and "Let Robeson Sing" as highlights.[20]

Victoria Segal from the NME gave a positive review to the album and wrote: "Know Your Enemy sees them scrabbling for some of that early freedom, catapulting themselves back to a time when their minds could only just keep pace with their lipsticked mouths and they had all the establishment credentials of a red light district. It's a dangerous mission, returning to the scene of your earliest triumphs is a textbook example of the fool's errand."[22]

Pitchfork Media described the album as "provocative, well-done, but not quite focused enough to take the listener anywhere in particular."[5]

Mojo called the album "such a sprawling, unwieldy beast that the instrumental hooks take time to emerge".[19]

A negative review came from Rolling Stone, which wrote: "Nowhere amidst all the confusion is there even a worthwhile tune to be salvaged", calling it "hideously dull".[24]

Track listing[]

All lyrics are written by Nicky Wire, except "Ocean Spray", by James Dean Bradfield; all music is composed by Bradfield and Sean Moore, except "We Are All Bourgeois Now", written by Tim Gane, Malcolm Eden, John Williamson and Gary Baker.

No.TitleLength
1."Found That Soul"3:05
2."Ocean Spray"4:11
3."Intravenous Agnostic"4:02
4."So Why So Sad"4:02
5."Let Robeson Sing"3:46
6."The Year of Purification"3:39
7."Wattsville Blues"4:29
8."Miss Europa Disco Dancer"3:52
9."Dead Martyrs"3:23
10."His Last Painting"3:16
11."My Guernica"4:56
12."The Convalescent"5:54
13."Royal Correspondent"3:31
14."Epicentre" (contains excerpt of the Manic Street Preachers b-side Masking Tape released on the Let Robeson Sing single)6:26
15."Baby Elián"3:37
16."Freedom of Speech Won't Feed My Children" (contains a cover of the McCarthy song "We Are All Bourgeois Now" as a hidden track)13:12
Japanese edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
17."Just a Kid"3:30
18."The Masses Against the Classes"3:22
Australian limited edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
17."The Masses Against the Classes"3:22
18."So Why So Sad" (Sean Penn Mix – Avalanches)4:57

Personnel[]

Manic Street Preachers
  • James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, keyboards on "Freedom of Speech Won't Feed My Children"
  • Sean Moore – drums, drum programming, trumpet
  • Nicky Wire – bass, lead vocals on "Wattsville Blues", acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Additional personnel
  • Nick Nasmyth – keyboards, backing vocals
  • Kevin Shields – guitar on "Freedom of Speech Won't Feed My Children"
  • The Avalanches – remixing on "So Why So Sad" (Sean Penn Mix – Avalanches)
  • Aziz Ibrahim – guitar on "Let Robeson Sing" (uncredited)[citation needed]
  • Ian Brown – rap on "Let Robeson Sing" (uncredited)[citation needed]
Technical personnel
  • Dave Eringa – engineering on tracks 1, 2, 4, 7, 8 and 11–14, mixing on tracks 1–4, 6–9 and 11–16, production
  • Lee Butler – engineering on tracks 1, 2, 4, 7, 8 and 11–14
  • David Holmes – additional production on tracks 9, 12 and 16
  • Guy Massey – engineering on "The Year of Putrification" and "Baby Elián"
  • Gerr McDonnel – engineering and mixing on "Let Robeson Sing"
  • Mike Hedges – mixing and production on "Let Robeson Sing"
  • Tom Lord-Alge – mixing on "His Last Painting"
  • Greg Haver – production and engineering on "Royal Correspondent" and "Freedom of Speech Won't Feed My Children"
  • Bobby Dazzler – production on "So Why So Sad" (Sean Penn Mix – Avalanches)

Charts and certifications[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Manics take double-single gamble". BBC News Wales. 26 February 2001. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Power, Martin (17 October 2010). Manic Street Preachers. Omnibus Press.
  3. ^ "Nicky Wire (Manic Street Preachers)". Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Bolton, Rob (1 May 2001). "Manic Street Preachers - Know Your Enemy". Exclaim!. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Reid, Brandon (19 March 2001). "Manic Street Preachers: Know Your Enemy". Pitchfork. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Mulholland, Gary (16 March 2001). "Condemned to rock'n'roll". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Know Your Enemy – Manic Street Preachers : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : Allmusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  8. ^ Sánchez, Miguel (17 July 2014). "Manic Street Preachers: Hay gente que prefiere que la música sea superficial". .
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Cameron, Keith (July 2021). "The Mojo Interview: Nicky Wire". Mojo.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b "Manic Street Preachers - Official Single Charts". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  11. ^ "Know Your Enemy".
  12. ^ "Know Your Enemy".
  13. ^ "Know Your Enemy".
  14. ^ "Know Your Enemy".
  15. ^ "Know Your Enemy".
  16. ^ "Know Your Enemy".
  17. ^ "Know Your Enemy".
  18. ^ "We feel really great about the new record': Nicky Wire talks all things Manic Street Preachers".
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Critic Reviews for Know Your Enemy – Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: Manic Street Preachers". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  21. ^ Ward, Simon P. (19 March 2001). "Dotmusic – Album Review". Dotmusic. Archived from the original on 27 June 2001. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b Segal, Victoria (19 March 2001). "NME Album Reviews – Manic Street Preachers : Know Your Enemy – nme.com". NME. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  23. ^ Neate, Wilson (24 April 2001). "Manic Street Preachers: Know Your Enemy". PopMatters. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b Vaziri, Aidin (24 April 2001). "Manic Street Preachers Know Your Enemy". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 6 September 2001. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  25. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  26. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  27. ^ "Ultratop.be – Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  28. ^ "Ultratop.be – Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  29. ^ "Lescharts.com – Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  30. ^ "Manic Street Preachers: Know Your Enemy" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  31. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  32. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  33. ^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  34. ^ "Greekcharts.com – Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  35. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week {{{week}}}, {{{year}}}". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  36. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: {{{date}}}" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  37. ^ "Charts.nz – Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  38. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  39. ^ March 2001/40/ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  40. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  41. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  42. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  43. ^ "Manic Street Preachers | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  44. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2001". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  45. ^ "British album certifications – Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 July 2014.Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Know Your Enemy in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.

External links[]

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