Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy
It has been 3 years since we have heard from everybody’s favorite Welsh boys The Manic Street Preachers. Their last album This is My Truth rose them up to become even bigger stars. The album reached number one and we cant forgot about the number sing If You Tolerate This all which propelled the band to levels they never thought off. With Know Your Enemy we get such an incredibly different album.
 The album kicks off which Found That Soul. The song starts off with a solid heavy guitar riff which immedily would make one think are they going back to an older sound. The track is one of there heavier tracks in years and a very refreshing tune. Ocean Spray is next and it the first track ever written by James Dean Bradfield (singer). The track is a simply stunning ode to his mother he has recently passed away. The lyrics are breathtaking lets get some more songs written by James. Intravenous Agnostic gives us another heavier song. The song is very good but lets not even talk about the lyrics on this one. So Why So Sad is next the song has a great song. The song reminds me off to and older 60s pop song. It’s a great track and nice to hear different things from the boys. Let Robeson Sing follows and the song is Nicky’s story to life of activist Paul Robeson. The intro with just the acoustic guitar really sets the tone. The track is a very simple and slow ballad. James voice really sounds great on the track. The end of the track they have Paul Robeson reading a very beautiful Laughston Hughes poem which is really the perfect way to end such a track. Year of Purification picks us pack up the song is solid rock song that helps keep the album following. Wattsville Blues is Nicky’s singing debut. Musically the song is rather basic with an acoustic guitar and a drum beat behind Nicky’s very hard and rough sounding voice. James sings backup vocals on this one and it works. The bass is wonderful as well to make out for a solid album track Wattsville Blues beautiful leads us into Miss Europa Disco Dancer. The song is the manics track about apparently how much they hate dance music. The track has a great disco vibe to it. The vocals by both Nicky and James sound fantastic on this song. Nicky sounds very soft and spacey. Brilliant track except I think we all can do with Nicky saying “Brain Dead Motherfuckers” fifty five times. Dead Martyrs sets us back on course with some solid guitar work again by Bradfield. The has a big epic chorus and has a great song and this little beep that pops up once and while provides for a great song. His Last Painting is a song about Picasso good filler song. My Guernica is the next song here. This song is interesting the song almost sound like the use some odd keyboard sounds but James delivers a very solid vocal. Then toward then end of the song you hear James say hello and then the song finishes off. This one is odd. The Convalescent the albums longer songs at just under six minutes. The song is doesn’t really do much until except after the chorus we are treated to a heavy little bit of guitar work. This song is pretty average. Royal Correspondent is my guilty pleasure off the album. I love this song. The album starts off with just a small little acoustic guitar with a drumbeat behind it. The song deals with the press. The track has a great sound. The guitar and bass on here is solid. Great track. Epicentre follows next the song gets honors of being the longest track at about 6 and half minutes. With this track we are treated with some piano work. The piano helps with this track a lot. James’s voice sounds great with the music. The track is a great rocker. Would have been a better pick for single rather than some of the other tracks they pick. Then after the song the there is short bit of the band playing Baby Elian follows and this one deals with the whole Elian deal a few years back. The song has a great lyric that tackles the situation very way. ” America the devils playground.” James has a solid vocal on it but he sounds urgent. The track is simple and beautiful. Freedom Of Speech Wont Feed My Children the title says it all. The manics make a great point there. I love how they manage to knock the beastie boys on this one to. The lyric is great and the song has a great sound.
This album is incredible diverse sounding. The manics sound like they had fun with this one. It’s the sound of a band experimenting with a few things. The album is long but it will keep you interested in with a load of great tunes.
By John Siwicki
