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Pitchfork

Know Your Enemy finds the Manics attempting to write a protest song in just about every genre. This project, stretched out over 16 tracks and 75 minutes, quickly reaches epic proportions, with an ambition approached only by the magnitude of its flaws.

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Launch.com

While the group's last two records have been majestic, pretentious, and overly polished, this one is more urgent and inviting, running the gamut from Beach Boys whimsy to Jesus And Mary Chain bluster.

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HOB.com

Know Your Enemy loses all its momentum when Manic Street Preachers decide that they have something to say.

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Mojo

The record is such a sprawling, unwieldy beast that the instrumental hooks take time to emerge.

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Dot Music

A bit of judicious pruning to remove the filler tracks would have resulted in a cohesive, dynamic album that would have easily been their best release to date.

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Q Magazine

Cull the arrogance, the laziness, the ill-considered ignorance, the (that word yet again) sneering, and there wouldn't be a better album than Know Your Enemy, and not just of this year. Cull the brave lyrics, the moments of inspiration, the songs to treasure and the moments of honesty and, were it available in dogfood form, you wouldn't feed Know Your Enemy to your hounds.

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CDNow

Know Your Enemy is a fine -- if slightly long and somewhat fractured -- primer to the moods of one of Britain's most (self) important bands

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All Music Guide

When it works, this can be pretty invigorating, but when it doesn't, it's utterly maddening.

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Alternative Press

If 1987-era U2 is your bag, you'll dig it. [Jul 2001, p.74]

Rolling Stone

Nowhere amidst all the confusion is there even a worthwhile tune to be salvaged. Hideously dull.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 18 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Julia A gave it an8:
there's nothing wrong with this album, but the thing that made it sounds bad was people are still in such a mood of 'This Is My Truth...'...you know...TIMTTMY was not a quick-paced music,so when they're back with the rocky KYE,it was a bit of 'shock therapy' for people (the critiques).this is an alright album with superb contents. but still...I gave it 8 because eventhough I'm an avid fan of every single MSP album, I can't get myself to enjoy 'Wattsville Blues' (Nicky must be drunk when he sings,it's so out of tunes) and 'So Why So Sad' (it must be the intro.that 'parapa-parapa-parapa' chants made it sounded,well,cheesy).those two songs just don't fit there.

donnie darko gave it a7:
some songs are very good! Ocean spray, So why so sad are the best, and u will never find songs similar to them in any album in the history, but as a whole This is My Truth Tell me Yours is their best album! maybe the only album in my music listening history that i really loved each single song in it!

Joris V. gave it a 10:
Sorry people I don't get it, It's my favourite Manics album and one you can listen to over and over again because of the great variety of styles! From Ocean Spray to intensive rockers as Intravenous Agnostic and the great Dead Martyrs, this album is the real thing. Experimental and beautiful, a not so common combination nowadays

fabulous disaster gave it a 10:
Although some of Nicky's lyrics are way too intelligent for me I give KYE 10 out of 10 for effort, it has some beautiful songs i.e. Let Robeson Sing and So Why So Sad [a real pop song] Not what some fans expected but there are rockier songs too like Found That Soul. I think there's something for everyone if only they'd give it a chance. I like its diversity.

Elena gave it a 10:
I like this album, the CD lyrics' style makes you feel so close to them:). My favorites are 'Ocean Spray', 'So Why So Sad', 'His Last Painting'...

Ronny O. gave it a 9:
World Cass. Listen, learn and more importantly Understand!! USA=Hypocrites!

Joss S. gave it a 4:
is it just me or has manic street preachers sounded like they have sold out since james's disappearance.

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