> Switch to Advanced Search

New & Current Releases
Archives: A-Z Index
Advanced Search

Upcoming Release Calendar
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Music In Our Forums

sort by name

sort by score

60 31Knots
82 Abe Vigoda
71 The Academy Is...
53 The Airborne Toxic Event
79 Alias
77 Theresa Andersson
76 Apollo Sunshine
47 The Automatic
79 Azeda Booth
75 Joan Baez
84 Bajofondo
56 David Banner
76 The Baseball Project
77 Beck
77 Black Affair
59 Black Ghosts
74 Black Kids
79 Blitzen Trapper
74 Bodies Of Water
70 Brazilian Girls
72 Brightblack Morning Light
66 The Broken West
50 Buckcherry
78 Lindsey Buckingham
90 The Bug
56 Caesars
78 Calexico
70 Glen Campbell
70 Brendan Canning
63 Cats In Paris
74 The Chemical Brothers
65 Cold War Kids
69 Alice Cooper
79 Rodney Crowell
63 CSS
67 Miley Cyrus
46 Dandy Warhols
65 Kimya Dawson
73 Dead Confederate
72 Death Vessel
74 Delta Spirit
79 Damien Dempsey
78 Ani DiFranco
58 DJ Khaled
66 The Donkeys
72 Dr. Dog
80 DragonForce
78 The Duhks
77 Dungen
73 Brian Eno + David Byrne
62 The Faint
67 The Fiery Furnaces
63 Ben Folds
64 iForward, Russia!
72 Friendly Fires
71 Fujiya & Miyagi
65 The Game
74 Inara George With Van Dyke Parks
74 Giant Sand
79 Girl Talk
83 Glasvegas
61 Golden Animals
64 Mike Gordon
68 Gym Class Heroes
78 GZA
66 Neil Halstead
64 Albert Hammond, Jr.
72 Juliana Hatfield
61 Hawthorne Heights
81 High Places
77 High Places
76 Zach Hill
85 The Hold Steady
83 David Holmes
80 Horse Feathers
74 Howling Hex
58 Jennifer Hudson
71 Human Highway
70 Ice Cube
66 Ida Maria
68 Jack's Mannequin
69 Jaguar Love
73 James
81 Jamey Johnson
70 Jonas Brothers
78 Damien Jurado
83 Kasai Allstars
57 Kerli
89 B.B. King
65 Kings Of Leon
67 Ladyhawke
73 Leila
54 Levellers
74 Jenny Lewis
76 Lykke Li
82 Lindstrom
72 Little Jackie
60 The Little Ones
57 LL Cool J
60 Lloyd
60 The Lord Dog Bird
85 Patty Loveless
76 John Mellencamp
71 The Melvins
70 Mercury Rev
77 Metallica
71 Metronomy
74 Mirah
75 Mogwai
64 Motorhead
66 Mugison
78 Nico Muhly
74 Murs
84 The Music Tapes
71 Nas
65 Nelly
79 Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis
50 New Kids On The Block
77 The New Year
85 Randy Newman
80 Ne-Yo
57 Nightmares On Wax
68 The Nightwatchman
78 Nine Inch Nails
62 Noah And The Whale
67 Oasis
75 Conor Oberst
78 Okkervil River
76 Old Crow Medicine Show
80 One Day As A Lion
75 Oneida
73 Joan Osborne
75 Oxford Collapse
85 Paavoharju
78 Amanda Palmer
65 Parenthetical Girls
89 Aaron Parks
73 Lee "Scratch" Perry
51 Kellie Pickler
70 Pivot
58 Plain White T's
89 Plush
64 Primal Scream
50 Pussycat Dolls
75 Ra Ra Riot
71 Ratatat
62 Re-Up Gang
62 Rex The Dog
76 Roots Manuva
71 Darius Rucker
72 The Rumble Strips
81 Raphael Saadiq
57 Sam Champion
73 Scars On Broadway
81 Pete Seeger
70 Ron Sexsmith
68 The Shaky Hands
39 Shwayze
58 Jessica Simpson
69 Slipknot
80 Patti Smith and Kevin Shields
73 Solange
69 Son, Ambulance
65 Rick Springfield
65 Staind
47 Stereo MC's
72 Stereolab
71 The Stills
73 The Subways
83 Sugarland
70 Matthew Sweet
74 T.I.
72 Robin Thicke
71 Thievery Corporation
77 Irma Thomas
79 Tindersticks
71 Tittsworth
90 Shugo Tokumaru
74 Emiliana Torrini
67 James Jackson Toth
72 Randy Travis
69 Tricky
89 TV On The Radio
78 The Uglysuit
92 Underoath
56 UNKLE
61 David Vandervelde
77 Chad VanGaalen
71 The Verve
76 Volcano!
68 Loudon Wainwright III
80 The Walkmen
66 Ben Weaver
83 The Week That Was
77 Paul Weller
70 Brian Wilson
76 Wire
63 XX Teens
71 Young Jeezy
55 Yung Berg

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Man-Made
by Teenage Fanclub


8.5

based on 27 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 21 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

Howdy!

Official Artist Site

The first studio album in five years for the Scottish rockers was produced by Tortoise's John McEntire.

LABEL:	Merge / Pema
RELEASE DATE:	07 June 2005
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Indie, Rock

NOTES: UK release 9 May 2005.

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Playlouder

Here is an album with all-new complexity, unforseen depth and many delightful hidden layers.

Splendid

Man-Made is among the finest collections of pop songs any of us will hear all year.

Stylus Magazine

Man-Made is, to be sure, the least immediate record Teenage Fanclub has made since Thirteen, but at a compact and finely-tuned forty-two minutes it avoids the flaws of that under-edited and under-cooked record and nestles itself softly into the heart of every TFC fan as another low-key modern classic.

The Guardian

If the sparse approach to sound and instrumentation is thoroughly 21st century... the vocals are squarely in the Byrds/Beach Boys tradition, at times almost outshining their role models.

Uncut

A slate-cleaning exercise that positively radiates contentment. [Jun 2005, p.102]

Q Magazine

With each release, they tweak and slightly reinvent their wheel--and use it, happily, to keep on trucking. [Jun 2005, p.112]

Dot Music

You may need to spend a little more time getting to know the Fanclub these days, but without any clutter you get closer, deeper, right to the very heart of it all - emotionally and musically.

Mojo

A classic Fannies record with scant regard for prescribed notions of cool. [Jun 2005, p.104]

Lost At Sea

It is immediately more slanted than their standard fare - incorporating electronic elements and seething mystery at times - but it still sounds like Teenage Fanclub, which is, on all counts, a thoroughly good thing.

Urb

The harmonies resonate and the melodies hook into your skull. [Jul/Aug 2005, p.109]

PopMatters

Review #1: If you love 4/4 time pop, this is for you. If you don't, you'll be converted. [score=80]; Review #2: If it has a fault, it would be an overall lack of immediacy... But this is still a damn fine pop album. [score=80]

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Man-Made has just as many buzzy electric guitars and bashing drums as other Teenage Fanclub records, but they're mixed into something softer and more pillowy.

All Music Guide

While nobody could accuse Teenage Fanclub of taking huge creative risks, more often than not the tracks on Man-Made do resemble something along the lines of '70s soft rock group America backed by Stereolab -- which is a very cool thing.

Dusted Magazine

Five years is a long time to make fans wait, but the quality of the material and willingness to tinker with their fairly rigid pop formula has resulted in another memorable, extremely listenable collection of songs.

Junkmedia

The results are predictably wonderful.

Neumu.net

You could dismiss Teenage Fanclub as not being original, but that would be missing the point. Instead, appreciate a group that, in 2005, can create absolutely perfect songs that somehow manage to channel the magic of early-to-mid-'60s pop-rock.

Filter

They've certainly found a solid niche with the Big Star/Byrds bubble and pop. [#16, p.91]

ShakingThrough.net

This is a mature, reflective work (read: repeated spins are expected to reveal the deeper layers), the sound of a veteran group content with its cult status and simply playing to its strengths: Smartly crafted guitar-pop that will appeal to the faithful and perhaps add an adherent or two.

Pitchfork

Man-Made ultimately sounds exactly like you'd expect a Teenage Fanclub album to sound, but with just enough extra to make it feel new again.

Prefix Magazine

At worst, McEntire renders the songs on Man-Made a tad monochromatic. Most of the time, the production and songs come together seamlessly.

Magnet

A sweet deja vu, it's 1991 over again. [#68, p.111]

Rolling Stone

Eerie and lovely, this is the sound of a band that's managed to mature with dark dignity.

Paste Magazine

The material is as hit-and-miss as previous TFC records, but this is the liveliest disc the band has put out since Bandwagonesque in 1991. [#16, p.134]

Entertainment Weekly

Feels like Teenage Fanclub's winter CD, owing a debt more to the mopey introspection and sparse arrangements of Nick Drake. [17 June 2005, p.83]

Alternative Press

Too many tunes struggle to remind listeners of their catchiness. [Aug 2005, p.166]

New Musical Express

Ultimately, the album is weighed down by its very gentleness. [30 Apr 2005, p.64]

Under The Radar

A little too straight--a little too synthetic--to be truly memorable. [#10, p.114]

The average user rating for this album is 8.5 (out of 10) based on 21 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

ND Brown gave it an8:
A beautiful, moving, almost trancendent album. The minimalistic production allows the warmth of the melodies and harmonies to come through, and 'It's All In My Mind', 'Cells' and 'Only With You' must be some of the best songs of the year.

JP Nesker gave it a10:
This record makes my top 3 of 2005, along with "Plans" by Death Cab, "Some Cities" by doves, and "Illinoise" by Sufjan Stevens...anyone who isn't moved by the peerless pop genius of Norman, Raymond, and Gerald has no musical soul...nuff said.

Eddie_V gave it a9:
This album is a real jewel, it brings me back souvenirs, it make me happy. The sound is incredible, the voice is excellent. All songs on this album are amazing. Not listening to this album is missing one of the best music experience!!!!!

Jeremy K gave it a9:
A very mature, unpretentious recording from the most underappreciated band around today (that I know of). Their arrangements, both melodically and rhythmically are a refreshing lift from the predictable pop/rock variaton - and they don't ask -or plead - as some bands do, to be worshipped by their listenership. Light fare, fantastic stuff enveloped with the innate knowledge that real, lasting power and beauty lie in subtlety and understatement - not catch phrases, sound bites or overzealous "anthems". This album is an indication that they march on with pride of artisanship in tact - unwaveringly true to themselves as a musical entity that continues to levitate in its own space.

Jason P gave it a9:
A great disc. Nilesh B. hit the nail on the head: the initial listen may not make you think it's a great album, but the hooks and warmness of the album burrows into you mind and starts festering. It's gotten to the point where I can't go more than 20 minutes without smiling and humming something from this disc. It's also good that Mr. McDonald is back on the drum kit as well. His sparse playing ties in great with the album's sound. Highly recommended.

matt a gave it an8:
All around solid pop/british rock. Nothing that's going to change the music industry, but good nonetheless.

Jonathan C gave it a9:
Another winning outing from the best band in Scotland. Timeless, mature power pop in the same vein as the previous release "Howdy."

Man-Made by Teenage Fanclub

Man-Made
by Teenage Fanclub