Know Your Enemy
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Know Your Enemy Image
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57

Mixed or average reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 26 Ratings

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  • Summary: The first album from the Manics in three years features the singles "Found That Soul" and "So Why So Sad."

Top Track

Ocean Spray
me-totemo-utsukushi-i-desu-ne totemo-utsukushi-i-me-wo-shitemasu It's easy to see, it's easy to see To see only white where colour should be It's... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10
  1. Pitchfork
    75
    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.
  2. Mojo
    70
    The record is such a sprawling, unwieldy beast that the instrumental hooks take time to emerge.
  3. HOB.com
    70
    Know Your Enemy loses all its momentum when Manic Street Preachers decide that they have something to say.
  4. Alternative Press
    60
    If 1987-era U2 is your bag, you'll dig it. [Jul 2001, p.74]
    All this publication's reviews
  5. CDNow
    60
    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
  6. Q Magazine
    60
    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.
  7. Rolling Stone
    0
    Nowhere amidst all the confusion is there even a worthwhile tune to be salvaged. Hideously dull.

See all 10 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 1 out of 11
  1. JorisV.
    Dec 10, 2004
    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 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… Expand
  2. fabulousdisaster
    Sep 3, 2002
    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 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.… Expand
  4. fabulousdisaster
    Sep 3, 2002
    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 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.… Expand
  5. LeoW.
    Oct 28, 2001
    8
    On "Know Your Enemy" the Manics are in over their heads again. The record is over-long. There are miscues on it like "Miss Europa Disco On "Know Your Enemy" the Manics are in over their heads again. The record is over-long. There are miscues on it like "Miss Europa Disco Dancer" and "Wattsville Blues", songs which should have been reserved for b-sides. And on the evidence here, the political views of this most political of rock'n'roll bands are incoherent at best. Looking for an alternative to capitalism's excesses and the best you can come up with is Cuba? Please. So "Know Your Enemy" is a bit of a mess but all that said, for my money it?s a good mess. The way, for example, that the Beatles White Album was a good mess. Throw in everything but the kitchen sink and don't fuss about it. Enemy?s predecessor, "This Is My Truth?" was a little too neat and tidy. This album rights the balance, sonically and attitude-wise. Songs like "Found That Soul", "The Convalescent" and "Ocean Spray" are as good as any the band has produced. "Baby Elian" is a great rock and roll song ? just ignore its muddled lyrics. I even enjoyed the MSP-does-REM of "The Year of Purification". "Everything Must Go" it's not but as a set of tough songs for a tough year, it?ll do just fine. … Expand
  6. JuliaA
    Sep 15, 2006
    8
    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 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.… Expand
  7. Frasoric
    Mar 8, 2023
    7
    Know Your Enemy never felt like a album, instead it always felt like three EPs merged together which was spread across the seventy-five minuteKnow Your Enemy never felt like a album, instead it always felt like three EPs merged together which was spread across the seventy-five minute runtime. This isn't a bad thing, but in terms of the album there are some songs that are lacking which brings down the overall listen. There's a lot of punk, acoustic and electronic influences which feels like an attempt to blend the earlier Manics sound into the 21st century. Despite the album falling short in some areas, it's still worth the listen with a lot of great songs that helped build the band's career.… Expand
  8. SerenityX1
    Sep 28, 2020
    3
    Dismal effort that is devoid of everything that long-time fans of MSP enjoy.

See all 11 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

69
#69 Most Discussed Album of 2001

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