Know Your Enemy (Manic Street Preachers album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Know Your Enemy
Type = Studio album
Artist = Manic Street Preachers


Released = March 19, 2001
Recorded = 2000 at El Cortijo, Monnow Valley and Rockfield Studios
Genre = Alternative rock, Post-punk revival
Length = 75:34
Label = Epic - 501880 2
Producer = Dave Eringa, David Holmes, Greg Haver and Mike Hedges
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Anr7ibka9aak0 link]
*Jam! (favourable) [http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/M/Manic_Street_Preachers/AlbumReviews/2001/03/25/771346.html 25 Mar 01]
*Mojo (favourable) [http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/manicstreetpreachers/knowyourenemy meta-link]
*Pitchfork (7.5/10) [http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/19680-know-your-enemy link]
*"Q" Rating|3|5 [http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/manicstreetpreachers/knowyourenemy meta-link]
*Review-Christgau|hm2|album=10151
*"Rolling Stone" (unfavourable) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/manicstreetpreachers/albums/album/249442/review/5943602/know_your_enemy 24 Apr 01]
Last album = "This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours"
(1998)
This album = "Know Your Enemy"
(2001)
Next album = "Forever Delayed"
(2002)

"Know Your Enemy" is an album by the Manic Street Preachers. It was released in March 2001 on Virgin Records. The album is arguably the band's most inconsistent in style, with its songs ranging from energetic lo-fi rock songs reminiscent of their earlier material to highly produced, more melodic pop songs as well as for example a disco song. The album also features Nicky Wire's debut as a lead vocalist in the song 'Wattsville Blues' and James Dean Bradfield's debut as a lyricist on 'Ocean Spray'.

The album derives its name from Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" Part III, 'Act Of Strategum', the English translation being "So it is said that if you know others and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know others but know yourself, you win one and lose one; if you do not know others and do not know yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle". The working title of this album was Fidel, after Cuban president Fidel Castro.

Track listing

#"Found That Soul" – 3:05
#"Ocean Spray" – 4:11
#"Intravenous Agnostic" – 4:02
#"So Why So Sad" – 4:02
#"Let Robeson Sing" – 3:46
#"The Year of Purification" – 3:39
#"Wattsville Blues" – 4:29
#"Miss Europa Disco Dancer" – 3:52
#"Dead Martyrs" – 3:23
#"His Last Painting" – 3:16
#"My Guernica" – 4:56
#"The Convalescent" – 5:54
#"Royal Correspondent" – 3:31
#"Epicentre" – 6:26
#*"Epicentre" features around a minute-long snippet of a vocal part from the song "Masking Tape" as a hidden track after its ending. "Masking Tape" was eventually released as a B-side for "Let Robeson Sing".
#"Baby Elián" – 3:37
#"Freedom of Speech Won't Feed My Children" – 2:59
#*On some versions of this album, there is a hidden track recording at 8:40, a cover of "We Are All Bourgeois Now" by McCarthy.

Personnel

* James Dean Bradfield – vocals, guitars, keyboards (track 16)
* Nicky Wire – bass, vocals (track 7), acoustic guitar, backing vocals
* Sean Moore – drums, programming, trumpet
* Nick Nasmyth – keyboards, backing vocals