Phil, most of the cities you mention have an iconic single view from a waterfront, which is missing in Manchester - I think that was your point in the first post anyway
Manchester does lack a good viewpoint to take in the skyline, and few buildings are positioned with others to make anything cohesive. However, I do still get a buzz from going on the Mancunian way and seeing the city from there, and Bury New Road into the centre also gives a good overview of the city from ground level.
The brick buildings opposite the Town Hall, as shown on Mr Angry's post remind me of a small-town insurance or building society office block, but to be fair, some of the other buildings around the Town Hall are not exactly stunning either. The Justice Centre has grown on me, the Hilton Tower has not.
Was Pomona docks one of the proposed sites for the BBC before Salford Quays was picked? It is ripe for a good development.
Back to the original Phil, a lot of other cities lack or have lacked an iconic skyline or building(s), so they create them, like the arch in St Louis, or the tall but distinctive buildings like the petronas towers in Kuala Lumpur. For me, the Beetham Hilton isn't unusual enough to stand out, so we need either another tower with a more radical design, or a very very big piece of public art with a visitor lift inside and astride a few other buildings and roads!