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Underground > Radio & Music >

You Could Have It So Much Better - Do You Want To?

Regrettable Juvenilia

15:51 / 13.09.05

Looked at an old Franz Ferdinand thread, decided on balance we could have it so much better with a new one. Boom, boom. Anyway, new album out October 3. For what it's worth, I seriously love the cover:

The whole thing has allegedly leaked on the internet, but as yet I've just heard 'Do You Want To?', which I'm crazy about. Its lurching boistrousness always makes me feel like I want to get drunk and... well, crash an art party, I suppose. Steal the wine. Knock things over. That kind of thing, all very disreputable, would make you awful company, so thank God for music that enables us to live these things out vicariously, eh?

I'm interested in how people here feel about Franz Ferdinand in general these days, too, because I find myself liking them so much more than bands whom I imagine have quite a similar audience or are seen as comparable. And I was tempted to call this thread 'You Could Have It So Much Better Than The Kaiser Chiefs'...

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

16:13 / 13.09.05

When I first heard them I quite liked them, but I knew I would grow to hate them. That smug lead singer, the unbearable archness of being an NME favourate.

Then my very least favourate flatmate (a thief and liar to boot!) blasted them EVERY FUCKING DAY. That helped it along.

Whereas Gang of Four had a deeply endearing lack of polish, FF are nothing but. They could do with the odd bit of discordiance and a few clumsy lyrics.

16:59 / 13.09.05

I very much liked Franz Ferdinand- but found the constant stream of singles and air play wore there charm down a little (6 singles from the first album i think). As a result the album started to sound rather samey and i haven't listened to it for ages- the last time i listened to it i got about halfway through before it bored me.

I've only heard the new single once - with the video premiere on Channel 4- it did sound good although I hated the video. It seemed like a step backwards from having such a clear identity with 'Take Me Out' and great run of videos to making something expensive (lots of extras/ sets) slightly smug but actually bad acting 'indie' naff. In fact the video was more what i would expect from the Kaiser Chiefs.

I expect I will buy the new album i'm hoping for something 'new and exciting' in it cos otherwise it could wear down quite quickly. anybody heard it/ downloaded it?

18:56 / 13.09.05

They're a little over-exposed though, aren't they? Admittedly, I look at a lot of music magazines on the train when it would probably be much better for my mind if I read a book or a newspsaper or the People's Friend instead instead, but I think I'd already quite like to kill everyone involved with FF's new album and then bury them in the garden of the singers lovely new house in the Scottish Borders and then go to the bathroom on the grave and laugh hysterically while I'm doing that and I haven't heard any of it.

Regrettable Juvenilia

19:09 / 13.09.05

Five singles from the album, I believe, and 'Darts Of Pleasure' bypassed myself and as far as I'm aware much of the British public. 'Take Me Out', 'Michael', 'Matinee' and 'This Fire' were the others, and I'm partial to all of them to various levels.

So is overexposure the only real issue people have with them? They're a pop band, so I can't quite see that as a problem, but I'm aware some people do find that a problem...

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

20:20 / 13.09.05

I think the problem is that they suffer exceptionaly badly from repeated listening (because the vocalist just sounds so unjustifiably chuffed with himself, like he's just done his first poo without mum cleaning up or something) and the more you hear them the more it's like sandpaper and glass assailing the brain.

Overproduced? Possibly.

(n.b. "Darts of Pleasure" had huge airplay for a first single)

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

20:23 / 13.09.05

PS:

02:53 / 14.09.05

"Darts of Pleasure" had huge airplay for a first single

Where?!?!

I still think I have not heard that song. Franz are alright, aye. I tried to read an interview with them the other day, but found I couldn't be arsed.

New single is good. 'Matinee' was guff, though. Mentioning Wogan in a song is funny one time.

09:03 / 14.09.05

So is overexposure the only real issue people have with them? They're a pop band, so I can't quite see that as a problem, but I'm aware some people do find that a problem...

I guess that is my problem- I don't hate them i just got bored with them and moved on. Surely even with pop bands that happens?

I guess a fundamental difference is marketing for different types of music. A typical pop band will often have a faster turn over of product- ie an album per year (they often don't write there songsor have such a heavy hand in production- so the bands studio time is shorter more quickly turned around) , as opposed to the trad rock bands 2- 3 year gestation period. Also with a pop band singles are more the currency than albums. You may have tired quicker of Girls Aloud if you'd bought the new album on its release rather than a couple of months later as you would have already known all the singles?

I also know Franz Ferdinands last album was 18 months ago- i'd imagine that this will work in their favour as fans want new product quickly to keep up with their hype

I bought the first Franz album the day it came out and played it to death- so by the time were reaching the later singles i'd heard them all and was tired of em.

The first album is quite samey - its a great sound but eventually the tracks start blending together- there isn't really a break or change in tempo throughout. They're not the first band that a record has worn out its charm, I think in another thread I spoke about Parklife, others include Different Class, Nevermind, Dummy, Maxinquaye and Black Cherry - its the cullmination of over saturation from both yourself and the radio/ TV. I'm not saying that any of these records are shit- its just i've heard them so many times it takes a little while before you want to hear them again.

Tryphena Absent

10:08 / 14.09.05

P.S.

It's a Russian advert. The photo is by Rodchenko. The album cover is a straight rip.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

10:51 / 14.09.05

Where?!?!

It was all over Radio 1. Daytime and Evening, I think.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

11:02 / 14.09.05

its just i've heard them so many times it takes a little while before you want to hear them again

Totally. I still think the first FF album is great... but can I ever be arsed to put it on anymore? Not really. (That was largely a result of ME playing it to death- I don't listen to music radio, so I've only really myself to blame).

Hopefully having a new album will change that.

11:35 / 16.09.05

Lead singer's now writing about food for the Guardian.

Should that be allowed?

Regrettable Juvenilia

12:40 / 16.09.05

Why not? He's a handsome chap.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

12:53 / 16.09.05

He doesn't really do anything for me, to be honest.

That new single gets my goat. Waaaay too repetative (and hey, I like repetative), annoying lyrics and vocals, and a riff and hook that sounds exactly like the original set of songs from 2003. What have they been doing for 18 months? Patting each other on the back?

17:00 / 16.09.05

I preferred the old haircut, myself. The new one looks corporate.

And I'm still a wee bit annoyed about his house in the Scottish borders. I've got a house in the Scottish borders, it is in the 'bonny,' as we say up here, country town of Galashiels, but do I go on about it all the time? No, I do not.

All Acting Regiment

20:34 / 16.09.05

I like the video. I've got a half formed idea about it that I'll try and relate here- namely that it's absolutely taking the piss out of the whole hoxton/art/party/fashion thing that Warhol did well and that Nathan Barley sent up. But they're doing it in a bit of a special way.

For one, it's obviously making a bit of a departure by not claiming credibility via showing them hanging out at a cool art party (complete with Warhol-alike DJ)- they're obviously less than happy to be there.

However, traditionally, that would be expressed in one of two ways- a) the boring, self importance of the "true artist" who is surrounded by the "fakers"; or b), the equally annoying "group of real guys" who muscle in and knock the pretentious artsy types around.

What they're doing is kind of taking a) as a starting point and fusing it with b)- they're wrecking the party because they're bored, not because they're some kind of tortured souls- and they're wearing jock jackets, but the look and the co-ordinated dance is far too twee and camp to be truly threatening, and they know it.

Does that make sense?

Regrettable Juvenilia

21:56 / 16.09.05

To put it more simply: art parties are there to be crashed so you can steal the free booze and, if you like, chat up the pretty ones.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

11:47 / 20.09.05

Getting drunk, eating your body weight in Twiglets and punching the artist?

15:22 / 20.09.05

nah, I'm not supposed to eat twiglets.

11:28 / 27.10.05

so ... any thoughts?

I really like it. It's the same style of music but there is a clear difference between the first and second albums. The new one is more ... urgent. The drums thump more and there is a lot more energy. It makes you jump up and down more than just tap your toes. In some ways you could even say that it sounds like an earlier album rather than their latest.

Something that marked the first one out was the polish. It had such crisp riffs and knowing, smart-arse eyebrow raises in both lyrics and musical about-turns. But on the first few listens the second album seems less polished and more boisterous, like a younger band who have yet to reach the degree of self-awareness (or self-satisfaction) that is noticeable in the first release (and is one thing that they get criticised for - being too clever-clever).

Cowboy Scientist

03:52 / 25.11.05

Gotta say, I love the pseudo-dada poetry line "Drink to the Devil and death to the doctors!" from "The Fallen", witch has become my favourite song in the album, with "This Boy" coming a close second.