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Underground > Radio & Music >

Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare

13:58 / 01.05.07

Is anyone else getting into this? If you're a fan of them you might find that it's a staggeringly brilliant album this time around. On first listen I wasn't impressed at all because I thought it sounded a lot like the last one, (only liking about 2-3 tunes aswell.) and then I spent most of the next 72 waking hours with the thing glued to my ears and the whole thing unfolded into something amazing. I realised that yes : a lot of it does at first sound like the last album, but when you sit and spend some time listening, it clicks that it IS often the same style your hearing, but the songs are a massive improvement on it, and a fair bit of other styles are added in too. They seem to be learning how to play their style of music so much better that it's often awe-inspiring, and I get the feeling now that the band are going to fucking easily be one of the best we've ever had if they carry on like this, and rightfully so.

Faves so far are Brianstorm, Balaclava, This House Is A Circus, If You Were There Beware, and Old Yellow Bricks, with This House Is A Circus being my fave, with a seriously wierd moment where it sounds like John Lennon has been resurrected and is playing in a heavy metal band. I got the serious shivers when I got past the guitars/heaviness, and the singing part finally hit me.

10/10 from here, without doubt.

10:09 / 02.05.07

I'm listening to it at the moment.

So far, it seems a bit less focused than the last one. They sound not so much hungry this time round, the Monkeys, as flush with cash in the big city, and slightly confused by the bright lights and all the possibilities. I'm picturing them stumbling around in Vegas or somewhere, trying to remember who they really are, but not quite able to manage it. Which, to be fair, is exactly how they should sound, at this point in their career. I'm not sure if it really gets going until about track five, but it's definitely an interesting album, the more so, I think, because my grandson's vocals are further back in the mix than they have been in the past. It's far less clear what he's on about this time, which suits him, in a way.

Fave choons so far are 'Flourescent Adolescent' and '505'.

14:06 / 03.05.07

Cool, good to know you have it too! Have you got into more of the album yet then? I've just been listening to it again and I'm still pretty much awestruck. I can't believe that music so good is coming from a band so young, because so much of it sounds so mature and way beyond what they did with the last album. The guitar work is unreal overall, and yeah the lyrics aren't so clear cut this time around, and Alex has easily got a lot better at writing.

I heard they debuted at no.7 in America too, which is wierd considering how little time they've spent over there. Won't be surprised at all if they end up being huge over there aswell.

Ah I just found out they're on Jools Holland tomorrow night too, will be watching that for sure.

All Acting Regiment

16:29 / 03.05.07

I borrowed it for a listen as I do nearly all new records. I have to say, it kind of sees them repeating what they've always seemed to me to do: good lyrics, I mean genuinely interesting with word-play and alliteration and so on (though still less interesting than Dizzee Rascal etc) coupled with some of the most boring music I've ever heard. Not unlistenable, just boring - as boring as Oasis, only faster. I'm not demanding twiddly bits or scales or anything, in fact I find that sort of thing unlistenable, but it just seems a bit dull.

17:01 / 03.05.07

Not to say bad things about Oasis, AR.

18:27 / 03.05.07

The world would be different, if it wasn't for Liam and Noel.

18:30 / 03.05.07

Hah, yeah it probably helps if you give it more than just one listen too. I didn't even like it after the first listen. As for the Oasis comparison : I can see it in a few places, but not very much tbh. I think there's way more than them just sounding like one other band here.

18:38 / 03.05.07

It's arguably a mistake to imply, as you seem to be doing, that the Gallagher brothers should have shot each other in 1996.

21:12 / 03.05.07

04:50 / 04.05.07

I think these few videos are an obvious pointer that the band are getting a lot better and more diverse as they go on :

Coachella part 2

Coachella part 8

Coachella part 10

If you want to watch the rest of it, here's the setlist

And here's the YT link : Coachella

And yes, I've finished spamming up the thread now. I'm still a bit gutted that they didn't play Balaclava and This House Is A Circus at that festival though...gah!