"The Car" is the ONLY Arctic Monkeys album
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- well, that I've listened to, anyway. Come with me as I try to figure out this giant of 21st century rock. @arcticmonkeys
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I like how you said "If this album is different from their older stuff" haha
Every album is completely different from the last, really hope you dive in to their discography I'll give you a quick history
1. Whatever people say I am that's what I'm not (2006)- Mercury Prize winning debut with 2 No1 singles,super fast indie rock still the fastest selling debut album by group in the UK 17 years later. Grew in popularity due to myspace posts and AM are now regarded as one of the first acts to benefit from social media, A lot of people would say this is their best record especially if you're from UK because this album has a strong concept around coming of age and British nightlife. It's loud, It's raw and It's sensational
2. Favourite Worst Nightmare 2007- keeps the same tempo as their debut but with more of a focus on improving the production with more personal lyrical content that pairs perfectly with some of the melancholic instrumentation, I think this album plays a key role in their evolution. Not long after the release the band headlined Glastonbury festival at the age of 21/22, huge accomplishment
3. Humbug (2009)- up until now theyve had 2 No1 albums and headlined Glastonbury.. so you'd think they would stick to script but they didn't... this album at the time of release was very polarising. The band got Josh Homme from Queens of the stone age to produce what resulted was a slower but equally as heavy album but more of a desert rock vibe than indie, cult favourite among fans that perfectly showed arctic monkeys intent of doing their own thing
4. Suck it and See (2011)-
A return to a more traditional indie rock sound with very pop-like song structures but no where near as fast as the first 2 albums, some of Turner's best lyrics on this.
5. AM (2013) - This album is what got them big outside of the UK, slick guitar riffs over hip hop inspired drum beats and amazing lyrics from Turner once again, opening track has surpassed a billion streams on both Spotify and UA-cam with another single close to 1 billion on Spotify, so you can tell it's their biggest album commercially
6. Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (2018)- Their Magnum Opus.
7. The Car (2022) - I know you've heard this but it makes a lot more sense in context when you've heard all their previous albums, it's about their own musical evolution, basically telling the fans that they'll never go back to what was before.
" Is that vague sense of longing kinda tryna cause a scene? Puncturing your bubble of relatability with your horrible new sound, baby those mixed messages aren't what they used to be"
All these albums are a 10/10 in my book
i agree that TBH&C is their opus. humbug as a personal fav
"is this the same drummer?" "is the drumming always this good?" put a smile on my face. YES! his name is Matt Helders and he's a monster on the kit. If you go from this album directly to their first and second ones, you'll get whiplash. The drumming is so much faster but still as creative.
About "mirrorball": I think it's the band talking to the fans. They changed their sound completely on their last album, and since then we've been expecting a fast paced, guitar filled hit like their early stuff, so "ther'd better be a hit on this one". And he's saying that he tried, but this romantic sound better suits the mood, and he's walking us to the car, as in inviting us to get on this journey with them instead of expecting anothr clone of their previous work.
Without a doubt, the best drummer of his generation... imho! 😃
Skye should check out the live concert they just released on YT for free. A great set-list of new and earlier tracks, to give an idea of their range.
I love this interpretation of Mirrorball!
Well.. some of the drumming on The Car was made by Alex Turner... just like in TBHC.
Yeah, it makes perfect sense (pun intended). The "don't get emotional" and "you're getting cynical" sounds exactly like the disappointed fans. Honestly the entire album's lyrics sounds like it's the same subject of them changing and the fans not liking it so much.
Really lovely interpretation of the song! I had assumed it was addressed to a former partner or friend with whom you no longer speak, but this is a wonderful interpretation!
I think the album is a staggering achievement & very brave. I love bands that take risks.
Awesome review, thank you for doing this! Quick interesting fact: the drummer Matt Helders was the one who took the photo of the album cover.
Love all the comparisons that I had missed and the musical education, to me the first two singles: Mirrorball was very Scott Walker like and Body Paint had a Beatles/Bowie feel.
The dreamy lyricism is a combination of Alex Turner's signature clever and poetic style and perhaps him exploring more "surrealistic" and "esoteric" writing.
Definitely go see them live, they are one of the best live bands in popular rock music!
this album is incredible and I don’t understand why so many people were hating on this! I mean, they knew arctic monkeys were evolving in a new direction when TBHC was released but they still seem surprised when “The Car” doesn’t sound like “AM” or “FWN”! They wanted to take us with them in this new journey, filled with new sounds and a whole new universe (the dark atmosphere, etc). It’s a masterpiece, and a symbol of ingenuity! Thank u so much arctic monkeys!
cus it's boring and plane af. No, making a change isn't bad. But drifting into this direction, at least for AM was a terrible mistake. And I'm really into slowcore, so yeah, I know about "boring music", but this one's topping it
TBHAC was good because it was interesting. It’s ideas made me think and the slow lounge singing was super soothing. Additionally TBHAC had a lot of funny lines telling you not to take the album too seriously.
The Car is boring. It’s ideas don’t speak to me like TBHAC’s did. The lyrics are awful this time around with a sort of self seriousness that seems inappropriate for lines like Jet Skis on the Moat. The ideas of the Car just don’t work for me. Instrumentally it is one of the Monkeys best albums but lyrically it’s so off putting
I agree. Not a big fan of TBHC but I love The Car.
@@TheMrbasebllYou know what, listen again. The more you hear it the better it gets
If you’re gonna listen to more albums you should do it in reverse order! It’d be interesting to hear your thoughts as their sound changes and devolves back through time!
+1 (Great idea!)
Yes please do this!!!
Arctic Monkeys, a band of four friends who know each other since their childhood and after twenty years they still keep smashing it. Everytime they release new music they receive many critics because of their challenging choices but despite that their fanbase keeps getting bigger.
All of them have been very engaged with this album and that's the result. They are so happy with this new era.
p.s Jamie Cook (the guitarist) was the one who came with the idea of sculptures of anything goes.
Oh my god I would LOVE to hear your take on their previous album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. When it came out it was extremely controversial, but it's fantastic.
If it helps you at all, ‘ain’t’ is common dialect in various parts of the UK and has been for (I think) centuries.
(5:17) Sheffield is up north in England though. 😂
Matt Helders is honestly one of my favorite drummers simply because he knows what it means to write a beat that perfectly suits the song.
He can basically make the most basic drum beat ever sound mindblowing (check out their song Do I Wanna Know)
His drumming in the first albums was really chaotic and raw (just like how their sound used to be) and now it kinda has a really mature vibe to it.
Wow I really enjoyed this review! Really appreciated all the references you made cos I was also constantly reminded of 60s/70s soul but couldn’t really pinpoint exactly which artists or songs I was thinking of. Elements of the album also reminded me of Bowie, The Beatles and even Queen on the rock side of things.
I've been wanting you to tackle Arctic Monkeys since I found your channel. There's a lot to explore & dig into with Alex Turner. A genius. Can't wait to see what you think. Welcome to the Arctic Circle. lol.
Alright Professor, touché - you blew my mind with this Curtis Mayfield “When Seasons Change” reco for what must’ve influenced Jet Skis on the Moat. Loved this video btw (and am obsessed w this album)
I literally fell in love with arctic monkeys because of the drum and bass. I feel they are usually understimated instruments and the band really makes the effort to put them at the forefront complimenting the lyrics and theme of the song really well. I might be wrong, I'm not a music connoisseur just a fan, but i feel it that way
17:45 Alex Turner mentioned in an interview that the "don't get emotional" phrase came from his observation of the minute-long instrumental section at the beginning, which makes him emotional as a listener. To get "emotional" is what he anticipated the listener would be like listening to the intro of the song from a producer's perspective.
18:00 To me personally, "I promise this is what I shouldn't do somehow giving the old romantic fools" echoes Alex's claim of being tired of writing love songs during the previous album, TBHC, in which pushes his portrait of himself as a member of a rock band in a moon base colony. But since the beginning of mirror ball is so "emotional", it convinces him to write a love song again.
What fascinates me the most is the subject and object within the lyrics of this song. If we follow Alex's train of thought, this song is written between him and his audience, the "I" and "you". I found this song somehow like an invitation from the band to start the journey, "walking back to the car" with the listener. I don't know what the mirror ball implies, but while both the singer and listener want to ensure the existence of the mirror ball, as in "can we please be absolutely sure", the mirror ball is only "for me", Alex, in the last line. It may be a good starting point to decipher what the mirror ball is actually referring to.
I think you don’t enjoy or let’s say find a place to hook your interest in the lyrics because you haven’t listened to the Arctic Monkeys before. Alex Turner’s writing is and has always been very contextual. It’s a glimpse into the way he sees his own life unraveling. His words make sense (let’s say to me because this is my opinion and so subjective) when you look at it in his body of work.
The background of this whole album is so busy. The spaces that we’re given are vast but tense. It’s so tense because they’ve had a lot of time to listen to it again and again (because of the pandemic) and so it’s filled to the brim and it’s enjoyable for a fan like me because every time I listen to it I hear something new.
Some of it is also their reaction to the old fans who after listening to TBH+C now kind of feel betrayed (?). Specially in Sculpture of Anything Goes.
As for the vocals, Turner does sound more confident which is amazing imo. He wasn’t that confident in the beginning (or so it sounded). I say confident, but to be more exact I say he is more confident to accept flaws. He does put up a false bravado, but the trick is he is very much aware of it.
Turner changes styles with each album, he embodies the albums and gives a portrayal. Now, I don’t know if that’s on purpose or not, but he does it.
I don’t think the lyrics can be appreciated enough out of the context of Alex Turner. Many will find that silly, I suppose. I find it endearing.
He invites you to his reality which is convoluted and filled with daydreams. The thing that I find quite awesome is that he manages to make it sort of catchy. He is constantly in a battle with words and he tries to stay true to what he means. One could say that Turner is battling that barrier of humans never being able to truly understand each other through language. He is the guy that would probably say let me paint you a picture. The history of Arctic Monkeys as a band which includes the history of Turner as the man behind the lyrics, is needed for the words to land.
**You review was really REALLY enjoyable. Thank you.**
My problem with the album is in the sequencing. This is how I listen to the album.
1. Mirrorball
2. Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am
3. Jet Skis on the Moat
4. Hello You
5. Sculptures of Anything
6. Body Paint
7. The Car
8. Mr. Schwartz
9. Big Ideas
10. Perfect Sense
It really improves my listen.
I think that for the lyrics of this album make sense you need to hear their entire discography + Alex Turner's side project The Last Shadow Puppets. Actually, I think that if you want to hear more of the dreamy lyrics, you NEED to hear Everything You've Come to Expect.
And I think too that the process of hearing Arctic Monkey (and maybe all artists/bands) is dialectic. It only makes sense when you listen to it all since Alex Turner is constantly contradicting himself, or criticizing the things he's done each time a new album comes out.
I’ve been a fan of the Monkeys since I was a teenager. Their original sound was all about loud guitars and witty lyrics. I appreciate how much they have evolved their sound even if their early fan base don’t f with it.
I have been wondering for the past week ever since "The Car" came out whether you would consider giving us an album review, and I'm definitely not disappointed. Thank you so much for your profound and enriching analyses - it's totally spot on, as always. I concur that you should give "Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino" a listen - if you enjoyed "The Car", chances are you will absolutely love that one as well. I'm sure a "TBHC" review would be much appreciated by all of us in the "Arctic circle" - I'm already looking forward to hearing your invaluable impressions!
Prof Skye, A.Turner in a recent radio interview in UK actually mentioned he was thinking of Kubrick’s unmade Napoleon movie made in a Lego movie style (whatever image that conjures) in those lyrics! This album actually reminds me in a way something like Fellini’s 8-1/2 , a central character on the verge of breakdown surrounded by what seems to be a cast of other characters engaged in direct and indirect aspects of creative process, all conjured in a beautiful stream of consciousness that dips in an out of flashbacks and melancholy. I feel the album touches a nerve because in a way life becomes a stage for all of us, with all the posturing, pretension, and the necessary drama .. for me it sums up this human condition of being stuck between a desire to be genuine whilst being fated to assume roles, often ones others ascribe to us. As someone who’s been in the arctic circle (hope that catches on) since almost the beginning, for me this is a brilliant and concise summation of their songwriting, as you’ve noted with few songs, they’re a rare band of their generation where dynamics between instruments or parts they play, and lyrics and how they’re performed, add so much to depth of the composition as a whole. Yes, they moved between slick garage rock, to symphonic soul (albeit over the arc of 7 albums, in a phased and connected way imo) but one thing thats constant getting only better is their ability to play with nostalgia and humor, in a musically layered way and they are so unique at that at this point. Like you said this is a grower, and I’m afraid it’s a masterpiece.
Pasty white dude using 'ain't'... I would usually agree. But Alex is from Sheffield and 'ent' is a regional Sheffield'ism'.
That does help. Thanks!
Loved The Lego Napolean movie line - the idea of turning such a monumental script by Kubrick, that was supposed to be such grandiose cinema, into a minimal merchandisable Lego Movie form. Not only is it a commentary on current show business tropes, as it serves as a continuation of Big Ideas, aiming for such a big luscious sound and vision, while ultimately falling short of the mark and delivering it within the arctic monkeys garage indie band capacities and appeal.
First review i watch from you, gotta say it was awesome! One of the best I've seen actually. You should give AM 6th album Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino a chance if you liked The Car imo. Greetings!
PD: That Big ideas solo 🙏
you talked about how assumed this album was a departure for them, and that's fully correct - this album is only the most recent in over a decade of major changes to their sound though
the band has completely changed since they first debuted in 2006 and I personally saw the backlash from fans after they stopped doing garage rock to start doing blues rock or stopped doing blues rock to start doing artsy lounge rock and now to 'The Car'
it's nothing new to them, to the point where i think they wrote this album to cope with that feeling, personifying the fractured relationship between the band and their fanbase, the feeling that they're one major sound shift away from getting walked to 'The Car' themselves
nowhere near done taking this album apart but it was great to hear about it from the perspective of someone who knew nothing about the group, definitely opened me up to looking at the album a totally different way
This is such a raw and honest review. Very real and inspiring for people who is in the music business and just a bid audiophile!
the drumming is like splashes on a sunsetting pond and swirls with the sweeping vocals,. certainly takes me to an inner realty thoughtful wondering?dreamscape,. good stuff,.
Portishead has three studio albums! You should give the third one a listen
It's their best imo
Portishead is one of my fav bands of all time
Yes! Thought this was the case and I have that 3rd one which I thought quite good. It was released I think a few years later than the first couple I think.
This is hands down the best album review I have ever seen!
Would be great if you could review their last album (Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino), I'm sure you would have a loooot to say about that one as well. Also (in my opinion) it is their most interesting album next to The Car. It has a similar vibe but instead of the silky strings you get a lot of sci-fi vibes.
A Great Review, the best I´ve seen until now. The album is really getting better while you listen to it over and over. I strongly recommend their latest album before The Car, Tranquility Base Hotel. Think you gonna like it.
Wow as a huge Monkeys fan I cant believe how on point your review was for a first listen ever. The way you talk about the Lyrics and the music is exactly how this album was created (As far thats the impression I got from all the interviews i watched this last week about The Car).
Also, we know Alex is a lyrical genious and in some interview (in 2018 when TBHC was released) he mentioned Leonard Cohen has a Phraze that says “lyrics dont really need to be about anything” (or something along those lines). Cohen is a huge influence on Alex and I think he let himself loose on these last two albums; de-prioritizing making the lyrics make sense and rhyme throught the whole song, but make them sound good just sonically for himself.
I'm 42 years old, but I enjoyed the British indie scene in the 00s. Arctic Monkeys for me were guitar indie rock with clever socially-conscious lyrics, in the same category as Razorlight, Kaiser Chiefs, Libertines, Franz Ferdinand, etc.
I didn't really listen to them throughout the 10s, apart from the singles, but I'm loving The Car. But then I've never been a pure pop fan, I've always liked some classical, some jazz, and lots of alternative, so I enjoy their new direction.
10:47 cca thank you on that point of view on the car album, and actually arctic monkeys, im huge fan of AM and listening to their music till few moments ago i didnt have main specific reason why i liked them so much, and that what you say about dreaming it has on me, i always have strange eruptions in me of some sort of happiness or and some other good feelings while i have flashbacks of my strange dreams with mixed time and place, just like i have listening to their songs, thank you
People who only like the first two monkeys albums always make me think "oh yeah, that would slick back really nice".. but people can change
Um, actually, I only like the first, third and fourth. You think this is slicked back, buddy? This is PUSHED back!
People can change and you can dislike what they are doing. It is not about want for them to do the same thing again and again, but this is not good. Alex is not filling those shoes. Sometimes you have it and sometimes you don’t 🤷🏽♂️
Sloppy steaks! I *used* to be a piece of shit
@@M26Taylor Slop 'em up boys
i always find itysl references in the weirdest places😭
EXACTLY!! exactly what I was thinking about Alex's lyrics in their last two albums. Dreamy! I was saying that recently, it reminds me of the way David Lynch builds a movie. Lynch - some others too but Lynch is a good example - creates a dreamy feeling and atmosphere in his movies, the scences do not seem to always fit together. People search for a meaning but mostly there is not. He just fantasizes about specific scenes and then just connects them. Its all about the experience and the feeling you get by the scenes and not the plot. And I was thinking that Alex seems to follow now the same kind of process. He has a phrase in his mind, that he thinks will evoke some feelings or images (like jet skis on the moat for example) and he just wants to fit this in. Some phrases might just tie well with the sound, so he includes them. The rest will follow. It might make sense it might not. This way of writing also makes you to interpret some lines the way you are inclined to do. In this way you might get emotional by some lines that maybe mean nothing to someone else. His phrasing also, might seem irritating and cheesy at first but after some listens it becomes kind of addictive and theatrical.
Alex had always been a very good lyricist. I payed attention to their first album recently. He just talks about the life of young people. Nothing to deep. Very simple stuff. However, he does it in a way so playful, cynical and honest that although I am in my early 30s, I do not feel that the lyrics are silly. It takes me back to these experiences, feelings, to this mood I that had and puts a smile on my face. Plus the music is so energetic full of memorable riffs. Although he changed his style of writting and "these mixed messages are not what they were used to be" as he says in a song from the Car, he is still, I think, a unique songwritter.
Thank you for doing this review, I am really enjoying (Haven't finished it yet).
Loved your input. the whole album is about the creative process and fans expectations. The context of their past sounds and success is important to understand some lyrics. Please listen to Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino.
I hope you’ve listened to their other albums, even if just for the pleasure of it. Alex Turner would definitely use ‘ain’t’ in everyday speech btw. I hope you saw them play live this summer but if you didn’t and you don’t want to Google him, just picture Robbie Robertson in The Last Waltz. And he has said that he had in mind the Kubrick script that was never made; they gave it to the Lego guys……
14:41 You hit the nail right on the head. I said the same exact thing in my reaction to this album. While I really enjoyed the album I feel like the singles are clearly the best, most intricately composed, performed, and thought out songs on the whole thing. I felt like almost (key word almost) every other non-single song had instrumental dead air at some point. Also, your comment about the dream logic feeling of Turner’s song writing is SO true. Their previous album is even more disorienting IMO, and I also think it’s their best :)
Great video Professor Skye! Will you be talking anything about The 1975's most recent album? I think it would lead to some interesting discussions about postmodernism correlated to their love of rewriting, sampling and being inspired by other artists and their songs. Where does the line go between being influenced by other works of art and straight up stealing from them?
Huge Arctic monkey's fan here! and id have to say this album didn't grab my ear at first... But it grew on me, oddly enough I just got out of a 10-year relationship so the lyrics kind of hit home for me and it seemed to be like that with every album they put out I tend to identify with things that are going on in my life to these lyrics and I couldn't be more grateful for the Arctic monkeys today as a stand in any album they put out whether it catches me or not I'll always give it a second listen and have a different opinion and I think they're one of the most influential bands of our time besides the Beatles they're right alongside them. I especially like their last album tranquility base hotel I like the whole sci-fi genre and it's intriguing to me to be on the moon pondering about the troubles of life down below on Earth.. by the way matt helders is the drummer to this band, and thank you for your input I enjoyed your video I made a lot of connections with the songs and the similarities between other songs that sound alike pretty cool stuff
Their drumming is always that good. Matt Helders is brilliant. I really like your thoughts on music. For what it's worth, I enjoy this album slightly more with each listen, but I did struggle at first. You should explore the rest of their catalogue, it will be quite the ride considering you are starting here.
In interviews Alex has talked a lot about the lyrics being in conversation with the melodies, particularly on Mirrorball. "don't be emotional, that ain't like you" being directly in response to that intro of the song. It seems like the lyrics were often written in response to where the rest of the music took him, rather than going in with a specific point he wants to make
I hadn't considered the lyrics to be dream like on this, but Alex did actually write a song named The Dream Synopsis for another band that he's occasionally in called The Last Shadow Puppets. The song talks a bit about the chronology of dreams and their randomness. Dream-like is actually the best way to describe a lot of the lyrics on their previous album as well
The Lego Napoleon movie to me feels like it's a bit of a joke about commercial art. The idea of taking that unused Kubrick script and turning into a four quadrant blockbuster film. At least that's what I take from "written in noble gas filled glass tubes, underlined in sparks", and "the business they call show, has never been this pumped up before". The former quote just talking about some sort of over the top signage outside of a cinema or something like that. This sort of thing was on my mind coming into this anyway since it was a central theme of their previous album.
just found this channel and it’s lovely! will be delving into the kanye videos (and the albums you recommend in this video), sad to see there’s no thoughts on the yeezus album.
regrading sculptures: the sound is a drum machine put through a moog synthesizer
regarding the album: in addition to the dreamscape feel, alex also talks about the idea of surveillance that’s evoked by the artwork and it’s a theme scattered throughout (Jetskis getting captured in cinemascope, watching paint dry, vantage points, etc).
He also says Mr. Schwartz is a figure that’s tinkering behind the scenes and establishing parts and scenes of the album
Great review as usual. I would highly recommend going back and listening to the first album, would be cool to see you now review that after being introduced through this album. AM is also worth visiting but besides those if your not a huge fan the others can be skipped.
Great review, love the album a lot too! Changes, King Gizzard's new album, the third this month, is incredible. In my opinion, it's the best of the three they released this month. You should defenitely review it!
Great video and a great style of reviewing albums! This is the first video I’ve watched of your’s and I think it would be cool to see you review Here Comes The Cowboy by Mac DeMarco. It’s not a similar album but it has a similar stance in Mac’s discography as The Car does for most fans of Arctic Monkeys.
Matt Helders, the drummer, took the photo 🤠
Wowowow please review all their albums!!
Alex Turner is the best lyricist of this generation imo, would love to hear your thoughts on their musical journey and artistic growth.
Especially their last album Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino which launched this whole divide in the fandom.
I hated it at first until i read an interview of Alex explaining the concept of the album and it might be in my top 2 albums of theirs now.
Love that I found your channel!!
Also saw Stromae last night and thought of you LOL
Thanks for the great videos!!
This album is a sonic novel, and a prequel to their last album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino in which the vocalist of a 70s band loses himself to the magic of the moon and the lunar surface. He may become trapped in addiction and THE CAR is about this intervention, to bring him back to reality. But it’s too late.
I think ‘ain’t’ is just part of his Yorkshire accent. I do it and I’m from Yorkshire
skye i love your videos and your candor. you're a real one. thank you
We all want you to listen Tranquility base now
Love this review Professor! Did not think of blue-eyed soul when I heard this record - I was thinking baroque/chamber pop (think Weezer's OK Human). I'm sure you get recommendations all the time, I really wish you would listen to Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino. There's some crafty song writing (a staple of Alex) and more dreamscape vibes too. Lastly, I would say when listening to the Arctic Monkeys, their album AM is a must-listen. It's my least favorite and yet it's the album that propelled them into American stardom. I feel a lot of AM-era fans dislike the Monkey's last two albums for this reason. I would love to hear your thoughts on their "trilogy" and the direction they're heading in.
Another banger by the prof
Would love for you to review one of their other albums. The general consensus is that The Car doesn't touch some of their other works
I love how you describe the album as “dream logic album”
I think the most realistic lyrics on this album is Big Ideas tho, it relates so much to their career.
Wow, what a finding tonight. I love your theatricality, who are you Professor Skye? Where have you been ? Why did I only find you tonight ? I guess I have to thank AM and that long abbandoned parked car.
The whole ain't thing it's because he's from Sheffield, they say it alot in Sheffield.
I love this album but find your opinion absolutely fascinating.
The opening line and (one) major theme is how they’ve made such a departure from how they used to sound. Would love to hear you review the other albums. I think if you went to see them play live, having only heard this, you’ll be shocked (in a good way). Fans think the drummer is bored because he’s known for frantic energy, heartening to see you recognise his skill here.
Also you’re bang on with “Lego Napoleon Movie”, Alex says that was based on a thought of finishing Kubrick’s Napoleon as a Lego movie like Lego Batman.
Stanley Kubrick helped with the filming of their music videos on their 2018 album tranquility base hotel + casino. Lego Napoleon movie 🎬
If you liked the drumming on this album, listen to their first couple and experience whiplash 😅 that's not to say that the drumming is better, it just rocks a LOT harder
love your reviews master
go listen to tranquility base now, its such an easy flight, im sure you will love it. its a 10/10 i mean 4/5
Thank you for making this review, this band means a world to me. I love the way you articulate your thoughts, so I was very excited about this one. You are absolutely right about the drummer, he is always this good. I personally think that he is one of the most underrated and creative drummers of all time, and D is for Dangerous proves it. You should listen to their debut which is my favourite, you will be shocked how much they evolved throughout the years.
Think this a good sequel to tranquility with just a lot more finesse to many of the production choices, also I would appreciate a review of the new the 1975 album, a really enjoyed your thoughts on their last two realises
Did you say Portishead have 2 studio albums? Im pretty sure its 3. And if youre from the south of England, Sheffield is definitely in the north.
Interesting review as I only know a little bit more than you about the Arctic monkeys
i think the first song is about how the fans want a "mirrorball" as in a fun fast record but he wants to move on and if they want to walk him to the car and say bye they dont want to listen to the band anymore, hes saying his farewells
Thank you for this review, I learned a lot. Could you please review Sampha’s last album Process, I think you’ll love it.
I live down the road from Portishead. I could definitely hear their sound in track 3.
You should really review the Rosalia album El Mal Querer, you’ll find so much to dig into with it. I think you’ll love it.
My 18 daughter a Arctic Monkeys stan and the Strokes Arctic Monkey, Gorillaz are the Gen Z classic rocks
Bit trippy review
First time I heard it I pictured a parking lot at night with the mirror ball shining as he approached the car
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino next?
I haven't listened to this album a lot, but the thing I got away with every time I did was "that's a nice bass"
First, let me talk about the drummer Matt Helders. Yes, he’s normally this excellent, and, fun fact, he also took the album cover photo! He’s an avid film photographer and his instagram page is full of other great shots.
Also, a few points about what you said, because I find it fascinating how your points link up with mine even though you’re a new listener and this is probably my favorite band. Alex Turner’s lyrics have always been chock full of non-sequiturs, and the newer albums (like The Car and Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino) are pretty much composed entirely of them. I’ve always loved them and, as you said, it is very dreamlike and feels like you’re floating down the river of Alex’s psyche. The band’s earlier albums still have excellent songwriting sprinkled with interesting word choices (A Certain Romance from their first album has some super catchy lyrics), but their storylines are far easier to follow. Both styles are great for their own reasons, and Alex is my favorite lyricist in the rock sphere, even if his newer projects veer too much into the absurd for some people.
There Better Be a Mirrorball is such an amazing track, you’re right, the album played its greatest hand too soon and it left the rest of the album feeling a tad anticlimactic by comparison. I heard this song when it released as a single, and it really hyped me up for the album, but, unfortunately, it ended up being my favorite track on the album besides maybe Hello You or Sculptures of Anything Goes. Also, YES, I could tangibly experience the album cover when he delivers that line, such a small but brilliant thing to point out that I didn’t think of before. The intentionality and complementation between visual and auditory art is so spectacular.
A fun idea would be to react to their albums in reverse order. That would be a unique way to do it!
I really enjoyed this review
The best review I’ve seen about this album by far. I’d really like you to review chascade by Itzamna
Thank you Professor. I liked the album and I also could not put my finger on what it is that I don't like about it. Then, when I heard Fantano say he dislikes Alex's voice on this album, I immediately thought ok, that's it. And it's funny to think that, on paper, Alex's voice would probably be more appropriate for this soulish genre, whereas I appreciate it much more on their rock stuff. Maybe it's exactly this contrast that makes their old stuff exciting. Totally agree with the fact that the first song is amazing, and the remaining ones do not keep up with it.
you gotta listen to the debut!
wow dream logic is a great way to describe the lyric writing here. myself and many others regard alex turner as the best rock lyricist of the past 20 years. You must listen to there debut, and tbhc, those are the other two stand out lyrical albums by him imo. the lyric writing and singing style here is definitely novel for him. The lyric's are much more abstract and loose then usual. All the AM albums aswell as his submarine ep, an acoustic project he did for a film, also his side project the last shadow puppets that have two albums are all so worth listening to. The age of the understatement is a project he released in 2008 with miles kane, its inspired by scott walker and I think it would be a cool reflection from this because it goes for a more lush strings sound.
10:02 I guess you could say "I ain't quite where I think I am"
You nailed the compassions. I listened to the Curtis Mayfield song and sure enough, it’s very close.
Also, I have loved all his live performances for this album, they are elevated.
People get in for Alex, and stay for Matt. The drumlines are amazing. Sculpture of Anything Goes is an ode to Matt's genius
He sounds like Ringo on this record, its amazing
This is also my first AM album (cause the GOAT reviewed it). But yeah this album is amazing and will definitely be my winter soundtrack
Portishead has three albums, and you'd be amazed of the pure force of that first one... please let go of your only new music rule and listen to the third album of portishead and well, everything the monkeys did..
couldn’t agree more! Portishead’s 3rd LP is their best!
I totally get what you mean with the Isaac Hayes influence on this album! The strings on this album also reminded me of Scott Walker 3 by Scott Walker!
On the first listen I was literally thinking that this is Charlie Day's Bowie impression over some incredible instrumentation.. I'm so glad you mentioned it!!
Ooooh, I've been hoping you'd get into Arctic Monkeys! The last 2 albums, as I'm sure you've heard, are totally different than their propulsive earlier work. Tho each album is different than the ones that came before, I think they're all brilliant.
_A.M._ (two albums back) is one of the best albums of the 21st Century. It's the point where they just started to slow it down a bit. It has the taste and class of the newer stuff and the energy of the earlier material.
And, yes, the drumming is always absolutely incredible. Matt Helders is the greatest drummer of his generation. Wait till you see him playing their older, faster jams!
And Alex is the best lyricist of his generation.
They released a _beautiful_ 45 min. concert movie on YT. Check it out if you haven't yet. INCREDIBLE live band! It has a great combo of the newer stuff and the older bangers. I'm basically your age, still listening to Queens Of The Stone Age, Chili Peppers, SOAD, Radiohead, The Kills, RATM, White Stripes etc etc. Arctic Monkeys is one of the few, more recent 21st Century bands I've fallen for.
[Edit: DANG! They already took the concert down 😭 Hopefully it's gonna be released for sale]
Amazing live. But Alex has laryngitis and so they might not be able to appear on The Pyramid stage at Glastonbury Friday eve
Thanks for the great review. You definitely should to get to know a bit about the band and it’s evolution. Would be great the hear your thoughts on the previous records. Bumped into this the other day, might find interesting just in case ua-cam.com/video/sXzaUFYgfVc/v-deo.html cheers!
Rush's Drummer was not Getty Lee but Neil Pert :)
Oops! That will get me in some trouble!
Please check out their prior album Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino too.
Joaquin Phoenix is playing Napoleon filming right now! I think Ridley Scott is directing
Instant like for "I dont roll on shabbos" reference
As others have stated, you should listen to their first 5 albums. I considered myself a fan, can I still call myself that when I can't bear to listen to AM/Alex Turner on the last 2 albums? While the songs are easy to listen to that one could come to enjoy with repeat listening, Alex's falsetto drives me crazy, but not in a good way. Luckily, he sings differently live. I've got tix to see them again in Feb next year.
Also I think the mirrorball refers to literally a mirror in the form of a ball, the one that is used for cars to see if other cars are coming from some street where they don't have a view. The entrance of my housing complex it's literally in a T corner where there's three ways for cars to come and go, and when I go out by car it's very dangerous to get hit, so we as neighbours installed a mirror ball there, and for the last week every day I went to work listening to this arctic monkeys album. with a mirrorball. it's fitting
if you give the older AMs a listen (which, of course, you should😉), you might also want to give The Last Shadow Puppets (side project of Alex) a try...