Customer Reviews

The Libertines

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2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Libertines debut Up the Bracket was a genius mess. Co-leaders Carl Barat and Pete Doherty traded shaky riffs and sneaky hooks with Clash-like passion (courtesy of producer Mick Jones). The band itself was a rollicking shambles - the tossed off quality of their songs belied the depth of their writing. Live, they were fierce, unstoppable. Yet nearly as soon as they announced their major presence the band began to implode under the well-documented drug addiction of Pete Doherty. He's become as ubiquitous in the UK press as Courtney Love. Doherty has been kicked out of the live configuration of the band until he cleans up his act, but The Libertines was recorded, it seems, on the sly. Barat rushed a sober Doherty into the studio whenever possible with whatever co-written material was at hand. The disc is a love/hate letter to its co-leader. Its highlights all deal with Doherty either head-on ("Can't Stand Me Now") or indirectly ("Music When the Lights Go Out"). The struggle within the band is thrilling to listen to yet bizarrely myopic. Doherty the songwriter is the most clear-eyed junkie imaginable. He's a mess who doesn't recoil from the disaster he's become. Yet The Libertines feels too clean, too conscious of its own fascination with decay. It's a romantic death trip - very beautiful at times, enthralling even. But I don't think the world is ready for another Cobain. I know I'm not.

This record isn't simply an album. It's the end of the begginning for the painful romance and sprawling saga that is the destructive relationship of Carl Barat and Pete Doherty. So much has been written about the Libertines since the release of their classic debut Up The Bracket, that anything else I say is completely irrelavent; love them or hate them, the band have already passed into legend as not only one of the best bands the world has ever seen, but as one of the great rock n roll stories of all time. But amongst all this hype and classic excess, it's easy to forget that the Libertines make fantastic music. And this album is about the terrible tension, mounting emotions, and tragic love of gifted band leaders, Carl Barat and Pete Doherty, who are torn apart by drugs, The lyrics are unsettingly autobiographical, but also touchingly beautiful.

Album opener Can't Stand Me Now kicks things off in style. Carl Barat muses on his bandmates "Light fingers" that "Threw the dark, shattered the lamp and into darkness cast us" he says, speaking of when Pete broke into his flat. Pete responds with the albums most quotable line: "The boy kicked out at the world, the world kicked back alot f****** harder" They then launch into a chorus of "You can't stand me now" Carl sings bitterly, while for Pete it sounds like agony.

Next comes "Last Post on the Bugle" And you are suddenly hit by the fact that you are watching a band fall apart progressivly, and listening to the long goodbyes of Carl, Gary, and John saying farewell to Pete. "If I have to go, I will be thinking of your love" sobs Pete to Carl. The album is laced with love, but that love is laced with confusion, longing and fractured hope - conflicting feelings expressed in a series of taunts and appeals. "Inside I felt/So, so alone," sings Pete presumably of his drugs, while in "Don't be Shy" the pair sing lyrics like "But don't be coy with me I'm too clever to follow you down/To the dark and stormy weather, babe/Or you may wake up one day in the last chance saloon/To find your last chance has been and gone"

In "The Man Who Would Be King" possibly the best track on the album, Pete sounds like his going to collapse into tears, as he gasps boldly before every line and sobs. It contains the albums most truthful, raw and terrible lines, and has the best lyrics the Libertines have ever written."My heart beats slow fast/I don't feel right/With a sleight of hand I might die" Pete sings of the influence of drugs before launching into a chorus of "la's." Next up comes a verse sung by Barat, where he sings the terrible line to Doherty "I lived my dream today/I lived it yesterday/And I'll be living yours tomorrow" he says responding to Doherty's earlier words on the guys friendship "Well I heed the words you say.../But my heart has gone astray/I watched friendship slip away/But it wasn't s'posed to be that way"

Then comes Music When The Lights Go Out,heartbreaking ballad which was written by Barat for Pete, but Pete sings it. It's impossible for me not to tear up after I here this, so devestating is it. "Well, I'll confess all of my sins/After several large gins/But still I'll hide from you/And hide what's inside from you" says Pete.

Yet among all the darkness there are moments of fun. Songs like Narcissist, The Ha Ha Wall,Tomblands and Campaign of Hate are dripped in the Libertines trademark wit."Poor kids dressing like they're rich/Rich kids dressing like they're poor/White kids talking like they're black" they sing on Campaign of Hate.

What Katie Did, The Saga, Road to Ruin and What Became of the Likely Lads are the next songs up. What Katie Did is a song about a girl lost to drugs. And is an edearing sing-along. But it seems as if Barat is talking to Pete when he says "Since you said goodbye/Polka dots fill my eyes/And I don't Know Why" The Saga is Doherty speaking of his drug habit, and how it effects those around him: "I dig my bed you dig my bed/I dig my grave" Road to Ruin is Barats response to that. It's him begging Doherty to come back to him, "How can we/Make you understand?/All you can be/Is given in your hand/Trust in me/Take me by the hand"

The duo may join forces to sing "we're thick as thieves" in the album's closer, What Became of the Likely Lads, but Barat keeps demanding: "If that's important to you." Each time Doherty affirms, "Yes, it's important to me", frustration mounting when he isn't believed.

This is an extrodinary record. The Libertines may have a slim legacy, but the quality of their music cannot be denied. When the band first came out, they were the labled the british Strokes, but they have superseded their mentors, and emerged as a revolutionary band.The album's cover shows Barat and Doherty reunited on the latter's release from prison last year. It's an astonishing image, the pair radiating tenderness, pain, pride, diffidence, a desire to protect and be protected. Here are two people clinging to each other, sailors on a shipwreck, searching for shore. "If I have to go," Doherty sings in Last Post on the Bugle, "I will be thinking of your love. Oh somehow you'll know - I don't know how but you'll know - I'll be thinking of your love." There is a faith in those words, a sense of trust that seems to have faded since the album was recorded in spring. It's hard not to think of The Libertines as a valediction. It's even harder to think that this is the end.

The Libertines' self-titled follow-up to their 2002 debut album "Up the Bracket" has many substantial recordings, but is not as consistently sharp as its predecessor.

Considering singer Pete Doherty's antics of the past year and a half (including leaving fellow front man Carl Barat stranded at multiple concerts and getting arrested twice), however, fans should feel lucky this album even got released.

The CD, although containing a fair share of anonymous material, nonetheless has a handful of awesome songs, which make listening still worthwhile. Those include the arresting, lead single "Can't Stand Me Now," which features the company of an active harmonica, and "Tomblands," that soars high on the strength of its power chords. "Don't Be Shy," driven by Doherty's off-key vocals, is the melodic standout.

The album is also full of deep, meaty lyrics that are meant to draw a picture in the mind of the listener. Exemplary of that is the lugubrious "Music When The Lights Go Out."

"Well I no longer hear the music when the lights go out/Love goes cold in the shades of doubtThe strange face in my mind is all too clear/Music when the lights come on/The girl I thought I knew has gone/And with her my heart it disappeared."

The social commentary of the Barat-helmed "Narcissist" is also very appropriate. It would be an excellent thing if more were to take these lyrics to heart:

"Well they're just narcissists/Well wouldn't it be nice to be Dorian Gray/Just for a day?/Such narcissists/What's so great to be Dorian Gray/Every day?"

The tie that binds all of the tracks together, however, is Mick Jones' superb lo-fi production that allows each song to breathe. The lead guitarist for The Clash, he also produced "Up the Bracket". One should certainly hope he will continue to produce The Libertines' forthcoming releases...that is if Doherty doesn't do anything to bring the band's success to a grinding halt. For now, however, The Libertines' have a praiseworthy follow-up album on their hands that is sure to appease fans of lo-fi/indie rock.

I've never posted a review before online-until now. Before I review any album I must listen to it at least 10 times. Here it is day 2 of the Libertines release in America and I've heard the album 10 times, so let's begin.
This album shows natural talent and has a vibe to it that I haven't felt since the release of most recent Broken Social Scene, The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeah's and the previous Libertines album.
Please don't classify this album as "garage rock", because it's not. Just because bands still want to make rock, pop, and punk music doesn't mean they have to fall into the "the" and "garage rock" theme.
The Libertines are way above that type of buzz (unlike Jet, The Killers, The Vines)
If you like this album you can't help but catch a London vibe pouring out of it or England in general. These guys play their country's style of rock like Oasis, Joy Division, and The Smiths. It's a style that will likely not catch on to American Pop Culture.
This album has a handful of standout tracks like: Can't Stand Me Now, Man Who Would Be King, Narcissist, Ha Ha Wall. Though the standout track for me is Last Post on the Bugle. Pete has a way to use and setup rhythm and melodic tones with his voice, this is the track that puts it right in your face.
So if you are too indie and cool for this record (pitchforkmedia) or if you can't get over hating your parents (nu metal) or if you love the cheese that comes out of most American stations (MTV) , this record is not for you.
One more thing if Pete Doherty can get it together with his mental health, he will be one of the most interesting rock icons of this decade. Until then get well soon Pete.

....this is a masterpiece. Considering the effort it must have taken to get Pete D. into the studio for this last-ditch attempt at solidarity (or a future), this is a remarkably textured, well-crafted, and satisfying album. Its greatest strength, in my opinion, is in the lyrics. Honesty and facing oneself down fully is not the typical domain of this type/generation of rock music, and it is compelling to hear. I'm doubtless in the minority here, but except for the LOW QUALITY MIXING making the recording sound muddled, I find this album to have greater depth and meaning than "Up the Bracket".

Energetic, powerful, witty, off-key (at times) and utterly Brilliant. What's great about the two Libertines offerings is that they just do it. They don't try to impress you with their skills, they don't try to throw heavy word-play at you. They just pick up their instruments, channel their creativity and feelings/emotions and then play. The result is two of the best Rock albums of the 21st century. Melodic, powerful, incredibly energetic and at times downright beautiful in that imperfect sort of way. Anyone looking for a revival of Clash and Kinks stylings with a new rock edge will need not look any further. Stunning!

The Libertines eponymous CD is their sophomore set. Brilliant very British sounding rock with traces of The Smiths and The Cure. Opening track `Can't stand me now' (with some great harmonica), and `Last post on the bugle' are sunny, upbeat, clap-along examples of this.

The songs are short and to the point, full of humerous, clever lyrics. Featuring different styles/sounds, sometimes a bit messy sounding, but it all works. Oh, and excellent guitar work!

`Don't be shy' has a slight retro-blues feel, with slightly off key singing which adds to the appeal.

`The man who would be king' is both a delicate and rocking song in cycles, with great `la la la la..' and an almost jazzy outro. Beautiful! One of my favourites. In a similar vein is `Music when the lights go out'.

`The ha ha wall' has a retro feel, similar to music The Coral does.

Next comes the sunny, retro sounding shoop shoop of `What Katy did'. Great guitar work I must mention! Apparently about a girl lost to drugs. Could this be a veiled reference to departed band member Pete Doherty? Hmm!!

`Tomblands' is eerie sounding with vocals pushed back to a swinging beat. Great! Ends too soon.

`Road to ruin' is a tender retro sounding ballad with sing and reply verses, and rolling guitars in the background. Cool!

Next comes the rollicking `What became of the likely lads' and the hidden track, the excellent acoustic ballad `France'. I love the delicate guitar plucking.

Love it. I hope there will be another Libertines CD.

Well, where to start? It's been two years since The Libertines' debut Up The Bracket stormed the music industry, showcasing possibly the most dynamic yet chaotic band to emerge from these shores since Oasis in '94. The Libertines seemed far more worthy of the title My Vitriol than their punk-pop contemporaries who have fallen by the wayside. Producer Mick Jones' protégés were powered by the love/hate relationship of frontmen Carl Barat and Pete Doherty- a pair who embodied rock `n roll's traditions of trouble and strife. Jones perhaps saw elements of his dynamism with Joe Strummer in The Clash, although their fall-outs paled in comparison, along with those of the Gallagher brothers. Doherty left the band after the post-first album release of Don't Look Back Into The Sun, and has since served time for breaking into Barat's property and flitted between various rehab facilities. None of which boded well for the Albion band's planned second album, which arrives amid more chaos, as Doherty is once again out of the band and Barat is soldiering on without him, for the time being.
Remarkably, the pair managed to share enough studio time with fellow band members, drummer Gary Powell and bassist John Hassall, and crucially each other, to complete the record. Rather than go with the tried-and-tested stiff upper lip approach and putting aside their differences, the pair have chosen to meet head on and it makes for a thrilling listen. Jones' production allows for this and really captures the evident tension, as bum-notes and despairing vocals add wonderfully to the warts and all theme of the set.
Opener and lead single Can't Stand Me Now is one of the most remarkable rock tracks for a long time, and its confessional tone is more borrowed from the hip-hop world than any band who could be seen to influence The Libertines. After a lengthy intro, a battle-weary sounding Barat throws down the lyrical gauntlet to his best friend, "An ending fitting for the start, you twisted and tore our love apart". An equally exasperated Doherty replies, "No, you've got it the wrong way round, you shut me up and blamed it on the brown", a thinner-than-thinly-veiled reference to his own heroin abuse. The chorus is even more remarkable as the pair continue to trade vocals, sighs and pained voices seemingly on the verge of cracking. A wonderfully-placed mouth organ solo breaks the two up just in time as the listener begins to wonder if by the next track all that will be heard is the sound of bass, drums and fists.
Last Post on The Bugle is a classic Libertines tune, in the vein of Time For Heroes, complete with thumping drums, insistent riffs and vocals that waver between harmonious and tortured. It begins to seem apparent that Barat and Doherty's songwriting benefits from the inward turn it has taken and the use of their differences as a muse. Occasionally, the wit and observational tone of the boys' debut slips in to ease the tension however, particularly on Campaign of Hate and Narcissist. A proud sense of national identity continues to shine through in the band's sound, attitude and lyrics. This approach culminates in the classic punk blast of Arbeit Macht Frei, where public double standards and idiocy are lambasted, "Her old man he don't like blacks or queers, yet he's proud to beat the Nazis...How queer".
Hassall and Powell's engine room motors along brilliantly throughout the album, despite it sometimes seeming their mates are as unpredictable on the microphone as Jim Morrison performing The End at the Whiskey.
The highlights keep coming, from The Man Who Would Be King's inspired "la la la la la" chorus line which recalls Morrisey introducing himself on This Charming Man, to the heartbreaking acoustic strum of Music When The Lights Go Out. Best of all is The Saga, where amid riotous punk noise, the album's central theme is revisited once more by Barat, "A problem becomes a problem when you lie to your friends... you just pretend there isn't a problem". Doherty seems set to concur before again hitting back "No no I ain't got a problem, it's you with the problem" then launching a guttural scream and inviting the cacophony to kick in once more.
Where the band will go from here is anyone's guess but their two albums leave behind a greater musical legacy than many bands manage in years and years of releases. Album closer What Became of the Likely Lads aptly sums up the power of music to overcome, "If you pipe all summer long, then get forgiven in a song, well that's a touch my lad."
Up The Bracket's peaks were difficult to top, but this second album succeeds in matching them and will be remembered as a better album due to the lack of filler material found on their debut (Radio America, Begging for instance) and an increased lyrical focus and intensity. Never has airing dirty linen in public sounded so thrilling and vital.

Not many bands have two singer songwriters of this caliber. The Libertines are a hard band to define as they sound at times like many other great British bands such as The Clash, The Jam, The Smiths but with a sprinkling of American Indie Rock. Both their debut Up the Bracket and their current self titled release are must haves for anyone who thinks punk is dead and no longer living in London. Their singles are also quite impressive especially Dont Look Back Into the Sun. Sadly this band had reached an early demise due to the black plague on rock talent that is heroin and crack. Hopefully they will reunite and produce more quality material.

I didnt know what to expect from this album, being new to the libertines, but I was just completely thrown by how great it is.

It has everything. A fresh, new sound - the libertines have twisted rock n roll into something new and infectious. Incredible voices, playing, and songwriting... magical is the word. Franz Ferdinand - very good. Flaming Lips - very good. Beatles - magical. Libertines - magical. Its simple really!

This is 1 of those albums that will belong in critics all time lists for sure, somewhere near the very top. Coming from a springsteen/dylan/young/stones/beatles etc fan this is some praise. I honestly didnt think a rock n roll album this good and this original sounding could ever be made again. I was wrong, thankfully.

I suspect people who rate this album poorly on this site would similarly have rated the clash's london calling as rubbish, because it was so different from what they expected. Here's a thought - truly great bands, surprise you. Whatever the case, make sure you listen to this album and judge for yourself, dont let anyone else tell you. Its that special. It deserves your ears.