Customer Reviews

Tonight:Franz Ferdinand [Vinyl]

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As much as I loved "Take Me Out" when it first reared it's head in 2004, I hated Franz Ferdinand because they'd become the most over-hyped indie-band ever. Everywhere you turned around, Franz Ferdinand appeared. I knew they were a solid, sound band, but I was like "are they really worthy of all this hype?" The answer to that question was of course, no, at least in my eyes, but I always thought the band was good, if not great. Their self-titled debut of course went platinum here in the States, making you think 'oh they're not so indie, now are they'. However, their second album, the underrated YOU COULD HAVE IT SO MUCH BETTER flopped, selling under 400,000 in the states. A four year hiatus brings us to TONIGHT, which doesn't necessarily trump their debut, but does reinstate some of the glory of their debut. It is doubtful that Franz will ever have another "Take Me Out" (they were semi-close with "Do You Want To"), but tracks like "Ulysses" and "No You Girls" are pretty good if I may say so myself. Gnarls Barkley didn't return with another "Crazy" after all, now did they?

The album starts with the brilliant "Ulysses", which in my eyes is one of Franz's best and most fun tracks. Maybe it's not "Take Me Out", but it comes pretty close. The synthesizer sounds and guitar effects add to the greatness that is "Ulysses", a certified indie-rock gem. "Turn It On" keeps the momentum going, causing TONIGHT not to miss a single beat. With Franz's signature thick bass lines, "Turn It On" reminds us that despite the over-hype given to Franz Ferdinand in 2004, they really are one of today's greatest rock bands. Not even 4 years could deteriorate that reputation.

"No You Girls" keeps driving TONIGHT with another genuine hit. The guitars are in the pocket and the organization epitomized in the production is phenomenal. "No You Girls" with it's incredibly catchy, tuneful refrain is definitely one of my favorites from TONIGHT (second only to say "Ulysses"). Alex Kapranos is on his 'A' game.

"Send Him Away" lays well, as does the majority on this album. Maybe a shade less catchy than "Ulysses", "Turn It On", or "No You Girls", "Send Him Away" is still indie-rock epitomized at its best. Perhaps the best part of "Send Him Away" is the stylistic change that happens a little more than a minute from the ending, in which you see Franz Ferdinand extend their style and take risks. This risk does not miss.

"Twilight Omens" continues Franz Ferdinand's experiments with synthesized sounds combined with dirty, crisp 60s sounding guitars. It is another solid number, if not as solid as "Ulysses" or "No You Girls". However, let me say even if this track is a shade less desirable than the "cream of the crop", contextually speaking, this track is still way above par.

"Bite Hard" finds the Scottish boys slowing down the tempo, well at least at first that is. After lovely balladry by Kapranos upon the onset of "Bite Hard", the boys go into full-fledged dance-rock in which Kapranos shouts enthused "bite hard!". Again, no complaints as this track lays as well as everything else on TONIGHT.

"What She Came For" begins with one of the albums sickest grooves as of yet. Honestly, this groove would fit perfectly on any retro-soul/neo-soul album - urban producers would kill for this groove, honestly. As catchy as the lyrics are, the production is equally as catchy with wacky effects and a phenomenal timbre. A great track in my eyes; it embodies the classic rock sound that was the 1960s.

"Live Alone" is as close as you can get to techno without ruining the indie-rock ambiance. It is solid, but not necessarily a favorite for me. The sounds are great, the vocals first-rate, and even the concept is worthwhile; it just doesn't overtake "Ulysses", that's all.

"Can't Stop Feeling" continues an exploration of pop-sounds incorporated with indie-rock. Again, the effect is an interesting, successful one. To compare Franz Ferdinand and say The Killers maybe a bit off, but both of these bands are searching to make rock music that is danceable again, like it used to be. If you think back to The Rolling Stones with a great hit like "Miss You" not only did it rock hard, it also was very danceable. I believe that is the effect that with a track like "Can't Stop Feeling" or the Killers' "Mr. Brightside" that is the sort of effect being sought.

"Lucid", at 7:56, is the lengthiest listen of TONIGHT, but is worthwhile, as is everything on TONIGHT. "Lucid" turns out to be one of the stronger listens actually, making it a key track. On this track, Franz Ferdinand pools all their knowledge of pop sensibilities and catchy hooks to make one killer song. And ladies and gentleman, what about all of those sick-synths? Have Franz Ferdinand been working with hip-hop producers or something? Kudos, maybe all the 2004 was truly deserved Franz Ferdinand.

"Dream Again" find Franz Ferdinand reserving the tempo slightly, but not without all the extravagance of synthesizers and maybe drum programming as well? Here, I hear an influence of Simon and Garfunkle because of the lazy, restrained quality of the vocals here. Batting 1000 boys, batting 1000.

The album closes with "Katherine Kiss Me", which begins with only acoustic guitars (can you believe it?). Sincere as any singer-songwriter song, "Katherine" proves to be an interesting ending to a very interesting album. I do question why the boys would end this overall uptempo album with a singer-songwriter styled number? Maybe "Katherine" would've been better served as the penultimate track. Ultimately, it isn't a big deal though, as Franz Ferdinand return full-fledged with this great third effort. 4 stars, Franz.

When I first heard this I was a but puzzled...was it worth the 3 year wait? Now I've heard it several times and I and COMPLETELY satisfiied...I love that they are experimenting and making music that maybe I don't understand the first time I hear it. Hey they're the band... they should make music THEY like and WE have to catch up to THEM. I think listening to LUCID DREAMS (CD version) must be similar to what it was like to listen to Revolution # 9 from The White Album in 1968. Weird..I don't get it...but I like it...I think...This CD is GREAT in headphones...all kinds of little nuances...sometimes the vocals suddenly sound like Alex Kapranos is whispering in you ear. And Congrats for keeping it to 40 or so minutes...It really seems like an ALBUM and not just a collection of songs to fill the 80 minute CD length

Franz Ferdinand has been getting funkier with each album they've released, and I'm lovin' it. I would pay 20 bucks just to own the song Lucid Dreams. It is, by far, one of the coolest songs I have ever heard in my life. Even in the midst a global recession, this album is one thing that you gotta shell out some cash for.

There is something to like on each of FF's albums, but what really sets apart "Tonight" is the fact that the entire album is better than average. There is not a single song that i have to skip. From top to bottom you have single-worthy songs except for a couple slower songs at the end.

But the absolute best thing about this album is LUCID DREAMS. I had never seen FF live before i bought this, and i had no idea that the song had been around for a while as a special treat for live shows.

But after listening to that song my life was changed. It is unlike any song i have ever heard. It is unlike previous FF songs. It is a sonic masterpiece that i have listened to ATLEAST 5 times EVERY SINGLE DAY for the last 5 months. The song never gets old. Every single time i reach the chorus i cant help but sing along with a giant grin on my face. It is the kind of song that 40 years from now it will still have the same energy.

Considering how utterly awesome Lucid Dreams is, i would pay $100 for this album just so i could hear musical perfection before i die

These days it is extremely rare that I find an album I can enjoy from beginning to end. One where none of the tracks sound like "filler". I can say with confidence this is one of those rare albums. With a very original sound that will make you want to move this album has it all. Not only do these guys rock the house, they give you a little sample of dance, funk, disco and blend it in beautifully to create an unforgettable and irresistable product. Not only is this my favorite Franz Ferdinand album, it is one of my favorites that I've ever had. A must for anyone who appreciates good music and wants something different for a change.

Franz Ferdinand's third album is totally different from their previous two works, but it's still a great collection of songs, now with a touch of electronic music. As a great fan of the band ever since their beginning, I can only say that they've kept up the good work. Congratulations!

Trying to describe FF's music is like trying to describe the expression on the face of the Mona Lisa. Their inscrutability is part of their charm. It's a rock sound, but not in the traditional sense. It's pop, but heavier than most. You can dance to it, but it goes deeper than that. Their 3 albums, while retaining a consistency of sound, represent a process of evolution. The second one was a smooth but noticeable maturity over the first. This third one takes it all further.

Takes what further? Well, that's the part that is hard to explain. Lyrically, their songs are what they always have been: urbane, playful, clever and sly. There are insinuations and innuendos, frequently sexual, in many lines, but it's hard to pin down their exact meaning. For instance, in "No You Girls" there's "kiss me where your eye won't meet me". What, exactly, is meant by that? In "Live Alone" the singer says fervently "Wherever you are, I'll be wishing I could be there", then casually mentions a NYC taxi driver and wants the driver to imagine having a drink with him (?). Further, one song can represent a world of innuendo in itself, not clearly explained but somehow still having a vague validity. "Bite Hard" asks, among other questions, "Are you happier now that the gods are dying?" "Lucid Dreams" is all about dream worlds, including flying to Istanbul. All this is OK. We learned from The Beatles and Bob Dylan that the lyrics of pop music poetry don't have to have a concrete literal meaning to convey an idea or feeling.

Musically, "e" words come to mind: "experimental", "energetic" and "entertaining". FF manages to incorporate many genres of past and present pop into a cohesive whole. "Ulysses" starts things off with a strong bass line, techno trimmings and an invitation to get high. "Turn It On" is a Beatle-ish track with a Beatle-ish chorus, in which the title is repeated by backup vocals and even includes the well-known "yeah, yeah, yeah". "No You Girls" includes strangely altered, echoed voices. "Send Him Away" is on the bluesy side. In "Twilight Omens" Alex plays word games with his intended's name and number, against a background of what I would call maybe Russian or Eastern European music, very fitting since the band's name is the same as that of the archduke of Austria-Hungary whose assassination helped ignite World War I. There are blends of 60's acid rock and 70's disco in "Bite Hard", "What She Came For", "Live Alone" and "Can't Stop Feeling". "Lucid Dreams" has a LONG freakout ending which grows more and more complicated. After it fades out, a ballad comes along to comfort you, with a soft, eerie tune and quirky lyrics, again about dreaming. "Katherine Kiss Me" ends it all as a folky acoustic love song, with FF-typical lyrics like "You glance a ricochet from every alpha male behind me..."

In my review of "You Could Have It So Much Better", I compared FF to The Beatles, and I didn't do that lightly. I didn't mean they are as good as The Beatles, but they do remind me of them, in their experimental music and unconventional lyrics. They have great potential. This album only encourages me to stand by that comparison.

Franz Ferdinand dove off the deep end with electronic synthesizers in "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand," making for some great and disappointing moments.

This is still a decent album, nonetheless. Franz Ferdinand still made certain with their singles, "Ulysses" and "No You Girls," that they would still play bass-thumping dance hall rock songs. And the second track, "Turn It On," is an especially hot track with jagged guitar riffs and a chorus in which Kapranos and the gang shout "Turn it on!"

The electronics aren't bad either. "What She Came For" starts with a cool buzz crescendo and a funky synthesizer. The spooky organ in "Bite Hard" really sets the tone of the album as a fun amusement park of wacky synthesizer sounds. Even the spacey synthesizers in "Live Alone" make the band sound like a futuristic dance band which would make the Jetsons proud.

However, sometimes the electronics just don't sound that good. "Send Him Away" hardly has any guitars. In the middle of the song, the band breaks into some Afro-Cuban beat with soft guitars that just don't sound great. The funky organ in "Can't Stop Feeling" sounds a little annoying after a while.

Worst of all, the band breaks into a four-minute instrumental with outdated Depeche Mode-style electronics in "Lucid Dreams." By the time they pull off another awful electronic song with low-key synths, "Dream Again," I was fed up with their act. Franz Ferdinand simply just doesn't sound as edgy as their disco-rock counterparts, Bloc Party and the Arctic Monkeys.

Perhaps if Kapranos played more lovely acoustic guitar ballads, such as "Katherine Kiss Me," this would be a much better collection. However, Kapranos chose to play with some not-so-great electronics. As a result, Franz Ferdinand's third album is somewhat stale.

This is still a decent album. Just prepare for way more electronic synthesizers in "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand."

"Tonight" being the best Franz Ferdinand album so far, puts the fun back into funk as it mixes rock, dance and other elements reminding everyone how exciting (while being grown up) guitar based pop can be.

Opener "Ulysses" is a dark parable of druggy delusion and the dangers of being out at night with strangers who might well be angels or demons. It takes you on a slow and quietly menacing journey that is simultaneously frightening and strangely seductive, generating a sublime pleasure below its calm but threatening surface, with a glint in its eye full of promise and risk.

"Turn it on" is a tale of obsessive love with a great rock and roll feel to it that only the Ferdinand's could manage with "No you girls" and "Send him away" being loosely connected to it conceptually.

"No you girls" is probably the most eloquent, insightful (not to mention coolest) song ever written about the phenomenon of "boy meets girl". Its subtle play on sexual politics uses an innocent teen ritual for its backdrop, creating a new and interesting twist on the drama of a young person's coming of age.

"Send him away" also has a sweet sound which is ironically contrasted by its content. Get a load of the saucy lyric "Well, I don't care his skin is still between still folds on your sheets..." sounding like something else if you use your imagination. It's also the most honest account of jealousy you'll hear in a contemporary rock track for a while.

"Twilight omens" is a surreal take on "Turn it on" - obsessive love seen through the lens of a semi-dream state and no doubt a few cans of lager the night before and could easily slot into the same thematic folder containing "Lucid dreams", an epic fusion of good solid rock, psychedelia and acidic, industrial electronica, next to "Dream again", a hallucinatory trip that could have come off "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band".

My favourites though have to be the high energy of "Can't stop feeling", a funky expression of the ennui and abandonment of the lovelorn and "Live alone", one of those excellent dance tracks that speaks of a grim emotional truth while disguised as a catchy disco rhythm.

"Katherine kiss me" provides a sweet romantic closure and is an ending that arrives much too soon. It's the cue to immediately put the whole album back on to once again enjoy a thrill you know you never missed but want to replay all the same.

"Tonight" creates the atmosphere of a good night out and explores the world that exists in all those lost weekends of Friday night pub crawls, Saturday night dance marathons and hazy descents into the malaise of Sunday morning. As the first track "Ulysses" suggests, it's a modern poem to the spirit of adventure in an urban landscape that's as exciting and as dangerous as anything in an epic myth.

After Franz had droped off the radar for a few years, I was really excited there was a new album being released.

Franz Ferdinand's first album was solid, original, and oozed with that nonchalant artschool coolness. Even their videos directly used post moderism in a qirky, "we're cool be we don't take ourselves too seriously," way. It was both fresh and easy for anyone to identify with, and full of complex emotions, and bit cooly-intellectual. It seemed like there sound was just entitled to existance. I didn't feel like their second album was as good, but I was still on board.

Before the album was released, I heard 'lucid dreams' and 'ulysses'. I believe there was a single for lucid dreams, it was a nearly four minute rock song. It expands their sound past "take me out" while still being everything I love about franz ferinand, maybe like the energy of "take me out" with the wistfulness of songs like "40'". Did this need to be made into a 8 minute remix for the cd? No, it didn't. Ulysses is probably the only other song off the album that give me hope these guys can still write captivating music, even if the premis of a guy getting board and getting high (the corus: "ulysses...la la lah") is a bit simple.

I would say I found the second album to be a bit immature and underdeveloped at times, but still with some good ideas; apart from those two tracks on TONIGHT, Maybe the songs were well developed, but they were also unoriginal and uninspired. The hooks were all in the right places, but I felt like I'd heard them before. I felt kind of disgusted for buying the cd, if this was their first release I would have never listened to them. I was really excited too, so maybe I had my expectations up a bit. It was also really hyped about how much they expiremented, and rather than improving or expanding their sound it's like they lost it all together for something really mediocore.

All bands need to find where their sound is going, I'm really hopeing their next album will be better.