Waterloo to Anywhere

Dirty Pretty Things | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 8, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Interscope Records
• ASIN: B000GFRJ8A
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,354 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The star-crossed fracture of London's much-hyped, woefully short-lived Libertines initially yielded the mixed blessings of Pete Doherty's ongoing, tabloid-chronicled flirtation with self-annihilation and Down in Albion the brilliant debut of the singer's new band, Baby Shambles. But while the charms of this, the first effort by ex-Libertines guitarist/songwriter Carl Barat's own new crew, are considerably more straight-forward than Doherty's art-for-art's-sake conceits, they're no less energetically bracing or lyrically barbed. Indeed, it's Barat's efforts here that often seem to be carrying the Libertines' jangled punk-pop mantle forward via the infectious pop charms of the single "Bang Bang You're Dead" (a poison-pen kiss-off to ex-bandmate Doherty, replete with a playful New Orleans jazz-wake intro) or careening thrash-ups like "Gin & Milk" and "You F*cking Love It." Those extremes may outline the musical boundaries of DPT's debut, but it's what lies in between that's just as intriguing, whether it's the moody music hall-meets-dancehall charms of the downright Albion-esque "The Gentry Cove," the scathing broadside "Doctors & Dealers," "The Enemy's" schizoid-bop or the angular, ranting "If You Love a Woman," a song that distills the essence of three decades of energetic garage-punk angst into as many minutes. -- Jerry McCulley

Product Description

International Pressing. The debut album from Carl Barat and Gary Powell (The Libertines) and others. The 12-track album including includes the lead-off single, 'Bang Bang You're Dead'. Universal. 2006. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Go for the US release, August 4, 2006

By 

Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Waterloo to Anywhere (Audio CD)

The track listing for this album is:

1. "Deadwood" - 2:28
2. "Doctors and Dealers" - 3:18
3. "Bang Bang You're Dead" - 3:33
4. "Blood Thirsty B*stards" - 3:11
5. "The Gentry Cove" - 2:32
6. "Gin & Milk" - 3:06
7. "The Enemy" - 3:36
8. "If You Love a Woman" - 3:13
9. "You F*cking Love It" - 1:54
10. "Wondering" - 2:54
11. "Last of the Small Town Playboys" - 3:31
12. "B.U.R.M.A" - 3:18
(Song titles edited by me)

The first single from the group's debut album is "Bang Bang You're Dead", a catchy Britpop track which sounds eerily like Herman's Hermits or even the Beatles at times. The lyrics are very simple and repetitive, which of course ensures that the song sticks in your head. If you don't believe me check the chorus which goes "Bang bang you're dead / Oh I'm so easily lead / Bang bang you're dead / Put all the rumours to bed / Bang bang you're dead"

Second single "Deadwood" is a very short track that leads off the album, a guitar driven track showcasing the talent of Carl Barat, formerly of The Libertines and now front man for Dirty Pretty Things on this debut album. The third single is intended to be the track "Wondering".


Other tracks worth mentioning are "Doctors and Dealers"; "The Gentry Cove" (which sounds like it should accompany a Monty Python movie) and "Gin & Milk", but unfortunately too many of the tracks sound alike to make this album outstanding.

This is an import with twelve tracks, with the US version due to be released on August 8, 2006. The US album is almost half the price of this version, but only has 11 tracks. (The last track B.U.R.M.A. didn't make it) However, given the price difference it's worth waiting for the US version.


Amanda Richards, August 4, 2006

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Waterloo to somewhere, August 26, 2006

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Waterloo to Anywhere (Audio CD)

The Libertines burned bright... and then burned out, when uberjunkie Pete Doherty got kicked out for assorted bad behavior. And from the ashes came two bands, one of which is Carl Barat's new band, Dirty Pretty Things.

Well, it's not exactly a pheonix. Fortunately, the debut "Waterloo to Anywhere" proves that this no Babyshambles -- Barat turns out some wonderfully grimy, raw punk music, reminiscent of the Raveonettes with a blurry Britpop edge. And they even turn up for work on time.

It opens with a solid opener -- the blurry, bizarre "Deadwood," which has cheery vocals and a sort of ominous edge. "You got the world boy/This all you make it?/You had the choice lad/You wouldnt take it," Barat croons cheerfully over a powerful guitar riff. "And what will you do/When they forget your name?"

Well, every artist needs a message song or two, and this seems to be Barat burying his band demons.

With that catchy punk tune as the opener, Dirty Pretty Things rock out with unpretentious gusto in raw tunes like "Gin and Milk," power chords that stretch out into lazy drones, frenetic wild noise ("You f***in love it!") rough rock tunes, stomping punk, and tunes that can be rough and uncertain, or catchy and wild.

If Dirty Pretty Things have a flaw, it's that many of the songs take awhile to separate themselves. On first listening, many of the rockier, catchier sound very alike with all that blurry fuzzy guitar and bass, but as you listen to them a second time, little tune differences start to emerge.

Barat obviously has no musical pretensions, since there isn't really a moment on here that aspires to be more than it is. The production is left deliberately lo-fi and grimy-sounding, which adds a blurred edge to the razor riffs, solid drumming and hard basslines. It really does sound like it was recorded in a garage, which gives it character a lot of rock doens't have.

And Barat also sounds like he's having a lot of fun as he sings. His voice is a pleasant, slightly hoarse one that can jump over the music, and he can be flexible enough to yowl at times. His songs are solidly written, full of insomnia, grimy rooms, and tangled personal relationships. "And I know that she is wise/And she's the apple of my eye/She's my dirty pretty lover/And I want her at my side!"

While he may not get the press that his old bandmate does, Carl Barat shows his musical savvy in "Waterloo to Anywhere," a good debut for a good band.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Where's B.U.R.M.A.?, August 31, 2006

By 

Willie D - See all my reviews

This review is from: Waterloo to Anywhere (Audio CD)

This is my favorite album of the past 2 months. Unfortunatley, I can only say that half the songs are worth listening to and one of those didn't make it to the US version! Three songs into the UK version I was convinced I was listening to the album of the year, the next six bored me to tears. The US version spreads the wealth a bit by moving Doctors and Dealers to the middle of the album but that portion is still the weakest link.

Essentials:
Deadwood
Doctors+Dealers
Bang Bang
You F-ing Love It (not a great song but a welcome change of pace)
Wondering
B.U.R.M.A.

Would have made a fine EP but I suppose it's almost priced like one.