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The Libertines

The Libertines - The Libertines Audio CD

A fair review of the The Libertines "The Libertines" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all The Libertines reviews here, or go back to the The Libertines tabs.

Band: The Libertines
Title: The Libertines
Rating:

Release Date: 2004-08-31
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Can't Stand Me Now 2: Last Post on the Bugle 3: Don't Be Shy 4: Man Who Would Be King 5: Music When the Lights Go Out 6: Narcissist 7: Ha Ha Wall 8: Arbeit Macht Frei 9: Campaign of Hate 10: What Katie Did 11: Tomblands 12: Saga 13: Road to Ruin 14: What Became of the Likely Lads 15: France [Hidden Track]

Struggling with abrasive apathy
. 2 1/2

While not flat out terrible, the once snarling collective finds the sophomore jinx setting in by providing contradictory values- the once unhinged, literate post-punk snapped off and boxed into tidy niblets of pop.

As expected
Co-frontman Pete Doherty was awol from the band when he was arrested for burgling bandmate Carl Barat's flat, and subsequently jailed. The Libertines have had a turbulent 12 months since the release of their debut album, Up the Bracket. But that's beside the point (except for those still foolish enough to equate drug addiction and petty crime with bona fide rock'n'roll credentials). All the credentials the Libertines need are there on Up the Bracket. Like the Kinks, the Jam, the Smiths and the arty, questioning wing of Britpop, the Libertines view Britain afresh. Theirs is an eccentric collage of island life - Boadicea and Chas and Dave, Sherlock Holmes and Sid James - in which wry cynicism competes with romantic idealism. It's an assertion of cultural identity that is witty and vibrant rather than dim and bullish, and it's best captured on the raucously stirring Time for Heroes: "There's few more distressing sights than that of an Englishman in a baseball cap. We'll die in the class we were born, that's a class of our own. " The Libertines' strength - and their weakness - is a sense of barely contained chaos. Their boozy, last-orders punk thunders along the thin line between swagger and stagger, and the latter often hobbles their live shows. Whether they become greats or just one of those great what-ifs that Britain specialises in depends on whether they regroup, but they have the talent and the belief. Shamelessly intelligent, stylish, wayward and complex, if they don't shoot themselves in the foot, they can shoot for the stars. .

Decent but disappointing
I like Doherty's voice and the CD has some pretty good tunes, especially the opening track, "Can't Stand Me Now". I expected more from the Libertines - but that's what I get for putting my hopes on a heroin junkie. But it's like they're still trying to find themselves, and most of the songs don't hit the mark. But it's worth a listen now and then.

And The World Kicked Back...
A fist fight between Doherty and Barat on the first day of recording in the studio, security guards sent in by the record company for the rest of the recording sessions and the lawyers still arguing about who wrote what (this is the only album I own where there are no songwriting credits). If the title of the first Libertines album came from 'Hancock's Half Hour' there would be no comedy the second time around.

It all starts pretty much perfectly though. 'Can't Stand Me Now' has Barat laying into Doherty and then Doherty's version of events in a call-and-response classic for the indie scene. Doherty sounding particularly troubled: "No, you've got it the wrong way round/You shut me up and blamed it on the brown/Cornered the boy kicked out at the world. . . ". The talk of keeping it together and the assertion of "I'm still in love with you" sounds so much like wishful thinking though and something like what might have been. Great harmonica.

'Last Post On The Bugle' follows in typical infectious Libertines fashion. Crystal clear production courtesy of Clash legend Mick Jones. If anything the production values here are stronger than on 'Up The Bracket'.

'Don't Be Shy' is the shocker though. A most focused start, all tight and controlled although Doherty soon loses the melody and the plot. Any semblance of the song retaining its shape and structure soon goes and the listener is left with. . . well, a most addictive mess. The song unravels, sure, but at the same time its fascinating. The disintegration is compelling somehow and leaves me wanting to go back to it. Mmmm. . .

Similarly, the nod to 'Golden Brown' by The Stranglers at the end of 'The Man Who Would Be King' draws you in but this time in a knowing way. It's all good.

Except it isn't unfortunately. Clearly much of this is touched by the hand of God but it cannot quite rise to the heights - the sustained heights - of 'Up The Bracket'. And there's the problem. If there is one. To talk of low points on a Libertines album shouldn't happen and yet here we have 'Arbeit Macht Frei', the too-obvious if nicely frenetic 'Narcissist', the ordinary-sounding 'The Saga' and 'Tomblands' which is great but too reminiscent of 'English Civil War' by. . . The Clash.

If all this seems unecessarily harsh then yes, I accept that but it's all borne of an idea that The Libertines were destined to be among the all-time greats. Something to do with the legend and the perverse perfection of releasing two all-time classic albums and then (in whatever circumstances) splitting up. Think Joy Division. And this album is just missing something, something that could have sealed the myth forever. As it is we're left with one great album and one very nearly great one. . . There is nothing much wrong with almost all of this in reality. And it is clearly music for the ages.

So what will become of the Likely Lads? Well, it already seems to be turning into a story of diminishing returns and a story of something like alchemy being mysteriously missing.

The saddest thing about this album, this band, is the sincerity with which Doherty sings "It's important to me. . . " as the album draws to a close. . . save for the secret acoustic track with its lament of "Nothing but memories. . . ". Indeed.

The Prelude to a Great Band's Demise
During and after their tour for their debut album ("Up the Bracket"), Pete Doherty had begun to steadily increase his indulgence in drugs and associate with an unsavory crowd. Given the circumstances, it is surprising that The Libertines were actually able to complete recording their second, and final, studio album. Barat and Doherty went to the U. S. in 2003 to promote The Libertines and work on new material. In New York, Pete and Carl both got tattoos of the word "libertine" on their arms, signifying their commitment to the band. However, Carl grew tired of Pete's addiction and dropped out of their recording sessions (which Pete continued by himself). Pete began to play more gigs separately from the band and refused to play with The Libertines on their tour of Europe. A whirlwind of unfortunate instances occurred afterwards, eventually leading to Pete breaking into Carl's apartment and stealing several items. Pete pled guilty to burglary and was sent to jail, but ended up being released after a fairly short amount of time due to judges' decisions and making amends with Carl. The same day he was released from Wandsworth Prison, Carl and Pete played a gig at a pub and they then began to work on new material for their second album.

The recording process of their self-titled follow-up album was chaotic and unpredictable, as Pete's further descent into addiction and tensions between band-mates threatened The Libertines' stability. Pete wavered between being in and out of rehab and also began to form another band, Babyshambles, around the same time. The Libertines played their last show on December 17th, 2004 in Paris, France, without Pete. Afterwards, The Libertines dissolved and the members have gone on to separate bands; Pete remained with Babyshambles, Carl formed Dirty Pretty Things with Gary Powell (and a new bassist, Didz Hammond, as well as Anthony Rossomando, who had been a replacement guitarist for Pete in The Libertines), and John Hassall went on to form a band called Yeti.

While "Up the Bracket" had a lot of firey, Clash-like energy, "The Libertines" is much darker and more introspective. Both "Can't Stand Me Now" and "What Became of the Likely Lads" are about Carl and Pete's love/hate relationship. Even though there are songs that don't seem to be directly about the two of them (like "Narcissist" and "Tomblands"), the prevailing mood of the album is much more somber than anything off of "Up the Bracket". Certain tracks that feature Pete as the main vocalist, like "Don't Be Shy" and "The Ha Ha Wall", are sloppy and sound a bit improvised. Though Pete and Carl tend to have a slurred, thick-accented tone in their voices as it is, these tracks are unfortunate testaments to the fact that the band was steadily falling apart.

You can see a complete list of all The Libertines discography, or go back to the The Libertines tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.