The Libertines

Was a fan of the libertines when I was a teenager, proably one of the best U.K. bands from the 00’s Indie scene until the Arctic Monkeys came along. So this is rating has a personal bias to it, a soild 4 star album in my eyes. As a side note I seen everyone is jumping on the Wikipedia sentence that in 2005 this was voted the 3rd most overrated album of all time. Thought it was worst sharing the results of that poll here of that poll for context: 1 Nirvana - Nevermind 2 Coldplay - X&Y 3 The Libertines - The Libertines 4 Oasis - Definitely Maybe 5 U2 - Joshua Tree 6 Radiohead - OK Computer 7 The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 8 The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds 9 Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks 10 The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead Apart from X&Y I’d say that list is full of great albums, overrated maybe, but still great none of the less.

It's not bad, it's the definition of "landfill indie" however, instantly forgettable but does make you feel good while listening so sneaks a 3

You already know an album is going to be a 3/5 at best when you see that the Wikipedia article for it is like 8 sentences long. One of those sentences being: "The Libertines was voted the third-most overrated album ever made in a 2005 BBC public poll." This sounds a bit like The Cla-oh, it was produced by Mick Jones. That makes sense. Yeah, it's exactly what I expected. More British punk - the most important genre in musical history according to this book. Kind of goofy. Yup, it's a 3/5.

Many people consider this to be Pete Doherty’s greatest achievement. I disagree. Doherty’s greatest achievement is successfully completing a Margate cafe’s Mega Breakfast challenge: if you can eat four rashers of bacon, four eggs, four sausages, hash browns, onion rings, bubble and squeak, beans, two slices of thick bread well as a quarter pounder burger and chips in under 20 minutes the breakfast is free.

"The Libertines was voted the third-most overrated album ever made in a 2005 BBC public poll."

Scrappy and lively, raffish and fun and very likably, if insistently, cheeky. But it does all seem a bit put-on. One gets that they were pipped to be like the Clash, but they simply ain’t all that, or didn’t work out to be. And the “Stones to Franz Ferdinand’s Beatles” is even more of a reach. Best cut: “Music When the Lights Go Out” and “What Katy Did.” Still, it’s well-made modern rock, with quality throughout, and a clear leader in the aughties division.

This album is a post punk/indie rock jam of an album. Definitely the best of the libertines. Ive been a libertines fan since high school and that goes for Pete Doherty's other projects like Babyshambles and this album introduced me and will be a forever punk rock love of mine. I personally rate these projects above their predecessors such as the Clash and The Modern Lovers or anything else similar. The song writing

Saw it was an English indie band and thought I knew what I was getting into, but they avoid all the pitfalls of their contemporaries. Rough around the edges but dialed in when it needs to be. I really enjoy their classic, clean sound. Best track: Road to Ruin

A beautifully chaotic jangly heartfelt piece of work. Five stars for being a pretty clear Arctic Monkeys precursor that I wasn't previously aware of.

Better than I expected, given the track record of British indie records from the early aughts on this list, but inessential nonetheless.

The hip sound of a pill-fueled bender. Hard for me to stomach in our current post-ironic hellscape.

God awful. I just can't. Okay, the 'live' sounding production is kinda cool, but to me it just sounds like some pretty competent dads having a drunken jam in the garage.

Bepaalde nummers van dit album kende ik al wel, maar ik heb het geheel denk ik nog nooit gehoord. Ik heb Up The Bracket (2002) en Babyshambles - Shotter's Nation (2007) ooit als LP gekocht, dus als ik toe was aan dit soort muziek zette ik 1 van die 2 albums aan. The Libertines is een vreemde band. Eigenlijk klinkt het regelmatig vrij kut omdat Pete Doherty voor geen meter kan zingen, of hij laat het in ieder geval niet al te vaak merken. Andere albums in deze lijst heb ik daar wel eens op afgeschoten, maar dit vind ik dan weer steengoed. Het klinkt bijna als een hoge kwaliteit live-album, met een band die zin heeft om muziek te maken ondanks de vechtscheiding die vrij snel hierna volgde. De gitaren en ook de drums, met name de snaredrum, klinken perfect. Hoogtepunten o.a. The Man Who Would Be King, Arbeit Macht Frei, Campaign of Hate, Road to Ruin.

A really decent album from the garage-rock revival era. I knew of The Libertines but only really knew of their most well-known tracks, but I enjoyed this a lot - they were a lot more varied than I expected. Their favourite track of mine isn't here, it was only ever a single (No points for guessing which...) but I thought this was great! Favourite: Can't Stand Me Now

Great and charming album that deserved all the hype. Maybe more. It has all: rhythm, harmonies -and hormones-, mysticism. It is a fun listen. Yes, it may be the British response to The Strokes, and in some points, I consider it superior. Maybe it's the poetry and dandy vibes, the influence of The Smiths and William Blake. Happy to listen to this, over and over again.

Really likeable, catchy melodic punk - the gritty reality lyrical approach of the early Arctic Monkeys and the cockney tunesmith feel of Squeeze - but all on speed (unfortunately this isn't just a simile - it's the truth). I'm conflicted. The music is entertaining but Pete Doherty was such an arsehole, I struggle to separate the two

Not bad. Entertaining lyrics and a fun, ramshackle style.

Yet another album that seems to have been curated here because the author had a hard time coming up with the promised thousand albums.

Pete Doherty is an insult to my eardrums

Rating: 10/10

Another band I was not overly familar with but Can't Stand Me Now does ring some bells. I liked this album more than the Preachers album and found it to be a lot of fun. Faves: Can't Stand Me Now, Music When The Lights Go Out, What Became of the Likely Lads

Gave it two listens. Can hear a lot of Ramones, Clash, Smiths, and Cure influences. It’s ok, but it wasn’t for me. 3/5

Obviously nowhere near as good as Up the Bracket, but I can't knock it.

it's about 50% the strength of up the bracket and it was a let down from all the bootleg versions of most of these songs but it's still steeped in nostalgia and there's some cracking songs on there, even if the recordings of them feel a bit sanitised.

Wonderful. That kind of young feeling I like this kind of punk

I loved everything about this one. It's got just about everything I love about punk without actually being punk. The energy, the aesthetics, the devil-may-care attitude, even the little musical tropes of punk... it's all there. It feels like the spiritual successor or the evolution of The Clash. The songwriting is smart and self-aware, the musicianship is so good, the production is fantastic... There's a lot of garbage that seems to have made it onto the list just because it's British. This ain't that. THIS is legitimately great. What a fun surprise.

9/10 amazing stuff throughout fantastic album

The libertines are to me the last true rock and roll band spillover from the 20th century - they’re dangerously falling apart musically and I guess truly at points in their short explosive burst of their original career - of which they barely survived but gave us two records of perfection - with a duo songwriting combo of Doherty and Barat - which echo the Lennon and McCartney phenomenon of being greater than the sun of their parts. This album is meticulously produced and performed - yet the struggles are evident even in the singing performances - the drums are comically overplayed but somehow just for the right amount and the guitars weave in and out dangerously with punk gusto. Doherty barks and mumbles away musically throughout while Barat keeps it grounded and Mick Jones captures it gleefully as it probably reminds him of the shambles the Clash were in their later years. An artful record - maybe maybe not totally perfect as their debut but only by a hair.

Love this album

The songs are not as good as they are on Up The Bracket (a six-star album in my opinion) but everything you love about The Libertines is here on the S/T record.

¡Me ha encantado!

It takes a pair of friends to fight and split up their band to come up with such a raw, beautiful song as 'Can't Stand me Now'. I totally get why people think this record is overrated. But, c'mon. Depressive, kind of catchy mix between 70s punk and 90s britpop? This is totally my kind of music.

Ahhh, what a fantastic album. A tour de force. I bloody love this album and it holds up so well. It really takes me back to be being a teenager. The album has such a feel to it. I love the things like random whistles, guitar sounds, shouting etc, it sounds chaotic but all together. Pete Doherty's lyrics are so good, really poetic and beautiful but then put amongst this chaotic sound and the whole world he was living in make such a juxtaposition, it's great. Stay off the drugs Pete.

I was first introduced to this album in Australia in 2005. "The Libertines" (along with Razorlight's "Up All Night" and "The Complete Stone Roses") was new to me and heavily featured in the soundtrack to my backpacking adventure down under. This was one of the few albums that genuinely changed my music-loving brain. It was a new(ish) sound. The imperfect duelling guitars that mesh perfectly together. The raw yet melodic vocals. The fucking lyrics. I instantly loved it. This is a complete album. Every song hits. "Music When the Lights Go Out", in particular, is a pure magic; songwriting genius. I still love everything about this record. These boys are exceptionally talented degenerate junkies. 👍👍

I really enjoyed this album all the way through. My favourite from the list so far, so much so i listened thrice!

Brilliant

I guess these two Herberts are the pinnacle of “indie sleaze” which I think means they were stinky skag heads in skinny jeans. I used to listen to them a lot when I was a teenager, and I definitely preferred their first album but revisiting this for the first time in ages I think it stands up well. I always thought it would fall apart if they didn’t have such a solid rhythm section, and the sound of scrappy guitars and sloppy vocals over that solid foundation still sounds really good. I think the song writing is high quality and it’s a shame the many imitators that came afterwards dragged them into the indie landfill category. The album actually gets a lot better as it goes on, I’d forgotten how good ‘the haha wall’ and ‘campaign of hate’ are. It ends strongly on a bittersweet note which is pure nostalgia for me. I can imagine our American friends struggling with this one but I think it’s eclectic and enjoyable the whole way through.

One of the bands that began a long lasting love for this genre, indie sleaze. Perfect in every way, Can’t Stand Me Now is one of my favourite songs of all time.

¡Me ha encantado!

cool

Hugely nostalgic album. Takes me back to first year of uni, had a sticker of this album cover on a folder. Pete Doherty used to fascinate me, still does to be fair.... Recently watched the Louis Theroux documentary about him. Unfortunately missed them live the first time round, but got to see them at Prenton park with the whole Jeremy Corbyn chants a while back. Was great. Anyway, this album is fantastic, I love it. Not as good as up the bracket, which hopefully will be on the list too. Highlights: Can't stand me now Last post on the bugle Music when the lights go out Narcissist What became of the likely lads 4.5, allows room for up the bracket

Highly enjoyable. Love how shambolic it is. Sure, Pete Doherty doesn't have a strong voice, but it sounds just right for this material. Feels like a five to me today.

Probably a better album than the band's debut *Up The Brackets*, thanks to more memorable songwriting, more dynamic instrumentation, and crispier production, *The Libertines* is the textbook early-noughts retro-rock album, which makes it kind of essential. Pete Doherty's sense of pace as a vocalist is still as rambling as ever, but provided he doesn't sing total duds (looking at you, "Don't Be Shy"), his performance is fully endearing here. And "Can't Stand Me Now", "The Man Who Would Be King", "The Ha Ha Wall", "Tomblands", "Road To Ruins", and "What Became Of The Likely Lads" are absolute garage rock gems. 4.5/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential" albums, rounded up to 5. 9.5/10 for more general purposes (5+4.5). Number of albums left to review: 75 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 398 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 231 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 297

I no longer ear the muuuusicccc...

3.5 / 4 stars

Yeah that was pretty good. I think I find a whole album of this middle of the road stuff fairly dull but this was more interesting than I'd given it credit for when I filed it away in my brain somewhere. Standout Track: Narcissist

I’m a big Libertines fan- love the energy.

Albumčina

It shows such promise, I just wish it were tighter and more polished.

A pasty white, sweaty orgy that's got out of hand, but you're still going to join. Give us a hand job whilst I touch your wife's bits, Tony.

Wow! I really liked this. Sort of Arctic Monkeys meets the Kinks. Great energy. 4 stars.

Better dan ik me herinner. Prima album.

A modern fusion of garage rock (in the same vein as Franz Ferdinand or Arctic Monkeys) with 60s British soft rock (Soft Faces or the Kinks). It's groovy and catchy with a raw bluesy live-sounding instrumental that takes influence from surf rock. Even hearing jazz in "The Man Who Would Be King". The chords and beats are basic, adhering to the punk style but with distortion put to the max. The vocalists conflict with each other in a fun way, singing different lines or scatting different noises. Tons of highlights, at least three quarters left some kind of impression. This is exactly my type of music, so I fell in love with most of these tracks. I heard "Up the Bracket" is even better so surely checking that out.

This was more enjoyable and catchy than I had expected.

I didn't listen too close to it but I enjoyed what I picked up. A lot of it reminded me of an updated The Cure or something (specifically Just Like Heaven), with very quippy lyrical delivery and hazy production. 7/10

I mean, sure. It’s generic indie, but I like most indie anyway. Enjoyable - you know, even though I liked it, it’s not really noteworthy.

Good for a wanker. 4 stars.

Good grungy punk

Peppy bar music, with an underlying anger and punkness. They are easy to listen to, but also fun to listen to. Drawling vocals and lyrics, feel like someone is telling you a story. They put together rockabilly, indie, rock, punk, almost a beach rock quality. I definitely hear a barely early Arctic Monkeys and Fratellis sound to them. Favorite Songs: Can't Stand Me Now, The Man Who Would Be King, Music When the Lights Go Out, Least Favorite: Tomblands, The Saga

Classic album. Not quite 5 stars, I will leave that for the best of that combines the choice songs from their first two albums. Some incredible songs, some incredibly forgettable songs. A bit of personal trivia - I was commissioned to design the poster for their first Australian tour around the time this came out. Pete left the band and the touring company swapped so my design didn't get used. As a consolation I got tickets to one of their shows. Unfortunately without Pete in the band it was a bit dull so I left about half way through

J'ai trouvé ca bon pour vrai. Garage punk rock band anglais. Ca aurait pu être vraiment moyen, mais il y ad e la variété dans les chansons. Les voix sont bonne et c'est bien produit, pas trop ''punk'' pour que je perde le gout apres un bout. Assez rock pour que je reste intéressé. 4.

The Libertines' self-titled album is a gritty and chaotic masterpiece that encapsulates the raw energy of the mid-2000s British indie rock scene. Released in 2004, it's a whirlwind of poetic lyrics and disheveled guitar riffs. Tracks like "Can't Stand Me Now" and "Music When the Lights Go Out" capture the band's tumultuous spirit. The album's production is unpolished, perfectly reflecting the band's turbulent journey. Though its rough edges might deter some listeners, "The Libertines" remains an iconic album that documents a chaotic moment in rock history, making it a must-listen for fans of the era and those intrigued by the band's rollercoaster narrative.

Pretty solid honestly. I'm kinda going back and forth with rating this a 3 or 4. On the one hand I like that the mood of the album is consistent and I think that is a mark of an artist knowing how to craft an album as a unified piece of work. There are no songs seem like they shouldn't be on the album. My problem I come back to though is that I didn't fall in love with any songs. Maybe if I listened to more of it I would get more hooked, but I don't know if this is an album I would come back to.

Cool. Best one so far

Really dug this

4+

very nice

Good

Really good, has punk/dive bar vibes

Like a lot of songs on this album, it's actually quite a good album not favorite but still a good good album. MID to HIGH 7

Zanney to the zaniest

This one is nice, actually. I was taken back by the cover art at first. But, aside from a song or two, this one was pretty cool. Rather than being a bit one note and forgettable, this one is still fun to sit through. Cool!

Shades of The Clash, which only makes sense since it was produced by one Mick Jones. Even if they're not quite The Clash, this is still a damn good time. I still say these boys had the best amphetamines, which only makes me jealous and won't help this overall rating. Also, we lost the great Richard Roundtree today. I'd probably feel worse about that if I didn't already believe he'd been dead for years. You could say that has nothing to do with this album, and I for one won't argue with you if you decide that's a hill you want to die on. You do you, that's YOUR journey. For whatever reason, this album actually made me smile upon remembering Richard Roundtree's life. In his honor, I'm grading this up a notch.

Jumbled messy stream-of-consciousness junkie logic stories about nothing and everything, from a time guitars were endangered and english kids thought this lot could help bring them back. Interesting and, in the uk, important, and surprisingly good

Era el moment i el lloc idonis. Amb la resurrecció del rock al nou mil.leni, es va crear el conjunt de circumstàncies ideal perquè sortissin bandes com The Libertines. Els seus primers dos discos (tornarien amb un tercer onze anys després) són documents impresicindibles d'aquells anys. Punk rock pulit i melòdic amb temes tan bons com 'Music When the Lights Go Out' o 'What Katie Did'. La personalitat i excentricitats de Pete Doherty ompliria centenars de pàgines de la premsa musica britànica aquells anys, però les seves incursions musicals allunyat de Carl Barat mai arribarien a apropar-se a la seva societat amb ell

Another classic record from my youth. I think actually I heard this one in full before “Up The Bracket” and it totally holds a good space in my memories, but in retrospective I have to say it’s inferior to its predecessor and it drags in the middle for a good while. Having said that, songs like Last post on the Bugle, What Katie Did or What Became of the Likely Lads are awesome and a testament of why this record is on the list. I’ll give it a four and save the five for the debut record (it is on the list right?)

I like the vibes, but the album didn’t hold my attention the whole time.

Was unfamiliar with this band.. I like this album enouyto give another listen..

Awesome!

I was concerned as I realized after very little investigation that this particular record was included in some editions of the 1001 but not the one I was working off of. Usually these records are thought of as being groundbreaking or interesting at the time, and then are pulled for better stuff later. Often these are UK bands. I liked this record. It is "post punk" in every sense of the phrase. It might not be groundbreaking and may be overrated, but it has good energy and I enjoyed listening to it.

bueno 👍

I used to listen to them in high school

And, with that, The Libertines had capitulated. The mountain that had offered upward trajectories towards fame, glory, drugs and whatever else was fancied had become too much and the air within it was now unbearable to take in. Regardless of the platonic love (and seeming protection displayed) spilled across the cover and the music, tensions had overflowed as though it were boiled tea in a paper cup and, as though it was it's wont to do, the British rock music scene was again left in a vacuum; which is fitting given everything here sounds ripe for dour and dire lifting and copying somewhere down the line. Yet none of that would sound as good and as dynamic as this. Possibly their very best or just as good as what came before. One of the last times British rock captured true lightning in a bottle. Favorites: Can't Stand Me Now, Don't Be Shy, The Man Who Would Be King, Music When the Lights Go Out, Narcissist, The Ha Ha Wall, Campaign of Hate, What Katie Did, What Became of the Likely Lads.

British 2000s Rock Revival is my shit. I don't like it as much as the Americans and their Garage Rock revolution, but it's pretty good. Nonetheless, I think this is a lesser album of the subgenre. Good! Listenable! Lots of fun! Would have dug it in high school. But not excellent

Perfectly nestled in the Brit Pop strain of early 2000s Garage Rock revival

There are some solid tunes on this album. I’ll definitely check out some of their other stuff.

Pretty decent mid 2000s indie rock. I had a good time listening to it, will listen again.

They burned brightly for a while.

Libertines sind absolute Klassiker für alle die Britpop/Indie Rock mögen. Das Album geht bisschen mehr in die punk Richtung, als die musik vieler anderer Interpreten aus dem Britpop, ich mag das aber gerne. Nur mit Pete Dohertys stimme tue ich mich ein bisschen schwer.

A surprise for sure. Never have heard of this band. Was very impressed with the guitar work. Has a garage rock meets indie... Maybe some blues inspiration in there. The best way I can describe this to non Libertines fans is that they have a Black Keys meets Arctic Monkeys feel to it. At glance from the artwork, I was thinking that was going to be another punk like band... And I was reluctant to hit play. But I was very pleased with what came after hitting play. I would like to revisit this album again at a later date and see if they still resonate with me. Solid listen.

Very early 2000's, Strokes-like, short catchy tunes.

Album cover screams mid-2000s angst. Can't Stand Me Now drops into a more garage/ska/punk vibe than I was initially anticipating. The mix is really claustrophobic, but otherwise, I actually enjoy the song. Music When The Lights Go Out is a lovely, sloppy jam. Rough edges, but the jamming is solid and I like the ascending guitar throughout. Narcissist also is a ripper, and I like the almost surf rock feel of The Ha Ha Wall that takes a darker, more proggy turn around the 1:45 mark. Intro to Campaign of Hate sounds a ton like a Primus song; carries a similar eeriness throughout. Album ends on a calm note with a stripped away acoustic song called What Became of the Likely Lads. I enjoyed this album way more than I expected to. Rough around the edges in the best way, with a lot of different styles in play. I enjoyed most of what I heard with little exception. Was anything mind-blowing? No. Will I listen again? Probably. Solid 4 / 5. - The Ha Ha Wall (Driving) - Arbeit Macht Frei (Skate Mix)

I kind of liked it. Punk garage rock with a clash sound. Will listen again.

I liked most of this one. It kind of falls off though.

Favourite song - music when the lights go out

Loved these guys, too bad pete couldnt leave the heroin alone and they couldnt get along. Could have been much more from them. Great album

Good album! can't stand me now reminds me of a very specific time in my teens, this appeared on some kind of compilation CD. Now I have lots more associations with Luke who regails stories of the Libertines in the Medway scene

Solid.

I’m a sucker for a British accent. Good songs too!

Very fun!