The Libertines

Enjoyable 2000’s indie Brit rock with some echoes of the Smiths. I much prefer their contemporaries like the Arctic Monkeys, but here the sound is a bit more raw and immediate. Highlight for me was the opener, Can’t Stand Me Now. This one will definitely get a few repeat listens from me, but I didn’t quite click with the rest of the album. A low three for me ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed Can't Stand Me Now after all this time. That is all. 1.5 Me at HMV: Can I have Supergrass’ I Should Coco? Mom: No. We have I Should Coco at the crack den. I Should Coco at the crack den: 1.5/5

også helt ok..

'Oh, I won't take you anywhere / I'll take you anywhere you wanna go.' Carl and Pete, the frontmen of The Libertines, may not be 'shy,' and they're all about - how should I put it? - 'liberty,' w/ a punky answer to life's problems, but they're also melodic as hell. They opine w/ 'arbeit macht frei,' German for 'work makes you free,' but that does not mean they can't at the same time revel in the vocal greenness of: 'Shoop shoop, shoop de-lang-a-lang.' Where that effective naiveté comes from - 'You won't need money / (You won't need money)' - I don't know, but I'm fully on board. Points off for lack of variety, but unlike the Arctic Monkeys, who never actually sing, The Libertines attack things w/ strength and obliquely, since melody matters.

Really enjoyable to listen to but nothing stood out lyrically or musically as superb.

This started off really strong but didn't really do anything exceptional for me.

If The Clash were just himbo party bois, you'd get The Libertines. This is far from essential listening.

I don't know, it's competent and fun rock music. It doesn't astound me, but it doesn't offend me either. I had a fine time listening to it, will take the songs I particularly liked with me, and move on.

3 - I was expecting to like this more, sadly it just felt a little bit try hard by really trying to look like they arent try harding

I’m a big fan of the Libertines, though I think as I age and so does the music I see much less appeal in it. Still a lot of good tracks here, though only a couple that are peak Libertines for me, which is a little disappointing on a 14 track album. Fave Tracks: Can’t Stand Me Now, The Man Who Would Be King, Music When the Lights Go Out, The Ha Ha Wall, What Katie Did, What Became of the Likely Lads? 3.7/5

This is pretty cool. I like it.

It had some good moments but in total it was not very different from all the other British indie bands from the early 2000s. And I never liked that sound.

Another seminal album from my adolescent years. Many hours listening to this album on repeat while playing one of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater games or hanging out with friends.

It's an aight album. Can't really remember anything in particular after listening, but it's pretty good background music while it's on. Gets a good ole 3 from me.

This is just ok for me. I keep wanting to like it more but can't quite get there for some reason. Not really bad though.

Rien qui renverse l'histoire de la musique, mais rien qui donne non plus envie de se percer un tympan. Bon petit rock alternatif.

It’s 2000’s rock revival, it’s fine, I just didn’t really care about it.

kind of like a much sloppier, slightly more eccentric, more br*tish outgrowth of the strokes. one of the great things about is this it is that its not only a masterpiece but it makes the Creation of a masterpiece feel Attainable..dont need great production value, dont need super flashy techy skill, just need sincerely felt catchy songs channeling your eunni of choice. ofc its easier to identify the parts than actually making something more than the sum of them, and ultimately this is the kind of thing where the all-time great acclaim feels like a strange fleeting blip on the radar of music history. but i cant pretend i didnt have a great time tbh lol...still v catchy, full of little individual ideas to distinguish each song (not the most memorable with just one listen but the level of effort is clear), and the barely-hung-together slapdash nature of it Is a distinguishing factor...it feels rushed, but not necessarily Lazy to my ears, theres identifiable emotion at the heart of every slurred delivery and raggedy instrumental line. ultimately the kind of album that makes it easy to make fun of the 1001 books but i calls em like i sees em if i enjoy the music!

Pretty good. The first track is really good.

Rating: 6/10 Pretty fun indie rock.

Good stuff.

New to me, and I kind of liked it. The highs outweighed the lows for me, with the extremes on both ends being really enjoyable, and really not. Maybe a decade behind its time, but overall, 2 snaps up.

- Liked this better than I expected. I will need to look into their other output based on this listen. -

A low 4. Most of the tracks are a bit too short to get into, but it's solid. Standout tracks are Can't Stand Me Now, Campaign of Hate, and What Became of the Likely Lads.

I didn’t enjoy this on first listen but half way thru I started to rly like it so I restarted and found out this was brilliant. The album cover said different but it sounded like heavier the smiths which was great to hear. There were some duds where the vocals were rly annoying but others were it was great. Most of the songs were fantastic and a great indie band which I didn’t expect would be one. Ughhh idk solid 7.1/10 3.5/5

Never really bothered with The Libertines and as I’m not a fan of Arctic Monkeys I didn’t think I’d like this one, but I do. The tracks are all interesting and have individuality in every aspect. I really liked “Music When The Light Goes Out”, “What Katie Did” and of course “Can’t Stand Me Now” which is the only one I already knew from this album. I think I’ll listen to it again and maybe have a listen to their other albums.

This was a surprise. I really liked several songs on here and the rest of it was quite tolerable.

You know, there's only so many 2000s British indie rock albums you can listen to before they stop impressing you. This album's good, but not an essential listen in my eyes. The singing does its job. It's certainly British. The style's good. Maybe a bit repetitive, but it's alright. The writing isn't spectacular or anything, but it's not offensive either. The album peaks at the beginning with "Can't Stand Me Now." I wouldn't call this a bad album, especially as far as debut albums go. However, I just don't see anything special that The Libertines do with this album that bands like The Strokes hadn't done before and that bands like Arctic Monkeys haven't since done better. This is a passable garage rock revival debut album, but nowhere near as good as something like Is This It. Solid 3/5.

Lukewarm on this. Didn't hate it but felt unmemorable

[3.5]

A good album, I liked Can't Stand Me Now and The Man Who Would Be King the most.

A day after listening, I tried to remember what I've heard so I could write the review. Realized after a few seconds that what was playing in my head was the Arctic Monkeys, not The Libertines. Quite telling.

great album, which i ocasionally listened to before this.

Good opening, rest is average

Hateful. Some of the most unbearable music of all time. Would give a 0 if I could.

Fuck it, I've still got three tracks to go (will listen in my way back from work tomorrow morning), but I'm calling it now. Let's face it, these blokes can barely play their instruments, and the amount of effort they were willing to put into changing that was apparently very close to non-existent, but they're getting a 5 from me now purely for attitude. I was in my early 20s when this was first released, so of course I was familiar with the bigger songs on here (Can't Stand Me Now, Music When the Lights Go Out, etc.). However, I don't think I'd ever listened to any of their albums beginning to end before today. And what can I say, the whole way to work in the car, song after song, all I kept thinking was "Shit, I wish there was still bands out there today making music (and being able to sell it) with that same kind of I-don't-really-give-a-fuck attitude." They sound like a lazy, punkish, seriously untalented version of a combined Kinks-Beatles-Clash-Sex Pistols cover band on this record and apparently I love everything about it.

Okay Britt rock from early 00"s. Nothing really great, but nothing bad about it

This is a good example of where sometimes I judge the lifestyle of a musician over the actual music they make. I realise of course that in all its history, music has hundreds of examples where drugs have played a significant part in how the music was produced either good or bad and that in a lot of cases some of the masterpieces we now enjoy would not have come about if not for the part drugs played in the creation of the music. I also accept that drug addiction can be construed as an illness. But in the case of this album I was aware of the exploits of Pete Doherty before I’d heard even a note of his music. In fact his lifestyle put me off this album despite the musical press praising it. Pete Doherty is no role model and I cannot condone his behaviour and certainly not buy or listen to his music. 1/5 21/3/25

Not really for me.

A few songs were almost catchy - but I felt it was pretty meh overall

3/5 as a prelude to the Arctic Monkeys.

2nd tier Brit Pop

Thought I would like it, then actually played it and thought I would hate it. Turns out if was....fine lol

Jangle rock posing as punk. Well executed and very well produced but ultimately forgettable music for playing in a hipster cafe at a volume that's just a little too loud for conversation. 6/10 Overrated

Sounds a lot like The Fratellis. I mean, The Fratellis sound a lot like The Libertines. But i love The Fratellis and can't dig The Libertines.

Despite all the drama around this band, they did produce an album which shines with good songwriting. Definitely it had that british no-good (chav) misfit vibe.

Main claim to fame was that the singer dated Kate Moss, who was the top fashion model at the time. The music was nothing new. It has good songs and pretty bad songs. This style was trendy for a while with bands like the strokes and arctic monkeys, etc. The Libertines are not the worst of the bunch, but they don't feel essential to me. Favorite song: arbeit macht frei.

This was fine and pretty enjoyable to listen to but nothing stood out as spectacular

Pretty solid.

Nope

This is good - very catchy to listen to. Do I hear some Television here?

Never really gave The Libertines a listen which is odd cuz a lot the music I like is indie. The first few tracks were ok but the song that piqued my interest was The Man Who Would Be King. It has some great instrumentals. From there the album improved for me. Loved how Narcissist flowed into The Ha Ha Wall too, very seamless. After that I lost interest again, decent album overall but deducting points because justice for Mark Blanco and way better indie bands out there.

If indie sleaze were an annoying white gay at VIA blocking the toilets for a hot 42 minutes and 14 seconds, it would be this album. I can't stand the drunk and hungover vocals. He sounded French a few times lol. I give it a 2.5 for the really good instrumentals on a FEW songs. FAVES The Man Who Would Be King The Ha Ha Wall Campaign of Hate

Honestly kinda overrated. I've been listening to the two singles for years and always liked them so I was expecting better but the rest of the album is quite forgettable. Would probably give it a 3.5 if I could.

Not in my edition of the book! 2004. 2 stars. Massively hyped up but average Brit pub rock band with a couple of half decent songs. And Pete Doherty can't sing.

Classic noughties indie rock, very solid if not slightly derivative. Enjoyed this.

The first 45 seconds I’m like ahhh what a nice instrumental this will be fun then BOOM AHHHHH HE SOUNDS LIKE MORRISEY AHHHHHH!!! I’m only partially kidding. I don’t wanna say I had high hopes for this album, but anytime I see something post-2000 I’m hopefully for a breath of fresh air. I didn’t necessarily get that here. I heard a bit of what was contemporary for this albums time, but nothing that Arctic Monkeys didn’t do better at a similar/slightly later time. “What Katie Did” was a fun little stroll of a song. “Road To Ruin” had a very The Clash sort of marching vibe to it. As the album begins, so it ends with a Morrisey/Smiths style song in “What Became of the Likely Lads”. I think this album is good for its aesthetics, isn’t a bad listen by any means, but doesn’t leave a lasting impression or differentiate itself from the crown of British rock at the time. Some vibes but nothing more / 5.

Don't love britpop or the early 2000s indie vibe personally

Not as good as Up the Bracket, but still really good.

18/1001 I don't know if anyone else gets this, but here's my take on The Libertines' sound: I always felt like they went into the studio, put down a really tight version of a song - then went back in and added loads of off-the-cuff guitar overdubs, swapped lyric sheets, and then overdubbed each other's vocals - Carl singing Pete, Pete singing Carl - without really knowing the lines that well. THEN, and this is the key part, removed the original backing tracks and supporting structure of the song from the mix and left only the freeform stuff. If this sounds like a bit of a dig, it isn't, because when it works (and I don't know what their actual process was, of course) it sounds like pure genius. However, when it doesn't, the songs just sound unfinished and half-arsed. To be completely fair, I think the music press (in the UK, at least) were desperate to find something to fill the void when the Britpop bubble burst, and it never quite happened, despite NME's efforts to dig up the next big thing. Doherty and Barat were probably as deserving and as gifted as anyone from that period, but it never quite convinced me at the time. Doherty in particular conjures up flashes of Ray Davies brilliance in his melodies and imagery, but was equally prone to slipping into "Knees Up Mother Brown" mode. This album is every bit as urgent and exciting a listen as Up The Bracket, but there is a lot more style over substance at play here. It is an album of moments rather than great songs. Some people may lap up the "shoop shoop, shoop de-lang-a-lang" moments but it all just seems over-contrived. Thrilling in places, but veers towards the unfinished and half-arsed rather than the genius, I'm afraid.

Good melodies, but the vocals could be better

hmm. A modern take on punk rock?? Not sure if I like it all the way through, but great things here and there.

Has some nice songs, but the vocals are off too many times for me to get to 4 stars.

Listened to this as a teenager. Still a great album. Has a certain unpolishednes which makes it stand out from the Indie landfill

Parts of this were ok, but overall I didn’t think this was a very good album. 2.5 elevated to a 3 since I didn’t turn it off.

Kreativ. Rotzig Rockig.Pop.Rock.Melodisch.

Diggar gitarren, bra riffs, bra melodier

This was pretty okay. Need to give them a few more listens.

Sounds a lot more like the Arctic Monkeys than I remembered. Liked it but my attention kind if went in and out for some reason. I wanted it to be a 4 but I think I’m landing on a high 3

2.4 I always thought Pete Doherty is bit of wanker. Maybe his charisma comes through at a live show, it doesn't really come out here.

This isn’t a terrible album for what it is. Extremely British pop-rock that is trying a little too hard, but it’s not totally horrible. “The Man Who Would Be King” has kind of a cool swingy Arctic monkeys sound to it. “Narcissist” almost has a sex pistols feeling throughout. The rest of the record is pretty forgettable to me though. Not an album I’ll listen to again. 2*.

From the album cover I was immediately reminded of Charlie's band from Lost, and upon listening I don't think that impression was that far off. This album wasn't quite that bad, but it also wasn't very good. I kinda liked "Music When the Lights Go Out" and "What Katie Did". The rest is largely forgettable.

OK, OK I admit it... I'm a sucker for mid 2000's garage/post punk rock revival. Like so much so. Sue me. 9/10

A fun indie rock album, but not much more to me.

An old indie blast from the past

3.0 - Ok

phoney

This wa s pretty good. I didn't know this band. They sound very British.

It was alright. I can't say I really loved any specific song, but they seemed like good music for indie background playlists.

You ever make an album with fourteen pretty good songs on it, but it’s actually the same song dressed in fourteen different outfits? If you need any help, contact The Libertines in 2004. They’ll be sure to have some insight. 3/5

One of my favorite albums. Bummer I never got to see them live.

nice ish

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this album. I have no real idea about Pete Doherty beyond his early 2000's shenanigans - which were, admittedly, fairly interesting to watch in a perverse way. I have the debut Dirty Pretty Things album because I liked the Bang Bang You're Dead track - and to be fair, the rest of the album is pretty good. Anyway, enough rambling, this album was very good. There were more good tracks than bad tracks, and there were no tracks bad enough I had to question whether to continue listening.

More listenable than most of the punk albums on here, but I still can’t stomach more than a 3.

I like the energy.

Yeah

Most excellent

The sound of a band breaking up but creating fragile, fractured and songs of shared love and dreams. Despite all of the darkness surrounding the record, it has a self belief and beauty to it. On every listen a new favourite emerges. Last Post was this one Love it and I feel lucky to have been right in the middle of it all

So much energy and sparkiness

It was an okay listen but nothing really struck me, or stuck out

I recently heard actress Diane Morgan refer to herself as "British Famous." The term certainly applies to many artists on this list, including The Libertines. I recall The Libertines being covered extensively in U.K. music publications like NME and Q, while being virtually ignored here in the U.S.A. Singer Pete Doherty was almost exclusively talked about in the U.S. for his rocky relationships with superskinny supermodel Kate Moss and hard drugs. The music is nothing particularly special. There were plenty of bands in the burgeoning New Garage Rock genre making better and more unique songs. Producer Mick Jones, formerly of The Clash and Big Audio Dynamite, stamped a big ol' Union Jack on The Libertines sound. Maybe the Brits heard something great on this album, but this American didn't.

Just makes me want to hear Arctic Monkeys.

I’m stunned by how little reaction I have to this music. Entirely forgettable.

It’s pretty ragged sounding. Sometimes this can be endearing. This is right on the edge and alternates between “unrefined but energetic” and “these guys are just bad at singing and playing instruments”. The Man Who Would be King is decent. Road to Ruin is ok. I just don’t enjoy any of their musical ideas. This is not for me. 2 ⭐️

I'm sure it's a good album, just not my thing

Not a fan. The lyrics felt disconnected from the music, like the instrumental was written completely separately from the lyrics and then the singer just tried to make it fit. Just unpleasant to listen to all-around. Favourite Track: What became of the likely lads

Music for people whose identity are tied to drinking too much and being strung out.

Absolutely hate the cover art, the playing is sloppy, but I don't mind the songwriting that much. Still, probably won't re-listen.

Not bad but I just didn't really like it.

Visceral, high energy, low fidelity garage rock. Very very fun album, not the best of the genre or category but a definitive tastemakers selection.

Very Arctic Monkeys-esque. I dig it.

This album rules. I don't know The Libertines at all; kind of reminded me a bit of the Buzzcocks at times. Looks like they came and went in the early 2000's with that era's "rock revival". I wasn't dialed into bands from that era until much later, so I'm glad I was able to finally hear them as I think I enjoy this more than some of those more polished acts like the Strokes and the Vines.

I didn't really care for this. It sorta sounds like a mix of Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes, which I would like, but I don't like this. There's one punky song near the end and I did like that one, however. Wish they brought more of that and less of the rest. 2/5

Isn’t this the band where the guy’s cat also has a smoking problem? That’s cooler than any of their actual music. C

Stood the test of time. a great album but also I was there, at the secret gigs, at the clubs, the pubs. it was a great scene, a great time to be young.

jó volt, picit egyben uncsi de a számok külön külön megállják a helyüket:)

Kedvenc/Favourite: Music When The Lights Go Out Nem tudtam igazán elképzelni mire számítsak, de nagyon nagyon tetszett ez az album. Változatos is volt, a szövegek is nagyon jók voltak, és a hangulatában is pont eltalálták az arany középutat az ilyen énekelhető/táncolható számok és a borongósabbak között. Érezhető volt sok olyan együttes hatása, akiket szeretek. Biztos vagyok benne, hogy fogom még őket hallgatni. I didn't have much idea what to expect, but I really liked this album. It had variety, the lyrics were very good, and the mood was right in the middle between singable/danceable songs and more sombre ones. I could feel the influence of a lot of bands I like. I will definitely be listening to them again.

If this was my kind of music, this would be one of best albums.

Fresh and a nice sound.

When I was in sixth form, my media studies teacher (The Danks) was obsessed with anything Pete Doherty adjacent, always telling us about what a music genius he is. At the time, I remember taking this onboard and going away to listen to The Libertines and thinking they sounded awful. Listening today, I do genuinely really enjoy Can’t Stand Me Now. The rest of the album isn’t as bad as I remember, but the highlight is most definitely that opening track. I’d go as far as to say this is a good album. Not amazing, but yeah, it’s good. Teenage me would hate me for saying that.

i spoke too soon

Meh, interesting but not my cup of tea :|

The kind of scruffy, clownish, pork-pie-hat-wearing shambolic music that's exceptionally cringeworthy and dated, and ultimately led to the nauseous, insincere folk-indie so horrifically embodied by Mumford and Sons. At least their Britpop predecessors knew how to rock, how to add a good riff, no matter how shit their songs were, but this is so excessively in love with its own chintzy decadence that it instantly becomes a self-destructive parody without merit or value.

enjoyed it, will listen to them more

2/5

I like how it sounds, seems to be inspired by the cure, the smiths. But then switches to a more 2000s rock sound, white stripes ?

Enjoyed this album but not sure it was memorable.

Somehow managed to get through this album, even though it was pretty bad. Another one of those choices on the list that I could not figure out why it had a place on it. Just felt like another Brit bias pick.

It's better than I remembered it. Add some nostalgia and I'm between 3 and 4 stars. After some generic albums, I'm leaning towards 4. Pete Doherty is the Christiane F. of music for me and I found him really cool as a kid. Maybe because he was dating Kate Moss? Nevertheless, raw and unique sound.

I'd been eagerly awaiting this one, because this seemed like something I'd like. It came out when I was 18 and theoretically was in my musical wheelhouse at the time. I'm not sure how I'd never heard of them before. Anyway, it did nothing for me. I found it pretty bland and forgettable overall. Maybe I would have liked it in 2004, but not today.

Not bad.

Was expecting more wasted waif pop rather than the dueling swagger that comes later in the album, although last shadow puppets do it way better

This was fun! It’s got that scrappy, honest vibe. The way it paints small, gritty moments feels like a looser version of Pulp. It’s raw, kind of chaotic, but you can tell they mean every word.

Had some moments that the vocals reminded me of The Cars somehow? Overall something that is just fine by me but not moving the needle. 3.5

Nice slice of the timeframe. Overall decent music, anything else does not matter

Not quite as dull as similar acts within the genre. I enjoy the sporadic guitar breakouts and the intermixing of interesting musical instruments. The vocals are fun, pitchy at times, and sometimes the instruments get a little carried away about breaking from the key, but it’s punk rock, man.

This album was not good.

Have you ever run with someone who’s convinced that their buddy’s band is the next big thing, and then you go and listen to them and you’re like “I guess their pretty good compared to the other local bar bands, but not enough to make it big, you know?” That’s this album, but for some reason they actually did make it big.

This album completely baffled me. I quite the garage rock revival bands of the 00's like The Strokes, The White Stripes, etc., but this album is just so utterly bad I couldn't even fathom. The vocals are all over the place in the worst way, with the backing vocals clashing with the lead vocals as if these songs were recorded in just one take with very shitty equipment. The instrumental are not too bad, but they're so painfully generic. And I couldn't remember I single note of what I had just heard, only that I didn't like it. The kind of garage rock that should never have left the garage.

Solid record

The music is well performed and has a good structure but the singer isn't great. It sounds pretty similar to a lot of albums on this list and does little to stand out.

Was expecting to like it but something about it didn't work for me

Wow, this sucks.

First song is a banger but it’s all completely forgettable after

Seems like a fun album but nothing to write home about.

“what katie did” saved this entire albums review for me. it was still straight ass but not all unlistenable 1.5/5

A bit of a cacophony, didn't like it, even though I like a lot of the elements that went into it (some punk, Indie, rock, but I like the "choo-la-la" less). A bit like a meal made with a random selection of fine ingredients that ends up tasting of nothing.

Like the genre but this album seemed a bit slow for me

They were insufferable 20 years ago and they’re insufferable now Can’t Stand Me Now is decent but that might be generous

Not sure the world needs another rock n roll party animal album. Sounds good but not really standing out just being reminded of Pete Doherty's tragic inability to get off heroin despite all the resources stardom has provided him really bums me out and makes me fear that I will never get my own shit together. So this is a lot more depressing for me to hear than I think its creators intended.

Hm, not sure I've ever heard of The Libertines before, and I don't think I've heard anything from this album on the radio either. The opening track initially sounded a bit like they'd stolen U2's The Edge for their garage band, but then the opening lyrics made me panic that somehow this was a Morrissey/Cure/Smiths knockoff band. It doesn't appear that any of that is the case, but it does suggest that they struggle to distinguish themselves, at least in my ears (later on there's even shades of Pulp and maybe some Clash too). An OK album, I guess, but nothing particularly struck me as especially interesting, entertaining or distinctive (The retro "What Katie did" was probably the best of the lot). Honestly, I'm not even sure it warrants the 2005 BBC poll ranking of third most overrated album ever, although I guess my ignorance of them wasn't shared broadly then or now. I'm grateful, though, that this is the only album by them in this collection, and not at all surprised to discover that their lone entry in the book didn't last very long after the first edition.

Really enjoyed this mellow punk pop garage sort of sound. The album tripped along and I think I'll give it another listen.

Didn’t hate it, but don’t need to listen to it again

Couple of the songs rocked.

I was post indie when they peaked in the early 2000's - so did not catch them first time around. I was team Whitehouse and always thought Pete Doherty was a bell end which repelled me from them for a few years. In latter years I enjoyed Can't Stand me Now as a bit of a guilty pleasure. Rest of the album is pretty piss poor by comparison and feels especially ropey when I have spent most of the day listening to Elvis Costello/ REM.

I liked this more than I expected.

3/5. There is an amateur vibe the Libertines bring, like they are casually playing music, like a couple of kids in college. This does carry over sometimes to the actual songs, making some skippable. I do think the album as a whole has a chill energy, college music for sure. I can dig it only so much with the Brit Pop influence, which I think is slowly starting to become my least favorite genre. Thankfully I don't live in Britain or I'd never be free of that accent. Best Song: Can't Stand Me Now, The Ha Ha Wall, Road To Ruin

And so, the final album. I saved this for last deliberately. There was so much I wanted to say. A month after I started this project, the sticky tape holding my marriage together finally gave way. It took another two and a half years for us to figure out how to uncouple, consciously or otherwise (IYKYK – do they have any albums here, actually?) and some days this project and the anticipation of listening to something I hadn't properly listened to before was the only reason to get of bed in the morning. This is not an exaggeration . I wanted to write something about discovering, properly discovering, musicians who will have a special place in my heart for the rest of my life thanks to this project. (Gillian Welch and Natalie Merchant are two. There are others.) I wanted to say something about how, on occasion, the selections and the commentary made me want to question the actual existence of sentient rational life on this planet. (No names.) Why The Libertines, though? They were, I think, the first big band of the 00s that I knew nothing about. I knew of them, of course. It was impossible to not know about Pete Doherty et al in those fun innocent years at the start of the millennium. But I didn't know their music, had no option about them as musicians, and had no real desire to find out anything about them. I met my ex wife in mid 2001. Very gradually thereafter, music stopped being the central element of my life. It was me not her, mind. I thought it was a natural aspect of the growing up thing. And. of course, other things came along with the onset of a Serious Relationship. Think Trainspotting and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Funny that, it actually seemed like a fair deal with the devil at the time. (As it happens – and I only found this out today – "The Libertines" was released same the week I got married, in the summer of 2004.) I had so much that I wanted to say. But this album is shite. I would have hated it in 2004, and I hate it in 2026, and I refuse to let it be the anchor any deeper insight into anything. So that's that. But. I won't hold its essential whiteness against it, or against against any other album that I've listened to and hated with a passion over the last four-and-a-half years (sometimes life did get a bit too heavy, and the occasional break was forced upon me). I won't hold anything against it because 1001 Albums has reminded me what it feels like to feel passionate about anything, and why passion is the cornerstone of my very being. It's been a fun journey. Thank you (The rating is for sentiment value alone.)

Well... they're better than Arctic Monkeys. Then again, a 3 a.m. vomit is better than Arctic Monkeys. This went from ok to annoying to unlistenable shit in a short space of time.

Pete Doherty sounded exactly like I expected him to. All told this felt like generic rock album featuring snotty punk vocalist #301321. I didn't her anything ground-breaking here at all

edgy, raw, rebellious are a few words I can think of when I listened to this album. It was cool at times and just noise at other times. Considering this came out in 2004, I feel like there were other punk bands that were just better (at least in my opinion) so it's not like they were "ahead of their time" and I can't give them that benefit. I did however, like the vocal exchanges between the two singers. I think they play well off each other. 2/5

This wasn’t bad, but I never have a need to listen to this again.

Obvious influences from The Clash, The Kinks, The Jam and even The Sex Pistols. I can appreciate the lo-fi production as it honors the style. And even though the songs are short, they simply just aren’t memorable. This was a perfectly fine listen, but far from unique or great. I’ll take my post-punk from the original bands listed above any day over these guys.

Man, I thought this was all over the place. Where the hell did that harmonica come from on the first song!?! Really enjoyed music when the lights go out. But overall didn’t love this. Didn’t hate it. Also did a quick search of albums from 2004…quite a few I’d put over this. For example: Arcade fire - funeral Green Day - American idiot My Chemical Romance - 3 cheers Taking Back Sunday - where you want to be Killers - hot fuss White stripes - get behind me satan Anyhoo…a generic 3

Didn't like this as much as I thought I would... sometimes really short songs feels like an incomplete album. This is good, not great. 3.25/5

Great album nice sound

Fun album. Very enjoyable

Very good in parts. Shambolic elsewhere, which I guess is what they wanted?

Imo nie na darmo ten album trafił na trzecie miejsce najbardziej overrated albumów w historii (z drugiej strony trafili tam też Beatlesi - Sgt. Peppers - i The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead, a to już jest kryminał). Nie mogłem się doczekać, aż się skończy, wynudziłem się koszmarnie. Gdyby tę listę układał ktokolwiek, kto nie urodził się w centrum Imperium Brytyjskiego, to ten album nie byłby nawet brany pod uwagę. Serio, nie jestem w stanie powiedzieć nic konstruktywnego, w zasadzie przestałem słuchać po kilku utworach. Jest tysiąc zespołów, które robiło podobne rzeczy, tylko wiele lat wcześniej i lepiej.

The more I think about it the more angry I get. It is disgrace to British Rock Music and first album that made me think I wasted my time.

Well... nie jest to najgorsze, ale hm, wymaga raczej bycia fanem indie, a ja osobiście nie przepadam... Arcydzieło to też raczej nie jest... na plus personalne wtręty, chociaż teksty raczej nie najwyższych lotów. Muzyka prosta, chociaż zdarzało im się z zaskoczenia dodać nieoczywiste linie - a tak to punkowe "jedno kopyto" na perce. Mi się to kojarzy z takim zespołem, który słucha twoja koleżanka-punkówo/altnernatywka, która ci się podoba. W pokoju ma plakat the Libertines, puszcza ci ich album i przyznajesz, że faktycznie, SPOKO, chociaż tak naprawdę cię nie obchodzi i myślisz tylko o jej poopie. Ona była na koncercie, fajnie się pogowało, szalone chłopaki, ale tak naprawdę słucha, bo wokalista jej się podoba i wgl są strasznie cool. W liceum powiedziałbym, że "są spoko", ale raczej nie zostaliby mi w pamięci. Dziś tym bardziej nie umiem docenić. Co ciekawe, to nagradzany i doceniany zespół, zwłaszcza w UK, ale może trzeba żyć tam wtedy w czasach indie/post-punk, żeby złapać vibe. 2,4/5

Don't do crack, kids. Nightmare/5

Not very interesting. Nothing truly bad, but nothing of note either. 2/5 Won’t listen again

The Libertines At the time I liked their first album a lot and off the back of Don’t Look Back into the Sun and Can’t Stand Me now I was really excited to see them at Reading in 2004, but they all went tits up and didn’t play. Listening now Can’t Stand Me Now still holds up, it’s a great bit of mid 2000s indie with added self mythologising, the lyrics feel quite quaint today but at the time it was prime indie melodrama. The Man Who Would Be King and What Became of the Likely Lads are the types of song it seems they are always striving for, that sense of (rather cliched) doomed hedonistic romanticism that they never quite manage often enough. But on these two tracks it does all come together with their ramshackle indie punk vibe to make some very listenable bits of music. Outside of those tracks though, there isn’t much of great interest. Stripped of the tabloid notoriety and the excitement of the moment much of it feels quite one note and curiously lifeless. The bass is generally good, but despite all the other elements being present - the twin guitars, the punky rhythms, the slurred delivery and deliberately self regarding ‘poetry’ - it ends up feeling too studied and affected to be genuinely dynamic and exciting and there just don’t seem to be enough good songs. A 3 feels fair, it’s a nice bit of nostalgia with some good songs, but not much else to be essential listening. I may be tempted to stick it on again at some point, but equally I’ll just as easily forget about it again. 🗽🗽🗽 Playlist submission: Can’t Stand Me Now

This is the soundtrack that plays to my interpretation of the typical UK millennial's college experience. Pour me a Guinness and let me commiserate with my mates over times past.

Historically speaking, I've had a lot of time for bands of this ilk, and my allegiances still lean Anglophilic, but this band was never part of my rotation and that fact will not change.

Overall: 5/10 Not much to say about this one, I really don't see what makes it stand apart from all the other garage rock bands that were popping up in the early 2000s. The songs are catchy and inoffensive but kind of boring with not much variety. I will say though, they at least beat Arctic Monkeys to the punch...too bad Arctic Monkeys did it better. Fav Song: Narcissist Least Fav Song: The Man Who Would Be King

Great listen! Punk sensibility with some Morrissey influence. Just let it go on repeat for a while. Highlights: Can't Stand Me Now, The Ha Ha Wall, The Saga

This album isn’t bad but it isn’t remarkable. I’ve heard this album at least 7 times on this list.

Mediocre production of a mediocre album of a mediocre band.

Bwleh, dit vind ik dus helemaal niks. Alles dreint, mauwt en rammelt, als een viering van het vijfentwintigjarigjubileum van de pruttelgaragepunk. Regelmatig zit het 'ertegenaan' (artiestenjargon voor 'vals') en nog vaker er ver overheen. Het cirkelt om de Frans Bauer-grens heen. Omdat sommige stukken écht niet zijn aan te horen, en vanwege de algehele overschatting van dit flutalbum, duiken ze eronder.

Ik ben weer eens het internet opgedoken omdat ik werkelijk niets begrijp van het idee dat iedereen dit moet horen. De 1001 staat niet alleen. In alle lijstjes komt dit album terug. Het is opvallend hoe weinig muzikale argumenten er daarvoor worden gepresenteerd. Het gaat over legendarische optredens, het gaat over (emoties rond) de artiesten zelf. Maar nergens lees ik dat het muzikaal geniaal is. Daar is een reden voor. Muzikaal is dit belabberd. De zang bovenop. Het nare Britse accent hebben we al vaker gehoord. Maar zelden zo vals als bijvoorbeeld in Don't be shy. En wat klinkt het af en toe weer lui. Met één top notering ben ik het wel eens. Wiki laat mij weten dat het britse publiek slechts twee albums meer overschat vindt dan dit album volgens de BBC. Britse artiesten, luisteren jullie ook even naar dit signaal?

Pete Doherty is altijd vaker in het nieuws geweest vanwege zijn drugsgerelateerde problemen of zijn beroemde vriendinnetje Kate Moss, dan vanwege zijn muziek. Ik heb dan ook nooit echt naar the Libertines of Babyshambles geluisterd. Nu is het huiswerk, prima, dan zullen we het maar eens gaan beleven. Afgezien van de licht zeurderige en semi-verveelde zang, is het gitaarwerk prima garagerock. Er zitten elementen van zowel Blur als Oasis in, dus het valt in de categorie Britpop ook. Ik vind het op zich niet vervelend om te luisteren, maar een cultstatus zal het bij mij nooit bereiken denk ik. Niks mis mee als het langs komt in een playlistje, maar ik vind het meer voor een vergeetbare 3, dan iconisch albumwerk.

Nice eclectic UK indie rock. Was surprised by the range

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Can't Stand Me Now, Music When The Lights Go Out, The Ha Ha Wall, What Katie Did Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Not the worst but also not surprised this didn't cross the pond. If these guys had come out today the data center usage increase caused by their fans creating AI videos of them making out would've raised the aggregate global temperature by .2 degrees Celsius. 2.5 rounded down.

The Libertines seem to have mastered mediocre recreation of a sound made by thousands of better bands 10 or 20 years earlier than them. If this album came out in the 70s, then it might actually be kind of good in comparison. As it stands, it is truly unimpressive and absolutely does not deserve a spot on this list.

Moderately unenjoyable background music which surprises me since I like many of their contemporaries

Overall strong, if quite performative and showy, like all these bands were. Their attitudinal strengths and style points don't extend all that well over the years. “Music When the Lights Go Out” and “What Katy Did" are top tracks. Decent quality and maybe not quite so tiresomely full of themselves as FF and Strokes.

¡Me ha encantado!

A BBC public poll named this album as 3rd most overrated album ever made. Oh no... This was definately a rear loaded album. The first like 5 songs were shitty British indie, then the rest of the album was punk/garage rock akin to The Clash, The Jam, or The Kinks... Not bad. This album was produced by Mick Jones of The Clash apparently. Favourite songs: Narcissist, The Saga, Arbeit Macht Frei, The Ha Ha Wall, Tomblands, Campaign of Hate, Road to Ruin Least favourite songs: Don't Be Shy 4/5

Trotos

I was not familiar with this album, but it’s not bad. Garage rock revival with a little bit of The Smiths thrown in. Pretty decent.

Ahh was this unfortunate. Not only was it monotone and garage bandy but also consisted of horrible vocals and people who thought they were better than they really are. Couldn’t really tell you one good thing about this. Sick and tired of these albums!

Me: <reads notes about this album/band> \"...I'm gonna hate this.\" ... ...and ya know, it wasn't the worst (that bar is extraordinarily low). See? Set expectations at the bottom and you can't go down. Positive: surprisingly better-than-average songwriting. Negative: the band are legitimately awful at their instruments/vocals. Sum: not nearly as bad as the bands they're compared to (Strokes/Vines) but it's still shit because *they can't play* - give these songs to a better band and it might have been something special. 4/10 2 stars.

Poppy bouncy Brit Rock. Not as good as The Smiths, but fun to listen to. 3/5

Definition of "fine". Absolutely inoffensive to listen to in the background.

Why? Sounds like the 70s punk bands but worse and 30 years later

Omg shut up. Ive rarely been this annoyed by a singer. And wow didnt know it was possible to sound so bad on a harmonica.

Did all these British men get together and be like, “We know we can’t sing but if we all do it, maybe no one will notice?” There were some cool parts in this but can’t get past his voice

Nice, The Man Who Would be a King is the best

I think this album is objectively awesome, but The Libertines get 5's all around for being one of the coolest bands ever anyway. So 5.

This one grew on me, needed right time to listen. Calm evening. Not sure if I hear lounge singer British G-Love or bouncy clear mellow punk.

It felt like this album was full of random filler and unfinished ideas. I didn’t really like it at all.

Not bad

I enjoyed this record. 4 stars, why the fuck not.

Solid, but nothing spectacular. Just missing the energy that I usually like from this genre.

You know when you can tell what it's going to sound like by the cover? Yeah, this.

Music When The Lights Go Out, Campaign Of Hate, and The Ha Ha Wall gotta be my favourite tracks on the album.

Felt very messy, but I dug the vibes.

Good stuff! I’m glad to have heard it, but it made me realize I’m biased against British accents in rock music.

Not offensive, maybe to a fault.

bands like The Libertines are one of those inscrutable British Music Press Things that you hear about by virtue of being a relic signifying when the music press was a thing people cared about in any real capacity, same as Razorlight or Kaiser Chiefs. as an American, whose hipster music press bets paid off for the most part (yknow, up until it stopped mattering), it's easy to feel smug about their selections aging kinda badly. maybe it's unearned smugness, but it just feels good knowing Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene definitely did put out some enduring, post-hype classics whereas The Libertines did not. i enjoy sloppy records, but there are some parts where i'm wondering: did they not have enough studio time? surely you could have gotten ONE more take from the vocalists. they could have played the rhythm guitar just one more time. they could have turned down the levels in the studio down by like 3 dB. they could have thrown out a few songs that go nowhere and waste time. as a result, it turns out as an incoherent mess of tropes i've seen better done elsewhere. i don't hate it, but it definitely doesn't pass the sniff test if you're not some Tony Blair-era NME writer looking for the next Clash. i can't see a world where the Libertines matter past 2005, and i guess they couldn't either. also, please don't release an album that's self-titled and not your debut. who do you think you're kidding?

Before listening, my thought was, “Oh goodie. British indie. That never sucks.” But I was pleasantly surprised. This is actually pretty good. Might even listen again.

this sounds like if the kooks were a clash cover band. gets pretty samey. the lead singer could not be asked to care and is also buried in the mixes a lot of the time. hits kind of a nice melancholic tone at points. royally picks up in the middle- "the ha ha wall" has a great guitar solo, "arbeit macht frei" is basically a hives song and it goes, "campaign of hate" has really enamoring guitar work and hilarious lyrics. why do all the guitar solos come in a verse earlier than they should. can't decide whether it wants to be dinky jangle pop or fuzzier garage rock. obviously have talent and swagger, they pull off a lot more than other bands could with this sound, it's just all so fleeting. feel like this might grow in my estimation if given a few weeks to let the songwriting marinate. feels constrained by its sound, like it wants to be more versatile but can't quite shake its foundations. all that being said? it's pretty good lol

Just liked a couple of tracks. Didn't find the whole album better.

Realmente muy poquito. Muy básico y pobre. Es una onda guasones o algo así pero un poco más tranqui capaz y más virtuoso.

'I no longer hear the music' good Singing is annoying Kinda annoying Just annoying really didn't like it

Some of these are terrible and some of them are fun, averages out to an ok album

Never heard of these guys, but I really liked it. I can't even quite put my finger on why - it's just good.

Nothing Notable.

It's not bad, it's the definition of "landfill indie" however, instantly forgettable

A bit boring, isn't it? I couldn't finish this. 2/5

Skemmtilegt skítugt rokk. Best þegar maður heyrir Mick Jones áhrifin í gíturunum. Kom mér líka á óvart hvað margt minnti á Pulp, sérstaklega Music when the lights go out, sem er mjög gott lag.

Landfill indie, AKA dad rock for gen x'ers and millenials

Killer album

Some good guitar parts. Really didn’t like any of the songs

“My favorite genre of music is when it sounds like no one cares about what they’re playing,” said no one, ever.

Reminds me of my punk faves from the 70s, but polite and defanged.

i don’t know, it’s probably a 3

3.75

The Libertines were right - I can’t stand them now and I never really could. That opening track is pretty great, and some of the quieter moments on the record like Music When the Lights Go Out and Tomblands are really nice, but they spend far too much of it posturing as a punk band and incomprehensibly slurring their way through inconsequential songs

Forgettable UK indie sleeze

As ephemeral and forgettable as anything on this list, but not unpleasant. Hard to cheer for Pete Doherty in any context.

Just another British indie rock album, nothing special

Didn‘t like it then. Do not like it now. Overrated.

Awful. Don’t need to revisit.

It was OK, nothing special

It was fun enough some times. The album cover is not made for me, I wish it was anything else. Will I listen to again: 25%

I have a very soft spot in my heart for 2000s Brit rock and this album definitely secured its lasso on that soft spot. Very nostalgic feeling to it even though I've only ever listened to "Can't Stand Me Now." That being said, it definitely isn't the best of that genre, but I enjoyed what I was listening to.

I couldn't stop thinking about how much they're like a shittier version of the Kooks

nah

first four songs are insufferable but finds it stride afterwards

The album cover is every adult male post 2020. I actually also have libertine tattooed on me. Stick and poke only. Where’s my vape? This starts like fats domino mixed with the Smiths. Why is there this old school rock element? Interesting. I didn’t hate this. Yeesh, A few sour notes in here. It sort of has a nice melody but goes off the rails into a big nothing. What is this singing man? Holy hell. It’s not even cool ironic. Meh maybe a little. I thought this would be worse than it is. No boo Radleys so far. Ugh this one is where the energy kind of dies off. It’s shouty, but still somehow dead. Even chimp noises can’t save this. This is all fine. I’ll probably purge this from my mind the second it’s over but that’s not due to it being bad. It’s just ok. This one floated by. The Ha Ha Wall. This one is cool. Erratic weirdness in the midst of a nice, punchy melody. Happy, bizarre, interesting. Oh buddy. A little bit of a punk riff. Hell yeah. Fast, aggressive, fun. Let’s go. So clearly influenced by the Smiths and the Clash. This one veers too near to reggae for my ears, but again, not as bad as some of the shit (U2 I’m looking in your direction) we’ve been subjected to. Doo Wop. Influences on their sleeves. Nah this one wasn’t for me. Dragged. Back to the energy. This album is surprising me big time Cool Cool x2 Will we ever know what truly became of likely lads???? Oh maybe this acoustic person will tell us. While I primarily embarked on this journey to discover more pretentious hipster music, I have been mostly disappointed by the indie offerings thus far. This is the closest I’ve come to finding a new favourite as this album delivered far beyond expectations. Not perfect and still a little insufferable at points, but by god, The Libertines are decent and I’m not afraid to say it in a review that’ll never be read. 3 HIGHLIGHTS: Don’t be Shy, The Ha Ha Wall, Arbeit Macht Frei

2 reminds me of early arctic monkeys/fratellis but way worse

Sound a little like a 2000s iteration of the Clash, although it felt a bit more “pop conscious.”

There is a rawness that is either genuine or contrived, but it works. Retro 60s vibe to the rock.

I didn't know what to expect with this one and actually quite liked it. While I found their sound reminiscent of the late 60s, I thought they did it well.

It was OK.

Best Song: Campaign Of Hate. Punctate and punkish. Wish there'd been more of this. Worst Song: Don't Be Shy. This sounds musically and lyrically like a drunk man pestering a sober stranger to join him on the dance floor. Overall: Standard British fare, but this time in a fun an irreverent-enough manner that it is kind of endearing. Listening to this album feels like hearing some proto-Arctic Monkeys. It's not bad, but I'm also not that excited about it.

These guys were meant to play in the 80’s. That’s not a negative comment though. They just were born later. I am sort of surprised that this album was recommended from this site. I enjoyed it but considering their more prolific contemporary The Vines existed, I’d rather just listen to them. However, I will listen to the album some more and it may end up growing on me more. Not sure if I think it’ll be higher than a 3/5 though.

Nice!

Three straight days with a 4 star album gotta be a record for me. Anyway, really liked this one, what Katie did is a masterpiece & Can’t stand me now is amazing too. I liked most of the songs.

I am not a big fan of the Garage Rock Revival scene of the late 90's and 2000's. I find bands like the Strokes, The White Stripes or Arctic Monkeys to be extremely boring and average. It merely feels like a bland shadow of what once was the loudest and most Punk music before Punk was even a thing. And trying to replicate something like The Sonics is not really a good idea especially when the sound already is more sonically accepted. Additionally, The Libertines haven't really had a big influence or big importance other than one of their songs being in a movie. I think the album is terrible... Just straight up terrible! How has anybody given them the platform that they had? The albums first track, 'Can't Stand Me Now' is one of the albums "better tracks". While the vocals are already pretty bad, the songwriting is only alright as is the sound and chorus of the song. It's a bad song, it feels like if Morriseys had a twin who couldn't sing was to approach Indie Rock. Vocally, absolute trash. The rest is slightly better. Overall, not good nearly bad. 'Last Post on the Bugle' comes with a more Punk inspired sound and somehow the vocals sound even worse. And if that wasn't enough, the delivery is genuinely terrible. Nothing about this in terms of vocals is pleasent at any point. It's just terrible. And the music behind all that is definitely not enough to help the track out of the missery. Next song 'Don't Be Shy' is the same thing again just that the even the instruments sound bad now. The vocals are at points slightly better but at others just even worse, however that was possible. It is genuinely off-putting and terrible. It gives me physical pain and discomfort to listen to this garbage. 'The Man Who Would Be King' sounds like terrible Britpop which is interesting because Britpop is often times bad to begin with. The vocals are bad, as established, the lyrics try to be poetic? I guess? Because they are just terrible. And finally the instrument switch between basic and annoying. The entire project would've been better if everyone just started playing at random in Free Jazz style because that concoction would at least sound more interesting. Another terrible track. 'Music When the Lights Go Out' changes the style to a more Indie Rock style and it does make it slightly better at some points. It's still really bad but it is much less terrible than other tracks so far. A slight The Who and general Mod influence is really present on 'Narcissist' which is only slightly more entertaining because of it. It's bad but less bad. 'The Ha Ha Wall' is another terrible song. Bad delivery, terrible vocals, bad songwriting, terrible instrumentation. It's just unpleasant. I am German and I am very aware of the history and seeing the title 'Arbeit macht frei' is not something I want. For those who don't know, this was written above the entrence of Auschwitz. It is a sentence that should only be a part of history and not art and definitely not art in this way. I don't even care about the music, the title is enough for me to skip the song because I do not want to hear it. I might be ignorant but I don't care. This is not an album where I want to hear this used. 'Campaign of Hate' fittingly plays next and continues the annoying and bad vocals, the annoying and bad songwriting, oh my god I am just repeating myself. Terrible! More Indie again on 'What Katie Did' which starts more promising but it gets as terrible quickly with the god awful "Shoop shoop, shoop de-lang-a-lang" vocals. It's corny, annoying and performed worse than a theatre made by 5 year olds. Before I repeat myself again, 'Tomblands', 'The Saga', 'Road to Ruin', 'Road to Ruin' and 'What Became of the Likely Lads' are all just terrible in every single thing that they or try. I cannot write more because listening to this is worse than the Salt and Goat torture where your feet are covered in salt and goats lick it off until they reach your bones. This album with nothing else around you is worse. favourites: none least favourites: the entire atrocity of an "album" Rating: strong 0 to light 1 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Better than pop, not as good as punk. It leans more alternative-punk, so I'm cool with it.

It was fine, they have a decent jangle to ‘em. Pete Doherty is really good at the snarky, overly British delivery. He’s is or at least was a true wanker so you know he’s not just putting it on for a show. 3 stars

boring, self-serving, jangly, forgettable

Heavily influenced by the kinks!

Britpop, dertiende in een dozijn.

++: Don't Be Shy, Music When the Lights Go Out, Narcissist, Campaign of Hate +: Can't Stand Me Now, Last Post on the Bugle, The Man Who Would Be King, What Katie Did, The Saga, Road to Ruin, What Became of the Likely Lads / France +-: The Ha Ha Wall, Tomblands 7,2/10

Havde givet 6 hvis jeg kunne. BANGER BANGER BANGER

Sloppy Indie Rock. Sometimes being repetetive.

I liked it. I saw on Wikipedia Mick Jones produced it and you can definitely hear it on some songs like Tomblands

Solid punk rock album, felt raw and chaotic at times which gave it a unique style vs similar bands. Favorite songs were: 7. Music when the lights go out 10. Ha ha wall 14. What became of the likely lads 7/10

This was a rock solid rock album. I really only knew of the Libertines as the band that Amy Winehouse's bad influence boyfriend was in. From that I kinda didnt expect to like them, but this was a great example of the bit-pop energy. Album cover: (B) Not a great visual, but it really does capture that Skins-esque feeling of all the illicit fun I associate with that era.

This album has the classic 2000s british rock sound for sure. The song "Narcissist" reminds me a lot of the Fratellis. The sound is a little played out for me personally, but I do like it a lot. This sound is such a big part of my youth that I can't help but view it positively. It feels a little like the backing track to a full decade of my life. This era of music is made to be listened to it in sweaty underground British basements. I was too young to be in basements. They started right after I left and I'm sure everyone was having a lot of fun. Without me. The album is good and definitely a fun listen. I listened to it in a setting where it was hard to track individual songs, so I've got to give a general review of the album. 7/10

Like other 1000s of 1000s Indie Rock music…5/10

i have nothing to say. it's music.

Really liked it! 4/5

Indie.exe The bad points are way more than the cool ones

Garage rock revivalists, The Libertines, have definite raw energy, but much of the times the tunes themselves don’t really hold up as anything special

Appealing musically, and anything Mick Jones is associated with can't be all bad. Props to the rhythm section. I'm looking for evidence of the Jam and I'm not really finding it, lads. I'll coin the term "Post-Brit-Pop." Smells like music industry chicanery, what with the pretty boys and all. "What Became of the Likely Lads is aight, innit?

Few okay songs on this, but honestly, it's pretty generic indie from that time...its not bad, just hardly important, 2.5 rounded to a 3

3.5/5

Enjoyable

Some good songs, but quite samey throughout.

Eugh, boring and sad. I really struggled to get through this. I didn't hate it enough to give it a 1. Genuinely I think if I listened to this again a month from now I wouldn't realise that I'd already heard it before.

Three songs in and I’m not seeing the quality here. This kinda insufferable. Just average, nothing. Okay, five songs and I really don’t like this. Pure wanker trash. There is nothing here. 2/5

Over-hyped UK album from 20 years ago. Nothing wrong with the sound but just generally weak song-writing except for a few songs here and there, and I liked these songs less than in the past. score in 2004: 3 stars (6/10) score in 2024: 2 stars (4/10)

Melodic, unpolished music, just lovely.

A perfect window into 2004 grunge/garage rock scene and the breakdown of the relationship between Pete & Carl. The tabloids couldn't get enough of this and Pete's addictions, and despite this they managed to pull together a solid effort. Best: Can't Stand Me Now Worst: Road to Ruin

some interesting music but sort of lost me halfway through

An ending fitting for the start Every part of me wants to give this a 5, one of my favourite albums oat but probably a strong 4 is fair 86/100

"It's a must-listen for fans of early 2000s rock and those intrigued by the turbulent history of the band. The Libertines, released in 2004, offers a gritty snapshot of the British indie rock scene of that era. The album is a raw, chaotic mix of punk energy and poetic lyricism, with standout tracks like 'Can't Stand Me Now' and 'Music When the Lights Go Out.' Its unpolished production perfectly mirrors the volatile relationship between Pete Doherty and Carl Barat, adding emotional depth to their performances. While often compared to their debut Up the Bracket, this record stands apart, embodying a reckless musical spirit that has since become iconic."

Mostly crap. Sounds like they are still out of it from the night before.

Overrated shit for morons in trilbies. Like Oasis, but with even greater diminishing returns.

Enjoyed it. A pretty solid 3.

decent indie rock sound. not terribly distinctive, but solid

If I wanted to listen to Franz Ferdinand I would have popped on one of their albums.

I almost couldn’t finish this - which is weird, normally I like a bit of indie rock (and I love the Arctic Monkeys - which people are compare to The Libertines? But I couldn’t disagree more!! They are nothing alike!) Maybe I’m just having an irritable day, but I thought this was equal parts annoying and boring. First and last listen for the libertines

I no longer ear the muuuusicccc...

Forgettable

skipped halfway thru sorry ! not gagging

Pete Doherty was (is?) a colossal dickhead, and I have enormous sympathy with addicts, but the man has always been a tosser of the highest order even when sober. The Libertines were shit when this came out and it hasn't aged any better, it's crap indie rock brought down to an even lower level by their inability to construct anything original, dynamic or refined. Fuck off with your 1/5 and don't bother me again.

Passable indie fare with a couple of highlights: Can't Stand Me Now (the strongest track on the album by a stretch) and What Katie Did. A lot of forgettable stuff in between though. Definitely not as cool as they thought they were, they sound a lot better when they put together a proper song rather than the slurred ramblings. 2/5.

Feels like the kind of thing I should love, but not really.

3/5

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

3.5

The Libertines are a British alt-rock band who had a short, tumultuous career. Their self-titled album was their second release, and the band's best work. Carl Barat and Pete Doherty were the songwriting pair that made the band. Doherty had recurring issue with narcotics that eventually broke up the band. The Libertines were part of a "garage rock" resurgence of the aughts. They made guitar-driven rock songs, with interesting melodies. This is a collection of good songs from a band with great potential and an unfortunately short career.

Ok, a few listens maybe needed.

Anarchic pop-rock that was close to growing on me.

Indie garage rock. Ho-hum. It's perfectly fine; I found it really hard to care. I hate to leave reviews this short, but I really can't think of anything else to write up. No frame, no lens, nothing to write a faux-essay about. Just, "Ho-hum. Indie garage rock."

Never heard of these guys 'til getting this album, but I really dig the Garage Rock Revival sound, so this is super up my alley. 4.5 bumped down to 4 for having each guitar part being on different audio channels, though.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump down to a 4. There’s a big chance this album will hit way less on any subsequent relistens, and I’m fully prepared for that to be the case – for a first go-around though, I’m just a sucker for this style, and I think this is 42 minutes of it being done really, really well. The big thing this album has going for it on its Wikipedia page is that it was “voted the third-most overrated album ever made in a 2005 BBC public poll,” and… that might be kind of fair. I don’t think this is an album that should’ve changed the world or anything, and if it did light the UK on fire, then that’s sort of odd. I don’t think it does anything so special that it should be near a “top 100 albums of all time” list or something similar. Within its own genre and style, I’m sure there are better albums than this, and I’m sure we’ll get to some of them. With that said, I’m just a sucker for this style – this is a great Arctic Monkeys album, even if this came a year and a half before the Arctic Monkeys dropped their first proper studio album. There’s some serious standouts here; I think “Can’t Stand Me Now” is a hell of an opener, I think “Music When the Lights Go Out” has a really nice sort of local bar feel before the instrumentation kicks in (without distracting from the atmosphere, mind you), and the obvious 60s throwback that is “What Katie Did” just appealed right to my cheesy little musical sensibilities. I’ll give the album extra credit; I think this is one of the few times an album has actually gotten me on a hidden track, even in the streaming era. The acoustic piece that ends the album is really, really nicely recorded, and I think it’s just a very quaint finish to a rather fun album. The energy never really lets up, and I don’t think there’s a bad track here. It’s not perfect; a lot of this style is stuck in the early 2000s, and it does have that sort of “this fits right on a Tony Hawk soundtrack” smell that sometimes works in its favor and sometimes doesn’t… but I think it works more often than not. I just really, really enjoyed this, but not enough to bump it up to a 5. Very fun album; very good 4.

With a couple of tracks trimmed, this would've been a 5.

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.

At first I really didn’t like this because it sounded like generic irritating Brit rock the album looped on accident and I found myself enjoying it a lot more for some reason. I’m not even sure what really changed but songs like music when the lights go out were a lot more fun.

Not bad, not particularly special

The Libertines is the second studio album by The Libertines, originally released in 2004. This is some decent indie-influenced-pop-rock. I can see some of these tracks being pretty popular in the pub scene. Their sound kinda leans into the 70s English Punk sound, reminiscent of bands like the Sex Pistols and The Clash. They also pay a bit of homage to Britpop bands that came before them, like Pulp. It's not bad, but doesn't stand out much against the multitude of dime-a-dozen English indie bands coming out at the time.

Tricky one. Little bits are very very good and lots is not very good at all.