Franz Ferdinand

I love that this band doesn't sound the same in every song.....but they always sound like themselves.

didn't give a shit about FF then, don't give a shit now. This is what gave our era of music a bad name "landfill indy"

In 2004 when they released this no one else was doing this sort of crisp sharp art rock. So unlike a lot of the Indie landfill released around the time this record still feels like a breath of Fresh air. "Take me out" thrills whilst "Michael" makes you smile, and throughout its impossible not to move your feet. 4/5

An album that delivered one of the biggest hit singles of the 2000s (the me out) and still managed to live up to expectations. Michael and The Dark of the Matinee were also big singles and great tracks but I had forgotten the strength in depth of the whole album. The brilliant opener Jacqueline, Auf Achse, This fire and the final track 40’ the album rarely misses a beat from start to finish. A great pop rock album that still sounds great today.

A fizzing firework that has been let off in the face of a child, scarring them for life. They now live a sheltered, quiet life, afraid of making new friends. They will never find love.

Look, Take Me Out was an all time indie disco classic, and there's some other good stuff in there. The art school thing meant that their videos were quite interesting too. But Alex Kapranos was rude about my boys The Chisel for no good reason, so in the bin with Razorlight they must go. Objectively, the only difference between Franz Ferdinand and noughties blowhards The Libertines is that FF rip off the same bands while affecting ironic detachment. Either way, it's a band that think they're dead clever for shoplifting from Wire, Gang Of Four and Magazine, forgetting that a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy eventually ends up a pale reflection of the original beautiful picture. There's some fun manifestoey ideas behind their style and look, and as I said, Take Me Out is great, Dark of the Matinee is fine enough and mentions Terry Wogan

It is a refreshing album. Good to listen to after something more experimental or hard to understand. In short, it is a simple album, but here, simplicity it's a good thing.

A near-perfect compendium of carefully crafted punchy post-punk tunes, bristling with brio and bravado. There's not a second wasted in the listening experience for this album - every single track chugs its way into your mind and stays there for good. And you knew that they'd be just as good at a gig as they sounded here. An outstanding album, and one for the ages.

I hadn’t listened to this album in 17 years. Made me kinda miss when bands like this were popular.

2/9/2022 Today's Album: "Franz Ferdinand" by Franz Ferdinand - I reviewed this album right after the last on the flight home from Colorado and went song by song, but the text didn't save so I'll give a shorter and more concise review Edit: This did not end up being concise. This album is fantastic. Going into it, I had heard the title track, Take Me Out, which is a clear shining moment on this album with one of the best executed beat switch ups and lush background instrumentation and dueling guitars. However, that isn't to say there aren't other highlights on this LP. The opener, Jacqueline begins with a softly spoken vocal before the bassline welcomes in the drums and lead guitar. Like a lot of songs on this record, it is an incredibly danceable track with a great chorus that has a critical message of the daily grind of capitalism. The track The Dark of The Matinée is a mixture of 2000s alt rock and 50s show tune melodies, thus the name of the track. The chorus absolutely slaps and the track in general just keeps a really fun and danceable energy throughout. The slowed refrain that speeds back up into the chorus is incredibly well executed and every instrument is able to shine through the mix. The track This Fire is a fairly popular track that has strange vocal harmonies similar to Talking Heads but the quick and precise drum beat and staccato guitar strumming keeps it very energetic and the finish is very noisy and climactic. The track Come On Home is a fantastic track that might have become my favorite of the record. The subtle, yet dramatic chorus and incredible guitar and synth work gives this song an amazing energy. I should mention that this album has a very uniform sound and despite for the most part being quite innovative with it, the track Cheating On You just didn't do many exciting things with the style. However there are plenty of moments where there is tons of innovation. The track Auf Achse has these ringing synths to back the usual quick drum beat, guitar and bass and it works very well. I also like the bit of German at the end of it to give the title some context and I imagine have a potent message if I went looking for it. The album closes off well with the track 40', which just cements the entire vibe of the track into one song, with it feeling like a culmination of what came before it. It's a much more subtle and chilled out track and it gives it a somber finale feeling. The guitar riff that comes in around 2 minutes is great and the drums/cymbals are getting the absolute shit beat out of them. There's also a really cool synth line that comes in before it cuts back down to the more somber vibe. It leaves off the album in a fantastic way and I just cannot emphasize that enough. This album blew me away with it's creativity, yet consistency. Each Instrument always comes through the mix well and the entire album has themes of break up, anger towards exes (or the other gender in general), and positivity towards being single after a shitty relationship. I love this album and although some songs lack in innovation, it's really hard to complain when the album flows so excellently and keeps my interest so well throughout. If you like alt rock or rock in general, this is an essential listen. Score: 9.5 Phenomenal Highlights: Jacqueline, Tell Her Tonight, Take Me Out, The Dark of The Matinée, Auf Achse, This Fire, Darts of Pleasure, Michael, Come on Home, 40'

Great sound, though everything sounds a bit too similar. Not my favorite, but I could listen to this all day.

It's OK. *Pushes glasses up nose* A bit too derivative of Television in places.

Take me out!

So, what, did a couple crates of original, sealed copies of Gang of Four’s “Entertainment!” turn up in a warehouse in England in like 2001 or 2002 and the government, unsure of what to do with them, decided to disperse them through random cities and hand them out to the disaffected youth on the dole? It’s one of few plausible explanations for why there are so many bands on this list that have such a clear debt to Gang of Four and sound almost exactly like each other. I get that this was the shit when you were a kid or in college, but really, truly, it’s nothing special. Franz Ferdinand are just one band in a long list of British bands from the aughts chasing the same sound. The authors of this list seem to feel similarly: this record (along with several others of the same ilk) has been removed from subsequent versions of the book. Its rating here, well above legitimately influential and classic records like Sonic Youth’s “Daydream Nation” or Television’s “Marquee Moon” or the aforementioned “Entertainment!” by Gang Of Four, is puzzling and probably indicative of pretty strong nostalgia bias on this site. …Sorry for the rant, these early 2000’s British indie selections seem to bring out the worst in me.

Franz Ferdinand eschewed the traditional formula and released their greatest hits album as their first record. Instant classic. Every one of these could have been a single.

already know this is one of my favorite albums. didn't need to listen cause it's top on my itunes, but i listened anyways

Great album with enjoyable hooks and gritty guitar work. Several fantastic songs with Take me out being a stand out along with 40' and in the matinee

Solid Album.

This is an exuberant record where most instruments swing, and some song stories are vivid, moving at a clip, little time to be bored. I shunned this when it came out due to my weird prejudices, but think this is fine. This is a light, cake. <looks at my comrade’s review…> …or maybe, I was right all along?!

Nasty ass album

really solid indie rock that I never thought to listen to before outside take me out

Punchy, funky dance-punk with a hedonist heart. Infectious, punctual hooks and well-crafted lyrics. Standout Tracks - Jacqueline, Take Me Out, This Fire, Darts of Pleasure, Michael

If I transport myself back to 2004, then it's probably edging a 4, but probably more a 3 now. I'll be kind to it for the memories.

It’s fine? That’s about as polite as I can be for this overall bland forgettable record. There aren’t enough peaks to outshine the boredom. It’s definitely produced well, tight, polished but that just spotlights the lack of rawness/depth/feeling. It’s noisy - and not in a way that’s feels authentic.

Blazed a trail for landfill indie. Utterly forgettable except for "Take Me Out", which wasn't actually good.

This was quite a rough listening to I forgot how much the bands in the early 2000s all sound the same

A big nostalgia hit as this album was part of the soundtrack of my twenties. A lot of that music I don't really listen to any more (The Rakes anybody?) but there's still a lot of good stuff on here, Michael, The Matinee, This Fire, Take Me Out, Jaqueline and Darts of Pleasure are all a cut above the usual landfill indie of the time.

What the hell? Why can't all the albums here be this good? They have a way with visualization. I love their line, "flick your cigarette and kiss me" from another album, but this one isn't short on the imagery either. You take your white finger Slide the nail under the top and bottom buttons of my blazer Relax the fraying wool, slacken ties And I'm not to look at you in the shoe, but the eyes, find the eyes

Noire cigarrette vibes. So gud

I was originally going to put 4 stars, but realised I'd heard it a few too many times.

amazing. great throwback. i love these guys

Muy bueno

LINDO MARAVILHOSO NEM PRECISAVA OUVIR DE NOVO

Really liked this album

Great album start to finish. Early 2000s pop-rock with a hint of garage. Fun

Every song on it rulz

Great album, takes me back to my teen years

Would play this on repeat on first ever iPod on car journeys. What great memories

Always love a good Franz Ferdinand album. I also got to find some new gems in the album along with the usual tunes I love listening to!

Of course I love you.

Actual party rock! Good songs, well played, excellent 2000’s vibes

On the poppier side of the art rock movement of the time, but it's a good album from start to finish. I'd semi ignored them at the time, but it's good stuff.

Good memories, plenty of bangers, amazing how many lyrics I remember. Particularly loved ‘Michael’.

I liked this: fun sound, peppy guitar. I wonder if they’re any good live.

Catchier than a dinner fad, but not quite big enough to start a war. Really enjoy Dance of the matinee and This fire

Bah, this is an ex-1001 album. See http://1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.wikidot.com/album-artists-a-z-ex What ever happened to Franz Ferdinand? I used to listen to this album when it came out, then forgot about it. Still has some great punchy pop tunes.

Remember 2004, when everyone sounded just a little bit like The Killers, but not quite as good? Ah, good times!

This is a FIFA menu distilled and flattened into an album. A time capsule of indie Brit-pop sensibilities that seeped into every corner of British culture in the mid 2000s. This album is a flashbang for any millenial born in the 90s, you'll know over half of these songs from just how prevalent and unavoidable this was as a movement. Not my taste but I cannot deny the cultural relevance of Franz Ferdinand and their contemporaries.

Ok

Ok. Better than other indie rock outings, but not interesting. Take Me Out is the most enjoyable track.

Fun listen. Nothing new or innovative.

It was okay. Wouldn't relisten.

Something about this band that I just can't get into them. I really like a lot of adjacent bands like the Strokes, Interpol, etc, but can't come around on FF. Overall, album is pretty standard earl 00's alt music.

These guys had a couple big hits in the early 2000s. I liked those songs back then. Hearing the whole album now I was not all that impressed. Most of the songs are pretty mediocre, Take Me Out is still a solid jam.

Fitfully decent 00s dance punk with slight Art Deco Talking Heads and Bowie croony thing going on. Unlike the real Archiduke Franz Ferdinand I wasn’t really struck or blown away. In terms of best songs. I would take out Jacqueline (even though she’s seventeen), marry Take Me Out and push the rest off a cliff.

Better than average art-rock from the early 2000s. Heavily disco-influenced drumming makes this more dance-able than most. Arrangements are bit more inventive than most. Take Me Out is a particularly good example of this. The tempo shift reeks of the Beatles' habit of welding together fragments of half-written songs. And if the Beatles did it, then it must be a sign of song-writing genius! (Spoiler: it isn't.) In fairness, Franz Ferdinand carry it off smoothly, which most people can't manage. But I can't shrug off the nagging suspicion that a lot of the praise for this release was the result of the last of the huge major label promotion budgets. I just don't hear this band talked about much anymore. I hope the band members invested their money wisely and are comfortably resting on their laurels.

I feel this era of music is one of the weakest, and this album does nothing but back that up. Should be right in my wheelhouse yet I find it surprisingly lacking. 3/5

herky jerky, knowing, Art School pop

The top general review of this album is a 5 and it reads as follows… “I love that this band doesn't sound the same in every song”. Now either the reviewer is being super ironic, or is totally deaf. Because to me every single track sounded EXACTLY the same. I liked the first track. Hey it sounds quite like “Take Me Out” by… erm … Then the second one was… the same jangly guitar riffs. The same drum beat. Ok a slightly different melody and different words, but… And then the next one..oh that IS ‘Take Me Out’. And then the next one. Same tedious riff. Same beat. And the next. I was praying for it to end. And surprised when I looked at the track list that I only actually suffered for 40 minutes. Felt like over an hour. I’ll give it a 2 because I quite liked the first track. I just didn’t want to hear it 11 times!

of course i’ve heard and liked take me out prior to listening. wasn’t a big fan of this album. or even a medium sized fan. this album can go blow in the wind

Does anyone know anyone whose favourite band is Franz Ferdinand? Quirky awkward pop, made by quirky awkward men, with quirky awkward lyrics about quirky awkward subjects. Yes, we get it; you’re really clever and rate the Berlin trilogy above Ziggy Stardust. Go you… 2/5

No idea why this is on this list.

forgettable, nichtmal catchy; erscheint mir auch erstaunlich irrelevant für 1001 alben liste (2004!)

Nothing special.

Bland

How did this scrape in? Was it 1001?

Стихи - полный треш и трясогузка. Бессмысленное открывание рта под посредственную музыку.

A stone cold classic

Def thought this was an assassinated prince. Not a band. I guess it’s both! Loved it. Great vibe.

I remember this album from high school. Came out in that era of The Strokes, Hives, Jet. This really holds up as a great example of the early 2000s alt-rock.

There isn't one song on this album I don't like.

Top album

Franz Ferdinand’s debut still startles with its brilliance and simplicity. I shouldn’t be surprised to see it on its list, as it quietly rewired post-punk and alternative rock for the 2000s, led by the sly, irresistible snap of “Take Me Out.” The whole album hums with humor and joie de vivre—“The Dark of the Matinée,” “Jacqueline”—even as it lets heartbreak seep through on “Auf Achse.” The melodies feel both remembered and newly invented, as if the band is dusting off a forgotten future. By the time “Michael” and “This Fire” arrive, everything burns a little hotter, their dada-tinged videos matching the music’s manic grin. “40’” closes the record with minimalist tension, with lead singer Alex Kapranos offering lyrics that refuse to explain themselves. You either fall into their rhythm or you’re left outside, listening. Even the stark cover seems to declare a new era: bold, stripped down, self-aware. And astonishingly, it was only the band’s first step, with their finest hour still ahead in 2013's Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action. Fantastic album if you're interested in indie, alternative, or post punk for the 21st century.

Lots of fun - got lots of cleaning done with this on

Muito bom. A primeira música me fisgou bem rápido

Superfantastisch! Oduvijek jedan od dražih albuma. Praktično ga volim otkako znam za sebe. Održalo se, i dan-danas mi je genijalan. Prava rijetkost da je svaka pjesma odlična. Možda se usudim reći i da je najbolji indie album ikad. Uvijek ću žaliti što sam ih fulila na Tjentištu 2019.

9/10 Punchy and fun - classic indie guitar pop rock from the 00s

I’m a big fran of Fanz Ferdinand

The aspect of this album that stands out to me the most is how much I like the lead singer's voice. Must be the Scottish accent :P The melodies and harmonies are quite pleasing and I quite like the guitar throughout the album too. I have heard Take Me Out so many times and still really like the song, and there are several other standout tracks for me: The Dark of The Matinee, Auf Achse (apparently that translates to 'on the road' in German), Darts of Pleasure, Michael, Come On Home, and 40'. So pretty much every song. If anyone is wondering what the German phrases mean in Darts of Pleasure, they translate to "My name is Super Fantastic, I drink champagne with salmon". Turns out I'm an indie rock fan now because I've recently started liking The Strokes, The Arctic Monkeys, The Smiths, The Black Keys, Radiohead, and now apparently Franz Ferdinand! Younger me would never have expected this turn of events lol. I'll give this album 9/10.

Clásico instantáneo

So crazy. I was listening to this album the day before it was assigned just because I love it. I used to have this CD. Am I allowed to give it a 5?

Did not expect to come across this one on the list, but I'm not complaining. This album comes with a wave of nostalgia. I remember when Take Me Out first came out, I was obsessed. I took my $15 to the nearest record store and bought this album without a second thought. Man I do somewhat miss those days of gambling on a record for the singles -- streaming has robbed us (saved us?) from that spin of the roulette wheel. In this particular case, that spin was surprisingly lucrative -- a tight 40 minutes of glammy punk-pop with some incredibly catchy choruses and satisfying rhythms that is fun from start to finish. Tell Her Tonight is the first stand-out. An incredibly catchy track built around a slinky funk guitar about getting caught having an affair and coming clean. Then there's Take Me Out, the lead single that propelled Franz Ferdinand onto everyone's radar. At the time I had never heard anything quite like it and loved the tempo play. Very dancey and very fun track. The Dark of the Matinee is another dancey jam that errs a bit more sensual. These guys clearly had commitment issues -- Cheating on You offers a propulsive, fuzzed out variant on the theme. This Fire is another favorite on here -- just a fun little propulsive bopper. Come On Home has always been one of my favorites -- instrumental is wonderful and the chorus is catchy AF. And 40' is such a fun way to end the album with a light spaciousness to it. Love this album and it is either the highest of 4s or the lowest of 5s for me. Going soft 5 with the nostalgia bump.

Have never listened to any Franz Ferdinand except for Take Me Out, which I have now learned is the 6th or 7th best song on this album after listening. This album ruled and hit way above my expectations. The high pace style that was played the whole time was perfect. Jacqueline was a great song to start off and Dark of the Matinee was a really fun number. Bopped along nicely to the rest of the album and there were no misses. I feel like an absolute fool now that I did not go see them at Shaky Knees in September. On the low side of 5 but it did just enough to get up there

Shits bomb bro

- Hatte noch nie was von der Band gehört aber war dann ganz überrascht als ich Take me out hörte - Hat mir richtig gut gefallen und richtig gute Laune gemacht - Das Ganze Album würde ich so auf jeden Fall nochmal hören Topsong: Jacqueline

Still holds up twenty years on. Take me out a certified banger and dark of the matinee not too far behind. Slightly biased from a Glaswegian but still really enjoyed. Specific rating - 4.7 Fav song - take me out Least fav - come on home

5/5. I was 15 year old on tumblr, u have so much history with this record, couldn’t give it anything less

Do you wanna...do you wanna Just as great as when it was released...

Dette var bra saker! Ikke hørt allverden på de før, men skikklig solid gjennom hele skiva. Første 5'er

Hot damn!

A great time. Succinct and enjoyable, great guitars, great lyrics, great rhythms.

Love this album. It's gonna be biased but it's a 5 star for me.

BANGER AFTER BANGER

I'm a little biased. Had this cd in high school.

I've always loved Fraz Ferdinand, and this was one hell of a debut.

Herlig album. På nivå med det beste fra Psychedelic Furs. Klar 5’mer.

The tonic I needed after a prog rock heavy week. Fun, simple and catchy as hell. Not all music needs to be madly intricate and confusing and difficult to interpret!!

One of favorite albums of all time. There's not a single bad track on here. This band has always brought a fresh and unique approach to indie rock, and they're my favorite Scottish band to boot, by far. In the last 20 years, I've listened to this album dozens of times, and it never gets old. For anyone that wants a clean, well-executed and eminently listenable indie rock album, just put this on and you won't regret it.

Omg I knew the take me out song but the rest is so fire

Classic, competent 2000s indie. A four star album that I'll give an extra star for nostalgia.