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"

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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'

Take me out!

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.

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?!

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.

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

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 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.

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

Nasty ass album

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

A banger

One of the top albums of my teens from the noughties indie scene. Absolutely banging

This album came out right as I was about to turn 20. I loved it then, and I think it holds up well. I’ve gone and listened to Gang of Four as numerous reviews suggested, and yeah there’s a clear through line to this album, but it’s a bit reductive to say FF didn’t put their own spin and polish on it. To my ear, there’s a lot more variety to the songs on this album than on GoF’s “Entertainment!” and the whole notion of a later album being useless because someone kind of did the same thing 25 years earlier is silly. By that logic, we’d all be wasting our time but to listen to only the oldest known recorded music because everything after is derivative.

Thank god, I've been waiting for another banger from this site. Franz Ferdinand is not a favorite band of mine and I've only ever listened to this album, but boy is it good. Obviously, Take Me Out is the hardest hitter and their biggest hit, but every other song is anywhere from just pretty good to REALLY good. It's a no skip album, I think. I will say, I only know like half the song names because I always listen to the whole album all at once without really looking at the titles. However, that does not detract from the listening experience of this album. It's a really cool vibe and it's extremely coherent and just so so good. Take Me Out is lowkey one of the best songs I've ever heard. The tempo change is really something. The riff is awesome. It's so good. Sooooooo good. This Fire is another favorite, it's really just fun and reminds me of Damaged Goods by Gang of Four (which actually this whole album feels similar to). And I like Cheating on You and Darts of Pleasure and Michael and literally all of them. Great album. Maybe like a 4.9 because it's not like I LOVE LOVE LOVE every song but I'll give it a 5 because it's pretty close to that.

Been a while since I've listened to this album all the way through. So good - many catchy songs.

Wow, yet another early 2000s indie/alt rock classic from my youth. The generator has been on a roll lately. I've now had the debut albums from The Strokes, Coldplay, The Vines, and Franz Ferdinand, all in the span of 11 days. As I listened to one great song after another on this album (many of which I was already familiar with), I wondered why no one really talks about Franz Ferdinand anymore.

This is one of my favorite albums from the 2000s it is such a good album and band! This is a great intro album as well! Unused to just cruise and listen to this album with my buddies a very good album with fond memories attached to it!

The first "new band" album i got into as a kid and I can't review it fairly. It was aimed at me. Rock that rocks when live but beats to get you moving at the indie disco. Bedwetter rock was taking over in the UK at the time and this album started a resurgence from the stench of Keane and Coldplay piss

Peak is back on the menu.

One of my favorite albums of my teen years. Still so great.

It’s one of the pinnacles of the garage rock sound of the Aughts and the reason that Rose Matafeo almost had a protection order taken out against her. I’d be very Aughty if I didn’t rate it 5 stars. Or perhaps I am very Aughty because I’ve rated it at 5 stars. Whatever.

I've just gotten through with a post-punk deep dive so perfect time for Franz Ferdinand. They are one of the only bands who list Josef K as an influence, one of my all-time favorites. I enjoyed it much more this time than when I first listened to it. I can't find a bad song on here so very tempted to give a perfect score. Rating: 4.9

I love this shit, the saviours of rock and roll. Scottish indie, post punk revival, hooked that shit into my veins. TAKE ME OUT.

That was a goood early 2000’s album!

A 10/10 good time.

Brilliant album from start to finish

One of my favorite alternative bands in high school, this group always sounded unique. Their pop sound and liberal use of tempo and tonal changes has always led to fun music. Take Me Out, Dark of the Matinée, and Jacqueline were all songs I've heard over the years, but not much beyond that in depth. My favorite new one was 40', but really this whole album was fun.

ive already heard this one

Ich liebs obwohl ich es noch gar nicht kannte!!!

I loved this at the time and it stands up very well indeed. The angular guitars and tight playing are very reminiscent of Talking Heads and Gang of Four but that's cool. Indie rock from this period can get a bad name and, to be fair, there was some crap produced in that era (I'm looking at you Razorlight). Franz Ferdinand were one of the good ones though and it was a joy to revisit this. Super fantastic, you could say Final note - after Belle and Sebastian yesterday, very happy to give 5* to two Glasgow bands on consecutive days, as a resident of this fine but rainy city

favourite album mid 2000

Rock!!! 9/10

Lo conozco, me encanta. Aguante Franz Ferdinand.

9/10

This album kinda slaps. Never really listened to the whole thing, but I should have. Will I listen to again: 100%

It's a flawless indie darlings album. These guys rode the wave of the naughties invasion kicked off by The Strokes, and they brought a bit of art student quirk to proceedings. Great opener, neatly establishes Alex's distinctive vocal stylings, followed by their spiky, off kilter guitars. Tell Her Tonight is like something off Talking Heads’ 77, or XTC’s Drums and Wires Take Me Out is the stand out. It hit me like a brick to each ear when I first heard it. It didn't sound like anything else, a rare achievement considering it was released in 2004. No track reminds me of the sticky indie sleaze clubs I used to go to more than Michael. Mucky, androgynous yet sexual, a call to youthful exploration. Angular sequences underpinned by a rhythm section tightly wound around the guitar riffs and vocal arrangements. Great pop songs by well preened boys in ties.

Iconic album. Standout Tracks: - Darts of Pleasure - Jacqueline - The Dark of the Matinee - Take Me Out (overplayed, but amazing track)

Glorious and fun. Takes me back to being 15 so this was a safe 5 stars.

Soundtrack of my youth! Takes me back to my clubbing era.

I can still remember sticking this CD on for the first time... oh, that was 21 years ago!! A well produced album with great energy and a well rounded, multi-dimensional sound stage that sounds as good in 2025 as it did in 2004. As ever, good Hi-Fi helps.

Primero fueron The Strokes, y cuando ellos empezaron a bajar el nivel, salió esta joya de grupo y su maravilloso debut. No es solo take me out, aunque lógicamente sea una de las mejores canciones del siglo 21. No hay un tema regular.

Horny

A noughties indie rock classic, banger after banger. Alex’s voice is underrated too.

Solid outing, good energy, great vibes

Early aughts indie pop rock that is as fun and fresh as the day it was released. A real joy.

I love this album is amazing in every way and so cool...

Take Me Out is zo een schijf die ze wat meer mogen draaien in den uitgang. En ik snap niet waarom dat niet gebeurt want godverdomme, da's een banger. En dan heb je nog Jacqueline, The Dark of the Matinée en This Fire op dit album en als we eerlijk zijn... de rest is ook echt best goed. Dit is een 5.0

Totally love it, feels fresh and energetic. One of my favourite albums 4.8

First introduction to this band was in 2004 at a Festival in spain - four plucky scots that couldn't believe they were playing in front of such a large crowd. They were epic - touring this album - Jacqueline and Take Me Out will always remind me of that summer. This record is short, to the point, original and cool - it's very much a snapshot of the lightness and innocence of the era, and feels like it is of a simpler time. Probably because it was for me - right on the cusp of my 20s.

¡Fantástico!

I kind of hesitated between a 4/5 and a 5/5 grade for this debut, because in a sense, I feel like you had to be there in 2004 to understand the impact of this album at the time, and I'm always wary of misplaced nostalgia when it comes to this list. Then again, the first side of this record is pitch-perfect, as exemplified in the punch of absolute hit "Take Me Out", with its very original structure suggesting two songs copy-and-pasted together, yet displaying a whole coming off as groovy and instantly memorable. "The Dark Of The Matinee" and "Auf Achse" are also incredible, belying the unwarranted reputation of a band coming from the dreadful "landfill indie" era, which nonetheless had very distinctive aesthetics inspired from older luminaries going from Talking Heads to Blur, Suede, dance-punk and Squeeze (yet still unmistakably theirs as a whole). Here were enough stellar assets to make the noughts band easily stand out from the pack, to be honest. The second side is admittedly a little less impressive, even if the tongue-in-cheek homoeroticism of "Michael" and the catchiness of "Come On Home" are still providing nice thrills. But fuck it, I think I still need this artsy, iconic, subliminally brutalist album cover in my gallery anyway. 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: around a hundred, as I've gone over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 439 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 260 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 319

imagina começar o album de debut com "Jacqueline" !!!!!!! e ainda se tornar um dos mais importantes discos de indie rock!!!!!! ONLY FRANZ FERDINAND TE AMO PARA SEMPRE

I love Franz Ferdinand. They remind me of Bryan Ferry a little. It's the voice, I love the lead singer's voice.

Only heard the hits and the FFS collaboration album with sparks prior to this. Wow. Insanely catchy and pleasing tunes. Will go though their discography. Thanks 1001

Ya conocía este álbum, pero claramente lo tenía bastante olvidado. Fue muy divertido volver a escuchar Take Me Out y The Dark of the Matinée, pero también me sorprendieron otras joyas como Jacqueline y Auf Achse. Buen viaje al 2012

bis auf 1-2 alles mega songs

I forgot about this one. What a fantastic album. I'd put it in a similar bucket as The Strokes. Solid pop-rock where just about every song is great.

Brings back good memories

Ridiculously catchy from start to finish, especially the guitar work. I found his understated singing style to mesh well with the music. Also Tell Her Tonight reminded me of the Talking Heads Favorites: Take Me Out, This Fire, 40', Jacqueline Least Favorite: Cheating On You

Everything is fine.