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

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

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.

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'

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.

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

Solid Album.

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

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

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?!

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

Cool 00s angular dance punk. "Jacqueline", "Take Me Out", "This Fire", and "Auf Achse" are all super cool. 4.5 stars

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.

4.6 - What a banger of an album, really took me back

Have always loved this album. Some great songs

Vrolijk, opzwepend, origineel

4/5 plus one bonus star because I listen to this one every six months or so and I owned it. May have been a burned cd but still owned it

I know Take Me Out is their mega-hit, but for my money The Dark of the Matinee is the best (but I do love Take Me Out). Then it also had Darts of Pleasure, just awesome. Michael and Come on Home were top songs I had never heard before. Cheating on you and The Fire weren't my favs, but I still enjoyed them. I knew I liked their individual songs, but this was the first time I listened to an entire album and I am happy I did because it did not disappoint. Their mix of rock, electronic and weird indie rock vibes are wonderful and make this an amazing album. They have their own unique sound so you know you are listening to Franz Ferdinand, but each song has unique moments that make it great.

Hell yea love this album

Has some reel big fish feels. Up tempo throughout.

An era from long ago

Yes

saw them live in Paris and it happened to be one of the best days of my life. Never thought I'd get to hear the Take Me Out iconic transition live.

not only is this up my alley, this is literally my alley, i live here

My parents had this and You Could Have It So Much Better on cd. So, there is a nostalgia factor, but I still think it holds up and every song is great. 4/5*

Sleazy alternative rock. Guitars and drums are bouncing. Hedonistic dive bar bangers.

Classic

I think this is the first album this site has recommended to me that I actually liked.

There's a distinctive sound here, but it still allows for a lot of variety within it. I've liked "Take Me Out" since the first time I heard it, and "The Dark of the Matinée" also stood out while I listened. The entire album is very strong, though.

Very much enjoyed. Great sound and variety. Fun band!

a clear 5/5 for me, a staple of 2000’s rock. And I’m still blasting it as I write

What a perfect album for GCSE results day! So British, so contemporary, so punkish, so artsy, SO GOOD. One of my favourite albums ever. 10/10.

Hood classic 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

SO GOOD

Estuvo re piola

Really good album! "Take me out" and "40'" clearly stands out. 5/5

I had to restrain myself from just giving this a 5 star on sight. I figured it's been a while since I listened to it as a whole instead of just my favorites, so to be fair I needed to listen to it critically. There was ONE point where I thought I was going to have to dip my rating to a 4 star. On the front half of the album I am about 50/50 on if I am meh about a song or absolutely love it. The back half is stacked though. I think I could only justify rating this a 4 realistically is if maybe is if You Could Have It So Much Better was on the list as well as that one is maybe better than this to me. That said, still an album I absolutely love. Probably the only artist/band on this list I have seen live (twice no less!) unless you count having seen Ringo and the All-stars and unless I am forgetting someone. Therefore, I feel I can and should give it a 5 because anything of theirs is high on my list.

quality album, bunch of bangers with tons of energy, love this

I didn't expect to be giving the teenage soundtrack a 5 but... fuck it. Tasty tasty songwriting. There is something very moreish about franz ferdinand. A song about cheating on someone has no business being so much fun. Props to the hi-hat, you were isntrumental (ha) to the vibe

Hearing this again for the first time in over 10 years makes me so glad

Brilliant

Heck yeah. Im gonna remember this and keep in the regular rotation. Good stuff here.

Glad to see this album made the list, as it is a real gem. It holds a special place for me as well as this album and 'N.E.R.D - In Search Of...' were the first digital albums I ever got. A friend had downloaded them from internet sometime around the mid 2000's and shared it. Must have listened to this a hundred times since then. Even though I am biased, I still think this is holds up to be one of the best albums out there. It's quite an uncommon thing to encounter, but I don't think there is a single bad song on this album. A few of my favorite ones are 'Jacqueline', 'Take me out', and 'Darts Of Pleasure', but the other songs are good as well, and listening through the whole album is a treat. They have an interesting sound and some unconventional melodies that I can only describe as slightly corny somehow, but at the same time extremely catchy and cool, which is a strange feeling. They manage to deliver some proper energy on most songs. For example, the buildup on the start of 'Jacqueline' until the first chorus just grabs you completely. I think the two guitars are just very good a playing complementary melodies that takes it a notch up. There are some sick basslines in a few tracks as well. Easy 5 for me, kickass album.

Man this took me back to when I i listened to this album as a teenager on an Ipod. Being 18 going to indie where they played "Franz Ferdinand", "Arctic Monkeys" and "The Strokes". Franz Ferdinand holds a special place in my heart so I might not be neutral but this album really holds up. "Take me out" single handedly changes rock in the 00s and is such a cool song. "Dark of the Matine" is also great. All the songs are quite different, avoiding the samey feel of many other albums. They still manage to keep it feeling like an album though. I really like the guitar driven rock which flirts with glam and sometimes even 60s rock. I think some other contemporary rock albums from the same era might be better but honestly with the hits and me being a big fan I'm going to give it a 5. All songs are good and I was happy coming back to this album. It has been quite a while.

Perfect indie-rock album. Did not realize earlier that it is a perfect indie album, full of energy. This is the best debut album from an indie band, and this is a hard statement because usually the first record is the (only) good one for indie band. Bravo!

Dang. Every song hits. Not many albums can do that but this one definitely did.

Another pending that I resisted and that I'm loving! 5 stars already!

Take Me Out is brilliant! I like this album.

I feel this is when indie rock peaked!

Love me some Franz Ferdinand. These guys are expertly adept at switching up the rhythm. The grooves are consistently infectious and could be easily drawn out for much longer. Instead, they change things up often and at the perfect time to keep the energy rolling and never letting up. Absolutely killer debut album with bangers from start to finish.

What a smashing debut album. Basically, their first three albums are outstanding and fairly untouchable.

This album is a classic, everytime I listen to it I thoroughly enjoy it.