Franz Ferdinand

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

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

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"

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Take me out!

Solid Album.

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.

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

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?!

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.

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

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

Bland

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

actually something i would listen to. i can't believe someone would assassinate such a great musician fav song: Take Me Out

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.

Really good album, some banging songs on here. I do much prefer their second album though

I like it. I'd get the record.

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

No idea why this is on this list.

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

Nothing special.

Slop, over-self-important trash that hurts the inside of my head when it plays

Hated, the only redeeming quality is Tell Her Tonight. Would happily never listen to 95% of this album again. Shoutout them angsty white boys lookin for some luv in this cruel world man. Great music to drive directly into a preschools front window while crying into an empty monster energy can, eyebrow piercing gleaming next to two eyebrow slits, chiefing the last two newports from the pack you bought an hour ago at once, because your girlfriend dumped you for backing over her dog while trying to go cheat.

the problem with Take Me Out is that it's built to grind to a halt and go for a stomp. makes for an exceptionally aggravating song when paired with the 2000s indie vocals. the rest of the album is just boring tbh. deserves to be one of the 1001? probably not

I'm good without this in my life. Clothing store music. So much shit in this era sounded like this. Obnoxious. Has almost a bratty feel. Lil' brats shopping music.

horrivel, desastroso, coisa horrorosa, espero que acabe, exploda, espero que vire pó, coisa horrível, tenebrosa, obscura, maligna, o fruto de todo o pecado e consequente miséria que assolam incansavelmente a humanidade, não me surpreende que a covid tenha surgido depois desse álbum, esse álbum não tinha que ter existido: gostaria de nunca, movido pura e simplesmente por uma vontade de vencer preconceitos que se provaram, antes de qualquer coisa, instintos primais - talvez um último suspiro do espírito de sobrevivência de meus ancestrais como um vão esforço de preservação de uma espécie já condenada a barbárie - ter escutado esse álbum, jamais. a mais pura expressão da mediocridade, quase comparável ao maneskin não evoluímos para isso, milhões de anos de luta e trabalho, éons de conhecimento empilhados se equiparam a um milionésimo do menor grão de poeira na superfície da lua à luz da menor sinalização de existência desse retrato da decadência que veio a ser considerado um álbum. a cada música meu ódio cresce mais. que coisa odiosa maldita.

Ugh. 1

Franz Ferdinand is nondescript music in my opinion. So many mid-2000s bands sounded similar and I can’t tell them apart nor do I want to. I don’t gravitate to this style of music and find myself really bored with it. I mean, it’s fine. That’s the thing that kills me about it: it’s just *fine.* I’m apathetic to it; it doesn’t rouse me in any way. I’d rather music cause complete hatred or intense ecstasy. I need to feel *something* when I listen to music. Otherwise, what’s the point?

I hate Franz Ferdinand. I’d rather listen to every country album or every Metallica album on this list again than listen to this again. Franz Ferdinand (and others like The Kaizer Chiefs) was everything that was wrong with British music in the 2000s wrapped up in 38 minutes. A big warning sign is that it won the Mercury Music Prize, which seems to pick more losers than winners over time. It’s not a very good album. It is high tempo, but jettisons any sense of quality and longevity in the pursuit of what in the 2020s would be referred to as ‘vibes’. The band seems talentless other than having the ability to make noise and, most irritatingly, it was overplayed, which in itself shows you the quality of the music available to radio stations at the time. The band, and in particular the lead singer, were deeply irritating and smug. Who is listening to this now? No-one digs out a Franz Ferdinand album to have a listen to 20 odd years after it was made. No-one is that stupid. If I could give this 0 stars then I would. Makes a mockery of the list.

2/10 I entered this with an open mind, having heard (but never closely listened to) Take Me Out more times than I can possibly imagine. And boy oh boy, this is just bad. First things first, Alex Kapranos just has a bad voice. His delivery is weak, his control is poor and the production just makes it even worse. Which brings me on to the other aspect of this album that I thought was awful. The production was terrible. If a producer handed this to me, I’d be speaking to the label about getting someone else to give it another go. The obsession with vocals that sound like they were recorded through two yoghurt pots and a piece of string is baffling. To a certain extent, there’s an element of punk to it, but the music just has none of the attitude and energy of a punk record, and the band are really not tight players at all, so it just sounds sloppy and cluttered. The separation between instruments is non-existent and it just ends up sounding like a muddy, jangly mess. I don’t really have much more to say about this one, really. There were some catchy elements to the songs, and I feel like, with a really good producer, something moderately tolerable could be moulded out of this, but it sounds like a demo rather than a finished album. I’m stunned that this won the Mercury Prize. Jacqueline - Quite an uninspiring start to things. He’s not got the voice for such an exposed intro to the album, and some of the lyrics are pretty tortured. Rhyming ‘spectacle’ with ‘wrecked a girl’. Ew. When the song kicks in, it’s just too repetitive and fairly uninteresting. When you’re basing a lot of the song on a two-bar riff, you need to make things more interesting around that and they just don’t. Tell Her Tonight - This is just messy. Playing staccato rhythms requires better precision in the performances than this. Fells a bit like a cluster of demo ideas chucked together. Take Me Out - The big single. I’ve never listened to this closely before, but I’ve probably heard it half a million times. God damn is this production sloppy. The rhythm guitar part somehow clashes with the lead and just leaves a cluttered mess. I can see why it was the big single. It’s got a catchy riff and the memorable chorus. But that’s about it. The Dark Of The Matinée - This is probably a better song than Take Me Out. There’s a bit more invention to it, and more contrast between verse and chorus, and it’s got a decent groove to it. But his lyrics are so rubbish, and his voice still isn’t good. This also suffers from the undefined backing and cluttered production, this time between lead and backing vocals. Poorly structured harmonies and too much ‘singing down a phone line’ effect on the backing vox just leave another cluttered mess. Auf Achse - This has such a meandering start that I’m bored before the vocals actually start. The verse is boring, but here comes the chorus. Oh, that’s boring too. Cheating On You - Is this the best song yet? Probably. Manages to bring a bit of grit to meet the production half way. Decent riffs, but it does sound a bit like The Monkees cosplaying as Iggy and The Stooges. Not bad though. This Fire - Man, I really cannot get on board with this guy’s vocal delivery at all. Again, it lacks any sort of control, but without any of the emotion to make that make sense (no anger, angst or despair). The backing vocals just double down to make it messy and hard to tolerate. This is really boring too. Darts Of Pleasure - This one at least feels a bit more interesting. But it’s still like they’ve been listening to Joy Division, not really understood what makes them good, and stripped at all away. The gang vocals are annoying. The production is messy. And they don’t develop any of the ideas into anything that good. Michael - I can visualise the jerky staccato type of rhythm guitar playing that they employ all over this record, and it’s just relentlessly annoying. This song is boring and just lacks oomph. More sloppy production too. Come On Home - Oh, this intro at least sounds a bit more interesting. But when the vocal comes in, it’s just more of the same. Meh. 40’ - What happens when you remove the limited momentum that Franz Ferdinand has from their music? This. It meanders by and he restores to shit ‘la, la, la’ lyrics. I wonder if this track was titled 40’ because they wanted to make a 40 minute album, so they chucked this on at the end to fill up the time. They even failed at that, because it totals 38m 48s.

How did this scrape in? Was it 1001?

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

very good, if I liked it, it must mean it's some indie rock liked a lot of songs, not only the popular song from social media I like Take Me Out, 40 feet and some other added, will listen again

Love the album since it came out. Classic

Det e nok The Strokes sitt debutalbum som e mitt ultimate albumminne fra den her æraen, men det e ikke til å komme unna at æ, i mangel av en riktigere term, moillkoste mæ mens æ hørte på Franz Ferdinand igjen for første gang på ganske lenge. Så fornøyelig!

You just had to be there

I know this album quite well. An early 00's retro punk-funk-dance classic. Was a really fun breath of fresh air when they first came around. 5 star album, very awesome!

Супер

Favorite Track: Take Me Out

Not musically obvious + totally my vibe. Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes kind of feel. “The Dark of the Matinee” fav! I think I’ll be listening.

A classic from my teenage years so no surprise I enjoyed it once again. So catchy and clean sounding.

One of my favourite ever albums. Michael is genuinely one of the best singles of the 2000s. Take Me Out, This Fire, Jacqueline, 40ft etc are all top draw.

I like this - catchy melodies, indie rock that isn't just noise. Not every song sounds the same. It reminds me in places of Adam Ant.

So fun! Somehow both bored and so invested in what they're doing

Love the album, happy yet not too catchy. Such classics. Still has some grit to it.

Great dance rock album for me Favorite songs : Jacqueline Tell Her Tonight Take Me Out Cheating on You This Fire Michael Come On Home 40'

Hdp

Best band ever. The album I've listened to tons of times and I'm not gonna stop.

Take me out is an amazing track and I vaguely remember the other singles but first time listening to the album as whole and I really liked it.

Wowza

Really energising good vibes

Solid record

Great album with succinct songs, good melodies, atypical lyrics, and a cool album cover. 4.5/5.0: Excellent