Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

This album took everything that was good about the British rock bands at the time (stop-start guitars, great hooks, catchy and danceable bass lines, great lyrics) and then turned it up to 11. What I like the most is that you can train your ear to listen to any of the parts of this band - the drumming is solid (far more so than say, Franz Ferdinand), each song is driven by terrific guitars and bass that will stay in your head as long as the lyrics will. THAT is what makes this album so impressive to me - the sum of its parts is stronger than any album I've heard in a long time. Another point to make is that this album honestly has no weak tracks at all. Zero. Every song is, at worst, above average.

The band were fuckin' wank and I'm not having a nice time.

Perfection.

pretty stock standard they're young, dumb and full of cum a Brit teen's wet dream

It’s pretty good but I feel like the intense popularity of this album has more to do with when it came out than it’s quality.

Not bad but a lot of Arctic Monkeys songs just sound like Arctic Monkeys songs.

all around slightly above average but I don't really get why it made the list

An insanely great debut album. Thought-provoking, raw lyrics with infectious hooks combined with an understated voice that blends into a well mixed band. There is a commonality between the songs in how the band sounds, but each song lives on it's own and has their own character. Every component has a role to bring these songs to life. One of my favorite albums. Don't think there is a bad song on this album. Stand-outs: Mardy Bum, From the Ritz to the Rubble ,Riot Van, Dancing Shoes

wank

stone cold classic. Being this from the golden era of intenet bootleg I did not hear the real final mix until many years later, I still like some of those demos better than the final version but it is without a doubt one of the great record of my youth. now, 15 years later my favorite is A certain romance, it just has it all, it is the complete time stamp of those day. damn I love this record.

Feels like the Strokes but British. Pretty good!

Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not - Arctic Monkeys 1. The View From the Afternoon - 5/5 2. I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor - 5/5 3. Fake Tales of San Francisco - 5/5 4. Dancing Shoes - 4/5 5. You Probably Couldn’t See For The Lights But You Were Staring Straight At Me - 4/5 6. Still Take You Home - 5/5 7. Riot Van - 5/5 8. Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured - 5/5 9. Marcy Bum - 5/5 10. Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But... - 5/5 11. From The Ritz To The Rubble - 4/5 12. A Certain Romance - 5/5 Overall: 4.75 or 95% Fave Songs: The View From The Afternoon, Still Take You Home, Riot Van, Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But...

Primero lo primero: este es un GRAN disco, independientemente de su historia. Tenía mucho tiempo sin escucharlo, tanto que ahora pienso si realmente lo escuché completo la primera vez o no. Me gustó (re)descubrir las canciones, y transportarme a la época en la que salió el disco. Es increíble que ya hayan pasado 15 años! Desde el punto de vista histórico, para mí este disco marca el inicio de una era en la que un grupo de jóvenes fue capaz de producirse y promoverse a sí mismos, sin necesidad de pasar por los canales tradicionales (las disqueras, en este caso), y se replica actualmente en otras formas: gente que publica sus propios libros, que desarrolla aplicaciones millonarias o produce sus propios programas de televisión, utilizando internet como plataforma.

One of my all-time faves. This debut album showed the world that Brit-alt was alive and well.

Yeah, an instant classic I knew I was going to be a simp for these Arctic Monkeys.

this one is jam packed full of nostalgia. listening to this while i've got a bit of back pain is ramming home how old i actually am. though to be fair i definitely don't miss being 21 at all, my kidneys are hurting just thinking about it and its actually quite nice to be a bit pissed off 3 pints. anyway back to the album, memories aside, it has suffered from the same problem that most 2000s indie, take away the killer and the filler is really hard to listen to. there are some absolute timeless bangers on this album but the shit tracks give you a window into the self absorbed shitty nature of that indie movement. perfect for a pisshead student but must have been a cancerous bunch of people to anyone not involved in it. i hate young people. they're awful.

12 shite songs. 1 half decent one. Jimmy Saville sounding motherfucker

Looking back, it's crazy to think about how hyped this band/record was. They were really sold as the future of rock and while I'll admit that this is a pretty solid debut, it's not necessarily the revolution people wanted it to be. Still, it's a fun rock record and I can understand that it gathered nostalgic value for most of its listeners.

Like, just listen to Gang of Four or something, geez.

I don't know what it is, but I've never cared for the Arctic Monkeys. This album didn't help change my mind.

What a mess. This album was all over the place with no real theme or direction. It wanted to be pop, punk, and rock all at the same time. Even though I like Alex Turner's voice and I like some of AM's songs (seen them live), this album left me annoyed and irritated. I couldn't wait for it to be over so I could sonically rinse my ears with something else.

Super “throw-on”-able. Short and sweet, catchy and sexy, and full of spunk. This was a big hit for me.

Just excellent. Laidback meaningful lyrics to fun, fast tempo-ed, smoothly played rock.

I think if I listened to it more I'd probably like it better

The Adam Sandler cigarette album

Guay.

Insanely great debut, one of my favourite albums ever… 💥

I have had such a terrible week or so of albums, so thank god for the few rays of sunshine I have gotten. This album is awesome. It's so fun, and bouncy, and unique - I love it. Although I think they've done some solid work since this released, I don't think they've ever again quite reached these heights.

Hands down the second best Strokes album.

GOAT

The Adam Sandler cigarette album

When Arctic Monkeys first emerged, I was ready to dismiss them as yet another overhyped guitar act, worshipped by the British music press as rock 'n' roll's next saviours. I actively avoided this record for six months, even though the singles were playing in every pub and club I visited. This was unfair—unlike many flash-in-the-pan bands, Arctic Monkeys had earned their stripes by building a loyal online following and commanding the stage at countless small shows with confidence beyond their years. My resistance finally broke when "The View From The Afternoon" came on the radio in sometime in the summer of 2006. Stuck in my car, I had no choice but to pay attention—and admit I’d been wrong. I bought the CD that same day, played it three times back to back, and realized that sometimes, the hype can be deserved. Beyond the angular riffs, intricate guitar work, and rough-edged sound—things I instantly loved—the real ace here, as in all Arctic Monkeys albums, is Alex Turner's sharp lyricism. Just a teenager at the time, Turner captured the Britain I saw outside my window, not the glossy, stylized version you’d see on TV. His cutting observations and witty lines shone a spotlight on the country's grittiest corners. This was a snapshot of everyday life, especially for young people in the North, documenting nightlife, friendships, and the local scene with a fresh, authentic voice. While tracks like "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor," "Dancing Shoes," and "The View From the Afternoon" show the band comfortable operating at full throttle, songs like "Mardy Bum," "Riot Van," and, to a degree, "Fake Tales of San Francisco" reveal a more nuanced sound and Turner’s ear for melody and dynamics. Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not could very well be the last great British guitar album. Did I own this release? Yes Does this release belong on the list: Yes Would this release make my personal list: Yes Will I be listening to it again: Yes

The Adam Sandler smoking a cig but not actually Adam Sandler album cover

Sheffield! Four of these tracks are in my set list and two more are in my "to learn" pile. 1. The View from the Afternoon - Great start, tri-tone (METAL!) establishes that this album is not going to be a pleasant ramble through the country (if you didn't get that from the cover). Love the arrangement - bass dropping out, guitars taking stereo turns to play the chords after the fake finish half-way through, drum style changes, band dropping out - all serve to keep the ear interested. Love the major version of a bond-type chord at the end. This track whets my appetite for the rest of the album. 2. I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor - one of my fave tracks - even the salsa band I'm in do this one. Great tempo. Your name isn't Rio (not real), but I don't care for sand. Great poetry - don't need romance, Shakespeare invoked and undercut too. Love it. 3. Fake Tales of San Francisco - You're not from NYC, you're from Rotherham (Rovrum) continues the theme of cutting through the bullshit of romance and getting real and local. This is Ken Loach indie pop. 4. Dancing Shoes - another banger. Love a floor tom rhythm. No chords, just a tune over the second verse, great. "Shit Shock Horror" love it. I really identify with the whole being at the club burning with lust and too afraid to talk to anyone theme, so, yeah - love this one. 5. You Probably Couldn't See for the Lights but You Were Staring Straight at Me - the tune is too high for everyone in the band to sing, which is so appropriate - it will damage vocal chords every time they play it and no-one cares. I'd have used more distortion on this one. 6. Still Take You Home - sounds like Dead Kennedys intro. Lounge middle 8. "Fake tan. Top Shop princess." 7. Riot Van - lovely sweeping up, going home vibe to this one - great contrast to the violence in the lyrics. 8. Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured. Ide to nicking a taxi fare. Again, great arrangement. 9. Mardy Bum - in Sheffield, this is as classic as Don't You Want Me Baby. Local vernacular "rate 'ard", "got the face on". They've never heard of "squinny" up here. 10. Perhaps Vampires Is a Bit Strong But... Anticapitalist rant. Longest track by half, distortion on the vocal connotes Alex's depth of rage to me. Song actually finishes at 2:10, then theres a metal Mambo/drum jam. Fucking love it. Last bit reminds me of The Great Imperial Yo-Yo. 11. When the Sun Goes Down. My lad Jacob used to sing this acapella as a folk song round the fire. "What a scummy man ... It's all not quite legitimate ... She must be fookin' freezin'" 12. From the Ritz to the Rubble - rhymes totaitarian with "scary 'un". Couldn't have done that on a Sunday - Turner returns to this theme in Do I wanna know "... nights were mainly made for saying things that you can't say tomorrow day." I'm looking forward to what he produces as he continues to get older. 13. A Certain Romance" Classic. 13 songs, 41 minutes - BANG! Love letter to the night-life of youth. Smashed it.

I really fucking love this band. Perfectly captures the British youth spirit at that time.

Odd turns of phrase. Too many words crammed into too little space. Music sounds like it could fall apart into a mess at any moment. I love it.

Ohhhhhh a classsiccccc.

A great album, love the gritty realism of the lyrics. It’s fantastic!

Very brit-punk-alt-something. I don't mind give me a Cigarette and a fish and chip yo.

Monkeys in the Arctic are as rare as British bands that actually sound British when they sing. This album is great.

Its thematic content has been likened to a concept, generally concerning nightlife, including lyricism surrounding clubbing and pub culture, and romance from the perspective of young Northerners. The album became the fastest selling debut album in British music history, selling over 360,000 copies in its first week, and remains the fastest selling debut album by a band. It has since gone 6× platinum in the UK. In the US, it also became the second-fastest selling independent record label debut album in history. The album received widespread critical acclaim from critics for its depiction of youth British culture and for resurging British indie music that had waned after the 1990s. Cover artwork of the album is a photo of Chris McClure—a close friend of the band, frontman of The Violet May and brother of Jon McClure of Reverend and The Makers—taken in the early hours of the morning in Korova bar, Liverpool[10] after the band had given him, his cousin and his best friend "seventy quid to spend on a night out"

Better than I remember.

Album started out decent but was very same-sy by the end. Will probably listen again and wouldn’t be surprised if it grew on me.

Boring prick

Ok album, no bad songs but no really good ones either. Probably won't give it another listen.

I actually don't really mind this. It's not incredible or mind-blowing, but it's serviceable for what it is.

Fun and energetic album. Only a few songs stand out but overall I enjoyed it.

That one Arctic Monkeys song you remember plus some other songs that are kind of like that

I liked some of it.

Not my usual brand of indie rock, but still a pretty good album. An interesting look into clubbing & pub hopping in North England from Alex Turner's perspective. Not subject matter I can really relate too, but a good listen and a good laugh at times nonetheless.

Kinda boring?

a bit repetitive, not as a commercialised sound as their later tracks, hate the vocals and the vibe YNN

was this generator made by a white man between the ages of 40- 48?!

Ok. "I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor" is a good song and the rest is forgettable, insincere-feeling Britpop. Not enough ire to be punk, too loose and loud to be polished pop, too many words and too little melody to be notable in any way. Guitar player writes really repetitive stuff, but just obtrusive enough that you can't forget he's there. If there are two of them, it's a crime against imagination. Musicians like Coltrane were widely lauded for the notes they didn't play -- their sense of space. I don't think the vocalist is familiar with that idea.

Really good, except I have a visceral reaction to Alex Turner, aka British Fred Durst.

Absolute banger

I really enjoyed this one. Especially the excellent instrumentation. I've listened to Arctic Monkeys and enjoyed them in the past, but not this particularly album. I can't listen to them for too long in one go, as I find them a bit too hectic for that. But I do feel like I could listen to them more often and check out their other albums.

great album

Nice. Reminds me of the best of the punk era, with perhaps a bit better guitar playing.

Love the energy. The world needs more artic monkeys

I loved this album. Great stuff. Right in my wheelhouse

Fantastic album. Wasn’t a fan of them until I heard this album just this Friday

A great album with a real range of banging songs on it. Probably my favourite debut album. 9/10

I used to listen to the songs in this album a lot when I was 16. Never stoped to listen to it as a whole, though. It has a really youthful theme, some shallow, funny and annoying situations of young adulthood. I love it.

Energetic like only young new bands can record. Witty like the best writers and sung in Sheffield vernacular too. Great fun.

Detta gillar jag.

Still sounds great today. Minor quibbles with the guitar tones but songwriting, performance and vibe are just legit

Top notch album one of my favs

This made me feel nostalgic. Favourite Songs: I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, Mardy Bum, When the Sun Goes Down, From the Ritz to the Rubble

One of the greatest debut albums of all time

An obvious five plus for me considering its my all time favourite album ever of all time. No bad songs. Could do a six paragraph op ed on the birth of the new frontier of indie guitar bands but will save it for another time

Love this band.

Where I was in my teenage years for not listen to this all day? I recognize the most famous songs, but the whole album is great!

This album reminds me of my teenage years. Dirty guitars, funny lyrics, MASSIVE drumming. One of the best first albums by a band in rock history. I'll keep listen to it for the rest of my life.

Best album from the 00s indie era (from Britain anyway). Great story telling and so much energy

A masterpiece. Such an amazing debut from the Arctic Monkeys

клёвый альбом 9/10/8

Fun

It's too bad Arctic Monkey's follow-up, "Favourite Worst Nightmare," isn't on the list. It opens with "Brianstorm" - not a typo -- "Brian Top marks for not tryin' So kind of you to bless us with your effortlessness We're grateful and so strangely comforted" Which reminds me so much of these reviews. I don't think they're "not tryin'," but they do make it seem effortless. As for Arctic Monkeys and "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not," more top marks are deserved. This was their debut, and they made a huge impact. I listened to their first two albums a lot, but didn't keep up with them. I don't know anything from their 3rd or 4th albums, which I think weren't as commercially successful. (The debut was actually a really huge hit, but I don't recognize any songs from 3 and 4 - no US radio play?) Their 5th, "AM," was also pretty big and I know some of those songs, but I don't know their most recent record. But "Whatever" absolutely holds up. (So does "Favourite.") So much great energy and brilliant lyrics from Alex Turner. He has a refreshingly different English accent and style of singing after too much Brit-pop on the list. I also enjoy the thematic nature of "Whatever," without it being a full concept or story album. I was thinking about going with a 4, because I think "Favourite" is a little bit better (the rare improvement on the sophomore album). However, the more I listen and think about it, the more I realize that they are both 5-star albums for me, with infinite replayability.

Really liked this! High energy but I stayed with it all the way through. Will definitely relisten, maybe a 9 from me

Great album! Maybe it is a bit generic, but I am not very familiar with this genre of music, so I wouldn't know.

great album, extremely bri’ish.

Un debut demoledor, cuesta creer que esos mocosos consiguieran semejante disco.

Grandisimo disco. Inconfundible estilo de los Artic Monkeys. Esa frescura en sus instrumentales y esa voz inconfundible que hacen que sea una gran experiencia escucharles.

High paced indie rock that brings everything to the table. Starts and never lets up. Highlight Tracks: 1, 2, 9, 11, 13

Bangers

Loved it!

Awesome album! Great example of indie "post-punk".

It's 5 stars. We all know that.

Masterpiece for a debut.

I was really impressed...

good

I never want to become a person who doesn't think 'get on your dancing shoes, you sexy little swine' is not a brilliant lyric to open a song with. This is essentially the soundtrack to my first year at university. I have a great memory of my friend whose American and really into AM get so excited the first time we got in a taxi and he saw the "red lights indicate doors are secure" sticker!

A disc i heard a lot of times. It´s a refreshing young version of rock that we need in those years of the begining of XXIº century. By the way, i love song called "I bet you look good on the dancefloor". Very coloured songs.

I forgot all about these guys. Great album from start to finish!

Sound of our generation ennit. What an excellent album, not a bad track on it. Such a sound and just holds a perfect memory in space and time for me. Shame they got shit.

Damn I love this album

***FIRE EMOJI***