Libertines, The [PA] - Libertines (The) > Reviews > The Libertines

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Flawless lyrics and strong tunes
Disadvantages:	There is none .  One of the greatest albums ever written

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The Libertines second album came at a time when they'd been hyped up by every respected music critic in the industry, and were on the brink of something massive.

In true Pete Doherty style, alot of it had been released on the internet beforehand, but the album still sold well, instantly reaching number 1.

There's alot more order to this album than Up The Bracket thanks to The Clash's Mick Jones work with the band, leaving it feeling a little overproduced when you've grown acustomed to the mass chaos and trail of destruction that is The Libertines, but starting strongly with probably their most successful track ever - Can't Stand Me Now paves the way for an incredible album.

Can't Stand Me Now is like a clash of minds and a lovers tiff, thrown in a musical blender, with sheer genius added for good measure before it's spat out and pumped into your eardrums. It's an unforgetable moment the first time you hear it - It's original, crazy, somewhat chaotic, bitter, sadistic and yet true love in the purest sense of the word. It's one of the songs that really defined the Libertines and what made them special. For fans that have seen them live, it reminds you of the chaotic gigs, where they barely held it together and you never knew what was going to happen next, for those that hadn't, it made you want to be a part of this scene, despite all the bad press, because despite everything, the music was essentially superb.

After that song, you're hooked. The album will takeover your life, and you'll find yourself reciting the songs under your breathe day and night. It adds meaning to your otherwise dull existance. Exaggeration? No! It's like a soundtrack to a generation.

After Can't Stand Me Now, you're hit with Last Post On The Bugle, What Katie Did, Don't Be Shy, What Became Of The Likely Lads, Tomblands, Albeit Macht Freit, Music When The Lights Go Out, The Man Who Would Be King and many other tracks that other bands just weren't and still aren't capable of.

What Became Of The Likely Lads shows the brutal honesty of the band. The lyrics "What became of the likely lads? What became of the dreams we had?" describe the breakdown of Pete and Carl's relationship and it was the ability to write down these emotions, put it on an album and perform the tracks week in, week out that made them unique.

The Saga was Pete's way of replying to a letter sent to him by one of his managers, in which he is told of the concern around his escalating drug problem "Problem, no i aint got a problem, it's you who's the f**king problem" was exactly how we expected Pete to react - His hedonistic approach to life was what made alot of us so amazed by him.

Pete's drug addiction had unfortunately become worse, and it was creating a lot of bad press. Any publicity is good publicity may very well be true, but this album saw the end of the new millenium's greatest band so far, and paved the way for a host of new Indie bands to follow. The Libertines will go down in history as a band that defined a generation.