Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not [Digipak] - Arctic Monkeys

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Lyrics, Vocals, Music, Style, The second track
Disadvantages:	They seemed to have dipped after the album, 1 or 2 poor tracks

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

ARGH it didn't work >_<.
Ok I wrote a really really good review for this last night...like the greatest review you didn't read but I forgot these sites are so dodgy for saving things.

Anyway, despite reviewing the second album by Arctic Monkeys and not being much of a fan of it (Favourite Worse Nightmare, got 3 out of 5 by me), I repeatedly said the band had talent and the album wasn't reflective of their true ability. Despite the odd Arctic Monkeys fan finding my review of FWN as "Off topic" (we won't name names), a lot of people found it very helpful (only time I've had an "Off topic" rating and an "Exceptional" for the same review). As a result of liking what I'd heard from the Arctic Monkeys debut album, the stupidly titled "Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not", and seeing it in the library I rented it, ripped it to my laptop and listened to it pretty profousely.

My recent reviews have started to go to a formula of information then the review with little bits added in a summary, so I'm going to copy the set up of The Streets album review for "A grand dont come for free".

Who the fuck are Arctic Monkeys?*
Arctic Monkeys are a 4 peice indie rock band from Sheffield, England. The band started out as a 5 peice in 2002 before the then vocalist dropped out and were brought to the attention of the media by the internet, though both their official means (the band's myspace for example) and some unofficial means (file sharing of their songs by fans).

What sort of music do Arctic Monkeys produce?
Arctic Monkeys music generally falls under the "indie rock" umbrella, but musically could be better defined as post-punk rock (despite falling under the description of having an independent label and being a rock band). The band could also be described as a soft british based guitar rock band, with a keen intrest in lyrical based social commentaries and songs that fit these lyrical ideas. The vocals take a very Yorkshire based twang with the lead singer often using dialect thats highly linked to Sheffield**, and leaves his real accent in the songs. This makes a change from some contemporaries such as The Streets who uses a Mockney accent rather than his own Brummie one.

What is Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not?
Short answer-WPSIATWIN is a stupidly long titled debut album by Arctic Monkeys.
Long answer-WPSIATWIN is the debut album by Arctic Monkeys, released on Domino records in 2006 following the releases of "I bet you look good on the dance floor" and "When the Sun Goes Down". The album recieved huge critical acclaim from both critics and fans, with the worst main stream album review giving it a 6/10 (Prefix review on 14th Feb 2006).

What might we recognise from WPSIATWIN?
People should definately recognise both the singles from the album as both cruised to #1 in the UK amongst other countries.
The first single was released in late 2005, and became one of the highest selling tracks of the year:
"I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor", This achieved world wide success including:
16 Weeks in the UK top 40 (Reaching #1)
8 Weeks in the Australian ARIA Singles top 50 chart (peaking at #18)
And reaching #8 on the US Modern Rock chart
Records and awards-
Best Track - 2006 NME Awards

The second single "When the Sun Goes Down", Also sold like hot cakes, with details including:

1. 1 (UK)
2. 11 (Dutch Mega Top 50)
3. 28 (Australia)

Anything else we should know?
WPSIATWIN burst records left, right and centre with the following:
The fastest selling debut album in the UK since records began
The second fastest selling debut indie album in historyAnd won awards including:
5th greatest British album - NME
Mercury Prize Album of the Year
Best Album - Q Awards
Album of the Year - NME
Album of the Year - Crossbeat Magazine (Japan)
Album of the Year - TIME Magazine
Album of the Year - Hot Press Magazine (Ireland)
Best International Album - Meteor Music Awards (Ireland
Best British Album - 2007 BRIT Awards
Album of the Year Rolling Stone Magazine

As well as reached the following benchmarks:
#1 in three countries (UK, Ireland and Australia)
In the top 10 of a further two (Sweeden and Japan)
Top 50 in at least 19 different major global charts
Achieving platinum status in 3 countries (Argentina, Australia and Triple Platinum in the UK)
Went gold in 3 (Denamrk, New Zealand and Japan)

That everything?
Not quite, a little bit of trivia for you, the picture of the man on the fron of the cover is of a friend of the bands, called Chris McClure, and the picture was heavily criticised by the NHS of Scotland.

Actually wait...you haven't told us who the fuck Arctic Monkeys are?
They are:
Alex Turner-Guitar, Lead Vocals, Song writer
James Cook-Guitar
Matt Helders-Drums and Backing Vocals
Nick O'Malley-Bass Guitar (As of May 2006)
Andy Nicholson-Bass Guitar (Upto May 2006)

The main review
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The opening track is "The view from the afternoon" which starts in the way "Brianstorm" (From FWN) tried with the battles between drums and guitars. However unlike "Brianstorm" this doesn't sound like it's just been throw into a pot and allowed to react as it wishes. This is done in a controlled and well monitored way which allows Turners vocals to sound bloody brilliant. Theres nowt wrong with this song at all, and it's a bloody good opening track to the album, even if the fake ending does seem un-necessary it does allow you to catch your breath and realise your missing the music. 10/10

"I bet you look good on the dancefloor", Still my all time favourite Arctic Monkeys song, due to the energy and the raw testorone which makes you think wow, this band really can live upto the NME hype with songs liek this. A track that doesn't dictate just your ears, but your body, your mouth and everything. The music to it is so full of raw energy it grabs your by the shirt collar and says "Come on mate, sing along" as you imagine a phanton mic sat in your hands and as the chorus starts you scream it out not giving a rats that you look like fool, because the song makes you feel so cool. Brilliant and an instant classic. 11/10

"Fake Tales Of San Francisco", A softer musical feel than the previous song which allows you to catch your breath, before the catchy even if over used vocal sparring of the chorus lines. The lyrics are amazing right throughout and even the swearing thats contained seems to fit so well that you don't care it's there. Some good cultural references to modern bands and what seems like a reference to Pete Doherty. 9/10

"Dancing Shoes" Takes a a different overall feel to the previous tracks with shorter snappier lines and some good intersecting riffs placed carefully throughout the song. Although not upto the standard of the previous 3 tracks, it's not poor as such, it just doesn't have the same magic as the earlier tracks. What also doesn't help is it's short length at around 2 mins 20 it just doesn't have enough there to really like, or dislike. 7/10

"You Probably Couldn't See For The Lights But You Were Staring Straight At Me", Well done for having the stupidest titled song in the history of indie rock -_-. The pacey opening guitar riff makes me think of the dreadful "Leaving on a jet plane" cover by Blink 182, but thankfully the vocals and the slowing down of the guitar makes the song an enjoyable track. The lyrics, as with much of the album are rather good at times, with some amazing lines though out. The song has an overall happy feel to it, which despite the lyrics not quite falling into that category seems to suit it all well. 9/10

"Still Take You Home", One of the best lyrically on the album with lots of modern fashion references to the fakeness of people who follow the popular fashions. The references to things such as Topshop and fake tan showing the popular clientelle of modern nightclubs, and the modern approach to one night stands, which are basically meet someone in a club whose nothing special and covers themselves in what their not. The humourous way in which the same people visit the same club year after year and have one night stands with people they've been with a year earlier is also mentioned. 10/10

"Riot van", Another track that could contend the best lyrics on the album, and definately has a lot of my favourite lines. The story of the song features around the childish chav culture of modern society where the teenagers seem to think it's funny to give the police a run around on a Friday night. The story is from the point of view of a kid thats watching but not getting involved themselves. The soft slow feeling to the opening song gives it all a really different feel (much like "505" on FWN). The soft easy feeling of the song is brilliant, and gives the album a rest from the fast rockier stuff. 10/10

"Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured", This song seems to be more or less a conversation in the back of a taxi on the way home form a club. Another one with wonderful lyrics, and the backing bassline is exceptional with Turner actually keeping his vocals controlled with out trying to scream over the music this song really is wonderful. The easy feel of listening to the story of the night kinda makes you imagine your there, and it is lyrically like your listening to the conversation, which gives it a kinda loveable quirky feel. 10/10

"Mardy Bum", Mardy is slag up north for moody, so the song is basically about a moody sod, in this case a two friends arguing, despite the lyrics not being up there tiwh the better ones from the album, the overall feel of the song is mind blowing. The vocals reach the standards that Turner can perform to and the music is toe tappingly likeable. The immediate feel of the song is rather weird as despite the some of the dialect the song doesn't suffer from the use of it. The two friends seem like they were or are in a relationship, which looks on the rocks and the song ends in a bit of a sad way perhaps saying that the people are about to split. 9/10

"Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But...", This is the worst song on the album (nice opening huh?) and sadly to make this even worse it's also the second longest track on the album, and seemingly recorded in lo-fi. The song does have Turners vocals being pretty decent but everything else is pretty meh, and a song that would happily have fit on the far inferior second album by the band. 5/10

"When The Sun Goes Down", A song about prostitution and a bleeding good one too (song, not prostitute). Starting with a soft guitar and Turner's vocals telling the story of a "scummy" man, basically a man who'se a bit of a dirty character. The songs picks up at the end of the second verse and the song falls into a heavily drum orientated track rather than the primary guitar sounds of earlier tracks. The hook is amazingly and gets you again joining in the singing, almost in a subliminal way. The story fits together amazingly well (and even got made into a short movie). 10/10

"From The Ritz To The Rubble", Lyrically a very odd song due to it's form being 1 long story of the night before being the opening part before the song breaks into other shorter verses. The song tells the story of the arsehole bouncers some spots get (most bouncers seem alright from my knowledge, but theirs always one knob from every few...like the ugly git from the Cathouse in Glasgow). The song is again high paced and has you tapping your foot loudly and quickly on the floor before you realise theirs only one more track left on what has been an album thats flown by. 10/10

The final track "A Certain Romance", Seems to have come far to fast (which tbh at around 40 mins into the disk, it kinda has). A heavy drum beat opens the track before the guitars kick in with a riff that I recognise from some 1990's group (someone like James or Dodgy), this dies off pretty quickly as a slower, more metallic guitar sound is played along with the bass and drums. The lyrics just make you think of the street you live on, and the people you see every day and to an extent think "I may not be dressed in Armani suits, but at least my socks aren't tucked in you tool". You know the sort of people the ones that would take a swing at you if you told them what you really thought of them...The song has a good end of album feel about it, and make you wonder why FWN didn't carry on where WPSIATWIN ended. 9/10

The inlay is pictures of the band and Chirs Mcclures night out*** which are amusing at best, and would have been bettered with lyrics.

Summary-Brilliant, 1 or 2 poorer tracks, which are more than made up for with the continually high standard of the others. The album is far better than their follow up, which makes the band seem more like hype, than the tru quality that they've shown in this example of pure indie goodness.

Lyrical excerpts
~~~
"The View From The Afternoon"

"The lairy girls hung out the window of the limousine
And of course its fancy dress
And they're all looking quite full on
In bunny ears and devil horns"

"I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor"

"I said I bet that you look good on the dance floor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or...
Don't know what you're looking for
Well I bet that you look good on the dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
from 1984!"

"Fake Tales Of San Francisco"

"Fake Tales of San Francisco
Echo through the room
More point to a wedding disco
Without a bride or groom"

"Dancing Shoes"

"Get on your dancing shoes
You sexy little swine
Hoping they're looking for you
Sure you'll be rummaging through"

"You Probably Couldn't See For The Lights But You Were Staring Straight At Me"

"Everybody's trying to crack the jokes and that to make you smile
Those that claim that they're not showing off are drowning in denial
They're not half as bad as me say anything and I'll agree
When it comes to acting up, I'm sure I could write the book"

"Still Take You Home"

"I fancy you with a passion, you're a Topshop princess, a rockstar too
You're a fad you're a fashion and I'm having a job trying to talk to you"

"Riot Van"

"Have you been drinking son, you don't look old enough to me"
"I'm sorry officer is there a certain age you're supposed to be?.. nobody told me"

"Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured"

"See her in the green dress? She talked to me at the bar
How come its already two pound fifty? We've only gone about a yard
Dint ya see she were gorgeous, she was beyond belief
But this lad at the side drinking a Smirnoff ice came and paid for her tropical Reef"

"Mardy Bum"

"Yeah I'm sorry I was late
Well I missed the train
And then the traffic was a state
And I can't be arsed to carry on in this debate
That reoccurs, oh when you say I don't care
Well of course I do, yeah I clearly do!"

"Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But..."

"You better give me some pointers since you are the big rocket launcher and
I'm just the shot gun,
I ant got no dollar signs in my eyes that might be a surprise but its true"

"When The Sun Goes Down"

"And what a scummy man
Just give him half a chance
I bet he'll rob you if he can
Can see it in his eyes,
Yeah, that he's got a driving ban
Amongst some other offences"

"From The Ritz To The Rubble"

"Last night what we talked about
It made so much sense
But now the haze has ascended
It don't make no sense anymore"

"A Certain Romance"

"Well oh they might wear classic Reeboks
Or knackered Converse
Or tracky bottoms tucked in socks"

*This was a name of an Arctic Monkey's EP so i thought it was a fitting question, and one where profanity was infact a good reference to the band in question.

**Words such as "Nowt", "Owt" and "Dun't" for example are all words that are used predominately in Yorkshire.

***The cover picture was taken after Chris and a mate were given £70 by the band to go on a night out, the picture afterwards (the cover picture) shows Chris looking worse for wear. The Scottish NHS said it was irresponsible to show the cigarette, which the band replied by saying something along the lines of "It's obviously done him no good."