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

Let me get this off my chest first: The Arctic Monkeys share exactly two common traits with The Beatles and Oasis - They're all British, and they're all rock bands. Let's end the comparisons there. No band will ever be the Beatles, and Oasis have two great albums while the Arctic Monkeys have only released one album to date, and its a totally different style and sound than Oasis. Comparisons to either of those bands are fruitless and unnecessary. So what is this album then? Overhyped? Probably. But its most definitely a contender for album of the year. Why? This album takes everything that's good about the current crop of British bands (stop-start guitars, great hooks, catchy and danceable bass lines, great lyrics) and then turns it up to 11, so to speak. Lyrically, this band has the most in common with The Streets, replacing white-boy rapping and home-computer beats with extremely strong musicianship. 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, while most could make equal claim to single of the year to this point. Examples? Fake Tales of San Francisco, with its driving bass-line, shout-out chorus, and great lyrics... The View from the Afternoon, a perfect opener that sets the tone for the rest of the album... the unabashed rock and roll of Perhaps Vampires... in fact, this album ends so strongly that its ridiculous, with the great lyrics and varied sound of When the Sun Goes Down... probably my favorite track, From the Ritz to the Rubble (brilliant chorus, fantastic guitars, f&^cking brilliant... "You couldn't have done that on a Sunday, of course not!")... and finally the album closer, a Certain Romance with its opening drum and guitar attack before settling into a perfect UK retro-rock dance groove with a totally different sound, and great lyrics condemning the vapidness and bad behavior of today's youth even as the singer admits he has friends who are the same... this song has one of the best lines you're likely to hear this year: "Cause over there theres broken bones / There's only music so that theres new ring tones / And it don't take no Sherlock Holmes / To see its a little different around here" I understand the backlash against this band (and so does the band, if one listens to their new EP), as they have seen an unfair amount of hype and hyperbole. The idea of comparing a band to the Beatles, after one album, is ridiculous. I understand the Oasis one a little better, as they are a more recent band, and Whatever People Say I am, Thats What I am Not has a similar quality to the first two Oasis albums, in that its hard to believe a band can burst onto the scene already sounding this polished and this distinct, and drop an album that is so solid front to back. So in theory, I get it. But musically this is an entirely different band, and they DESERVE to be hyped more than their compatriots (with the exception of Bloc Party, who are as good, but are an entirely different sound with a different mission). This band has no social or political mission to impart on us. This cd is, simply put, a great rock album, possibly the best of this millenium. Don't compare it to the best bands of all time, compare it to the current crop of what's out there - these guys absolutely blow away Hard-Fi, the Rakes, the Editors, Maximo Park, We Are Scientists, Kaiser Chiefs, etc etc. All of those bands have great albums and are some of my current favorites, but they aren't really traditional "rock" albums per se. The Arctic Monkeys have taken elements from all of these bands and infused it with what can only really be called traditional rock and roll, and I think that's what makes this cd so incredible.

Love this cd & it arrived intact, however the ongoing problem with damaged cases continues..... This case was broken/cracked front & back. The cd & other items were well packed and the box was intact which leads one to believe it was damaged before it was even sent out. PLEASE resolve this, it is happening with every cd I have ordered, this one was the worst!

Its perfect

Perfectly packaged, the record arrived in perfect condition. It has the classic Arctic Monkeys sound that I like. It arrived earlier than expected—very happy with the purchase.

I like to do a light clean before I play new vinyls and then give it a first listen. A lot of times, like here, the record seems to skip. I highly recommend you lift the needle when you hear a skip and clean the vinyl a few more times. I've found that a skip is usually just a dirty record and vinyls that seems unplayable at first just need to be cleaned. Otherwise, this was a great pressing or an amazing album.

Arctic Monkey's glorious debut almost deserves the ridiculously effusive accolades it has received across the pond. That's what makes it quite impressive. It may be not be one of the top ten albums EVER MADE. But it surely is one of the best rock albums of recent memory. Easy. Rarely do you hear a band that plays as if they have absolutely nothng to lose, and leave it all on the record. There is an exuberance and excitement in their playing here that is simply infectious. Most of the tempos rush along at breakneck pace, slowing a few times for delicate (but deadly serious) tunes like "Riot Van" and "Mardy Bum" just to mix things up. The songs barrel along, stop and start at will, offer killer hooks, danceable beats all sung by a lead singer with a thick accent where the word "thing" sounds like "fing." "I Bet You Look Good..." is a strong lead single. The guitar chords bounce along thrillingly as if the musicians' joints are held together by thick rubber bands. The tune has the headlong momentum of a barely controlled bullet train. The lyrics throughout have bite, and are worth careful attention. They fly by at first, but after a few listens you'll be appreciating their wit. The last time I felt this sort of particularly British rock energy was The Police's "Outlandos D'Amour". That same raw tuneful quality laid over wild abandon. "When The Sun Goes Down" even has a line regarding a hooker named Roxanne, which floored me on first listen. The album ends with an awesome Beatlesque epic, "A Certain Romance." Talk about chutzpah. Most of the songs clock in under three minutes, yet the album closes with a five-and-a-half minute multilayered complex piece with an extended instrumental opening that miraculously does not sound out of place. In fact, it sounds like the perfect ending. Like it could not have been anything else. Not every song here is a classic, but so many of them are so good it's astonishing. I haven't enjoyed an album this much, from beginning to end, in a long, long time.

The first time I heard Arctic Monkeys almost 7 years ago, my first reaction was 'ehh'. The second time I listened to Arctic Monkeys, I finally understood the hype. Now they are probably one of my favorite bands ever, especially after seeing them live. Whatever People Say I Am That's What I Am Not is probably one of the greatest debut albums of all time. The majority of the songs are hard hitting, but never cross the line of being too hard or loud. I don't think I can necessarily pick a favorite song on the album, but all the released singles are a great place to start if discovering them for the first time. The vinyl transfer is really good too. There is a lot more depth to the recording than there is on the standard mp3. I wouldn't say it's the best modern transfer to vinyl, but not the best. There is only so much that can be done with digitally engineered music when moving it to an analog medium.

Primera vez que compro un cd de forma internacional y suena bien. Las letras son correcta. Excelente producto

Todo correcto

Excelente

Released in 2006, the Arctic Monkeys' debut album was fairly typical of the 'good' (in my opinion) music that was in the charts at the time. When I first heard the energy of this new band's music, and the irresistible vocals of Alex Turner, I was drawn to it immediately. I could hear in their sound both the Libertines and Franz Ferdinand, bands which were by then well established. The Arctic Monkeys' debut had loud guitars, fast paced singing, and is an even mix of 'in-your-face' punk and indie, so 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' was my idea of a very good album. Not only was it good, it was impressive, the whole CD sounded so raw, yet polished, that you would think that the Monkeys had been established for years. The songs range from the good to the excellent, my favourites will always be the number one hit singles: 'When the Sun Goes Down'(I just love the melody at the beginning of it) and the throbbing indie anthem 'I Bet you Look Good on the Dancefloor', but all of the album only tracks benefit from consistent catchy guitar riffs and strong vocals. The irresistible 'Dancing Shoes' is raw and fresh, with lyrics that are naughty and yet so true. The much slower track 'Riot Van', describing underage drinking, is another standout. I exercise a lot, and this is an ideal, mostly very fast CD to work out to. For a debut - 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' was very strong, and there was even better releases to follow. Alex Turner knew how to write a good song, with lyrics that could be both honest and humourous. With his later side projects (The Last Shadow Puppets with Miles Kane, and the soundtrack to the film 'Submarine'), he has become one of my favourite young musicians. As for the band now, they are back with an outstanding new album AM , which might be their best yet. If you enjoy rock/indie music - you will surely love Arctic Monkeys, and this is where it all started.

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Sounds great and is a real vibe!!!