Franz Ferdinand (album)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand cover
Studio album by Franz Ferdinand
Released February 9, 2004
Recorded 2003-2004
Genre Indie rock, Art Rock, Post-punk revival
Length 38:45
Label Domino Records
Producer(s) Franz Ferdinand, Tore Johansson
Professional reviews
Franz Ferdinand chronology
Franz Ferdinand
(2004)		 You Could Have It So Much Better
(2005)


Franz Ferdinand is the debut album by British indie rock band Franz Ferdinand released in early 2004. This album debuted at number 3 on the UK album charts in February 2004 and contains three top ten singles in the UK in "Take Me Out", "This Fire" (on the download chart) and "The Dark of the Matinée" or "Matinée". The album won the 2004 Mercury Music Prize. The album has since sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide. This album has been released with the Copy Control protection system in some regions.

Contents

[edit] Chart success

The album debuted at #3 on the UK album charts in February 2004 and at #12 on the Australian ARIA album charts in April 2004. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 album charts on April 26, 2004, and climbed slowly, peaking at #32 in December 2004. It reached #2 on the Heatseeker chart for debut acts. As of September 2004, there have been five different singles released from the album:

  • The "Darts of Pleasure" EP reached the top 50 of the UK singles charts in September 2003.
  • "Take Me Out" reached the top 5 of the UK charts, top 10 of the Irish charts and top 40 in a composite European chart.
  • "The Dark of the Matinée" or "Matinée" reached the top 10 of the UK singles charts and top 30 of the World Modern Rock Charts (a composite chart of US, German, UK, Swedish, Finnish, Canadian and Australian modern rock charts).
  • "Michael" reached the top 20 of the UK singles charts in August 2004.
  • "This Fire" only first played by KROQ in September 2004.

[edit] Critical success

Franz Ferdinand received a generally strong positive response from critics. The NME said that the band was the latest in the line of art school rock bands featuring The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roxy Music, the Sex Pistols, Wire, and Blur. It rated the album as 9 out of 10 and said: "This album is the latest and most intoxicating example of the wonderful pushing its way up between the ugly slabs of Pop Idol, nu metal and Britons aping American bands. What these blossoming bands have in common is the absolute conviction that rock 'n' roll is more than a career option."

The BBC's review of the album said: "At only 38 minutes long Franz Ferdinand may not be a particularly long album, but it is a masterpiece of funky, punky, suave cool from the first track to the last." The All Music Guide rated the album as four out of five stars and said: "Franz Ferdinand ends up being rewarding in different ways than the band's previous work was, but it's apparent that they're still one of the more exciting groups to come out of the garage-rock / post-punk revival."

On September 7, 2004 the album was awarded the 2004 Mercury Music Prize.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Jacqueline" (Alex Kapranos/Nick McCarthy/Bob Hardy) – 3:49
    • Lead vocals: Alex Kapranos
  2. "Tell Her Tonight" (Alex Kapranos/Nick McCarthy) – 2:17
    • Lead vocals: Nick McCarthy
  3. "Take Me Out" (Alex Kapranos/Nick McCarthy) – 3:57 (Listen (help·info))
    • Lead vocals: Alex Kapranos
  4. "The Dark of the Matinée" (Alex Kapranos/Nick McCarthy/Bob Hardy) – 4:03
    • Lead vocals: Alex Kapranos
  5. "Auf Achse" (Alex Kapranos/Nick McCarthy) ("On the Axle" in German) – 4:19
    • Lead vocals: Alex Kapranos
  6. "Cheating On You" (Alex Kapranos/Nick McCarthy) – 2:36
    • Lead vocals: Alex Kapranos
  7. "This Fire" (Alex Kapranos/Nick McCarthy) – 4:14
    • Lead vocals: Alex Kapranos
  8. "Darts of Pleasure" (Alex Kapranos/Nick McCarthy) – 2:59
    • Lead vocals: Alex Kapranos
  9. "Michael" (Alex Kapranos/Nick McCarthy) – 3:21
    • Lead vocals: Alex Kapranos
  10. "Come On Home" (Alex Kapranos/Nick McCarthy) – 3:46
    • Lead vocals: Alex Kapranos
  11. "40'" (Alex Kapranos/Nick McCarthy) – 3:24
    • Lead vocals: Alex Kapranos

[edit] Release history

Country Date Label Format Catalog
United Kingdom February 9, 2004 Domino Records LP WIGLP136
CD WIGCD136
2CD WIGCD136X
United States March 9, 2004 Domino Records LP, CD DN027
Australia April 19, 2004 Sony Australia 2CD 5170999000
United States April 20, 2004 Epic Records LP E92441
Canada CD EK92441
Japan June 2, 2004 Sony Japan CD EICP 370
United States November 23, 2004 Epic Records 2CD EK93630

[edit] External links

Franz Ferdinand
Alex Kapranos | Robert Hardy | Nicholas McCarthy | Paul Thomson
Discography
Albums and extended plays: Darts of Pleasure | Franz Ferdinand | You Could Have It So Much Better
Singles: "Darts of Pleasure" | "Take Me Out" | "The Dark of the Matinée" | "Michael" | "This Fire" | "Do You Want To" | "Walk Away" | "The Fallen" / "L. Wells" | "Eleanor Put Your Boots On" | "Jeremy Fraser"
DVDs: Franz Ferdinand
Related articles
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria | Domino Records | Tore Johansson | Rich Costey
This box: view • talk • edit
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../f/r/a/Franz_Ferdinand_%28album%29_3f29.html"