The Libertines (album)

The Libertines
Studio album by The Libertines
Released 30 August 2004
Recorded Spring 2004
Genre Garage rock, post-punk revival
Length 42:04
Label Rough Trade
Producer Mick Jones
The Libertines chronology
Up the Bracket
(2002)		 The Libertines
(2004)
Singles from The Libertines
  1. "Can't Stand Me Now"
    Released: 9 August 2004
  2. "What Became of the Likely Lads"
    Released: 25 October 2004
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Filter [2]
The Guardian [3]
Mojo [4]
NME (9/10)[5]
Pitchfork Media (7.1/10)[6]
Rolling Stone [7]
Q [8]
Robert Christgau (A-)[9]
Spin (A-)[10]
Uncut [11]

The Libertines is the second album by the British indie rock band The Libertines. Released on 30 August 2004, it is particularly biographical of the relationship between frontmen Carl Barât and Pete Doherty. The album instantly reached #1 in the UK and is on its way to achieving platinum certification. It sold 72,189 copies in its first week. The album is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[1]. In 2006, NME placed the album 47 in a list of the greatest British albums ever.[2]

The Libertines, like its 2002 predecessor, Up the Bracket, was re-released with a bonus DVD on 22 November 2004. The DVD, entitled Boys in the Band, is a collection of live shows, band interviews, and the "Can't Stand Me Now" promotional video.

The song Arbeit Macht Frei featured in the 2006 film Children of Men.

Contents

Track listing

  1. "Can't Stand Me Now" (Peter Doherty, Carl Barât, Richard Hammerton) – 3:23
  2. "Last Post on the Bugle" (Doherty, Barât, Michael Bower) – 2:32
  3. "Don't Be Shy" (Doherty, Barât) – 3:03
  4. "The Man Who Would Be King" (Doherty, Barât) – 3:59
  5. "Music When the Lights Go Out" (Doherty) – 3:02
  6. "Narcissist" (Barât) – 2:10
  7. "The Ha Ha Wall" (Doherty, Barât) – 2:29
  8. "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Doherty) – 1:13
  9. "Campaign of Hate" (Doherty) – 2:10
  10. "What Katie Did" (Doherty) – 3:49
  11. "Tomblands" (Barât, Doherty) – 2:06
  12. "The Saga" (Doherty, Paul Roundhill) – 1:53
  13. "Road to Ruin" (Doherty, Barât) – 4:21
  14. "What Became of the Likely Lads" (Doherty, Barât) / "France" (Barât) (Hidden track) – 5:54

Japanese bonus tracks

  1. "Don't Look Back into the Sun" (New Version) (Doherty, Barât)
  2. "Cyclops" (Doherty, Peter Wolfe)
  3. "Dilly Boys" (Doherty, Barât)

Australian bonus tracks

  1. "Never Never" (Doherty, Barât)
  2. "I Got Sweets" (Doherty, Barât)

Japanese and Mexican bonus DVD

  1. "What a Waster" (Live at The Factory, Japan)
  2. "Death on the Stairs" (Live at The Factory, Japan)
  3. "Up the Bracket" (Live at The Factory, Japan)
  4. "I Get Along" (Live at The Factory, Japan)
  5. "The Boy Looked at Johnny" (Live at The Factory, Japan)
  6. "The Boy Looked at Johnny" (Live at Moby Dick, Spain)
  7. Busking for Beer + Assorted Covers and Song Segments (Live at Filthy McNasty's Pub, London)
  8. "Can't Stand Me Now" (Video)
  9. Photo Gallery
  10. Extras (Footage of Band, Interviews and NME award footage)

As well as the songs listed above, there is a hidden track, titled "France", composed by Barat, which starts at 3:28 of "What Became of the Likely Lads". A re-recording of an old Libertines song which originally appeared on one of their first demos, recorded at Odessa Studios, "France" was written and performed by Carl Barât. The final listed track is a nod to the British sitcom Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?.

Singles

Freedom Gig

The album cover was taken by Roger Sargent during the emotional "Freedom Gig" at the Tap 'N' Tin club, Chatham, Kent, on 8 October 2003, when Pete Doherty reunited with the Libertines for a gig just hours after being released from jail. [3] Pete Doherty returned to the Tap 'N' Tin club on 20 December 2008 for a one-off gig with Chas & Dave.

Chart performance

Chart (2004) Peak
position[14]
UK Albums Chart 1
Australian Albums Chart 53
Austrian Albums Chart 31
Belgian Albums Chart 24
Dutch Albums Chart 53
French Albums Chart 27
German Albums Chart 20
Irish Albums Chart 5
Japan Albums Chart 18
Norwegian Albums Chart 34
Swedish Albums Chart 18
Swiss Albums Chart 51
Billboard 200 111
US Top Heatseekers 4

References

  1. ^ Allmusic review
  2. ^ Filter review
  3. ^ The Guardian review
  4. ^ Mojo review
  5. ^ NME review
  6. ^ Pitchfork Media review
  7. ^ Rolling Stone review
  8. ^ Q review
  9. ^ Robert Christgau review
  10. ^ Spin review
  11. ^ Uncut review
  12. ^ Forum
  13. ^ Stylus Article
  14. ^ "Libertines - The Libertines - Music Charts". acharts.us. http://acharts.us/album/16689. Retrieved 2007-11-07. 
Preceded by
Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned
by The Prodigy		 UK number one album
11 September 2004 – 17 September 2004		 Succeeded by
Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield
The Libertines
Carl Barât · Peter Doherty · John Hassall · Gary Powell
Anthony Rossomando · Johnny Borrell · Paul Dufour · Steve Bedlow
Studio albums
Up the Bracket (2002) · The Libertines (2004)
Extended plays
Singles
Compilations
DVDs
Boys in the Band · Who the Hell Is Pete Doherty?
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