Franz Ferdinand

[TripleJay97]

Here we can discuss arguably the best band of the noughties!

Franz Ferdinand were the band that appeared when I was first getting into music. Their first album played a massive role in my growing up, I remember dancing around my old bedroom to songs like Cheating On You and 40". I ended up collecting every album of theirs and they haven't disappointed me yet!

I saw them live last year, on their Right Action tour. What a fantastic show! They still have the energy of 20 year olds and they really know how to entertain a crowd.

What are your Franz Ferdinand memories? What is your favourite album and why?

[Lt Pinkerton]

Fave album: Debut obviously. Fave song: Lucid Dreams. They're just a great singles band imo, but I'll let you prove me wrong

[TripleJay97]

My favourite album was a toss up between the debut and their latest release. Right Action just doesn't have a bad song on it, it's a great summer record, it's so much fun to dance to. I ended up voting for it because I knew the majority of people would vote for the debut.

[AdvertBreak]

My favourite is You Could Have It So Much Better, the brilliant hooky son of a bitch. I remember asking my mum to buy it me in Tesco on the day of release aged 8, and I played it to death. There isn't a duff track on it anywhere.

Second favourite is Tonight, which is a weird story because whilst I loved Ulysses at the time, I didn't actually buy the album for some time later. Third favourite is potentially FFS, fourth and fifth the debut and RTRWRA, but I'm not sure in which order. I like them both a lot all the same of course. Franz Ferdinand will always remind me of 2004 which along with 2003 I find to be the best years of my young life - but its really just for the singles. The album itself has no filler on it but So Much Better and Tonight have the edge. I was eagerly anticipating Right Action and though I was disappointed that understandably they were a little less experimental than on Tonight, again I can't actually fault it in any place, even if I don't play the later tracks anywhere near as much as I should.

[TripleJay97]

I used to share the opinion that YCHISMB was better than the debut, but I got really into Post-punk recently, and I feel that the debut shares more qualities with that genre than its follow up does. YCHISMB feels more like a traditional Indie Rock record to me. That's not to say that it's bad, it's a fantastic album, it easily takes third place in my book.

[AdvertBreak]

I think they are both pretty close due to post-punk being sort of undefinable by one sound, but I agree the debut reminds me of general post-punk (with its easily identifiable GoF influence but not as obvious as for Bloc Party), whilst YCHISMB better recalls jaunty American new wave (only with hooks galore, and a little glam). Tonight and RTRWRA are also very post-punky.

[TripleJay97]

I think the drums on the debut sound a lot like the drums on Talking Heads: 77, which is probably why I made the post-punk connection.

[Consigliere_11]

Franz Ferdinand were the first modern age band I really loved listening to - thanks to "You Could Have It So Much Better" which to this day I think is a magnificent record - I think I listened to it too much back in a day Second place is now shared by their debut and FFS - and I was quite surprised that the collaboration with Spark would work (despite one of the track names!) - because after "RT,RW,RA" it seemed like the guys... were bored maybe - their sound didn't evolve much (even "Tonight" was more experimental in that sense) and Sparks certainly have added some fresh ideas - so, I hope that I'll see them live somewhere soon!

And yeah, "The Fallen" is my favorite - because it is such an amazing album opener, which makes the main impression for me!

[AdvertBreak]

I think the drums on the debut sound a lot like the drums on Talking Heads: 77, which is probably why I made the post-punk connection.

Sort of unrelated but I love how the drums on YCHISMB are harder and pretty unpolished.

[TripleJay97]

I've always wondered why an alternative version of Eleanor Put Your Boots On was necessary? I always preferred the album version and I didn't think it needed replacing for the single.

[JAIME]

The 2 first albums are the best of them imo.

Anyway, when they play live they rock really. Albums don't show their potencial sadly.

[TripleJay97]

Their live shows are indeed fantastic. I really want to see them with Sparks!

[JAIME]

My fave songs are:

Tell Her Tonight
The Dark of The Matinée
This Fire
Do You Want To
Walk Away
Outsiders
Lucid Dreams

[Mallard No. 22]

The singles I liked at the time were 'Matinee', 'Michael' and 'Do You Want To'.

[TripleJay97]

Anyone who hasn't already heard 'Wine in the Afternoon' needs to listen to it. Its a B-side from the You Could Have it So Much Better period and it's one of my favourite songs ever.