Favourite Worst Nightmare (Audio CD)

MMMM, not sure I think I might get slated for this but am I the only person who thinks the first album is a whole load better. Don't get me wrong musically it is tight, flawless infact. They have obviously come on leaps and bounds but something is missing. OLD YELLOW BRICKS, TEDDY PICKER and BALACLAVA are the exception to the rule. One thing I liked about the first album was the laddishness, references to nights on the lash in any town really and above all catchy tunes. Other than the songs I mentioned above this album isn't that catchy. Don't get me wrong, they are one of my favourite bands still, I just reckon expectations of them are off the scale. This is still a good album to get you dancing and bass lines continue to be well funky.....just give me the first album anyday.

Sadly, they're not the new Beatles. > I raved about their first album. It was the freshest rock album I'd heard by a U.K. group in years. I wrote to a mate: "RocK un RoLL will never die. They were playing their record in the chip-shop tonight -"When The Sun Goes Down" and it sounded so good I mistakenly thought it was their big hit "Dancefloor", in fact it sounded as fresh and exciting as Eddie Cochran in 1959. (That came to mind 'cos I bought a '45 of Eddie's "Three Steps To Heaven" in a nearby chip-shop in '59, they were selling ex-jukebox '45's with the centres out in a cardboard box on the counter.) Tonight customers and young girl staff singing along and bopping their heads." You'll find a great review of the Arctic's first album 'Whatever People...' VINYL version by A. Tatton of Stoke Newington on this site. But that was then this is now: I bought 'Nightmare' hoping for more kitchen sink, Sheffield, working class, dance hall rock'n'roll. The back-beat is still there, but the catchy tunes have gone and half the time (no, nearly all the time) I don't know what they are singing about? - no witty, satirical lyrics. I don't understand the album's title, or it's art work and their relevance to today. But then I'm a 62 year old fart so maybe I'm out of touch. "505" is a wistful closer, but what comes before is hardly memorable. Rock has always thrived on competition. In the 'sixties it was the Beatles up against the Beach Boys. I suggest this time it's The Arctics against the brilliant American group: Why? Listening to that band's Elephant Eyelash might inspire the boys to get back to their barmiest best.

The best album released this year. I've bought a lot of music this year, and the only other album on par is The Enemy's effort, "We'll Live And Die In These Towns", this is a wonderful truly 5 star album.

Amazing -people who say it isnt dont know what their talking about This album is actually amazing! My favourite songs are balaclava ,505 and Teddy picker ,though I love all the other songs on the album too!Its great value for money as you can listen to it so many times without getting bored (atleast i can) and though I did love their first album i have to admit it was a bit repetitive ,but this one isnt.Atal .People who say their pop not rock dont understand that they are not trying to be rock and they are definetly not pop.THERE ARE MORE THAN JUST TWO CATAGORIES OF MUSIC!!!

throwaway-rock/take-2 these guys are so gimmicky. im from sheffield and I even know people who knew some of the band. By and large they are from a middle-class background and all this working-class slang is so conceited and put on... this album is just a tired restatement of the first. Indie music is meant to mean 'independent music' i.e. not on a record contract because its experimental and non-slicked, these guys are the worst of a bad bunch of all-style-no-substance 20-somethings. Give me Velvet Underground or Rolling Stones any day....