Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
Occupation
Vocals, guitar Alex Kapranos Guitar, keyboard, backing vocals: Nicholas McCarthy Drums, backing vocals, guitar Paul Thomson Bass: Robert Hardy
Tonight: Franz Ferdinand is the third album by the Scottish rock group Franz Ferdinand. It was released by Domino Records on 26 January 2009 in the UK.
Ulysses was released as the first single on 19 January 2009 and is listenable as a stream on the MySpace page of the band. It is a concept album that is about a night of partying and their effects the next morning. The album received mostly good reviews.
- 2.1 Blood Bonus Disc
- 3.1 reviews
- 3.2 success
Production
Recording
Although they had already written eight songs in 2005 during the tour, Alex Kapranos and Nick McCarthy decided to write completely new songs because they wanted to, " the album sounds completely new and completely different than anything they had done up to that point ." [Note 1] After they recorded their second album in one go, Kapranos stressed that the band this time would be the time. He said: "This time we wanted to spend more time developing and, I think, give the songs and sounds the time to develop before we proceed to write an album with even more new music and ideas, not to say, most own life. And when I say ' life ', I mean the life off the beaten track, because I would not describe life in regulated channels as life. [Note 2]
Franz Ferdinand began work on the third studio album in early 2007. The album should have been actually recorded with producer Brian Higgins, but in March 2008 parted their ways. Drummer Paul Thomson, said: " We wrote a while with Higgins, and at first we thought we would work more with him, but it did not fit properly. We just realized that we are not really pop group. " [Note 3] However, they also thought to have not given up on the pop- concept. Some songs on the album were written and produced in the old town of Govan, Scotland. The band set up their first one there, after they had been in years on tour to boost sales of their second album ( You Could Have It So Much Better ), and use it mainly to store their equipment and rehearse.
Style
The album was reportedly inspired by. "Strong dub sound of Jamaican Reggae Stars" [Note 4] Alex Kapranos said also, that the album was "a streak of electronica " but also a mix of influences. He further commented that it had " .. the heavy bass and space echo you would find on a dub mix. " In a Rolling Stone interview, Kapranos stated that the album was more of a dance than a rock recording. In an interview with Billboard.com, Kapranos said "It's the opposite of punk / pop, Which Took 's something that was wonderful and removed all the dirt. " He also said that the band use Russian Polyvox synthesizer.
According to an XFM article in which Alex stated: "We are one of those bands that can do what they want, in the end they always sound the same, but this time there are a few new influences. I think that the drums is a bit different. Paul [ Thomson ] has heard a lot of african material, and it shows. " [Note 5] ) shows the album African influences. The song " No You Girls " used a human skeleton for percussion. " " Tonight is rather a concept album that explores the ups and downs that we associate with an evening of debauchery. This album covers all vertices of the initial excitement of a young evening through to drowsiness the next morning, "wrote one critic. [Note 6]
Cover and Title
Imaging of the album is a photograph, taken by Søren Solkær Starbird just after midnight behind the Barrowlands Ballroom in Glasgow. At NME drummer Paul Thomson said: " We wanted to get a Weegee vibe - that famous New York crime scene photographer from the '40s and '50s. " It is part of a series of images where the band recorded pictures with photographers in various cities where they landed. On this blog the band it is stated that the Series is described as ' imaginary crime scenes, invaded by the photographer ', and 'a slice of night frozen by flash'.
On 20 September 2008, announced that the work was finished on the album, but it still had no title. On 7 October 2008, reporter Michael Hogan of Vanity Fair Alex and Paul, who confirmed that her third studio album Tonight interviewed: Franz Ferdinand is hot, and a week later, the release date was given.
Publication
In August 2008, published Franz Ferdinand " Lucid Dreams" on iTunes and made it listen on their official website for available. The title is also included on the Madden NFL 09 soundtrack.
However, the band stated on their website that Lucid Dreams was not a single. The track on the album is different from this version.
"Ulysses" was selected as the first single and published on 19 January 2009. The song was first played on BBC Radio 1 on November 17, 2008. In the iTunes Store for North America, he was from 2 December, the United Kingdom 18 January 2009 available.
" No You Girls " was brought out on April 6 as a single. The song is currently being used in the advertising for the iPod Touch.
A live version of What She Came For was provided as a free download on the NME Music Website by Franz Ferdinand on 18 December 2008. On January 9, then No You Girls was released on iTunes; on January 13 as a free download on MySpace Music. On January 22 there was Tonight: Franz Ferdinand as a stream on the official MySpace profile of the band.
On the website of the band was announced on 20 May that Cant Stop Feeling, the next single, to be published on July 6.
Blood Bonus Disc
For the release date on January 26, the album was available as a boxset which the whole album on six 7- inch vinyl singles and the 2-disc Limited Edition. This special editions are only available in Europe and include a bonus disc called Blood on which dub version of the tracks on the album can be heard.
Reception
Reviews
Tonight got generally good reviews with a total score of 70 on Metacritic from 32 reviews. It did not get the level of critical acclaim as their first Album.Das Clash magazine commented that there could be " the most complete work to date the band to be. Worth the time to wait and honestly better than they had hoped. " [ Note 7 ] the Financial Post said, " Tonight is the best album of the band. Paradoxically, they have allowed a little of their characteristic voltage to get away by entwarten structures in which they could place really starts " [ Note 8 ] the Telegraph commented on the Tonight Franz Ferdinand is packed melody confirmation of all this is what the band have been made so popular to embossed in a highly contemporary sounding, keyboard frame.
The trades, " the album is more of an evolutionary step for the band as a revolutionary smart and danceable proves Tonight: .. Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand that masters of the dance-rock [Note 9]
NBC: . Franz Ferdinand have done it again themselves with their best-ever album to surpass itself [Note 10]
The reviews from Uncut and The Guardian were less enthusiastic. Uncut said that album sounded dry and superficial, and the songs are similar to each other and to other Franz Ferdinand songs.
The Guardian stated: " even if Francis 's songwriting has become more than it was, it still is not deeper. " and "they will continue to try your hips move, because your hearts they will never win." [ Note 11 ]
This was underlined by the criticism from the Daily Mail as " a sterile, repulsive thing that does not make it reinzuhauen as usual " Album described. [ Note 12 ]
The Paste Magazine was similar strict, testifying that the voices " leering ," production " horrific ," and the lyrics " SEEM to lack Both heart and brain " and that they summarized that " the interruption of work shows that Franz either confused or are too lazy to come forward. " [ Note 13 ]
Success
The album made it to number 2 on the UK album chart, and on the 9 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S.; sold about 31,000 times in the first week. However, it rose 50 places from the Billboard 200 from # 9 to # 59 in its second week.
Tracklist
Employee
- Producer: Franz Ferdinand, Dan Carey
- Mastering: John Dent
- Engineer: Paul Savage, Alexis Smith, Dan Carey, Allen Johnston (technical assistance)
- Mixing: Dan Carey ( tracks 4, 7, 8, 10 to 12), Mike Fraser ( tracks 1 to 3, 5, 6, 9, 10 ), Eric Mosher ( assistant to Fraser )
- Artwork: Matthew Cooper, Franz Ferdinand ( booklet ), Rachel Graham ( booklet ), Søren Solkær Starbird (front cover)
- Personal assistant: Jeremiah Olvera