Heart of a Punk - Soul of a Rasta

Franz Ferdinand - another review of Tonight?

Well as you have probably gathered at HOAP SOAR we very rarely review singles and albums as they appear in the records shops (do we still have any record shops), download outlets or from whatever other orifice they spring from. Because we like to actually listen to a record over the course of a decade or so, on the off chance that eventually we might have something original, funny or interesting to say about it. Well that's what we'd like people to believe anyway. This month we were sneaky and got round this by reviewing The Liberty of Norton Folgate on the grounds that it hasn't actually been released yet. But The Bigot has asked me to stretch this point even further, tell me why old chap.

Ed one thing that really pisses me off and is becoming more and more prevalent in the mainstream music papers/magazines, something which I hate even more than a bad review of an album I like, is the lack of bloody content. Take for example the new Franz Ferdinand album "Tonight", we've had almost 4 years wait for a new FF LP and if we are to believe all we read FF have had a right old 2 and 8 getting one completed.
So what's my point, well I've just picked up a music rag & read a favourable review of "Tonight" which consisted of only 200 words directly concerning the content of the album. Four years in the waiting, over a year in the making and 200 words, why f***ing bother at all, why not just score every album out of five slap a nice picture along side it and we'll save a lot of paper and all get home a lot earlier. To make matters worse in the same Magazine there is an unfavourable review of an album which has a slightly higher word count, eh?

Yes even a new album which is reviewed as a "Classic" is given the same scant regard in terms of content as the mediocre, and the even the crapola.

So, by special request & sanction of the Bigot I'm going to see if I can with my extremely limited talents review not "Tonight" by Franz Ferdinand, oh no, the hose usually has a kink in it here, but the bonus cd that accompanies the 3rd FF album. I will of course try to use more than 200 words to describe the content of the CD.

First off (we haven't started the 200 words yet, I'll tell you when) nearly every release nowadays seems to be thrust upon us in either deluxe format, extra dvd format, extra cd format, vinyl with extra download tracks format etc etc etc, at the end of the day this is all fine and dandy if us the poor punters have a passion as deep, for whatever band, as our pockets. Sometimes extra = wonderful; Sons & Daughters gave away a "LIVE" 5 track or a "minus Bernard Butler's production" CD with they're last album "This Gift". This freebie was superior to my taste in many ways, and it didn't detract but added by way of contrast to the main. Rip off or a little more of what you fancy? The proof of the pudding is always in the eating, or actually listening…… you never listen to a pudding.

[I'm starting my 200 word challenge here]
Titled: Limited Edition CD "Blood" The Tonight Dub versions, the cost to me in real terms was £2, £2 for eight tracks (where's the calculator) Och you do the math laddie. Are they Dub versions, well call me an old retentive, strictly speaking Dub requires a live revisiting of the drum and bass parts and perhaps the introduction of other instrumentation, but hey I'm out of date, out of time and out of fashion. There are eight treatments or re-workings of the tracks on the main CD, vaguely reminiscent of the ZTT people's treatments of Propaganda's output in the 80's.

First up is "Feel the Pressure" which is the reflection of "What She Came For" with the organic bass groove removed and a "Supermassive Black Whole" boom inserted. Kapranos is at it his lyrically bitchy best amidst a solid linear progression with good smattering overdriven guitars swirling hither and thither.

Track two "Die on the Floor" is the bastard off spring of "Can't Stop Feeling" and is the longest reworking - being doubled in size. Lay back and relax, watch the smoke rings ascend into the air one by one, try to get one to fit a finger without breaking the circle - Nice. Could it have been improved in the middle by either real percussion or a Linndrum being introduced and thrashed? Or am I being picky?

With "The Vaguest Feeling" we have a Joy Division Closer moment - it is the merest feeling really, mainly using the middle eight of "Live Alone" - still it's a beauty, but who was using the Dirt Devil at the end of the recording?

"If I Can't Have You Then Nobody Can" is a big and sinister piece which could have dropped off the back of a Barry Adamson LP. The wafer thin medium wave outro inset of "Turn it On" is deftly done. It puts me in mind of Grinderman's "Get it On" is it just the same two words that does it, I must revisit the it later.

The fat hits the fire with "Katherine Hit Me" Bob Hardy's bass has the correct exposure in comparison to its composite "No You Girls" and it punches well above its weight. The bass continues to be tickled in "Backwards on my Face" the guitar doubles to increase the intent and the tube goes into the mouth - it probably doesn't anymore but if I imagine it is, it shall be so. Anyway this is the distorted image of "Twilight Omens".

"Feeling Kind of Anxious" is a traditional 12" remix of the single "Ulysses" with a nice musical box moment. "Send Him Away" is manipulated into "Feel the Envy" neatly and economically starting with reggae inflections, a middle of the song and culminating in a tempo change. There is a brief guitar lick which interchanges with the bass here which has me stumped, it's something by Peter Green but what is it? Ah who cares.

Basically "Blood" is not for now it must be kept in reserve. The time of scarcity that we have endured is ended, we must be firm now, we must be firm…………….we must be firm! It would be easy to relapse into hedonistic excess in such a time of plenty. "Tonight" is more than enough there is no need for us to make pigs of ourselves. Eventually all the tracks on "Tonight" will burrow themselves in and under the surface of the skin. They will be hummed, whistled, mused over, you will fall asleep with the melody of "No You Girls" ringing in your ears on an endless loop, you will wake in the night unable to return to sleep because every time you drift off "What She Came For" will jump out at you. "Tonight" will have to go silent. Weeks, months will pass but eventually the itch will have to be scratched then and only then "Blood" will have its hour.
For this reason alone treat yourself .25p a track - frugal, very frugal Dougal.