Music Series: Top 10 Arctic Monkeys Album Songs

In a seven year time span (2006-2013), the Arctic Monkeys released five studio albums. In the four years since the release of their fifth album, their grand total of studio albums is...still five. However, with other interests and involvement in other bands, these British musicians keep busy when they're not working on their commitments as the Band-Otherwise-Known-As-The-Deathramps.

As I may have explained before, I discovered the Arctic Monkeys, amongst others, by playing Guitar Hero. It was after hearing Brianstorm for the first time that I sought out the Arctic Monkeys discography at the stores and libraries, assuming that all of their songs would be of a similar rushing pace and banging sound. To my pleasant surprise, only their first album and a half is like that, with enough variation in their songs to make them interesting and lyrically magnetic.

This is the kind of band that I can stop listening to for months at a time and then suddenly pick back up obsessively. Even when I haven't listened to any of their albums for so long, I can still sing along to pretty much the entire of the Favourite Worst Nightmare or Humbug albums. The instruments are usually what attract me to a band at first, and their instrumental sounds range from new age punk to mellow lounge jazz, and the different effects that are chosen for the guitar to harmonize with the varying vocal range of Alex Turner reverberate in my ears constantly in a good way (I'm trying to sound way much more intelligent and academic than I really am here). The lyrics have, for the most part, centered on the various life issues of being a British suburban man, from the weirdness of teenage romance to the arrogance of celebrity, all the while triumphantly acknowledging the glitz and grit of the partying lifestyle most secular millenial men like Alex Turner and company come across.

In random celebration of the music of Arctic Monkeys, as well as just to give me something to write about, I will be giving you my Top 10 songs that I most enjoy from their studio albums (the choice of album songs is a distinction that I will clarify in another post). My choice in songs is based on what I consider the best of the best from each of their albums, from the most popular songs to my personal favorites, all the while attempting to showcase the variety in pace and tone you find in Arctic Monkeys discography.

For what it's worth, on the record, my take on ranking their albums overall is:

5. AM (2013)
4. Suck It and See (2011)
3. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)
2. Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007)
1. Humbug (2009)

10. I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor (WPSIA,TWIN)

What's to Like: Lightning fast basic guitar sounds on top of caveman drumming, all the while remaining well timed and held together by the lyrics flowing from Alex Turner with support from Matt Helders (the drummer) in the background. This is the kind of song that highlights what first attracted people to the Alex Turner's lyrics, expressing teenage horniness and dreamy excitement in a flat suburban setting.

Tune Out (a.k.a What's Not to Like): Nothing too weird to turn you away from the song, unless you don't like allusions to teenage lust or biting guitar riffs.

Best Lyric That Would Make a Great Painting: Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984

9. Don't Sit Down Cause I've Moved Your Chair (Suck It and See)

What's to Like: The dark echoey guitar that's somehow reminiscent of psychedelic rock from the late 60s, early 70s. This is one of the rougher, rockier sounding tunes from the Monkeys, but it's also counterbalanced by ridiculous, jokey lyrics and a slower pace. With references to the Macarena and whatever shell suits are, as well as some gritty technical effects on the instruments, you know you're in for a bizarrely entertaining time.

Tune Out: References to old wive's tales and the devil that you may take seriously if you don't know what you're getting yourself into. Also, if you're not a fan of grungy bass and guitar sounds, turn away now.

Top Lyric You'd Want to Try in Real Life: Kung fu fighting on your roller skates.

8. The View from the Afternoon (WPSIA,TWIN)

What's to Like: This is the first song on the first album, and it kicks things into high gear right from the start. The drums almost steal the show with how quick and hard they're being played, and their duel with the guitars gives you that punk-ish vibe that the Monkeys started out with. Alex Turner's voice is still being developed but that makes it all the more appropriate for a song that requires a gruffy sound that goes from high and low sounds.

Tune Out: If you didn't know this song was put together by a bunch of teenagers, you'd think this really was from a drunk guy who's dealing with issues at the bars and casinos that he's playing at.

Lyric Most Likely Describing Your Night Out: Anticipation has the habit to set you up/ for disappointing evening entertainment but/ tonight there'll be some love, tonight there'll be a ruckus

7. Dancing Shoes (WPSIA,TWIN)

What's to Like: The balance between the instruments in the background is groovy and makes you want to get to your feet automatically. The lyrics fade in and out and are only really beneficial to shape the frame of the story, about two young lovers falling in love to the beat of a nice groove. I especially like how this song jumps from funky to rock, and this is one of the earliest examples of an Arctic Monkeys song finishing on a fast loud hammering sound.

Tune Out: A teenager's idea of romance in a pop culture influenced suburban environment.

Top Backhanded Compliment Lyric: Get on your dancing shoes/ you sexy little swine

6. R U Mine (AM)

What's to Like: Very engaging buzzy guitars. It knows it's not a complex song for any of the instruments, but it rocks and rocks hard. Alex Turner throws in some fast, witty lyrics that showcases what he can do in a lower vocal range in a different kind of voice while still giving Matt Helders and Nick O'Malley (the bassist) the chance to showcase their falsettos. 

Tune Out: To me this song (and this entire album really) is just a showcase of the terrible attitude that comes from the non-commital clubbing and dating scene and pretends to be something deeper than what it really is,

Biggest Attempt at Being Poetic Lyric: She's a silver lining climbing on my desire

5. Crying Lightning (Humbug)

What's to Like: This song demonstrates how this album, Humbug, changed the Arctic Monkeys sound in a good way. The bass is featured prominent as it lays a medium level and groovy pace. The guitars have plenty of effects pedals going, but they're not intrusive and give the song a somber yet anticipatory sound. The drums balance well between the snare and the cymbal sounds, with some fun quick rolls thrown in. These lyrics are some of the most poetic, image-driven lines from Alex Turner that are directly about relationships and suburban life issues without sounding like it (i.e. they're not as direct as on their first album)

Tune Out: The strange thing is there aren't any lyrics or sounds that I would generally warn you away from, there's just something about the structure of the song that keeps me from considering it to be the best Arctic Monkeys song of all time.

Lyric You Most Want to Know the Backstory To: And how you like to aggravate the ice cream man on rainy afternoons

4. Cornerstone (Humbug)

What's to Like: Pleasant gentle guitars with flowing keyboard sounds in the background. The mellow vocals that bemoan a missing lover. It's a sweet song and tells a tragic yet engaging story. This showcases that the Arctic Monkeys can do slow stuff well when they really want to.

Tune Out: Ultimately by the sounds of the lyrics, this was one of those one night stand relationships that eventually end with a prostitute type girl replacing the lost lover. So, if you take away the circumstances of the song and just focus on the loss and heartbreak in the vocals....

Top Lyric That Could Make You Sound Like a Creeper:I smelled your scent on the seatbelt/ and kept my shortcuts to myself

3. Brianstorm (Favourite Worst Nightmare)

What's to Like: This song keeps the high speed intensity of the first album tracks without making the guitar sound overly aggressive. There's a little breakdown moment with just the drums and vocals that is really strangely catchy. The lyrics paint a strange picture of a strange fellow, but in a likable way that is easy enough to follow when you're not focusing on the hard rock instrumentals.

Tune Out: I got nothing for this one. It's their best rock'n'roll song.

Choice Lyric That Sets the Tone: Cause we can't take our eyes off your t-shirt and ties combination

2. Dance Little Liar (Humbug)

What's to Like: Despite a well paced and thumping drumbeat, the strange guitar tones keep things slow and melancholy. This is a contemplative type of song, almost cinematic in how the lyrics tell a story of conflict and the instruments carry emotional weight to them. It's hauntingly beautiful in a way despite the tragedy in the vocals. This song also carries the signature song structure of the Humbug songs where they start soft and slow but end in a very loud rambunctious din.

Tune Out: It's a song about a person in a committed relationship who is trying to cover their cheating affair.

Top Lyric That Let's You Know Things Are Dark: When there's dirt beneath the dirt....When there's dirt between the dirt

Honorable Mentions

-Perhaps Vampires is a Bit Strong But... (WPSIA,TWIN): This one is goofy and probably not a favorite of most other fans compared to other songs on this first album. It's precisely the goofiness of the song that I most enjoy. Plus the jam is groovy and fun.

-Flourescent Adolescent (Favourite Worst Nightmare): This is one of those songs that sounds lighthearted and fun based on the instruments but when you pay attention to the lyrics it's actually kind of depressing. Another example of how suburban British life is not all fun and games for some people.

-Old Yellow Bricks (Favourite Worst Nightmare): It's just a really bouncy and fun song. Also, the kind of song that sounds like a fun concept for an album about the Wizard of Oz series.

-Potion Approaching (Humbug): This is a multi-layered song with various switches in pace and tone without going into the strangeness of prog rock but still contains strange sounding guitars and punchy drums.

-The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala (Suck It and See): I was close to putting this on the list because I wanted to showcase the gentle side of Arctic Monkeys even when they combine soft singing with electric buzzing guitars

-Do I Wanna Know (AM): In all honesty, a great majority of why I like this song is because Alex Turner uses an old, uniquely shaped 12-string electric guitar for it. This one was hard to get into because of how slow the drums were paced on this, as well as a crass music video. However, that guitar really adds bonus points to this song.

1. 505

What's to Like: That haunting keyboard humming throughout the entire song. The image-drive lyrics sung in a forlorn yet passionate way. The gentleness in the sounds of the beginning followed by the intensity near the end. The teamwork in the instruments to stay in the background until things explode in the final verse. It's the kind of song that feels relatable even if you have not been in this specific situation before or not really been in love like this before. The whole atmosphere is urban yet it has a neo-western feel to it as well.

Tune Out: Perhaps the extended reverberation on the guitar can get annoying after awhile.

Most Heartbreaking Lyric: It seems that once again you've had to greet me with 'Goodbye'.

Music Series: Quality Christian Songs

Sometimes when listening to the radio (or even sometimes at Mass), Christian music can sound dull, repetitive, cheesy, and uninspiring. Sure, Christian radio stations exist for a good reason, which is to share the Gospel in a format appropriate for every member of the family. Rarely does anyone hear a song on a non-Christian radio station that both shares the Gospel and appeals to the whole family. Only recently have some groups like Mumford and Sons managed to provide stuffing in the gaps.

Mumford and Sons-Come Thou Font of Every Blessing

Otherwise, the only other time anyone hears an inspirational Christian song on a non-Christian radio station is during Christmas time (or more appropriately, the time of Advent in preparation for the Christmas season). Even then, in the midst of all the other pop songs about Santa, Frosty, and just talking about the feeling of the season, you get a small handful of traditional hymns that everyone sings in and out of church anyway. Granted, every once and awhile you hear beauty in the mundane.

(One of the few times I will gladly endorse Josh Groban music.)

However, there is more to Christian music than what one hears on the radio or even inside modern church walls. There are centuries of tradition, decades upon decades upon decades of musical styles and sounds from across the globe that have been shaped by the Christian faith. I wanted to share with you samples of Christian music that feature some genre or sound that you may not associate with contemporary Christian music.

Aramaic Chant: Orthodox Priest & Choir

Hard Rock: Flyleaf-Chasm

Irish ballad: The Barra MacNeils-Oh Come Divine Messiah

(I know it's a Christmas song, but when was the last time you heard this on the radio or at Mass?)


Gregorian Chant: Benedictine Monks- Sanctus et Benedictus

Alternative Rock: Mutemath-Chaos

Bluegrass: Doc Watson-We'll Work Til Jesus Comes

Folk: Old Crow Medicine Show-God's Got It

Rap: KB-Church Clap

Note: This final song selection is not an endorsement from me for actual clapping inside of church during Mass. I appreciate the song for the beat and for the message it provides in some of the lyrics, including "Give me that God Almighty, that good old Bible, that old school doctrine" and "We need discernment, check what you be affirming, cause the church could be full of members but empty of conversions".

Music Series: International Disney

8/24/16: In the midst of life, I am trying to blog more. I have several posts in a series about Music in development, along with some random posts developing as well. I hope to get at least one out once a week for the next few weeks, but it may be more or less, who knows. Anyway, on with the blog!

J.R.R. Tolkien is famous for not only being the author of the stories about Middle Earth, but he is also well known as a professor of philology. He studied languages, their history, and what made words work. He was passionate about languages foreign to his own and found beauty in many of those foreign words, which influenced his creation of the different languages seen and heard in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. The Elvish languages can be heard featuring aspects of the Finnish and Icelandic languages for example.

What I imagine Tolkien was hoping Elvish songs would sound like.

Now, obviously the title of this post tells you that this is about Disney and not Tolkien. I brought him up though because I feel like I have experienced the enjoyment and the passion for foreign languages that Professor Tolkien demonstrated. And that is because of Disney. Specifically, songs found in Disney movies, sung in foreign languages.

Disney animated features have been famous for their music, most especially during the Renaissance in the late 80s and early 90s. Most everyone around my age can still sing along to all of the songs from Aladdin, Lion King, Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast. There was just something catchy and attractive about the songs, kind of like combining the hooks of musical theatre with the hit power of pop radio (although the songs became more like pop radio in the last few years).

Exhibit A!

Why do I enjoy these songs in foreign languages? I think one of the elements involved is sound. These songs, while structured and pitched the same as in the English version, demonstrate how the sound of words change around the world. Words sound different because the mouth and the tongue is used differently depending on where you are. Another element is the beauty in mystery. I do not really understand what songs are saying in foreign languages, but I know they sound beautiful. I also know that translators attempt to match lyrics as best as possible, so I can still get the general idea of a song even if I do not really know what the characters are singing. I think there is also the fact that most of these sounds and words are new to me. Since I really only speak English, with some Spanish and Latin thrown in, all of these sung words sound new to me, and I think we all enjoy finding something new and mysterious.

Youtube is a fantastic site. One reason is because I can find videos of Disney songs in multiple languages. If Youtube was not around, I probably would not be able to hear an Icelandic or a French or a Japanese version of Disney tunes unless I came across a dubbed copy of those movies. The odd thing is, the best songs, or the most beautiful songs, to me are the princess songs. I am not sure if it's the allure of a pretty feminine voice or if the songs were just written very well or if there are just more songs for female singers in Disney than male singers.

Anywho, below are some samples of some of my favorite Disney songs sung in foreign languages. I chose to, for the most part, connect the language with the setting of the corresponding movie.

Arabic: Aladdin-A Whole New World

Mandarin (Chinese): Mulan-Reflection

French: Cinderella-So This is Love

Greek: Hercules-I Won't Say I'm in Love

Danish: The Aristocats-Thomas O'Malley 

Sure the movie is set in France, but I already picked one for that language. Anyways, this version sounds the closest to the cool vibe from the English.

A Strange Assortment of Disney Flicks

I want to try to do something more goofy and lighthearted in between putting out serious contemplative material. And, what's more and lighthearted than Disney? Granted, some of my movie choices, or the content within these movies, can be serious, and that is part of my reason for putting that movie on this list. However, when it comes down to it, I have just enjoyed watching Disney movies since my earliest childhood days and I wanted to share my reasons for why these 5 movies (in no particular order) are my favorites.

P.S.-Note that most, if not all of these choices, are not the most popular, not the most music oriented, and certainly contain a very minimal amount of princesses. So, this list will look a little different than what you might expect a Top Disney Movies list to look like.

Robin Hood

As the Nostalgia Critic noted in his Disneycember review of this movie, most kids were introduced to the legend of Robin Hood through this version. I count myself among that number who first heard of the legendary outlaw through Disney.

This is one of the those Disney movies that the boys can really dig without having to feel embarassed to admit they're watching Disney (unlike the princess movies). Naturally, there's plenty of archery , romance, and swordplay but maybe even moreso there's plenty of comedy. I get a kick out of just thinking of scenes like Robin Hood and Little John dressing as fortune tellers, or Little John pretending to be a Duke and befriending Prince John, or Hiss and Prince John arguing.

It was great fun seeing these animal characters move and act like normal humans, and yet are given moments and distinctions that correspond with their animal type (the elephants use their noses to trumpet, Prince John who is royalty is a lion, etc.). It didn't distract me that these were animals portraying people, in fact, I think that was what drew me in as a kid and remains part of the nostalgic appeal of this movie.

While Robin Hood is an enjoyable lead, Little John practically steals the show between the character's dialogue and its delivery from Phil Harris. Also, this is the one of the few movies I recall Disney actually showing a church and throwing moral theology into the storyline. Friar Tuck as a character, his reaction to the wickedness of the Sheriff and Prince John, and Robin Hood's charity are all positive examples of good morality fighting selfish greed (even including when Friar Tuck goes berserk on the Sheriff). In the end, even the songs are catchy and are nostalgic staples of my childhood. Robin Hood is just overall fun.

The Sword in the Stone

While the animation style and the overall story are not high on the epic quality scale by Disney standards, it's the characters that make this movie. The character of Merlin as a grumpy, clutzy, yet wizened wizard is hilarious, as is his interaction with his talking owl Archimedes. I can overlook the constant changes in Wart's (i.e. young King Arthur's) voice because he is the most identifiable character in the movie. I identify with Wart not just because I'm a boy but, because of his adventures with Merlin, Wart is learning many things and his reactions often reflect my reactions (especially when I was little).

I like Merlin's little references here and there to what the future (which is our present or past history) will be like and how it blows Wart's mind. The wizards duel between Merlin and Mim is great fun and it's cool to see Merlin win using wit and brains to overcome Mim's cheating ways. The different moments when Merlin changes himself and Wart into animals are wonderful because they are educational as well as entertaining (though the biggest lessons I learned were that a big fish likes to eat little fish and girls can be annoying when they flirt with their crush). It's the humor and character interactions that make The Sword in the Stone so good to me.

Fantasia

I already explained why I like this movie in my Top 23 movies series, so I'll just note why it's one of my Top 5 Disney movies. This feels like one of Disney's most mature and artsy releases. It feels like watching high art, between the professional classical orchestra and the top notch drawings in each of the vignettes. Fantasia goes through a wide variety of tones and emotions, from dark to light, scary to peaceful, funny to serious.

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

As for the first half of the movie, The Wind in the Willows, it's enjoyable enough. The side characters, like Mole and Rat and the Horse, are very funny and given some great lines. The climactic scene in Toad Hall is thrilling too. It's the second half about Sleepy Hollow that I enjoy most in this movie.

First, Bing Crosby's narration is superb, as are his singing bits. He has a great voice for storytelling, especially when the story is as outlandish, charming, and terrifying as this one. Second, this story makes the main cast of characters simultaneously likable and despicable, making it confusing as to who to root for. Ichabod is a victim yet incredibly greedy, Brom is the town hero yet arrogant, and Katrina is pretty but vain. I like that complexity.

Not to mention, Ichabod's trip through Sleepy Hollow and the encounter with the Headless Horsemen is very horrifying. It's one of those classic childhood moments of fright that stick with me even today. The tone for this climactic encounter is set even before Ichabod arrives in the hollow, back when Brom sings the song about the Horseman. From that song onward, the goofy love triangle quickly becomes a faded memory, due to the atmosphere that the filmmakers, from the artists to the sound effects to the musicians, create. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad has a lot of emotional range and complexity for a kid's movie.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Where to begin with this movie? This movie utilizes several elements that I liked about previous movies on this list. This is one of Disney's most mature and dark releases, one of its major settings is a church, and it includes ideas of moral theology. I think the songs are some of the best parts of the movie. Not just because of how well they are sung (the music is beautiful), but also because the lyrics reflect incredible ideas and character conflict.

At the end of Bells of Notre Dame, Clopin asks "Who is the monster and who is the man?", which really translates to "Is a person a monstrosity because of their appearance or because of their actions?". In Out There, Quasimodo sings "If I was in their skin, I'd treasure every instant out there" and "Just one day, and then I swear I'd be content with my share", telling the audience to appreciate the beautiful things in the world and to not take our freedom and our surroundings for granted. In God Help the Outcast, we hear Esmarelda sing a humble prayer to beg for aid for her people while others, like Biblical Pharisees, pretend to be pious while selfishly asking for things of vanity. Esmeralda even sings "I thought we all were children of God", marking that all of us are creations from God and that even the poorest and most desperate humans have the same dignity as non-outcasts. In Hellfire, we see Judge Frollo struggle between his pious devotion to God and the sexual temptations he feels towards Esmarelda. Even though Frollo, the symbol of religious piety, is the villain, we still get good characters like the Archdeacon, Quasimodo, and even Esmarelda as a counterbalance so that the audience can see what the dangers are of extremist-type devotion and how a person can truly live out a life of charity.

The artistry is beautiful. Not just the Cathedral of Notre Dame (which is gorgeous to see in such intricate detail), but the whole town of Paris and its citizenry provide a wonderful look back in time. This movie has stuff for both adults and kids, which should be how a family friendly movie is done (I didn't even realize the names of the male gargoyles were references to the author of the Hunchback of Notre Dame book until rewatching it a couple years ago). The Hunchback of Notre Dame is an underrated gem, especially because of the great music.