The Libertines (album)

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The Libertines
Studio album by The Libertines
Released	August 30, 2004
Recorded	Spring 2004
Genre	Post-punk revival, Indie rock, Punk rock
Length	42:04
Label	Rough Trade
Producer(s)	Mick Jones
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Daily Mirror Evening Standard The Guardian Aug 2004 The Independent on Sunday Metro Mojo Sep 2004, p.94 NME (9/10) Aug 2004 Pitchfork Media (7.1/10) 08/31/04 Planet Sound (6/10) Aug 2004 PlayLouder Aug 2004 Q Sep 2004, p.108 Spin (A-) Sept 2004 The Sun Uncut
The Libertines chronology
Up the Bracket (2002)	The Libertines (2004)

The Libertines is the second, self-titled and final album by the British post-punk revival band The Libertines. Released on August 30, 2004, it is particularly biographical of the relationship between frontmen Carl Barât and Pete Doherty. The album instantly reached #1 in the UK on its way to achieving platinum certification.

The Libertines, like its 2002 predecessor, Up the Bracket, was re-released with a bonus DVD on November 22, 2004. The DVD, entitled Boys in the Band, is a collection of live shows, band interviews, and the "Can't Stand Me Now" promotional video.

Contents 1 Track listing 1.1 Japanese bonus DVD 2 The Freedom Gig 3 Press quotes 4 Trivia

[edit] Track listing

1. "Can't Stand Me Now" – 3:23
2. "Last Post on the Bugle" – 2:32
3. "Don't Be Shy" – 3:03
4. "The Man Who Would Be King" – 3:59
5. "Music When the Lights Go Out" – 3:02
6. "Narcissist" – 2:10
7. "The Ha Ha Wall" – 2:29
8. "Arbeit Macht Frei" – 1:13
9. "Campaign of Hate" – 2:10
10. "What Katie Did" – 3:49
11. "Tomblands" – 2:06
12. "The Saga" – 1:53
13. "Road to Ruin" – 4:21
14. "What Became of the Likely Lads" – 5:54
15. "France" (Hidden track)
16. "Don't Look Back into the Sun (New Version)" (Japanese bonus track)
17. "Cyclops" (Japanese bonus track)
18. "Dilly Boys" (Japanese bonus track)

[edit] Japanese bonus DVD

1. "What a Waster [Live at The Factory, Japan]
2. "Death on the Stairs [Live at The Factory, Japan]
3. "Up the Bracket [Live at The Factory, Japan]
4. "I Get Along [Live at The Factory, Japan]
5. "The Boy Looked at Johnny [Live at The Factory, Japan]
6. "The Boy Looked at Johnny [Live at Moby Dick, Spain]
7. "Busking for Beer + Assorted Covers and Song Segments [Live at Filthy McNasty's Pub, London]
8. "Can't Stand Me Now (Video)
9. "Photo Gallery
10. "Extras (Footage of Band, Interviews and NME award footage)

As well as the songs listed above, there is a hidden track, titled "France", which starts at 3:28 of "What Became of the Likely Lads". A re-recording of an old Libertines song which originally appeared on one of their first demos, recorded at Odessa Studios, "France" was written and performed by Carl Barât. The final listed track is a nod to the British sitcom Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?.

[edit] The Freedom Gig

The album cover was taken by Roger Sargent during the emotional "Freedom Gig" at the Tap 'N' Tin, Chatham, Kent, on October 8, 2003, when Pete Doherty reunited with the Libertines for a gig just hours after being released from jail. [1]

[edit] Press quotes

• "This record, produced by The Clash's Mick Jones, is brimming with character, easily surpassing their debut." and "...its energy level [is] like a battery charge..." – 'Q magazine (official site)
• "Forget the drugs, the bad vibes, the estrangements—The Libertines' second album is a masterpiece of life-changing rock 'n' roll." and "...an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime album..." – New Musical Express (official site)
• "...with this album you get an excitable sense that you're hearing the beginnings of a good and becoming a great band..." – King magazine (official site)
• "...Nice demos lads, when will the album be ready?..." – Planet Sound August 2004
• "...an explosion of dizzy pop and punk fury..." – The Guardian August 2004 [2]
• "...An extraordinary record..." Mojo Sep 2004, p.94

[edit] Trivia

• The band Half Man Half Biscuit recorded a song called "Shit Arm, Bad Tattoo" about the picture on the cover of this album. It appears on their 2005 album Achtung Bono.
• The song "Arbeit Macht Frei" takes its title from the phrase placed above the entrances to Nazi concentration camps and was featured in the dystopian 2006 film "Children of Men".
• The song titled, The Saga was largely written by Doherty's literary manager, Paul Roundhill^{[citation needed]}. The lyrics came from a letter Roundhill wrote to Doherty, warning him of his growing drug problem. The share with Roundhill of the writing credits marked the first time that Doherty and Barat had not shared the writing credits equally and alone.

The Libertines v • d • e
Carl Barât | Peter Doherty | John Hassall | Gary Powell
Anthony Rossomando | Johnny Borrell | Paul Dufour | Steve Bedlow (Scarborough Steve)
Discography
Albums and EPs: Up the Bracket | I Get Along EP | The Libertines
Singles: "What a Waster" | "Up the Bracket" | "Time for Heroes" | "Don't Look Back into the Sun" | "Can't Stand Me Now" | "What Became of the Likely Lads"
DVDs: Boys in the Band | Who the Hell Is Pete Doherty?
Books: The Libertines Bound Together
Related articles
Babyshambles | Dirty Pretty Things | Yeti | Bootlegs