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Favourite Worst Nightmare

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Untitled

Favourite Worst Nightmare is the second studio album by Sheffield indie rock band Arctic Monkeys that was first released in Japan on 18 April 2007 before being released around the world. Recorded in East London's Miloco Studios with "new rave" producer James Ford, the album was preceded by the release of new single "Brianstorm" on 16 April 2007.[3] In its first week following release the album sold over 220,000 copies, emulating Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not in going straight to number one in the UK Albums Chart, albeit selling 100,000 copies fewer than their record-breaking debut. Favourite Worst Nightmare's first day sales of 85,000 outsold the rest of the Top 20 combined, while all twelve tracks from the album entered the top 200 of the UK Singles Chart in their own right. [4] In the USA, the album debuted at number seven, selling around 44,000 copies in its first week.[5]

The following week the album stayed at #1 but suffered a 65% drop in sales[citation needed], and then the following week saw the week-on-week sales drop by 50%+ despite still staying at the summit in a poor week for album sales.[citation needed]

Change of style

In comparison to the band's debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, the album has been described as "very, very fast and very, very loud,"[6] being seen as"more ambitious, heavier...and with a fiercely bright production".[7] Reflecting the band's travels around the world more than local stories of the first record, FWN is a "faster, meaner" album.[8] It is compared to Myths of the Near Future, the debut album by Klaxons - "not a new rave album...[but] more part of an art-rock lineage than in the blokerock tradition of Oasis et al."[7] While the opening tracks of the album are seen as "frantic, awkward and pretty uncompromising", the remainder has influences from The Smiths - "twanging, quasi-ambient backdrops...and Turner’s voice [...] crooning like Morrissey or Richard Hawley."[7] Matt Helders said "James was DJing loads in the evening so we’d go out and . . . have a dance."[3] As a result, the drum rhythms of Helders and bassist Nick O’Malley have drawn comparisons to the Eighties funk band ESG.[3] The band's love of classic movies also influences their new style. For example, the organ at the beginning of the album's final track, "505" is taken directly from Ennio Morricone's soundtrack for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (where Angel Eyes enters before the final standoff).[9]

History of the album

"Do Me a Favour" was originally supposed to appear on the Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys? EP, though the band kept it possibly because they didn't want to waste it as a B-side.[citation needed] The title "Brianstorm" appeared in an interview around Christmas 2006, though was clearly misheard as "Brainstorm."[citation needed] In an interview with NME, Nick O'Malley announced several titles including "D Is for Dangerous" and "Balaclava" and unreleased songs "Bakery Song" and "Plastic Tramp," possibly future B-sides.[citation needed] Some of the songs were debuted at gigs before they were played, though not many. The album was recorded quickly as the band wanted to get out and play the songs again. "Leave Before the Lights Come On" was also rumoured for inclusion, though it didn't make it.

Track listing

Words written by Alex Turner, except where noted; music by Arctic Monkeys.

  1. "Brianstorm" – 2:50
  2. "Teddy Picker" – 2:43
  3. "D Is for Dangerous" – 2:16
  4. "Balaclava" – 2:49
  5. "Fluorescent Adolescent" (Turner/Bennett) – 2:57
  6. "Only Ones Who Know" – 3:02
  7. "Do Me a Favour" – 3:27
  8. "This House Is a Circus" – 3:09
  9. "If You Were There, Beware" – 4:34
  10. "The Bad Thing" – 2:23
  11. "Old Yellow Bricks" (Turner/McClure) – 3:11
  12. "505" – 4:13

Bonus tracks

  • "Da Frame 2R" – 2:20 (Japan)
  • "Matador" – 4:57 (Japan)
  • "Brianstorm" (video) – 2:50 (iTunes pre-order bonus)

On May 25, Planet Sound exclusively revealed that the two bonus tracks be released on a limited 7 inch vinyl on June 11. [1]

Singles

Highest chart positions

Country UWC UK AUS IRE NZ CAN USA JPN DAN FIN BEL NED SUI FRA SWE AUT SWI GER SPA EUR POR POL BR
Position #2 #1 #2 #1 #4 #4 #7 #4 ~ #8 #1 #3 #1 #6 #10 #16 #1 #20 #2 #3 #12 #48 #27
Certification Platinum
Sales 600,000 348,122 73,580 75,198
Preceded by UK Albums Chart number one album
April 29 2007 - May 13 2007 		Succeeded by

Release details

Country Date Label Format Catalog
Japan Japan April 18, 2007[1] Hostess CD HSE-10043[10]
Germany Germany April 20, 2007[11] CD
Republic of Ireland Ireland
Spain Spain
Australia Australia 21 April 2007[12] CD
United Kingdom United Kingdom April 23, 2007 Domino Records LP WIGLP188 / 5034202018810[13]
CD WIGCD188 / 5034202018827[14]
Brazil Brazil CD
France France CD
Belgium Belgium CD
United States United States 24 April 2007 Domino, Warner Bros. CD DNO 136 / 801390013621[15]
Israel Israel CD
Canada Canada Domino, WEA International CD

References

  1. ^ a b Bartz, Simon (2007-04-05). "Planet of the apes". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
  2. ^ Mulvey, John (2007-03-19). "Arctic Monkeys' 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' gets a life from Warner Bros". Monsters and Critics. Retrieved 2007-04-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ a b c Paphides, Pete (2007-03-23). "Whatever we hoped they'd be, they are". The Times. Retrieved 2007-03-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "Arctics' album storms to the top". BBC. 2007-04-29. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |. It debuted at Number 2 on the Austrlian Aria Charts url= ignored (help)
  5. ^ Katie Hasty, "Lavigne Remains No. 1 As Joe Debuts High", Billboard.com, May 2, 2007.
  6. ^ "Arctic Monkeys set to unleash "Favourite Worst Nightmare"". Monsters and Critics. 2007-04-11. Retrieved 2007-04-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ a b c Mulvey, John (2007-02-22). "Favourite Worst Nightmare". Uncut. Retrieved 2007-02-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ Collett-White, Mike (2007-04-20). "Arctic Monkeys face the music with 2nd album". The Scotsman (Reuters). Retrieved 2007-04-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6567861.stm
  10. ^ Arctic Monkeys Favourite Worst Nightmare Japan CD ALBUM (396187)
  11. ^ Amazon.de product page
  12. ^ Sanity.com.au
  13. ^ Monkeys Favourite Worst Nightmare UK LP RECORD (397575)
  14. ^ Arctic Monkeys Favourite Worse Nightmare UK CD ALBUM (397574)
  15. ^ Overstock.com: Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare [4/24 : Music]
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