Libertines - The Best of the Libertines

  by Sarah Maybank

published: 2 / 12 / 2007

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Review

All those sneery types who dimiss the Libertines as an above-average, not particularly original indie band are missing the point. There’s no denying that they were indeed an above-average, not particularly original indie band. But we’re talking about hearts, not heads here. The Libertines’ ramshackle riffs and endearing tunes were, crucially, held together with big gloops of post-10-pints, “you’re my best mate ever”, straight-bloke love. Meaning hetero indie chaps could indulge in slobbery group hugs at Libertines gigs without feeling like what’s technically known as a "soppy-bollocks" and teenage girls could run home and write really quite disturbing erotica about what Barat and Doherty got up to in their private time. Yes, there was no point merely liking them – you either had to love them ferociously or be on your way. ‘The Best Of’ features 13 tracks that any even a casual fan will already own - a scattering of tunes from their two albums ‘Up The Bracket’ and ‘Libertines’ plus a few B-sides, which leaves you wondering why Rough Trade bothered. There’s not a single thing on here that could be described as ‘rare’ or ‘previously unavailable’, so yes, it really is a pointless cash-in, when for the same price, you could probably buy the two originals on eBay and enjoy twice the listening pleasure. But don’t trouble yourself over-analysing it. Just consider it a boon for those who get a headache after more than half an hour of niggling, trebly guitars, and rejoice you’ve been given the lifestyle option of an abridged soundtrack to the band’s heady rise and grubby fall. Now sit down, pull the needles out of those Babyshambles and Dirty Pretty Things voodoo doll effigies, and just enjoy the thing, for God’s sake.

Track Listing:-

1 Up the Bracket
2 Time for Heroes
3 Mayday
4 Don't Look Back into the Sun
5 Tell the King
6 What Katie Did
7 Can't Stand Me Now
8 What a Waster
9 The Delaney
10 Boys in the Band
11 Death on the Stairs
12 I Get Along
13 What Became of the Likely Lads

Band Links:-

https://www.thelibertines.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thelibertines
https://twitter.com/libertines

Label Links:-

https://twitter.com/RoughTradeRecs
http://roughtraderecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/roughtraderec

Have a Listen:-