"Do Me a Favour" is a song from Arctic Monkeys' second album "Favourite Worst Nightmare". Have I mentioned that this my favourite album of theirs? I may have done before. I'll assume that I've stated why that is my opinion, so I won't go into that again.
Placed after the mellowest track on the album, "Do Me a Favour" starts off the second half of "Nightmare" with a minor-key track about the end of a relationship from the point of view of a man who has cheated on his girlfriend and feeling so guilty about it eventually tells her.
The track begins with ominous rolls on the tom-toms, followed by ascending bass line and Alex Turner's vocals. It continues to slowly build brick by brick (hehe), as the guitars are introduced later on. The majority of "Favour" is calmly delivered, before launching into the explosion near the end where Turner sings the last verse and everything comes to a close.
As it is only an album track, there is not much extra information I am able to provide. Sorry. The point is, it's a decent one. If you haven't heard it, spare a few minutes.
It has been a year since I started doing this. Feels like it's been a year too.
I did actually start posting on the 22nd February last year which I completely forgot about until I checked earlier on today, but it was two days later that I took on the challenge of writing about (almost) every song that I have on my iPod. Click on here to start all the way from the beginning.
Since I last posted, nothing much has gone on. Just living life and listening to a lot of music too.
So here is the return of 'My iPod' and the Ds. For how long, I don't know. But I've seen the number of songs I have that begin with the letter 'D'. There are many. A lot more than 'C' for sure.
But we begin with the third song from Arctic Monkeys' second album "Favourite Worst Nightmare" - "D Is for Dangerous".
I remember that this was the track when I first bought the album in 2007 that caught my ear straight away. "Brianstorm"- I had obviously heard many times before and "Teddy Picker" took me a few listens to get into, but it took me that first listen for "Dangerous" to sink in.
It probably isn't even the best song on the album. It's pretty short and quick, only 2 minutes and 20 seconds long if you round it up, but everything is delivered with such slick execution. Cool guitar playing, a great bass line by the then-new Monkey Nick O'Malley and vocals by both Alex Turner and Matt Helders. Pretty much all I can say.
Whether they thought of the name of the album before writing the song or vice versa, I'm not sure. But it is in there. Also watch out near the end, when it sounds like the track begins to skip. I thought something had gone wrong with my computer the first time that happened.
That album by the band is my favourite of theirs. It's probably the last one they've released that I can listen to the whole way through and not become..... bored? I don't think that's the right word. Basically, I haven't been as hyped for Arctic Monkey albums since then.
For many it just doesn't compare to "Whatever" or possibly even "AM" now, knowing that a lot of people are liking that. But "Nightmare" is just really solid. Maybe it's the production or something, but there's something in all twelve tracks that makes we want to carry on listening to them. Can't really say that for the albums that followed. Hate on me if you want.
I've said enough about "Favourite Worst Nightmare", I talked about it in previous posts. This was the Arctic Monkeys' burst back into the limelight, even though they really hadn't been far from it for any long period of time.
They had released "Leave Before the Lights Come On" in early 2006, they played at the Reading and Leeds Festivals too and everyone ranging from the public to the NME were so excited about the band from Sheffield that they didn't stop talking about them. "Oh, that Alex Turner is some lyricist." "That band is so cool". It never ended.
Then came 2007 and the news that the band's next album would be ready. Would they sound the same? Would their songs still be about nights out and drinking at the weekend? "Brianstorm" answered both questions with a firm 'no'. The band sounded bolder, it packed more of punch, the drumming during the introduction was crazy and the guitars delivered at full force but it was still those same four guys who gave us "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" a year before. Except the big-boned bassist who left, he was replaced.
"Brianstorm" is not a misspelling of the word 'brainstorm'. The guys actually wrote the song about a person called Brian, who they met on tour one time and didn't really like. It's not my favourite song on "Favourite Worst Nightmare", but that's only because I'd heard it and seen the video so many times before the album was released to the public that it wasn't as exciting anymore. However, it was the perfect song to get pumped up to as the release date came closer.
To be honest... this is my least favourite song on "Favourite Worst Nightmare".
Yes, it's another Arctic Monkeys song today. I can only type what comes up alphabetically on my iPod, this is not some sort of conspiracy or anything.
In things of an unrelated matter, I went to Westfield in Stratford to watch "Fast & Furious 6". How was it? Not much different from any of the other Fast & Furious films I've seen. Vin Diesel's still there, he doesn't die. The other main character's there, he doesn't die. Ludacris and the other black guy are portrayed as the joke characters, they're not very important. And there's definitely going to be ANOTHER film in the series. I won't say why if you care that much about it.
Back to the song - yeah, "Balaclava" in my opinion is not that great. I'm not sure what it is about it, whether it's the key the song is in or if it's the melody. It's just not my thing, it's the same as "Brianstorm" in that it doesn't have a verse-chorus-verse structure, but "Brianstorm" is much better in that it's fast, catchy and has a good riff. "Balaclava" doesn't have any of those. I don't know why I still have it on my iPod actually. I'm sorry for the people who like this song, but this is my blog. I say what I want to.
I have a feeling that I won't have a lot to write about today. There's not much to say about this particular song. The band don't like it very much either, and tend to not to play it live.
Arctic Monkeys have changed.... I know this change has been occurring since they released in "Humbug", but this is ridiculous. Have you heard their new single? It's quite good you know. But you listen to that, and then listen to "The Bad Thing" for a comparison. You would think it was a totally different band.
After "Whatever People Say I Am..." became the fastest selling debut album in the UK in 2006 and spouted two number one singles in the process, Arctic Monkeys became one of the biggest bands in the country.
"Favourite Worst Nightmare" was one of the most awaited albums in 2007. I bought it from Woolworths after a day of school and listened to it at home.
"The Bad Thing" is considered to be one of the more forgettable songs from the album. I've got to admit that I can remember listening to "If You Were There, Beware" and "D Is for Dangerous" more than this one, maybe it's because it's near the end of the album - I don't know, but in recent years I have come to appreciate it a lot more.
This song uses the theme of relationships that is common throughout their debut album. This time, it is sung from the point of view from a guy who is hit on by women in relationships, and although he doesn't want to be tempted he can't help himself. Because he's a guy. And that's normal.
