I know what singles are supposed to do. Sometimes they just pick awful singles that's why I listen to the album in full anyways. Majority of the time I find hidden gems on an album that had a shoddy single.

You lose respect for a band because of their fan base and not their musical content? what?:banghead:

Ok, saw them live last night and was a bit underwhelmed. They played about 15 songs, 5 of which were from the new album and they all sucked. It's got Josh Homme written all over it, only the Monkeys are very much not a band that can pull of the desert-drone-devil-rock music. The album's gonna suck major league.

As for the performance itself, it was awright. They play well, the sound was good, all the songs they played from the previous albums were a success (even though they purposefully avoided the biggest hits), but I have to say that they are not a band you "need" to see live. The execution is pretty much like it is on the album, only the band has literally no stage presence, especially Alex, who is pretty much the most unwilling frontman I've seen live. He looked like he just got out of bed and was really bored. Absolutely no energy whatsoever...a complete opposite of seeing Franz Ferdinand live. They actually look like they're enjoying themselves...:\

i feel your pain, people like that piss me off

I remember watching then on TV for their Glasto headline set a few years ago and it was massively underwhelming. Definitely no stage presence at all and it didn't help that i didn't like the 2nd album at all as the set was mostly that. I don't hold a lot of hope for the 3rd one.

I did see them back in 2006 and was sorely dissapointed by a really mediocre performance with no energy as they pretty much stood there.

HOWEVER, I saw them again in January this year and had the complete opposite experience. They played two unfamiliar new songs to open, which confused and disappointed most, but then went on to play older favorites and the whole place was just buzzing. They also did a Nick Cave cover which was a dangerous move but pulled off pretty well. They just had so much energy, were highly energetic, and by no means unwilling. When I saw them this year I thought they had definitely moved on from their just-standing-there-not-knowing-what-to-do era. It was a really fantastic show, with lots of fun and energy, and highly enjoyed by all.

That really sucks that you didn't have the same kind of experience :(

I'm going to listen to the new album with an open mind. I didn't care much for FWN when I first heard it, but now I actually prefer it...

Yeah, but FWN was a natural continuation of the stuff they were doing on the debut (which is logical I suppose since it came so soon after it). This is an entirely different sound, which, in my opinion, doesn't suite them at all. I love the Monkeys for their energetic punk rock, if I want sludgy stoner music, I'll go to people who do it much better...:\

Favorite Worst Nightmare wasn't a totally natural continuation. Songs like 505 were a huge surprise and had very little in common with the stuff from Whatever People Say I Am. I think Crying Lightning still has quite the FWN feel to it.

Now you're just talking out of your ass. 505 is a very close relation to Riot van, only with a better, nocturnal mood. The debut was definitely more pumped up, but aside from a slight change in tempo, the style of the music on FWN was exactly the same as on the debut. The new songs have very little to do with their previous output and a whole lot more to do with stoner/desert rock which Homme brought in. And it's almost blasphemous to couple that sound with a band so quintessentially English as the Monkeys...:\

I just downloaded FWN. It only took one listen for me to realize it's way better then their debut.