1. Whatever People Say I Am, Thats What Im Not (2006)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuPwomMwW00 Despite being a hardened Arctics acolyte from the very beginning, even I raised my eyebrows when, mere months after its release, NME placed this record fifth in their countdown of the Top British Albums of All Time. Perched above such masterworks as London Calling and Revolver, it appeared that NME had severely misplaced its enthusiasm for the nascent band and given the Monkeys a position far above their station. But, eight years after the group dropped their debut, this accolade actually seems rather justified. It remains Alex Turners best album in terms of lyrics; his savage put-downs of crass friends, po-faced bouncers and stubborn girlfriends tussle with eloquent dissections of nervous nights out on the pull, every line delivered with a lucid wit since unequalled. Indeed, on an album seeping with the identifiable follies of youth, Turner evokes all of the fine detail and knowing satire of a William Hogarth painting, intensifying (but never exaggerating) the beer-soaked realities of the Sheffield working classes. The music itself is informed by the urgency of contemporary garage-rock revivalists such as The Strokes and The Libertines but also manages to reverberate with the ragged attack of The Clash and melody of The Smiths. A cornucopia of colloquialism and tales of youthful, lusty abandon, Whatever People Say I Am, Thats What Im Not is the Monkeys most innocent and best album to date. An era-defining document deserving of every piece of glowing praise it gets, theres a certain romance to it thats just not present on any of their other albums. Best Tracks: 'A Certain Romance', 'From The Ritz To The Rubble', 'Still Take You Home'
A 22 year old English Literature graduate from Birmingham. I am passionate about music, literature and football, in particular, my beloved Aston Villa. Lover of words and consumer of art, music is the very air that I breathe.