Arctic Monkeys weren’t the sons of someone working at NME, or inside of the music press. But they might as well could’ve been considering the praise they’d received from the press before even releasing an album. By the time the debut was delivered, the same journalists were ready to compare “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” to The Beatles, Sex Pistols, and Oasis.
Some of the world was interested enough in the hype to take a listen. Others, such as U.S. audiences, would wait a few more years before accepting the stadium rock version of Arctic Monkeys.
Straight out of Sheffield and able to spin a yarn about their neck of the woods, “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” was supposed to be special. Is it? And, was it really that good? I am looking back, breathing deeply, and reviewing Arctic Monkeys‘ debut.
Arctic Monkeys’ Road to Making “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not”
For Alex Turner and the lads, the whole, entire road is a very short one. If The Strokes were famous in the U.S. before they’d even put out “Is This It?” and while some blamed their wealthy parents for this, something similar happened to Arctic Monkeys.
The band was indie-rock‘s darlings before most people had a chance to hear them. But their sound was genuinely extraordinarily exciting. And while their record label, Domino Records, did pull strings and manufactured some of their story, Alex Turner and the band didn’t have millionaire parents.
Nah, they were just kids from Sheffield. If you trust the PR for the band, they received musical instruments around the same Christmas. They wanted to be as famous as Oasis, as stylish as The Strokes. They played choppy power chords with punk intensity, and Turner delivered his word-dense lyrics like a rapper would have.
Then there were the lyrics. Alex Turner, in interviews, appeared to be a simple young man who enjoyed a pint and a footie match. But the words of his songs were funny, had bite and told excellent stories. It was enough to make Morrissey stand in admiration.
Arctic Monkeys started in 2002, played their first shows in 2003, and got noticed. Their demo “Beneath the Boardwalk” became a minor sensation on the internet, on sites like MySpace. This got the band to flirt and later sign with Domino Records, one of the homes for British indie-rock.
Early 2000s indie-rock wasn’t what it is today. Forget that it contains the word “indie” for a moment, because the musical genre had colossal stars. In the U.K. alone bands like The Libertines, The Horrors, Klaxons or Kasabian smiled from the cover of millions of copies of NME magazine being sold every week.
“Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” Reviewed
A good single did a lot for indie-rock bands back in the 2000s – it got them signed, got them gigs, helped them make a video, and earned them a spot in the pages of the NME.
But it was generally accepted that most bands would produce one, two great singles before disappearing back into obscurity.
The British press loved early Arctic Monkeys because the band, from the get-go, had many, many songs that could be the “magical single.”
In fact, if you put yourself in the shoes of an NME staff writer or Domino Records studio exec, “Whatever People Say I Am”, That’s What I’m Not” ” is made up almost entirely of singles. You may just have to be British or nurture a great love for the islands and their music to enjoy them.
“The View from the Afternoon” opens the record and is delivered with the same intensity as the very best punk albums and witty wordplay worthy of a great, modern rap album.
“I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” is an instant indie-rock dancefloor hit. No band had a catchier, more direct number in 2006’s post-Britpop U.K. This song alone made the critics bend the knee and pledge allegiance.
But they knew they’d have fun with the rest of the songs. “Fake Tales of San Francisco” and “Dancing Shoes” show that Turner and the boys are mature beyond their years and can smell a bluffer.
“Still Take You Home” and “Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured” are driven by manic energy and a devilish sense of humor.
Then there are little kitchen sink dramas. “Mardy Bum” is a tale about young love gone wrong. “Riot Van” is a tale about young lads stalking the Sheffield streets for lager and some excitement. And “From the Ritz to the Rubble” presents more misadventures of English clubgoers.
If that is not enough, all the stories have one that beats all the others and ties them all together. “When the Sun Goes Down” is a song about girls having to walk the streets and their merciless pimps. Yes, this was an instant indie-rock classic and the press was right to give it unwavering support.
Legacy of “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not”
Two days after it had been released, NME proclaimed that “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” was among the Top 5 albums ever made.
How do you top that?
You don’t, or that is what some fans of the band’s first singles always claim. Sure, the album sold like hotcakes in Britain. Outside of it, reluctantly, American magazines like Rolling Stone included it on their best of the year lists.
Arctic Monkeys continued to make more strong albums, ever less shiney and energy-filled than the band’s debut. The pattern was always the same – the British press loved to talk up the releases, while the rest of the world greeted it a mix of mild-affection and disinterest.
Then, in 2013, “AM” turned Arctic Monkeys into superstars on the power of strong choruses, hip-hop beats, and less thick American accents. They’ve since retreated back into the kind of music that will be appreciated almost exclusively by their most devoted fans.
“Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” launched a million indie-rock bands, helped sell guitars for everyone of those starting a group, and Arctic Monkeys were smart to walk away from this sound as quickly as they did.
