Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand, Erzherzog (Graz, 1863-1914, Sarajevo), also known as Franz Ferdinand von Österreich-Este, heir to the Austrian throne from 1896, and from 1898 responsible for Austro-Hungarian military affairs; he introduced reforms aimed at modernization, and became Inspector General in 1913. His uncle, the Emperor Franz Joseph, who disliked him, kept him at a distance for other administrative functions. In politics Franz Ferdinand was opposed to Hungarian separatism, and cultivated the German alliance. He made a morganatic marriage with the Gräfin von Chotek (Herzogin von Hohenberg in 1909) of which the Emperor disapproved. Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, together with his wife, by a Serbian nationalist on 28 June 1914; the outrage led to the outbreak of the 1914-18 War five weeks later.

• Artist: Franz Ferdinand
• Rating:
• Release Date: March 09, 2004
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Rock

Review

While the Darts of Pleasure EP proved that Franz Ferdinand had a way with equally sharp lyrics and hooks, and the "Take Me Out" single took their sound to dramatic new heights, their self-titled debut album offers the most expansive version of their music yet. From the first track, "Jacqueline," which begins with a brooding acoustic prelude before jumping into a violently vibrant celebration of hedonism, Franz Ferdinand is darker and more diverse than the band's previous work suggested. "Auf Ausche" has an unsettling aggression underneath its romantic yearning, its cheap synth strings and pianos underscoring its low-rent moodiness and ruined glamour. And even in the album's context, "Take Me Out" remains unmatched for sheer drama; with its relentless stomp and lyrics like "I'm just a cross hair/I'm just a shot away from you," it's deliciously unclear whether it's about meeting a date or a firing squad. The wonderfully dry wit the band employed on Darts of Pleasure's "Shopping for Blood" and "Van Tango" is used more subtly: the oddly radiant "Matinee" captures romantic escapism via dizzying wordplay. "Michael," meanwhile, is a post-post-punk "John, I'm Only Dancing," by equal turns macho and fey; when Alex Kapranos proclaims "This is what I am/I am a man/So come and dance with me, Michael," it's erotic as well as homoerotic. Love and lust make up a far greater portion of Franz Ferdinand than any of the band's other work; previously, Franz Ferdinand's strong suit was witty aggressiveness, and the shift in focus has mixed results. There's something a little too manic and unsettled about Franz Ferdinand to make them completely convincing romantics, but "Come On Home" has swooning, anthemic choruses guaranteed to melt even those who hate swooning, anthemic choruses. Fortunately, the album includes enough of their louder, crazier songs to please fans of their EPs. "Darts of Pleasure" remains one of the best expressions of Franz Ferdinand's shabby glamour, campy humor, and sugar-buzz energy, and "Tell Her Tonight," which debuted on the Darts of Pleasure EP, returns in a full-fledged version that's even more slinky, menacing, and danceable than the demo hinted it might be. And if Franz Ferdinand's aim has always been to get people dancing, then "Cheating on You"'s churned-up art punk and close, Merseybeat-like harmonies suggest some combination of slam dancing and the twist that could sweep dancefloors. Despite its slight unevenness, Franz Ferdinand ends up being rewarding in different ways than the band's previous work was, and it's apparent that they're one of the more exciting groups to come out of the garage rock/post-punk revival. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Jacqueline (Lyrics)	Bob Hardy, Paul Thomson, Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy	Franz Ferdinand	(3:49)
Tell Her Tonight (Lyrics)	Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy	Franz Ferdinand	(2:17)
Take Me Out (Lyrics)	Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy	Franz Ferdinand	(3:57)
The Dark of the Matinée	Bob Hardy, Paul Thomson, Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy	Franz Ferdinand	(4:03)
Auf Achse (Lyrics)	Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy	Franz Ferdinand	(4:19)
Cheating on You (Lyrics)	Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy	Franz Ferdinand	(2:36)
This Fire (Lyrics)	Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy	Franz Ferdinand	(4:14)
Darts of Pleasure (Lyrics)	Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy	Franz Ferdinand	(2:59)
Michael (Lyrics)	Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy	Franz Ferdinand	(3:21)
Come on Home (Lyrics)	Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy	Franz Ferdinand	(3:46)
40' (Lyrics)	Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy	Franz Ferdinand	(3:24)

Credits

Joe Dilworth (Photography), Steve Rooke (Mastering), Tore Johansson (Producer), Tore Johansson (Mixing), Vivian Lewis (Back Cover), Jens Lindgard (Engineer), Matthew Cooper (Artwork), Stefan Kvarnström (Engineer), Franz Ferdinand (Producer), Franz Ferdinand (Artwork), Franz Ferdinand (Mixing), Roxanne Clifford (Photography)

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