#41

Abstaining, only know 4 songs and they were all good (the one about cars, the power being out, lies and waking up?)

#42

Like a lot of people so far, I went 3 due to how badly the later stuff has sucked, but then thought about just how good the first ep and Funeral are, and how good that Neon Bible tour was, and bumped it to 4.

#43

Funeral is brilliant. Neon bible is good. The Suburbs is very good as is Redflektor. Everything now is pish. Great live although they lost something on their last arena tour as so many bands do.
The gig they played at the barras under the moniker the reklektors was fucking immense.
4

2 Likes
#44

Kind of a tough one. They started from such a burst of inspiration and such vitality with Funeral, that even as they struggled to follow it up, they still made great music and became one of the most popular (and arguably still one of the best) bands in the world.

The ripples from that initial explosion of inspiration and creativity have got less and less over time, like some kind of musical Big Bang. Each album has remained accomplished but sprinkled with less and less of the stardust that made Funeral so exciting.

It went from Neon Bible, which was oh so close to Funeral but hid a lack of the same urgency and emotion in the grandiose and the gothic. To The Suburbs which was a workmanlike indie rock record, lifted by moments of Funeral-like magic. To Reflektor, where those moments were few and far between, but where they shone they still burnt bright. To Everything Now, where they were all but gone.

Maybe it’s a 5/5 for Funeral, a 3/5 for The Reflektors and 1/5 for the Infinitely Content Arcade Fire.

Still, they’ve made a lot of amazing music, and I’ll give them a strong 3/5 overall.

#45

lol at even bothering with an album poll for this one.

The early gigs were astounding ( was lucky to see their first two UK shows, at Kings College and then at ULU the following week) but lost interest quickly after Neon Bible. Its a 4 purely for Funeral alone, though. Plus I saw them at Hyde Park for £2.50 in 2014 and they were still a tremendous live band.

#46

I’m repeating everyone else

Easy stuff amazing
Later stuff crap
Brilliant live

4

#47

Yeah, the muddy production sucks. There are some follow ups to classic records that are harshly critiqued as they’re judged by the standards of the previous record, but i actually think the opposite is true with NB and its enjoyed more praise than it deserves because of its relation to Funeral. The best songs on it are the Funeral-era ones - Intervention, No Cars Go. There are a few really dull tracks that don’t go anywhere though and it also includes Win Butler’s early attempts at trying to be a big bombastic Bono type, some fucking terrible lyrics.

3 Likes
#48

last fm stats for The Suburbs, one of the records i most strongly associate with a time and a place due to it coming out in the summer holidays when i was at school and me listening loads and then barely going back

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similar thing with David Comes to Life the summer after actually. feeling all nostalgic now

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#49

Incredible gig

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#50

Never liked them, not even funeral, dread to think how bad they must have gotten after that

#51

Big old 5 for me. Funeral -> The Suburbs is one of my favourite runs of albums ever, think they are all superb. I still really like Reflektor, but it is a bit overblown. Even Everything Now has some gems on it despite being much weaker (Put Your Money on Me is so good, I find myself singing it to myself a lot).

They are also the best live band I have ever seen, a great atmosphere for all the gigs I went to and really fun.

Can accept they got up their own asses (especially with the cycle of the last album), but purely on the music I still adore it.

2 Likes
#52

Also the end of the Neon Bible version of No Cars Go live is amazing with a whole crowd of people singing along.

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#53

Their gig at York Hall felt like closure on the band altogether for me. Had always deeply regretted not being able to see them on the Funeral tour, and seeing them tear up that little boxing hall felt about as close as I was going to get. Have seen them 7 or 8 times over the years and I think without any great new material, I’m done. Can’t see that happening either, as the trajectory has been one way. So long, fellas.

#54

BTW, I think I must have gone to to their one and only crap gig. It was at Brixton Academy during Neon Bible: Win was pretty unwell and his voice had gone - you could tell he was struggling and unhappy. The crowd were still up for it but still.

As an aside - and again, I’ve told this story before: I saw Ross Kemp (of “when you’re out for a second jog” meme fame) in the Brixton Nando’s before the gig. I think he was interviewing two people for his “Ross Kemp on Gangs” series.

#55

3/5 for me. I remember some of my friends being absolutely obsessed with them. I just thought they were okay. Funeral is good.

Did enjoy grumpy old Noel Gallagher’s dig at them

‘What was the gig like?’ ‘I don’t know, everyone was dressed as a teddy bear in the 70s.’

#56

fuck him i went as a giant gingerbread man

6 Likes
#57

Wrong Mitchell brother!

#58

Oh shit! I don’t even watch Eastenders! Though you’ve given me an idea

#59

Love the first 3 albums so much. Alll 3 are 10/10 for me. Genuinely dont think ive made it all the way the subsequent albums in one sitting. Woeful stuff
Great live band. 4 on the basis of how good the first 3 albums are.

Will try and sit through Reflektor and the other one later

#60

It’s a 4 for me. First three albums are brilliant. Reflektor is ok. Didn’t like the last one.

Seems to be a trend to bash them because of the last album not being great but their overall body of work is just outstanding Some truly great songs.

3 Likes