Best of The Libertines B-Sides and Demos

[Inaudible-Whisper]

I was making this for a torrent and thought a few people might appreciate it here. I think at least Maou and golem will. Might be a few familiar tunes on... 'What A Waster' is on the US 'Up The Bracket' CD, though it isn't anywhere else for some bizarre reason and you might know the single 'Don't Look Back Into the Sun' as it is one of their best songs, despite never appearing on an album. I also tried to stay away from the demo's that are poor quality or just acoustic and I featured no Babyshambles tracks. That limited me somewhat as Doherty in particular has released literally albums worth of new material in the form of acoustic sessions for free on the net. Maybe if anybody wants it I'll do a 'best of' for those.

Here.

[Maou]

I was totally surprised when I bought my U.S. copy of Up the Bracket and the album didn't end after I Get Along. What A Waster is a great song.

[HEDOfloe]

I've been having this on my Amazon wishlist for a while now. I've been buying other stuff which is the main reason I haven't got it, but I've been really enjoying Shotter's Nation recently so I went to watch the DVD again that came with the CD. It had an about 40 minute feature where they talk about the making of each song on the album and one of the things Pete said was that this was the first album that he made that he could actually enjoy listening to. Then the older band member, I believe the other guitarist, had said that he had tried to get Pete on the right track and that he was wasting his talent away and since I personally like this album more than the Libertines stuff I agreed with them and was sort of put off about the Libertines for a while. But I still want to get this, I haven't heard any of their b-sides at all.

[Inaudible-Whisper]

I still think all of his Libertines stuff was way better than his Shotter's Nation stuff. Even the first Babyshambles album, which was virtually all (Pete penned) Libertines material that he'd took over after being kicked from the band stands out song-wise, suffering only from terrible production/lousy performance (Pete at his worst). Shotter's Nation is the first real new material since the Libertines days and with him relatively clean, and I think it's probably his weakest material. Don't get me wrong, I adore the album, but as a whole I like all the work he did with the Libertines more. It had more energy and soul, and I loved Doherty and Barat as a song-writing team. So much chemistry.

About him not enjoying listening to Libertines-era music compared to SN, I think he's just bitter about the whole thing. I've watched numerous interviews after he was kicked out of the band and it really crushed him, not just because of implosion of the band but because his then-best friend did it. Carl had good reason to (Pete was wrecked on drugs and broke into his flat), but I think it's just bad memories he doesn't want to go back to. He still plays Libertines music to this day with Babyshambles and acoustically.

I'm still preying for a Libertines reunion though. Pete and Carl are good friends again and Carl even played a good few Libertines songs with Pete live just last year (acoustic gig) and they've both said it's pretty much something that's going to/might happen, but they're busy focused on their seperate bands (Babyshambles and Dirty Pretty Things) at the moment. 'Let it be for a while'.

[HEDOfloe]

Ohhhh. I haven't really read up much on the band since they are not exactly one of my favorites but I had the impression that he was the leader so I'm surprised to hear that he was the one that got booted out. I figured it ended because of his drug habits but only because he couldn't keep up with the band and not because they gave him the boot. I guess that does make sense then, that he'd be bitter about it. I guess Shotter's Nation just seems more finessed to me and that's why I like it more.

[Inaudible-Whisper]

Yeah, him and Barat were pretty much the leaders. It was likely a band decision, but obviously Pete was bitter about Barat's involvement because they were so close as writers and friends.

Shotter's Nation is definitely a more mature album. The first time I heard "Lost Art of Murder" I was like 'Whoa...!'. I have about 5 acoustic Pete sessions, a lot of them full of material still never recorded properly, but that was different. It's calm and clean, and I'm so used to a... well, a shambles. But a good shambles. I guess I like the frantic, punky, energetic sound more. But mainly that's due to the chemistry between the two in the Libertines, and I feel Babyshambles is more Pete Doherty and friends. It isn't really a band, if you know what I mean. I'm sure he's still contracted to release a proper acoustic album this year.

And when I say I love a shambles, I mean it. Ha, what a fantastic, fantastic mess. I can undersatand why you'd dislike this, and like Shotter's Nation, but this one live song is the epitome of the Libertines to me.

[HEDOfloe]

Wow that was awesome! But I think that makes a much better live than a record.

[Inaudible-Whisper]

Oh yeah lol. I'd never buy that to listen to. But I'd love to have been there. Especially since it was 2002, and people largely didn't know who they were nor what to expect. Rock in the UK was pretty much dead then.

[HEDOfloe]

Speaking of them, check this out: http://www.nme.com/news/the-libertines/37875

[Inaudible-Whisper]

It's so mean to tease me like this I have every bit of faith that they'll reform at some point, I just wish it was sometime soon. Both Dirty Pretty Things and Babyshambles are playing at Leeds Festival this year, but they're on separate days so there's no chance of another spontaneous Barat/Doherty reunion which I'm secretly hoping for.