Board 8 > Rank the Tracks 131: Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand (+ Madonna/Muse results)

(+) Yeah! (+)

FoolFantastic's week:
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
vs.
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
vs.
Black Country, New Road - Ants from Up There

Previous results can be seen here:
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks_Set_2
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks_Set_3

The rules:
1. Listen to the album in full
2. Rank every track on the album
3. For the results, there will be a curve at the top of each list; two additional points between #1 and #2, and one additional point for the next two ranks. This way, the songs that really stick out to someone get an edge that is not immediately negated by someone else putting it lower. In the case of Demon Days, someone's 15th track will get 1 point, 14th 2 points, 4th 12 points, 3rd 14 points, 2nd 16 points, and 1st 19 points. For albums with greater than 15 tracks, everything ranked below #15 will be given 0 points and the scale for the top 15 will be the same as a 15-track album. For albums with more than 20 tracks, you only have to list your top 15 (with 16-20, I still like having the average rank listed)
4. If you want to include comments for individual songs, I will compile them in the results
5. The results will be posted at the beginning of the next topic
6. The deadline to vote is Sunday, September 10th at 4:00 PM Central Time; the future week poll will close earlier, when I am putting up the next topic
7. You can sign up to be added to the user cycle (a new user will be added to the end of the current cycle as long as there are four weeks remaining) - the next person on the list will choose 3 albums which the other users will vote on for the next topic.
7a. To ensure people are being given an actual choice, the three nominated albums must be by different artists. You can otherwise stick to a similar sound or era.
7b. The tiebreaker for these polls will be whichever is listed first in the poll options - make sure to deliver the results in order of your own preference (which will hopefully have the added benefit of influencing people toward your first choice if they can't decide).
7c. I have added a tiered vote structure - the least popular album will be removed and its backup votes distributed to the other two entrants.
8. Starting with the next cycle, every four weeks will be a competitive week where those listed choose a single album to face off against others.
9. Skits and tracks under 40 seconds will be excluded from the rankings unless argued otherwise

Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand track list:
1. Jacqueline
2. Tell Her Tonight
3. Take Me Out
4. The Dark of the Matinee
5. Auf Achse
6. Cheating on You
7. This Fire
8. Darts of Pleasure
9. Michael
10. Come on Home
11. 40'

Current cycle:
9/10: Johnbobb (Rusted Root - When I Woke)
9/17: Sheep007's bonus (The Cure - Disintegration)
x: VeryInsane (skipping)
9/24: FoolFantastic
10/1: Seanchan
10/8: neonreaper/rwlh/darkx
10/15: Giggsalot
10/22: RyoCaliente
10/29: darkx
11/5: Steiner/Giggsalot/jcgamer107
11/12: neonreaper
11/19: Great_Paul
11/26: jcgamer107
12/3: Snake5555555555/RyoCaliente/BlueCrystalTear
12/10: ChichiriMuyo
12/17: BlueCrystalTear
12/24: rwlh
12/31: NFUN/Fluttershy_Pony/ChichiriMuyo
1/7: NFUN
1/14: StifledSilence
1/21: MaxGalactica
1/28: VeryInsane/ZaziGuado/HBJDubs

Future Cycle:
2/4: HBJDubs
2/11: Fluttershy_Pony
2/18: Steiner
2/25: competitive week
3/3: Snake5555555555
3/10: ZaziGuado
3/17: firefdr

Madonna - Like a Prayer results

The participants sorted by deviation from final results:
FoolFantastic (10)
firefdr (12)
Sheep007 (14)
MetalmindStats (16)
Seanchan (16)
Fluttershy_Pony (18)
MaxGalactica (20)
HBJDubs (22)
neonreaper (24)
Johnbobb (32)

General Album Comments

Seanchan: Oddly, this didn't particularly grab me. Madonna has had a ton of singles over the years that I think I've generally enjoyed. My touchstone for her is The Immaculate Collection, a greatest hits album from 1990.

I have to ask, is this considered her "best" album?

Fluttershy_Pony (responding to Seanchan): I feel like there isn't a clearly defined best album for Madonna, though this is a likely candidate. At least, it took first place on the two "best Madonna albums" lists I cared to check. "True Blue" is her best selling non-compilation album--at least according to the internet. "Like a Virgin" also has more copies sold than Prayer, so that one should also be in the conversation.

And her self-titled debut album also has some of her biggest hits, so while not as successful, there's definitely a solid argument that it's a worthy option. And while no one else would put it up there as best, I'm personally biased towards "Bedtime Stories" because Take a Bow is my favorite Madonna song & the defiant nature of Human Nature is also something I'm rather drawn to and those two songs alone boost the album way up in my rankings.

Personally, I wanted to nominate a Madonna album, but I could never narrow it down beyond these five options. It's like I can click on any Madonna album and find some big hits with something that I love, but I've never been attached enough to a complete album to give it a nom over any other album. Is this the best? Maybe, there are enough rankings putting it at the top that it probably is. But I feel there are a lot of other equally good options that it's not a clear winner.

(This is not exactly a critique of the album. I'd have the same response for just about any Madonna album with a real chance of having been nominated.)

Fluttershy_Pony: It feels good to cover a Madonna album and I generally enjoyed this. I'd say I liked my top 6 songs here, which is a pretty good amount. I'm less into the other half of the album, but that's how I seem to feel about her work in general anyway.

Sheep007: Not my favourite album, but solid. Zero awful songs, and even the ones I liked less were still pleasant, but nothing stood out to me. I think I prefer most other work by her that I've heard.

Seanchan: I have to say, I'm a little disappointed with this album, having expected to enjoy a Madonna album. But outside of the singles (Like a Prayer, Express Yourself, Cherish), I wasn't really digging this. Nothing terrible (though I found my bottom 2 to be boring) but at the same time nothing new (to me) that grabbed me. Random thing, I was taken aback that Love Song doesn't mention "feat. Prince" (at least on Spotify), because that's a Prince ass-sounding Prince song.

MaxGalactica: Definitely would've preferred either of the other two albums nommed for this week. While this album wasn't bad, it didn't particularly interest me, aside from the eponymous track. The Prince song was particularly not good unfortunately. Dear Jessie and Oh Father were nice surprises though with their string parts.

FoolFantastic: "Like a Prayer" is an all-timer, and the next five tracks fall just short of greatness. I feel there is a cohesiveness here that was rare in pop albums of the time, but over the last decade, we've seen some genuine mainstream pop masterpieces in album form. Madonna is definitely a better singles artist than an album artist. Still, none of the albums from her first decade suffer from the typical pop issue of filler; even if I do not care for "Love Song," it is still distinct.

HBJDubs: The singles are all top tier, although I prefer the Immaculate Collection versions of Like A Prayer and Express Yourself. The rest is fairly decent other than the bottom two.

MetalmindStats: There's a clear gap between my second and third-ranked songs, and another between 10th and 11th. Still, I'm unsurprisingly more-or-less fond of this album almost all the way through.

Like a Prayer track ranking

11. Promise to Try (Track #5)
Score: 27 (Average Rank: 9.3/11)
Biggest Fan(s): MaxGalactica, HBJDubs, MetalmindStats (#7)
Biggest Detractor(s): Fluttershy_Pony, Sheep007, Johnbobb (#11)

Sheep007: This is fine, but it misses the same energy as other tracks on the album.

10. Love Song (Track #3)
Score: 41 (Average Rank: 8/11)
Biggest Fan(s): neonreaper (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): firefdr, MaxGalactica, HBJDubs, MetalmindStats (#11)

9. Act of Contrition (Track #11)
Score: 45 (Average Rank: 7.9/11)
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): FoolFantastic (#11)

8. Keep It Together (Track #9)
Score: 45 (Average Rank: 7.5/11)
Biggest Fan(s): HBJDubs (#4)
Biggest Detractor(s): Sheep007 (#10)

7. Spanish Eyes (Track #10)
Score: 49 (Average Rank: 7.1/11)
Biggest Fan(s): firefdr, FoolFantastic, HBJDubs (#5)
Biggest Detractor(s): neonreaper (#11)

6. Dear Jessie (Track #7)
Score: 53 (Average Rank: 6.9/11)
Biggest Fan(s): MaxGalactica (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): Fluttershy_Pony, MetalmindStats (#10)

Sheep007: The instrumentation throughout feels appropriate for a Dragon Quest town. I havent played Dragon Quest since 2011 but I dont think reminding me of it is a bad thing? The lyrics are saccharine, but not grating, though it doesnt feel like it fits with the songs around it. Still gets a high-ish ranking because it's kinda fun.

5. Oh Father (Track #8)
Score: 53 (Average Rank: 6.8/11)
Biggest Fan(s): MaxGalactica (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): Seanchan (#11)

4. Till Death Do Us Part (Track #4)
Score: 83 (Average Rank: 4.2/11)
Biggest Fan(s): Sheep007, Johnbobb (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): FoolFantastic (#7)

3. Cherish (Track #6)
Score: 92 (Average Rank: 3.7/11)
Biggest Fan(s): Fluttershy_Pony, HBJDubs, MetalmindStats (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): neonreaper (#9)

2. Express Yourself (Track #2)
Score: 97 (Average Rank: 3.4/11)
Biggest Fan(s): firefdr, neonreaper, Seanchan, FoolFantastic (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): Johnbobb (#7)

Sheep007: The start of this sounds like a British auction show. I think either Dickinsons Real Deal, or Bargain Hunt?

1. Like a Prayer (Track #1)
Score: 145 (Average Rank: 1.2/11)
Biggest Fan(s): everyone but Johnbobb (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Johnbobb (#3)

Sheep007: The backing vocals are nice, its delightfully camp and upbeat, great song.

Illinois > Hounds of Love > Ants from Up There

The top two here are both fantastic albums and amongst my favorites in general. Ants is in a strange spot where I really, really like two songs (Concorde and The Place Where He Inserted the Blade), but the rest I found rather underwhelming. Really good selection regardless.

Also, Chicago is a top 20 song ever.

For my album choices this week, I simply decided to do my three favorite albums that remain (we have already covered my #2 and #3, The Velvet Underground & Nico and Sound of Silver); I'll probably just continue doing this going forward.

Part of the reason I have put these first two off is that I think they might be a bit weird for this format, but I think we are late enough in this project that a couple oddities are fine

Kate Bush's Hounds of Love is a masterpiece of the art pop genre (with three separate songs that have landed in my all-time top 100 at some point in time; nothing else has landed more than two). Bush's music creates a sense of enormity, easy to follow as pop music yet existing in its own distinct space. "Running Up That Hill" had a surprise surge in popularity recently due to its use in Stranger Things; "Cloudbusting" and "Hounds of Love" deserve just as much attention. The whole album is great from end to end, but the one problem is that it is entirely front-loaded with its best tracks. The back half of the album operates more as a narrative suite; luckily, each track is distinct that it should be easy to rank.

Since I imagine everyone knows "Running Up That Hill," here's my personal favorite, "Cloudbusting":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ4DeDIh5c0

Sufjan Stevens' Illinois generally gets lumped into the folk category but, like Hounds of Love, seems to occupy a space that is entirely its own. Sufjan himself plays about 20 different instruments here, and it's a genuine musical journey through all facets of folk and other genres. The only reason I've been putting this one off is due to the fact that it contains several micro-interludes, but I have since resolved how to handle those and this will work perfectly with just its central tracks.

Here's "Chicago":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-cUdmdWgU

BCNR's Ants From Up There gets what I believe is its third nomination from me. This is my favorite album from 2022 and perhaps already lands among my ten most listened to albums ever. At first it was hard to place, but I'm realizing now that it is perhaps best described as Gen Z's equivalent to Arcade Fire's Funeral. This is music at its most emotionally raw; I just introduced a couple friends to it last week and one told me he loved it but can also never listen to it again. The lead singer also seemed to feel a similar way and left the band a week before its release. Like the other two, this one might be a bit odd due to the length of its final three songs; at the same time, I think most people consider those final three songs the best ones.

Here is "Chaos Space Marine," which is only my fourth favorite but works well as the first full song on the album (and also the three I prefer are too long to be proper introductions...)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqy6WPSfZSA

And, I'm actually going to be weird and not vote for my albums in order:

Illinois > Ants From Up There > Hounds of Love

Illinois > Hounds > Ants

Illinois > Hounds > Ants

1: This Fire
2: Auf Asche
3: Darts of Pleasure
4: Take Me Out
5: The Dark Of The Matinee
6: 40'
7: Come on Home
8: Tell Her Tonight
9: Jacqueline
10: Cheating on You
11: Michael

Hounds of Love > Ants from Up There > Illinois

The Dark Of The Matinee
Jacqueline
Come On Home
This Fire
Auf Achse
Darts Of Pleasure
Tell Her Tonight
Cheating On You
Take Me Out
40'
Michael

Illinois > Hounds of Love > Ants from Up There

This Fire
The Dark of the Matine
Take Me Out
Michael
Darts of Pleasure
Jacqueline
Auf Achse
Come on Home
40'
Cheating on You
Tell Her Tonight

bump

Did a first listen earlier today. Unfortunately, I wasn't really in the best frame of mind/body and it wasn't able to grab me out of a sleepy stupor.

Muse - Black Holes and Revelations results

The participants sorted by deviation from final results:
MaxGalactica (12)
firefdr (16)
azuarc (18*)
FoolFantastic (18)
Seanchan (20)
Sheep007 (20)
Johnbobb (24)
XIII_Rocks (24)
HBJDubs (26)
BlueCrystalTear (28)
ZaziGuado (28)
Hades (30)
MarkS2222222222 (44)
Fluttershy_Pony (46)

azuarc did not rank "Glorious" and this has been calculated as if azuarc placed it last; the average ranking later in the results is Glorious's average without this imaginary vote. For the actual placement of "Glorious," I decided to look at where it landed without azuarc's vote and keep it between the same two songs (which, luckily, there is so enough distance between Glorious and its surrounding songs that the order could not change).

General Album Comments

Seanchan: Did a not first listen to this yesterday. Muse is a band I've listened to quite a bit of in the past. While Black Holes... was my introduction, I've gone backwards to enjoy Absolution and Origin of Symmetry, and forward for The Resistance. I fell away from them with The 2nd Law, which I've heard but barely remember.

Black Holes... is just a great album overall. It's big, bold, and varied, and combined with the singer's theatrical voice makes this a very fun listen.
(...)
Just a great fucking album top to bottom. A relatively easy album to rank from the aspect that every song sounds unique and different. Also the case where something had to be first and something had to be last, so even the songs at the very bottom of my list are still damn fine.

Thinking about it now, I'm sort of surprised it took us this long to cover this album, as I'd think in style/genre and release date this would be right in an average GFAQs user's wheelhouse.

ZaziGuado: Great album.

MaxGalactica: Incredible album. One of two Muse albums (the other being The Resistance) with a whopping three songs in my top 13 Muse songs (It's 13 because I have a really hard time removing three songs when trying to make a top 10). This is probably my favorite Muse album as a whole due to its consistent quality, although I do also love The Resistance a lot for its sheer ambition. Amazing guitar work, Matt Bellamy's voice is a wonder to behold, creative compositions, catchy melodies, I love everything about this album.

One thing I'd like to note is my surprise at how low people have ranked City of Delusion in particular. The acoustic guitar focus with the Arabic-style strings and chords is such a cool base and the synth buildup to the trumpet solo is one of my favorite Muse moments in general. It'd be my favorite song in the album if Map of the Problematique (my all-time favorite by Muse) weren't also here. Regardless, I'm glad we were able to cover one of my favorite bands here. Definitely worth checking out their other albums if you liked this one.

Giggsalot: I feel like the consensus on BH&R is that it's the last good Muse album, but I was a huge fan of theirs when this came out, and to me it always felt like their first bad one. this marks the point where their desire to be space-age Radiohead began to be overtaken by their desire to be space-age Queen, and I just don't vibe with that at all - everything since has been borderline horrendous to my ears.

I love Map of the Problematique (their last top tier song), and Cydonia is very fun in a brainless way, but nothing else here does much for me at all. it would feel a bit arbitrary and unfair for me to rank this in detail, so I'll leave it to the fans

BlueCrystalTear: Muse is hard as heck to rank. Because every album has the good shit and then the really good shit. So while the songs don't blend together, it's hard to separate these two categories. Even if he sings about the Illuminati a little too much, Matt Bellamy is a rock music genius and that deserves to be said. I feel bad having some of these songs in the bottom half here!

Sheep007: Muses lead singer has a very, very distinctive voice. I cant say that their music is something that really clicks on my end (the lyrics aren't super interesting and most of their songs don't stay with me long after I've heard them), but it sounds excellent and regardless of anything else, thats the most important part.

Steiner (responding to Sheep007): is it? sincerely?

Sheep007: I'd say so, sincerely. I don't think it's trying to be a super meaningful album and of course that makes it weaker, but I also think it's okay to make things that are enjoyable but forgettable. Muse aren't gonna make it close to a list of my favourite songs or albums with any of their work, but I would rather listen to something that tries to sound good and succeeds than something that has interesting lyrics and ideas but grates on me musically, if that makes sense? Like, I mostly enjoy instrumental jazz, lo-fi and orchestral music, so lyrics usually aren't very important to me unless they really connect (which is rare). And for an example on the catchy side of things, Working on the Highway by Bruce Springsteen is in my head weeks after last listening to it, and I neither like it nor do I think it's a good song. Sometimes things stick in your head, sometimes they don't, what can I say?

Black Holes and Revelations track ranking

12. Hoodoo (Track #10)
Score: 47 (Average Rank: 9.64/12)
Biggest Fan(s): MarkS2222222222 (#4)
Biggest Detractor(s): firefdr, Seanchan, ZaziGuado, MaxGalactica, Sheep007 (#12)

ZaziGuado: not a fan

11. Soldier's Poem (Track #5)
Score: 48 (Average Rank: 9.57/12)
Biggest Fan(s): BlueCrystalTear (#5)
Biggest Detractor(s): Johnbobb, HBJDubs, FoolFantastic (#12)

ZaziGuado: pleasant enough

BlueCrystalTear: Would be lower if it was longer. This one doesn't overstay its welcome.

10. Invincible (Track #6)
Score: 58 (Average Rank: 8.86/12)
Biggest Fan(s): ZaziGuado (#5)
Biggest Detractor(s): Hades, XIII_Rocks (#12)

ZaziGuado: good ramp up

9. Exo-Politics (Track #8)
Score: 65 (Average Rank: 8.43/12)
Biggest Fan(s): ZaziGuado (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): BlueCrystalTear (#12)

ZaziGuado: stompy good time

8. Glorious (Track #12)
Score: 73 (Average Rank: 7.54/12)
Biggest Fan(s): HBJDubs (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): Sheep007 (#11)

ZaziGuado: slightly disappointing ending song

7. Assassin (Track #7)
Score: 88 (Average Rank: 6.79/12)
Biggest Fan(s): MarkS2222222222 (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): Fluttershy_Pony (#12)

ZaziGuado: energetic ride

6. Take a Bow (Track #1)
Score: 104 (Average Rank: 5.79/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): ZaziGuado (#11)

ZaziGuado: kinda forgettable

Sheep007: The buildup throughout the track is very satisfying to hear come to a crescendo.

5. City of Delusion (Track #9)
Score: 106 (Average Rank: 5.79/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Hades, MaxGalactica (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): Seanchan (#11)

ZaziGuado: cool vibes

BlueCrystalTear: I mean this is clearly about Congress, and it is as he says. Really.

4. Starlight (Track #2)
Score: 128 (Average Rank: 4.5/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Fluttershy_Pony, MarkS2222222222, XIII_Rocks (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): Hades, HBJDubs (#8)

ZaziGuado: perfect single

Sheep007: Very pretty and playable song. I actually dont like how it follows on from Take a Bow, and the lyrics are ehh, but it sounds excellent enough that I can forgive it.

3. Supermassive Black Hole (Track #3)
Score: 133 (Average Rank: 5.07/12)
Biggest Fan(s): firefdr, Seanchan, FoolFantastic, BlueCrystalTear, Sheep007 (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): MarkS2222222222 (#12)

ZaziGuado: sexy fun time

BlueCrystalTear: Not sure why this is so polarizing. It's a super kinky song about sex, about being magnetized by an attractive tush. It's good, clean fun.

2. Knights of Cydonia (Track #11)
Score: 165 (Average Rank: 3.21/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Hades, ZaziGuado, Johnbobb, HBJDubs, XIII_Rocks (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): MarkS2222222222 (#10)

ZaziGuado: so very hype

Johnbobb: maybe it's the guitar hero 3 bias but goddamn is this song good

BlueCrystalTear: Space cowboys! Right?

Sheep007: Its obviously good, but I dont feel like the instrumentation quite carries its own weight enough to justify the track being this long.

1. Map of the Problematique (Track #4)
Score: 175 (Average Rank: 2.5/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Fluttershy_Pony, MarkS2222222222, MaxGalactica, azuarc (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Johnbobb (#6)

ZaziGuado: fucking banger

On an album with three big singles, it's impressive that Map of the Problematique was able to rise above them.

"Take Me Out" might be the first rock song I truly fell in love with (being born in 1992 and having a teen pop-loving sister and a worship station mother), and it might be the most singular force in shaping my taste in music. I never got around to listening to albums in full until the early 2010s, but Franz Ferdinand's debut lived up to my childhood expectations. There's a certain energy created by its shifting tempos and sudden stop/starts that I rarely find elsewhere. In a better world, "The Dark of the Matinee" would have been just as big of a single. They hit upon some truly awesome guitar work while maintaining a danceable rhythm, all wrapped in a sarcastic self-awareness that made their overall sound surprisingly approachable (compare their contemporary success stateside to any other post-punk band, revival era or otherwise). While later albums revealed the band bordered on being a one-trick pony, that trick worked wonders for their breakthrough record.

Take Me Out
The Dark of the Matinee
Michael
Darts of Pleasure
This Fire
40'
Jacqueline
Come on Home
Tell Her Tonight
Auf Achse
Cheating on You

I really think Franz Ferdinand's debut is one of the seminal albums of early 00's indie rock. It's right up there with Is This It and Hot Fuss.

Franz Ferdinand and Modest Mouse are tied at the hip for me by having their (only?) hit singles be big at the same time.

Also, love seeing almost double the participants for the last ranking!

1. This Fire
2. Take Me Out
3. Auf Achse
4. The Dark of the Matine
5. Jacqueline
6. Michael
7. 40'
8. Darts of Pleasure
9. Come on Home
10. Tell Her Tonight
11. Cheating on You

Pretty enjoyable and fun album. I found the top half to be significantly better than the lower half of my rankings though. Good vocals and lots of fun, memorable riffs. Unsurprisingly, This Fire is far and away the best track here. It was good to finally get through this album as I've had it on my backlog for quite some time.

It's good album, but not one I'm likely to dive back into soon. I like how they can change so seemlessly in a song. Definitely an example of why you have to listen to every song all the way though to really get it. It's also an album that kinda just told me that they're Brits, which I didn't know when I only knew them for "Take Me Out." Unfortunately there just wasn't anything that stood out as something I would need to put on a playlist, other than the afore mentioned single.

Take Me Out
40'
Come On Home
Darts of Pleasure
Auf Achse
Jacqueline
Tell Her Tonight
The Dark of the Matinee
This Fire
Michael
Cheating on You

Gonna be a bit late on my ranking this week. Hopefully by Tuesday at the latest.

This really felt like a one-track album. I have little interest listening for beyond this third time.

1. Take Me Out
2. 40'
3. Jacqueline
4. Auf Achse
5. Darts of Pleasure
6. Come On Home
7. The Dark of the Matine
8. This Fire
9. Michael
10. Cheating On You
11. Tell Her Tonight

1) Take Me Out I feel like the riff does a lot of heavy lifting here, but take nothing away from the rest of the song. One of the best radio rock songs out there.
2) The Dark of the Matinee Oddly catchy. I really liked this one.
3) This Fire I think it might only be this low because I listened to the new version (This Ffire, I think its called?) fairly recently, because this sounded a lot less full in comparison. Its not bad in the slightest, but definitely feels like its lacking something to push it from good to amazing.
4) Come on Home
5) Auf Achse
6) Tell Her Tonight
7) Michael
8) 40
9) Darts of Pleasure
10) Cheating On You It feels like theres a bit much going on, at times. On first listen I felt a little disappointed it didnt go straight from Auf Achse to This Fire, but I liked it a little more on second listen.
11) Jaqueline

Overall, solid enough album. No awful songs, and it's a fun enough time, but I don't have a lot else to say. As a lot of other people have said, Take Me Out is clearly head and shoulders above the rest for me.

oh shit almost forgot about this

1. Take Me Out
2. Tell Her Tonight
3. Jacqueline
4. Michael
5. The Dark of the Matinee
6. Come on Home
7. Darts of Pleasure
8. 40'
9. This Fire
10. Auf Achse
11. Cheating on You

1. Take Me Out
2. Auf Achse
3. 40'
4. The Dark of the Matinee
5. Come on Home
6. This Fire
7. Darts of Pleasure
8. Jacqueline
9. Cheating on You
10. Tell Her Tonight
11. Michael

An album I liked a bit more on each listen. There's some cool, funky grooves here. Certainly not exactly the one trick pony I thought it might be. At the same time, I have a feeling this is one I might have a hard time remembering, outside of Take Me Out, come album ranking time.