One of the many perks of writing a weekly post about my favorite songs is that every now and again I remember one (honestly, this week's tune should have been written about long ago) that for whatever reason I'd not listened to in years. This week it made me pull out an album I hadn't heard in ages as well, and it was quite the treat to listen once again to one of the best debut albums ever after so many years. Sometimes, it does seem like you can have too much music....
The Strokes formed in New York City in 1998 (it's five members all come from wealthy families--proof that not all rich people are assholes) and began playing gigs within a year. In early 2001 they released their debut EP which sparked a bidding war among the major record labels and by the end of the year they had released their debut LP. It was met with smashing success critically (for the most part), and while the sales weren't otherworldly, they were solid. The Strokes turned that debut into a twenty-six-year career, and while they have often recorded and toured sporadically, they are still performing together. They've had a great deal more chart success in the U.K. (all of their albums save one have charted higher in Great Britain, and they've had ten singles hit the singles chart compared to one in the U.S.). For their career, The Strokes have released six studio albums (five of which reached the top ten here in America), 2 EPs, and 17 singles. Amazingly, they haven't released a live album--they have developed quite a reputation for the excellence of their live shows. The band was a major influence on many bands that followed in their wake, including Arctic Monkeys, the Killers, and Franz Ferdinand.
Fun Fact: Lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas credits the Pearl Jam song "Yellow Ledbetter" (Jukebox Vol.CDXXIII) as being the reason he began making music. Not hard to see why...
"Barely Legal" was the first single from their debut album, the rather nihilistically named Is This It (yes, no question mark). The song was not released as a single (should have been!), while the album was the worst charting of their career here in the States, peaking at #33. However, it has had quite the legacy in the succeeding years, ending up at #114 on Rolling Stone's latest ranking of the 500 best albums all-time, and it has shown up on numerous other best of all-time, as well as best of the 2000s, lists.
While the subject matter of "Barely Legal" is a bit on the racy side (the protagonist is wooing a young woman who is just past the age of consent), the song itself is rock solid rock and roll. The guitar interplay is an electric jolt to the senses, with all the high voltage of a lightning bolt. In a word: incredible. Casablancas vocals catch all the yearning--and doubt--of a man who knows he should know better. The lyrics are full of tasty tidbits, knowing winks, and even a sanguine f-bomb. This is the story of a young band making a statement about their talents and their worldview--and succeeding beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Lyric Sheet: "Oh, you ain't never had nothing I wanted, but/I want it all, I just can't figure out/Nothing..."
Enjoy:
Republicans = Nazis
Peace,
emaycee
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