ABSTRACT
Indeed, what makes the record-and, according to critics, the Libertines’ live show-work is the rhythm section: for all the craziness layered on top, the bass and GUXPVPLVVQDU\DFXH+DVVHOO¶VEDVVZRUNLVFULVSZDONLQJD¿QHOLQHEHWZHHQ laying down a solid harmonic foundation and offering little melodic asides and OHDGV3RZHOO¶VGUXPPLQJLVHYHQEHWWHUWDXWDQGSRZHUIXONQRZLQJZKHQWRVSXU WKHEDQGRQDQGZKHQWRKROGWKHPEDFN7KHSDLUDFWDVDVRUWRIPXVLFDOJOXH holding together the songs when they threaten to fracture apart, and, in doing so, VHWWKH/LEHUWLQHVDSDUWIURPPXFKRIWKHLUFRPSHWLWLRQ
But nobody-or very few, at most-buys these records because of the rhythm ZRUN 7KH VLPSOHVW DVVHVVPHQW RI WKH IURQWPHQ¶V LQVWUXPHQWDO VNLOO LV WKDW WKH JXLWDUSOD\LQJRI%DUDWDQG'RKHUW\ LV VORSS\²DOPRVWH[WUDYDJDQWO\ VR%XW LW LVDGLIIHUHQWVRUWRIQRQFKDODQFHWKDQWKDWSXUYH\HGE\WKHYDULRXVOR¿EDQGVRI WKHVSUREDEO\EHVWH[HPSOL¿HGE\WKHOLNHVRI3DYHPHQW3DYHPHQW¶VVORSS\ SOD\DQGRXWRIWXQHJXLWDUVVXJJHVWWKDWWKH\DUHHLWKHUWRROD]\RUWRRFRROWRFDUH The Libertines, on the other hand, sound like they cannot sit still long enoughthough whether that stems from mere restlessness or knowing that they are late to PDNHDGUXJFRQQHFWLRQUHPDLQVXQFOHDU3
And that is not to say they are badJXLWDUSOD\HUVH[DFWO\7KRXJKLWLVXVXDOO\ impossible to tell who is playing what, it does not really matter: no traditional GLVWLQFWLRQ EHWZHHQ UK\WKP DQG OHDGSOD\LQJ KHUH²QR /HQQRQ+DUULVRQ 5LFKDUGVZKRHYHU -RH3HUU\WKH³RWKHU´JX\ IURP$HURVPLWK ,QVWHDG WKH\DUH ERWKSOD\LQJOHDGDQGUK\WKPVRPHWLPHVDW WKHVDPHWLPH7KHGXDOLW\XVXDOO\ ZRUNVRXWEHWWHU WKDQ LW VKRXOG$QG WKDW LQ DQXWVKHOO is the Libertines: it all VRPHKRZZRUNVRXWEHWWHUWKDQLWVKRXOG 7KH DOEXP¶V RSHQLQJ WUDFN ³9HUWLJR´ VHWV WKH WRQH IRU WKH DOEXP2YHU D
VLQLVWHUKLSVKXIÀH'RKHUW\DQG%DUDWZRUNWKHLUPDJLFDVWKHLUVORSS\LQWHUORFNLQJ guitar parts and slurred, indistinct vocals weave their way around the solid groove ODLGGRZQE\WKHEDVVDQGGUXPV&KDUPLQJLQDVLQHZ\ZD\WKHO\ULFVSURYLGHD clue about what is to come: though the song’s “drunken prophet” might well “see everything,” his view, and by implication that of the singers, of the surroundings LVFOHDUO\DSHUVSHFWLYHIURPWKHJXWWHU8QOLNHWKH%HDWOHV¶³3HQQ\/DQH´ZKLFK offers a bird’s-eye view of its characters’ thoughts and actions-to say nothing of the Kinks’ snapshots of contemporary (and changing) England in the 1960s
and 1970s-the Libertines look “up” rather than “down,” and it remains unclear ZKHWKHUWKH\UHDOO\ZLVKWRFUDZORXWRIWKHPHVV4
Maybe even more telling is the song’s advice to make a fortune with a “lead SLSH´'HOLFLRXVO\ DPELJXRXV DERXW WKHIW WR WKH$PHULFDQ HDU WKH OLQH VRXQGV like a scenario from the board game Clue (“Libertines used the lead pipe in the music room,” perhaps), it also hints at the traditional fallback of English thieves, ZKRZRXOG VWULS WKH URR¿QJDQGSLSHVRIIEXLOGLQJV(LWKHUZD\ WKH OLQH ULQJV DV D FRQIHVVLRQ WKH ¿UVW LQVWDQFH VXJJHVWV WKH /LEHUWLQHV KDYH DSSURSULDWHG² violently-their style; in the second, that they have “borrowed” it from others, PHOWHG LW GRZQ DQGFUHDWHGDQHZDPDOJDP$QG LQ HLWKHU FDVH WKHDGPLVVLRQ FRQ¿UPVZKDWWKHOLVWHQHUDOUHDG\VXVSHFWVWKDWWKH\KDYHKHDUGWKLVDOOEHIRUH 2UKDYHWKH\"
If the lyrics of “Vertigo” imply (mis)appropriation, the album’s second VRQJ ³'HDWK RQ WKH 6WDLUV´ LV DPRQJ RWKHU WKLQJV DPHGLWDWLRQ RQ WKH SDVW Appropriately for post-modern rockers, Barat and Doherty seem unsure whether WR UHMHFW RU HPEUDFHZKDW FDPHEHIRUH2QHYHUVH VFROGV WKH OLVWHQHUZKRZLOO QRWRUFDQQRW³OHDYHWKHSDVWEHKLQG´7KHVLQJHURQWKHRWKHUKDQGSURIHVVHV unfamiliarity with “yesterday” though it remains unclear whether this amounts to LJQRUDQFHRUHQOLJKWHQPHQW6O\QRGWRWKH%HDWOHV¶³<HVWHUGD\´DVLGHWKHWKLUG verse probably best sums up their stance: singing about “meeting the past” in RUGHUWR³NHHSLWVZHHW´WKHYRFDOLVWFRQFOXGHV³,W¶VMXVWOLNHQRWKLQJDWDOO´,Q a disavowal of the past and a denial of its importance, the singer implores the OLVWHQHUQRWWR³EULQJWKDWJKRVWURXQGWRP\GRRU´5 7KHDOEXP¶VQH[WWZRVRQJV³+RUURU6KRZ´DQG³7LPHIRU+HURHV´FRQWLQXH
WKH/LEHUWLQHV¶PXVLQJVRQWHPSRUDOLW\DQGLQIDFWDFWDVÀLSVLGHVRIWKHFRLQ ,Q ³+RUURU´ WKH OLVWHQHU OHDUQV RI D IXWXUH LQ WKHUH LV ³QRWKLQJ FKDQJLQJ´ DQG WKDW³LW¶VDOOVRUURZ´$JDLQWKHO\ULFVGDQFHDURXQGWKHHEEDQGÀRZRIWLPH²LQ WKLV FDVH D VWDWLF IXWXUH UHPLQLVFHQWRI WKH7DONLQJ+HDGV¶ ³+HDYHQ´²D³SODFH ZKHUH QRWKLQJ HYHU KDSSHQV´ ³7LPH IRU+HURHV´ RQ WKH RWKHU KDQG VXJJHVWV WKDWWKLVSRVVLELOLW\LWQRWZKROO\XQGHVLUDEOH&RPPHQWLQJRQWKHVTXDORURIWKH FRQWHPSRUDU\³VFHQH´WKHVLQJHUSURPLVHVWKDW³7LPHZLOOVWULSLWDZD\´3XWWLQJ WRJHWKHUWKHUHEXVZH¿QGWKDWWKH³7LPHIRU+HURHV´³REVFHQHVFHQH´ZLOOJLYH ZD\WRD³WRPRUURZ´ZKHUH³WKHUH¶VQRWKLQJFKDQJLQJ´ 2IFRXUVH³7LPHIRU+HURHV´DVNVPRUHTXHVWLRQVWKDQLWDQVZHUVLVnow the
WLPHIRUKHURHV"2UZLOOWKH\EHQHHGHGRUDSSHDUVRPHWLPHLQWKHIXWXUH"$QG more obviously, who are the “heroes”? The Libertines themselves? The lyrics VXJJHVW WKDWSRVVLELOLW\ ³,W¶V DOO LQP\KDQGV´ WKH VLQJHU DGPLWV$QRWKHU FOXH
can be gleaned in the song’s reference to Bill Bones, a mysterious and sometimes FRQWUDGLFWRU\FKDUDFWHULQ5REHUW/RXLV6WHYHQVRQ¶VTreasure Island$JDLQZH KDYHWKH/LEHUWLQHVZUDSSLQJWKHPVHOYHVLQP\VWHU\
The Libertines’ songs teem with sordid street scenes: illicit sex, voyeurism, GUXJXVHLQVREULHW\¿JKWVULRWVVHHPLQJO\WDNLQJSODFHLQWKHZHHKRXUVZKHQWKH PRUHUHVSHFWDEOHPHPEHUVRIVRFLHW\DUHVDIHO\DWKRPH4XLWHIUDQNO\LWVHHPV OLNH D .HURXDFLVK SXWRQ WKH DQWLFV RI VSRLOHG EUDWV VOXPPLQJ LQ WKH VWUHHWV Which does not imply the band has not had its problems: Doherty’s multiple (at last count somewhere north of a dozen) arrests for drink, drugs, and burglaryRIEDQGPDWH%DUDW¶VÀDWQROHVV²LPSO\DFHUWDLQDZDUHQHVVRIWKHOLIH¶VGDUNHU corners, but even this seems like a charade if not a chimera-another costume put on by Doherty who, despite his obvious intelligence and musical talent, seems either by inclination or design (or both) to care as much about sustaining the sordid fantasy he has weaved around himself as about actually realizing the vision he HVSRXVHV6
In terms of both musicality and sensibility, the Libertines’ persona seems to FRQVLVWRIDQDFFXPXODWLRQRI WURSHVJDWKHUHG IURPWKHGXVWELQRI%ULWLVK URFN 0RUHP\WKRVWKDQKLVWRU\WKHLUEDFNJURXQGZKHWKHU¿FWLRQIDFWRUDFRPELQDWLRQ of the two, amount to an olio, an amalgamation of the past: teenaged Barat and 'RKHUW\PHHWDQG¿QGWKH\VKDUHVRPHVRUWRIPXVLFDOYLVLRQ/HQQRQ0F&DUWQH\ -DJJHU5LFKDUGV7RZQVHQG'DOWUH\HWFWKHEDQGLV³GLVFRYHUHG´E\DSURPRWHU who insists that Barat and Doherty become the focal point of the band (the Brian (SVWHLQUROH"6H[3LVWROV¶PDVWHUPLQG0DOFROP0F/DUHQSHUKDSV"UXPRUVRID physical relationship between Barat and Doherty which they coyly-or savvilyUHIXVHGWRFRQ¿UPRUGHQ\7
In this sense the real counterpart for the Libertines are not fellow rockers WKH6WURNHV WKH+LYHV HW DOZLWKZKRP WKH\DUHXVXDOO\FRPSDUHGEXW UDWKHU $PHULFDQ EDQG WKH :KLWH 6WULSHV ZKR YHU\ FRQVFLRXVO\ FUHDWHG WKHLU RZQ P\WKRORJ\LQODUJHSDUWE\NHHSLQJWKHLUPRXWKVVKXW%\DGRSWLQJWKHODVWQDPH :KLWH-DFNDQG0HJLPSOLHGDUHODWLRQVKLS5XPRUVVSUHDGWKDWWKH\ZHUHEURWKHU DQGVLVWHURUPDUULHGRUERWK,QWUXWKWKHSDLUKDGEHHQPDUULHG²DQGGLYRUFHG²
EHIRUHWKH\IRXQGIDPHRXWVLGHWKHLUQDWLYH'HWURLW6WLOOE\GRLQJQRWKLQJPRUH than remain mum and allow the rumor mill to take over they fostered, if they did QRWH[DFWO\FUHDWHWKHLURZQP\WKRORJ\7KH%ULWLVKSUHVVGLGPXFKWKHVDPHZLWK WKH/LEHUWLQHV 6KRXOG WKH/LEHUWLQHV¶SDVWPDWWHU"7KDW LVDPRUHGLI¿FXOWTXHVWLRQ 2WKHU
SRVWPRGHUQDFWVKDYHSURGXFHGJRRGPXVLF7HQDFLRXV'IRURQHZRUNVSUHFLVHO\ because-their send-up of rock and the whole experience of membership in a band EHVLGH²WKH\PDNHJUHDWPXVLF7KHLU³$7ULEXWHWRWKH%HVW6RQJLQWKH:RUOG´ would not pack such a punch, nor provoke such mirth, if it were not a pretty good VRQJLQLWVRZQULJKW:KLOH7HQDFLRXV'UHOLHVRQSDURG\WKHKRPDJHRIIHUHGWR KHDY\PHWDOE\WKH4XHHQVRIWKH6WRQH$JH²EHVWH[HPSOL¿HGRQSongs for the DeafWKHJURXS¶VWKLUGUHOHDVH²DOVRZRUNVEHFDXVHLWLVLQWKHHQGJRRGPXVLF
And that’s not to imply the Libertines don’t-or at least didn’t-make good PXVLFUp the Bracket remains fresh, powerful, and moving, even after a decade DQGFRXQWOHVVOLVWHQLQJV/LNHWKHEHVWGHEXWDOEXPVLWRIIHUVKLQWVRIHYHU\WKLQJ WKHEDQGZLOOEHFRPH*UDQWHGLQWKHFDVHRIWKH%HDWOHVWKLVDPRXQWHGWRURXJKO\ a dozen more albums-ending, with 1970’s Let it Be, almost exactly where they VWDUWHGZKLOH WKH/LEHUWLQHV¿UVW UHFRUGDPRXQWHG WRSUHFLVHO\KDOI WKHLU DVRI UHFRUGHGRXWSXW%XWWKHSRLQWLVYDOLG$JRRGIULHQGRIVRPHKDOIFHQWXU\ musical experience once remarked that “virtually everything a band is going to be LVHYLGHQWDWWKHLU¿UVWJLJ´²WKHLPSOLFDWLRQEHLQJWKDWDIWHUDEDQGVWDUWVJLJJLQJ the time and drive to create is tempered by the pressures and commitments of the JLJVWKHPVHOYHV'RKHUW\VDLGDWWKHWLPH³,NQHZ,KDGDEHWWHUDOEXPWKDQUp the BracketLQPHDQG,ZDQWHGWRUHFRUGLW%XW,ZDVWROGZH¶YHJRWWRNHHSWRXULQJ NHHSSURPRWLQJ7KDWZDVWKH¿UVWWLPH,UHDOL]HGZHZHUHRQDFRQYH\RUEHOW´ &ODUNH
This tension between appearances and reality is nowhere more apparent WKDQ LQ³%R\V LQ WKH%DQG´²WKHREYLRXVDQVZHUVRQJ WR³7LPHIRU+HURHV´² which begins with the singer calling out all pretenders, who run away rather than ³VLQJ´³GDQFH´RU³¿JKW´,QVKRUW WKHVRQJTXHVWLRQVWKRVHZKRVHZDONGRHV QRWPDWFKWKHLU WDON:KLOHQRWHVSHFLDOO\SURIRXQG WKHTXHVWLRQDW OHDVWVHHPV ³SXQN´0HDQZKLOHWKHOLVWHQHULVOHIWDVNLQJWKHVDPHWKLQJVDERXWWKH/LEHUWLQHV WKHPVHOYHV3RVWXUHDQGSUHWHQVHDVLGHZKDWKDGDWOHDVWDWWKHWLPHWKLVDOEXP appeared) the Libertines actually accomplished? A single? A handful of (by all accounts sloppy) gigs? Perhaps the question is not fair: the same could be said RIPRVWEDQGVWKDWKDGMXVWUHOHDVHGWKHLUGHEXWDOEXP2QWKHRWKHUKDQGQRWDOO EDQGVWU\VRKDUGWRZLVKRULPDJLQHWKHPVHOYHVLQWRWKHPXVLFDOWUDGLWLRQ,QVWHDG the Libertines seem to assume that if you act like you belong than you do, in fact, EHORQJ
Consider the ways by which the Libertines attempt to align themselves with WKHLU%ULWLVKPXVLFDOIRUEHDUV$VWKHEULGJHRI³%R\V´UHPLQGVWKHOLVWHQHUWKH Libertines’ audience “twist and scream and shout” for The Boys in the Band ²DQLFH WULFN OLQNLQJ WKHLUGHEXWDOEXPWR WKH%HDWOHV¶¿UVW UHFRUGLQJVHVVLRQ %XWLWJRHVGHHSHUWKDQWKDW%HFDXVHWKH/LEHUWLQHVFDPHRIDJHDWDWLPHZKHQ
MTV remained musically, rather than culturally, relevant, it seems appropriate WREULHÀ\FRQVLGHUWKHYLGHRIRUWKHLUGHEXWDOEXP¶VWLWOHVRQJ7KHYLGHREHJLQV ZLWKDVFHQHRIWKHIRXUEDQGPHPEHUVZDONLQJGRZQWKHVWUHHW$SSUR[LPDWHO\ one minute into the video the shot cuts to a pile of vinyl records-themselves largely rendered obsolescent by cassettes and (slightly later) compact discs by the time MTV appeared-on the top of which rests, quite visibly, and certainly not coincidentally, a copy of the Beatles’ second LP, With the Beatles. This quick camera shot is the essence of postmodernism: it suggests either that time does not H[LVWRUWKDWDOOWLPHVDUHHTXDOO\YDOLG,QHLWKHUFDVHWKHYLGHROLNHWKHEDQG¶V O\ULFVVHHPHQJDJHGLQDQLQWULFDWHGDQFHZLWKWHPSRUDOLW\8
Immediately after the quick shot of this heap of records-whether it comprises DWUHDVXUHWURYHWREHUDLGHGRUDSLOHRIUHIXVHLVXQFOHDU²WKHFDPHUD¿QGVWKH %R\V³SOD\LQJ´ WKHLUVRQJGUHVVHG LQ6JW3HSSHU MDFNHWVQR OHVVDQGVKDNLQJ WKHLU FDUHIXOO\ GLVKHYHOHG KDLU LQ REYLRXV SDURG\ RU KRPDJH WR WKH )DE )RXU Another post-modern moment, the quick juxtaposition of the Beatles’ second record with Sgt. Pepper’V LVVLJQL¿FDQW)LUVW LW UHPLQGV WKHYLHZHURIKRZIDU WKH%HDWOHVSURJUHVVHGLQDVFDQW¿YH\HDUV6HFRQGWKDWIRUWKH/LEHUWLQHV²DQG whether this is true for a whole generation is a subject for another debate-the Beatles’ entire history is not a sequence but a whole to be mined at will: that for the Libertines the Beatles, early or late, are simply a discrete piece of the past to EHPLQHGPLPLFNHG FXWDQGSDVWHG0RUHRYHU D TXLFN FXW²EOLQN DQG \RX¶OO miss it-shows the boys back in their street clothes while a quartet of young birds KDYHGRQQHGWKH6JW3HSSHUJDUE$JDLQWKLVPHUHO\HPSKDVL]HVWKDWSRLQWWKDW at least for this band, the past is merely a costume or aesthetic that can be as easily DVVXPHGDVVKHG9 $QG WKH/LEHUWLQHV VHHP WRFRQ¿UP WKLVSRVWPRGHUQ WHPSRUDO VHQVLELOLW\ LQ
VRPHRIWKHLULQWHUYLHZV&ULWLFVPDGHPXFKRIWKHIDFWWKDWWKH/LEHUWLQHVVHHP wistful for some sort of forever-lost-or perhaps never-was-England, one reviewer likening them to “the cherubic-faced link between Noel Coward and WKH&ODVK´&ODUNH$QRWKHUVSRNHRIWKH/LEHUWLQHV³UHIHUHQFLQJWKHLUDUFK QRVWDOJLDIRUDFHUWDLQLQGH¿QDEOHTXDOLW\RI(QJOLVKQHVV´0F&RUPLFN7KH /LEHUWLQHV¶UHVSRQVHLVWHOOLQJ6DLG%DUDW³3HRSOHDFFXVHXVRIEHLQJLQORYHZLWK
WKHFRORXUVRIDQROGZRUOGDQGGXVW\WLQV´'RKHUW\H[SDQGHGRQWKLVVHQWLPHQW ³%XW LW¶V DQ DJH WKDW H[LVWV QRZ<RX FDQ RZQ WKH WLQ QRZ ,W¶V QRW OLNH WLPH WUDYHOOLQJRUSUHWHQGLQJ\RXOLYHLQDQRWKHUHUDYou can appreciate the beauty of something whenever it was made´0F&RUPLFNHPSKDVLVDGGHG
In a sense, the Libertines echo, almost certainly unintentionally, critic Greil 0DUFXV¶VHVVD\³+LVWRU\/HVVRQ´7DNLQJDVDVWDUWLQJSRLQWWKHOLQH³'RQ¶WNQRZ PXFKDERXWKLVWRU\´IURP6DP&RRNH¶VVRQJ³:RQGHUIXO:RUOG´0DUFXVDUJXHV that the myriad histories presented in common culture actually act to free moderns from the “burden” of the past: that all these competing mythologies, in effect, FDQFHOHDFKRWKHURXW$VDUHVXOWWKH³SDUWVRIKLVWRU\´WKDW³GRQ¶W¿WWKHVWRU\D people wants to tell itself, can survive only as haunts and fairy tales, accessible RQO\DVVSHFWHUVDQGVSRRNV´0DUFXV7DNHQIURPWKLVSHUVSHFWLYH the Libertines’ entire mythology becomes rather more interesting: post-modern SXQNVOLYLQJLQDSDVWRIWKHLURZQFUHDWLRQWKH\DUHQRORQJHUWHWKHUHGWRDQ\¿[HG QRWLRQRIWKHSDVWDQGDUHIUHHWRGUDZPHDQLQJZKHUHZKHQWKH\¿QGLW:KHWKHU this temporal timelessness is a good thing is up for debate, but at least from an DUWLVWLFVWDQGSRLQWWKH/LEHUWLQHVVHHPVWRKDYHIRXQGVXFFHVV
Depending on one’s thoughts about the nature of time and the role of history, Up the BracketDVDZKROHFDQEHUHDGDVKRPDJHWRWKH%HDWOHV$OWHUQDWLYHO\ if the Libertines and the Beatles exist in the same moment, the Libertines can be VHHQDVZULWLQJWKHPVHOYHVLQWRWKH%HDWOHVP\WK²DQGYLFHYHUVD7KDWPLJKWRU might not have been the Libertines’ intention, but the similarities of the recording process as well as the various “clues” scattered throughout both album and video suggest such a reading is as valid as any other: after all, if the band refuses to play VWUDLJKWWKH\FDQQRWYHU\ZHOOH[SHFWWKHLUDXGLHQFHWRDFWGLIIHUHQWO\
Already this article has noted in passing some of the possible Beatles references, EXWWKLQJVFRPHWRDKHDGLQWKHVRQJ³7KH%R\/RRNHGDW-RKQQ\´2VWHQVLEO\DQG quite likely actually) written about Razorlight front man and one-time Libertine -RKQQ\%RUUHOOWKHVRQJFDQEHLQWHUSUHWHGLQVWHDGDVDQRGHWR-RKQ/HQQRQ7KH opening couplet alone-“Like in a saddle with his gun / We’re in slow motion HDWLQJEUHDNIDVW´²PDNHVUHIHUHQFHWRWKUHH%HDWOHVWXQHV³+DSSLQHVVLVD:DUP Gun,” “Good Morning Good Morning,” and “A Day in the Life”—all of them VDYH WKHEULGJHRI³$'D\«´ZULWWHQE\/HQQRQ$OVR WHOOLQJ LV WKHFKRUXV¶V UHIHUHQFHWR1HZ<RUN&LW\DQLFHFRQQHFWLRQWRWKHLFRQLFSKRWRJUDSKRI/HQQRQ VSRUWLQJWKHSRSXODU,+HDUW1<WVKLUW
The Lennon connection continues with “The Boy…”: “But oh don’t you miss 6RKR´7KDW OLWWOH³RK´ WKRXJKSUREDEO\VXSHUÀXRXVKDVDOOVRUWVRI UHVRQDQFH IRU WKH/HQQRQSKLOH/HQQRQKLPVHOIZDV IRQGRISOD\LQJZLWK WKH³RK´ IURP songs (Imagine¶V³2K0\/RYH´DVZHOODV³2K<RNR´WR/HQQRQ¶VVHOIVW\OHG VRPHWLPHVPRQLNHU DQG UHFRUGLQJSVHXGRQ\P'U:LQVWRQ2¶%RRJLH1RZ LW must be acknowledged that Paul McCartney also had a bit of an “oh” fascination KLPVHOI IURP ³2K 'DUOLQJ´ WR ³2E/D'L 2E/D'D´ ,Q IDFW WKH EDEEOH RI nonsense syllables-“La de di la de di da diddy”—in the chorus of “The Boy…” FDQFHUWDLQO\EHUHDGDVDFRPPHQWVDWLUHUHVSRQVHWR³2E/D'L´D0DFFDWXQH
WKDW/HQQRQIDPRXVO\SDQQHGRQDWOHDVWRQHRFFDVLRQDV³3DXO¶VJUDQQ\VKLW´3XW WRJHWKHUWKDW/LEHUWLQHVFKRUXV²³GRQ¶W\RXPLVV6RKR:KHUHHYHU\ERG\JRHV / La de di la de di da diddy”—can be taken as a question not to Johnny Borrell but WR-RKQ/HQQRQKLPVHOIDVNLQJ/HQQRQLIDVDQH[SDWULDWHOLYLQJLQ1HZ<RUNKH GRHVQRWVRPHWLPHVPLVVERWK/RQGRQDQG0F&DUWQH\10
Interestingly-and appropriately-for all their genre-jumping, the Libertines UDUHO\VRXQGQRVWDOJLF7UXHWKH\SXUORLQSLHFHVRIWKHSDVW&ULWLFVGHVFULELQJWKH album have compared the Libertines’ sound to a gamut of (mostly British) bands: WKH&ODVKWKH6H[3LVWROVWKH-DPWKH.LQNV0DUF%RODQDQGSUREDEO\PRVW RIWHQWKH%X]]FRFNV1RGRXEWWKHOLNHO\ODGVRZHPRUHWKDQDQRGWRWKHVHDQG to others; depending on the listener’s familiarity with the British rock oeuvre, he RUVKHZLOO¿QGELWVDQGSLHFHVWKH\ZLOOVZHDUWKH\KDYHKHDUGEHIRUH%XWZKDW makes Up the Bracket a really good-and quite perhaps great-album is that, for DOOWKHLUERUURZLQJWKH/LEHUWLQHVPDNHLWVRXQGXQLTXHO\WKHLURZQ7KHVHVRQJV DUHQRWLQDQ\UHDOVHQVHKRPDJHWRWKHLUPXVLFDOKHURHV,QVWHDGLWLVDGHEXWWKDW FRXOGRQO\KDYHDSSHDUHGZKHQLWGLGKRZLWGLG /\ULFDOO\'RKHUW\DQG%DUDW¿WQRWDOWRJHWKHUVXUSULVLQJO\JLYHQWKHLUTXLWH
earnest Britishness, somewhere in the land claimed earlier by the Kinks and, to a certain extent, the Jam, both bands who, in their own way, found their sensibilities QRW LQ WKH$PHULFDQSDVW EXW LQ D E\JRQHRU GLVDSSHDULQJ(QJODQG$OO%ULWLVK URFNEDQGVRZHDFHUWDLQGHEWWR$PHULFDEXWPRVWRIWKHP²WKH5ROOLQJ6WRQHV &UHDP/HG=HSSHOLQ²FOHDUO\KRSHWREHVWWKH$PHULFDQVDWWKHLURZQJDPH2QO\ the Beatles really straddled the oceanic divide comfortably: every quintessentially British tune such as “Penny Lane” has a companion in a fundamentally American QXPEHUOLNH³2K'DUOLQJ´SDUWRIWKH%HDWOHV¶JHQLXVZDVWKLVDELOLW\WRFRPELQH WKHWZRDHVWKHWLFVVRVHDPOHVVO\
The closest American touchstones for the Libertines music are the Velvet 8QGHUJURXQGDQGHVSHFLDOO\PXVLFDOO\WKH5DPRQHV7KH5DPRQHV¶KDUGGULYLQJ UHOHQWOHVVJXLWDUDWWDFNXQGHUSLQVPXFKRIWKHLUZRUN7KHLQÀXHQFHRIWKH9HOYHW 8QGHUJURXQGFRPHVWKURXJKSULPDULO\O\ULFDOO\LQWKHIDVFLQDWLRQZLWKWKHGDUNHU FRUQHUVRIWKH/RQGRQQLJKWWDOHVRI¿JKWVUDQGRPVH[DQGGUXJXVH$QGWKRXJK 6RQLF<RXWKUDUHO\JHWVWKHFUHGLWWKH\GHVHUYHWKH/LEHUWLQHV²DQGZKHWKHUWKH\ know it or not, most “alternative” bands formed since the mid-1980s-owe them DFHUWDLQGHEWWKH¿UVWVHFRQGVRI³%HJJLQJ´²DQGIRUWKDWPDWWHUWKHIXOOODVW PLQXWH²FRXOGKDYHFRPHVWUDLJKWRII DVHUD6RQLF<RXWK UHFRUGGULYLQJ GUXPVDWPRVSKHULFJXLWDUVFU\SWLFYRFDOVDQGDOOWKHUHVW
The one moment nostalgia does creep in is, appropriately enough, “The Good 2OG'D\V´*UDQWHG WKHQRVWDOJLD LV WHPSHUHG5HPLQGLQJ WKH OLVWHQHU WKDW WKH VSLULWRI4XHHQ%RDGLFHDWKH¿UVWFHQWXU\AD British princess who led a revolt against the Romans and was mentioned by Tacitus) “lives on” in her “children’s children’s children,” and that it “would be wrong” to lose the spirit, the narrator
FXUWO\DVVHUWVWKDW³WKHUHZHUHQRJRRGROGGD\V7KHVHDUHWKHJRRGROGGD\V´ 7KHDOEXPFORVHVZLWKWKHWLWOHVRQJ³8SWKH%UDFNHW´WKHO\ULFVRIZKLFKQHDWO\ VXPXS WKHEDQG¶VZKROH DSSURDFK7KH O\ULF¶V WZRPDLQ WKHPHV LQYROYH ³WZR VKDGRZHGPHQ´DQG³WKHVHWZRFURRNHG¿QJHUV´7KH¿UVWWHUP³VKDGRZHGPHQ´ is British slang for either underground cops, spies, or, in some cases, the criminals WKH\¶UHDIWHU(LWKHUPHDQLQJZRUNVRVWHQVLEO\WKHVKDGRZ\¿JXUHVDUHSXUVXLQJ the singer after offering to pay for “your”—the song’s intended audience’sDGGUHVV7KHVLQJHU'RKHUW\VKRZVWKHPHQ³WKHVHWZRFROG¿QJHUV´²WKH%ULWLVK HTXLYDOHQWRIWKH$PHULFDQ³RQH¿QJHUHGVDOXWH´²DVDOXWHWRERWKWKHVKDGRZ\ PHQDQGWKH/LEHUWLQHV¶DXGLHQFHWKDWVRPHKRZZRUNVSHUIHFWO\
For what the Libertines-whether they realize it or not-demonstrate is that it is nearly impossible in the post-millennial era to come up with something entirely QRYHO7KH/LEHUWLQHVFDQQRWEHWKH%HDWOHVRU(OYLVRUWKH6H[3LVWROVRUDQ\ other of the truly original artists whose debuts made the listener sit up and pay DWWHQWLRQ ,QVWHDG PXFK OLNH /DG\ *DJD DOPRVW D GHFDGH ODWHU WKH /LEHUWLQHV mined that past, choosing bits and pieces to combine in new ways, relying less RQRULJLQDOLW\WKDQRQQHZLQWHUSUHWDWLRQVRUMX[WDSRVLWLRQVRIWKHSDVW7KRXJKDW least one reviewer chastised the Libertines for their “derivative music,” the truth is WKDWYLUWXDOO\DOOPXVLFLVGHULYDWLYHWRVRPHGHJUHH7KH/LEHUWLQHV¶DOOXUHOLHVLQ part in the brazenness with which they confront the listener with the familiar; but WKHLUJHQLXVLVLQWKHLUDELOLW\WRGRVRLQVXFKDFRPSHOOLQJPDQQHU6PLWK
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