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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Jump In The Pool |
| 2. In The Hospital |
| 3. Paris |
| 4. White Diamonds |
| 5. Strobe |
| 6. On Board |
| 7. Lovesick |
| 8. Skeleton Boy |
| 9. Photobooth |
| 10. Ex Lover |
Product Description
Review
Friendly Fires, the splendidly-named trio hailing from St Albans, first ventured into showbiz using the medium of instrumental, Fugazi-esque hardcore. Realising that it wasn't really them, and thankfully lightening up a bit, Ed, Edd and Jack ventured forth into the world of disco and headed towards a far more interesting and musically rewarding future. It's one that's found them feted by the likes of Zane Lowe, Colin Murray and Rob Da Bank, loved by Guardian and NME alike, and now on XL - fast becoming a label that's the home of the hits.
Friendly Fires rattles along quite nicely. There may not be an immediacy or instant large to the angle of the Fires' jangle, but after a couple of listens you're wondering why they didn't release it at the height of summer, as it would've sounded perfect. Self-produced, with the exception of the Paul Epworth-produced single and lead track, Jump In The Pool, and recorded under Ed's parent's house, it's an album that sounds at home on both the radio and down the rave-up.
Earlier tracks, Paris and On Board are particularly ebullient and joyous, bringing to mind classic Chicago house textures with hand-in-air rushing moments. In The Hospital has the sweaty urgency of LCD Soundsystem, and Photobooth may destroy Earth itself, once a few choice remixes are commissioned. Lovesick is downright amazing: potentially the tune that turns the band from skinny indie groovers into chart-eating pop behemoths. Certain choruses and breakdowns mark this as a post-Klaxons album but that's about as much as FF has in common with the nu-rave herberts. Friendly Fires sound more like an excitable, puppy-like version of The Rapture or Cut Copy.
Overall, Friendly Fires - along with Late Of The Pier and Wild Beasts - have shown that there's some more forward-thinking and multiplex bands for people who've grown bored of the identikit indie gristle. A bit of sparkle and magic is all you need, and your life improves immeasurably. --Ian Wade
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Observer 19-8-09
'The Band of the Summer'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
When I first saw Friendly Fires on Jools Holland all those moons ago, I was mesmerized by Ed's hips and of course the music. After seeing them play the Glasgow ABC in May (which was my second best gig of the year), I just had to purchase the expanded album.
General Contents
Disk 1 - Friendly Fires Album
Disk 2 Side 1 - Remixes and Unreleased tracks, Side 2 - Live at the London Forum, Music Videos
Packaging
The sleeve gives the album a nice touch as on the normal version it didn't really shout out that this is a friendly fires album. I would have prefered to have had three disks instead of two as when using the double-sided disk there is more risk of scratching. The sleevenotes are a bit plain with no lyrics. 9/10
CD
The album itself is a cool, funky 80's inspired music fest with highlights being 'Jump In The Pool', 'Skeleton Boy' and 'Paris'. However, all the songs on this are gems and the album itself is worth five stars. The second CD is also great, with the single 'Kiss of Life' and unreleased tracks 'Relationships' and 'Bored Of Each Other'. The remixes are well-balanced and give a fresh approach to the album. 10/10
DVD
I was really pleased with the DVD. The Live at the London Forum is fantastic. The camera work is good, the sound is sharp and clear and it flows well. The music videos are essentials really but they are really good quality. 10/10
Overall, the expanded album is worth every penny which by the way, is good value for money. Even the little bit of annoyance over the disks is totally outshined with the contents and presentation of it. Go Buy It, Right Now!
10/10
General Contents
Disk 1 - Friendly Fires Album
Disk 2 Side 1 - Remixes and Unreleased tracks, Side 2 - Live at the London Forum, Music Videos
Packaging
The sleeve gives the album a nice touch as on the normal version it didn't really shout out that this is a friendly fires album. I would have prefered to have had three disks instead of two as when using the double-sided disk there is more risk of scratching. The sleevenotes are a bit plain with no lyrics. 9/10
CD
The album itself is a cool, funky 80's inspired music fest with highlights being 'Jump In The Pool', 'Skeleton Boy' and 'Paris'. However, all the songs on this are gems and the album itself is worth five stars. The second CD is also great, with the single 'Kiss of Life' and unreleased tracks 'Relationships' and 'Bored Of Each Other'. The remixes are well-balanced and give a fresh approach to the album. 10/10
DVD
I was really pleased with the DVD. The Live at the London Forum is fantastic. The camera work is good, the sound is sharp and clear and it flows well. The music videos are essentials really but they are really good quality. 10/10
Overall, the expanded album is worth every penny which by the way, is good value for money. Even the little bit of annoyance over the disks is totally outshined with the contents and presentation of it. Go Buy It, Right Now!
10/10
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
When i got this, it had a sticker on it saying 'Zane Lowe - "The soundtrack to your Summer"' and it completely was. I love this album, full of punky, funky rhythms and syncopated beats. It's brilliant, although I do love 'Ex-Lover' slightly less than the rest of the album. but don't let that put you off.
95 of 112 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This isn't a review of the music, ok? (the music get 3 stars, incidently). It's a call for the 're-issued with bonus CD' nonsense to stop. I've bought this album once, when it came out last year, so why oh why is it out with all these lovely extras for less than what i paid for mine, which, by the way, is next to worthless because of this 'new' version. So, should one want all the tracks, they're asking the honest, paying public, to fork out again? Get lost!!!
If the bonus CD has more than 4 songs on it then they should be made to sell it as a separate release as well, for a very small price, so that the people that bought it early aren't ripped off.
If you agree that bonus tracks/CDs need to be regulated in some way and think, like me, that the record companies have a real nerve to do this then click 'YES' to useful review. Ta.
If the bonus CD has more than 4 songs on it then they should be made to sell it as a separate release as well, for a very small price, so that the people that bought it early aren't ripped off.
If you agree that bonus tracks/CDs need to be regulated in some way and think, like me, that the record companies have a real nerve to do this then click 'YES' to useful review. Ta.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great edition
In this new world where physical CDs quite does not have its place in this world, but vynils are coming back as vintage, collector and serious iten, is good to notice that labels... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Marco Dias
Summer Anthems
Cracking album for the price paid. Managed to get the Double Disc edition too so even better, and all for under a fiver. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Big Red
THE Sound of Summer - Friendly Fires....the BEST of British MUSIC!
Whilst hearing on the radio recently that Friendly Fires will be releasing Pala, a follow up to this sensational debut album, this summer 2011! i SCREAMED!!!! Read more
Published 13 months ago by S. J. Pinder
a definite 80s vibe....
Although I only downloaded the album recently, I had already listened to them live at UEA last year, supported by Hockey (who also have an album worth checking out/downloading... Read more
Published 22 months ago by g0g0girl
long time gone
Saw this group quite at random at bestival last year and had intended to listen to the album sooner - eight months was worth the unintentional wait. Read more
Published on 29 May 2010 by mister ged
Great CD, Terrible Live DVD
The Audio CD is unquestionably one of the great CD's of 2008/9.
Having read recent reviews about the DVD being 10/10 I can only laugh. Read more
Having read recent reviews about the DVD being 10/10 I can only laugh. Read more
Published on 2 May 2010 by Daniel Billinton
Just brilliant!!!
LOVE this album bought it this week service was great as always!
I can play this from beginning to end and love every track. Read more
I can play this from beginning to end and love every track. Read more
Published on 26 Jan 2010 by Ms. R. Richards
Don't forget Friendly Fires
Curiously absent from 'best of the noughties' lists, Friendly Fires' status as an 'it' band appears to have already come and gone. Read more
Published on 23 Jan 2010 by J. Jenkins
Can I have some more please?!
Not an awful lot to add to the other reviews here on amazon, but as real music lover, I have to say this album is superb! Read more
Published on 13 Oct 2009 by Mr. N. N. Edwards
I was wrong
I bought this album off the back of the single, thinking that I was a Friendly Fires fan. Nothing on the album is as good as the single, and after repeated listens I found that the... Read more
Published on 5 Oct 2009 by Mr. Dan Petic
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