Maps - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Maps is a song that is considered by a lot of people to be one of, and in some opinions to be the best love song of all time. That is a tall order to fill if we are to consider some of the contenders of the last 60 years. Personally, I don't think it is, but I do think it is a classic.

It is a song that is made up of simple chords and notes. It is a song that is made up of very few lyrics for a love song, and the few lyrics it does contain are not immediately obvious to understand. There is a hundred different ways that this song can be looked at, and a thousand different themes and concepts could be taken from it. For me, the concept behind this song is in the name. Maps being a decision as to where to go, and in what direction they want their life to go in. I think that the lyrics are made up like a dialogue between two people, one leaving, and the other telling them to stay because of how much they love them.

'Pack up, I've strayed' is them saying how they are leaving because their feelings have strayed and no longer exist for them. This is then followed by 'wait, they don't love you like I love you' which is the victim not wanting them to leave. The line is repeated a few times, which is almost like they are begging them to stay. You feel sorry for them when you listen to it, and you can't help think of a position you've been in like it, or imagine how you would feel if you were in a position like it.

This song for me is so powerful, and is able to put you into the position of both of the people. Its a song that hasn't gained a lot of recognition since its release, but is a classic among the people who have heard it. Its quite a contrast to a lot of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs other material, and shows how talented they are.

It is a beautiful song.

Walk Away - Franz Ferdinand

Where could I start with this song? The simply beautiful chord sequences, brilliant melody, and wonderfully stringed together lyrics all work together to make this a classic. Walk Away is a song which takes on so many themes and meanings. In my opinion the most likely concept that Alex Kapranos and Nick McCarthy had when writing it was pretending to be glad when a girlfriend/boyfriend is leaving you, but inside your hating it.

The first part of the chorus is saying how hes glad shes walking away, but then its soon changes as the second part for the chorus is him realising what a disaster it is. Lines like 'Radio 4 is static' and 'the Hollywood wings will howl' is him saying how nothing is how it should be now that she has left.

The background sounds of the song and the picked lead guitar combined with the acoustic chords over a 60's sounding drum beat and solid bass line make the music a masterpiece, with plenty of power. It is a joy to listen too, and is a song that I can listen to over and over again.

The best looking guitar ever?

The best looking guitar ever?

The Gibson Les Paul would have to be included. Its a design masterpiece which has been the favourite of countless guitarists.

The Fender Stratocaster would have to bee included for pure sexyness. The likes of Hendrix and Clapton made this one so legendary.

The Rickenbacker 325 isn't one of the most used guitars, but is certainly a classic looking guitar. It has been made famous by the likes of Johnny Marr, Pete Doherty, and of course, John Lennon.

My personal favourite is the Fender Telecaster. A guitar that has a truly original design, and has been in use since the early 50's, with the original design coming into production in 1949. Some of the most notable Telecaster players are Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen, and Jimmy Page in the early Led Zeppelin days.

Arctic Monkeys

The Arctic Monkeys are a band that first came to my attention in early 2006 when I downloaded 'From the Ritz to the Rubble' by complete accident. Not quite sure why I downloaded it, I gave it a listen.

I was immediately hit with the strong dialect vocals of the then unknown Alex Turner, telling me about 'two bouncers, one of 'em was alright but the other one wer' scary', which was then almost immediately followed by the so fresh sounding scratchy guitar and thumping bass line. From that point on, I was captivated by what their debut album had to offer. Four seemingly average guys from Sheffield, singing about sex, girls and drugs. No different from every other twenty something from Sheffield right? Apart from their musical genius.

Their debut album 'What Ever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' was not short of a sensation across the UK, quickly becoming the fastest selling debut album ever over taking the glorious Oasis debut effort. For more than a year, every teenager and twenty something was talking about it, and it was an album which so many could relate too. It was an album of catchy riffs and timeless anthems such as 'Mardy Bum' and 'I Bet You Look Good On the Dance Floor'. It was able to tap into the lives of so many with songs like 'Riot Van' and 'A Certain Romance'.

They followed it up with the album 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' which could be seen as a follow up from the first. In many ways it is, but at the same time it is so different. The Arctic Monkeys sound had matured and changed. It had more complicated music, and deeper lyrics, which explored previously unseen topics like love and sadness. The album secured the band as a major force in the music business, confirming that they were a sound that was going to be around for a while.

Their third album 'Humbug' which was released only 4 years after the first had taken a very different approach to the music. From the surface, the music seemed very drug influenced and meaningless, with what seems like random lyrics stringed together. However, there is a lot of meaning behind it all, and it is an album which expressed how the Arctic Monkeys are not a one trick pony, and can explore different styles of music. Its an album which gets your imagination working with every listen.

The Arctic Monkeys are a band that took a nation by surprise, and made a nation love them. Alex Turner become one of the coolest people in the UK, and the Arctic Monkeys become festival headliners over night. They are simply four average guys, who have the ability to make great music.

They are the sound of a generation.

The Libertines - The Libertines

If someone asked me to describe this album in one word it would be impossible. This is an album which covers every extreme of emotions and everything in between. An album that can make you dance with joy, and an album that can make you cry with sadness. A lot of the songs were written in response to the ever dwindling relationship between Pete Doherty and Carl Barat. It’s an album which contains a collection of genius lyrics, and wonderful melodies and music. Every track captures a sense of rawness and uniqueness, which with every listen leaves a lasting impression and different view on the concepts behind the album.

The opening song ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’ shows this in the most direct context, with a metaphor for a love story which has seen better times. To me, the lines in the third verse ‘have we done enough to keep it together, keep on pretending, hope out luck is never ending’ is Pete asking Carl if what they once had will ever come back, and that if this point is just the ending for them.

The next song on the album, ‘Last Post on the Bugle’ is a very drug influenced song which relates to the events of Pete breaking into Carls flat. In the lines ‘there was a price to pay’ and ‘I got carried away’ this concept can be seen. Pete also sings of how he felt like ‘scum’ which shows a theme of regret for what he did, and understands how wrong he was, but at the same time wants people to realise he did it out of frustration.

The much loved Libertines classic ‘Music when the lights go out’ to me is a song which is similar in meaning to ‘can’t stand me now’. It is a song about the relationship between Pete and Carl, and how they both know; deep down, that it is over. The line ‘I no longer feel the music’ is a simple but direct lyric which is saying that they no longer have any feelings for each other. As well as this, the listener could relate to the song is so many different ways because of the directness. It is a song which seems unlikely to be written about Pete and Carl, but certainly fits into their world and situation at the time.

This album to me, is an album which documents a stage in the relationship between Pete and Carl with every song, and manages to captivate the listener with ease because of its all round quality from lyrics to music. It is an album which will remain in the hearts of so many who have listened to it, and will always be seen as a classic.