The Libertines, "Can't Stand Me Now"

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Apparently I'm the only one who thinks these guys are the best English band to emerge since early Suede and Different Class-era Pulp...

This is their greatest moment: a shambolic rocker that threatens to explode at key moments but somehow remaining coiled, allowing Barat and Doherty to express the hurt the music won't. The guitars, recorded in mono, sound corrosive and desperate, respectively.

I'm a sucker for call-and-response vocals, and the ease with which Barat and Doherty answer each other's accusations reminds me of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham staring daggers at each other through "Silver Springs" or "Go Your Own Way."

And this is really what makes the song so moving: a male-to-male love song, a kiss-off to a friendship, partnership, perhaps even a platonic relationship, devastating in part because the singers realize it was always doomed ("An ending fitting for the start").

And the harmonica solo! A moment of unexpected genius!

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:02 (twenty years ago)

Apparently I'm the only one who thinks these guys are the best English band to emerge since early Suede and Different Class-era Pulp...

Hey, there's always C***m.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:08 (twenty years ago)

good song.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:09 (twenty years ago)

Oh, and comparing the idiot jerkoff stupidities of the Libertines to either Suede or Pulp is a sign of insanity. But I still love you.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:09 (twenty years ago)

Ah, Ned – the affective fallacy. Notice I made no mention of their sordid, stupid public lives.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:11 (twenty years ago)

I wasn't talking about that either.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:12 (twenty years ago)

And, yes, I do think the Libertines have recorded as much great music as Suede and Pulp had by this point in their careers.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:12 (twenty years ago)

I peer at you thusly.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:13 (twenty years ago)

Apparently I'm the only one who thinks these guys are the best English band to emerge since early Suede and Different Class-era Pulp...

Not true! There's also 14 year olds and A&R men.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:14 (twenty years ago)

And the clientele of my local nightclub, where I stand and cry in a corner at the futility of it all nearly weekly.

― tissp! (the impossible shortest specia), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:15 (twenty years ago)

There's nothing idiotic or jerk-off about their music. Thanks to their supple rhythm section, their guitars can sound as messy and vulgar as the NY Dolls while remaining as focused vocally and lyrically as Give'Em Enough Rope-era clash.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:15 (twenty years ago)

supple rhythm section

AHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH.

as focused vocally and lyrically as Give'Em Enough Rope-era clash

Ah, when they really sucked, then.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:17 (twenty years ago)

Classic... if only for the slash it inspired. Oh my.

― Masonic Boom (kate), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:19 (twenty years ago)

"supple rhythm section

AHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH."

You, sir, are an apostate.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:21 (twenty years ago)

No, it's just that the other day I was listening to Chic, so the idea of calling the rhythm section of the LIBERTINES 'supple' seriously gives me shits'n'giggles.

Anyway, Kate has it right -- they should have been a fake band in a TV miniseries on Channel 4 where two doe-eyed lead actors alternately screwed each other, shot up and bitched out each other on-stage, but there was no actual music heard aside from bad feedback. Now I'll agree Alfred has picked up on that himself with his description, but you don't need the actual music of the song for that, and good thing too.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:24 (twenty years ago)

You should know better than to mention Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson. Gimme a break.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:30 (twenty years ago)

This would be the BEST!!! THING!!!!!! EVER!!!!!!!!!!

I would be hooked.

― Masonic Boom (kate), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:37 (twenty years ago)

The song is fantastic, and yes (for a rock band), their rhythm section is very very good. If you've seen 'em live, you'll agree.

― paulhw (paulhw), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:43 (twenty years ago)

Boring old toss. They were no Marion.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:45 (twenty years ago)

yes (for a rock band), their rhythm section is very very good.

Yes are not technically just a rock band, they are a Prog band.

However, the rhythm section of Squire and Bruford was considered by many to be one of the best in rock music during the 70s!

― Masonic Boom (kate), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:46 (twenty years ago)

x-post, grrr.

― Masonic Boom (kate), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:46 (twenty years ago)

I have seen them live, and I do not agree. xpost

― tissp! (the impossible shortest specia), Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:50 (twenty years ago)

Minor '90s indie gossip: the chorus of this track was written by the singer of the Senseless Things.

― Mog, Thursday, 4 August 2005 14:54 (twenty years ago)

Nice song. One of their best. Together with "Music When the Lights Go out".

― djangojones (djangojones), Thursday, 4 August 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)

You're telling me they *pay* other people to come up with stuff like that? Christ

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 4 August 2005 15:04 (twenty years ago)

I think they just gave him some magic beans.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Thursday, 4 August 2005 15:05 (twenty years ago)

Or mushrooms

― tissp! (the impossible shortest specia), Thursday, 4 August 2005 15:10 (twenty years ago)

The Libertines are preferable to Suede any day.

― David Merryweather Goes To Far (scarlet), Thursday, 4 August 2005 15:13 (twenty years ago)

I liked this single when I first heard it, but now find it as tired as asthmatic marathon runner. The rest of the album is similarly yawnsome to me. And I can't stand the idiotic media typhoon that surrounds Pete Doherty. He makes Sid Vicious look like Lance Armstrong.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 4 August 2005 15:14 (twenty years ago)

x-post -- I never knew Pete was so generous sharing his drugs with his fans.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 4 August 2005 15:14 (twenty years ago)

as an...blah blah blah.

Suede at their very worst still shit all over the Libertines.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 4 August 2005 15:15 (twenty years ago)

I don't give a shit about the media typhoon; it's irrelevant here. I heard the first album without knowing a damn thing about them.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 4 August 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

CLASSIC song-- the two guitars are great. I haven't heard the album though.

― mcd (mcd), Thursday, 4 August 2005 15:38 (twenty years ago)

It's a decent song. Maybe the climax is classic. It's not strong enough to support the weight of their mythology, and that's what annoys people in the end - failed or wasted ambition is forgiveable, laziness can sound great, they fall between all those stools.

― Anti-Pope Consortium (noodle vague), Thursday, 4 August 2005 16:06 (twenty years ago)

I don't give a shit about the media typhoon; it's irrelevant here

Where is "here"? Do you live in a cave?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 4 August 2005 16:41 (twenty years ago)

If you don't read the NME or the British tabloids, then the cave is most comfy. American magazines haven't kept up with Doherty's hijinks.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 4 August 2005 16:49 (twenty years ago)

Suede at their very worst still shit all over the Libertines.

Suede at their very worst spray shit everywhere, it's inevitable that some will splash on Pete.

Can't Stand Me Now is my very favourite Libertines song, and it's still shit.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 4 August 2005 17:05 (twenty years ago)

Suede at their very worst spray shit everywhere, it's inevitable that some will splash on Pete.

Bahahahahahahahahahahahaha

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 4 August 2005 17:31 (twenty years ago)

The Libs/Babys stuff reminds me of Television Personalities. But without the charm.

― Affectian (Affectian), Thursday, 4 August 2005 18:09 (twenty years ago)

Classic!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 4 August 2005 18:52 (twenty years ago)

CLASSIC!!!!!!

― elgolfo (elgolfo), Saturday, 6 August 2005 16:44 (twenty years ago)

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The Libertines, "Can't Stand Me Now" – C/D?