FAVOURITE WORST NIGHTMARE

'''Favourite Worst Nightmare''' is the second studio album by Sheffield indie rock band Arctic Monkeys that was first released in Japan on 18 April 2007^[1] before being released around the world. Recorded in East London's Miloco Studios with producers James Ford and Mike Crossey, the album was preceded by the release of new single "Brianstorm" on 16 April 2007.^[2] In its first week following release the album sold over 220,000 copies, emulating ''Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'' in going straight to number one in the UK Albums Chart, albeit selling 100,000 copies fewer than their record-breaking debut. ''Favourite Worst Nightmare's first day sales of 85,000 outsold the rest of the Top 20 combined, while all twelve tracks from the album entered the top 200 of the UK Singles Chart in their own right.^[3] In the USA, the album debuted at number seven, selling around 44,000 copies in its first week.^[4]
The following week the album stayed at #1 but suffered a 65% drop in sales,^[5] and then the following week saw the week-on-week sales drop by 50%+ despite still staying at the summit in a poor week for album sales.^[5]
The album has been nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize.

Contents

Change of style

History of the album

Compositions

Track listing

Bonus tracks

Singles

Chart positions

Release details

References

External links

Change of style

In comparison to the band's debut album ''Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'', the album has been described as ''"very, very fast and very, very loud,"''^[7] being seen as''"more ambitious, heavier...and with a fiercely bright production"''.^[8] Reflecting the band's travels around the world more than local stories of the first record, FWN is a "faster, meaner" album.^[9] It is compared to ''Myths of the Near Future'', the debut album by Klaxons - ''"not a new rave album...[but] more part of an art-rock lineage than in the blokerock tradition of Oasis et al."'' While the opening tracks of the album are seen as ''"frantic, awkward and pretty uncompromising"'', the remainder has influences from The Smiths - ''"twanging, quasi-ambient backdrops...and Turner's voice [...] crooning like Morrissey or Richard Hawley.''" Matt Helders said ''"James was DJing loads in the evening so we'd go out and . . . have a dance."'' As a result, the drum rhythms of Helders and bassist Nick O'Malley have drawn comparisons to the Eighties funk band ESG. The band's love of classic films also influences their new style. For example, the organ at the beginning of the album's final track, "505" is taken directly from Ennio Morricone's soundtrack for ''The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'' (where Angel Eyes enters before the final standoff).^[10]

History of the album

The album title, "Favourite Worst Nightmare", came from the song "D is for Dangerous", the third song featured on the album. The band said they also considered naming the album Lesbian Wednesdays, Gordon Brown or Gary Barlow.^[10]
"Do Me a Favour" was originally supposed to appear on the "Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?" EP, though the band kept it, possibly because they didn't want to waste it as a B-side. In an interview with NME, Nick O'Malley announced several titles including "D Is for Dangerous" and "Balaclava". The tracks "The Bakery" and "Plastic Tramp" also mentioned in the NME interview did not make it onto the album, but were later released as B-sides on the "Fluorescent Adolescent" single. The track "Leave Before the Lights Come On" was also rumoured for inclusion, though it didn't make it.
Some of the songs were debuted at gigs before they were recorded for the album, though not many. The album was recorded quickly as the band wanted to get out and play the songs again.

Compositions

"505" is the closing track. Unlike other songs by the band, it features the use of combo organ played by singer Alex Turner. Former The Little Flames member Miles Kane is credited as lead guitarist on this track, a role usually performed by Turner. The organ intro of the song is taken directly from Ennio Morricone's soundtrack for ''The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'' (where Angel Eyes enters before the final standoff). It is usually the second last song to be played at their gigs, just before usual set closer "A Certain Romance".

Track listing

Words written by Alex Turner, except where noted; music by Arctic Monkeys.
# "Brianstorm" – 2:50
# "Teddy Picker" – 2:43
# "D Is for Dangerous" – 2:16
# "Balaclava" – 2:49
# "Fluorescent Adolescent" (Turner/Bennett) – 2:57
# "Only Ones Who Know" – 3:02
# "Do Me a Favour" – 3:27
# "This House Is a Circus" – 3:09
# "If You Were There, Beware" – 4:34
# "The Bad Thing" – 2:23
# "Old Yellow Bricks" (Turner/McClure) - 3:11
# "505" – 4:13

Bonus tracks

★ "Da Frame 2R" – 2:20 (Japanese edition)

★ "Matador" – 4:57 (Japanese edition)

★ "Brianstorm" (video) – 2:50 (iTunes pre-order bonus)

Singles

★ "Brianstorm" (April 2, 2007, Domino Records) #2

★ "Matador" (June 18, 2007, Domino Records)

★ "Fluorescent Adolescent" (July 9, 2007, Domino Records) #5

★ "Old Yellow Bricks" (October 8, 2007, Domino Records)

Chart positions

Country	Peak position	Certification	Sales
United World Chart	#2		1,358,800
United Kingdom	#1	Platinum	551,000
Australia	#2
Ireland	#1
New Zealand	#4
Canada	#4
United States	#7		100,000
Germany	#1
Japan	#4	Gold	110,454
Denmark	#1
Finland	#8
Belgium	#1
Netherlands	#1
Switzerland	#1
France	#6
Sweden	#6
Austria	#10
Italy	#14
Switzerland	#16
Spain	#20
European Top 100 Albums	#2
Portugal	#12
Poland	#12
Brazil	#13

Release details

Country	Date	Label	Format	Catalog number
Japan	18 April 2007	Hostess	CD	HSE-10043[12]
Germany	20 April 2007[13]		CD
Ireland
Spain
Australia	21 April 2007[14]		CD
United Kingdom	23 April 2007	Domino Records	LP	WIGLP188 / 5034202018810[15]
			CD	WIGCD188 / 5034202018827[16]
Brazil		Trama	CD
France			CD
Belgium			CD
United States	24 April 2007	Domino, Warner Bros.[17]	CD	DNO 136 / 801390013621
Israel			CD
Canada		Domino, WEA International	CD

References

1. Planet of the apes Simon Bartz
2. Whatever we hoped they'd be, they are Pete Paphides
3. Arctics' album storms to the top
4. Katie Hasty, "Lavigne Remains No. 1 As Joe Debuts High", Billboard.com, May 2, 2007.
5. Musicweek weekly sales reports
6. Musicweek weekly sales reports
7. Arctic Monkeys set to unleash "Favourite Worst Nightmare"
8. Favourite Worst Nightmare John Mulvey
9. Arctic Monkeys face the music with 2nd album Mike Collett-White
10. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6567861.stm
11. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6567861.stm
12. Arctic Monkeys Favourite Worst Nightmare Japan CD ALBUM (396187)
13. Amazon.de product page
14. Sanity.com.au
15. Monkeys Favourite Worst Nightmare UK LP RECORD (397575)
16. Arctic Monkeys Favourite Worse Nightmare UK CD ALBUM (397574)
17. Arctic Monkeys' 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' gets a life from Warner Bros. John Mulvey

External links

★ Teaser website

★ Video tour of ''Favourite Worst Nightmare'' artwork house