It's not confidential, I've got potential

Continuing my trip back through the 2005 album charts.

20/02/05 : Hot Fuss - The Killers

Our fourth visit with The Killers and we finally get to the one where it all started, which I like and own - and I'm quite surprised it's taken us this long to get around to visiting it.  I always remember it as a game of two halves, which feels harsh because it's not like the second half is bad, it's just not as good as the very good first half (and it's got "Andy You're A Star" on it) - it will be interesting to see how true that view is.

Well, it's not entirely a fair view but pretty close when you consider how strongly this album opens.  Of the first five tracks, only "Smile Like You Mean It" could be considered to be less than a stone cold classic - "Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine", "Mr Brightside", "Somebody Told Me" and "All These Things That I Have Done" all keep the hits coming.  And then "Andy You're A Star" happens.  Oh.

To be fair, it's not objectively terrible but it's just lazy in comparison with what's come before and so suffers big time.  After that, there's some decent enough tracks - "On Top", "Believe Me Natalie" and (particularly) "Midnight Show" are all arguably good but they just feel like they don't really stand a chance.  Overall, I'd say my "game of two halves" view is unfair - "a one-sided contest" feels more accurate.  I'm sure you already have your own opinion but, on the very unlikely chance you've not heard this album, then you really should listen to it and see what you think.

We're at #6 in the charts this week on their 37th week of a 97 week run (peaking at #1 in its 51st and 52nd weeks), with it having had a further 159 weeks on the chart across twelve further runs, last being seen in January this year - so I think we can say it's done OK for itself over the years.  The top five this week were Scissor Sisters, Keane, Bloc Party (a new entry), Franz Ferdinand and Green Day which is another very decent selection and the next highest new entry is a Charlie Landsborough best-of (#37) who is a UK folk musician who didn't really break through until he was in his 50s.  I also have to apologise to the Archduke because he should have been this week's album but I skipped over it because I was sure I'd already reviewed it - I suspect we'll be visiting it pretty soon though!

Wikipedia has remarkably little on the album with the most interesting fact for me being that the Chinese characters on top of the buildings (which are in Beijing) on the cover translate to "construction material development" - with it really only being interesting because I'd never even noticed them before!  It also tells us that Meg Washington has recorded a cover album with all the tracks in a downtempo piano style - it works quite well actually.

Back to the original material, it was generally well received by the critics but took off with the public - but really only in English speaking countries.  It got to #1 in Australia and Ireland, #4 in Australia, #5 in New Zealand and #7 in the US.  In Europe, #7 in Greece and #8 in France are very much the exceptions with it getting to #60 in Austria, #66 in Belgium, #46 in The Netherlands, #36 in Italy, #35 in Spain and only #75 in Germany.  Which seems a bit odd, particularly when you see that Sam's Town got to #6 in Germany!

"Customers also listened to" Kings Of Leon, Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys and Muse - all close, but not quite Killers for me.  And this album has to be peak Killers - nothing they've done since has been dreadful, but it's also unfortunately not been a patch on the first half of pop-rock perfection they present here.

13/02/05 - Mostly harmless
27/02/05 - Some nice jangly guitars