Search - The Libertines :: The Best Of: A Time for Heroes

What a Waster...

MoogleFan | 12/04/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If Rough Trade would've repackaged their two studio albums, and perhaps even added a bonus disc with a fair amount of B-sides and rarities for good measure, there would be nothing wrong with this compilation. But, they didn't! This is pretty much a waste to buy, unless you're missing the few bonus tracks and the couple of EP songs they have on here.



This includes their six single songs from the two albums they released, two songs from the I Get Along EP ("The Delaney" and the song which is also a single, "Don't Look Back into the Sun"), the bonus tracks from the US and Japanese releases of Up the Bracket ("Mayday" and the single "What a Waster"), four other tracks from Up the Bracket, and only ONE other track from their self-titled second album The Libertines. If one is going to be technical about it, Up the Bracket is the "better" release (and not nearly as melancholy as their second), but their second, self-titled album is a perfect mirror of the turmoil that was going on within the band at the time. By only listening to this compilation, you are almost completely missing out on that side of The Libertines; "Music When the Lights Go Out", "Narcissist" (with a nod to Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray), "Tomblands", "The Man Who Would Be King" (the first Libs song I heard), are all great songs that appear on the second album, but not on this so-called best-of compilation! Other tracks I love from Up the Bracket are missing; "Vertigo", "Radio America", "The Boy Looked at Johnny", "The Good Old Days"...



This is a fantastic band, one of my top favorites. "What a Waster" is one of the greatest singles released by any band, in my opinion. I'm not knocking this CD down because there is anything wrong with the songs, individually. I just feel that 'The Best of: A Time For Heroes' gives one a very muted feel for The Libertines. If you're looking for an "introduction" of The Libertines...well, they released only two studio albums, so listening to those ought to do the trick!"