Happy 20th Anniversary Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

Happy 20th Anniversary to the Arctic Monkeys debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. 

The debut was a rocket blast in England, then took over the world, as it is one of the better rock albums released this millennium.

It made out list of best albums of the 00's, but more importantly it was also one of the few British hyped albums of that era that actually lived up the praise.   

Right from the first notes of "The View From The Afternoon" until the gorgeous finale of "A Certain Romance" the Monkeys, Alex Turner, Jamie Cook, Andy Nicholson, and Matt Helders let it all hang out for 40 minutes.

This album is coiled so tightly you could bounce quarters off its ass.

The power pop, punk, hard rock hybrid of music is dynamic with the low end (especially Helders super intense drums) leading the charge. The angst is present, but the groove stays and everything is locked up gorgeously. 

Alex Turner's words are very specific to Northern England pub life that he and his friends were experiencing, however that confusion, hazy hook-up, Saturday night into Sunday morning feeling is relatable to all who have experienced growing up and going out. The specifics make it British, the heart of it is universal. 

On a personal level I got into this record right from the start, and it arrived at a time when things were really happening in downtown NYC. There was a lot of "pub life" here as well, and I was lucky enough to see the Monkeys every tour through New York up until 2018. This album kicked all of that off and was a catalyst for many crazy nights. It is a really great record through and through, even more impressive is that it is their debut.    

So on this day, let's spin Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not loud and proud. Here are a few songs to get you started: