Back in 2004, there was a two page spread in the British tabloids of Pete Doherty with his shirt sleeve rolled up and smack in hand, smirking slightly at the camera. That was the Libertines three long years ago— a band on the verge of collapsing in on itself, going out with a giant "fuck you" to the world, and the British fans loved them for it. Flash forward to today and the band has split up with Pete and Carl Barat each going on to form marginally successful sequels. And with the release of Time for Heroes: The Best of the Libertines, the boys are still sending out the same message. Only this time instead of a nonchalant "fuck you" tossed out to all the would-be critics, it’s a corporate "fuck you" addressed to their fans and anyone interested in their music for the sake of a quick buck.
A band that had always been over-appreciated in Britain and underappreciated in the States, the Libertines mixed a punk rock sound and attitude with a pop sensibility in their music. Catchy as anything, the Libertines backed up their solid tunes with sloppy guitars, half-baked lyrics, and a lazy work ethic. And that was all part of the charm. Like the time Pete broke into Carl's apartment to steal money to buy drugs. Oh what a kick we all got out of that one.
Antics aside, the Libertines crafted some perfect pub songs. I'm not sure if there's another song I'd rather hear walking into an East London pub than "What a Waster." "Can't Stand Me Now" and "I Get Along" are also some great, scratchy songs that beg to be song along with a pint of Newcastle (which for some reason isn't on tap in England, go figure). And they weren't one dimensional either. "What Katie Did," shoop de-lang-a-langs its way into the back of your mind, bringing a gritty take on a doo-wop sound.
The likely lads had some talent. They crafted two albums— Up the Bracket and The Libertines— that through their imperfections perfectly captured the spirit of the garage rock revival of the early 00s. But that's the thing. The songs are very much of a time, and while they still hold up musically, there is no reason to rearrange them and reintroduce them to a public who haven't yet gotten around to forgetting them. This collection of songs from the only two albums and an EP, plus a B-side, is completely and utterly pointless. The music is good, but for a band that didn't even break through until Napster was already shut down, the idea of releasing a collection of hits to an MP3-listening crowd should be unthinkable. Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, and Led Zeppelin's record labels can repackage and rerelease their artist's material as many times as they like, and dads who have trouble turning on their iPods and junior high school students will still buy it. In fact they should, as it’s a good entry point to wide-spanning careers. But with the Best of the Libertines, I have a hard time imagining why anyone would buy this album. The only possible scenario I can think of is a mother giving it to her son for Christmas, prompting him to smile, thank his mom for being aware of current music, and promptly hawk it for half price on eBay.
The Libertines career reminds me of what Oasis might have been. Capturing the British music zeitgeist on two albums way more confident than first time bands have any right to be. Dominating the pages of NME and the British tabloids. Then collapsing under the weight of the chaos they cultivated. Oasis managed to plow through another decade without coming close to reaching those original heights. The Libertines chose to burn out rather than fade away. It would've been a great way to be remembered, and as soon as everyone forgets this release happened, it still will be.
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