Track Listing

1. The Fallen
2. Do You Want To
3. This Boy
4. Walk Away
5. Evil And A Heathen
6. You're The Reason I'm Leaving
7. Eleanor Put Your Boots On
8. Well That Was Easy
9. What You Meant
10. I'm Your Villian
11. You Could Have It So Much Better
12. Fade Together
13. Outsiders

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2242 in Music
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2005-10-04
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
After more than a year spent on the road behind their breakthrough self-titled debut--just how many times can Alex Kapranos sing "Take Me Out" without getting his skinny tie into a knot, anyway?--you might expect the members of Franz Ferdinand to feel a little frayed around the edges. But if You Could Have It So Much Better was supposed to be a bloated sophomore album focusing on bad airline meals and cold hotel swimming pools, somebody forgot to tell the Mercury Music Prize winning Scottish quartet. Instead, the Franzies return with a disc packed with thrilling punk-pop treatises like the single "Do You Want To," political rabble-rousers such as opener "The Fallen," and lovely psychedelic ballads that explore the common ground between the Beatles and Bowie, like "Eleanor Put You Boots On" (about Eleanor Freidberger of the Fiery Furnaces, no less). It's a stunning, confident piece of work that suggests the band is merely getting started. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews

No Let Down
Franz Ferdinand's follow up to their sparkling self-titled debut, You Could Have It So Much Better, is another hook filled record. The one noticeable difference is a fuller production sound. The songs don't have that clipped feel of the original and they have a better sonic texture. The first single "Do You Want To" has a tremendous riff and a killer vocals. "Eleanor Put Your Boots On" is a great ballad that wouldn't sound out of place on a Beatles record. "I'm Your Villain" has a Bowie/Eno in Berlin vibe and "This Boy" is pure punk-pop. While the album is not as consistent from top-to-bottom like their debut, there's no sophomore slump here. The band knows hooks and they've shown on their first two albums, they aren't afraid to use them.

This is a consumer warning, not a review of the music
This CD installed trojan-horse spyware on my Windows-based computer, without informing me. My company had to reinstall Windows, after erroneously purchasing a new optical drive, thinking that was the problem.

SONY/BMG releases contain spyware. This is not rumor, it is now reported in the mainstream news (...)

YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RIP MP3s OF THESE SONGS, and play them on more than one device, as the CD is currently formatted. Think on that. Plus, you will have your Windows permanantly altered with tracking software.

I would avoid this and all other Sony/BMG releases until this issue is settled. In the meantime, perhaps artists could stick up for their fans and demand that the record company do better.

I Think I Have It Pretty Damned Good
I don't understand why people are so disapointed. Why do people want another debut from this band. They've already given it to you. "You Could Have It So Much Better" is NOT the same as their debut. It is progression. Why would you want another "Take Me Out"? No. Although I LOVE their glorious debut, I'm glad this not a replica.
However, Franz Ferdinand still radiates thier sexy tongue in cheek attitude only they've matured enough to incorperate "ballads" like the very Beatles inspired "Eleanor Put Your boots On" and "Fade Together".
"You Could Have It So Much Better" somewhat reminds me of "Veni Vedi Vicious" by The Hives a tad bit (and that's not bad; it's very very good). If there every was a complaint that these songs sound similar to one another then it's probably with "You're The Reason I'm Leaving" and "Well That Was Easy". These two great songs could very easily become one. Try and listen to them back to back. You'll hear the similarity but perphaps Franz has done this on purpose. Tracks 6-8 (to me) is a trilogy of three stages of breaking up. All around the album is all delicious and sweet. My favorite tracks are "This Boy (super sexy song), The Fallen, and What You Meant". Noticed how I didn't mention anything about "Do You Want To". Opps.