Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
| Arctic Monkeys
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not is the debut studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 23 January 2006 by Domino Recording Company. The album surpassed Elastica's self-titled album to become the fastest selling debut album in British music history, shifting over 360,000 copies in its first week, and remains the fastest selling debut album by a band. It has since gone quintuple platinum in the UK. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
Their LP was only released two days ago but these Sheffield teens are already considered the UK's biggest new band since Oasis.
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Rolling Stone
Arctic Monkeys are turning their cold small-town roots into callow Anglo cool.
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NME
You’ve read the hype, seen ’em live and probably even got the demos. Now check out the real polished deal.
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Consequence of Sound
Ten years removed from its initial hype, Whatever People Say I Am still feels as fresh and lively as it did out of the gate.
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The Guardian
The spectre of Oasis lurks around Arctic Monkeys, proof that even the most promising beginnings can turn into a dreary, reactionary bore.
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Telegraph
Whatever People Say... is gloriously, thrillingly, the sound of 2006.
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SPIN
He wishes he had the guts to ask you to take your dancing shoes off, but this sheepishness carries weight too.
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Slant Magazine
Another year, another British band christened the Next Big Thing by every conceivable publication in the UK.
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All Music
Like Weller or Ian Dury before him, he's captured his era in stark, vivid terms.
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Sputnik Music
Remarkably astute observational lyrics and excellent song structures enhance an already assured instrumental performance to create a modern classic.
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Sputnik Music
(2008) The hype is warranted as this is a thoroughly recommended fun debut which contains excellent songwriting, strangely charming vocals & very good musicianship which will have you rocking, tapping your toes & singing along.
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Pop Matters
Chosen by the people, a young quartet with a frontman touched by greatness deliver a sometimes fine, sometimes fantastic, always fun debut with feeling.
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Billboard
A decade later, the Monkeys are still swinging away.
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DIY Mag
As Alex Turner and co’s debut turns ten this weekend, we revisit a game-changing record.
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Sound Opinions
Jim gives the album a Buy It rating, but admits that The Arctic Monkeys are not nearly as amazing as the hype might have you believe.
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Golden Plec
Though musically they would continue to grow into a fuller sound, 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' had placed Arctic Monkeys up in the social historical annals of British lyricism - a place where, wonderfully, they continue to grow.
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Vinyl Me, Please
Timeless, resonant.
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Tiny Mix Tapes
This is barely inspired enough to make it off campus. But it's all in good fun, right?
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Medium
It's about nothing particularly special, but that is exactly what makes it special.
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Common Sense Media
Edgy poetry with a fresh sound.
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The Fire Note
This album is more infectious with every listen.
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Gigwise
All those extremities are on there and they're written about so vividly you can place yourself there.
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Irish Times
A teenage inspiration.
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Exclaim!
The year's best debut album.
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Music OMH
For those poor misguided fools who say that Arctic Monkeys are hype over substance, this is a blisteringly good album which promises even better things to come.
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vibeRANT
That’s that best kind of music for me, it makes you feel something or takes you somewhere, and this album does that in a monstrous way.
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NPR
As big as the Beatles -- or at least as big as Oasis.
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N.Y. Mag
British rock may be stuck in the past, but it can still sound great, provided the singer isn’t a complete coke fiend.
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Geek Insider
Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not is an album drenched in cocky swagger and youthful exuberance.
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The iPod Observer
Jump in at the beginning and enjoy, you won't regret it.
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Brit Pop News
We would remember them fondly had they disappeared after Whatever People Say I Am… but luckily we got three more albums and hopefully more on the way.
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Noise Crumbs
The Arctic Monkeys aren’t musicians, they are bullshit-merchants… delivering easy listening music for the affluent hip.
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Full Volume Blogs
For an album that was so highly anticipated, they sure did deliver.
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Music Feeds
Came into my life, grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me like a rag doll.
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Standard
It was the start of great things to come.
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Vulture Hound
Before people start lighting their torches and sharpening their pitchforks, I’m not saying this is a bad album. It was just a lull between their early EPs and the music they’d create over the following decade.
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Skiddle
It reflects so beautifully in tone, attitude and structure the phases of the nights out that it was written about.
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RTE
An album that's better than nearly anyone could have expected.
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The Student Playlist
Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not was a different kind of great Arctic Monkeys album.
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Mr. Hipster
Funny and entertaining.
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Radio X
Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m not is the gift that seems to keep on giving.
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The Girls at the Rock Show
Every so often, there’s an album that defines a generation.
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Hotpress
The four piece’s incredible rise is, in the main, due to a Libertines-esque use of the Internet to spread their gospel without ever straying far from Sheffield.
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