(I’m still horrible at tumblr, I barely know how to use it…)
Fake Tales was noticibly not on my list for my top ten Arctic Monkeys songs. I think, partly, it wasn’t on there because the top ten list was a spur-of-the-moment/ which songs first came to me and were my favorites.
But out of the entire catalog, Fake Tales just doesn’t hit top ten for me. It’s a good, solid tune, but it doesn’t surprise me as does the softness and plot twist of Cornerstone. The melody isn’t etched into my mind like Mardy Bum or Fluorescent Adolescent. Everytime I think of Crying Lightning, I think of the music video; seeing Alex Turner’s expressions while he sings is mesmerizing. My Propeller has this inexplicable sex appeal, and Baby, I’m Yours has the 60s doo-wop feel. The View and A Certain Romance are head-banging, no hold bars tunes, whereas Fake Tales seems to be unsure of being quick and fast or more mellow. And Only Ones who Know is special in being a straight-up, full, somberly enticing slow song.
That being said, I love Fake Tales. There’s a whole narrative to it. It’s a true example of Alex Turner’s lyrical power; even back in the early days, first album, he was telling vivid stories. One of my top favorite lyrics (and one that remains inked in my memory) is: “All that’s left was the proof that love’s not only blind but deaf.”
Again, how can you possibly only have ten favorites… it’s like which is your favorite Beatles song… simply impossible.
