Log #119 - Alex Turner To Play James Bond

I hope you don't mind my click-bait title but he'd probably make a good one don't you think? Here Arctic Monkeys front man Alex Turner stars in one of his side projects, with Miles Kane, The Last Shadow Puppets. For all intents and purposes, with Turner taking on the majority of vocals, and his ear for a catchy pop tune intact, I think it is pretty much an Arctic Monkeys album.

Wyclef Jean - The Ecleftic 2 Sides II A Book

Low - Double Negative

Brian Eno - Ambient 1

William Basinski - A Shadow In Time

The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement

Stars Of The Lid - The Tired Sounds Of

I am surprised The Age Of The Understatement came out in 2008. It contains many of the elements of the Monkeys' latest release, Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino, with its atmospheric vibes and abundant strings courtesy of the London Metro Orchestra. Some tracks would have certainly enhanced that slightly lightweight album like the psychedelic sounding The Chamber:

Yet, equally, there is plenty to keep the traditional AM fans happy too. Separate and Ever Deadly is old style Monkeys with fast riffing and biting lyrics:

When we walked the streets together

All the faces seemed to smile back

And now the pavements

Have nothing to offer

And all the faces seem to need a slap

Probably the most experimental track on this classy album is Only The Truth which has a galloping drum roll like Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song and brass which, with the swirling strings, lends the track a James Bond theme like sound.  In fact that's not the only one thus justifying the title to my blogpost! The best track on the album with more masterful James Bond production is My Mistakes Were Made For You which would have made a superb Bond song: 

About as subtle as an earthquake, I know
My mistakes were made for you

"We meet again Mr Turner"

Who's That Girl?

Well, the one  pictured immediately above with Alex Turner is Lana Del Rey. The one on the cover of the album no one knows although she may have been called Gill. Apparently it was a genuine 60s shot taken by South African based art photographer Sam Haskins. But my sources (google) say the model was just a girl who had walked in off the street. Isn't that wonderful.