Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?

Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys? is the second EP by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 24 April 2006 by Domino Recording Company.[1] The extended play is the final record to feature Andy Nicholson on bass, as he was fired from the band a month after the EP's release.

Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?
A chalkboard with "Who the fuck are Arctic Monkeys?" written in blue.
EP by
Released24 April 2006 (2006-04-24)
Studio
Length18:51
LabelDomino
Producer
Arctic Monkeys chronology
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
(2006)
Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?
(2006)
Favourite Worst Nightmare
(2007)

Background

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"The View from the Afternoon" was expected to have been the band's third single, following UK number ones "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" and "When the Sun Goes Down", but the band announced in March 2006 that its next record would be a five-track EP,[2] which thereby disqualified it from being listed in the UK Singles Chart and UK Albums Chart.[3]

"Despair in the Departure Lounge" was premiered at a gig in the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, although it was played by Alex Turner alone due to Andy Nicholson blowing his bass amplifier. This would also be the only time the band played the song live.[4]

Although the contentious language content of the EP resulted in less radio airplay than the band's earlier releases, the nature of their rise to fame and their lack of reliance on radio meant that this was not a concern for the band.[5]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AbsolutePunk(77%)[6]
AllMusic     [7]
Drowned in Sound4/10[8]
MusicOMH(positive)[9]
NME(unfavorable)[10]
Pitchfork5.9/10[11]
Robert Christgau [12]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Alex Turner

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The View from the Afternoon"Arctic Monkeys3:38
2."Cigarette Smoker Fiona" 2:56
3."Despair in the Departure Lounge" 3:22
4."No Buses" 3:17
5."Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?" 5:36

Personnel

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  • Alex Turner – lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar
  • Jamie Cook – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Andy Nicholson – bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Matt Helders – drums, backing vocals

Charts

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Chart (2006) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[13] 37
Denmark (Tracklisten)[14] 2
France (SNEP)[15] 52
Germany (GfK)[16] 79
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 5
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 58

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 24 April 2006 (2006-04-24)
  • 10-inch vinyl
  • CD
Domino [19]
Australia 22 May 2006 (2006-05-22) CD [20]

References

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  1. ^ "BBC – Seven Ages of Rock "What the World Is Waiting For"". Seven Ages of Rock. BBC. 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  2. ^ "Arctic Monkeys plan new EP". NME. 10 March 2006. Retrieved 26 March 2006.
  3. ^ The Official UK Charts Company"Chart Rules (9th edition)" Archived 26 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "New Arctic Monkeys song appears online". NME. 17 March 2006. Retrieved 26 March 2006.
  5. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (25 March 2006). "Arctic Monkeys plan foul-mouthed EP". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 26 March 2006.
  6. ^ "Arctic Monkeys – Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys? – Album Review". AbsolutePunk. 5 October 2023.
  7. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  8. ^ Roberts, Colin (24 April 2006). "Single Review: Arctic Monkeys – Who the fuck are Arctic Monkeys?". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  9. ^ "Arctic Monkeys – Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys EP". MusicOMH. Archived from the original on 9 January 2009. Retrieved 23 April 2006.
  10. ^ "Arctic Monkeys: Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?". NME. 7 April 2006. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  11. ^ "Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys? EP". Pitchfork.
  12. ^ "Album: Arctic Monkeys: Who the F**k Are Arctic Monkeys?". Robert Christgau.
  13. ^ "Arctic Monkeys – Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  14. ^ "Arctic Monkeys – Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?". Tracklisten. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  15. ^ "Arctic Monkeys – Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  16. ^ "Arctic Monkeys – Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  17. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Who the F**c Are Arctic Monkeys?". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  18. ^ "Arctic Monkeys – Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  19. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 22 April 2006. p. 25.
  20. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 22nd May 2006" (PDF). ARIA. 22 May 2006. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 May 2006. Retrieved 22 October 2021.