Hits To The Head (Deluxe)＜数量限定盤＞

世界的人気を誇るロックバンド、フランツ・フェルディナンド
新曲を収録したキャリア初のベスト盤!!

世界的ロック・バンド、フランツ・フェルディナンドが、これまでのキャリアを通して築き上げた歴史のハイライトを一枚に収めたベストヒット・コレクション『Hits To The Head』を〈Domino〉からリリース!
音楽ファンなら誰もが知る代表曲に新曲2曲を加えた全20曲 (国内盤CDにはさらに1曲) を収録。2003年5月に〈Domino〉と契約し、1stシングル「Darts Of Pleasure」で衝撃的デビューを飾ると、 2ndシングル「Take Me Out」が爆発的ヒットを記録。
若くして音楽史にその名を刻むと共に、セルフタイトルのデビュー・アルバムが世界中で400万枚の大ヒットとなった。
一貫したフランツの世界観を確固たるものに昇華させながらも、常に高い芸術性を追い求め、『You Could Have It So Much Better』(2005)、『Tonight: Franz Ferdinand』(2009)、『Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action』(2013)、『Always Ascending』(2018)と名作を世に送り続けてきた。
またイギリスのレディング・フェスティバルやスペインのプリマヴェーラ、フランスのロック・エン・セーヌ、そして日本のフジロック、サマーソニックなど、世界各国の大規模音楽フェスでヘッドライナーを務めている。
『Hits To The Head』には、メンバーのアレックス・カプラノスとジュリアン・コリー、そして現代ポップ界の巨匠スチュアート・プライス(デュア・リパ、マドンナ、ペット・ショップ・ボーイズ)がプロデュースした2曲の新曲「Billy Goodbye」と「Curious」が収録される。
「女の子を踊らせる」というコンセプトのもとで、ポップ・アンセムに必要なすべてを知り尽くしたフランツ・フェルディナンドの生み出してきた音楽は世界中の音楽ファンたちと共鳴し、約20年の活動を通して、彼らを商業的にも批評的にもUKから誕生した世界最大のバンドの一つへと押し上げた。

When Franz Ferdinand put together Hits to the Head, they were inspired by Changesbowie and the Rolling Stones Rolled Gold -- greatest-hits collections that didnt just serve as introductions to a bands music, but worked as albums in their own right. By choosing the songs from each of their albums that reflected both their platinum-selling popularity and their indie roots, the Glasgow art-punks succeeded in that aim. Understandably, Hits to the Head features a significant chunk of Franz Ferdinand, which presented the band at their rawest and arguably most combustive. The drama they bring to "Darts of Pleasure" and "Take Me Out" still grabs listeners by the ears; "Michael" and "Matinee" remain some of their most seductive dance floor movers; and "This Fire" became the template for the rave-ups on their later albums. Within its chronological format, the collection is carefully sequenced, balancing Franz Ferdinands hook-heavy songs with ones that gave their music more room to breathe, like You Could Have It So Much Betters "Walk Away," still one of the finest examples of the vulnerable moments they sprinkle into each album. At times, Hits to the Head seems to value consistency over quality. Its somewhat surprising that Betters "Outsiders" made the cut while "Eleanor Put Your Boots On," one of the groups best songs, did not. More often, though, the set highlights how the small changes Franz Ferdinand made to their style over the years made a big difference in their music. Even in its shorter single edit, "Lucid Dreams" captures how much more polished and slinky Tonight was compared to what came before, as does "No You Girls." The brashly apologetic "Right Action" and swelling romance of "Stand on the Horizon reflect how Right Thoughts Right Words Right Actions tight songwriting and expansive sounds still hold their own with Franzs more popular albums, and the Giorgio Moroder homage of "Always Ascending"s kaleidoscopic disco feels exciting and familiar at the same time. The same can be said of Hits to the Heads newly recorded songs, which give equal time to the bands dance and rock sides. "Curious" could be mistaken for an Always Ascending outtake, but its somehow more faithful to 70s disco than that album was; on "Billy Goodbye," the glam rock influence on songs like "Do You Want To?" is more obvious and more entertaining. Despite its generous track list, Hits to the Head never drags -- like Franz Ferdinands music as a whole, its very listenable and a lot of fun. ~ Heather Phares