EASILY the album of the year. Absolutely fucking brilliant.

One of the best albums of the year. An awesome followup, which has the band trying out new things, and branching out in directions I would have never seen them going. One thing I don't get is why they decided on "Do You Want To" as the first single. It's a good track, but others on the album are far better.

hells yeahhhhhhh

as good as you can get for a follow-up to the debut.

Again franz put out another good album. This album i think doesnt have all of the good songs that last had but the songs on this album that are good are really good.

Sounds so memorable and catchy.

Absolutly Great!

Utterly terrific, although am I alone in thinking that Do You Want To is the single cheesiest and horrifically annoying song to be released for a long time? The rest of the album more than makes up for it however both expanding and improving on their established sound.

awesum!! they had the impossible task of following up the first album and miracously succeeded!

Just brilliant. I love the 3 ballads. This was the big surprise to me. The rest is Franz Ferdinand at their best.

Excellent album, solid follow-up to influential debut.

This had a rating of 89 before Stylus Magazine pissed on it. Still, let the numbers continue to speak, as this is in my opinion one of the best, unabashedly cocksure albums of the year.

Sounds like the first but more in depth. Awesome if you loved the first album. Okay if you thought it was okay.

Perhaps I was expecting a let down. Perhaps I felt with such a strong debut there was nowhere else to go but down. I was as incorrect as horse wrangler heading up FEMA. Great second effort. And without the usual two year wait.

Perfect album filled with catchy lyrics, yet dark at the same time. This is a masterpiece and has just marvolous songs. PERFECT

A more than worthy follow up. perhaps a little underwhelming at first but the songs prove to be just as exciting and infectious as those on the stellar debut while the inclusion of three ballads adds another dimension. though the tall poppy killers will tell you otherwise this album is indeed Franztastic

Brilliant follow-up. Stronger songs -- better song structure and melody. Most tracks go beyond the immediate hook.

I am really fond of this release although it is nothing more than a well made pop album, but still it is much better than a lot of what most poppy bands put out. Like so many have said, if you liked their debut, you will most likely enjoy You Could Have It So Much Better...

Overall a better album than the first, a collection of strong hummable stylish songs peppered with thee weaker tracks to fill the space, just like the previous album. The texture of this album is warmer and more inviting if less danceable than the debut. Of course by being warmer I mean despite the angular discoish sound there is more instrumentation and even oooohs and aaaaahs that were completely absent from the debut. When leftball albums come out and have a major impact you have to be a bit wary of many critic elitists who tend to underrate the follow up albums to try and elevate the illusion of their knowledge on the subjec as if they were amember of some vanguard organization of newly aquired taste, see reviews of Gorillaz and Death Cab for Cutey for reference points. There is a heavy price to pay to hip critics when you pose on billboards(end sarcasm). As for the low stylus review, the author gave kelly osbourne's album an A- if you want an indicator to his "taste" or judgement in music criticism. As for the sound of the album, they sound even more like early Roxy Music than they did on their first album. And any "professional critic" who does not pick up on this all too obvious influence(heck they even dress the same) isn't worth two grains of salt as an expert on the subject. Not taking into accounts the slower ballads that sound sort of like Jonathan Richman singing with an agular semi-Paul McCarthiesque arrangement. Ultimately this album sounds like a cohesion of various 60's and 70's bands, not 80's bands. Also on an interesting side note, the lyrics are printed in the little sleeve booklet on what appears to be real notebook paper.… Expand

A perfect follow-up to their perfect debut. I might even like this CD even more than their debut, it is fantastic. Definitely buy it if you liked their first album.

You Could Have It So Much Better......No you can't, this is so very nearly perfect

"If you didn't actually like the cold, arch, clipped art pop of the debut, then don't buy this because you're probably not going to like it; just get back to your Status Quo records, you tin eared muppet." John Doran, Playlouder. Or make that Bon Jovi records you American idiots!

Fantastic collestion of songs both fast and slow the best without doubt is The Fallen.

Excellent follow up album. Catchy tunes that travel all over the map. From start to finish this album KICKS A**.

If i had the option of butter on my pancake or the new Franz i would pick butter. BUT after i ate that tasty little cake in the pan with butter i would go out and buy the new Franz because its so awesome. I would listen to the new Franz and then listen to it again because I cant get sick of it. And then id go out pound some beers and try to get some action!!

One of the best albums of the year. 'Outsiders' stands out as a superior song.

Franz Ferdinand sure goes over their boundaries, and easily pulls off some old school Clash-esque punk, as well a new side to them, some softer stuff. For a follow-up to the debut, this is absolutely amazing. Definately one of the best of 2005. Hardly, one weak song this entire album. It is sooo choice, that I highly recommend you pick this record up.

OK, I understand how different people have different opinions, but that doesn't mean they should be stupid. Stylus Magazine is full of shit, and they try to use combinations of big words to hide it. Also, they gave it a C-...doesn't that mean their score should be around, say, a 71? Well anyways, this album is incredible, as trite as that may sound. It is such a large expansion on their already stellar debut. First of all, Alex Kapranos really explores the capabilities of his vocals much mroe than the he did in their first album. The basics of the songs- the guitars and the drums- are much more prominent in the melodies and in the background and are also more detailed. The tracks never even brush repetetiveness or seem boring. This album is very complete, although it takes 2-3 listens to fully enjoy the album. You Could Have It So Much Better will establish Franz Ferdinand as one of the premiere bands in alternative rock without a doubt. The point is, you need to own this album. If for some reason you don't already, take my word for it and go spend some money on this amazing collection of sound. I definitely would not give a big 10 just because it got an 85, it just is that damn fantastique.… Expand