The son of Gibraltarian-British songwriter Albert Hammond, Albert Jr. was sent to the elite boarding school Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland at the age of 13. While there, he met Julian Casablancas, who would go on to be a fellow band member.
In 1998, Albert met up with Julian in New York City and together they formed a band with Julian's former schoolmates: Nick Valensi, Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti.
His trademark is wearing formal suits, usually a different one for each show. Albert is usually seen playing an olympian white Fender Stratocaster, or bandmate Nick Valensi's Les Paul Jr. He is usually associated with the "rhythm" guitar portion of the majority of Strokes songs, and most solos are played by Valensi. The solos in which Albert does play are Last Nite, Trying Your Luck, Take It Or Leave It, Under Control, The End Has No End, Ize Of The World, and Vision Of Division. His solos tend to focus largely on more emotional, "bluesy"-type melodical work, and the guitar tends to have a cleaner, softer tone in comparison to Valensi's (with a noteable exception found in Vision Of Division). He often holds the guitar in a high horizontal position, similar to Bob Dylan and Ian Curtis.
Although vocalist Julian Casablancas is the major contributor to the songwriting process for The Strokes' music, Albert has been known to write a few pieces of his own. He has been credited to writing three mostly instrumental songs (Swiss Beats, Holland, and By The Way) for the bands' 2001 tour video entitled "In Transit". He had also written a song called "Elephant Song", in which Albert used when he was was required to record a song for his Sound 101 class in freshman year, using the school's recording equipment. The song was played at a few shows before the release of their first album. The Strokes were to later rerecord the song as a special giveaway for fanclub members.
Hammond released his debut solo album on October 9th in the United Kingdom. Entitled "Yours to Keep," the album features musical guests such as Sean Lennon, Ben Kweller, and even The Strokes' manager Ryan Gentles and lead singer Julian Casablancas. Bassist Josh Lattanzi and drummer Matt Romano serve as the backing band, with Albert the main singer and guitarist. It was produced by former Thin Lizard Dawn vocalist Greg Lattimer at the Electric Ladyland Studios.
Hammond played his first solo dates at the end of October in a few cities including New York City and Philadelphia. He is set to tour the UK and Europe in November and December 2006, and provides support to Incubus on their forthcoming US tour of January/February 2007.
Albert has finished working on his second solo album with the title "Como Te Llama?", which was released on 8th of July in 2008. The new CD gets 8/10 in NME! This 8th of July is incidentally the first date of his world tour, which kicks off at the Virgin Store in his hometown of NYC. Dates in LA, as well as Japan and Australia have been already scheduled. Cont.
Victory at Monterey
Albert Hammond Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lost sounds, well they tell you everything
And it all goes back again
Well
And it all goes back again
[Chorus]
I said
She said
"Won't you come down and play"
That's sad
You didn't win anything
That's sad
Victory at Monterey
Happy
Man I got lost in you
Well I'm over these, over these
Gonna find you
I'm so glad
Now that I have you back
Happy, happy
'Cause I know it's true
Now that I have back
[Chorus: x2]
Happy, happy
'Cause I know it's true
Now that I have you
Now that I have you back
The lyrics of Albert Hammond Jr.'s "Victory at Monterey" are open to interpretation, but they seem to be about a relationship that has been lost and then found again. The singer describes a woman with "buttons with their name on it" and "lost sounds" that "tell you everything." These phrases could refer to the woman herself, who is wearing items with her name on them, and speaks in a way that communicates everything she's feeling without explicitly saying it. Alternatively, they could be a metaphor for the memories and sensations that remind the singer of her.
The chorus is the catchiest part of the song, with the repetition of "Victory at Monterey" and "Won't you come down and play" creating a sense of excitement and anticipation. However, the lines "That's sad/You didn't win anything" suggest that the victory may be fleeting or illusory. The singer seems to be grappling with conflicting emotions: on the one hand, it's good to be reunited with this woman (as demonstrated by the repeated lines "I'm so glad/Now that I have you back/Happy, happy"), but on the other hand, there is a sense of disappointment or longing that is not fully resolved.
Overall, "Victory at Monterey" is a song that captures the ups and downs of relationships, the way that emotions can be both confusing and exhilarating, and the sense that true victory may be hard to come by.
Line by Line Meaning
She's got buttons with their name on it
She has clothing with brand logos printed on them
Lost sounds, well they tell you everything
Obscure music provides insightful life lessons
And it all goes back again
Everything repeats itself
Well
Casual interjection
And it all goes back again
Everything repeats itself
I said
"Victory at Monterey"
She said
"Won't you come down and play"
That's sad
You didn't win anything
That's sad
Victory at Monterey
The singer boasts about their success at Monterey while someone else invites them to hang out instead, pointing out that winning doesn't always fulfill you
Happy
Man I got lost in you
Well I'm over these, over these
Gonna find you
I'm so glad
Now that I have you back
Happy, happy
'Cause I know it's true
Now that I have back
The singer is elated to have reconnected with someone they care about
[Chorus: x2]
Victory at Monterey
Repeat of previous chorus
Happy, happy
'Cause I know it's true
Now that I have you
Now that I have you back
The artist is cheerful and content now that they are reunited with their companion
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ALBERT HAMMOND JR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brenna Parker
I can't stop listening to this! I love my Albert :3
Alejandro Zen R.
I Love this song!
Sean Parkin
@***** yep
JohnEdWeird
This song is so damn funky. I can't help but want to dance.
M
Awesome (: My favorite song from this CD
KIRA CAMERON
i play this song on my husband Mark Happe's drums today
KIRA CAMERON
Albert is a good person
KIRA CAMERON
Mark Happe is my Husband and the best LOVER alive!!!!
KIRA CAMERON
my sister borrowed my Albert Hammond Jr cd! sux to be me right now hahahahahahahahahahaha
Marckus Radon
The beginning kinda sounds like No You Girls by Franz Ferdinand