I assembled a best-of a few days ago.
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 13 April 2017 17:06 (seven years ago) link
my first one was Good Humor, which feels like a stylistic outlier in their catalog but at the time was for me very eye-opening, and it remains an important record in my life. It's not necessarily my favorite release of theirs, I'd probably put the first three + Words and Music above it now. But I like its dry-sounding yet warmhearted Euro pop.
― nomar, Thursday, 13 April 2017 17:43 (seven years ago) link
Would be fun to poll their b-sides and non-album tracks... so many amazing songs. Archway People, Madeleine, Clark Co. Record Fair, Star, Burnt Out Car, Hate Your Drug...
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Thursday, 13 April 2017 18:01 (seven years ago) link
Controversial (?) :https://noisey.vice.com/en_ca/article/rank-your-records-saint-etienne-bob-stanley
― Jeff W, Thursday, 1 June 2017 20:00 (seven years ago) link
Not controversial. Just wrong.
― everything, Thursday, 1 June 2017 20:23 (seven years ago) link
good humor is my fav record of theirs also
― johnny crunch, Thursday, 1 June 2017 20:47 (seven years ago) link
Surprised "Fox base Alpha"is so low down, but then again I prefer the "Fox base Beta' remix version so hey hey (wtm)..
― Mark G, Thursday, 1 June 2017 21:29 (seven years ago) link
Foxbase and So Tough being so low is really surprising to see. I'm disappointed he put Sound Of Water so high up, that's their only below average album for me.
― kitchen person, Thursday, 1 June 2017 21:32 (seven years ago) link
his take makes sense, though I disagree.
top tier: foxbase, so tough, tiger bay, good humor, fairfax high, mess of help, continentalmiddle tier: finisterre, turnpike house, words and music, fairy talesbottom tier: sound of water
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Thursday, 1 June 2017 21:34 (seven years ago) link
I'd have put Tiger Bay up higher, but reading that I can see why..
― Mark G, Thursday, 1 June 2017 21:35 (seven years ago) link
Oh, and "I love to paint" has been good to me..
― Mark G, Thursday, 1 June 2017 21:36 (seven years ago) link
All kinds of wrong. I'd more or less flip his ranking
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Thursday, 1 June 2017 21:48 (seven years ago) link
My order would currently be..
1. So Tough2. Foxbase Alpha3. Tales From Turnpike House4. Words & Music 5. Tiger Bay6. Good Humor7. Finisterre 8. Sound Of Water
― kitchen person, Thursday, 1 June 2017 22:15 (seven years ago) link
Foxbase AlphaSo Tough*you need a mess of help to stand alone*Tiger BayGood HumorSound of WaterWords and MusicFinistere Tales from Turnpike--
― brotherlovesdub, Thursday, 1 June 2017 22:22 (seven years ago) link
One of the odd things about that was we went to clear the samples we put in between tracks, and it was almost impossible to clear any American samples. The only thing we could was Rush let us use the sample from "The Spirit of Radio." They were very kind and said, "We can't imagine why you'd want to ruin your very beautiful song with a horrible guitar sound."
― brimstead, Thursday, 1 June 2017 23:20 (seven years ago) link
wow I've been working my way thru their entire discography and "Sound of Water" is GREAT, I think I like it more than "Good Humor"?
― he not like the banana (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 13:31 (seven years ago) link
also ugh there are so so so many overlapping compilations! At this point the 2nd discs on all the Deluxe Editions are prob the definitive way to go, no?
― he not like the banana (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 13:34 (seven years ago) link
Good Humour isn't a favorite. I also prefer SOW and – better – Finisterre.
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 13:37 (seven years ago) link
Sound of water is amazing!!
Yeah Stevie, the deluxe editions mop everything up pretty nicely
― brimstead, Wednesday, 7 June 2017 14:56 (seven years ago) link
I don't think fan club discs "I love to paint" and "built on sand" were incorporated, though
― brimstead, Wednesday, 7 June 2017 14:58 (seven years ago) link
looks like they're about to re-release all the deluxe editions, too. which is good because they're getting expensive in the secondhand market.
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 15:00 (seven years ago) link
oh thank god
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 15:12 (seven years ago) link
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jun/07/saint-etienne-10-of-the-best
― djh, Wednesday, 7 June 2017 15:13 (seven years ago) link
the first 3 major fan club comps were re-released in their "boxette" set a few years back. i think their xmas songs were all compiled too, in 'a glimpse of stocking'.
i want to fill in the gaps on my deluxe sets. i've got foxes alpha/so tough/tiger bay/finisterre. the good humor one, not sure if i need that...i have the original 2-cd release w/fairfax high, iirc the deluxe is the same?
― nomar, Wednesday, 7 June 2017 15:23 (seven years ago) link
shit, i need to sell my duplicates real quick then
― brotherlovesdub, Wednesday, 7 June 2017 15:54 (seven years ago) link
v strange that the deluxe Tiger Bay edition doesn't have "He's On The Phone" or "Grovely Road" from the superior 1996 Creation Records rerelease
― he not like the banana (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 16:04 (seven years ago) link
Yeah last year I decided I finally need to get those deluxes (and everything else) and realized a number of them only go for crazy money. (Thankfully I had the cash; yay freelance work.)
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 7 June 2017 16:05 (seven years ago) link
deluxe edition of good humor has 4 or 5 more tracks beyond what's on fairfax high, yeah.
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 16:09 (seven years ago) link
― he not like the banana (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, June 7, 2017 9:04 AM (three minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
well idk how much the band had to do with that configuration so it makes sense to me; it makes an already-disjointed record way more disjointed, much as it's my preferred sequence
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 16:10 (seven years ago) link
They're on the Continental deluxe edition.
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 16:11 (seven years ago) link
oh you meant it's weird that they're not on the bonus disc, sorry steve
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 16:12 (seven years ago) link
ahhhh I see, it's "Groveley" on Continental and "Grovely" on Tiger Bay and it looked like it was literally only available on 1996 Tiger Bay and on no other compilation or deluxe ed
tbh with 2-3 versions of each album I like the idea of the deluxe eds presenting a "canonical" sequence on disc 1 and putting all of the other additional songs from other territories on disc 2
― he not like the banana (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 16:14 (seven years ago) link
i guess i missed the US tour announcement
https://consequenceofsound.net/2017/03/saint-etienne-announce-first-us-tour-in-five-years/
still tix for NYC
― Supercreditor (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 16:16 (seven years ago) link
why u hate third coast saint etienne, houston and new orleans want to love you
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 16:21 (seven years ago) link
ugh I'm just going to delete everything I have when I get home and slsk all of the deluxe editions, Boxette, and A Glimpse of Stocking
― he not like the banana (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 16:21 (seven years ago) link
WAIT HOLY SHIT HOME COUNTIES IS OUT ALREADY!??!?!?!
― he not like the banana (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 16:23 (seven years ago) link
don't forget foxbase beta it's beautiful
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 16:25 (seven years ago) link
Does anyone else have the urge to buy certain already-owned discs when seen used, to somehow correct the crime that these discs have been given up for cheap? The rarer Blue Nile singles and AMC (Johnny Mathis' Feet single w/ bonus live disc) cause this itch. Pertinent here, since as a Seattle resident, I regularly see the 2cd Sub Pop version of Good Humor with the Fairfax High bonus cd. Saw one last week at Easy Street for $4. Oh, the humanity.
― the body of a spider... (scampering alpaca), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 17:05 (seven years ago) link
Yup. And if you can, find the 2-disc version of that too!
Dude you missed the thread!
Saint Etienne -- Home Counties
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 7 June 2017 17:24 (seven years ago) link
There's some good stuff on the deluxe editions but they're boomy and over-compressed; Sound of Water particularly suffers, a lot of the subtle layered sounds get hammered into mush. "Dilworth's Theme" at the end of F.A. has lost its pleasantly ghostly "recorded surreptitiously on a Dictaphone outside the rehearsal room" quality.
"Blofeld Buildings" on disc 2 of S.O.W. has the music starting about a minute earlier in one channel, turning it into an overlapping mess. You'll need Boxette for the proper version (unless they correct it on the re-release). If you're a completist (bit of a futile but fun endeavor), the U.S.-only tracks from Turnpike didn't turn up on the deluxe version, nor did the Wooden Hills bonus disc songs.
― Dusklawn, Wednesday, 7 June 2017 17:26 (seven years ago) link
Easy Street has to sell them for cheap because who in their right mind goes to West Seattle? I can get music shipped to my house with less stress and effort than driving to West Seattle demands. I think I also bought my 2CD copy very cheap second hand. Also picked up the Sub Pop 2LP best of compilation that came out a while back. Shame about the art on that one though. It's pretty shit.
― brotherlovesdub, Wednesday, 7 June 2017 17:31 (seven years ago) link
Do we have a source on the deluxe ed rereleases?
― he not like the banana (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 17:40 (seven years ago) link
https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Water-Saint-Etienne/dp/B06XSYJ35F/
Some available June 23rd, some June 30th. I can see Amazon getting one wrong, but not seven or eight... everything from Foxbase through Turnpike is listed.
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 17:48 (seven years ago) link
don't forget the two disc deluxe editions of Words and Music, nor the tour only edition of Words and Music.
also Nice Price, their rarities fanclub comp that is not included in Boxette.
― nomar, Wednesday, 7 June 2017 18:16 (seven years ago) link
christ i keep forgetting about the U.S. release version of Turnpike House...so the two disc deluxe version doesn't have the songs from that? i'm totally okay with spending more money on them, I want them to have chill and moneyed existences.
― nomar, Wednesday, 7 June 2017 18:18 (seven years ago) link
Nice Price is just a bunch of demos and alternate versions, not essential unless you're a devoted fan.
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 18:26 (seven years ago) link
But the Misadventures of Saint Etienne, their soundtrack album to the Misadventures of Margaret from 1999... none of that appears on any deluxe editions. Well maybe Jack Lemmon? Anyway some great songs.
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Wednesday, 7 June 2017 18:32 (seven years ago) link
And that flexi of The Fall's "Chock Stock"
Not even kidding..
― Mark G, Wednesday, 7 June 2017 20:12 (seven years ago) link
I've got that somewhere.
Apparently it appeared on a comp, too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P7drvy1U5E
― djh, Wednesday, 7 June 2017 20:56 (seven years ago) link
Did it? Never seen that..
― Mark G, Wednesday, 7 June 2017 21:32 (seven years ago) link