Belle and Sebastian:Boy With Arab Strap:CoD

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It may be the fact that I've known and loved "Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner" for some time from sessions and live shows, but at present the new EP has a similar feel to those Beach Boys records which would have various bits of mediocre material and then -whoosh- some fantastic 'Smile' remnant which towered above the new material and made it look a bit silly.

Thinking about it, I don't know which Beach Boys record I'm actually talking about here (perhaps none) so can we take it as a mythical Beach Boys record in which a Smile outtake towered above inferior new material, please? You know what I mean. "LOAMDR" is the best song on the new LP by a street. And it was written back in the days when B&S put out good records.

― Tim, Friday, 22 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

The new B&S material (Jonathan David single) does not remind me of the Beach Boys at all. What it reminds me of intensely, even to the point of irritation, is the Zombies, specifically "Oddessey and Oracle", especially the vocal arrangements. They aren't Beach Boys vocal arrangements, they're far more British (based on Madrigals and stuff) rather than American (based on shape note harmony from the folk/gospel tradition).

But actually, more than anything, they really remind me of Modesty Blaise.

Wow, B&S don't even sound like they are aping the original anymore, they sound like they modern Elephant6 copyists... wow, that's a shame.

― masonic boom, Friday, 22 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

OK, I wasn't saying they sounded like the Beach Boys, I was saying one old track stood out as much better than the newer material. Sorry if that was unclear.

― Tim, Friday, 22 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

The Beach Boys album your thinking of might be 20/20, which has an awful lot of OK material (though does have "I Went To Sleep") and then throws "Cabinessence" at you.

― Tom, Friday, 22 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I think your point was clear, TH. And I don't even know ANY Beach Boys LPs. I have never even HEARD a Beach Boys LP, qua LP.

I'm not sure I quite agree with you about 'Loneliness' - not cos I don't like the song, but cos (as Honey and others have said), it doesn't seem as dynamic a *version* as it could have been. In particular, Peter Miller is right that the guitar solo is laid up on a couch drinking Lem-sips. I still think that you must be right that the song is better than the other songs, though.

Let me add another name to the influence / resemblance -mix, re. the A-side: Elvis Costello!

― the pinefox, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

And let me add another... the Housemartins.

― Nick, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

The g.solo on Loneliness I rather like - the determinedly weedy way it comes in calls to mind Glen Campbell's "Where's The Playground, Susie?", which is not something that can come to mind too often as far as I'm concerned.

― Tom, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I can see how it does call that to mind. But Tom, that is a bad solo. A great track, I think, but a terrible solo. One of the worst-mixed outro solos I've ever heard. Your acclaim for the version of the B&S solo is mere perversity. No, better: it's parodic Anti-Rockism.

― the pinefox, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Caveat: I've not heard any other versions of the song.

― Tom, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

two years pass...

More BS thoughts, please.

― Mary (Mary), Thursday, 21 August 2003 02:15 (twenty years ago) link

stuart should go back to writing all the songs

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 21 August 2003 02:30 (twenty years ago) link

he should do a side project like all the rest of them.

― keith (keithmcl), Thursday, 21 August 2003 02:33 (twenty years ago) link

and call it.. "the real belle and sebastian"

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 21 August 2003 02:38 (twenty years ago) link

or form a band with andrew brough.

― keith (keithmcl), Thursday, 21 August 2003 02:40 (twenty years ago) link

oooh

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 21 August 2003 02:46 (twenty years ago) link

eleven years pass...

First side is their peak

― brimstead, Tuesday, 7 April 2015 07:05 (nine years ago) link

plus B1,B2

― brimstead, Tuesday, 7 April 2015 07:05 (nine years ago) link

If You're Feeling Sinister was their peak, I think.

― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Tuesday, 7 April 2015 10:15 (nine years ago) link

Some quality analysis in this thread.

― Mr. Snrub, Tuesday, 7 April 2015 11:32 (nine years ago) link

I think Dear Catastrophe Waitress is the one that has held up the best.

― Mr. Snrub, Tuesday, 7 April 2015 11:35 (nine years ago) link

This record is such a let down after the first 2 plus the EPs. If you think this is their peak... I... don't know what to say really.

"Dirty Dream #2" & "Simple Things" are great though.

― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Tuesday, 21 April 2015 05:17 (nine years ago) link

say "brimstead had the best taste in music"

― brimstead, Tuesday, 21 April 2015 05:19 (nine years ago) link

has

― brimstead, Tuesday, 21 April 2015 05:20 (nine years ago) link

feel like this album is the one for folks who like felt and smiths and stuff but think sinister is not all that

― brimstead, Tuesday, 21 April 2015 05:24 (nine years ago) link

and trip hop

― brimstead, Tuesday, 21 April 2015 05:24 (nine years ago) link

alas, poor brimstead had the best taste in music... twas a pity.

― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Tuesday, 21 April 2015 05:52 (nine years ago) link

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