Could we please be objective cause the other POLLS are queuing up behind us - Artist Poll #94 - Belle & Sebastian - RESULTS

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52 ballots, 140 track selections.
40 also conveyed opinions on the question of best albums, and 27 on the best EPs.

We'll start with the sub-polls, but this seems a good place for a Spotify link for the eventual track rollout:

https://open.spotify.com/user/empeecee/playlist/4AEQhTWsUuc2FMJIsVScBi?si=OOZanxXxQPqBEc7UcSc5pA

Thanks to Alba and eephus! for the thread title!

Hadn't time to vote, sadly, but stoked for the madness!

Hell yeah

wow that's a fantastic turnout! looking forward to this

Could be a slow start, but I'll try to get through this lot before I retire for the evening.

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This is the only really important vote this week

10. (TIE)

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Storytelling (June 2002)
Points: 1
Votes: 1
#1 Votes: 0

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God Help the Girl (June 2009)
Points: 1
Votes: 1
#1 Votes: 0

This list will, in fact, outline everything that got a vote.

9.
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Belle and Sebastian Write About Love (October 2010)
Points: 8
Votes: 3
#1 Votes: 0

such a pretty sounding album but that's about the right place for it

Stoked! It’s been a long time since I voted in an ILM poll, but I just love this band too damn much not to do it.

This is one I massively underestimated before this exercise. I'd heard it, a number of times, but nothing quite stuck with me in the past. As I hinted on the other thread, I now have much of it swimming around head in quiet moments.

around MY head.

8.
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Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance (January 2015)
Points: 17
Votes: 9
#1 Votes: 1

So guessing How to Solve Our Human Problems didn't get any votes?

Not much of a spoiler, I guess: no, not as a compilation of the three parts. A mere five slots to fill is frightfully limiting though, so unsurprising.

7.
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The Life Pursuit (February 2006)
Points: 23
Votes: 12
#1 Votes: 1

So far, so good.

with the exception of song for sunshine, nothing but bangers

Voted for both of these last two, glad to see I'm far from the only one.

Good to see Storytelling get a vote (even if it wasn't me)

6.
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Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant (June 2000)
Points: 30
Votes: 13
#1 Votes: 0

i'm a little surprised this one did better than The Life Pursuit. i don't really care much for either but i think this is the right way around though

Stevie Jackson on "Fold Your Hands Child":
"For a long time, this was my least favourite record because it was such a miserable time making it. I just hated that period. It was a rudderless operation and there was a lot of intrigue going on with the band. It was the end of the 90s so you had just endless studio time and budgets that no longer exist and I just remember being in there forever and it being a really obscene waste of time. An album emerged from it eventually..."

one thing that really stands out about it is all the harpsichord

uneven but women's realm -> family tree -> there's too much love is a perfect piece of sequencing

If we were submitting our 10 favourite B&S LPs, FYHCYWLAP would have been my #10

but yeah, women's realm and ttml are pretty great

FYH beating TLP is a travesty but I didn't submit an album list so I'm partly to blame.

When it came out, I think I resented Stuart for not writing all the songs.

*extremely me voice* girls in peacetime is also better than fold your hands

girls in peacetime just missed my ballot, i was definitely surprised by it

one thing that really stands out about it is all the harpsichord

yeah it's the most baroque-pop they ever got. my favorite non-comp b&s album these days

Speaking of which, purists holding the opinion that compilations don't really count are invited to avert their gaze...

I've tried listening the The Life Pursuit, I really have. But I just can't understand how anyone could rank it above FYHCYWLAP. Before the Sunrise is bad, but it's not bad enough to sink the whole album! I guess there are just people who want a very different thing out of this band and that's all well and good!

5.
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Push Barman to Open Old Wounds (singles compilation, May 2005)
Points: 73
Votes: 22
#1 Votes: 4

The nadir of FYHC.. for me is the opening to The Wrong Girl, Beyond The Sunrise is fine.

I ummed and ahhed about voting for Push Barman but ultimately, just look at what's on it.

Yeah, I voted for it, and I've never actually listened to it (just to the EP's that comprise it)

Yes, felt a bit weird putting Push Barman as my #2 even though I don't own it and still don't think I've ever listened to it from start to finish, but that's compilations for you.

I forgot Beyond the Sunrise's name it's so bad. Well it would be fine as a B-side I guess.

4.
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Dear Catastrophe Waitress (October 2003)
Points: 79
Votes: 29
#1 Votes: 2

wow too low! classic nearly the whole way through

I was expecting a few more #1 votes. Still, it was on almost 3/4 of ballots.

Yeah, now that i'm looking at the track list again, I feel like I should have had it higher in my list.

Top 3 prediction:
Arab Strap, Tigermilk, Sinister

prefer peacetime and the ones that have placed since to arab strap

3.
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The Boy with the Arab Strap (September 1998)
Points: 92
Votes: 33
#1 Votes: 5

this has some incredible highs but it's way more inconsistent than the first two and DCW

I was surprised to find myself not voting for TABBYWARS, but though I like most of the tracks and it's sequenced well, I just don't go back to it, in the end it was shunted out by The Life Pursuit

The Boy with the Arab Strap #1's Unite!

What is TABBYWARS?

I've never liked Boy with the Arab Strap, kind of mystified by the high placement. Girls in Peacetime and The Life Pursuit deserve to be higher.

The Cat with the Cream is underrated, as are Lord Anthony and Belle & Sebastian, I think

OTM.

And I totally share #TeamYouMadeMeForgetMyDreams's sorrow.

But the biggest shock for me remains the utter unpopularity of "Boy Done Wrong Again". Didn't vote for it, but hadn't anticipated a conspicuously (near-)empty row in a spreadsheet, something that was overwise reserved for the likes of "A Space Boy Dream".

I was thinking of including “Today” on the ballot I didn’t submit, relistening I think it’s great. “Ever Had a Little Faith” is fantastic too. Sure is a long album though.

One more stat and then I'll shut up. I was vaguely alluding to it a couple of days ago, but couldn't really reveal it.

The conventional studio albums ranked by the sum of their constituent track scores. IYFS's dominance is even scarier here:

IYFS        5569
Tigermilk   3531
TBWTAS      3377
DCW         2990
FYHCYWLAP   1584
TLP         1569
GIPWTD       782 
WAP          647

Where does PBTOOW place?

I'm glad you asked. I'd wondered myself but had been too lazy to do the extra fiddling.

It's an impressive score, even with "The State I Am In" excluded:

DOW       823 
LLPJ     1344
369SOL    944
TIJAMRS  1079
LM        247
JD        640
IWUTU     470
=
PBTOOW   5547

Many thanks to Mr. Nag! for running this. It's been a blast, and it will live forever in the funny little frog of my heart.

My ballot:
Tracks
1
Me and the Major
Lazy Line Painter Jane
I Don’t Love Anyone
Nobody’s Empire
I’m Waking Up to Us
String Bean Jean
Piazza, New York Catcher
Sukie In the Graveyard
If She Wants Me
Seeing Other People
The Stars of Track and Field
Photo Jenny
If You’re Feeling Sinister
Dress Up In You
Ease Your Feet in the Sea
Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying
Sleep the Clock Around
Jonathan David
The Rollercoaster Ride
The Boy with the Arab Strap
Allie
Another Sunny Day
Act of the Apolstle
She’s Losing It
You’re Just a Baby
The State I Am In
I Love My Car
Wrapped Up In Books
The Blues Are Still Blue
Stay Loose
30

Albums
Push Barman to Open Old Wounds
If You’re Feeling Sinister
Dear Catastrophe Waitress
Tigermilk
The Life Pursuit

I’ve been thinking about why Lord Anthony stands out for me

I wasn’t bullied too much in high school, although I can remember being imprinted with the shame and fear of it. I also remember looking on and not stepping in as other kids were savagely harassed, and it’s been in the back of my mind since

it’s amazing to me that their music can so easily convey childhood feelings like this song does

Great poll! I didn't have time to listen to everything to prepare for voting but my main takeaway is I need to listen to FYHC, which I foolishly skipped. Also it's hard to believe that just three weeks ago I had never heard "The State I Am In". Instant classic from the first listen, I probably put it on a dozen times in that time. It's a little strange to rank it over songs I've loved for 15 years but it's just that good

1. Stay Loose
2. The Fox in the Snow
3. The State I Am In
4. Seeing Other People
5. She's Losing It
6. If She Wants Me
7. A Summer Wasting
8. Seymour Stein
9. Like Dylan in the Movies
10. Step Into My Office, Baby
11. Ease Your Feet Into the Sea
12. Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying
13. The Boy With the Arab Strap
14. If You're Feeling Sinister
15. Piazza, New York Catcher
16. Dear Catastrophe Waitress
17. It Could Have Been a Brilliant Career
18. Enter Sylvia Plath
19. The Stars of Track and Field
20. If You Find Yourself Caught in Love
21. I'm a Cuckoo
22. Belle and Sebastian
23. The Blues are Still Blue
24. Play for Today
25. The Party Line
26. Dress Up in You
27. The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner
28. Asleep on a Sun Beam
29. To Be Myself Completely
30. We Are the Sleepyheads

Top Albums
1. If You're Feeling Sinister
2. Dear Catastrophe Waitress
3. Boy From the Arab Strap
4. Tigermilk
5. Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance

also Belle & Sebastian wasn’t the first song of theirs I heard but it felt like it explained them somehow, as a central diorama of their world

1. The Boy With The Arab Strap
2. A Summer Wasting
3. This Is Just A Modern Rock Song
4. Pocketbook Angel
5. Ease Your Feet In The Sea
6. String Bean Jean
7. Slow Graffiti
8. Big John Shaft
9. Lazy Line Painter Jane
10. Beautiful
11. I'm A Cuckoo
12. Simple Things
13. The State That I Am In
14. Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying
15. If You Are Feeling Sinister
16. Electronic Renaissance
17. Like Dylan In The Movies
18. Storytelling
19. Sleep The Clock Around
20. Funny Little Frog (God Help The Girl)
21. She's Losing It
22. Fox In The Snow
23. I Don't Love Anyone
24. The Model
25. Expectations
26. Seeing Other People
27. Dirty Dream Number Two
28. Belle & Sebastian
29. Photo Jenny
30. My Wandering Days Are Over

Albums
1 The Boy With The Arab Strap
2 Tigermilk
3 If You're Feeling Sinister
4 Push Barman To Open Old Wounds
5 Storytelling

Eps
1 This Is Just a Modern Rock Song
2 Lazy Line Painter Jane
3 Dog on Wheels
4 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light
5 Jonathan David

Voted Belle & Sebastian track

I think if Pocketbook Angel wasn't a rough demo it would be looked on as fondly as Photo Jenny.. maybe not String Bean Jean. Those 3 are very similar in a way.

I remember reading an interview with Stuart Murdoch where he said that every song was written by either Belle or by Sebastian, it was up to us to figure out which, that has always stuck with me

great poll, thanks for the winter wooskie shoutout! :)

I like the pop songs.
The Life Pursuit is my favorite album.
"Funny Little Frog" was my #2.
"Mornington Crescent" is the worst song on TLP.
"Seeing Other People" was my #1 to a large extent because it sounds like Charlie Brown music.

I think what I'm trying to say is, I'm not a proper Belle & Sebastian fan.

01. Seeing Other People
02. Funny Little Frog
03. Dirty Dream Number Two
04. Don't Leave the Light On Baby
05. I'm a Cuckoo
06. Act of the Apostle
07. Lazy Line Painter Jane
08. Another Sunny Day
09. Write About Love
10. Like Dylan in the Movies
11. If She Wants Me
12. This Is Just a Modern Rock Song
13. Wrapped Up in Books
14. The Blues Are Still Blue
15. I Want the World to Stop
16. If You're Feeling Sinister
17. Step Into My Office, Baby
18. You Don't Send Me
19. Sweet Dew Lee
20. The State I Am In (Tigermilk version)
21. Legal Man
22. The Stars of Track and Field
23. Winter Wooksie
24. I'm Waking Up to Us
25. Nobody's Empire
26. The Boy with the Arab Strap
27. To Be Myself Completely
28. Best Friend
29. Expectations
30. Song for Sunshine

"Seeing Other People" was my #1 to a large extent because it sounds like Charlie Brown music.

Can't deny there's something to this

just want to say i enjoyed the warmth exhibited throughout this poll even if this band doesn't do much for me.

Great poll thanks, never seen any of these 'outtake'/alternate-cover images before.

I only possess a Vince Guaraldi record because a Charlie Brown vibe was also noted on, presumably, the Sinister list back in the day!

Anyone who voted for "Act of the Apostle" and "Song for Sunshine" (I missed the latter when listing the unpopular things on my ballot} may actually be the best kind of B&S fan.

Great poll! Thanks for running it so wonderfully! :)

1. The State I Am In
2. I'm A Cuckoo
3. Your Cover's Blown
4. It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career
5. Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying
6. Lazy Line Painter Jane
7. If She Wants Me
8. The Boy With The Arab Strap
9. She's Losing It
10. Don't Leave The Light On Baby
11. The Blues Are Still Blue
12. Stay Loose
13. You're Just a Baby
14. The Model
15. Expectations
16. Jonathan David
17. Funny Little Frog (GHTG version)
18. There's Too Much Love
19. Dirty Dream Number Two
20. We Rule The School
21. The Chalet Lines
22. To Be Myself Completely
23. Women's Realm
24. Slow Graffiti
25. Judy and the Dream of Horses
26. A Summer Wasting
27. My Wandering Days Are Over
28. Electronic Renaissance
29. If You're Feeling Sinister
30. Piazza New York Catcher

This poll really arrived at an ideal time to re-think B&S, at that 20 year point where cultural artifacts take on a new context and rock artists sometime exit their awkward middle career flailing. The 90s records feel closer to Stereolab and even Ghost Box hauntalogy and further from c86 and twee now. Not that the later labels don't apply, but this listening exercise has changed my generalizations about the music.

yeah stereolab as a comparison definitely occurred to me when i was going through their discog, though mostly for the self-consciously retro pop songs but with motorik beats thing

I thought of Stereolab when I was trying to place the sound behind Sleep the Clock Around. They share a similar relationship with kitsch, too.

organ riff at the end of "lazy line painter jane" is extreeeeeeeemely stereolab imo (and also extremely vu ofc)

There's something to be said for them following a particular path out of the VU sound - much closer to the Nico/John Cale version than the Lou Reed one, obviously.

eh i think the third album is a major part of their sound

Buh, of course. Brainfart.

just catching up with the results -- good stuff! one more ballot fwiw (informed by a cursory re-listening that turned often to awe and new appreciation, of course. i love this band's multitudes)

Like Dylan in the Movies
Women's Realm
The Stars of Track and Field
Seeing Other People
Another Sunny Day
A Summer Wasting
Me and the Major
Mayfly
The State I Am In
White Collar Boy
Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying
She's Losing It
Funny Little Frog
I Didn't See It Coming
The Fox in the Snow
The Rollercoaster Ride
Family Tree
Lazy Line Painter Jane
Wrapped Up in Books
Sleep the Clock Around
Electronic Renaissance
Dog on Wheels
Your Cover's Blown
Come On Sister
We Are the Sleepyheads
Judy is a Dick Slap
Stay Loose
Waiting for the Moon to Rise
You Made Me Forget My Dreams
The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner

I have no idea whether there's any discernable evidence in either case, but from the chatter on fan lists of each, I always imagined B&S must have prompted a spike in sales of Bryter Layter in a fashion not unlike Stereolab doing the same for Neu!

This was an awesome poll. Cheers.

ALBUMS
1. Dear Catastrophe Waitress
2. If You’re Feeling Sinister
3. Tigermilk
4. Push Barman to Open Old Wounds
5. The Boy with the Arab Strap

EPS
1. Dog on Wheels
2. Lazy Line Painter Jane
3. Books
4. 3... 6... 9... Seconds of Light
5. Legal Man

TRACKS:
1. Me and the Major
2. Dog on Wheels
3. If You’re Feeling Sinister
4. Stay Loose
5. You Don’t Send Me
6. If You Find Yourself Caught in Love
7. She’s Losing It
8. Piazza, New York Catcher
9. Get Me Away from Here, I’m Dying
10. Is It Wicked Not to Care?
11. Sleep the Clock Around
12. Like Dylan in the Movies
13. I’m a Cuckoo
14. It Could Have Been a Brilliant Career
15. Electronic Renaissance
16. You’re Just a Baby
17. Seeing Other People
18. Expectations
19. Judy and the Dream of Horses
20. Legal Man
21. The Boy with the Arab Strap
22. Step Into My Office, Baby
23. Le Pastie de la Bourgeoisie
24. Your Cover’s Blown
25. I Love My Car
26. I Believe in Traveling Light
27. Stars of Track and Field
28. Act of the Apostle
29. The Party Line
30. Asleep on a Sunbeam

This poll made me realize a lot of people listen to B&S for reasons different to mine.

I had never really paid Lazy Line Painter Jane. I think it's appalling. Possibly the worst song by this band I've heard? Here's my points score:

40 - Stay Loose
36 - Expectations
33 - Dylan in the Movies
30 - I fought in a war
28 - I’m a cuckoo
26 - Dog on wheels
25 - Another sunny day
24 - Funny little frog
23 - Allie
22 - We were beautiful
21 - White collar boy
20 - Sunday’s pretty icons
19 - I want the world to stop
18 - Your cover’s blown
17 - The party line
16 - The everlasting muse
15 - The stars of track and field
14 - Wrapped up in books
13 - A summer wasting
12 - The fox in the snow
11 - Dirty Dream 2
10 - Play for today
9 - The blues are still blue

I've never really liked it either

I keep coming back to that "The Blues are Still Blue" Lip Dub thingy. Gloriously goofy, and I like the song about 89% more after several viewings. Thanks bendy.

Mine:

1 Ease Your Feet in the Sea
2 Belle & Sebastian
3 Seeing Other People
4 The Fox in the Snow
5 Slow Graffiti
6 String Bean Jean
7 Don't Leave the Light on Baby
8 Winter Wooskie
9 The Stars of Track and Field
10 A Century of Fakers
11 You Made Me Forget My Dreams
12 Dog on Wheels
13 Legal Man
14 The Model
15 Me and the Major
16 Stay Loose
17 I Know Where the Summer Goes
18 Lazy Line Painter Jane
19 The State I Am In
20 Step Into My Office, Baby
21 Beautiful
22 Simple Things
23 It Could Have Been a Brilliant Career
24 I Fought in a War
25 Photo Jenny
26 Sleep the Clock Around
27 Chickfactor
28 The Rollercoaster Ride
29 Women's Realm
30 Nice Day for a Sulk

I keep coming back to that "The Blues are Still Blue" Lip Dub thingy. Gloriously goofy, and I like the song about 89% more after several viewings. Thanks bendy.

― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Wednesday, December 19, 2018 8:35 AM (four hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Otm! Gave me a whole new appreciation for the song. What a joyful bunch.

A schoolyard of teens united in song, singing and dancing clumsily around Seville orange trees could well be a dream image from 90s B&S.

it's so cool.

I should have put Play for Today *much* higher. What a track.

Indeed.

I had but one Peacetime track on my hastily-assembled ballot. I'm wiser now and have even, finally, procured a physical copy. (Write About Love too, fercrissakes!) I also had a nice image prepared for "Play for Today", so I was doubly sad to see it slip down the rankings in late voting.

Put it here, You're allowed!

This poll was responsible for B&S cementing themselves in my favourite top 5 or so bands. Before they were a band I liked generally, loving a few songs and a couple albums. Now their entire catalogue just makes me very, very happy.

Thanks, Nag!

Definitely the rare and weird category of favorite band I unabashedly adore and want to listen to all the time, except for when I don't and find them too precious and need to set them aside for several months or even years.

Ha ha, yes. Same.

Thirded.

Fourthed. (I'd practically given up on them before this poll.)

Yes! I feel this way about the Pixies too.

I've only just worked out that the backing vocals at the end of Play for Today are 'author, author'. I've been singing 'up your jumper'.

And it bears repeating: what a fucking great song.

I though it was something like "up the mountain"

I totally think it is 'up the mountain' but other days I hear 'author author' - both have resonance. Anyway, what a song and would probably be my number one if I were to vote today.

Let's fill the glass and light to share the sun
The backstage of your life.

The lyrics on the sleeve are "author author" but my ears refuse to hear it as anything but "up the mountain".

The backstage of your life.