OB- I have that line in my head all day, along with "don't touch touch me, if you touch me you can never go back..." (truer fucking words were never spoken)
BW- ... I think this album has a lot of melancholy. I think the cover art is the first clue. A troubled young woman looking a bit forlorn gazing out the window. It's B&S's own brand of melancholy, which makes it intresting. Its not wrist-cutting melancholy its just a subtle "deep sigh exhale, but everything is pretty ok otherwise" type of feel.
(FOR POSTERITY'S SAKE, I THOUGHT I'D RETRO POST MY BELLE THOUGHTS INITALLY COMMUNICATED IN THE ARCHAIC FORMAT OF EMAIL)
Write About Love # of Spins: 20+ Mode of Listening: Vinyl mostly, with some car and going to bed spins 1 Word for Album: POPTASTIC (0 reviews were seen before listening to this album, so as to not bias my ears - but I cant wait to go to metacritic after sending this email : )
So, Belle and Sebastion. Duffy, next pick you have to pick some horribly incomprehensible pretentious bullshit like Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music" or whatever its called, cause Belle & Sebastion was a layup. I've never smoked crack before, but now I know what its like. I can't stop listening to B&S, and its been affecting my relationship with other records. The Suburbs is ready to leave me. Fortunately, Jess LOVES it, so my marriage is ok (& Aiden dances his ass off to it) -- but I'm sure she's going to make sure I get sick of it by playing nothing else for a year as she tends to do (see: Summerteeth, Crane Wife, Elephant).
Stuff I love about the album that have nothing to do with music: VERY aesthetically pleasing vinyl -- I'm a firm believer that we don't JUST hear music, the visual is important (see Radiohead, The White Stripes, Pink Floyd, Katie Perry's success). I love how records look when in my collection -- the non-sonic art is a bonus for me. Additionally, I love getting two bonus tracks, esp. on a concise album, and love the FREE digital download with two extra free downloads (sent to brothers). Moreover, I dig that although the record is of a decent weight (probably 180 gram, not sure, but definitely not old school, below 100) -- the entire album is still on ONE vinyl disc. Most 180g records these days require 2 discs (3-4 sides), and don't even use up all the space on every side, so you sometimes get only 2 or 3 songs on one spin. Practically speaking, this causes logistical listening problems (feeding son without music playing bc the entire side of the record is 12 minutes.....). This album fits the record it inhabits perfectly.
As for the actual music.....the album starts with Flaming Lipsesque ambient noise followed by a hiphop worthy drumbeat, followed by simple poppy piano chords, mirrored by equally poppy vocs -- I love this juxtaposition. The feminine poppyness mixed with THAT beat is analogous to why l love mixing sweet and spicy when I grill out. I love contrast. "I Didn't See it Coming" reminds me a little of "Day in the Life" -- my favorite Beatles song, only bc of the second vocalist coming in halfway through with a different lyrical and vocal style. Come On Sister might be my favorite song. Synthtastic! Great 1-2 punch to start the album and I love that the title track doesn't come till you're knee deep in the album instead of burning it on song 1. "Come On Sister" saves its best part till about halfway through: "come on sister have a drink have a seat at the bar...." I have that line in my head all day, along with "don't touch touch me, if you touch me you can never go back..." (truer fucking words were never spoken).
Fantastic lyrics on "Calculating Bimbo". "I Want the World to Stop" loves The Cure. Norah Jones vocs on "Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John" are transcendent. It might have the best lyrics on the album with a very Dylan title. "Write About Love" is Jessica's favorite song. The chourus is crack cocaine. I think the Mammas & the Pappas influence is very strong on this song. Next song: does anyone know the Flo Rida song "Club Can't Handle Me"? Didn't think so. Well the song is typical douchey club rap, but it employs a strikingly similar horn line as "The Ghost of Rockschool". Did Flo Rida steal from B&S?? Did B&S steal from Flo Rida? Probably neither, but I can't decide which one would be funnier. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, I'll be as delighted as I am shocked. (Side note: Wally and I talked about his album a lot already, but I forgot to ask you if the aforementioned song's constant references to "God" bother as much as when Jamey Johnson did it -- got me curious.)
IN CONCLUSION, a lot of albums have what we like to call "pop sensibility" but this album injects pop into nearly every second of the album with unapologetic, blissfully overthetop bravado. To accomplish this objective, it employs hand-clap beats, singing in a round, crazy pop synth hooks, harmony upon harmony, plentiful lyics about "love", non-lyrical vocal bacgrounds, horn hooks, recorder hooks, ETC. to pound the pop into your pours. I'm a huge fan of going all or nothing with an idea, and I love this album (even though its not my favorite genre -- very reminiscent of early to mid-60's pop). I will be buying their back catalog, in particular the two "peak" albums Duff wrote about. The only criticism I can give this album is that since it reveals itself to you on one listen -- I fear I will grow tired of it faster than an album that reveals itself in layers over time. This is why I love Vinyl Vanguard -- I only knew the name Belle and Sebastian before. Great pick Duff --
7 comments:
OB- Fortunately, Jess LOVES it, so my marriage is ok (& Aiden dances his ass off to it)
OB- I have that line in my head all day, along with "don't touch touch me, if you touch me you can never go back..." (truer fucking words were never spoken)
Scott- River Kumho from Weezer said he's perfected the art of writing pop songs and he couldn't hold a candle to these guys.
"You calculating bimbo, I wish you'd let the past go." What human male can't relate to that?
BW- ... I think this album has a lot of melancholy. I think the cover art is the first clue. A troubled young woman looking a bit forlorn gazing out the window. It's B&S's own brand of melancholy, which makes it intresting. Its not wrist-cutting melancholy its just a subtle "deep sigh exhale, but everything is pretty ok otherwise" type of feel.
(FOR POSTERITY'S SAKE, I THOUGHT I'D RETRO POST MY BELLE THOUGHTS INITALLY COMMUNICATED IN THE ARCHAIC FORMAT OF EMAIL)
Write About Love
# of Spins: 20+
Mode of Listening: Vinyl mostly, with some car and going to bed spins
1 Word for Album: POPTASTIC
(0 reviews were seen before listening to this album, so as to not bias my ears - but I cant wait to go to metacritic after sending this email : )
So, Belle and Sebastion. Duffy, next pick you have to pick some horribly incomprehensible pretentious bullshit like Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music" or whatever its called, cause Belle & Sebastion was a layup. I've never smoked crack before, but now I know what its like. I can't stop listening to B&S, and its been affecting my relationship with other records. The Suburbs is ready to leave me. Fortunately, Jess LOVES it, so my marriage is ok (& Aiden dances his ass off to it) -- but I'm sure she's going to make sure I get sick of it by playing nothing else for a year as she tends to do (see: Summerteeth, Crane Wife, Elephant).
Stuff I love about the album that have nothing to do with music: VERY aesthetically pleasing vinyl -- I'm a firm believer that we don't JUST hear music, the visual is important (see Radiohead, The White Stripes, Pink Floyd, Katie Perry's success). I love how records look when in my collection -- the non-sonic art is a bonus for me. Additionally, I love getting two bonus tracks, esp. on a concise album, and love the FREE digital download with two extra free downloads (sent to brothers). Moreover, I dig that although the record is of a decent weight (probably 180 gram, not sure, but definitely not old school, below 100) -- the entire album is still on ONE vinyl disc. Most 180g records these days require 2 discs (3-4 sides), and don't even use up all the space on every side, so you sometimes get only 2 or 3 songs on one spin. Practically speaking, this causes logistical listening problems (feeding son without music playing bc the entire side of the record is 12 minutes.....). This album fits the record it inhabits perfectly.
(AT CHARACTER LIMIT -- TO BE CONTINUED).......
(OB BELLE REVIEW, PAGE 2)
As for the actual music.....the album starts with Flaming Lipsesque ambient noise followed by a hiphop worthy drumbeat, followed by simple poppy piano chords, mirrored by equally poppy vocs -- I love this juxtaposition. The feminine poppyness mixed with THAT beat is analogous to why l love mixing sweet and spicy when I grill out. I love contrast. "I Didn't See it Coming" reminds me a little of "Day in the Life" -- my favorite Beatles song, only bc of the second vocalist coming in halfway through with a different lyrical and vocal style. Come On Sister might be my favorite song. Synthtastic! Great 1-2 punch to start the album and I love that the title track doesn't come till you're knee deep in the album instead of burning it on song 1. "Come On Sister" saves its best part till about halfway through: "come on sister have a drink have a seat at the bar...." I have that line in my head all day, along with "don't touch touch me, if you touch me you can never go back..." (truer fucking words were never spoken).
Fantastic lyrics on "Calculating Bimbo". "I Want the World to Stop" loves The Cure. Norah Jones vocs on "Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John" are transcendent. It might have the best lyrics on the album with a very Dylan title. "Write About Love" is Jessica's favorite song. The chourus is crack cocaine. I think the Mammas & the Pappas influence is very strong on this song. Next song: does anyone know the Flo Rida song "Club Can't Handle Me"? Didn't think so. Well the song is typical douchey club rap, but it employs a strikingly similar horn line as "The Ghost of Rockschool". Did Flo Rida steal from B&S?? Did B&S steal from Flo Rida? Probably neither, but I can't decide which one would be funnier. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, I'll be as delighted as I am shocked. (Side note: Wally and I talked about his album a lot already, but I forgot to ask you if the aforementioned song's constant references to "God" bother as much as when Jamey Johnson did it -- got me curious.)
IN CONCLUSION, a lot of albums have what we like to call "pop sensibility" but this album injects pop into nearly every second of the album with unapologetic, blissfully overthetop bravado. To accomplish this objective, it employs hand-clap beats, singing in a round, crazy pop synth hooks, harmony upon harmony, plentiful lyics about "love", non-lyrical vocal bacgrounds, horn hooks, recorder hooks, ETC. to pound the pop into your pours. I'm a huge fan of going all or nothing with an idea, and I love this album (even though its not my favorite genre -- very reminiscent of early to mid-60's pop). I will be buying their back catalog, in particular the two "peak" albums Duff wrote about. The only criticism I can give this album is that since it reveals itself to you on one listen -- I fear I will grow tired of it faster than an album that reveals itself in layers over time. This is why I love Vinyl Vanguard -- I only knew the name Belle and Sebastian before. Great pick Duff --
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