That could describe everything they have released since Good Humor, so I think you are not going to be disappointed.
― everything, Wednesday, 22 February 2012 21:52 (1 year ago) Permalink
turns out the cover is a rather messed-with croydon:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=croydon&hl=en&ll=51.37679,-0.093083&spn=0.013983,0.031543&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=36.315864,64.599609&hnear=Croydon,+Greater+London,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=15
― ledge, Thursday, 23 February 2012 11:03 (1 year ago) Permalink
I don't know, if any band has earned the right to use that image on their album cover, it's Saint Etienne.
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Thursday, 23 February 2012 15:48 (1 year ago) Permalink
poo croydon-the field mice or saint etienne?
― keythhtyek, Friday, 24 February 2012 03:15 (1 year ago) Permalink
So our remix of the single is coming out on all formats including rather thrillingly the 12" vinyl! One mix is by us, one is by Richard X and another is by The 2 Bears so it seems we're in pretty good company. http://store.universal-music.co.uk/restofworld/vinyl/saint-etienne-tonight-12-vinyl-single-2012/invt/0602527961545/
― piscesx, Sunday, 4 March 2012 05:55 (1 year ago) Permalink
Their video! Our remix! enjoy!
― piscesx, Friday, 23 March 2012 17:40 (1 year ago) Permalink
great job!
― johnny crunch, Friday, 23 March 2012 17:46 (1 year ago) Permalink
thanks!
― piscesx, Friday, 23 March 2012 17:50 (1 year ago) Permalink
The extended version of this is, like so many singles, so much better than the single version.
― boxedjoy, Monday, 26 March 2012 09:41 (1 year ago) Permalink
This is lovely.
http://www.pitchfork.com/news/46254-listen-new-saint-etienne-answer-song/
― Kitchen Person, Monday, 23 April 2012 21:25 (1 year ago) Permalink
SAINT ETIENNE PRESENTS SONGS FOR THE LYONS CORNERHOUSEhttp://www.cherryred.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=3643
― djh, Sunday, 29 April 2012 00:30 (1 year ago) Permalink
Anyone know what's on the extra CD on the deluxe edition? None of the retailers I looked at had a track listing.
― fun loving and xtremely tolrant (Billy Dods), Sunday, 29 April 2012 13:01 (1 year ago) Permalink
Weird, isn't it? (To have a bonus disc which is presumably meant to make you pre-order/buy early but then not tempt with details).
― djh, Sunday, 29 April 2012 15:11 (1 year ago) Permalink
No doubt something that will come out again in three years time to fan club members with added bonus features and remixes for a "bargain" price...
(I do mean that with love)
― boxedjoy, Sunday, 29 April 2012 15:32 (1 year ago) Permalink
Tracklisting has now been announced for the deluxe edition.
Disc 101 Over The Border 05:0502 I've Got Your Music 03:4603 Heading For The Fair 03:4504 Last Days of Disco 03:3505 Tonight 04:3806 Answer Song 03:2507 Record Doctor 5308 Popular 03:2309 Twenty Five Years 03:4010 DJ 04:3911 When I Was Seventeen 03:3712 I Threw It All Away 03:2713 Haunted Jukebox 04:15
Disc 201 Tonight (Two Bears Remix) 07:1902 Last Days of Disco (Erol Alkan Remix) 06:1603 DJ (Stay+ Remix) 03:4504 I've Got Your Music (Golden Filter Remix) 07:0805 Popular (Tom Middleton Cosmos Remix) 08:1706 Heading For The Fair (The Time And Space Machine Waltzer Remix) 07:5707 Tonight (Club Clique Remix) 04:4308 Answer Song (White Horses Remix) 03:3709 Haunted Jukebox (Summer Camp Remix) 03:2610 I've Got Your Music (Kisses Remix) 04:2211 DJ (Muddyloop Remix) 04:1612 Last Days of Disco (Beat Connection Remix) 04:41
Popjustice have the new single as the song of the day. It's good but easily the waekest of the three tracks that I've heard from the album. http://www.popjustice.com/songs/saint-etienne-ive-got-your-music/
― Kitchen Person, Monday, 30 April 2012 13:31 (1 year ago) Permalink
hey we're on this. we just found out! track 7 too; always a lucky number.
― piscesx, Monday, 30 April 2012 14:10 (1 year ago) Permalink
Found this link http://brightonmusicblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/words-music-by-saint-etienne-conversation-by-pete-wiggs/ seemingly there's a 3 disc 'super deluxe' edition! Haven't saw any mention of this before.
― fun loving and xtremely tolrant (Billy Dods), Monday, 30 April 2012 14:16 (1 year ago) Permalink
...Popular is genuinely funny. It flips the old pop narrative of knowing an amazing secret club where the cool cats hang out: here, the club is an internet messageboard populated by people who want to discuss Pussycat's 1976 No 1 Mississippi in depth. It's less The In Crowd than that episode of The IT Crowd where Moss joins a society of exceptional Countdown contestants.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/may/10/saint-etienne-words-music-review
― mike t-diva, Friday, 11 May 2012 14:24 (1 year ago) Permalink
"Tonight" is one of the year's best, a wonderful driving-down-the-interstate track.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 11 May 2012 14:25 (1 year ago) Permalink
Petridish xpost: no it isn't.
But the song does mention "Baby Jump."
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Friday, 11 May 2012 14:59 (1 year ago) Permalink
Saint Etienne were probably the last band I actually "collected" (ie. bought the various cd singles as well as the albums). Reading the first two thirds of the Petridish review made me feel vaguely hopeful for the album, the last third didn't. Not that I've ever taken notice of one of his reviews before.
― djh, Friday, 11 May 2012 22:13 (1 year ago) Permalink
I'm probably not the only one who is more interested in hearing the bonus disc(s) rather than the album proper.
― everything, Friday, 11 May 2012 22:42 (1 year ago) Permalink
It'll be the two disc version for me ... but here's the three disc:
http://store.universal-music.co.uk/restofworld/box-sets/saint-etienne-words-and-music-box-set-2012/invt/0602537023561/?utm_source=SaintEtienne150512&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Album+Playback&utm_content=UMGUK6724-220283
― djh, Tuesday, 15 May 2012 20:56 (1 year ago) Permalink
Ooh, tempted. But £36 is too much for me. Would be keen to have the map though.
― fun loving and xtremely tolrant (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 15 May 2012 21:10 (1 year ago) Permalink
Not yet played disc two but so far I think my favourite thing about the release is Pete Wiggs' beard on the inner sleeve.
― djh, Monday, 21 May 2012 18:00 (1 year ago) Permalink
Emails went out for digital versions for those who bought the box set, so the third disc should show up online before too long. Going to listen when I get home!
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Monday, 21 May 2012 18:35 (1 year ago) Permalink
This album is pretty great. "DJ" and "Over The Border" are the standout tracks for me. Coincidentally, they remind me of "Action" and "Finisterre" (the song) respectively, only much better.
― daavid, Tuesday, 22 May 2012 07:09 (1 year ago) Permalink
Yeah this is really great return. Over The Border is just a perfect opener but I think it's the last four songs that really make the album. Need a bit more time to let the rest of the album sink in.
I'm surprised that I'm finding the latest single to be the weakest song.
― Kitchen Person, Tuesday, 22 May 2012 16:35 (1 year ago) Permalink
Liking it but not loving it atm. "Over the Border" is all a bit too much jumpers for goalposts, no?
― DavidM, Tuesday, 22 May 2012 17:59 (1 year ago) Permalink
Over The Border is similar in feel to Teenage Winter but the lyrics aren't quite as clever. It's still a great song and as someone who loves New Order, Dexys and anything on Postcard I can't help but be moved by it.
― Kitchen Person, Tuesday, 22 May 2012 18:10 (1 year ago) Permalink
A lot of it seems leaden and heavy-handed, to me.
― djh, Tuesday, 22 May 2012 22:53 (1 year ago) Permalink
yeah, sigh. picks up near the end, dj is nearly great. over the border as a better finnisterre is offtm tho
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 23 May 2012 01:28 (1 year ago) Permalink
Map for sale separately here:http://www.wearedorothy.com/art/song-map-unlimited-edition/
― Jeff W, Wednesday, 23 May 2012 17:34 (1 year ago) Permalink
Actually that might be a different one - same idea though
― Jeff W, Wednesday, 23 May 2012 17:39 (1 year ago) Permalink
There is something profoundly weird about hearing a band with actual profile singing a song about your friends that goes to the extent of actually naming them.
― Homosexual Satan Wasp (Matt DC), Wednesday, 23 May 2012 18:51 (1 year ago) Permalink
The remix of DJ on the bonus disc is much better than the regular version. It sounds like real club music for starters. Or it somehow recreates the effect of a loud club in a way that is quite fun. The regular version is weirdly flat and quite boring to me. It's trying to be pop but it's like they haven't listened to what's in the charts these days. In the remix Sarah's voice is relegated to being more of a sound effect or just part of the mix, rather than leading the track. It's a good, druggy number.
I've only listened once straight through but overall I dislike the vibe of this album. It's partly because lots of it seems like an eternal re-write of Mario's Cafe or Mr Donut except the playfulness of those tracks has been stripped (or sounds forced) and everything is happening in the wistful past tense. Over The Border is embarrasing. Then there is so little of the diversity that made their earlier albums so interesting. Whither the likes of Railway Jam, Cool Kids of Death, Urban Clearway, etc? It's just song, song, song, song. Too much Cracknell.
Round about Good Humor they started segregating their more interesting material onto eps, remixes or special release albums, using the "real" albums for their most formal and carefully curated songwriting. Combined with the fact that they are apparently running out of things to say, their "real" albums have now become quite boring as a result.
― everything, Wednesday, 23 May 2012 19:16 (1 year ago) Permalink
The second disc is really quite enjoyable though. Pretty much no duds.
― everything, Wednesday, 23 May 2012 19:17 (1 year ago) Permalink
i can't work out whether that's my favourite song on the album because of that or because it's the best song
― kanye kardashian (lex pretend), Wednesday, 23 May 2012 20:27 (1 year ago) Permalink
everything OTM - this is leaving me super cold and I quit listening after four or five tracks. A bummer.
― mikebee (BATTAGS), Wednesday, 23 May 2012 21:55 (1 year ago) Permalink
This album reminds me of Madonna
― a parker full of poseys (Stevie D(eux)), Thursday, 24 May 2012 01:30 (1 year ago) Permalink
But not of MDNA I hope (haven't listened yet)
― Look at how funky he is! (jer.fairall), Thursday, 24 May 2012 01:45 (1 year ago) Permalink
everything sorta OTM but still wrong. "DJ" is pop. It just doesn't sound like current chart-friendly pop. And why should it?
Re "Over The Border," I agree that the whole wistful nostalgia is by now a St Etienne cliche and starting to get a bit tedious. But in a song so good and beautifully crafted, I think they can be forgiven for it.
To me WAM is Saint Etienne leaving behind their "quirky" side a bit. I miss that side too, but I've always felt that sometimes it gets on the way. Sometimes. They are so, so great at straightforward pop that I don't see any problem with them doing an that an album of just that.
― daavid, Thursday, 24 May 2012 02:30 (1 year ago) Permalink
Finisterre aside, I haven't immediately taken to a Saint Etienne album on the first few listens since So Tough, so I'm not going to write this off yet. In fact, walking to work yesterday I had Last Days of Disco going round in my head quite a bit, so it is starting to grow on me I think.
― DavidM, Thursday, 24 May 2012 07:02 (1 year ago) Permalink
I haven't really given the main album a fair shake yet but I can't see me warming to it too much because of Sarah being smeared over everything so much. And the overall sepia-tinge in the album to be claustrophobic. Even a song called "Tonight" seems to be somehow set in the distant past. And they are trying to do a concept album but they forgot one of the rules of concept albums, which is that when you have a pompous spoken word bit like in Over The Border, the LAST thing you do is get the lead singer to read it. Obviously you get in a well-known actor or comedian such as Ewen MacGregor or David Mitchell to read it. The chorus bit is fine as it is though the wistfulness is terrific.
The second disc is really kicking my ass though. Especially the first three tracks which make me think how cool it would've been if they had the balls to make this the album proper.
― everything, Thursday, 24 May 2012 07:24 (1 year ago) Permalink
"real dance music"?
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Thursday, 24 May 2012 10:22 (1 year ago) Permalink
Some minor quibbles with “Over The Border”:
“Peter Gabriel. Peter Gabriel from Genesis.” To avoid confusion with all those other Peter Gabriels.
About listening to the charts: “Tuesday afternoon, 12:45, Saturday evening, 5:00.” Um, SATURDAY? Unless they’re alluding to the football results.
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Thursday, 24 May 2012 11:16 (1 year ago) Permalink
Actually, they probably are, there.
― Mark G, Thursday, 24 May 2012 11:21 (1 year ago) Permalink
Love that Beat Connection dropped the 'would you go to sleep with a fella' sample at the end of their remix on disc 2. Overall I really enjoyed the album but definitely prefer disc 2. Absolutely agree with the 'too much Sarah' criticism. I thought it was the way her voice was mixed but maybe it's just too much of her singing everywhere.
I think St. Etienne lost it with Good Humor. Tiger Bay is the last album of theirs I really loved yet I buy them all and then re-buy them in deluxe editions and box sets. Part of what I love about them is their references. They name some music I love and they name some music i've never heard of but can't wait to hear. This started way back with the booklet to Foxbase Alpha and continues to this day. I'd love to go record shopping with Bob and Pete.
― brotherlovesdub, Thursday, 24 May 2012 14:28 (1 year ago) Permalink
But there is a world of difference between using your influences to inform your music, whilst somehow exposing them to any listeners who are clued-in enough to notice, compared with just cropping up in the middle of a quite boring techno-lounge track and saying "I always really liked Marc Bolan". We already know that they like Marc Bolan. They covered one of his songs about 15 years ago, around the same time as recording an icy T-Rex pastiche called "Star". And Bob as blogged about Marc Bolan, which is another thing: the song lacks verisimiltude as it's presented as Sarah's story, yet anyone who knows anything about them will have no doubt that this is Bob and/or Pete's experiences. And I think the "Saturday evening" thing is a mistake - there's nothing in this song except wistful musical memories.
― everything, Thursday, 24 May 2012 17:23 (1 year ago) Permalink
"Peter Gabriel from Genesis" is to distinguish from Peter Gabriel the guy that did Sledgehammer. ie. it's 1974, not 1984.
― everything, Thursday, 24 May 2012 17:43 (1 year ago) Permalink
djtonightpopularwhen i was 17last days of disco
― johnny crunch, Thursday, 14 June 2012 23:08 (11 months ago) Permalink
― everything, Thursday, 14 June 2012 23:09 (11 months ago) Permalink
i warmed up to this album in a big way btw & it kinda works 4 summer imo
― johnny crunch, Thursday, 14 June 2012 23:10 (11 months ago) Permalink
yea tonight & both remixes are in constant rotation the last few wks
― johnny crunch, Thursday, 14 June 2012 23:11 (11 months ago) Permalink
― everything, Thursday, 14 June 2012 23:12 (11 months ago) Permalink
― everything, Thursday, 14 June 2012 23:19 (11 months ago) Permalink
i like this album, totally surprised as nothing of theirs has clicked with me since the 90s!
― brony ver (s1ocki), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 00:07 (11 months ago) Permalink
this album probably skews a bit closer to their 'tiger bay'/'continental'-era sound than anything else they've done.
― omar little, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 00:36 (11 months ago) Permalink
i know the first song is 'obvious' a bit but i really like it
― brony ver (s1ocki), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 00:45 (11 months ago) Permalink
i really like you!
― omar little, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 01:26 (11 months ago) Permalink
― brony ver (s1ocki), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 02:17 (11 months ago) Permalink
A nice Saint Etienne track here:
http://wiaiwya.bandcamp.com/track/steeplechase
― djh, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 09:04 (11 months ago) Permalink
so...I like this? "DJ" grabbed me by the collar, maybe because it reminds me of "Action."
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 28 June 2012 13:30 (10 months ago) Permalink
ya i think i officially like this album
― funny-skrillex-bee_132455836669.gif (s1ocki), Thursday, 28 June 2012 15:32 (10 months ago) Permalink
really gets better w/each listen imo. looking forward to the tour!
― omar little, Monday, 24 September 2012 23:34 (8 months ago) Permalink
This is their best album since So Tough, which after years of fruitless exploration on my part is a relief.
― taking tiger mountain (up the butt) (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 24 September 2012 23:35 (8 months ago) Permalink
i would give good humor a re-scr...re-listen. i feel like a lot of people aren't into it bc of st et expectations, it was my entry point and i think it's a pretty sweet album. more club 8 labrador swedish pop style than a st et album.
― omar little, Monday, 24 September 2012 23:41 (8 months ago) Permalink
Good Humor is outstanding.
― timellison, Monday, 24 September 2012 23:50 (8 months ago) Permalink
I like GH best of the post-ST records.
― taking tiger mountain (up the butt) (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 24 September 2012 23:51 (8 months ago) Permalink
Tales From Turnpike House is by far my favourite since So Tough, there are no bad songs on that album. Agree that Words & Music just gets better and better.
― Kitchen Person, Tuesday, 25 September 2012 08:54 (7 months ago) Permalink
aye.. there's a ballot coming up fairly soon, I believe.
― Mark G, Tuesday, 25 September 2012 09:37 (7 months ago) Permalink
Finistere for me - but admittedly I haven't heard the two last ones
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 12:09 (7 months ago) Permalink
Finally getting to see "What Have You Done Today, Mervyn Day?"
This is what I want Saint Etienne to sound like, to be like, these days.
― djh, Wednesday, 26 September 2012 20:59 (7 months ago) Permalink
bought a ticket 4 the boston show - excited! have nvr seem em live
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 26 September 2012 21:29 (7 months ago) Permalink
http://saintetienne.greedbag.com/
The special "US" edition that's impossible to get in the UK unless you spend tons on ebay is, um, possible to get now.
Basically, the second CD is all-new (bar two) songs, about ten in total.
― Mark G, Thursday, 29 November 2012 09:36 (5 months ago) Permalink
Disappointed that I missed them when they were in town recently; I checked this album out after the poll and it's quite good, best I've heard since So Tough.
― Vinnie, Thursday, 29 November 2012 14:19 (5 months ago) Permalink
Heh, when those extra copies went on sale yesterday, the greedbag site instantly died and didn't come back for hours. Their limited edition fuckery is getting pretty tiresome. Four editions of the latest album, three with different track listings, two extremely difficult to buy... except on eBay, of course. It's 2012 guys... do pre-orders for the limited edition releases and press up enough to satisfy demand. It isn't hard.
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Thursday, 29 November 2012 17:26 (5 months ago) Permalink
That Greedbag site was horrible, and you're right, girl from spirea x, the fuckery one must endure to receive their many limited releases is absurd. This isn't the first time that they couldn't handle the surge from users when offering something new, either. Quite a lot of us in the states didn't live anywhere near where the band was playing, and then to have to scurry for a copy of an album's worth of material from a band we've been following for more than two decades. They should work that out.
― crustaceanrebel, Thursday, 29 November 2012 18:08 (5 months ago) Permalink
I think it's things like this that make things like peer-to-peer filesharing ethically justifiable in certain circumstances.
― goya cézanne (Stevie D(eux)), Thursday, 29 November 2012 18:14 (5 months ago) Permalink
Absolutely, especially when you know a load of these were bought just to end up on ebay. Love the band, but not going to buy the same album twice.
― fun loving and xtremely tolrant (Billy Dods), Thursday, 29 November 2012 18:17 (5 months ago) Permalink
feel free to PM me if you are looking for those tracks.
― skip, Thursday, 29 November 2012 19:38 (5 months ago) Permalink
may not last long but someone put the whole special US edition on yt; i really love 'solid gold'
― johnny crunch, Thursday, 25 April 2013 18:09 (4 weeks ago) Permalink
I'm going to take this opportunity to remind everyone that a Masters at Work rmx of "Nothing Can Stop Us" exists:
― hoda nkotb (Stevie D(eux)), Thursday, 25 April 2013 18:30 (4 weeks ago) Permalink