Just a simple song but God I love it Embedded in me, so bittersweet I’m addicted, I’m a melancholic Sing it again, I’ll be your Poll forever: THE BOO RADLEYS - ILM artist poll #60 or new numbering #65

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-EbFLNxJLKP0/VThFK_SnJ2I/AAAAAAAAACE/XAm2crf3WsI/w1024-h768-no/boo_wallpaper_02.jpg

21 ballots received (6 were unranked)
98 Tracks received votes
10 Albums received votes
16 Singles/EP's received votes
7 Cover Songs received votes

Thanks for your patience ILM but I needed the time and still didn't do all that I wanted to do for this poll.

Enjoy!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-EbFLNxJLKP0/VThFK_SnJ2I/AAAAAAAAACE/XAm2crf3WsI/w1024-h768-no/boo_wallpaper_02.jpg

for reference: Twenty-five, don't recall a time I felt this alive, so Wake Up Poll, there's so many things for us to do - The Boo Radleys (ILM artist poll #60) --- Voting open until Friday April 17, 2015

Cover songs winner:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-iPVQ-UfoCxQ/VThMVVfmlLI/AAAAAAAAAC0/tu_F-2dG1_Q/w600-h462-no/Find%2Bthe%2BWay%2BOut%2Bback%2Bcover.jpg

1. Tomorrow
2 Votes

Tomorrow

also that is from the Kingsize single.

8 Ballots received
7 Different Songs

Tomorrow (2 Votes)
There She Goes
Boo! Faith
There She Goes
Alone Again Or
The Queen Is Dead
One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)

i was going to only do a Top 10 for Singles/EP's but i know there are not a lot people around at this time at night. so i'm going to go ahead and post the full results because the pictures are so awesome. plus everything got at least two votes.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-2qU6fHuNQJM/VQOpzUWUCoI/AAAAAAAAAAk/9bODscW6vE0/w1024-h768-no/boo_wallpaper_04.jpg

Yay!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-dF-1Fa0_qls/VThZzCGJYqI/AAAAAAAAAEM/vxkLhhdzj3g/w600-h596-no/Find%2BThe%2BAnswer%2BWithin%2Bpart%2B1.jpg
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-A7Jp93rvkxs/VThZcxE6QuI/AAAAAAAAADk/7bCH3X1ryGI/w1024-h768-no/Find%2BThe%2BAnswer%2BWithin%2Bpart%2B2.jpg

16(Tie). Find the Answer Within
From: Wake Up!
Released: 1995
56 Points, 2 Votes

btw, big shout out to "One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)" i love their feedback cover of that song.

my vote for cover song went to "Tomorrow" the winner.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-gwmmbqgniXw/VThbbN6LV5I/AAAAAAAAAE8/OvZ9gia5QM0/w600-h463-no/Boo%21%2BForever.jpg

16(Tie). Boo! Forever
From: Everything’s Alright Forever
Released: 1992
56 Points, 2 Votes

i pretty much bought all these when they were released, which is 27 Singles/EP's. a bunch of them are part 1 and part 2 and have those as well. the only one i don't own is the promo only Kingsize single. i want it because it has two songs i don't own, plus "Tomorrow" which i got on the Find the Way Out compilation.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pCFTV6h3Yc4/VThd16wchUI/AAAAAAAAAFo/BEFwXFE9Et0/w599-h600-no/Kaleidoscope.jpg

14. Kaleidoscope EP
From: Ichabod and I and the compilation Learning To Walk
Released: 1990 Rough Trade
58 Points, 2 Votes

there are two different versions of "Kaleidoscope" the LP version and the EP version which is also included on Learning To Walk compilation album.

Speaking of Find the Way Out, I notice Boo! Forever is remarkably well represented there. Carr may be disappointed with this ranking.

lol, well i voted for it.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tT3k4iViA4g/VThhmRfDo7I/AAAAAAAAAGg/howOlqHi85M/w889-h865-no/What%27s%2BIn%2BThe%2BBox%2B%28See%2BWhatcha%2BGot%29%2Bpart%2B1.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7fhzaRET8Jg/VThhvxMnOXI/AAAAAAAAAIE/bIgy99vNpPY/w500-h499-no/What%27s%2BIn%2BThe%2BBox%2B%28See%2BWhatcha%2BGot%29%2Bpart%2B2.jpg

13. What's In The Box? (See Whatcha Got)
From: C’mon Kids
Released: 1996
59 Points, 2 Votes

speaking of, i have messed up. Boo! Forever is on my list twice, so it actually has more votes and more points.

so the list (so far) actually is:

15. Find the Answer Within
14. Kaleidoscope EP
13. What's In The Box? (See Whatcha Got)

damn

have no idea how that happen, i will be more careful (i hope).

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ra9paJTN7Kc/VThkrLLmalI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/qdm2TK9AHtY/s600-no/Barney%2B%28...And%2BMe%29.jpg

12. Barney (...and Me)
From: Giant Steps
Released: 1994
66 Points, 2 Votes

still kicking myself over the mistake. at least it really doesn't effect things too much.

Only just now inspired to look up the original "Zoom". Great! Seemingly wasn't a hit in these parts...

Re: "What's in the Box", I'm not sure I've heard any of the squillion b-sides. And I thought I was being thorough before voting...

What's In The Box? (See Whatcha Got) really is good as there are a bunch of great b-sides on that one. it was my #6.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-cq6COXizimk/VThn1jU4SRI/AAAAAAAAAJE/90mJmWAZK74/w824-h865-no/Every%2BHeaven%2BE.P.%2Btwo.jpg

11. Every Heaven EP
From: Stand alone single and also on Learning To Walk
Released: 1991 (Rough Trade)
69 Points, 2 Votes

So I guess I get do the first "too low!" in the thread. Every Heaven sounds like top shelf BRs to me, despite not being a massive fan of "The Finest Kiss".

that is it for now, will do the Top 10 tomorrow along with the Album countdown.

thanks Bee!

Tomorrow is an amazing cover. I love it when bands pick songs to cover which could easily have been written by themselves. This (and to an extent Zoom), really do sound like Boo Radleys songs. I've not really heard the original mind you. Vaguely recall being shown Bugsy back in primary school but I was only about 5 and couldn't really understand it.

'Naomi' off Every Heaven is great, 'Tortoiseshell' is quite good, the other two tracks I probably hadn't listened to in over 20 years until this poll.

That looked like "There she goes" got two votes on the "Cover Versions" rundown, up there...

I'm glad that you making a mistake means Boo! Forever has more votes Bee. Had it high on my list. The title track is such an amazing song.

I'll admit I only ever played the "Learning to walk" once. Liked "Boo Faith", but.

i didn't know 'boo forever' was named after a richard brautigan poem

Good work Bee!

"Tomorrow" is a worthy winner, even though I voted "There She Goes". The original by The La's gets played quite a lot (often in advertisements) but in my opinion the Boos cover is better!

The top singles/EPs poll was a very difficult one. I didn't even notice until now that I hadn't picked any pre-Giant Steps era singles or EPs... "Boo! Forever" or "Every Heaven" could easily have made it on my list. I'm a bit disappointed to see "Barney & Me" only at #12 though - it's up there with my favourites (but not #1). "Barney & Me" is a cracking pop song, "Tortoiseshell" is weird but very cool (although the version that's on "Every Heaven" is better), "Zoom" is an excellent cover, and "Cracked Lips, Homesick" is just a lovely little acoustic song.

Will comment on the top albums and tracks later...

Ha, I never noticed that about "Tortoiseshell"

sorry everyone, this poll was suppose to start around five hours ago, something came up. it should be on track on Friday and it looks like now Saturday.

on top of all that i lost my phone or i should say it stopped working, so today has not been my day.

That looked like "There she goes" got two votes on the "Cover Versions" rundown, up there...

not sure how this is happening, i'm using excel. but you are right, so two songs got two votes.

Ha, I never noticed that about "Tortoiseshell"

Never noticed what?

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-13W4IMb4WhY/VTlp29g-5EI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/mxGMOlLkjoY/s506/Kingsize%2Bsingle.jpg

10. Kingsize
From: Kingsize (Promo only)
Released: 1998 Canceled
70 Points, 2 Votes, 1 Number One

Featuring:

Kingsize
Tomorrow
Superintendent
Last Night I Dreamt Of God.

i know i wanted to vote for the Kingsize single but didn't have room in my Top 7.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8CX4xvyud7Q/VTlv_DyZymI/AAAAAAAAAKs/7AVHKsV79Fg/w599-h600-no/I%2BHang%2BSuspended.jpg

9. I Hang Suspended
From: Giant Steps
Released: 1993
91 Points, 3 Votes, 1 Number One

Featuring:

I Hang Suspended
Rodney King (St. Etienne Remix)
As Bound As Tomorrow
I Will Always Ask Where You Have Been Even Though I Know The Answer.

cool the opening post has been modified, thanks mods.

I seem to recall IHS was my #1, even though I probably don't need to hear the 'A-side' again. The other tracks are kinda bonkers and fresh-sounding to this day IMHO, my criteria for greatness, seemingly.

i don't remember the remix but those other two songs are solid.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Y4PpLZjsfSE/VTlzde2XpKI/AAAAAAAAALg/1696bSm-bPA/s600-no/Wake%2BUp%2BBoo%21%2Bpart%2B1.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nTYMbYMKnAU/VTlzpsDCCiI/AAAAAAAAAMI/ZgYBz5GT_Gg/s500-no/Wake%2BUp%2BBoo%21%2Bpart%2B2.jpg

8. Wake Up Boo!
From: Wake Up!
Released: 1995
93 Points, 3 Votes, 1 Number One

Featuring:

CD1:

Wake Up Boo!
Janus
Blues For George Michael
Friendship Song

CD2:

Wake Up Boo! Music For Astronauts
And Tomorrow The World
The History Of Creation Parts 17 & 36.

i tried to listen to all the singles before this poll but was not able to. started from the beginning and only got through the Giant Steps singles. so i only remember these songs from Wake Up Boo and didn't make my ballot. wonder how it would have turned out if i did listen to everything again.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-OLInRQm_n_A/VTl66A9GOQI/AAAAAAAAANU/WSQq6ebR0GY/w876-h865-no/Ride%2BThe%2BTiger%2Bpart%2B1.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-NLEywL9GAWE/VTl7DYUgvsI/AAAAAAAAAN8/ltL1-AlDI7Q/w600-h618-no/Ride%2BThe%2BTiger%2Bpart%2B2.jpg

7. Ride The Tiger
From: C’mon Kids
Released: 1996 (CRE248)
94 Points, 3 Votes

Featuring

CD1:

Ride The Tiger
Vote You
A Part I Know So Well
Everything Is Sorrow (Grantby Mix)

CD2:

Roadie
Safe At Home
C’mon Kids (Mekon Mix)

Excellent

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xVmcprHh_o8/VTmC6MwhWQI/AAAAAAAAAPE/QzhZkR9I-H0/w505-h506-no/Boo%2BUp%21%2BEP.jpg

6. Boo Up! EP
From: Stand alone single and also on Learning To Walk
Released: 1991 (Rough Trade)
109 Points, 3 Votes, 1 Number One

Featuring:

Everybird
Sometime Soon She Said
Foster’s Van
Song For Up!

my number two so i'm happy with this ranking. also the highest of the three Rough Trade singles.

all three made this countdown and got votes.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-wB28Gi8deAU/VTmKKMtdcEI/AAAAAAAAAP0/T-OJAhSO9Z8/w586-h451-no/Wish%2BI%2BWas%2BSkinny%2Btwo.jpg

5. Wish I Was Skinny
From: Giant Steps
Released: 1993 (CRE169)
132 Points, 4 Votes, 1 Number One

Featuring:

Wish I Was Skinny
Peachy Keen
Furthur
Crow Eye.

This one is kind of the opposite of "I Hang Suspended" in my wee brain. Luv the title track beyond all rationality, but never got much mileage out of the 'B-sides'.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-E0_FTO2Bew4/VTmVnoQu7yI/AAAAAAAAAQk/zQMUksm7mqY/w659-h623-no/Boo%21%2BForever%2Btwo.jpg

4. Boo! Forever
From: Everything’s Alright Forever
Released: 1992 (CRE128)
135 Points, 5 Votes

Featuring:

Does This Hurt?
Boo! Forever
Buffalo Bill
Sunfly II: Walking With The Kings.

mistake corrected. 5 votes but no number one.

Some of my favourite B-sides on those singles. Peachy Keen, Roadie and Boo! Forever are all amazing songs.

Okay, Carr would be happier with that placing. :P

On the other hand, LOL...

@Martin_Carr: "There were a couple of things that made me cringe they were so bad. Adrenalin ep, some b-sides, first bc albums. Yikes."

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aTv4YYiEDEo/VTmac-7XspI/AAAAAAAAARU/rivdek8ZiBs/w533-h466-no/From%2BThe%2BBench%2BAt%2BBelvidere.jpg

3. From The Bench At Belvedere
From: Stand alone single
Released: 1995 (CRE214)
142 Points, 4 Votes, 1 Number One

Featuring:

From the Bench at Belvidere
Hi Falutin’
Crushed
Almost Nearly There

my number 1. the bookends is what sets it apart.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-H0f3gh0dhKE/VTmeoqouzVI/AAAAAAAAASo/msbzNSbjjPA/w350-h368-no/Adrenaline%2BEP%2Btwo.jpg

2. Adrenalin EP
From: Everything’s Alright Forever
Released: 1992 (CRE124)
144 Points, 5 Votes

Featuring:

Lazy Day
Vegas
Feels Like Tomorrow
Whiplashed

This is the moment I got on the wagon as a schoolkid. Not at all sure what aspects might be so conspicuously inferior, in Carr's estimation.

i don't get it either. i love those songs and i did vote for it but was number 7.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DOahJRXNdAs/VTmm5FQ1pEI/AAAAAAAAAU0/l55QfIWFQjs/w500-h493-no/Lazarus%2BEP.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hg0yVNZxRXI/VTmmJox6FtI/AAAAAAAAATk/gpAac6xGUGc/w600-h597-no/Lazarus%2B%28Remixes%29.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-iO179gU13yw/VTmmRd1lZ_I/AAAAAAAAAUM/r3NrJnCAwfM/s600-no/Lazarus%2B%28Remixes%29%2Btwo.jpg

1. Lazarus
From: Giant Steps
Released: 1992 (CRE137) (CRE187) (American - CSK6205)
160 Points, 5 Votes, 1 Number One

Featuring:

Original:

Lazarus
Let Me Be Your Faith
At The Sound Of Speed
Petroleum.

Remix singles:

Lazarus
(I Wanna Be) Touchdown Jesus
Lazarus (Secret Knowledge Mix)
Lazarus (Ultramarine Radio Mix)
Lazarus (Acoustic)
Lazarus (St. Etienne Mix)
Lazarus (Secret Knowledge Mix)
Lazarus (Ultramarine Radio Mix)
Lazarus (Augustus Pablo Mix)
Lazarus (12” Mix)

The Lazarus EP (American promo):

Lazarus (The Flood Remix, Edit}
(I Wanna Be) Touchdown Jesus
At The Sound Of Speed
Lazarus (Acoustic)
Peachy Keen (Acoustic)
Lazarus (The Flood Remix)

the original Lazarus is a deserving winner as i love that EP.

Martin is right about those first Brave Captain albums. They're not great.

Results so far:

Cover Songs:

8 Ballots received
6 Different Songs

Tomorrow (2 Votes)
There She Goes (2 Votes)

Boo! Faith
Alone Again Or
The Queen Is Dead
One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)

Singles/EP's:

7 Ballots received
15 Different Singles/EP's

Ranking, Song, Votes, Number 1's (if any):

1. Lazarus 160 - 5 - 1
2. Adrenalin EP 144 - 5
3. From the Bench At Belvidere 142 - 4 - 1
4. Boo! Forever 135 - 5
5. Wish I Was Skinny 132 - 4 - 1
6. Boo Up! EP 109 - 3 - 1
7. Ride The Tiger 94 - 3
8. Wake Up Boo! 93 - 3 - 1
9. I Hang Suspended 91 - 3 - 1
10. Kingsize 70 - 2 - 1
11. Every Heaven EP 69 - 2
12. Barney (...and Me) 66 - 2
13. What’s In the Box (See Whatcha Got) 59 - 2
14. Kaleidoscope EP 58 - 2
15. Find The Answer Within 56 - 2

that should have said under Singles/EP's:

Ranking, Single/EP, Points, Votes, Number Ones (if any)

Don't know if the songs will make it onto the main poll, so I'll take this opportunity to say I love all four tracks off Boo Up! (the last one, Song for Up, is the weakest, but the ending once the lyrics have finished is great). And I've been re-listening to 'Furthur' off 'Wish I Was Skinny' a lot these last two weeks.

I voted the Wake Up Boo EPs at number one. Bought the catchy radio single as a young fan but nothing could have prepared me for the B-sides - songs like Friendship Song and especially Blues For George Michael kind of affirmed a lot of musical wishes for me; like, these were songs tailor-made for my sensibilities. So when I eventually heard Giant Steps and realised it was chocka with music that sounded like these, I was head over heels.

which are the best BR remixes? I don't tend to listen to them much. I like the Justin Warfield(?) mix of Joel though.

It's in the ear of the beholder, really.

If you like the joel remix, I'd search out the Rodney King St Etienne remix, The High Llamas one of "Find the answer within", the Flood remix of "Lazarus" which is a bit difficult to find, um um um...

I'd not exactly 'avoid', but the Augustus Pablo remix of Laz is quite amusing, given that it's already got a lot of his dub stylings in already. Basically, some melodica, some occasional echo, and that's about it. Martin Carr was somewhat gutted, I believe.

Rodney King St Etienne remix, The High Llamas one of "Find the answer within",

Yes these are so great as well.

Kingsize was by far my #1 in the single/EP category, I just love each track on it. It makes me feel a bit sad listening to it, knowing that it was the swan song of The Boos, and that their best single was never even officially released so that only a handful of people have heard these songs.

Lazarus has a bit of an unfair advantage here as it includes the single, EP and the remixes, so there's a lot of good stuff in there. However, I never really cared about any of the remixes, and even the title track itself didn't make it into my top 10 tracks, so Lazarus ended up being a bit further down my top 7 singles/EPs.

I'm quite surprised that From The Bench At Belvidere is third on this poll! The title track and Almost Nearly There are obviously classics, but I've never really cared about Crushed and Hi Falutin, so I dropped this one from my top 7 altogether. Touchdown Jesus and that acoustic version of Peachy Keen are great though!

And even though Wake Up Boo! barely made it to my top 7, I'm glad that someone voted it at number one. Wake Up Boo! is pretty much the perfect pop song, and I don't really get all the hate (even by Boos fans) towards it. I guess it's just one of these "cool" things to hate. The b-sides of part 1 especially are good, although I'm not that keen on Janus and the other two probably go on for a bit too long.

Anyway, it's quite interesting that we all seemed to have different number ones in this category... it just shows what a quality band The Boos were, and how consistently good they were throughout their career!

I voted the Wake Up Boo EP #1 btw. Janus is one of the most forlorn little songs - not their best, but a succinct short story, a cousin to 4AM Conversation from the album. Friendship Song is typical Boos 'how to ruin a happy-clappy pop song in two easy steps' and I love it. Blues For George Michael and to a lesser extent ...And Tomorrow The World are, for me, the Boo Radleys aesthetic encapsulated. Plus I like the extended remix of Wake Up Boo!, a song which I've said a number of times is actually very much underrated in terms of lyrical content and much darker than it appears on the surface.

Albums:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-pmZk0S0Tb7U/VTprOmWOzQI/AAAAAAAAAV4/D1MdZQ8Hp9g/w1024-h768-no/boo_wallpaper_03.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Kta2Nliuq5E/VTpruKVN_ZI/AAAAAAAAAWg/FZKcyogoqW0/w500-h493-no/First%2BFruits%2B-%2BEggman%2Bm.jpg

8. Eggman - First Fruits
released: May 27, 1996
82 Points, 3 Votes

i have a soft spot for the eggman album. lots of very sweet songs on there and super melodic.

Yay!

i did throw First Fruits some points but haven't listened to it in years.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GSbomK-SekY/VTpuN0bKrwI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/zfMZrNyq6TY/w500-h493-no/Learning%2BTo%2BWalk%2Bm.jpg

7. Learning To Walk
Released: Nov 29, 1993
128 Points, 4 Votes, 1 Number One

very, very surprised that this is not higher.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-sCkBR8wd20s/VTpyKAyFMtI/AAAAAAAAAYE/yfdz6oAGKig/w500-h498-no/Ichabod%2Band%2BI%2Bm.jpg

6. Ichabod and I
Released: 1990 LP only (Action Records)
134 Points, 5 Votes

have never warmed up to that album, to me the Boos start at the Kaleidoscope EP. a roommate of mine, back in the day, was going to London and asked if i wanted anything. he knew i was a big music fan, so i asked him to try and find this LP. he came back with this LP, so i actually do own it.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-q29Y-ch29zQ/VTp3ObNujFI/AAAAAAAAAY4/Pd3rDCYw22g/w600-h598-no/Wake%2BUp%21.jpg

5. Wake Up!
Released: Oct 9, 1995
243 Points, 8 Votes

now into the Top 5 and didn't think this would be the album that would place the lowest. i loved it when i listened again for this poll.

very, very surprised that this is not higher

That might be because it's not a 'real' album. I like lots of the tracks on it, but I know them from EPs I bought in 91, so I voted for the EPs in that poll. I don't own Learning To Walk so it would have felt weird to vote for it.

have never warmed up to that album, to me the Boos start at the Kaleidoscope EP

I can see why that might be because the production is so lo-fi compared to what came after. For me, Ichabod was the first thing I heard* and owned by them so I liked it for what it was. But if your starting point came later on and you worked back to it I can see why it wouldn't sound that great.

*possibly not 100% technically true - the way I remember it, I heard 'Kaleidoscope' on the John Peel Festive Fifty around Xmas 1990 and on the strength of that went and 'Ichabod & I' a few days later, but I suspect the version I heard on the radio was the single version of Kaleidoscope.

good point about Learning To Walk. i voted for it and two of the singles in the other poll.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-AnW4qL3cB1Q/VTp7rSQBw5I/AAAAAAAAAZk/cZcHJreMP-I/s600-no/C%27Mon%2BKids.jpg

4. C’mon Kids
Released: Jan 15, 2001
258 Points, 8 Votes, 1 Number One

Released: Jan 15, 2001

Eh?

damn, should have caught that.

Released: Aug 14, 1996

getting the info off of Amazon and that was a re-released versions date.

A lot of people don't consider <b>Learning To Walk</b> as a proper album, so they may not have even included it on their list? I did include it, and I think it's a better album than Everything's Alright Forever. But while I really like a lot of the shoegazey stuff from the first three albums, it's their later albums (Giant Steps and everything after that) that I fell in love with...

Even Martin Carr himself claims to dislike Ichabod & I, but I think that there are some pretty fun songs on it. It was still the last one on my list though, and I would only recommend it for fans, but the album definitely has its moments. It's just the bad production that "ruins" it in my opinion. I'm not that surprised to see Wake Up! at #5 to be honest - I've seen a lot of people call Everything's Alright Forever their favourite Boos album so I had a feeling that it will be near the top, and even in my opinion Wake Up! is the weakest of their latter albums (but still awesome!)

I was hoping that at least C'mon Kids would finish above EAF, but oh well... Now, I'll be gutted if Kingsize is the next one!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BkcQ4emn4Uc/VTqANiaZXLI/AAAAAAAAAaU/joK7nAIxULM/s600-no/Kingsize.jpg

3. Kingsize
Released: Jan 19, 1999
263 Points, 8 Votes, 2 Number Ones

my number one!

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!

it makes sense to me and actually surprised that it was ahead of C'mon Kids and Wake Up!. all the points are really close though.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rDfRYQsHVo8/VTqFS2t647I/AAAAAAAAAbI/ieVJxD0ACoQ/w600-h583-no/Everything%27s%2BAlright%2BForever.jpg

2. Everything’s Alright Forever
Released: Aug 11, 1992
281 Points, 9 Votes

and to the surprise to no one.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Hk4gDJOoR9g/VTqGwdVo--I/AAAAAAAAAb0/dT2V1yMIz3k/s500-no/Giant%2BSteps.jpg

1. Giant Steps
Released: Aug 31, 1993
338 Points, 9 Votes, 5 Number ones

i think ILM did a great job on the album side of things. not how i would order it but the order is probably spot on.

Results so far:

Cover Songs:

8 Ballots received
6 Different Songs

Tomorrow (2 Votes)
There She Goes (2 Votes)

Boo! Faith
Alone Again Or
The Queen Is Dead
One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)

Singles/EP's:

7 Ballots received
15 Different Singles/EP's

Ranking, Single/EP, Points, Votes, Number Ones (if any):

1. Lazarus 160 - 5 - 1
2. Adrenalin EP 144 - 5
3. From the Bench At Belvidere 142 - 4 - 1
4. Boo! Forever 135 - 5
5. Wish I Was Skinny 132 - 4 - 1
6. Boo Up! EP 109 - 3 - 1
7. Ride The Tiger 94 - 3
8. Wake Up Boo! 93 - 3 - 1
9. I Hang Suspended 91 - 3 - 1
10. Kingsize 70 - 2 - 1
11. Every Heaven EP 69 - 2
12. Barney (...and Me) 66 - 2
13. What’s In the Box (See Whatcha Got) 59 - 2
14. Kaleidoscope EP 58 - 2
15. Find The Answer Within 56 - 2

Albums:

9 Ballots received
10 Different Albums

Ranking, Album, Points, Votes, Number Ones (if any):

1. Giant Steps 338 Points, 9 Votes, 5 Number ones
2. Everything’s Alright Forever 281 Points, 9 Votes
3. Kingsize 263 Points, 8 Votes, 2 Number Ones
4. C’mon Kids 258 Points, 8 Votes, 1 Number One
5. Wake Up! 243 Points, 8 Votes
6. Ichabod and I 134 Points, 5 Votes
7. Learning To Walk 128 Points, 4 Votes, 1 Number One
8. Eggman - First Fruits 82 Points, 3 Votes

9. Brave Captain Advertisements For Myself 28 Points, 1 Vote
10. Martin Carr - The Breaks 24 Points, 1 Vote

now the real part of the poll starts.

going to do a Top 40.

i did run out of time so the artwork is just going to be from where the song comes from.

Tracks:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Mt3RuVU_kpA/VTqJxNEYHMI/AAAAAAAAAcg/drXW_d3AvxQ/w1024-h768-no/boo_wallpaper_05.jpg

we start with the only tie in the roll out part of tracks poll.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-13vN7GP1i8w/VTqVUVWuZ2I/AAAAAAAAAfE/VJkG0GZtTls/s400-no/C%27Mon%2BKids%2Bm.jpg

41 (Tie). One Last Hurrah
From: C’mon Kids
Released: Aug 14, 1996
138 Points, 5 Votes

It would have been madness if anything other than Giant Steps had won the albums poll.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i-TpN4rEddE/VTqTQxSqELI/AAAAAAAAAdY/O4FQ_qNX2PE/w400-h398-no/Wake%2BUp%21%2Bm.jpg

41. (Tie). Joel
From: Wake Up!
Released: Oct 9, 1995
138 Points, 4 Votes

i thought Joel was a shoe in but it barely made it. was on my ballot.

can anyone start a Spotify of this?

These album release dates still look wrong to me - or maybe they were released later in the USA? I'm convinced I was listening to EAF in the summer term of my first year at university, which would make it June 92 at the latest. And I was sure some friends got me Kingsize as a Christmas present in 1998. Or am I just going mad?

i'm not sure, i usually use Wikipedia for that kind of stuff but they don't have it either. i did use the dates from Amazon UK but they could be wrong as well. Amazon list stuff two or three times sometimes, so i could have clicked the wrong one.

Wikipedia claims Aug 92, but that *is* wrong. Discogs says March 92: http://www.discogs.com/Boo-Radleys-Everythings-Alright-Forever/release/380812. This makes sense to me because I know I saw Boo Radleys and Pale Saints on a double-header tour in April 92 when they had both got new albums out ('In Ribbons' for Pale Saints).

and i also see that you are right about Kingsize that was released October 9, 1998 according to Wikipedia.

It would have been madness if anything other than Giant Steps had won the albums poll.

The bigger surprise for me is that no one voted Everything's Alright Forever as their number one. I assume that it must have been #2 for a lot of GS people. Someone will have to explain the magic of EAF to me some time, because to me it's their least unique album (apart from a few great songs). The cover art is fantastic though! (Probably my favourite piece of album art by any artist ever, in fact.)

Discogs is gonna be better. Wiki is probably best.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-L0q-Ee7v9C0/VTqXqP6uHfI/AAAAAAAAAf0/n3tOXIODzJs/s400-no/Kingsize%2Bm.jpg

39. Comb Your Hair
From: Kingsize
Released: Oct 9, 1998
145 Points, 5 Votes

this one is a surprise, of all songs on Kingsize i would not think that this is one of them that would break into the Top 40.

I've always liked Comb Your Hair. A very cool pop tune that would not have been a bad choice for a single even.

Now that I think about it, it's strange that I only had four songs from Kingsize in my top 25, and it's still my favourite album. And yet, I feel that just about every track on the album could have made it on the list... It was so damn hard to decide which ones to leave out.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0zWbfrQF9b4/VTqdMuyIfbI/AAAAAAAAAgw/4PMNW5c3rG4/s400-no/Giant%2BSteps%2Bm.jpg

38. Take The Time Around
From: Giant Steps
Released: Aug 31, 1993
150 Points, 5 Votes

Now THAT is a surprise... my favourite track from Giant Steps!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gh6qSrA_FUo/VTqjgxtZiuI/AAAAAAAAAhg/DPAQ7WvCKw4/w400-h378-no/Boo%21%2BForever%2Btwo%2Bm.jpg

37. Boo! Forever
From: Boo! Forever
Released: June 8, 1992
151 Points, 4 Votes, 1 Number One

yeah for the B-side making the poll.

also found the release date.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SOeJBOsthaQ/VTqod_sR-xI/AAAAAAAAAik/zt5npV2xj-w/s400-no/Boo%2BUp%21%2BEP%2Bm.jpg

36. Song For Up!
From: Boo Up! EP
Released: Sept 91
152, 5 Votes, 1 Number One

another B-side and one i voted for.

Wow. Would not have predicted that.

there are going to be a lot of surprises. even though i know the results i haven't studied it. so now that i'm seeing these b-sides make it i'm still sort of shocked.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8UFARmwpPEY/VTqssk82yII/AAAAAAAAAjU/kY396Nqk1T8/s400-no/Wake%2BUp%2BBoo%21%2Bpart%2B1%2Bm.jpg

35. Wake Up Boo!
From: Wake Up! and Single
Single Release Date: Feb 27, 1995
One Vote For: Wake Up Boo! Music For Astronauts
160 Points, 5 Votes

you knew it probably had to make it but you just didn't know where. this does seem low for this type of poll. i personally didn't vote for it.

Hmm, that's disappointing. Probably had to make it? Without Wake Up Boo! I doubt that I would ever had "discovered" The Boos, and even though I (and probably many others) played the song to death years ago and I don't listen to it that much anymore, it's still easily top 10 material for me. This one's straight from the textbook of perfectly written pop songs, it's no wonder that it was a huge hit.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_BPxGUU0W4Q/VTqykDfVn9I/AAAAAAAAAkI/Lx-rYlJuNL4/w400-h398-no/Lazarus%2Bm.jpg

34. Let Me Be Your Faith
From: Lazarus (B-Side)
Released: Nov 16, 1992
161 Points, 6 Votes

yeah, saying probably was the wrong thing to say but i did say that it seems low.

xpost

"Let Me Be Your Faith" did make my list.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SOeJBOsthaQ/VTqod_sR-xI/AAAAAAAAAik/zt5npV2xj-w/s400-no/Boo%2BUp%21%2BEP%2Bm.jpg

33. Everybird
From: Boo Up! EP (B-side)
Released: Sept 91
170 Points, 6 Votes

sorry, not a b-side. the actual single.

messed me up because of the title.

So many of the early EPS like that.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SOeJBOsthaQ/VTqod_sR-xI/AAAAAAAAAik/zt5npV2xj-w/s400-no/Boo%2BUp%21%2BEP%2Bm.jpg

32. Sometime Soon She Said
From: Boo Up! EP (B-side)
Released: Sept 91
176 Points, 6 Votes

lol at the juggernaut that is the Boo Up! EP.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m84aVhpBgr0/VTrD6EHwxqI/AAAAAAAAAk4/kwhaXMM4Y7Q/w400-h406-no/C%27Mon%2BKids%2Bpart%2B1%2Bm.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u2DXix28bk8/VTrEQgpSwGI/AAAAAAAAAlg/uSrGQ7cGbj8/w400-h385-no/C%27Mon%2BKids%2Bpart%2B2%2Bm.jpg

31. C’mon Kids
From: C’mon Kids and Single
Single Release Date: Oct 7, 1996
183 Points, 6 Votes

Sounds like Queen.

stopping now. the numbering works as i was able to post the first 10. had plans to go on tonight but something has come up. it is after all early Friday Night here in Los Angeles.

so now this poll is probably going to have to run into Sunday.

Very interesting. Thanks Bee OK.

That's my number #1 gone already then: "Song for Up!" I struggle to rank such things frankly, but finally had to concede its extended beastly coda is my favourite couple of minutes of their oeuvre. Some of the time anyway.

Two of mine have shown up, "One Last Hurrah" and "Comb Your Hair."

CD2 artwork for Wake Up Boo! (#8) was included in the Singles/EPs poll. this was the first (and only) appearance for C’mon Kids so i included the CD2 artwork on the songs poll.

That's my number #1 gone already then: "Song for Up!" I struggle to rank such things frankly, but finally had to concede its extended beastly coda is my favourite couple of minutes of their oeuvre.

I love that whole EP and voted for all four tracks off it, but 'Song For Up!' only just scraped into my 25 because although the "extended beastly coda" is excellent, I don't think much of the song until that point. I find it difficult to pick between the other three because they're all great in different ways. Seeing as everything else has already placed, I assume 'Foster's Van' will make an appearance too, but higher up. I played this EP to death in my first term at university. In those pre-internet days there was no way of finding out what the lyrics were and for the life of me I couldn't work out the bit at the end of the chorus of 'Everybird' and decided it was "make me feel....unscared" (which isn't even a word). Now that I know it's "...the same" I can't even hear how I managed to get it wrong before.

Found this interview from 1991 (featuring Sice with hair) last night which includes video clips of Kaleidoscope, The Finest Kiss and Everybird - I didn't even know there were videos for those songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V92EYG-Z1l0

Sounds like Queen

Really?

The "Have we ever let you down" bit.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-L0q-Ee7v9C0/VTqXqP6uHfI/AAAAAAAAAf0/n3tOXIODzJs/s400-no/Kingsize%2Bm.jpg

30. Heaven's at the Bottom of This Glass
From: Kingsize
Released: Oct 9, 1998
187 Points, 7 Votes

we are back.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0zWbfrQF9b4/VTqdMuyIfbI/AAAAAAAAAgw/4PMNW5c3rG4/s400-no/Giant%2BSteps%2Bm.jpg

29. Best Lose the Fear
From: Giant Steps
Released: Aug 31, 1993
189 Points, 7 Votes

Just catching up.

Happy that Comb Your Hair made the list. It's always been one of my favourites on Kingsize. Feel like it would have made a much better first single than Free Huey. One of my favourite Boo choruses.

Boo! Forever was my number three. Such a sad sounding song.

I still have a soft spot for Wake Up Boo. It was the reason my friends wouldn't take me seriously when I said they were one of my favourite bands at school but it's just a great song.

I don't think C'mon Kids is the best song on that album but I still like it. Their second biggest hit in the UK but I think that was probably down to it being sold for 99p when it came out instead of it being that popular. Always thought What's In The Box was a much better single.

Very surprised that Heaven's at the Bottom of This Glass placed. It doesn't really stand out on Kingsize at all.

i voted for both of those.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SOeJBOsthaQ/VTqod_sR-xI/AAAAAAAAAik/zt5npV2xj-w/s400-no/Boo%2BUp%21%2BEP%2Bm.jpg

28. Foster's Van
From: Boo Up! EP (B-side)
Released: Sept 91
194 Points, 6 Votes

and there it is, all songs from Boo Up! made it.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-R5eeiB0qqwQ/VTvMFxrREqI/AAAAAAAAAmw/lafJxTfYJo0/w400-h419-no/Every%2BHeaven%2BE.P.%2Btwo%2Bm.jpg

28. Naomi
From: Every Heaven EP (B-side)
Released: 1991 (Rough Trade)
199 Points, 7 Votes

you guys sure know how to pick them, all these B-sides making it sure does make me proud.

I still have a soft spot for Wake Up Boo.

C'mon Kids is a good song too, but there are indeed better tracks on that album.

I like Heaven's at the Bottom of This Glass a lot as well (it's just a simple song but god I love it - pardon the pun!!), although it only finished last in my top 25. But there was a lot of competition for that last spot... There were so many great tracks from Kingsize that I had to leave out. Comb Your Hair would have been a good choice for a single indeed, but I still think that Kingsize should have been the first single. But I remember hearing a story about the making of the album a long time ago: the band had pretty much finished making the album, but Creation Records wanted to release a catchy uptempo song as the first single and there weren't any on the album, so Carr had to write Free Huey. Don't know how much of that is true, and what the source of the story was. Mr Carr himself still believes that it's a great song, and while I don't really disagree (it is a good song), the biggest problem with it is that it doesn't really fit on Kingsize in my opinion.

Best Lose The Fear was my #11. A pretty cool track, one of the better songs on Giant Steps. It's my friend's favourite Boos track (he forgot to vote - tsk tsk!).

I'm surprised that there have already been so many old tracks (pre-GS era) in top 40. I guess that there are quite a few boogaze fans in here. Firesky and Let Me Be Your Faith were the only "oldies" that made it to my top 25, which actually does surprise me a little. Foster's Van and a few others for example were hanging around the #25 spot when I was sorting the list, but fell on the "wrong" side of the line in the end.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UjneqnYieyo/VTvR861svxI/AAAAAAAAAoM/r0ONrBzzx1U/w400-h388-no/Everything%27s%2BAlright%2BForever%2Bm2.jpg

27. Memory Babe
From: Everything’s Alright Forever
Released: March 1992
205 Points, 7 Votes

and there it is, all songs from Boo Up! made it.

Speaking of B-sides, I absolutely love them and think that The Boos are pretty much the greatest B-side band (and A-side band...) of all time, but I'm looking at my list now and just realised that I only have 3 B-sides in my top 25. That's yet another shocker for me. But then again, I didn't award any bonus/penalty points for any tracks and tried to remain as "unbiased" as possible - while compiling my list I was thinking what songs I actually listen to the most. And I often tend to neglect the early EPs and albums a bit... But seeing how all these songs are featuring in this poll now, I guess that must change now.

Yeah I'm surprised to see all the Boo Up! songs make it. I haven't listened to it in a long time. Didn't even consider voting for anything from it.

Every time I see your name (Kitchen Person) here, I think that you're Steve Kitchen who played trumpet on Wake Up Boo.

― Tomiboo, Saturday, April 25, 2015

Should point out that I'm not him, just a really big Associates fan.

oh shit, just realized that i messed up the numbering:

28. Foster's Van
27. Naomi
26. Memory Babe

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UjneqnYieyo/VTvR861svxI/AAAAAAAAAoM/r0ONrBzzx1U/w400-h388-no/Everything%27s%2BAlright%2BForever%2Bm2.jpg

25. Smile Fades Fast
From: Everything’s Alright Forever
Released: March 1992
210 Points, 7 Votes, 1 Number One

I like Heaven's at the Bottom of This Glass a lot as well (it's just a simple song but god I love it - pardon the pun!!), although it only finished last in my top 25. But there was a lot of competition for that last spot... There were so many great tracks from Kingsize that I had to leave out. Comb Your Hair would have been a good choice for a single indeed, but I still think that Kingsize should have been the first single. But I remember hearing a story about the making of the album a long time ago: the band had pretty much finished making the album, but Creation Records wanted to release a catchy uptempo song as the first single and there weren't any on the album, so Carr had to write Free Huey. Don't know how much of that is true, and what the source of the story was. Mr Carr himself still believes that it's a great song, and while I don't really disagree (it is a good song), the biggest problem with it is that it doesn't really fit on Kingsize in my opinion.

― Tomiboo, Saturday, April 25, 2015

I read that about Free Huey somewhere too. I'm sure Martin wanted The Future Is Now to be the lead single but Creation hated it. Personally I think it should have gone.

Comb Your Hair
Kingsize
The Old Newsstand At Hamilton Square
Eurostar

That would have been a great run of singles.

i like your thinking, those would have been good singles.

going to go ahead and reveal this now, "Free Huey" received zero votes.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-13vN7GP1i8w/VTqVUVWuZ2I/AAAAAAAAAfE/VJkG0GZtTls/s400-no/C%27Mon%2BKids%2Bm.jpg

24. Four Saints
From: C’mon Kids
Released: Aug 14, 1996
215 Points, 7 Votes

very happy about this, my number two.

I don't think C'mon Kids is the best song on that album but I still like it.....always thought What's In The Box was a much better single.

They're similar in that they both have that noise-guitar thing going on to deliberately shake off some of the newly accrued fans, but I much prefer C'Mon Kids.

and there it is, all songs from Boo Up! made it

I'm delighted by this. Foster's Van is brilliant, but I never seemed to be able to convince anyone of this, so (more than two decades later) I'm relieved to see I'm not alone on this one. I even met Martin Carr once in a pub in Camden and told him it was my favourite Boos song. He didn't even say that he liked it, just something like "ooo...that's an old one" (this was around 1996).

And even more surprised / delighted / relieved to see Naomi make it. Again, this is a track I always rated but seemed to be the only one. By the way, when you say From: Every Heaven EP (B-side), I know what you mean, but I wouldn't really call any of the tracks A-sides or B-sides from those early EPs. It's not like later on, when, say, 'Wish I Was Skinny' was clearly the A-side single and the other tracks were the B-sides. It was quite normal in 1990/1991 for indie groups to release EPs where all four tracks had equal billing and the name of the EP wasn't the name of any of the tracks and none of those tracks would be released on any subsequent album. The EPs were more like mini-albums in their own right, rather than a single with some filler.

very happy about this, my number two.

Yeah, I had to tinker with my list to make sure it got in. It didn't make my original cut, but I knew that was just *wrong*.

And even more surprised / delighted / relieved to see Naomi make it. Again, this is a track I always rated but seemed to be the only one. By the way, when you say From: Every Heaven EP (B-side), I know what you mean, but I wouldn't really call any of the tracks A-sides or B-sides from those early EPs. It's not like later on, when, say, 'Wish I Was Skinny' was clearly the A-side single and the other tracks were the B-sides. It was quite normal in 1990/1991 for indie groups to release EPs where all four tracks had equal billing and the name of the EP wasn't the name of any of the tracks and none of those tracks would be released on any subsequent album. The EPs were more like mini-albums in their own right, rather than a single with some filler.

good point, at first i didn't say B-side but then there were a few in a row and wanted to point out that they weren't the first song on the EP.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0zWbfrQF9b4/VTqdMuyIfbI/AAAAAAAAAgw/4PMNW5c3rG4/s400-no/Giant%2BSteps%2Bm.jpg

23. Upon 9th and Fairchild
From: Giant Steps
Released: Aug 31, 1993
221 Points, 8 Votes, 1 Number One

going to go ahead and reveal this now, "Free Huey" received zero votes.

Smile Fades Fast was someone's #1? Wow, that's surprising! Not that there's anything wrong with it, but the track that comes right after it on EAF is much better. That's Firesky of course, my favourite song from the boogaze era.

I'm also glad to see Four Saints here - it's amazing (my #14), and the weird little solo from 2:30 onwards is one of my favourite Boos moments (pretty sure that I already mentioned this before in the other thread though).

They're similar in that they both have that noise-guitar thing going on to deliberately shake off some of the newly accrued fans, but I much prefer C'Mon Kids.

"We didn't want to scare away the hit-kids, we wanted to take them with us to somewhere that we'd not been before. All we wanted to do was make a different type of album than Wake Up... All we wanted to do was try something new - to keep ourselves fresh and interested. We were very surprised to find that it was seen as a deliberate attempt to scare away newly created fans. That would have been an extremely foolish thing to do."

interesting, i know i liked the new direction and didn't really know why they didn't keep on the Beatles path.

or to me Wake Up! seems to be very Beatlesish.

Apparently people at Creation genuinely thought What's In The Box was going to be a massive hit. It really should have been. It's the song that made me fall in love with them.

Interesting (xps)

I don't know why they thought it would be a massive hit.

Just listening to Four Saints. Really should have voted for it. I love all the different directions that song goes in.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-L0q-Ee7v9C0/VTqXqP6uHfI/AAAAAAAAAf0/n3tOXIODzJs/s400-no/Kingsize%2Bm.jpg

22. Put Your Arms Around Me and Tell Me Everything's Going to Be OK
From: Kingsize (American Release Bonus Track)
Released: Oct 9, 1998
223 Points, 7 Votes

yes my user name is because of this song, i have used it on a few music boards. i originally thought that this will be the very last new Boo Radleys song i will ever hear. turns out it wasn't as there were songs from the Kingsize single that i heard afterwards. so my name was going to just be "Be Okay" but the song was OK so that had to stay, then i thought by adding a extra "e" would make for a bit of a better user name. so here today i still use Bee OK.

The Boos should have been massive, yeah. But in music industry things sometimes just don't work out. In my opinion What's In The Box? has got all the ingredients of a hit, but I don't know, I guess it wasn't just fashionable or something at the time.

interesting, i know i liked the new direction and didn't really know why they didn't keep on the Beatles path.

The link in my previous post doesn't seem to be working, but it's pointing to this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxCQPk3YqMo

very, very happy it placed. as i thought it was one of those songs that a lot of people probably didn't hear as it was not on the original release of Kingsize.

i remember being at Amoeba Records and seeing the American release. i saw that it had this extra song on it and debated with myself if it was worth re-buying for just one song. well i bought it and even though it was super expensive for just one song, still happy about it. would not have this user name if i didn't.

Bee OK, I remember your story from a certain other music forum, but that's a cool story. It's a great username. :D

I love Put Your Arms Around Me... (it was my #6) and for many many years it was the only Boos track that I didn't "officially" own in any format. I was so sad when they screwed up the release of the Kingsize deluxe edition a few years ago and left out many tracks, but I finally got the song earlier this year when I got the vinyl version of the album!

Just catching up with the countdown, I was the #1 voter for 'Boo! Forever', such a gorgeous song. Pleasantly surprised to see EAF get second place in the albums poll too (though of course Giant Steps deserves its #1 spot as well).

oh it is on the vinyl version? nice.

xpost

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qLl8rCmVkvA/VTvskFM3nWI/AAAAAAAAAo8/QN4BepijZAY/w400-h398-no/Ride%2BThe%2BTiger%2Bpart%2B1%2Bm.jpg

21. Ride the Tiger
From: C’mon Kids and Single
Single Release Date: Dec 30, 1996
228 Points, 8 Votes

yes, the only song of the three singles from C'mon Kide that made my list. love how the songs sort of ends but doesn't.

so onto the Top 20.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i-TpN4rEddE/VTqTQxSqELI/AAAAAAAAAdY/O4FQ_qNX2PE/w400-h398-no/Wake%2BUp%21%2Bm.jpg

20. Twinside
From: Wake Up!
Released: Oct 9, 1995
234 Points, 8 Votes

a song i didn't know i was going to vote for until i re-listened to Wake Up!. then it was like, i remember how much i love this song.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ygvObeqSGE0/VTvziIoEZaI/AAAAAAAAApk/qEHzs0Hpmgs/w400-h399-no/Everything%2BIs%2BSorrow%2Bm.jpg

19. Everything Is Sorrow
From: C’mon Kids
Released: Aug 14, 1996
241 Points, 9 Votes

"Everything Is Sorrow" was not released as a single but i still found artwork for it. does anyone know the story behind that? also that picture looks like what might have been the C'mon Kids prop?

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i-TpN4rEddE/VTqTQxSqELI/AAAAAAAAAdY/O4FQ_qNX2PE/w400-h398-no/Wake%2BUp%21%2Bm.jpg

18. Fairfax Scene
From: Wake Up!
Released: Oct 9, 1995
243 Points, 8 Votes

"Even though I'm keeping busy
there's something more that still escapes me
I had it then, but now it's gone away"

Love Ride The Tiger. Very happy to see it place. Always thought it wasn't an obvious single choice but I guess there weren't many obvious ones on that album.

Twinside has always been one of my favourite Boo songs. I wish they'd put it out as a single. This poll is making me realise I don't think they did the best job choosing singles.

Everything Is Sorrow is such a brilliant song. I'd forgotten how great that whole album is.

Bee, I had no idea that was where your name came from. That's so cool. I didn't know that song until you mentioned it on another Boo thread a few years ago. It's a lovely song.

I love Put Your Arms Around Me... (it was my #6) and for many many years it was the only Boos track that I didn't "officially" own in any format. I was so sad when they screwed up the release of the Kingsize deluxe edition a few years ago and left out many tracks, but I finally got the song earlier this year when I got the vinyl version of the album!

― Tomiboo, Saturday, April 25, 2015

Was it easy to get a vinyl copy? It's the only one I don't have on vinyl and wouldn't mind getting a copy.

I don't really like the lyrics to Everything Is Sorrow.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-13vN7GP1i8w/VTqVUVWuZ2I/AAAAAAAAAfE/VJkG0GZtTls/s400-no/C%27Mon%2BKids%2Bm.jpg

17. Bullfrog Green
From: C’mon Kids
Released: Aug 14, 1996
246 Points, 9 Votes

https://youtu.be/l1KH0XCQX78

this is quite simply one of my all-time favorite songs.

"Everything Is Sorrow" was not released as a single but i still found artwork for it. does anyone know the story behind that?

Was it easy to get a vinyl copy? It's the only one I don't have on vinyl and wouldn't mind getting a copy.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0zWbfrQF9b4/VTqdMuyIfbI/AAAAAAAAAgw/4PMNW5c3rG4/s400-no/Giant%2BSteps%2Bm.jpg

16. Rodney King (Song for Lenny Bruce)
From: Giant Steps
Released: Aug 31, 1993
One Vote For: Rodney King (St. Etienne Remix)
259 Points, 10 Votes

YouTube

I got lucky and found a reasonably cheap (around 20 euros) copy on eBay a few months ago. I hadn't really been looking for it that actively before, but I've never seen it in record stores here in Finland... which isn't really much of a surprise. There were a few a bit more expensive copies for sale when I bought mine, but even though there doesn't seem to be any on eBay right now, I'm sure that you'll be able to find one if you really want. There seem to be a few used copies for sale on Discogs, but I've never bought anything on that site so I don't know how reliable it is.

― Tomiboo, Saturday, April 25, 2015 10:19 PM

Thanks for the info. I've used Discogs a lot and will just keep an eye out on there. I haven't had a good look for it yet.

Bullfrog Green is such a wonderful song. Probably had it too low on my list.

interesting placing for " Rodney King (Song for Lenny Bruce)", never thought of this as a stand out on the album.

As I said already on the other thread, I like it, but I think of it as part of 'Butterfly McQueen' - if I could have voted for the two combined they would have been higher up my ballot - they both seem incomplete without the other

Ride The Tiger is great, especially the ending is beautiful, but for some reason I don't like it as much as I used to. A few years ago it would have been pretty high in my top 25, now it didn't make it on my list.

I'm actually a bit surprised that Twinside made it in the top 20! I've never heard anyone praise it before, and while I do like it, it's not in my favourite Wake Up! tracks either.

Everything Is Sorrow is gorgeous, it's one of my favourite "feeling miserable" songs. I find the lyrics pretty cool...

Fairfax Scene was my #3! It's such a beautiful little pop tune.

Bullfrog Green also made it on my list (#22), the lyrics are so hilariously weird that you just gotta love that song. It's like The Boos' own "I Am The Walrus".

Rodney King is obviously also great. (I probably should stop repeating this, as I don't think that it's possible that there are any tracks in the top 20 that I do NOT like!) It's one of those songs that nearly made it on the list but had to be dropped in the end. I guess it's a bit too repetitive. Does anyone know if the weird lyrics are just played backwards or is it some weird/imaginary language?

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gh6qSrA_FUo/VTqjgxtZiuI/AAAAAAAAAhg/DPAQ7WvCKw4/w400-h378-no/Boo%21%2BForever%2Btwo%2Bm.jpg

15. Does This Hurt?
From: Everything’s Alright Forever and Boo! Forever
Released: June 8, 1992
260 Points, 10 Votes

Video released on the 4th of June 1992

lol at that video. it's not bad, just so the time i guess.

It's been a long time since I've seen that Does This Hurt? video... thanks for posting it.

And speaking of Boos videos, how about this one for Ride The Tiger?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU8pfwlPF4I

The video hasn't aged that well, but it was quite jaw-dropping at the time it was released... and apparently cost quite a lot to make too. I love it how all those weird "Boo items" from different eras make an appearance in it. I guess it might be my favourite Boos video, even if I normally prefer the simple videos that aren't very artistic.

(Oh, and I forgot to mention in my previous post that Everything Is Sorrow was my #18 - one place higher than its actual position!)

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-L0q-Ee7v9C0/VTqXqP6uHfI/AAAAAAAAAf0/n3tOXIODzJs/s400-no/Kingsize%2Bm.jpg

14. The Old Newsstand at Hamilton Square
From: Kingsize
Released: Oct 9, 1998
261 Points, 10 Votes

YouTube

love you ILM for placing this so high.

Heh, I feel bad for not voting it, but it too had to make way for other songs...

I was just thinking it was about time for another song from this album. Fantastic song.

Kingsize has got to be in top 10, but apart from that I think we'll see at most one other track from the album after this. Could be Eurostar... or Jimmy Webb Is God... or She Is Everywhere... or... well, pretty much any one of them!

i have never seen that "Ride the Tiger" video and when i tried to play it there is some country restriction on it. when i go to American YouTube it is not there.

oh well.

btw, only going to 11 today, will do the Top 10 tomorrow.

also this poll title is from Kingsize, the song is "Jimmy Webb Is God" for those who might not know.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UjneqnYieyo/VTvR861svxI/AAAAAAAAAoM/r0ONrBzzx1U/w400-h388-no/Everything%27s%2BAlright%2BForever%2Bm2.jpg

13. Spaniard
From: Everything’s Alright Forever
Released: March 1992
272 Points, 9 Votes

YouTube

beautiful and one of my last cuts.

why haven't i been placing YouTube's all along? it's neat to listen to as this goes on.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i-TpN4rEddE/VTqTQxSqELI/AAAAAAAAAdY/O4FQ_qNX2PE/w400-h398-no/Wake%2BUp%21%2Bm.jpg

12. Stuck On Amber
From: Wake Up!
Released: Oct 9, 1995
294 Points, 9 Votes, 1 Number One

YouTube

this band really is that good. this song never even crossed my mind when i was putting a ballot together. it's great however.

"Bills and heartburn, pills and soaps
And flicking through the books that you've read before
Tears come easy, words come hard
But there really isn't much to say no more"

I remember from the "Adrenalin" fanzine, that they were planning an acoustic gig with a school orchestra, and were thinking of reviving "Spaniard" for it.

Wonder if that ever happened...

If anyone is interested or is going to ask, my daughter was not named after the number 12 track.

Stuck On Amber! My number one! I was secretly hoping that it could sneak into top 10, but #12 is still better than I expected. Words can't describe how amazing that song is. And you've just quoted my favourite piece of lyrics there, Bee OK...

lol, so that wasn't you who had it at number one then?

haha, xpost

all songs from here on out got double digit votes. "Rodney King (Song for Lenny Bruce)," "Does This Hurt?" and "The Old Newsstand at Hamilton Square" also got over 10 votes.

Stuck On Amber is so great. Yet another incredible chorus.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0zWbfrQF9b4/VTqdMuyIfbI/AAAAAAAAAgw/4PMNW5c3rG4/s400-no/Giant%2BSteps%2Bm.jpg

11. I've Lost The Reason
From: Giant Steps
Released: Aug 31, 1993
306 Points, 10 Votes

YouTube
Bonus: I've Lost the Reason (the Beat)

i can't describe how much i love this song. "i'm only twenty-three...I got more to fine" indeed, this song spoke to me in 1993. very high on my ballot. also love the second You Tube video, yeap, they should have been massive.

If nothing else, I'm glad for this poll forcing me to revisit Kingsize and properly appreciate "The Old Newsstand..." The only 'late' track that didn't eventually fall off the end of my ballot.

I really had no idea "Foster's Van" was at all popular before the previous thread. The only track on Boo Up! I DIDN'T vote for, IIRC!

I've Lost The Reason is such an incredible song. Love how it leads up to The White Noise Revisited. Always thought Giant Steps was sequenced really brilliantly.

I just made a list of songs that I think could place in the top ten with fifteen songs on it. Some seriously amazing songs are going to miss out.

yeah i agree, their catalog is pretty strong. i love how the songs that have made the Top 40 are from all the different eras, it proves how deep that catalog actually is.

What i voted for that made it today: "Memory Babe," "Put Your Arms Around Me and Tell Me Everything's Going to Be OK," "Everything Is Sorrow," "Spaniard," and "Stuck on Amber."

this poll looks great!

Brilliant track ('I've Lost The Reason') - surprised it's not even higher

I know not everyone likes it when we put up predictions of what's still to come so I won't do that. I think I can guess nine of the songs that are going to make it but no idea about number ten. I was hoping another song from Kingsize would place but not sure anything will now.

Yeah, it's probably not a good idea to post the predictions - it spoils the fun a bit I think! I'm pretty sure that I could predict most of the Top 10 as well, but I've tried not to think about the remaining tracks too much, because I want to be surprised when the "countdown" begins again.

My number one is still hopefully to come. I'm starting to get nervous it might miss out.

Hmm, what could a kitchen person's favourite be? French Canadian Bean Soup? Sorry, I don't think it's gonna make it. :(

My #1 was Stuck On Amber but I'm still hoping that my #2 will feature in the top 10... and I'm almost certain that it will!

i'm up.

Bee Up!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UjneqnYieyo/VTvR861svxI/AAAAAAAAAoM/r0ONrBzzx1U/w400-h388-no/Everything%27s%2BAlright%2BForever%2Bm2.jpg

10. Firesky
From: Everything’s Alright Forever
Released: March 1992
308 Points, 10 Votes

YouTube

Lovely song - my highest placed one from EAF.

didn't know that this song was so loved.

Any idea what the lyrics are? My best guess is:

I wish that all could feel the way that I do
Then they’d understand just what I (?) when I’m with you
I wish for things that I (? ? ?)
But there’s one thing that I need the most
I feel so alive, I feel so true
You would understand if you were in me

i have the lyrics, be right back

Actually, while you're gone, could you get the lyrics for Room At The Top too?
I've never quite got that: it simultaneously seems to be 'We could be so happy here' and 'We could be so, I could be so' (but is probably neither).

Firesky is my favourite from EAF too, my #12. I think I'd like the whole album a lot more if Sice's vocals weren't buried under every other instrument.

I wish that I could feel
the way that I do
Then they'd understand
Just what I am with you

I wish for things and I pray and hope
But there's one thing I need more than most

I feel so alive, I feel so true
You would understand
If you were in me

I wish for things and I pray and hope
But there's one thing I need more than most

from the Japanese release of Everything's Alright Forever.

Room at the Top

We could be happy here.

Cheers!

Though there must be a couple of missing bits?
'Just what I am when I'm with you'
'We could be so happy here'

Had no idea Firesky was so popular. As I mentioned I made a list of fifteen songs that I thought would make it but I didn't include this. So many brilliant songs are gong to miss out.

Are there full lyrics of each song on the Japanese release of EAF?

yeah i agree, but that is all they wrote.

i think so, haven't looked at it for years but yeah all songs are listed. but just like "Room At the Top" there might be some lines missing?

both those xpost

i have heard that you can't find lyrics to Everything's Alright Forever on-line but haven't tried looking myself.

Hmm, what could a kitchen person's favourite be? French Canadian Bean Soup? Sorry, I don't think it's gonna make it. :(

― Tomiboo, Sunday, April 26, 2015 5:17 PM

I still have hope!

i have heard that you can't find lyrics to Everything's Alright Forever on-line but haven't tried looking myself.

I have tried and couldn't (for the most part - I think I found Spaniard).

Still a fair few Giant Steps songs to come. As much as I love that album I'm hoping a few songs from other albums make it. Still have hope for another Kingsize song to place. There's one more song on C'mon Kids that I was sure would make it too.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i-TpN4rEddE/VTqTQxSqELI/AAAAAAAAAdY/O4FQ_qNX2PE/w400-h398-no/Wake%2BUp%21%2Bm.jpg

9. Reaching Out From Here
From: Wake Up!
Released: Oct 9, 1995
324 Points, 10 Votes

YouTube
Reaching Out from Here (Later with Jools)

YES, my number 8.

This song is just so beautiful. I'm still convinced if this had been the follow up to Wake Up Boo it would have been a different story for them.

I knew that this one would pop up sooner or later. I've never liked this song as much as many other people seem to; a girl that I once knew loved this track, and this is one of the few Boo songs that Martin still plays in his live set. The melody is quite catchy, there are a lot of changes, the chorus (I especially like the But you think it's alright / And they think it's alright / So I guess it's alright too bit) is nice, but there's <i>something</i> missing, and I don't even know what it is! So Reaching Out From Here didn't make it on my list, but I don't mind seeing it in top 10.

This song is just so beautiful. I'm still convinced if this had been the follow up to Wake Up Boo it would have been a different story for them.

I've always disliked Find The Answer Within. The verse in particular has always wound me up. Something about it just sounds really clumsy. It's easily my least favourite song on that album.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IPki0NnEW4w/VT0uWBG_GdI/AAAAAAAAArY/aRjlXSpIFmM/s400-no/Kingsize%2Bsingle%2Bm.jpg

8. Kingsize
From: Kingsize and Single (Promo single was only released, single cancelled)
Released: Oct 9, 1998
343 Points, 11 Votes, 1 Number One

YouTube

my number 1 and might be my favorite song of all-time. i have always wanted this song to be my wedding song.

Wow, I had given up hope of this placing. Brilliant song and I'm still gutted it got cancelled as a single.

Oh, Kingsize, I knew that it would be in the top 10. It just had to be. In fact I'm a little disappointed that it's only #8.

Ever since I first heard it all those years ago, it's been my favourite (Boos) song... until Stuck On Amber stole the #1 spot at the last second while I was making my list! It was really close, but Kingsize had to settle for #2 this time. Kingsize is still quite possibly the most beautiful song that I know though. (The single version is missing my favourite bit of the song, so make sure that you listen to the album version!)

"Because politics is power and power is a daily need"

Love the way he sings that line. It's probably my favourite Sice vocal.

i have never heard the single version and it sounds like i don't need to either.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-iNM0CyQlPhw/VTwGsC8AFQI/AAAAAAAAAqk/oayTj5lgaIM/w400-h420-no/Adrenaline%2BEP%2Btwo%2Bm.jpg

7. Lazy Day
From: Everything’s Alright Forever and Adrenalin EP
Released: March 1992
348 Points, 11 Votes

YouTube
Was blocked on the actual video.

Thought this would be in the top three. I don't seem to like Everything's Alright Forever as much as a lot of people on here but this song is all time.

I agree. And the following 25 seconds where the other instruments fade out, and it's just Sice and the piano for a moment until the backing vocals and other instruments join in again, is up there with the finest Boo moments.

i have never heard the single version and it sounds like i don't need to either.

Wow, I was slow. I agreed what you said about Kingsize.

Wow "Lazy Day" is only 1:36, short and sweet.

great song that didn't come anywhere close to my Top 25, don't think it would make my Top 50. just so much to chose from.

While I like Lazy Day as a kind of a throwaway song, it didn't get near my top 25, and I didn't expect to see it in top 10! It's a very energetic 1 minute and 34 seconds admittedly and a fun little song, but it's just too short and simple to be a classic. Coming up next: Tranquillo? :p

Can't believe there's only six songs left. I won't reveal my number one yet but it's not looking good for it.

Coming up next: Tranquillo?

i completely forgot about that. for those of you who don't know. that is a song that is before the first song on Kingsize. you have to rewind the CD to get to that song.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-13vN7GP1i8w/VTqVUVWuZ2I/AAAAAAAAAfE/VJkG0GZtTls/s400-no/C%27Mon%2BKids%2Bm.jpg

6. New Brighton Promenade
From: C’mon Kids
Released: Aug 14, 1996
362 Points, 12 Votes

YouTube

yes, a song i voted for around 12 or so. such a brilliant little song.

"This life is not easy
but one thing that can please me
the memory of me and my friends
kickin' round your shores"

This is the song C'mon Kids song I was referring to earlier. Had no idea it would be this high but very happy to see it here.

New Brighton Promenade was #13 on my list, and my favourite from C'mon Kids. The song always makes me feel a bit nostalgic.
I'm listening to it again right now and wondering why I didn't put it higher on my list. That's top 10 material, easily... but, you know, the competition is tough.

Another one I thought only I liked - surprised and pleased to see it up here

It was my number six. It's always been my favourite C'mon Kids song.

I find it strange and quite surprising that no song has got more than 12 votes (out of 21) even at this stage! How Wake Up Boo! for example only got 5 votes is beyond me. We all really seem to like different kind of songs.

I mean, I would have thought that the songs in Top 10 would have been on pretty much everyone's list.

Youtube comment under NBP:

It's a shame that the Boo Radleys are remembered chiefly for the breakfast show staple "Wake Up Boo!". "C'mon Kids" is a forgotten masterpiece, a proper "journey" of an album whose greatness creeps up on you. The glorious "I believe in love" crescendo of "Four Saints" perfectly sets up this 3 minutes of nostalgic pop genius.

arrgh! i didn't realise you'd be counting down over the weekend!

just been catching up. very surprised at the amount of Kingsize and Learning To Walk songs, especially in proportion to GS and Wake Up. Nothing wrong with these (Learning to Walk has gone up in my estimation in recent years, not so much Kingsize which is their Think Tank - a good handful of good songs and a good few clunkers too). Still holding out for my number 1.

I am refreshing this page quite a lot right now.

Top 5

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-otXFoYWzph4/VT1Ev316RyI/AAAAAAAAAsE/sq0BaV8Sg3c/w400-h350-no/From%2BThe%2BBench%2BAt%2BBelvidere%2Btwo%2Bm.jpg

5. From The Bench At Belvedere
From: Stand Alone Single (not on an album)
Released: Sept 22, 1995
374 Points, 11 Votes, 1 Number One

YouTube
Can't find the video :-(

Hooray! This was my number one. One of the most beautiful songs ever.

OTM!

love, love, love this song, sounds like summer. just checked my ballot to see where i placed it and come to find out i actually didn't vote for it? wow, very shocked that this one dropped off.

this is a great song. it deserved to be as big a hit as WUB. My first ever gig by a 'proper' band was the Boos touring this EP at Cambridge Corn Exchange on my 15th(?) birthday.

Always thought it was strange how quickly it came out after It's Lulu.

listening back to the boos in recent weeks, i can't help but feel I can still listen to everything from Wake Up and before while the C'Mon Kids through Kingsize era has aged rather poorly for some reason. Even though C'Mon Kids was supposed to be a return to the experimentalism of Giant Steps, there's something a little plastic and polished about the production. It suffers from coming straight after the Oasis era when suddenly even bands who had preceded them - Ride (in the guise of Hurricane #1); The Stone Roses (The Seahorses) had to have a particular guitar sound. Even the cover of Kingsize SCREAMS 'Hey it's 1998 - we've got a software package and we're going to use it!'

It's Lulu is such a wretched song. They really should've taken it off the album, let alone released it as a single. Reaching Out From Here or Twinside would have made much better choices.

not so much Kingsize which is their Think Tank

i think i'd think a lot more highly of kingsize if they'd left off free huey. it ruins the flow and there are already just a few too many songs on there.

that is funny you should say that about "It's Lulu." both "Free Huey" and "It's Lulu" got no votes. i think "It's Lulu" is okay but i have also heard Martin Carr doesn't like it either.

Find The Answer Within and It's Lulu are my two least favourite singles on Wake Up.

i quite like 'Find the Answer Within'. Not sure it was the best choice of follow-up to WUB though. I like the backwards singing on that one - played forward they say 'If you like a lot of fighting with your football, join our club' and 'Can you see the little doggies do it doggy style?'

From The Bench at Belvidere is pretty great, but to me it doesn't sound like same kind of a potential hit as Wake Up Boo!
It's Lulu seems to have bombed and isn't gonna appear in this poll, but I don't get all the hate for the song. It's the same kind of a throwaway song as Lazy Day for me - just a fun little track in between the more interesting stuff. I guess it's the most WUB-like song on the album, which is why someone at Creation decided that it'd be a good single. Martin Carr himself apparently doesn't rate the track that high either. Reaching Out From Here might have been a decent choice for the third single, but I disagree about Twinside.

Obviously I meant those are two least favourite songs not just singles.

'Old Newsstand' should have been a single. Why wasn't it a single?

I think Twinside would have been a great single. It's such a brilliant and catchy song that shows a different side to the album. I think this is how the singles should have gone.

Twinside
Wake Up Boo!
Reaching Out From Here
Stuck on Amber

whenever i played Kingsize i do skip "Free Huey" and sort of look at that album without that song. when i was playing Kingsize this time around for this poll i did listen and found that it doesn't bother me anymore.

I remember someone once describing that song as "crap jazz". I love that song, but I could think of a few better singles from Kingsize.

re: Lulu - it's just so cheesy and plays into the hands of the 'Boos just write happy-clappy radio-pop' crew. The lyrics and subject matter are just bad bad bad - Kevin & Perry in song format with loads of throwaway 'here she comes now, here she comes now, it's Lulu' stuff. just brash, clunky and unintentionally condescending.

I am listening to Kingsize now with Free Huey taken out and it's a lot easier on the ears. I'm actually enjoying 'Monuments for a Dead Century', which I always felt was a bit forced. Without Free Huey on the album the songs flow together much better, almost in a similar way to GS.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-g9CryKTJqKg/VT1LiRieYxI/AAAAAAAAAs0/ZyyIa0dw3pg/w400-h419-no/Wish%2BI%2BWas%2BSkinny%2Bm.jpg

4. Wish I Was Skinny
From: Giant Steps and Stand Alone Single
Released: Sept 30, 1993
387 Points, 13 Votes

Music video by The Boo Radleys performing Wish I Was Skinny

didn't make my list but a fun song. catchy Boos.

Always felt Wish I Was Skinny was a good song but never liked how it came in on GS (same as Barney & Me). This musically and lyrically straight-forwarded song slam in the middle of a spaced-out, psychedelic trip. Bit conflicted about it coming in quite so high to be honest and starting to worry my number 1 won't make it.

Twinside as the first single? Had that actually happened, we might not be here now talking about this poll! I just can't imagine it being such a huge radio friendly hit as Wake Up Boo! was. WUB is just insanely catchy - twenty years later people still remember that refrain and the trumpets. Twinside is obviously a very cool track, but it hasn't got any catchy "hooks" like that.

I'm pleasantly surprised by New Brighton Promenade's high placing. It's tucked away in the last third of C'Mon Kids and rarely gets mentioned as a stand out, but it's really sweet and great and goes to prove the Boos' greatest moments were never necessarily their most prominent.

xpost Oh yeah, I never listen to Free Huey whenever I play that album.

Take WUB and It's Lulu out the equation and the Wake Up album is an incredibly bleak record; on a par with The Bends for quiet, contemplative miserabilism mixed witht he odd flourish of sixties psychedelia. Makes for slim pickings in following up WUB, admittedly, but Twinside was indie-club friendly and rocked quite a lot, so I'd have had that over It's Lulu anytime.

I think of Twinside being the lead single like Lenny being the lead single from I Should Coco. Instead of putting Alright out straight away they went with a harder sounding song probably knowing Alright would be a massive hit later on that kept the album selling for the rest of the year.

Wow, Kingsize is really effing good without that horrible song on it. Just constantly doing different things and yet a steady vibe flowing through it. It's a fine album.

bloody hell, i am worried about the next two songs. evidently everyone knows what #1'll be

if it's Barney & Me, I'll feel very deflated.

Wish I Was Skinny was my #10! It's indeed as musically and lyrically straight-forward as possible (like a few other Boos pop gems), but not everything has to be so complicated. Carr had (and still has) the tendency to go all weird at some point in most of his songs, which is one thing that made The Boos such a great band, but every now and then he also managed to keep things simple which was also cool. I always thought that The Boos found the perfect balance between that weirdness and the simplicity.

Wow, Kingsize is really effing good without that horrible song on it. Just constantly doing different things and yet a steady vibe flowing through it. It's a fine album.

this makes me very happy. wonder if you would ever see the day. :-)

Feel like it's pretty obvious what the top three will be now. I really want to know which album your number one is from.

two and one will be revealed together, as there probably won't be much mystery.

amazing how much one song can put you off the album. Free Huey came out the day I got my A-level results and I went out and bought both CD and vinyl versions. I Can only remember being disappointed and I don't think it put me in good stead for the album. It's not that I didn't like Kingsize, but it was all the more hard to love with this weak shouty already-dated dance tune on it.

i honestly don't know what 3 and 2 are going to be.

I think my number one might not place (assuming the three songs left are three from Giant Steps that I took it for granted would place).

I don't mind Free Huey, to be honest. I'm listening to it now and it sounds surprisingly good actually, I think it could have been a hit under different circumstances. But while Kingsize needs something a little more uptempo between Old Newsstand and Monuments, Free Huey is just a little too different. It could have worked better as a standout EP or something.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0zWbfrQF9b4/VTqdMuyIfbI/AAAAAAAAAgw/4PMNW5c3rG4/s400-no/Giant%2BSteps%2Bm.jpg

3. Butterfly McQueen
From: Giant Steps
Released: Aug 31, 1993
398 Points, 13 Votes

YouTube

What?

of course! my #2

Wow, I thought the top four was going to be the four Giant Steps singles. Did not expect to see this up here.

I'd forgotten about that.

This one caught me off guard. I definitely didn't expect this to be in top 3. It's an interesting song for sure, but it's not even in my top 10 tracks on Giant Steps!

yeah i just don't like those singles (the inevitable #1 excluded) as much as the album tracks. Butterfly McQueen is one of these quintessential Boos tracks for me - psychedelic, dubby, jazzy, noisy, rooms-within-rooms... Whoever said Rodney King is kind of 'part of the song' upthread is right - they work great together and the transition between them is my favourite moment on the album.

I'd be happy to see Thinking Of Ways as a shock number two as well.

Thinking Of Ways is amazing.

I'm really surprised it missed out.

we don't know yet.

Whoever said Rodney King is kind of 'part of the song' upthread is right

That was me.

Assuming we all know what the number one is, I'm really confused as to what the number two is. I can think of several candidates and for each one of them, they're either number two or didn't even make the top forty.

yeah that is OTM, it does sound incomplete without the other song.

xpost

I'm pretty sure that I know what #2 is. It's the #7 from my list and the second best track from its album.

Oh no, it isn't... That was #9 already. Duh.

Erm... Nevermind. Was looking at the wrong poll! I'll shut up now until the final two are announced...

I think it's going to one of the singles from Giant Steps.

lol, it's crazy how many good songs there are.

xpost

"Butterfly McQueen" was my number five, so i guess i helped it get to this position. it really does deserve it though.

Pretty excited for the big reveal.

I'll have to find out in the morning...

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jtevYzX9f9o/VT1irU3LGJI/AAAAAAAAAuM/R_KziTv2EEA/w1459-h821-no/reads.png

i guess this was a successful poll. it will have over 400 replies. excellent job ILx.

it's coming Nasty, Brutish & Short.

This suspense is killing me. The Internet will soon break because I'm refreshing the page every five seconds right now... Even though it's quite obvious what the winner is, but I think it'd be pretty cool if it wasn't that one.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2G7OIINGcvQ/VT1bT1dKMNI/AAAAAAAAAtc/DUW0CEb_LAA/s400-no/I%2BHang%2BSuspended%2Bm.jpg

2. I Hang Suspended
From: Giant Steps and Single
Released: July 1993
455 Points, 455 Points

YouTube
I Hang Suspended (the Beat)

Aw. I was hoping that it would be the winner.

You messed up the points, by the way.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_BPxGUU0W4Q/VTqykDfVn9I/AAAAAAAAAkI/Lx-rYlJuNL4/w400-h398-no/Lazarus%2Bm.jpg

1. Lazarus
From: Giant Steps and Single
Released: Nov 16, 1992
641 Points, 19 Votes, 6 Number Ones

YouTube 12 inch
Lazarus Glastonbury 94

2. I Hang Suspended
From: Giant Steps and Single
Released: July 1993
455 Points, 15 Votes

hope everyone had fun!

that Glastonbury clip is classic. seeing Sice smash his guitar is great, seems so out of character.

Had Lazarus as my number two. Incredible song.

This poll has been so much fun Bee, thanks for putting it together.

I Hang Suspended was my #7, and Lazarus was my #17.

So... Lazarus. Who would have thought?!
6 number ones... Was it the only song that was more than one person's favourite?
19 votes... The only song that almost everyone (19/21) agreed on. Does this mean that The Boo Radleys have only one good song, or have they simply got too many good songs? I think I'll go with the latter!

correction: Laz was my #16

My ballot:

Songs:

1. Kingsize
2. Four Saints
3. Put Your Arms Around Me and Tell Me Everything's Going to Be OK
4. Joel
5. Butterfly McQueen
6. Bullfrog Green
7. Foster's Van
8. Reaching Out from Here
9. Almost Nearly There
10. Jimmy Webb Is God
11. Ride the Tiger
12. New Brighton Promenade
13. I've Lost the Reason
14. The Old Newsstand at Hamilton Square
15. Twinside
16. Heaven's at the Bottom of This Glass
17. Let Me Be Your Faith
18. Song for Up!
19. Best Lose the Fear
20. Blue Room in Archway
21. Upon 9th and Fairchild
22. Kaleidoscope
23. Naomi
24. Does This Hurt?
25. Smile Fades Fast

Singles/EPs:

1. From the Bench at Belvidere
2. Boo Up!
3. Lazarus
4. Kaleidoscope
5. Boo! Forever
6. What’s In the Box (See Whatcha Got)
7. Adrenalin EP

Albums:

1. Kingsize
2. Giant Steps
3. C’mon Kids
4. Learning to Walk
5. Wake Up!
6. First Fruits - Eggman
7. Everything’s Alright Forever

if anyone needs their ballot let me know.

That Glastonbury clip is great. I watched it earlier today. Love the way Sice is walking around the stage in that strange way around the 1:20 mark.

yes that is correct, i was one of the ones who did not vote for "Lazarus." yes i love that song and it probably finish at 26.

oh, my vote for cover song went to "Tomorrow."

Songs
1. From the Bench at Belvidere
Lazarus
Boo Forever
Eurostar
Thinking of Ways
New Brighton Promenade
Reaching Out From Here
I Hang Suspended
Ride the Tiger
Twinside
I've Lost the Reason
What's in the Box? (See Whatcha Got)
Lazy Day
Bullfrog Green
Swansong
Kingsize
Stuck On Amber
Comb Your Hair
Butterfly McQueen
Wish I Was Skinny
Melodies For The Deaf (Colours For The Blind)
Upon 9th & Fairchild
The Old Newsstand At Hamilton Square
Blue Room In Archway
25. Everything Is Sorrow

Albums
1. Giant Steps
2. C'mon Kids
3. Kingsize
4. Wake Up
5. Advertisements For Myself (Brave Captain)
6. Everything's Alright Forever

Singles/EPs
1. Wish I Was Skinny
2. Lazarus
3. Adrenalin EP
4. From The Bench At Belvidere
5. Boo! Forever EP
6. I Hang Suspended
7. Ride The Tiger

Cover Version
Boo! Faith

So... Lazarus. Who would have thought?!
6 number ones... Was it the only song that was more than one person's favourite?
19 votes... The only song that almost everyone (19/21) agreed on. Does this mean that The Boo Radleys have only one good song, or have they simply got too many good songs? I think I'll go with the latter!

i knew it would be number one when i started this poll, it just feels right.
yes it is the only song that got more than one number 1 vote.
i think there is a lot of vote splitting with songs. i think they have a very deep catalog, so it was hard to pick out only 25.

i will post the full results later, just waiting for some individual ballots to be posted first.

Just in case anyone cares, here's what I voted:

TOP 25 TRACKS:
* Stuck On Amber
* Kingsize
* Fairfax Scene
* Take The Time Around
* Wake Up Boo!
* Put Your Arms Around Me...
* I Hang Suspended
* Find The Answer Within
* If You Want It, Take It
* Wish I Was Skinny
* Best Lose The Fear
* Firesky
* New Brighton Promenade
* Four Saints
* Comb Your Hair
* Lazarus
* C'mon Kids
* Everything Is Sorrow
* One Last Hurrah
* Let Me Be Your Faith
* Peachy Keen
* Bullfrog Green
* Superintendent
* Barney (...And Me)
* Heaven's At The Bottom Of This Glass

TOP EPs & SINGLES
* Kingsize
* Barney & Me
* Ride The Tiger
* Find The Answer Within
* Wish I Was Skinny
* Lazarus
* Wake Up Boo!

TOP ALBUMS: (Boos only!)
* Kingsize
* C'mon Kids
* Giant Steps
* Wake Up!
* Learning to Walk
* Everything's Alright Forever
* Ichabod & I

FAVOURITE COVER SONG
There She Goes

I Hang Suspended at 2 eh? sure I read somewhere that Carr didn't think much of it. I think it's great but don't think I voted for it.

great list Tomiboo and a lot like mine. love that you voted for "Superintendent" as that is another excellent b-side that they had.

glad you came along for the ride and great hooking up again after all these years.

i know Tomiboo from the old bravecaptain board.

It played out pretty much like I thought.

Not surprised about no votes for "Free Huey" and "Its Lulu"

Just need to know where "Nothing to do but scare myself" placed.

p.s. The deluxe editions of the albums are all still quite pricey, except for "C'mon Kids" which can be had for a fiver. My least favourite album, but has lots of great b-sides on disc 2 and ok I will give the main album a second chance, all these years later.

xpost ah the old bravecaptain board, I was there too. Do you remember that guy who wanted to sue Martin because he reckoned "There she goes" was nicked off him? Even M told him he never claimed to have written it, but the guy would not be told. (and no, it wasn't Lee Marcus)

Damn touchpad spelling corrector! Lee Mavers!

Really didn't anticipate "Firesky" being so high! (Or "Lazy Day" being so, well not exactly low, but a few rungs lower that I might have guessed.)

I like the way it's possible to have widely divergent views on this band. Not sure my ballot overlapped with those pasted by more than 4-5 tracks, from memory. :)

Thanks for crunching the numbers, etc, Bee OK!

Can't sleep so have snuck down to see the winner (well, to see the number two really).

Here's my ballot:
1 Kaleidoscope
2 I've Lost The Reason
3 If You Want, Take It
4 Leaves And Sand
5 Foster's Van
6 C'Mon Kids
7 Naomi
8 Barney (…and me)
9 Butterfly McQueen
10 Furthur
11 Firesky
12 Sometime Soon She Said
13 Spaniard
14 Room At The Top
15 New Brighton Promenade
16 I Hang Suspended
17 Everybird
18 Wish I Was Skinny
19 Take The Time Around
20 Lazarus
21 Rodney King
22 Upon 9th and Fairchild
23 Song For Up!
24 Four Saints
25 Does This Hurt?

That's the Ichabod version of Kaleidoscope, fwiw.

Can't sleep so have snuck down to see the winner (well, to see the number two really).

so were you surprised?

really thought "Kaleidoscope" would make it, it just happened to be one of the songs outside the Top 40. or number 45 with one number 1.

i voted for it but at number 22.

heres my ballot. absolutely astounded and gutted my #1 didn't place. okay its a side thought it was pretty much canon amongst fans

Blues for George Michael
Butterfly McQueen
Lazarus
Friendship Song
Joel
Four Saints
Spaniard
Fosters Van
Upon 9th & Fairchild
Almost Nearly There
I've Lost The Reason
Fairfax Scene
Rodney King (Song For Lenny Bruce
Put Your Arms Around Me and Tell Me Everything's Going to Be OK
From the Bench at Belvedere
Charles Bukowski Is Dead
Naomi
The Old Newsstand at Hamilton Square
Ride the Tiger
Annie & Marnie
Song For The Morning To Sing
Find the Answer Within
Leaves & Sand
I Hang Suspended
Bullfrog Green

*It's a b side though

"Blues for George Michael" did get two votes for 79 points.

a song i did not re-listen to for this poll, so i have no idea if it was robbed or not.

Top 40

1. Lazarus 641 Points, 19 Votes, 6 Number Ones
2. I Hang Suspended 455 Points, 15 Votes
3. Butterfly McQueen 398 Points, 13 Votes
4. Wish I Was Skinny 387 Points, 13 Votes
5. From The Bench At Belvedere 374 Points, 11 Votes, 1 Number One
6. New Brighton Promenade 362 Points, 12 Votes
7. Lazy Day 348 Points, 11 Votes
8. Kingsize 343 Points, 11 Votes, 1 Number One
9. Reaching Out From Here 324 Points, 10 Votes
10. Firesky 308 Points, 10 Votes
11. I've Lost The Reason 306 Points, 10 Votes
12. Stuck On Amber 294 Points, 9 Votes, 1 Number One
13. Spaniard 272 Points, 9 Votes
14. The Old Newsstand at Hamilton Square 261 Points, 10 Votes
15. Does This Hurt? 260 Points, 10 Votes
16. Rodney King (Song for Lenny Bruce) One Vote For: Rodney King (St. Etienne Remix) 259 Points, 10 Votes
17. Bullfrog Green 246 Points, 9 Votes
18. Fairfax Scene 243 Points, 8 Votes
19. Everything Is Sorrow 241 Points, 9 Votes
20. Twinside 234 Points, 8 Votes
21. Ride the Tiger 228 Points, 8 Votes
22. Put Your Arms Around Me and Tell Me Everything's Going to Be OK 223 Points, 7 Votes
23. Upon 9th and Fairchild 221 Points, 8 Votes, 1 Number One
24. Four Saints 215 Points, 7 Votes
25. Smile Fades Fast 210 Points, 7 Votes, 1 Number One
26. Memory Babe 205 Points, 7 Votes
27. Naomi 199 Points, 7 Votes
28. Foster's Van 194 Points, 6 Votes
29. Best Lose the Fear 189 Points, 7 Votes
30. Heaven's at the Bottom of This Glass 187 Points, 7 Votes
31. C’mon Kids 183 Points, 6 Votes
32. Sometime Soon She Said 176 Points, 6 Votes
33. Everybird 170 Points, 6 Votes
34. Let Me Be Your Faith 161 Points, 6 Votes
35. Wake Up Boo! 160 Points, 5 Votes
36. Song For Up! 152, 5 Votes, 1 Number One
37. Boo! Forever 151 Points, 4 Votes, 1 Number One
38. Take The Time Around 150 Points, 5 Votes
39. Comb Your Hair 145 Points, 5 Votes
41. (Tie). Joel 138 Points, 4 Votes
41 (Tie). One Last Hurrah 138 Points, 5 Votes

before I forget - thanks so much for doing the poll Bee OK. so good to go back and listen to a lot of these songs

only one other Blues For George Michael voter? as I say, astounded and gutted. I honestly thought it was seen as some sort of classic. it's on the Find The Way Out comp

Do we get the full list later, BeeOk?

so were you surprised?

Not surprised that those two were in it ('Lazarus' was obviously the great-unmentionable throughout the countdown) as I always assumed 'I Hang Suspended' would feature in the top 40, but I also assumed that 'Barney (...and me)' would too and I had no idea which of the two was going to completely miss out. Kind of relieved 'White Noise Revisited' isn't there as that's about the only song on Giant Steps that I don't like.

To be honest, even though my number 1, 3 and 4 didn't make it, for the most part I've been pleasantly surprised at how many of my choices *did* make it.

I placed "Barney and me" way too low on my own ballot. Should have checked, really. It's more a shoe-in for my favourite ever, (I gave it to L, obv), but it ended up at 21 instead. Oh boo.

It's a perfect album closer, so it makes total sense for it to close LP1 of the double album.

Possibly their best single a-side. Although the 7" has a fade out which is just wrong.

Barney And Me just isn't my thing. Think I mentioned upthread that despite the flourishes of psychedelic flute and the ending (this is the one with the marching robot coda, right?), it's played just a bit too staid, and more than many of their other songs it sounds like a straight-up acoustic ditty that's been 'weirded up'.

Here is the rest of my ballot if anyone's interested:

Singles:
Wake Up Boo!
From The Bench at Belvedere
What's in the Box?
Adrenaline EP
Wish I Was Skinny
Find The Answer Within
Boo Forever

Albums:
Giant Steps
Wake Up!
Everything's Alright Forever
Learning To Walk
C'Mon Kids
First Fruits
Kingsize
The Breaks
Ichabod & I

In retrospect I may have swapped round LTW with EAF. Unlike others ITT, LTW is an album to me, because this is how I discovered those songs. It works really well as a full album, but yeah the Boo Up! stuff is the highlight. I listened to First Fruits the other day and was surprised how much I liked it. Some really excellent songs in there.

I listened to 'What's In The Box' last night and there's something fundamentally flawed about it. Like it's got a great verse and really rocks and you can see why it could have been a hit but it's all let down by the 'What's In The Box? What's in the Booox?' refrain, which is a really clunky anticlimax, sung so badly like the choir in Paul McCartney's 'Wonderful Christmastime', you can see why it wasn't a big smash.

Funny, I listened to "C'Mon Kids" the album, for possibly only the second time since getting a full promo from MVE back before it got released proper.

As I said upthread, I was massively disappointed at the time, but..

IT'S GREAT!

WITB actually fits much better in the album rather than a stand-ahead single, as does the title track. "Ride The Tiger" would be the exception, but oh that clunker of a line "I don't need to be the way I are" urg.

yeah that's my favourite single on the album. it's aged quite badly (little bit of oasis hangover going on) but i like the album version for the samples 'after you, gideon', 'and now a lion' etc...

The lyrics are frankly awful - 'to be the way I are', 'a fuel infected car' etc... 'I wanna stand next to the fire' echoes 'Don't Look Back In Anger's 'Stand up beside the fireplace/Take that look from off your face'. Never understood why Carr had so much respect for Oasis really.

Just realised 'French Canadian Bean Soup' (b-side of a free single that came with C'mon Kids vinyl) is just Martin Carr reading a passage from the Illuminatus! trilogy over the chorus (again, the chords are ripped directly from the 'Wonderwall/Whatever' school of riffs) of Ride the Tiger.

wow okay so now in my head 'ride the tiger' and 'whatever' are playing over each other as pretty much the same song. almost certain you could sing one over the other with little difficulty.

tbqhaf, those lyrics are much worse than even Noel ever managled..

(those specific lyrics, the rest of the song is fine)

thing is, i get (and like) the sentiment of the song a lot more than the vague kitchen-sink psychedelia of Oasis; it just heralded in a time when I started feeling Carr was getting a bit lazy with his lyrics. Always rated his lyrics - especially on the Wake Up! album, which (It's Lulu aside) has some fantastic lines. But too many songs from the C'mon Kids era onwards felt like they needed fine-tuning in that respect.

Yeah, I'd go along with that.

anyway, as an ILM long-running resident Boos superfan, I feel I'm being quite negative in this thread. I guess that's because I've been a fan for so long that on the occasions when I revisit these records, they often sound different to how I remember: different sounds, lyrics and qualities stand out. Songs I once loved recede into the background while others stand out. Listening back to Wake Up!, now it's Stuck on Amber and Fairfax Scene which are the highlights for me whereas before it would have been something else. That album, especially has the most chameleonic qualities and I'm always amazed at how certain lines can feel so pertinent to my life at that particular moment.

For those who are interested and didn't read it the first time round, here's an interview I did with Martin in a Skype convo a year or two ago about Giant Steps:

http://thequietus.com/articles/13477-boo-radleys-giant-steps-review

Ah, I'm on that 'dedicated website' along with our Nick..

yeah i saw that. read it from beginning to end before writing the article.

Of course, never doubted that.

nice article, dog