POLLercoaster Ride - ILM Artist Poll #94 - Belle and Sebastian - Discussion/Campaigning Thread

sent!

This is old news, but SJ's thoughts on the relative merits of their long-players makes for a curiously dour piece in places.

https://noisey.vice.com/en_uk/article/kzgqj9/rank-your-records-belle-and-sebastian-guitarist-stevie-jackson

that Sylvia Plath number is long!

Stevie's ranking in that Noisey article aren't too far off the mark (well, aren't too far off my ballot). He does seem to rank them more on how fun they were to make rather than how good the music is, but it's interesting that there's a correlation.

To be truly honest with you, when we finished this I thought, "Well, we got to make a better one than this," but the next few years of our records just got worse and worse. I was definitely disappointed about the whole thing because I knew we could have been much better. It's a marathon, not a sprint, and I think we made some great records. I think this became the favorite because we followed up with stuff that wasn't as good.

(SJ on Sinister)

Nag! i have a v. important exam on Monday, i was wondering if I could have an extension on the exam on the poll, would just need an extra day. I have my 30 selections now it's just a question of ordering them.

Arbitrarily ordered, drunkitly SENT

Actually not that arbitrary, in the final cull it became clear that I cannot objectively evaluate these songs, they are far too connected to my life and where I was in my life and how I felt about my life then and I make no apologies for this ballot with the first song I heard by them at number one and nothing past DCW anywhere. Like, I listened through the catalogue for this and it was all... fine. But we parted ways some time around 2005, like Christopher Robin and Pooh, we no longer needed each other but that doesn't invalidate the times we spent together...

This post brought to you by Glen's, "The Exciting Vodka".

my experience too! I love Dear Catastrophe Waitress and Girls in Peacetime, but I've already got about 25 songs I feel connected to from the earlier albums/EPs that I don't think I can leave off my ballot

That's fine, VHS. I won't close the gate on any ballots for the sake of an arbitrary deadline. Any time early-ish next week is fine, in reality. Whatever people can manage, within reason. Just reluctant to name a later date, as things have a habit of dragging themselves out. :)

i regret not voting for “the cat with the cream”

put that on barman and watch yourself not notice

It's OK I voted for it

it’s so beautiful thank you

think I am settling on 3 songs from Girls in Peacetime, but there are two others that just missed the ballot. should have known I would like this album if it's Brad's favorite

I entered my own votes on the first day so I wasn't tempted to vote strategically and have managed to restrict myself to slight tinkering with the order. But today I found I could no longer resist giving some points to "There's Too Much Love". Amazing really that I barely registered its existence around the turn of the century, let alone acknowledged it as the highlight that it is.

Absolutely superb cut

yeah agreed, and it actually snuck onto my ballot at the last minute too

Sneak Into My Ballot, Baby.

love that this poll made me realize how crucial colburn is to their sound and also to the successful expansion of their sound. he's one of the main reasons girls in peacetime works at all. also the drumbeat for "i didn't see it coming" is all-time

I’m not submitting a ballot, but I must say relistening to all these albums makes me really appreciate this band all over again. They’re really fucking good songwriters! Why do so many people hate this band so much?

Just voted

Why do so many people hate this band so much?

There have been a few comments floating around on here, along the lines of 'that twee cunt' etc. It always feels like we're not far from other, more, ah, vicious insults.

28 ballots received so far. Y'all have done rather well given this wasn't even on the upcoming polls list this time two weeks ago.

Plenty of time of left if you're still deliberating...

i will definitely be sending a ballot

Still making my last few tough cuts, will be submitting later today

when are the ballots due again?

i just tried playing "dirty dream #2" while singing and am ready to play out when we have ilx B&S nite

I originally said the end of 10th December (in Alaska (?) or wherever GMT-12 timezone is), which is itself well over 48 hours away. But if people are still tinkering towards the middle of the week I've promised to wait till they're done. Bigger ballot pool > punctuality.

Calculating the final results will take only a few seconds after that, but I probably need a day or two to cater for the tracks at the start of the countdown, which are currently, er, oscillating wildly with every new ballot. (The whole list is in flux really: almost nothing is more than a few points clear of its rivals. Later contributors can still make a big difference.)

My ballot will be in on the 10th. I meant to spend this time listening to the material I was less familiar with but, finally catching up with DCW aside, I've mostly gotten hung up on listening to the I already knew and loved but hadn't heard in a long time.

"almost nothing is more than a few points clear of its rivals"

because there are so many outstanding ones. it's really hard to choose between them

sent! could go on revising forever though

I'm tempted to draw up an alternative top 30. I bet it's nearly as good.

I feel like a good (possibly the best) ballot would just be everything from the first two albums and first three EPs, in by order. Minus a track.

Voted. No spoilers, but my number one is a track from the past 3 years.

also voted

voted

Ooooh, just noticed these (and more, possibly) juicy new ballots in my mailbox. This is feeling like a pretty strong turnout overall. Fab.

Ballot sent

I meant to spend this time listening to the material I was less familiar with but, finally catching up with DCW aside, I've mostly gotten hung up on listening to the I already knew and loved but hadn't heard in a long time.

Same

Voted

Big shake-up in my spreadsheet recent votes. A few tracks have shot up 20-or-so places and the top ten has thoroughly jiggled itself about. Fascinating.

That's 36 votes now, and 128 tracks selected.

I've taken a liking to crytosicko's "We're not terrific, but we're com-POLL-tent" as a rollout thread title. Further puntastic suggestions are encouraged.

'AFTER recent votes", geez.

When is the official deadline?

I've promised to wait until at least Tuesday. So...within the next 48 hours or so would be good.

nice,

I know POLL puns are de rigueur for rollout thread titles but "Could we please be objective?" would be highly appropriate

Yes, I like it!

If I could do just one near perfect poll I'd be happy

get me away from here, i'm POLL-ing

Could we please be objective cause the other POLLS are queuing up behind us.