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

the whole 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light EP is awesome!

It really is! I considered putting three of the tracks on (never really liked the chorus of Beautiful so that one was out)

no "beautiful" is perfect!!!!!

Actually I don't even know if it's the chorus. I mean the 'beautiful only slightly mental' bit. And I don't much like it when SM does pat A-B rhymes like ill/pill, photography/pornography, and the orthopaedic shoes/fashion blues line really makes me wince.

But the "if you knew what's going on in her life" key change is lovely

sent my ballot!

And I don't much like it when SM does pat A-B rhymes like ill/pill, photography/pornography, and the orthopaedic shoes/fashion blues line really makes me wince.

he does it constantly! she had the knowledge to get her into college!

I know – it's quite bad. Maybe I don't like this band after all.

lol

I mean..

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2018/dec/05/belle-and-sebastian-indie-music-cruise-stuart-murdoch-plans-festival-at-sea-next-summer

Turns out the best way to listen to the Human Problems stuff is while doing data entry. Got a whole bunch of ballots overnight [GMT+10], and nearly every track is working for me now.

That's 20 ballots so far and... *checks again* 110 distinct tracks selected.

Through throwing myself into their catalog for this poll, I appreciate B&S way more than I did before. For years, I thought that If You're Feeling Sinister and Dear Catastrophe Waitress were all I needed from them - I still think those are the peaks of the two eras, but there's a lot of great songs scattered throughout the other albums. Even some songs I wrote off suddenly have an appeal they didn't before

I appreciate how "This is Just a Modern Love Song" builds.

This listening process has focused and dispelled a lot of ideas I'd had about B&S. First, that Murdoch is a martinet of a leader. There's a lot of push-and-pull and collaboration, and there's been less turnover in the band than I figured. On the one hand you've got songs (mostly earlier, but Nobody's Empire is a shining example) that focus on a Murdoch melody and his emotional buy-in (the "the very best songs, being ones important to the songwriter" songs). But rave ups like "Legal Man", where he disappears into the collective vision of the band are just as satisfying. There's some clumsy experiments that speak to less self-awareness, less irony that I took from them 20 years ago. And while the top 15 songs or so were easy for me to pick out, there's easily another 40 just a step below, with very bright spots on records I dismissed at the time.

I think you nailed it, really. On a song by song basis most of the band's output has been solid at least, exemplary at best. But in an album context even many of those solid songs don't always come off as well as they might have on, say, stuck on a b-sides comp.

Oh lord, thought I would do a one-time listen through Girls in Peacetime and see if anything jumped out before submitting - but it's too good! there's like three or four tracks I could see making my ballot, I need more time with this album

yeah, was my experience too

this time through The Party Line, The Cat with the Cream, and Today (This Army's for Peace) stood out, also Enter Sylvia Plath and The Everlasting Muse

Enter Sylvia Plath was the biggest one for me, like a lost Abba song or something

also, as mentioned multiple times above, Play for Today is great

Is this still due on Dec 10 or is it possible to push it back? They have many more ballot-worthy songs than I remembered.

i'm glad everyone loves my new favorite belle and sebastian album girls in peacetime want to dance

wish i could've found room for "power of three" on my ballot, that song is just gorgeous

Yeah that song is really nice too. I think Sarah's vocals have gotten noticeably better every record

Is this still due on Dec 10 or is it possible to push it back?

It's possible to push it back a tiny bit. Though I really want to roll it out way before Xmas. If folks are still struggling once 11:59 PM 10 December has passed in every timezone, I'll certainly wait for any stragglers. But hopefully no more than a day or two...

That's 20 ballots so far and... *checks again* 110 distinct tracks selected.

Just sent mine. Am sort oh hoping and sort of not hoping that I've brought the distinct-track count up.

I think you might have increased it. :) Though I was pleased to finally gain some company re at one least of your selections.

Total count is apparently now 117 tracks.

Enter Sylvia Plath was the biggest one for me, like a lost Abba song or something

didn't make my 30 but yes this jumped out at me too

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