Could we please be objective cause the other POLLS are queuing up behind us - Artist Poll #94 - Belle & Sebastian - RESULTS

That's it for now. :)

so kiss me before you go to sleep!

on the cheek, lol

i will see you liars tomorrow

The other thread suggested that this may even be their most hated song. What's all that about then?

really did not expect that to do as well as it did, it's ok but not really a favourite from life pursuit or anything

rollercoaster ride managed to make my ballot at the last minute, i love how it drifts along - it feels so much like something yo la tengo could have done

string bean jean is also excellent, the synth bit that starts off sounding like a marimba is great and i love that surf guitar line

There are at least, like, 8 better songs on TLP tbh. But it's good!

Summary (I hope this formatting works)

Rank Title                                              Pts    Votes  #1s
60   I Don't Love Anyone                                156    11     0
59   If You Find Yourself Caught in Love                157     9     0
58   I Want the World to Stop                           158    11     0
57   The Blues Are Still Blue                           168    13     0
56   I Fought in a War                                  177    13     0
55   Put the Book Back on the Shelf/Songs for Children  178    12     1
54   I Know Where the Summer Goes                       179    13     0
53   Beautiful                                          181    10     0
52   Ease Your Feet in the Sea                          187    11     1
51   Is It Wicked Not to Care                           206    12     0
50   Dress Up in You                                    209    10     0
49   I Didn't See It Coming                             216    13     1
48   Jonathan David                                     221    12     0
47   Photo Jenny                                        228    16     0
46   There's Too Much Love                              238    15     0
44=  It Could Have Been a Brilliant Career              244    15     0
44=  I'm Waking Up to Us                                244    18     0
43   Another Sunny Day                                  248    12     0
42   My Wandering Days Are Over                         257    16     0
41   Seymour Stein                                      258    14     0
40   Piazza, New York Catcher                           271    18     0
39   We Rule the School	                                276    21     0
37=  String Bean Jean                                   283    17     0
37=  The Rollercoaster Ride                             283    18     0
36   You're Just a Baby                                 285    17     1
35   Funny Little Frog                                  287    14     1

*phew*

nice!

a great rollout Nag! Nag! Nag!

The singer on God Help The Girl Funny Little Frog has a powerful voice. I had to vote for this.

the points distribution of the roll-out so far has been very very smooth

there aren't any big jumps between any of them so far, like boiling a funny little frog

Sorry I was too busy to comment much. "You're Just A Baby" -- I am basically permanently yessed out so the opening riff from "yours is no disgrace" here just always gets me, the way it seems to announce it is going to be a certain kind of song but then isn't -- or is it? I can't in good conscience say this is B&S prog but the weird harmony on "before" isn't really like anything else in their catalog and they just SIT on it...

And

"the switch-up on the last chorus, when he's like "so what's theeeeeee ...reason for all the looks we gave?"

YES.

"We Rule The School" was my #6 and not, I thought, an idiosyncratic choice; very surprised to see it this low. It's not the song I'd play for someone to get them excited about Belle and Sebastian, but it might be the one I'd play to explain what Belle and Sebastian is about, or were about then.

wait... hold up.. how is String Bean Jean so low? That song is canon - I'd have expected it to place at least top 10 if not higher.

I mean the lyrics alone. it's the ne plus ultra B&S song

this is one of the nothingy songs on Arab Strap I was talking about

FITE YOU!

“string bean jean” was my first favorite b&s song.

Same here. When I started to get my ballot together I assumed it would be my number one, but listening back I didn't like it quite as much (still right up there though).

and we always have a laugh and then we all get in the bath to save on the 'leccy bill / me and Jo and Phil

I gave votes to Piazza, We Rule, You're just a baby, and clearly, the one I regret not seeing higher, Seymour Stein. Big regrets for There's Too Much Love, I missed it.

I used to be a bit embarrassed by We Rule the School when I felt more defensive about the band. But relistening to Tigermilk it had that feeling of encapsulating everything, and with the benefit of distance it made its way on to my ballot ahead of some other tracks from the album I thought I loved more.

'You know the world is made for men, not us'
'You could either be successful or be us'
'They called us winsome but we're just hopeless'

I might drop a few more of these now, just to spread the timezone love around...

"Belle & Sebastian, on the radio, playing songs for children. And we're really sorry fur all the trouble we've caused".

http://i68.tinypic.com/23r2z9s.jpg
34. Le Pastie de la Bourgeoisie
From 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light (1997)
Perky performance at Lowlands
Points: 292
Votes: 20
#1 Votes: 1

XP: Ah, yes!

I've always liked Le Pastie but maybe it could have a more blistering production on it. Or maybe I just need to turn up the volume.

Good timing! I’ve had this in my head all morning.

I was the first-place vote here, and the imaginary version that plays inside my head does indeed tend to be more blistering than the familiar recording.

Love 'Le Pastie' and also kind of wish they'd done more songs like it.

Karl Malone otm re: 'You're Just a Baby' - I had it at #15 on my ballot but it should have been higher.

http://i64.tinypic.com/nch9jr.jpg

33. A Century of Fakers
From 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light (1997)
Original promo video
Points: 293
Votes: 15
#1 Votes: 1

The only B&S song I've ever sung on stage.

They nearly made it onto Top of the Pops with "Le Pastie", I forget why they got dropped..

http://i68.tinypic.com/nfi87d.jpg

32. Step Into My Office, Baby
From Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003)
Original promo video
Points: 297
Votes: 16
#1 Votes: 0

banger

My output is in decline
I was burned out after Thatcher
My banner I laid down with a sigh
Now I doubt if I'll ever catch her

one of the uncharacteristically extroverted-sounding songs from DCW, really great arrangement

It's odd, the band's been doing period-perfect pastiche from the start but to my ears has almost always come across well doing it, even at its most overt. This song, for example, is a real collision of familiar elements, but somehow it all works for me.

Only six songs from my ballot have showed up so far, so now I'm going through the list again trying to figure out which ones didn't place at all.
(probably the ones from Storytelling)

Nice to see Funny Little Frog garnered a #1 vote. I didn't rate that song at all really until I heard the God Help The Girl version. After that I came around to the original.

It doesn't feel right getting all shirty on the B&S thread, particularly about whimsy, but I'd happily never hear this again - it puts my teeth on edge.

your boss is not your girlfriend

Ah, I was the only one who put "A Century of Fakers" at #1. I was thinking that song would be arriving any minute, seeing so many other early EP tracks showing up in the results.

I do actually like this song despite/because of its insane levels of goofiness; didn't vote for it, mind

we need to talk

Also it's greatly improved if you imagine it really is just about the hazards of wage labor

I'm with you, Chinaski -- I know it's supposed to be in character and all, but it's just kinda ham-fisted (and musically, a bit too disjointed for my liking -- like a bunch of set-pieces)

I'm not in favour of any goofiness but the I was burned out after Thatcher section is strong.

http://i67.tinypic.com/35jc77o.jpg

31. Wrapped Up in Books
From Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003)
Original promo video
Points: 300
Votes: 21
#1 Votes: 0

all the arrangements on DCW are so good, i love when the jangley motorik groove suddenly transitions into that brief piano & reeds section