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

'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".

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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.

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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..

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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.

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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

Wonderful album, high on my ballot

Nice work on the image for that one.

I'm very much a 'prefer the early stuff' fan but I love this song, great rhythm guitar and some of their best vocal harmonies. Also I noticed from going through some of their videos that both this and the one for Lazy Line Painter Jane feature someone using a book as a pillow, I'm convinced that has some sort of significance.

30 down and 30 to go. Three more now, I think. Can figure out how to make things a bit more orderly for the end of the countdown after I've had some sleep...

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30. Women's Realm
From Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant (2000)
At KCRW, 2003
Points: 305
Votes: 21
#1 Votes: 0

Some things I've learned quite a bit about in recent days because of B&S:
- Mike Piazza
- Eucalypts in California
- Women's Realm magazine

Step into my Office Baby: specifically a pastiche of “Good Vibrations”? That’s the way I heard it once I got past the lyrics. One of those rare pop songs where the lyric stood out on first listen.

"pastie" and "century of fakers" are way too low

"women's realm" about right though, i love that song

"you're just a baby" should've been top ten imo

string arrangement on this one is ridic

I hope 'To Be Myself Completely' pops up, although it's unlikely.

One thing this exercise has clarified for me is that FYHCYWLAP is...bitchin'

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29. Don't Leave the Light on Baby
From Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant (2000)
Live in Rio, 2001
Points: 310
Votes: 17
#1 Votes: 0

hell yeah

couldn't find room for it on my ballot but a great song buried in that first side

Love that moment when the backing vocals finally come in on this track. This is the only FYHCYWLAP that made my ballot.

I've never been one to emphasize the importance of good lyrics, but B&S is a band that really does benefit from having good ones.

There's Too Much Love is approximately 20 times better than the coasting Women's Realm you lunatics. Glad to see Don't Leave the Light on Baby make it though.

5th in the row I haven't voted for.

I bloody love Women's Realm. It'd be good to put some kind of concordance together, to track the different themes and locations in their songs. This has the classic dance/sing like you're on your own, and, I've always linked the 'Indian part of the town' to the taxi driver in TBWTAS.

"There's Too Much Love" is the only Fold Your Hands track I squeezed onto my ballot, and only at the last minute. Which now seems insane. Clearly my biggest mistake was failing to propose a ballot size of 100 slots at the outset.

B&S coast so beautifully.