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

I may have slightly overrated The Model, but it's so charming. It must be the last from its album.

nah, on certain days i think it's the ultimate b&s song, though there are many other songs vying for that title

this is my favourite from fold your hands and i really should have voted for it. the constantly building and shifting string arrangement is fantastic. also stevie singing one line in every verse

the harpsichord definitely is twee as fuck.

The Model is amazing. That rush of words reminds me of that story about how Dylan thought nuclear war was coming so he just took all the stanzas he'd jotted down intended as starting points for various songs and just threw them all into A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall before it was too late.

also stevie singing one line in every verse

yeah this is such a cool move

to catch up with some stuff i missed:

- i like the life pursuit and i like this rollout a lot but imo "funny little frog" can't hang imo, not this high
- didn't vote for "piazza" but i think its charms are extremely obvious so i'm not mad
- i love how many people had "the rollercoaster ride" ascending their ballots during the voting period. me too! its effect is so subtle but when it hits you, it's devastating

i said that about "funny little frog" but i know when i hear it in the playlist i'm gonna think "ok this song is a jam"

"funny little frog" is ok but i'm shocked that it's probably the highest placing song from the life pursuit, unless "mornington crescent" is still to come which seems unlikely?

i don't know if i'd ever describe b&s lyrics as "good," there's always, always, always some dodgy or obvious rhyme even/especially in the classic stuff, but i think what makes it all work for me is the sensibility, that the band have literary aspirations but are never polished about it and are willing to follow an image around a corner but are also just gonna rhyme "on the rag" with "sleeping bag." it's part of their whole marriage of the mysterious and the incredibly ordinary, which, given murdoch's perspective, he would find incredibly ordinary things deeply mysterious

almost certainly not :( xp

afaict not a single song from Sinister has placed yet!

lol right

"mayfly" is already too high btw

i'm not too surprised that every sinister track is doing this well when it won the albums poll so overwhelmingly - i really thought it might be closer though

the rollercoaster ride
of all the trouble kept her inside

;_;

Perhaps not 'every' Sinister track. :)

I'll shall roll out some more in the morning. (Friday afternoon for most of you, it seems.)

i love the gradual introduction of all of the instruments in "you're just a baby," and how it feels like the song doesn't *really* start until stevie jackson starts strumming. what an awesome guitar player

Thank you! Xpost

hadn't realized until just now that they are currently a seven-piece(!!)

the boy done wrong again placing above String Bean Jean would have me very upset

hadn't realized until just now that they are currently a seven-piece(!!)

― resident hack (Simon H.), Friday, December 14, 2018 8:31 AM (eight minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

when i watched the sinister doc i was completely baffled at their approach to recording the first two records, live from the floor including with fucking 6-7 people in your band? certainly the only way to do it if you have no money but also total madness

including vocals*

wow...

sounds surprisingly clear and good if that's the case

I bet you it wasn't.

thanks for the insight tom

I know somebody who used to play with them, I should ask him.

I don't know what he played on though tbf.

wow no wonder those albums sound the way they do then, except it is a bit of a wonder they don't sound much worse?

also funny that they released a live album of sinister because they wanted a better sounding recording of it, but it absolutely sounds worse

I'm surprised by "Funny Little Frog" non-enthusiasm -- those opening lines!

it was a late cut for me, the lyrics are great, but there were a lot of songs i liked a lot more

xpost Plus, the video!

The arrangements on Don't Leave the Light on Baby are pure Moon Safari. In a good way, obviously

I'd never thought of this, but can see exactly what you mean

also funny that they released a live album of sinister because they wanted a better sounding recording of it, but it absolutely sounds worse

right, i was so excited when they released this but there's not a track on there i wouldn't rather hear the album take of

very happy don't leave the light on baby placed, incredible song

one more great thing about You're Just a Baby, a top 3 B&S song:

the little early measure drum hiccup/fill at "Yeah, you will be crying in the morning". the drummer guy was apparently a beginner when they were recording these, but he already had a great feel. it's the kind of weird stumble where you might glance over to see if he flubbed it or something, but then he just whoooshes back into the beat with such grace that it convinces you it was all on purpose. kind of hard to explain but it reminds me of some special ringo moments.

dang, Funny Little Frog is hitting me just right this afternoon! i regret not voting for it!

Karl Malone, did you lock yourself up with that song at some point ? The way you describe it so minutely and passionately makes me want to hear you on other songs :)

^ this. We need a thread with you dissecting all your favourite tracks, Karl.

drummers know drummers!

i didn't vote because i ran out of time/these songs hit me too hard and i can't afford to be a mess right now. however i would like to share a small anecdote for posterity.

i saw B&S at Pitchfork 2013 and it was raining during their set. i was there by myself. i was near an area where there were pieces of wood to dance on rather than soggy grass, so i took advantage of it and danced myself silly. there was a guy next to me who looked sort of like a goth Ray Davies and after a few songs, he looked at me and commented "You musta used up all your moves on that one!" And I just looked at him and said "Not even close" and continued dancing. memorable for how FUN it was to dance to B&S and also because the songs didn't send me into a tear-spiral, i just had a great time and was all by myself (which is how i have enjoyed B&S 99% of the time that i enjoyed their music) memory keywords: solitude, dancing, rain, lols <3

i felt like the soggy star of my own little B&S song

that's very nice of you all, but i have sort of been down that road before. turns out i don't have that many good thoughts about music. the well is shallow. or narrow but deep, or wide but shallow. whatever the worst of those is.
but when i (think i) do, i usually share them!

I'm a little later than I thought I might be, but I shall drop a few more, I think...

http://i63.tinypic.com/2whktac.jpg

27. I Could Be Dreaming
From Tigermilk (1996)
The unabbreviated 1996 BBC recording, thanks to Jonathan Hellion Mumble
Points: 324
Votes: 16
#1 Votes: 1

Seems like there's already an unusually diverse scatter of #1 songs, probably because B&S is so suited for solitary listening. You develop strange awkward little attractions without friends looking on, just like the characters in the songs.

Also: much too low.

Nice story Lechera. B&S could be the patron saints of dancing by yourself in the rain.

For the record, my #1 vote.