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

I remember reading an interview with Stuart Murdoch where he said that every song was written by either Belle or by Sebastian, it was up to us to figure out which, that has always stuck with me

great poll, thanks for the winter wooskie shoutout! :)

I like the pop songs.
The Life Pursuit is my favorite album.
"Funny Little Frog" was my #2.
"Mornington Crescent" is the worst song on TLP.
"Seeing Other People" was my #1 to a large extent because it sounds like Charlie Brown music.

I think what I'm trying to say is, I'm not a proper Belle & Sebastian fan.

01. Seeing Other People
02. Funny Little Frog
03. Dirty Dream Number Two
04. Don't Leave the Light On Baby
05. I'm a Cuckoo
06. Act of the Apostle
07. Lazy Line Painter Jane
08. Another Sunny Day
09. Write About Love
10. Like Dylan in the Movies
11. If She Wants Me
12. This Is Just a Modern Rock Song
13. Wrapped Up in Books
14. The Blues Are Still Blue
15. I Want the World to Stop
16. If You're Feeling Sinister
17. Step Into My Office, Baby
18. You Don't Send Me
19. Sweet Dew Lee
20. The State I Am In (Tigermilk version)
21. Legal Man
22. The Stars of Track and Field
23. Winter Wooksie
24. I'm Waking Up to Us
25. Nobody's Empire
26. The Boy with the Arab Strap
27. To Be Myself Completely
28. Best Friend
29. Expectations
30. Song for Sunshine

"Seeing Other People" was my #1 to a large extent because it sounds like Charlie Brown music.

Can't deny there's something to this

just want to say i enjoyed the warmth exhibited throughout this poll even if this band doesn't do much for me.

Great poll thanks, never seen any of these 'outtake'/alternate-cover images before.

I only possess a Vince Guaraldi record because a Charlie Brown vibe was also noted on, presumably, the Sinister list back in the day!

Anyone who voted for "Act of the Apostle" and "Song for Sunshine" (I missed the latter when listing the unpopular things on my ballot} may actually be the best kind of B&S fan.

Great poll! Thanks for running it so wonderfully! :)

1. The State I Am In
2. I'm A Cuckoo
3. Your Cover's Blown
4. It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career
5. Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying
6. Lazy Line Painter Jane
7. If She Wants Me
8. The Boy With The Arab Strap
9. She's Losing It
10. Don't Leave The Light On Baby
11. The Blues Are Still Blue
12. Stay Loose
13. You're Just a Baby
14. The Model
15. Expectations
16. Jonathan David
17. Funny Little Frog (GHTG version)
18. There's Too Much Love
19. Dirty Dream Number Two
20. We Rule The School
21. The Chalet Lines
22. To Be Myself Completely
23. Women's Realm
24. Slow Graffiti
25. Judy and the Dream of Horses
26. A Summer Wasting
27. My Wandering Days Are Over
28. Electronic Renaissance
29. If You're Feeling Sinister
30. Piazza New York Catcher

This poll really arrived at an ideal time to re-think B&S, at that 20 year point where cultural artifacts take on a new context and rock artists sometime exit their awkward middle career flailing. The 90s records feel closer to Stereolab and even Ghost Box hauntalogy and further from c86 and twee now. Not that the later labels don't apply, but this listening exercise has changed my generalizations about the music.

yeah stereolab as a comparison definitely occurred to me when i was going through their discog, though mostly for the self-consciously retro pop songs but with motorik beats thing

I thought of Stereolab when I was trying to place the sound behind Sleep the Clock Around. They share a similar relationship with kitsch, too.

organ riff at the end of "lazy line painter jane" is extreeeeeeeemely stereolab imo (and also extremely vu ofc)

There's something to be said for them following a particular path out of the VU sound - much closer to the Nico/John Cale version than the Lou Reed one, obviously.

eh i think the third album is a major part of their sound

Buh, of course. Brainfart.

just catching up with the results -- good stuff! one more ballot fwiw (informed by a cursory re-listening that turned often to awe and new appreciation, of course. i love this band's multitudes)

Like Dylan in the Movies
Women's Realm
The Stars of Track and Field
Seeing Other People
Another Sunny Day
A Summer Wasting
Me and the Major
Mayfly
The State I Am In
White Collar Boy
Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying
She's Losing It
Funny Little Frog
I Didn't See It Coming
The Fox in the Snow
The Rollercoaster Ride
Family Tree
Lazy Line Painter Jane
Wrapped Up in Books
Sleep the Clock Around
Electronic Renaissance
Dog on Wheels
Your Cover's Blown
Come On Sister
We Are the Sleepyheads
Judy is a Dick Slap
Stay Loose
Waiting for the Moon to Rise
You Made Me Forget My Dreams
The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner

I have no idea whether there's any discernable evidence in either case, but from the chatter on fan lists of each, I always imagined B&S must have prompted a spike in sales of Bryter Layter in a fashion not unlike Stereolab doing the same for Neu!

This was an awesome poll. Cheers.

ALBUMS
1. Dear Catastrophe Waitress
2. If You’re Feeling Sinister
3. Tigermilk
4. Push Barman to Open Old Wounds
5. The Boy with the Arab Strap

EPS
1. Dog on Wheels
2. Lazy Line Painter Jane
3. Books
4. 3... 6... 9... Seconds of Light
5. Legal Man

TRACKS:
1. Me and the Major
2. Dog on Wheels
3. If You’re Feeling Sinister
4. Stay Loose
5. You Don’t Send Me
6. If You Find Yourself Caught in Love
7. She’s Losing It
8. Piazza, New York Catcher
9. Get Me Away from Here, I’m Dying
10. Is It Wicked Not to Care?
11. Sleep the Clock Around
12. Like Dylan in the Movies
13. I’m a Cuckoo
14. It Could Have Been a Brilliant Career
15. Electronic Renaissance
16. You’re Just a Baby
17. Seeing Other People
18. Expectations
19. Judy and the Dream of Horses
20. Legal Man
21. The Boy with the Arab Strap
22. Step Into My Office, Baby
23. Le Pastie de la Bourgeoisie
24. Your Cover’s Blown
25. I Love My Car
26. I Believe in Traveling Light
27. Stars of Track and Field
28. Act of the Apostle
29. The Party Line
30. Asleep on a Sunbeam

This poll made me realize a lot of people listen to B&S for reasons different to mine.

I had never really paid Lazy Line Painter Jane. I think it's appalling. Possibly the worst song by this band I've heard? Here's my points score:

40 - Stay Loose
36 - Expectations
33 - Dylan in the Movies
30 - I fought in a war
28 - I’m a cuckoo
26 - Dog on wheels
25 - Another sunny day
24 - Funny little frog
23 - Allie
22 - We were beautiful
21 - White collar boy
20 - Sunday’s pretty icons
19 - I want the world to stop
18 - Your cover’s blown
17 - The party line
16 - The everlasting muse
15 - The stars of track and field
14 - Wrapped up in books
13 - A summer wasting
12 - The fox in the snow
11 - Dirty Dream 2
10 - Play for today
9 - The blues are still blue

I've never really liked it either

I keep coming back to that "The Blues are Still Blue" Lip Dub thingy. Gloriously goofy, and I like the song about 89% more after several viewings. Thanks bendy.

Mine:

1 Ease Your Feet in the Sea
2 Belle & Sebastian
3 Seeing Other People
4 The Fox in the Snow
5 Slow Graffiti
6 String Bean Jean
7 Don't Leave the Light on Baby
8 Winter Wooskie
9 The Stars of Track and Field
10 A Century of Fakers
11 You Made Me Forget My Dreams
12 Dog on Wheels
13 Legal Man
14 The Model
15 Me and the Major
16 Stay Loose
17 I Know Where the Summer Goes
18 Lazy Line Painter Jane
19 The State I Am In
20 Step Into My Office, Baby
21 Beautiful
22 Simple Things
23 It Could Have Been a Brilliant Career
24 I Fought in a War
25 Photo Jenny
26 Sleep the Clock Around
27 Chickfactor
28 The Rollercoaster Ride
29 Women's Realm
30 Nice Day for a Sulk

I keep coming back to that "The Blues are Still Blue" Lip Dub thingy. Gloriously goofy, and I like the song about 89% more after several viewings. Thanks bendy.

― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Wednesday, December 19, 2018 8:35 AM (four hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Otm! Gave me a whole new appreciation for the song. What a joyful bunch.

A schoolyard of teens united in song, singing and dancing clumsily around Seville orange trees could well be a dream image from 90s B&S.

it's so cool.

I should have put Play for Today *much* higher. What a track.

Indeed.

I had but one Peacetime track on my hastily-assembled ballot. I'm wiser now and have even, finally, procured a physical copy. (Write About Love too, fercrissakes!) I also had a nice image prepared for "Play for Today", so I was doubly sad to see it slip down the rankings in late voting.

Put it here, You're allowed!

This poll was responsible for B&S cementing themselves in my favourite top 5 or so bands. Before they were a band I liked generally, loving a few songs and a couple albums. Now their entire catalogue just makes me very, very happy.

Thanks, Nag!

Definitely the rare and weird category of favorite band I unabashedly adore and want to listen to all the time, except for when I don't and find them too precious and need to set them aside for several months or even years.

Ha ha, yes. Same.

Thirded.

Fourthed. (I'd practically given up on them before this poll.)

Yes! I feel this way about the Pixies too.

I've only just worked out that the backing vocals at the end of Play for Today are 'author, author'. I've been singing 'up your jumper'.

And it bears repeating: what a fucking great song.

I though it was something like "up the mountain"

I totally think it is 'up the mountain' but other days I hear 'author author' - both have resonance. Anyway, what a song and would probably be my number one if I were to vote today.

Let's fill the glass and light to share the sun
The backstage of your life.

The lyrics on the sleeve are "author author" but my ears refuse to hear it as anything but "up the mountain".

The backstage of your life.