Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Ten reasons why I love Belle and Sebastian

Belle and Sebastian - Women's Realm


I spent the majority of my time at home last weekend listening to Belle and Sebastian. Sounds lame, but it made me feel so goddamn good. I had completely forgotten about this band, my huge collection of their material, and how much I love them. It’s all I’ve been listening to all week, and surely there’s some serious positive correlation with how happy [or at least indifferent] I’ve been lately.

10. The horn section at the end of 'I’m a Cuckoo'. Specifically from 4:33.

9. “Thought there was love in everything and everyone, you’re so naïve”.

8. The piano melody throughout ‘There’s Too Much Love’. This is serious foot-tapping stuff. It would be far more convenient if I drove an automatic.

7. The beginning of 'Electric Renaissance' reminds me of an ELO song you could find on the soundtrack to Xanadu. I love Xanadu.

6. “We introduced my child bride to whisky and gin”

5. The whistlability of the trumpet solo 1:40 into 'Dirty Dream Number Two'. This entire song is just too goddamn catchy. Not only this, but it’s followed by 'Boy With the Arab Strap' and the handclapping! I’m pretty sure I got caught out by a truck driver while I was doing the whole head-shaking-while-singing thing driving to work this morning. I feel invisible when I’m on the motorway. Which brings me to my next point:

4. They make me happy, simply put. Inhibitions: gone. Anger at people who cut me off: forgiven.

3. 'Sleep the Clock Around'. All of it. Perfection.

2. 'Women’s Realm'. The piano melody! The strings! Also one of the rare occasions I really like a relayed male-female duet.
“Your dad’s a boozer and you keep him alive”

1. I have an incredibly difficult time trying to choose a favourite B and S song, but 'Century of Fakers' was my first introduction to them. Shortly after, I made my first eBay purchase of a copy of the 3, 6, 9 Seconds of Light 7” specifically for this song. I fell in love immediately, and have had a strong attachment to this song, and this release, ever since. There is something so wonderful about listening to this song on vinyl on a Sunday while cleaning my house. I also really, really love it how Stuart counts “1, 2, 3, 4” at the song’s end.

3 comments:

Anwyn said...

Well timed, Amber. I too have been rediscovering my love of B&S this last week, though I can't say I've paid any attention at all to The Life Pursuit.

I find it impossible to stay in my chair when 'The Boy With the Arab Strap' comes on. Those handclaps! Made for dancing!

Maybe 'String Bean Jean' is my favourite song of theirs? Then again, maybe it's 'Judy and the Dream of Horses'? Too hard to pick just one...

RICHARD said...

thanks for posting this. now i'm going to go and get obsessed once again

Anonymous said...

I lurve Belle and Sebastian. Whenever I am in a bad mood, they do a pretty reasonable job of trying to cheer me up.