Belle & Sebastian - Step Into My Office, Baby

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Is it just me, or have I just fallen in love with the bastards all over again?

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Monday, 22 September 2003 18:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I mean, shit puns notwithstanding, I think Trevor Horn's just saved them. I am actually gonna get my B&S t-shirt washed and wear it with pride. This is smashing.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Monday, 22 September 2003 18:43 (twenty-two years ago)

no, you are right, this is the best album they have recorded in years.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Monday, 22 September 2003 18:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Trevor Horn produced B&S?! WTF?! what does it sound like? I've only just heard of this...

― scottjames23 (worrysome-man), Monday, 22 September 2003 19:07 (twenty-two years ago)

gentle waves album is meant to be great too isn't it? the new camera obscura record is the new 'boy with the arab strap'.

― keith (keithmcl), Monday, 22 September 2003 19:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I like the single a lot. I have not yet had time to listen to the whole album, I hope it is as good.

― Nicolars (Nicole), Monday, 22 September 2003 20:03 (twenty-two years ago)

horn manages to not make b&s sound like yes' "drama" or seal.

His production on this is very un-meddlesome, I wouldn't have known he'd done it if I hadn't read it. It's brighter and more orchestrated than previous B&S albums, Stevie has more songs (and they're good this time), there are several more pronounced hooky-poppy moments, but on the whole it succeeds just because this batch of songs is so strong. probably was a good idea for them to wait a couple of years to put this one together, it shows care and selectivity.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Monday, 22 September 2003 20:09 (twenty-two years ago)

it doesn't seem such a surprise to me, the last two singles were great, in spite of all the fools who claimed otherwise.

― keith (keithmcl), Monday, 22 September 2003 20:12 (twenty-two years ago)

"Belle And Sebastian Hook Up With TATU Producer"

ILX. WET. DREAM.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 22 September 2003 20:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't mean to sound snide...actually, I think it sounds keen!

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 22 September 2003 20:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Two words: instrumental mix.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 22 September 2003 20:24 (twenty-two years ago)

see, i never liked B&S. Too fey.

I was hoping that Trevor would put a pair of nuts on the band.

― scottjames23 (worrysome-man), Monday, 22 September 2003 20:44 (twenty-two years ago)

"Belle And Sebastian Hook Up With TATU Producer"

GIF!

I was hoping that Trevor would put a pair of nuts on the band.

The idea of Trevor Horn luring Belle & Sebastian and then teabagging all of them has me in complete hysterics at the moment.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 22 September 2003 20:46 (twenty-two years ago)

could TATU be more involved in this idea too please?

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 22 September 2003 20:47 (twenty-two years ago)

TATU Is holding B&S down and giggling. It's like jock hazing gone HORRIBLY RIGHT.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 22 September 2003 20:48 (twenty-two years ago)

this album is not as fey as the other albums, and the last song rocks a fair amount.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Monday, 22 September 2003 20:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Dan's vision makes me a happy man.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 22 September 2003 20:56 (twenty-two years ago)

oh what a single to return with. and oh what an album to return with. and oh what a...oh you get the idea. lovely. best since sinister, no diggedy.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Monday, 22 September 2003 22:55 (twenty-two years ago)

i got to bag it!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 22 September 2003 23:12 (twenty-two years ago)

(bag it up, babe!)

― backing vocals (tracerhand), Monday, 22 September 2003 23:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Are there promos going around...I didn't think it was out until next month. Even Amazon has customer reviews. In short, how has everyone heard it?

― Jez (Jez), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 05:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, there are promos around -- I was able to download a copy from someone I know.

― Nicolars (Nicole), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 11:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Does anyone know what 80s hit song the vocal effect that starts "Stay Loose" was taken from? This is driving me nuts. I've heard the song. I've liked the song. But I don't know what the damn song is.

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Kill me. Kill me now.

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 08:34 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

OK, I finally heard this song, at a really belated time. Having once been pretty hardcore into them (although I wasn't dewy-eyed about everything they ever did), I'm sort of confused that I don't like this song. It's not even terrible, it's just gimmicky. The lyrics annoy me (and I LIKED 'Legal Man'), the string flourishes sound effing corny, and there is way too much Stevie for my liking. Is the rest of the album this corny? I just can't imagine buying this and wanting to pull it out and listen to it repeatedly, I can imagine it maybe as a cartoon soundtrack or something.

Back to my cave. lurch, lurch...

― Blood and sparkles (bloodandsparkles), Sunday, 2 November 2003 22:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Is the rest of the album this corny?

It's not. When I first heard this song (live) I kind of liked it, but I never really got the crap-ness of the lyrics, so now I've heard the "proper" version, I'm none too keen on it. It had more of a Beach Boys vibe about it live. The video is quite fun though (again, once is enough though, I would imagine).

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 2 November 2003 23:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, pretty corny. Kinda fun live and insubstantial. Stevie can write all the hit songs he likes, I'm afraid he'll never be very good.

Stay Loose, however, is magical.

― Ally C (Ally C), Sunday, 2 November 2003 23:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Someone recommended "stay loose" to me, so maybe I'll try listening to that one. Corny = bleh. Stevie = corny AND bleh, except for "jonathon david". He ruins everything. Tape his mouth shut, maybe. I like his guitar playing just fine.

Insubstantial, exactly the word I was looking for. So yeah, if the rest of it is like this song, I might be through with B&S for the moment. Oh well, we'll always have 1998.

― Blood and sparkles (bloodandsparkles), Monday, 3 November 2003 16:26 (twenty-one years ago)

This is one of the best songs on the album. It's corniness/cartoonishness is what saves it, IMO.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 3 November 2003 16:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I heart Ally C, but he is way off the money about Stay Loose.

― chris (chris), Monday, 3 November 2003 17:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Should have said "someone else" recommended, in addition. But they think "SIMO" is the best song, so I don't know how much help that will be.

― Blood and sparkles (bloodandsparkles), Monday, 3 November 2003 17:07 (twenty-one years ago)

dear catastrophe waitress is the best song b&s have done in a long time (and they've done great songs).

― joan vich (joan vich), Monday, 3 November 2003 18:15 (twenty-one years ago)

'Stay loose' is likeable, but I can't really imagine at as being magical or worth recommending to anyone. Too pastiche-heavy, what with the cod-madness verse and sixties-as-interpreted-by-britpop-possibly chorus.

― cis (cis), Monday, 3 November 2003 18:26 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

REVIVE!

Due to the fact that they're in London playing some shows.

Did anyone go yesterday?
Is anyone going tonight? (I am)
How about tomorrow's karaoke-fest?

Hmmm? Well? Hmmm?

ps. Dear Miss Vicky, wouldn't it be funny if...oh, never mind ;-)

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 4 December 2003 11:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Really? Nobody at all?

*sulks*

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 4 December 2003 12:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Shall we bring up the DVD in this thread or a new one?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 4 December 2003 12:21 (twenty-one years ago)

new one! new one!

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 4 December 2003 12:28 (twenty-one years ago)

How about discussing the DVD-single in here, then?

'Disgusting' Askwithian whimsy.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Thursday, 4 December 2003 13:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, it is.

I must also admit that the video slightly reminds me not only of Askwith (dim memory) but of the video for "Ask", which was also full of whimsy but a) less varied and narrativized, b) less vulgar, though still probably a tad provocative for its time.

― the bellefox, Thursday, 4 December 2003 13:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Very funny charlie.... Actually, I'm not going. I was offered a spare ticket, but I really haven't taken to the new album at all, and have always been disappointed by their performances in London, so I decided not to bother. Maybe I'll sit at home and watch the fans only dvd instead.

― Vicky (Vicky), Thursday, 4 December 2003 13:59 (twenty-one years ago)

erm, maybe you won't........

I'll see if my boss has it with him

― chris (chris), Thursday, 4 December 2003 14:02 (twenty-one years ago)

and have always been disappointed by their performances in London

Well that much I can sort of understand. The Shepherd's Bush 1998 show was abysmal, and not only for non-musical reasons; but the Royal Albert Hall 2001 gig was quite splendid as I recall - perhaps the ecstacy helped though :$

I'm dead excited about tonight anyway, cos I want to see the new album played live (I think it'll gain new dimensions of scruffy splendour that way).

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 4 December 2003 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

the thing with B&S is they used to be rubbish live but now they are G*R*A*T*E.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Thursday, 4 December 2003 16:51 (twenty-one years ago)

naah, they were aces, then they went a bit crappy, then they pulled themselves together and now they're aces again! see, easy.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 4 December 2003 16:58 (twenty-one years ago)

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