Saint Etienne - so criminally underrated !

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

When is it going to be realised just what a classic group Saint Etienne are ? Cast aside as being 90s has-beens, ignored as being irrelevancies, sniffed at for being saccharin Beach Boys worshippers... for christs sake, wise up people. These guys are still perpetually putting out sublime permutations of pop, northern soul, Wilsonia (yes) and tres tres modern beats, and remain 100% style. And the singles still sound fresh.

― Darren, Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'll agree about the 100% style part. And that might be the problem... that whole style and no substance cliche... but I like them; they're a bit too twee at times of course, so it's the kind of thing you'll put on every two years or so, and they're not really all that original. But they know how to turn a phrase and they know when to throw in some beats. "criminally underrated"? No, they seem to be pegged pretty good, as a semi-guilty pleasure that'll provide a moment of joy here and there.

― Tim DiGravina, Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

what's the difference between saint etienne and saint germain anyway?

― fields of salmon, Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Maybe it's just 'cause I'm new to them, but I love St. Etienne as well. They're sniffed at? what a shame...

― Dan I., Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Bob Stanley is a major hero of mine, plus they've done a cover of The Springfields "Are We Gonna Be Alright". Their LPs are patchy, but their singles are almost entirely classic.

― electric sound of jim, Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i did not know st etienne were sniffed at. praise for them seems to be almost universal. i think they are mostly brilliant too, he's on the phone, marios cafe and avenue are probably my faves today

― gareth, Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah, they're a marvellous band. What makes them special I think is the way they have respect and love for the ways people used to make pop (like loads of other underground or indie pop bands) and then marry it to a real excitement about the ways people are making pop right now (unlike those bands). They know how to take 'style' - placenames, label names, dropped names, little surface details - and make it suddenly very evocative, too.

― Tom, Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

how come on all the music writing cliche threads nobody ever mentions 'criminally underrated'?

― ethan, Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

we had bigger dinosaurs to fry ethan

― mark s, Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

but that's criminal, mark, a CRIME

― ethan, Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Finally listened to that free St Etienne CD I got. Sound of Water or something. It gave me a headache. Too *wishwashy*.

― nathalie, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Saint Etienne certainly aren't underrated, but I don't really think anything I listen to is underrated. Practically everything is overrated by somebody.

― Ian, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

As for their albums, I recently decided that "Tiger Bay" (the longer US version) is probably my favourite album EVAH.

But, no they're not criminally underrated, it's probably more a case of being damned with faint praise. (or rather, strong praise that totally misses the point)

― Tim, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Never got into them. Bought the album "So Tough" back in 1993 as the guy who made me get into indie liked them. Listened to it a couple of times. "Wishy-washy" is quite well a description Nathalie. I found the music hollow and somehow sticky. There was nothing in the music that could hold my attention. Pointless overproduced boring synthie dance pop. By the way I was happy to get rid of that album. Their best moment was on their first album the Neil Young cover "Only Love Can Break Your Heart".

― alex in mainhattan, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Just when it was all a bit chummy Alex dissents "Pointless overproduced boring synthie dance pop. By the way I was happy to get rid of that album." brillant!

― kiwi, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

So it would appear that ILM is not the place to find people who underrate St Et. I suppose the criticism that's levelled against them is that they're too clever, too knowing. They want(ed) to have a hit record, as Baxendale would dearly love, but were always too arch and aloof to be down with the actual young people with whom they'd have to strike a chord. The Pet Shop Boys are the only band I cna think of that have achieved what St Etienne have been trying to do for years - to combine intelligence and a great record collection with a serious handle on what a hit record should sound like. Having said all of that, I also love their sound!

― Daniel, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Perils of intentionality on ILM, part 1: I wuv St Etienne because of what they do - i.e. marry old and new pop, this initially and obviously taking the form of that top 90s pop staple the danced-up cover version but later branching out in other maybe less obvious ways. Dan above regrets that they never achieved what they wanted to do i.e. have a hit and this maybe makes them a lesser band to the Pet Shop Boys. I think the not-having-a-hit thing is kind of a red herring (He's On The Phone was Top 10 actually so they had more hits than Scooch heh heh), it was the stick the NME used to beat them with at one point which perhaps makes me suspicious of it...

(I do think the PSB were better though and now have to work out why)

― Tom, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No, Tom, I don't regret their lack of hits. I was merely repeating the criticisms levelled at them in order to understand why Darren might reckon they're underrated.

― daniel, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oops sorry Dan, OK, amend that to read, Dan refers to people who regret their lack of hits (or sneer at it).

― Tom, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I love St Etienne - I think their work with Ian Catt is utterly glorious. They've often been criticised fpr being too clever, therefore elitist - utter crap...they're the most accessible 'dance' act I've ever come across. I think journalists were just clutching at straws to try & put them down. In an NME or MM interview they were branded snobs for calling a song 'Avenue' as opposed to "...Street or Road". That has to be one of the most pathetic attempts at a put-down I've ever come across.

Still on a SE note, what about World of Twist? I adore 'Quality Street' (part from the couple of obvious post Madchester tracks), but it was an utter flop. If you haven't heard it check out the album version of Sweets...

― Jez, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Original pirate material, lock down your aerial, you're listening to the Avenues!

Lots of World Of Twist lovers here Jez. I had Quality Street on tape and lost it and when I found it again on CD last year I was so delighted - great album.

― Tom, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think that part of the problem with the recent tossing off of St Etienne is rooted in the fact that they have become more of a light pop band since the days of Foxbase Alpha, So Tough and Tiger Bay. People who think of that period as the heyday find more meat in the remixes than they do in the recent original product SE is kicking out (e.g., "Heart Failed in the Back of a Taxi"). For me (as is all muci, it seems), what I want from them depends on the mood I'm in and I like most of whatever they do. -jeff

― mxyzptlk, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

More albums should have tracks like "Memo to Pricey." Why, I don't know.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I totally adore 'fox base alpha' its one of the great unsung comedown albums, as if someone mentioned WOT! i just downloaded 'sweets' the other day (alas i only have 'quality street' on tape..) whatever happened to them?

― el wanko, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

they became Mum & Dad (sorta)

― electric sound of jim, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I agree - St. Etienne were brilliant and never really got massively mainstream - just like Dubstar, who were equally brilliant and underrated. Check out the acoustic version of stars by dubstar if you haven't already and you will know what I mean!

― robsa, Wednesday, 20 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What do people think of Sarah Cracknell's solo album?

― alext, Wednesday, 20 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm a huge fan and I don't think most of the US ever really got them. Even my girlfriend, who generally likes poppy and more upbeat music, seems to have turned against them after seeing them live last year. It was the backup singers. Personally I thought (and hope) that the super-made up backup singers were a bit of a joke, but I could be wrong. Doesn't change the quality of their albums though; Sound of Water in particular is top notch.

― kyle, Wednesday, 20 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.