Best track on Dummy

TS: "Stangers" vs "It Could Be Sweet" vs "Wandering Stars" vs "Numb" vs "Roads" vs "Glory Box"

This is DIABOLICAL

"It Could Be Sweet", methinks?

I think I'll go for Pedestal or Roads. Haven't made my mind up though.

Roads just beats Glory Box and It's A Fire (you're right, it's a great track)

Gotta go with "Wandering Stars," but it just narrowly eschews "Glory Box".

Eleven way tie for first?

'biscuit' for me because it's the creepiest

i wanna be a woman

Fun Faith No More live cover of Glory Box: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIRCutbaOmY

I suspect I'll be the only one to vote "Sour Times". But my favourite moment on that record is that impossibly slinky three-syllable pronunciation of "temptress". ("Glorybox")

srsly no filler on this LP altho still think the order is wack

Strangers tho

Yup, I'm going with Strangers too, narrowly from Biscuit, then Glory Box, then Wandering Stars.

This thread has made me realise that, with 2 or 3 exceptions, I don't know what any of the songs on the album are called, even though I love it. I'll listen to it tonight then vote.

i had that with the second album for some time because i just taped it off a friend. 'Portishead' is a good follow up to a great debut.

Every one's a winner, baby, and that's the truth.
I went with "It Could Be Sweet" though. Was strongly tempted by "Wandering Star".

"Wandering Star" juuuust ahead of "Roads" but I could go for any of these except "It Could Be Sweet", which is still awesome but def. not my fav.

The way Beth signs off her vocals on It Could Be Sweet with a barely audible sigh is one of the many many great moments on the album.

There seem to be a few takers for roads already, so I went with Pedestal - the trumpet solo is orgasmic.

glory box, just for "for ever, and evvvvveeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"

No-one repping for Mysterons? The beat! The theremin!

Sour Times. Don't care.

the heavy live version of Strangers made me realise it's my favourite track on this

ROADS.

"Roads" yeah.

Voted "Mysterons" just for the hell of it. One of the very few albums of its time to actually improve with age. (Where's the Maxinquaye poll?)

Roads, just ahead of Mysterons.

Bah, I accidentally voted for "It's A Fire" instead of "Numb", which I couldn't bear coming last. The only one I don't adore is "Biscuit" and even that's pretty great.

This is impossible. The first six tracks (not counting It's A Fire) are all excellent. I'll go for Strangers, but could have gone for any of those.

The track names seem like "working titles that never got changed"

So help a buddy time:

Mysterons (i.e. Theremin)
Sour Times (Nobody loves me, it's true..)
Strangers (help a buddy)
It Could Be Sweet (easy)
Wandering Stars (easy)
It's a Fire (vaguely remember it off the single)
Numb (cause a chilllddddd...)
Roads (big orchestral swirl in the middle)
Pedestal (easy)
Biscuit (help a buddy)
Glory Box (give me a reason to be.... a woman)

OK, so clue me with a reminder for the helpabuddy tracks there.

Strangers - "Did you realise the world inside belongs to Hugh"

Biscuit - slow fat man singing "I'll never fall in love again"

Biscuit: Got it.

Strangers.. nope, try the music for me?

Actually, I think I have it. Quite drummy in places?

CAN ANYBODY SEE THE LIGHT

drummy, yup - then they disappear for a bit and a kind of lightly strummed/plucked guitar comes in.

Yep, got it.

I sound like Pash on the mod board.

Hang on, where the fuck did It's A Fire come from?

Bonus track on non-Uk editions, placed in middle for some reason. It's really good:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y26KpgZknY

I didn't buy this until years later and it had It's A Fire on it. don't think it was an import copy so did later UK editions include it?

No.

actually, i am thinking 'biscuit' now i've actually listened to the album again.

"Roads"

I've narrowed it down a little:

TS: "Stangers" vs "It Could Be Sweet" vs "Numb" vs "Roads"

Bah, I accidentally voted for "It's A Fire" instead of "Numb", which I couldn't bear coming last.

"Sour Times" was the official anthem of the 1994 Noodle Vague World Cup team. So that.

i went back to my Irish roots that Summer.

Oh I didn't mean the footie. I just stuck it on a lot of jukeboxes whilst drunk.

Actually I put most of them on a lot of jukeboxes but "Sour Times" and "Wandering Stars" aren't gonna get enough love on here.

"Wandering Stars" got my vote; followed by "Roads" and the rest of the LP.

isn't it "Wandering Star" rather than "Wandering Stars"? I love the title, because when the record came out I was first studying Plato and I realized that the ancient Greek word for "planet" translates as "wandering star". I have no idea if the band is that brainiac but it was exciting as hell to think so.

[/ geek]

"It's a Fire" is my favorite, but "Roads", "Wandering Star", and "Stranger" are very close.

isn't it "Wandering Star" rather than "Wandering Stars"?

Most signs point to yes (and I always thought it was the singular, not the plural {regardless of what Gibbons sings}).

Maybe it's a UK-only bonus character.

Roads

isn't it "Wandering Star" rather than "Wandering Stars"?

It is a singular star, my mistake.

* The chorus and title of "Wandering Star" are taken from the Bible; "...wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever." (Jude 1:13)

Huh.

oh, the biblical thing is cool, not least because Jude's letter is in the New Testament, and so written in ancient Greek.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Every track has a friend or two!

Only four votes for Sour Times is a bit of a surprise. Not that I voted for it mind.

it's not like one vote ever made a difference!

this was so hard i didn't vote.

I'm glad I voted for "Strangers" but I sort of wish I'd voted for "It Could Be Sweet" after seeing the results.

I love this album so fucking much.

Strangers turned out to be the dark horse here.

happy 30th

Happy 30th anniversary to Dummy, nearly as old as I am 😆
Thank you for all the support. Xhttps://t.co/fWnQWv5u9E pic.twitter.com/XcqhaBi26Y

— Beth Gibbons (@realbethgibbons) August 22, 2024

Great to see Roads win this poll

Geoff Barrow’s post. What a happy man.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C-8hA0hOgos/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-L7bb3K_Zg

Lol