I will contain myself from writing the nth. review this week,but would like to add my humble opinion to 'The Chalet Lines' controversy. While being at home last week, I read some article about the album in an Spanish mag (Rock de Luxe,for the sake of accuracy)where the author praised it as one of the best songs in it, though the whole work scored quite high for the standards of this publication,not exactly easy to please and with very different intentions from the usual British counterparts.They are not angry but 'arty' and usually quite loyal to their favourites.Belle and Sebastian ranked very high with IFYS in their eyes but dropped spectacularly with TBWTAS,not being even mentioned among the best 20 lps that year.,to give you a flavour.But it seems they are quite happy to reinstore their faith in Struan and company, so, that if anyone is insterested in suscribing for the next 12 issues, you will get a complimentary copy of FYHCYWLP. But he mentioned that given the absence of printed lyrics attached to the promo copy he had, he regarded not very adequate to make any pronouncement on the quality of the texts,quite sensibly,as he is not a native English speaker,neither the majority of his readers,I guess.So his favourable veredict on 'The Chalet lines' was based purely on the grounds of the instrumental aspects. Scott's message has brought me some new insight on why I agree with those who have used the adjective 'cliched' to talk about it,how it seems more a nearly rutinary statement in a Channel 4 documentary than a song written with the intention of going beyond the facts, to move or to console,I don't know. His comparison between the treatment of suicide in 'Ease your feet in the sea' and this of rape makes something click.It is possible,feasible and even a too often exploited artistic licence to transform suicide in the ultimate romantic action,the rejection of the World and the other the very sensitive and authentic beings cannot bear.While there is no way to elevate rape through poetry.To stay with the facts in a report-form could be to Stuart's eyes the most adequate stylistic approach with the aim of reveal the purest horror with minimal seasonings.My objection is that somehow it does not work... Arantxa +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister@missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo@missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "peculiarly deranged fanbase" "frighteningly named +-+ +-+ Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+