Thought I'd just throw in my suggestion to Miles' the list of the most "approachable" B&S songs. I disagree quite a bit, as you'll see (keep in mind that I've put it together like a tape to a friend who doesn't know anything about the band. So I'll leave out personal, obscure favourites like the hidden track on 3, 6, 9... and songs that really take time to grow) * Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying - An obvious song on such a list. It's the song that most "non-B&S-people" seem to like, and instantly hummable. * The State I'm In - Because it's the best thing they've ever done. Simple as that. * Le Pastie - It's brilliant, but also has a heavier sound even twee-o-phobics can love. * Photo Jenny - One of the bands catchiest choruses. * Stars Of Track & Field - It was the first B&S song I heard. It worked perfectly well for me... * You're Just a Baby - A surprise choice perhaps, but I love this song, and It can be justified with the same reasons as Le Pastie. * The Boy Done Wrong Again - Only included if the recipient is a known admirer of Nick Drake ;) * Dylan In The Movies - My B&S favourite, next to ...State... * The Model - Because it's very representative of how the band sound. No other band could have made this tune and arrangement. * Dirty Dream #2 - Should make your friend feel good. If not, you're probably better off without him/her. Oh, and here's one to piss everybody off: * Chickfactor - I simply don't understand why so many of you slag it off. The piano/mellotron and strings on it is plain gorgeous, and I can't find anything wrong with the tune either. Now shoot me. That's just 11 suggestions from the top of my head (my cd's are at work. I have a personal office where I can play anything I want as loud as I want. Yes, I know I'm lucky...). I could go on all night, but I probably would've ended up with the their complete output (I made may own MD with my B&S favourites, in chronological order. I ran out of disc-time before I got to TBWTAS...) BTW, I saw Flaming Lips in Norway on thursday, and it was the best concert I've ever been to in my entire life (I've been to a few). I was never one of those drooling over "The Soft Bulletin", as I think it paled compared to Mercury Rev's "Deserter's Songs" (Those to albums was constantly compared in reviews here in Norway). But the gig was pure genius. The music is one thing, but what made it truly awesome was the video-art they showed behind the band. Picture this: The screen shows the Teletubbies bouncing around in slow motion, their happy sun rising on the horizon. The beautiful, eerie tones of "A Spoonful Weighs a Ton" sneaks out of the speakers: "And though they were sad/they rescued everyone They lifted up the sun/a spoonfull weighs a ton Being drunk on their plan/they lifted up the sun Yelling as hard as they can/the doubters all were stunned Heard louder than a gun/the sound they made was love" I don't know if I make any sense here, but it was genuinely moving. A wee bit scaring, hopeful, childish, wise, happy and heartbreakingly sad all at the same time. And it was not just this one song. Most video-art at concerts are just silly fractals or something that doesn't communicate with or enhance the music in any way. But this... Oh, my God... I was in fact glad I turned down the offer of a wee joint before the gig. It would've been too much. I also saw Mojave 3 (phew... beautiful), Lambchop (same), Yo La Tengo (nice enough), Ben Christophers (should've played the club-stage), St. Etienne (good, despite half-arsed attention from the audience), D'Angelo (what a talented guy) and many more. Well, I have to take a trip to dozey-land now. Love Vegard ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+