I got up at 5:45 am today. I'd forgotten how GORGEOUS early morning is (the light is different). But lines stick in your forehead when your tired... I can't be arsed to try and articulate all my thoughts about each song, but I think "I fought in a war" is going to be my lasting favourite. It kind of holds back - like showing there is a whole leg by hitching the hem-line up only a little (which, as everyone knows, is better). A couple of the others don't even have knickers on (they grab you on the first listen but the superficial thrill soon wears off). As Mark (and everyone else) says, FYHC (like TBWTAS) is "less organic" than T and IYFS, or "bitty" (the best and most useful word ever). But I think it hangs together better than TBWTAS. Its not as over-produced as I was thinking it might be. Not sure how important it is that albums hang together. Although tracklisting does matter, a lot of the time I listen to songs in isolation (you know how when there is just ONE song you need to listen to NOW, and none other will do). This means a lot of taking out and putting back of CDs, and is annoying when you stand by your CD rack for 10 minutes and can't decide which THE song is, and then realise it may not have actually been written yet. Anyway, as I was saying, FYHC is more bitty than T and IYFS. But its a good thing to have upbeat/jaunty mixed with quiet/tender (I HATE this last word, but couldn't think of a better one. Eeeeuuurrrggggghhh !!! <cringe cringe> ) Mmmmm, lyrics. Mark is right that the music hits you before the lyrics do - "its always the music by which a song lives or dies". But what if a really good song said "iron baby hamsters" ? Well, that would just be funny. Okay, then, "cripples are a burden" ? The thing is, lyrics can always be interpreted ironically/sarcastically, and singers can be singing in the 3rd person (could talk about Morrissey here but won't). I think lyrics need to have real meaning (and not just be wishy washy wanky "sixth form poetry" (David's phrase) like Oasis etc's "supernova", "supersonic" bollox). We want candid detail, not distant grandiose flowery proclamations. But I reckon lyrics needs to be vague enough to let you to interpret them your own way, and to let them apply to your own little life. And we don't want a political rant or anything (just HINTS of it). I've often wondered whether song-writers write music for words as well as finding words to fit music. Well, I guess its a dialectical interplay between the two. I'm trying not to mention Hefner in every email...but like B&S they write a lot of (named) character-based lyrics. I thought David was so right when he said that "'I'd rather be fat than confused' just sums up the essence of B&S in an affecting epigram" (oh, and thanks for the 'Astral Weeks' lyrics - could never work them out.) A B&S 'best of' ? That's a scary idea. Not sure why. Have a grate and triffic time at the Ed picnic everyone (I might make it there too...) Lots of Love Caroline xxx P.s. I take on board Harry Hunt's observation about "fishing for compliments in the stream of consciousness" when I went on about being paranoid, and I'm sorry. +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+