I like all this talk about B&S selling out and I like it because it makes me think of a few things I used to love about B&S and that seemed to somehow inevitably get lost along the ways of the last couple of years. See, I used to totally love the idea that they were totally and resolutely Non-Rock, the definition of which would be ah, well that would be telling. Actually it would just be boring for the few people interested because theyve all heard it before, a long long time ago and for those of you who havent a clue what Im wittering about (the vast majority I dare say) all I can do is suggest you go look in the archives because, as people will no doubt tell you, that is what archives are for. Ill try my very best to be brief. See, I used to love the fact that B&S appeared (and I think thats an important word) to shun all the traditional rock media structures, both in their music and in the way they conducted themselves. There was a real sense of mystery about the group, a real sense that there was a carefully constructed Pop myth in the making, and that although the very notion of a self-creating myth is pretty trad in itself, it was refreshing that the reference points were unusual; the Felt references, the obvious Love suggestions (cropping up again I rather think, on one of the few current moments to make my heart sing), the Postcard obsession, the notion of political intent through action (and inaction) rather than rhetoric. The shrinking from the limelight if you will, the darkness of the soul illuminated by the brightest lights. If you know what I mean. I mean, I am not kidding here; I was fucking OBSESSED with this band for a long time and for sure they will always mean a lot for being instrumental in making me delighted about Pop again, but the fact is that because there was no real obvious mediated image of the band; no real notion of them BEING anything except whatever you as an individual wanted, well, because of that they could be, and were, EVERYthing. All at once. The fact is that Ive not felt the same way since the release of Arab Strap, a record I loved for the great moments and detested for the weak links. I wasnt really prepared for B&S to falter I guess, which is completely unfair and is my problem and my problem alone, but hey It was almost as though by knowingly trying to be too many things all at once they were suddenly incapable of being very much at all, and to go from being all things at once to that, well, its kind of a shock is all. Its funny, I dont know why I think of a Rodney Allen song now, but in a tune called Why Are You Being Different Now (which was kind of about being a teenager in love with a future beauty queen) theres a line that goes the things that made me fall in love with you disappeared when you saw them too and I think that kind of sums it up for me. Do I think that B&S are selling out, or ever will sell out? I really dont know. I dont like to use such statements much anymore because it seems to me to be a pretty lazy knee jerk reaction to things that are not in your control, and indeed why should they be? I think they have been lumbered with a great deal of mediated meaning and that as such they very certainly seem to have changed the musical and cultural geography of the land (I guess this is more a global land I mean, not just the UK), its just they dont really mean much to ME anymore. Personally I think they should have REALLY stopped doing interviews, released a lot more records at regular intervals, and only ever played out in chip shops in my home town. But thats just me, and Im notoriously selfish and difficult to please. As it is I think theyve committed the far greater sin of just wasting time and making records that are at best still quite terrific but too often limp and antiseptic and laboured and self-knowing. And it troubles me more than youll ever know to say that theyve ended up too often sounding like too many other bands, none of whom are really very good. Maybe that means they sold out and maybe it means they got old and lost the thread. And god knows that happens often enough . Keep the Faith in Pop The Duke +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+