Nick Dastoor wrote: Hmm... I have real problems with 'The Chalet Lines'. It's like a trial you have to go through each time you hear the album. Does it really tell us anything about rape? It just seems to be a succession of cliches about the way women who have been raped feel in its aftermath. If it were a woman singing about it from personal experience, then maybe it would different, but Sensitive Stan as Stuart is, I just don't think it serves any purpose, which to my mind makes it gratutitous. No doubt it's better read as a personal evocation of his own feelings, but I just end up resenting it for being so... boring. I don't feel the emotion that someone else remarked upon at all. At least it's short. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- so now at last, I too can shout it from the rooftops: I'm sorry, but I just can't stand that song at all. and I can normally stomach a lot lyrically: Lou Reed's "Berlin" did after all last a full six months on my CD rack before I knew I'd inflicted too many psycholoical (and physical) wounds on myself, and finally got rid of it, but "The Chalet Lines" is just way too much. I mean, come on. any bloke singing stuff like that. to my mind, that's gratuitous, tactless and grossly offensive to women. I can obviously appreciate how "Me And A Gun" is a very harrowing account of real pain felt by a woman; but a man trying to relate a story like that? it's just sick. sorry, but that's how I feel. and I love Stuart as a lyricist. this time, though, is the only time I'll accuse him of self-indulgence and I have to believe that it's as if he's thinking 'I'm "Stuart Murdoch", Copyright, Registered Trademark, etc, therefore I can get away with singing something like this'. sorry once more to anyone who's genuinely been touched and moved by this song, but this is my personal ideology and belief on the matter: I won't be listening to it again. anyway, rant over!! some other thoughts, then, as the album starts to grow on me with each listen.... Nice Day For A Sulk. I love it; it's absolute classic Belle & Sebastian, could've fit on IYFS, and to my ears it's the most upbeat song on the album, and one of my personal favourites. that song arriving in my life at the start of a rainy, gloomy summer with a rollercoaster love-life just suits my whole situation perfectly. Beyond The Sunrise. I see it's been causing a fair bit of controversy over the fact it's such an obvious departure in style!! I was trying to place where I'd heard anything like that before, and then someone on the list mentioned Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood, and it made perfect sense. Anyone who's heard the two of them duetting on "Sand" ('young woman, share your fire with me...') or Lee's woozy, boozy half-remembered reminisces on "Summer Wine" will appreciate where this is coming from. And as I'm already deeply entrenched in Johnny Cash, Nick Cave & Leonard Cohen, the vocal doesn't grate with me at all. A really good grower for me; wasn't sure first couple of listens, but now I love it. I Fought In A War. Stuart dusts off his big book of Arthur Lee chord progressions once more, and fashions another beautiful, sweepy ballad. One thing though; it's strikes me that B&S could end up with a serious self-parody/cliche problem on their hands: that's four albums in a row that've all started off with a plaintive wee Stuart vocal; can we have a bit of punchy bombast at the start of the next album, just for a change?? Great song though, with some really touching lyrical moments. Waiting For The Moon To Rise: I thought this was Isobel!! it's absolutely gorgeous as a first offering from Sarah though. Don't Leave The Light On Baby: the harmonies towards the end are the most beautiful I've ever heard on any Belle & Sebastian song. lots of audible shades of my favourite Velvet Underground album, the untitled third one. The Wrong Girl: yeah, it is a bit country-influenced...which is great for me, though (you should see some of the corners of my CD collection that I tend to hid from most of my friends!!) I realise I haven't mentioned every single song on the album, but this is all the stuff that's on my mind about it at this stage. One more I'd like to mention; my undisputed favourite, Family Tree. The lyrics bring back so many memories of me getting kicked out of Higher Maths lectures for daydreaming, then going to the Music Dept and writing some songs, that it's almost unbearably poignant *sniff*; and it's got a gorgeous melody, and perfect for Isobel's voice. pleeeease don't take this post the wrong way, anybody, it's just a load of opinions. I've read everyone elses thoughts too, and considered them. this is the second time I've been involved in a fans' mailing list for a band or artist when a new album comes out (other time was just last month for Neil Young's "Silver & Gold") and both times have been totally fascinating, to see the different opinions of so many people when they're all exposed to a new album at roughly the same time. "Nothing I say is written in stone!" (Neil Young, "Don't Cry") ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ________________________________________________________________________ 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 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+