One point no one seems to have raised re: B&S's supposed "selling out" is the fact that 'Legal Man' is a non-album single. Non-album singles are the epitome of "indie-cred", and are not usually released by such luminaries as Steps, 5ive etc. 'Real' bands like The Smiths, Joy Division and New Order release these type of singles. The reason the format is not very popular with mainstream acts is because these singles don't help sell albums because .... they're not on them. Sure, B&S could have given us an album track, split over two CDs, with remixes or something on the second disc, but in the interest of their fanbase (no doubt - can't see any other reason) they didn't. In the same way that the 'Modern Rock Song' EP was released as a 4 track, 20 minute & one second EP a few months after anything with four tracks or over 20 minutes became ineligible for chart entry. There will always be naysayers who moan about how they "like their new old stuff more than their new stuff" and rabbit on about selling out, but personally I welcome new fans to the B&S fold - it's a great place to be, and hopefully not an exclusive club. If more people can be moved by B&S, in the way I have been, then I'm very very happy for them. You can wait a lifetime for a band as special as Belle & Sebastian to come around - and I think they're too good not to share. May their stars shine bright on TOTP! (phew ... rant over) good night folks. Lawrence http://www.akn.quik.co.nz/mikelsen/aboutme +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+