Sinister: Out with the old, in with the new.

[Paul Blackwell]

Hello fellow appriciators of B & S.
I have been on the list for a few weeks but this is my first mail.
On the subject of converting friends to Belle and Sebastian, I was actually
converted to them by someone on this list. My friend Richard started raving
about this band I had never heard of late last year. I heard them quietly in
the background in his car and thought, this is quite good but nothing really
special. The next week I was in HMV in Kingston with money in my pocket
wondering which CD to buy. When I walked past the B section, 'If You're
Feeling Sinister' seemed to stand out to me and I picked it up straight away
and bought it. At the time I wasn't quite sure why but I have never
regretted it. It must surely be the magic of Belle and Sebastian. When I got
home and was able to listen to it properly on my own I understood the true
brilliance of it. I think Belle and Sebastian's  music is very personal and
does not work as background music when you are with a lot of people - much
better to listen to on your own. The song that really appealed to me first
and made me think what a brilliant band they are was Judy and the Dream of
Horses.
I immediately phoned Richard up to ask him if I could borrow his B & S EPS
which I also thought were excellent. If it wasn't for that impulse buy in
HMV I wouldn't be writing this now and I would still have been listening to
Radiohead, ignorant of the existence of B & S.
Richard has lent me his tape copy of Tiger Milk for the weekend and although
it sounds rather like 'If You're Feeling Sinister', that isn't really much
of a criticism as they are much worse things it could sound like and it does
predate IYFS.
My friend is infact Richard 'Northy' North. I go to the same college as him
and do A - Levels but I do not share his strong right-wing politics (which I
am not sure if even he believes in). I do share his appreciation for
Catatonia and the Lightning Seeds (who I was into before him and are truly
marvellous live).
I also went to Catatonia gig with North the other night and Catatonia were
good despite what North says. I would also have to disagree with his point
about Superstar being 'dull, dull, dull'.
On the tube on the way home from that gig, a homeless guy made a speech to
the train carriage we were in about his situation. He said he was in a
catch-22 situation, no fixed address means he can't get a job or dole, and
no job means he can't get a fixed address. He said he had worked all his
life and had been in our position and didn't like being bothered by the
likes of him. But if anyone could spare any change, food or even water it
would be greatly appreciated, and if we couldn't or didn't want to, that was
okay too. I had no money or food on me but North had money and gave none,
nobody gave the man anything. He didn't complain, he just went onto the next
carriage to give his speech again. After he was gone North was complaining
saying he hated people like that - making him feel guilty, laying the 'guilt
trip' on him. He also said the guy had no right to do that to him. How
selfish is Northy? Oh dear, did the homeless guy make poor old North feel
guilty. Perhaps if he felt guilty then there was something to feel guilty
about. I felt sorry for the guy and wished I could help but did not hate him
for talking to us. This is not a personal attack on Northy, I am just
letting you all know the truth.

I do not need to make the obligatory first mail to the list request for
Tiger Milk as I already have a copy (even though it isn't mine).

As North will be gone from the list for a while, you will have to make to
with me. I am less controversial but also live in Ashford which makes me a
perfect Northy substitute.

If anyone wants to see what Northy looks like (Tag may be curious) they can
mail me privately and I can tell them where on the internet to go (yes
Northy is out there somewhere in cyberspace).

I would be really interested to hear Beck's interpretations of any B & S
songs. I think he would probably ruin most of them but it could work. It
would be very interesting.

Take care everyone,

Paul (the new one)


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