Sinister: I'll only listen to a band for they way they look

[Newth, Tom]

Hello everyone,

I have read with interest the various posts about the *look* of Belle &
Sebastian, and the sub-thread with regard to Isobel's looks (which has
seemed a bit harsh I must say), and although it struck me as having come
about as a result of a somewhat offhand flip comment from Monsieur
Dastoooor, I believe it was, it has been replied to seriously from several
quarters.

What struck me was that 

a) (I got told off for long paragraphs - probably quite rightly - so here
goes with nice letters and brackets..) They do look kind of odd but, first
few sightings (to the non-obsessive, anyway) fairly unmemorable. Not to say
that is bad, but just in the way that most people are unmemorable if you've
had no cause to remember them. e.g: I love Mercury Rev to bits and have done
for ages, but still can't remember what the drummer looks like. But that
could be a drummer thing. 
The point is though, that I am sure none of us really do want to judge
people solely on appearance, but the bottom line is that if Belle and
Sebastian looked like KISS, their appeal would somehow be altered rather
dramatically (tho imagine.. how cool?!) It is comforting that this band of
bods who look fairly normal and sing songs that seem rooted in the everyday
not only exist out there for us to enjoy and identify with, but also - by
anyone's standards - write damn fine songs that you can really get your
teeth into on intellectual and musical levels as well as the emotional. I
wouldn't want to lose sight of the emotional impact, and certainly for me
that is their bulk of their appeal, but it is the fact that I can take
pleasure in more than that which put B&S up there for me.
I'm not sure where this is going now (forgive me - I did drink rather a lot
at lunchtime) but I think I was trying to say that it's good B&S look normal
cos it's easy to feel some sort of identification with them, and it's easy
to take pleasure in their musical (not commercial, tho the whole Brit thing
was deeply satisfying on many levels) achievements becuase somehow they're
like us, normal people. Just far more talented.

b) I do find it a bit disconcerting the Isobel-bashing that's been going.
She's not my sort of lady looks-wise, but I still think she's rather pretty
and I know one of my friends (you know who you are, JD) is harbouring an
obsession bordering on the unhealthy. Cold fish she is not. But each to
their own I suppose. And as for me, the red-headed girl who sang with the
backing singers at Bowlie was way foxier and, as evinced by after, can
really dance..

Apologies for being so serious for a friday afternoon - drinking at
lunchtime you get maudlin round 5 o'clock...

have a good weekend all,
spoon

PS I managed to avoid being pretentious and using the word *quotidien* in
the above, but I like it so much I will now. Quotidien.
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