Sinister: A Long, Thought-out Post on Belle & Sebastian

[Mick McMick * Sandcastle Records]

Hello,
	You know, I thought a lot about this subject while I was making the
10-hour jaunt from Charleston to New York, and I will try to share some
of the thoughts that bounced around in my head as I experienced the
charm of the highway strip.
	Regarding Maurice Deebank, Arthur Lee and Steve Cropper, Ben did an
excellent job of covering most of what I would have had to say. Much
better than I could in fact, since I don't play guitar. I never meant to
suggest Stevie should try to emulate Arthur Lee, as I think he did a
good job of it in "Expectations." 
	It's just that Belle & Sebastian are a wonderful band that is very
capable of flirting with different kinds of songs. You have the
bossanova of "Ease Your Feet," the Stereolab-iness of "Sleep the Clock
Around" (on the session version anyhow), the McCarthy-ism (hehe) of "Le
Pastie de la Bourgeoisie," the Love-liness of "Dog on Wheels" and
"Expectations," and numerous others. But for a large part, it seems to
me that Stevie's guitar-playing is either played down in such songs
(like in "Electronic Renaissance,") or he just plays like he always
does. 
	It's not that I think the rest of the members of the band are opposed
to this or anything. In Stuart's solo recordings pre-B&S, they seemed to
sound pretty much like Stevie's style. 
	But, listening to "String Bean Jean," I just haven't heard a B&S song
with a guitar part I liked this much, other than maybe "A Century of
Fakers." 
	I might be worried that with a different guitar player they might sound
very bad, but I am so sure that I wouldn't mind because Stevie doesn't
play at all on DOW and I love it immensely. The playing on it even
vaguely reminds me of their current way of it, but only just that little
bit janglier at times.
	And I suppose that's what it all breaks down to. Though I love soul and
the guitar playing that comes along with it, I'll always be a sucker for
jangly guitars. I still love B&S, but sometimes I think about these
sorts of things. Perhaps it's a little too critical, I admit.
	Also, in case some of you missed it, Stevie once was quoted in a
newspaper as saying Steve Cropper was his all-time favorite guitarist. I
saved the post somewhere...

	Anyway, I'm not about to stop listening to B&S, but if they were to
break up, I'd be that much less disappointed, knowing that the Stuarts'
songs are gorgeous with various other musicians, and indeed Stuart M
sounds fine all on his lonesome, so we don't have Moz-like inconsistency
laying ahead if such a change ever occurs. 
 
 /"\_/"\_/"\  Brian Pennington, a.k.a. Mick McMick; Sandcastle Records
 \         /  bp224996 at ohiou.edu                           ICQ#5056758
  |       |   Sandcastle Recs Homepage:  http://www.frognet.net/~mick/
  |       |   "I am always wishing to make people   
  |       |       in the world happy with my smiles."  
  |       |           -Mr. Friendly

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