Sinister: B&S MONEY MAKING OUTRAGE!:)

[Elish Hope]

Dear Sinisterettes:

If debate bores or irritates you, please refrain from reading the following
as my Right Honorable Friend Tim Hopkins and I, Elle Zober, are about to
embark on a rather healthy discussion!

Tim Wrote:

It's probably deeply irrational and can't be justified on a pure theoretical
basis, but actually how an artist feels about her/his art is quite important
to me. I often feel very uncomfortable with music or other art which is (as
far as I'm concerned) made *for* the money.
I think being 'in it for the money' is just about the worst reason I can
think of for making art. (Propogating hate politics would be worse I
suppose, but I'm sure you know what I mean).
>What is so wrong with making money?

I think there's something wrong with money being someone's principal
motivation for making something. Some of us work to make money such that we
can fund the other things that we want to do. I'd rather have it that way
round than make a perverted version of something I love because I 'have to
make money'. I'm not saying B&S have done that, incidentally.
Money changes everything.
>More to the point, all this aside, when have you EVER known Jeepster >or
>B&S
>(AS A BAND) to steer us wrong and take advantage of us.

Aside from, let's say, the odd limited-edition 7"s that some people are
already desperate for, and unable to get hold of?
>Sometimes it sounds like people are being a weeny bit selfish by >asking
>all
>these questions.

Sometimes I think that an entirely uncritical attitude to anything(except
perhaps Vic Godard) might be a bit of a problem.
>I think it is disrespectful to carry on
>about these things when Jeepster and B&S have always done right by >the
>fans.

My attitude towards Belle and Sebastian is not a very critical one, but that
surely doen't mean that I shouldn't say that they're doing things wrong if I
think they are. I think the whole Tigermilk reissue issue has been
disastrously handled, and it has led to desperate fans paying over the odds
(their choice, I know, but not an unpredictable one)and extensive
bootlegging. Neither of which the band claim to want. It's an old issue, and
one that has been thoroughly played out in the archives, but it serves as an
example. Please note that I'm not saying that anyone has the right to tell
B&S what to release and how and when, but at the same time that doesn't mean
they have 'always done right by the fans'. This doesn't mean that I don't
love B&S completely, either, because I do.
As for Jeepster, I think their attitude towards this list it has left some
things to be desired from time to time. But that's a whole 'nother story.
>This email may not win me any friends here, and I am sorry.

I hope it hasn't made you any enemies either. I'm all for a bit of informed
discussion. More of this later, perhaps. You never know your luck.
Tim, I completely understand and appreciate your sentiment.  Truly, I do.
However, if you feel that B&S ARE in this for the money, and it upsets you,
then you have the option of not listening to them.  Plain and simple.  As
Pinnochio once said, the world doesn't owe you a living, and thus the
Belle's don't owe you any good music.

Okay, that said.  I do think that you misinterpret what I was saying.   My
post was in regards to the chat going on about the merchandise thing.  Which
really isn't the end of the world.  I really don't think that B&S are in
anything for the money.  Truly.  In fact, I would dare to say that I KNOW
they are not.  Look at how they have run their career so far.  They have
NEVER appeared on the cover of anything, no doubt they have been offered
many.  They DON'T do interviews that would undoubtably up their sales and
the like.  They do what they want out of resect for their music and I
believe that they are true to it.  I am disheartened that you, or anyone
else, wouldn't see them that way.

But, let's face it.  They are a great band and they make great albums.  End
of story.  We shouldn't dare to question the business decisions they make,
how is that any of our business?  I am just wondering.  I truly enjoy our
banter however, logical discussion is not something that is a staple of my
day as an on-line computer technician!  So, I look forward to hearing from
you.  However, if you feel this is best continued off the list, feel free to
write me at my address: ehope at nwmls.com

Snoggs,

elle

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