Sinister: When I was fourteen I was under the delusion for a year I was Thomas Chatterton

[Ian Nicolson]

I see that Ye Olde Christmastide Albumne is being advertised on telly now, 
however it's 'Little Drummer Boy' that they're using, so unfortunately 
there's no chance to jump up and point at the screen yelping 'oh! oh! Belle 
and Sebastian!! Belle and Sebastian!!', while your 
flatmates/parents/friends/cellmates look on with utter indifference. I 
suppose that would be too much to ask, after the Brookside incident. And 
while that might have been fun, surely it would be much funner if, say, 
'Legal Man', was to be heard in the Queen Vic. If you're played on 
Eastenders, then you've really made it! I still keep looking to see if any 
of them managed to scratch their names onto the laundrette wall during the 
infamous post-Top of the Pops invasion of Albert Square. We can only hope.

As for 'Emmanuel', well, it's rather loverly, isn't it? Although it is 
disappointing, as David Moore pointed out, that they've jettisoned the 
second verse - 'O come thou Rod of Jesse free/Thine own from Satan's 
tyranny' et cetera. Maybe no one else fancied singing, but you'd have 
thought that if they were going to get rid of one verse it would be the 
fourth, what with that awful 'high/misery' rhyme that poor Sarah had to try 
and mangle in. Having listened to most of the album (and skipping through 
the other bits that didn't sound too promising) it seems that B+S are one of 
the few bands that aren't trying to be too smart or too clever, which is a 
good thing, one would have thought. So-called VodkaBird said that she 
thought that they were "lumbered with the duff track", but one would imagine 
that they chose it themselves and it's not really a surprising choice. It's 
much better than being oh so flipping ironic like some of the others on the 
album. And it fits in nicely after 'Winter Wooskie' on my EPs tape, which 
resides in my walkman from time to time (if admitting to listening to Belle 
& Sebastian is still allowed, seeing as lots of Sinister types appear to 
have given it up!).  Remember, you might well be able to hear live 
renditions of 'O Come O Come Emmanuel' at some churches this weekend, it 
being the start of Advent and all. You're even allowed to sing along! (But 
Jen, try to stay out of the confessionals!)

On an entirely unrelated excursion through to Glasgow earlier this week I 
popped in to the 'Electric City' exhibition at the Lighthouse that I 
mentioned in my last post (what? you don't remember?!) which, to be honest, 
wasn't at all as exciting as I hoped it might have been. It would probably 
be best to go when there's actually something on (but it was free and it did 
keep me out of the rain for a bit). However, they do have two tailor's 
dummies dressed in what appears to be the clothes that Mick and Richard wore 
to the Brits, which, while hardly the Turin Shroud, might be of interest to 
some people. Not entirely sure which people, mind you.

Anyways, good weekends all round, and happy confessing!

Ian N.
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