Beautiful, uplifting synth-crossed acoustic sound with their typical hint of sinister mood lingering throughout. Streaming trumpet, whirling keyboard and delicate vocals singing of a hit and miss existence. "Take a walk in the park, take a valium pill/Read the letter you got from the memory girl/But it takes more than this to make sense of the day/Yeah it takes more than milk to get rid of the taste." This and "Electronic Renaissance" are my two favorites by this group, and incidentally stand apart in sound from everything else they've created. Do your ears a favor and hear it...
available on CD - The Boy With The Arab Strap (Matador)
03 Dec 01 ·delicado: yeah, great song. 'electronic renaissance' is from 'tiger milk', right? If it's the one I'm thinking of, I'm a big fan as well; I particularly enjoy the way it appropriates the mood of New Order's 'Procession'. 15 Dec 01 ·penelope_66: yes, electronic renaissance is from tiger milk, which is their first album, and best in my opinion. the synth does add a bit of new order quality to it, now that you meantion it. Mmaybe that's why i like it so much... 01 Mar 02 ·two-headed boy: Has to be one of my favorite B&S songs for the simple reason of the bag pipe howl at the end. Incredible arrangers to be sure. "Electronic Renaissance" is a wonderful tune as well, establishes Tiger Milk as their best attempt, a sprawling masterpiece. 25 May 05 ·frmars: "Delicate singing" stands here for bad singing and quaveringvoice, "streaming trumpet" for rather cheap synth preset. Melody is rather uninteresting and ultra repetitive. I have often tried Belle & Sebastian. It is a very mediocre band. 28 May 05 ·konsu: This coming from a guy (fmars) who thinks Brian Eno can sing.
The original version of this Brazilian classic, it was covered by just about everybody. Has that children's chorus doing backing vocals that the Brazilians seem to love so much.
from Chico Buarque de Hollanda available on CD - Minha Historia (Polygram Brazil)
03 Dec 01 ·delicado: I was listening to Astrud Gilberto's translated version of this today (on the 'beach samba' LP), and I found it quite hard to handle. I will have to check out the original some time. 21 Oct 03 ·heinmukk: the astrud gilberto version is rather strange. i mean, it's the march version or what? i don't like it.
better take a listen to the version by france gall. i know it as "zwei apfelsinen im haar" which means "two oranges in the hair". (?) it's a classic in germany. france gall sings in german with a subtle french accent. can it get more sexy? i don't think so... 05 May 04 ·sodapop650: If its the song Im thinking of, I think that Quarteto Em Cy do a nice cover as well.
wicked beat... cool ass clarinets... sounds of people going off... lots of good energy.
from keep it unreal, available on CD
07 Dec 01 ·delicado: I'm very fond of his track 'Fish'. I never seem to tire of it. 14 Dec 01 ·n-jeff: Its a great track, they were playing it in a local record shop, and I had to buy the LP. Nearly all the musical parts are off a much shorter track by Moondog, called Lament #1, and I'd recommend that as well. In spite of the identity of the musical source thay are very different beasts.
for years friends have been telling me i should give st. etienne a listen as they thought it was something i'd like. well, it took me long enough but they were right. if they had recorded nothing else than this song i would consider it one of my favourite pop songs. with lines like: "i should have told you to lose that girl/i should have told you that's not your world /on her radio she turned the disco down..." it was destined to end up a favourite of mine.
from Good Humor, available on CD
17 Dec 01 ·delicado: I'm also a recent convert to St. Etienne. I insisted to friends that I didn't like them, but I recently got 1992's 'So Tough', and thought it was brilliant. 09 Apr 02 ·tempted: If there's one group I find very difficult to criticize it's St. Etienne. People say they've made a bad album or two but I think they all are different faces of perfection. "So Tough" is probably the best choice to start with them. That's the band in a nutshell. And the most widely appreciated album. 12 Jan 05 ·OneCharmingBastard: Talk about a sleeper. Not their most obvious single by a long shot (that honor still goes to either their Jimmy Webb tribute "Avenue" or their Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods cover, "Who Do You Think You Are"), but this track not only stands the test of time, but improves like a fine wine.
Someday people will love this band. Until then, little four minute bursts of brilliance like this are part of my own private stash of cool cuts.
