I Could Be Dreaming: the Belle and Sebastian song-by-song, album-by-album thread

A good Sarah track - I prefer her on uptempo numbers: 4/5.

 

I think it's a very nice song and I like the eighties production, personally, especially the lead synth hook. Overall, the song doesn't quite reach the sugary pop heights of "I Didn't See It Coming"and maybe there's a sort of sadness in the melody that the lyric isn't equipped to handle. Definitely an enjoyable album track, though.

3.7/5

 

Our votes for "The Power of Three"

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Average: 3.6889

 

Today's song is "The Cat with the Cream", written by Belle and Sebastian (mostly Stuart Murdoch); produced by Ben H. Allen III. Strings arranged by Andy Thompson.

Lyric.

Dave McGowan: bass
The Laurels Strings Quartet: strings

This was the final song of the deluxe 4-LP version, by the way, but the fifth song on the 2-LP/CD version. The song was also released as a promo single.

 

The Cat With The Cream 4/5

 

A nice enough song, while not a stone-cold classic. But, once again, ruined by poor production - the strings are way too loud in the first half, and it sounds as if some of the band weren't even there for the session. I had high hopes for this album initially, but it's cooling on me rapidly. 3/5

 

Nicely understated, though I’d like to hear a non-strings version. 3.5\5

 

Cat cream 3/5

Not much novelty, strings are not good in it.

 

The thing, for me, is this: with early B&S songs you could mentally strip away the organs, cellos, violins etc and imagine them being performed with just an acoustic guitar and voice; as that is how many of them started life. I can't hear most of their recent material standing up by being stripped back. Ironically most of God Help The Girl could . . .

 

The Cat With the Cream

A beautiful ballad with all the hallmarks of an early Murdoch classic- I'm not quite getting Dave in Preston's complaint, I can quite easily imagine this in solo acoustic guitar form. The strings are a pleasant "bed" that the vocal rests on but they're not obtrusive.

This is a 4 for me, but I can imagine it maybe rising to 5 when I have lived with it for longer.
As I did with The Life Pursuit, I have now ordered this album as I definitely need it in my collection.

 

That's OK. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, even if mine is the correct one

 

Cat and the Cream: 5

I'll be alone here, but it's one of my favorite Girls in Peacetime track. The prosody of Stuart singing and the very dreamy backing track both contribute to a beautiful and hypnotic song.

 

No @irong you are not alone, "The Cat With The Cream" is one of my favourites on the album too. And to continue being controversial I really like the strings the way they are and don't find them too much. A slow song lasting over 5 minutes should seem long but this one doesn't I think because Stuart's voice suits this type of song so well that he creates an atmosphere I'm happy to inhabit for as long as possible.

4/5

 

I rather like this, and although I have the album I realise now that I haven't played it much! 4/5

 

I’m not sure I’ve actually played the 4 LP vinyl set (when it came out I had my equipment in storage), which is a bit of a shame. I should rectify that.

 

Lovely song. I don't get the lyric, really, I know it's politically charged, and was recorded after 2010 election when the Tories won despite the recession. But, yeah. Strings are gorgeous.

4.5/5

 

Our votes for "CAt with the Cream"

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Average: 3.8889

 

Today's song is "Enter Sylvia Plath", written by Belle and SEbastian; produced by Ben H Allen III.

Lyric.

Ben H Allen III: Additional synth, programming and percussion:

 

This Pet Shop Boys-esque number works better for me - 4.5/5.

 

The most synth-pop sounding sounding song on the album yet: I think this is better done than "The Party Line". A sort of descendent of "Electronic Renaissance". I really liked the sound of that and I really like the sound of this. The tune is very good too.
4 out of 5. I feel bad for not giving full marks but I'm trying to not get carried away, trying to keep the 5s for special occasions.

 

Another really decent song, it’s definitely got PSB sensibilities. 4.

 

Olly in today's Guardian

Olly Alexander on success, sanity and It's a Sin: 'All those hot guys. I loved it!'

 

Whe can only imagine Chris Geddes having lots of fun

4/5

7 minutes is quite long

 

No. 2/5

 

Enter Sylvia Plath 5/5

And I think Electronic Renaissance is one of the worst things they ever did. But this song is disco perfection.

If I were a girl in peacetime, I'd dance myself unconscious with this one