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

God Help The Girl. 4/5

The songs that we've taken in isolation work much better as part of the story. My theory (and Stuart can tell me if I'm wrong) is that the more choreographed song and dance routines were actually happening in Eve's head while she was not herself, maybe dreaming of what could be.

Cameos? Dave McGowan was the bass player in James VI. The guitarist/bassist in the band looked like Bob, but wasn't. The other guitarist/bassist looked like Edgar Summertyme, ex of The Stairs and others, but again, it wasn't him as he's a bit older.

The last sequence left me sad, as I had a train journey like that back in 1994, when I had to return to England from France where I'd been working all summer, and the girl I'd been working with (who had just started sleeping with our boss) told me that things could have been different on the station platform in Chartres.

I like this film a lot more than I thought I would have done. Well played, Stuart . . .

 

"Nobody's Empire" works for me because it has some classic Belle & Sebastian 'tricks' in there, including changing the lyrics on each chorus, building up the music and vocal volume slowly and subtly, and the instrumental break mid song, in this case the lovely piano melody.

For most other bands this would be an easy full marks, but B&S have set such a high standard for nearly 20 years to this point that I can 'only' give it 4/5.

 

That's a really strange way of thinking to me. You're rating the song, not the history of the band? To each their own of course, I just don't understand it.

Nobody's Empire 5/5

 

"Nobody's Empire" has a great melody and incredible lyrics that make me weep. Once again, as on Write About Love, I get this sense that Stuart is sort of leaving callow hipsterism behind: and what a powerful writer he is when does it from the heart as he does here. It's also got an incredible vocal, so much emotion and emotion packed into his voice, even thought it sounds a bit wavery, as if he's aobut to crack up in parts, it just adds to the overall feel: the backing vocalists are perfectly utilized, too, bringing the song to as much of a climax as it can have with the smashed the dynamics.

5/5

 

Our votes for "Nobody's Empire"

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4-5
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Average: 4.4444

 

Today's song is "Allie" written by Belle and Sebastian and produced by Ben H. Allen III.

Lyric.

 

It's nice to see Stuart try some different instrumentation - 4/5.

 

Quite a nice one, but not as good as "Nobody's Empire" 3/5

But what the hell was going on in the video director's mind? Bizarre. Here's a nice live video instead:

 

An intriguing little song. Listened to it over the weekend and now I can’t get it out of my head. 4.

 

@Lance LaSalle you missed my vote on Nobody Empire


Allie 4/5
the band sound different on a nice way, a nice evolution from previous albums and very well written lyrics.

got this quote from genius.com

The second track from “Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance”. Murdoch was slightly disappointed by how this track turned out:

I had thought maybe it could be a “Panic” by the Smiths or a “David Watts” by the Jam … but it’s still a good one.​

​

 

Ooops sorry. I think I calculated it but didn't count it...so the average is:

1-1
2-0
3-0
4-5
5-4
Average: 4.1

 

Another strong one 4/5

 

I agree with @TheGoodDoctor that "Allie" has a real earworm quality about it, those hooks just stick with me, probably because of the repetitions in the chorus.

A strong follow up to the opener 4/5

 

Allie: 4

I think I understand what Stuart means, not among my favorite on the album but a good song nonetheless. I feel it doesn't quite fit with the rest of the songs though (At the end I'll suggest a tracklist to trim the album a little, because it's too long, and Allie won't make the cut)

 

I would take Allie over nobody empire any day

 

Allie 4/5

 

I forgot to post this about "Nobody's Empire" yesterday.

The digital download that came with the 4LP box set (and possibly the 2LP release which I don't own) has an alternate mix that's different from the regular CD and the actual vinyl. It was noted in the 2014/2015 thread about the album.
Belle And Sebastian - Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance

Notable differences
Intro:
Synth - regular mix
No synth but added castanets - alternate mix

Backing vocals:
Starts at verse 4 (3:10) - regular mix
Starts at verse 5 (3:40) - alternate mix

Lyric difference:
At 3:33 "if we live by the books" - regular mix
At 3:33 "if we live by books" - alternate mix

P.S. - The linked video in the first post (I Could Be Dreaming: the Belle and Sebastian song-by-song, album-by-album thread ) from YouTube uses the alternate mix.

 

I should have that digital download code somewhere but I don’t use a PC for my music. Weird to have a different version.

 

I think "Allie" is a fantastic song, melodically and lyrically: this is soem of the forlorn, vaguely comic characters from Tigermilk all grown up tragically. The band arrangement is over the top, Spectorian and brickwalling does it no favors, but the song is strong enough that it still stands.

5/5

 

Our votes for "Allie"

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2-0
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4-6
5-1
Average: 4.1429

 

Today's song is "The Party Line", written by Belle and Sebastian and produced by Ben H. Allen III.

Belle and Sebastian – The Party Line Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

"The Party Line" was released as a promo single in 2015.

Dave MacGowan: Bass
Ben H. Allen III: synth, programming, percussion
Will Scrugs: Saxophones
Keven Hyde: Trombone
Joe Gransden: trumpet
The Laurel Strings Quartet: strings

 

B&S does disco! But not that well... 3/5.

 

I like New Order as much as the next sentient being. I don't much like B&S trying to be a New Order album filler track. 2/5

 

Live, this track is fantastic. But on the record it’s left a little wanting. 3.

 

Very eighties, sort of Pet Shop Boys -- and the music is actually really great. The lyric seems to be going go for a Neil Tennant like sort of decadence but I'm not sure that Stuart quite achieved that -- it's an uncharacterisitcally dark lyric, but at the same time it's an uncharacteristically muddled lyric -- I get the general picture, but when scrutinized, I'm not sure it says as much as it seems. Adn the line "people like to shoot with borrowed guns and knives" is weird...I mean, how do you shoot something with a borrowed knife? But I"m not nitpicky. I enjoy this a lot and think it's better than good.

3.8/5