What is it that makes a song a classic? A few things that come to mind include distinctly piercing melody, moving lyrics and fully formed stylistic feel. Of course, I’m sure there are a million examples to disprove all of these above. 
But perhaps Belle and Sebastian principle songwriter Stuart Murdoch knows. After all, he’s written a decent number of them, including “The Stars of Track and Field†and “Judy and the Dream of Horsesâ€. Who says those songs are classic? The universe does, that’s who. Maybe it’s because both feature timeless melodies and brilliantly literate lyrics. Maybe not. I don’t know why, but those songs, among others, are stone-cold classic songs and legions of moody, mope-y Belle and Sebastian fans will definitely be willing to back me up on that front. Just as soon as they find their inhalers.
At this point, the delicate, folksy, chamber-pop Belle and Sebastian has become it’s own institution. Enjoyment of Belle and Sebastian is like being part of a secret club of sensitive, sweater-wearing intellectuals with an affinity for daisies. That’s not to say that everyone who enjoys the band is a committed member of said club, but maybe they’re not too far from being one either. Point is: Belle and Sebastian is the type of band that, at this point, deserves a BBC Sessions disc. However, the essentialness of said disc is questionable, particularly for fans that don’t consider themselves die-hard. Or die-very-very-gently-with-rose-petals-in-my-eyes in this case.
The quality of the music should at this point probably be beyond discussion. Many of the tracks can be found on certified classic albums like Tigermilk, If You’re Feeling Sinister and The Boy With The Arab Strap and they’re often the better ones off already all-around great albums. The radio session recordings on the disc often present the songs in a very, very slightly rougher form, but that’s like comparing two rice puddings and saying one is slightly rougher than the other: the difference is abysmal. The performances and arrangements are very nearly identical to the ones found on their albums. The only draw that the disc has over the albums is four rare tracks from 2001 sessions with the legendary John Peel.
For the aforementioned moody, mopey legions, I doubt this review will affect your decision as to whether or not to pick up this album. For the casual fans (does B&S have casual fans?) don’t bother, the albums will do just fine. For those new to the band the disc is a decent starting point, as it leads off with four of the band’s best songs off their first three albums and the rest of the album’s not bad either. Welcome to the club.
The BBC Sessions will be available November 18th from Matador.
Tracklisting (Disc 1):
01. The State I Am In
02. Like Dylan in the Movies
03. Judy and The Dream of Horses
04. The Stars of Track and Field
05. I Could Be Dreaming
06. Seymour Stein
07. Lazy Jane
08. Sleep Around The Clock
09. Slow Graffiti
10. Wrong Love
11. Shoot The Sexual Athlete
12. The Magic of a Kind Word
13. Nothing In The Silence
14. (My Girl’s Got) Miraculous Technique
Belle and Sebastian: website | myspace
Matador website
Written By: Marc Z. Grub
