Saint Etienne - Travel Edition

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

So after reading this mornings update of the top 100 90's albums, I decided to check out some St. Etienne and sure enough I like it! I have no idea how this band slipped beneath my radar. Anyway, I noticed that Sub Pop just released this anthology thingy.

Here's the track listing:

1. Primrose Hill(Prev. unreleased)
2. Only Love Can Break Your Heart
3. Nothing Can Stop Us
4. Avenue
5. Mario's Cafe
6. Hobart Paving
7. Hug My Soul
8. Like a Motorway
9. He's on the Phone
10. Burnt Out Car
11. Sylvie
12. Lose That Girl
13. Good Night Jack
14. How We Used To Live
15. Heart Failed(In the Back of a taxi)
16. Action
17. Fascination (Prev. Unreleased)
18. Finisterre

So my question is: does this look like a decent overview of their best stuff or am I better off picking up a few albums off the top 100? From what I've sampled I think I'll enjoy the "Good Humor" era stuff more than the "So Tough" era stuff.

― darin (darin), Monday, 22 November 2004 22:22 (twenty-one years ago)

It's almost entirely a singles collection and is a bit limited because of that. "Smash The System" gives a better overview of what they do.

― everything, Monday, 22 November 2004 22:25 (twenty-one years ago)

No "London Belongs to Me"!

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 22 November 2004 22:25 (twenty-one years ago)

It pretty much cherry-picks the best of the singles. For me, the first two albums need the between-song samples to make them work best. But agreed, "London Belongs To Me" and "Spring" are perhaps the two loveliest, swirliest and gooiest songs off "Fox Base Alpha" and at least one could've gone on this album and not upset the balance too much.

― darren (darren), Monday, 22 November 2004 23:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I say you are better off getting either "Too Young To Die" or "Smash The System." Then, dive into the albums if you crave more.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Monday, 22 November 2004 23:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Smash The System + Finisterre would be pretty comprehensive. Pound for pound Too Young To Die is the best of the comps though, as it covers their best period in its singles entirety.

― Shane (Shane), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 00:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, I guess the Sound Of Water singles weren't on Smash The System, so in that case, I don't know.

― Shane (Shane), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 00:18 (twenty-one years ago)

It's a pretty good overview, great to have "Burnt Out Car" and "Lose That Girl" even though neither were really singles in the traditional sense (BOC was a promo-AA along with "Angel", right?, and "Lose That Girl" stupidly got canned at the last moment - they'd done remixes and everything). But.. "Goodnight Jack" .. why? Good Humor has better non-singles than that and "Finisterre" over, say, "Shower Scene" is a bit weird although it's a great song.

Michael OTM - get Smash The System - all the singles, a very judiciously chosen set of album tracks and B-sides - plus Finisterre, their best album since Tiger Bay.

― edward o (edwardo), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 00:47 (twenty-one years ago)

yes but Travel Edition includes Sound Of Water and Finisterre, both of which are left off of SMS.

I suggest getting Travel Edition; it's less investment, as SMS is an import, and it does have incredible songs. There are other songs that I would include, of course, owning nearly eveything they're released, but there are none on here that I would exclude, if you understand. We'll all have our favourite songs, and that's ok, but for a single CD comp, there are no missteps. Nice to see Mario's Cafe.

If you can find it, Too Young To Die is the best collection of their early stuff; it'd make a good complement to the later three albums, if that's the era you prefer.

― derrick (derrick), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 03:23 (twenty-one years ago)

I was listening to this new Clear Channel "indie" station in L.A. the other day, 103.1, and they played "Been So Long"(!!!)

― Riot Gear! (Gear!), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 06:14 (twenty-one years ago)

3. Nothing Can Stop Us was covered by kylie

― defbot, Tuesday, 23 November 2004 06:24 (twenty-one years ago)

how many singles/greatest hits collections does a band need?

― heywood jablomi (heywood), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 06:30 (twenty-one years ago)

If you want to count the Japan only Fairy Tales From Saint Etienne, I think they have four, which yeah, is pretty ridiculous.

― Shane (Shane), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 07:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Where's 'Kiss & Make Up'?

― Buffalo Stan (Buffalo Stan), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 12:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't forget 'Casino Classics', their reallly rather superlative remixed best-of.

― laticsmon (laticsmon), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 16:32 (twenty-one years ago)

this one seems pretty unnecessary
guess it's just a matter of US licensing of stuff

but the new song is great

― rentboy (rentboy), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 16:35 (twenty-one years ago)

For me, that CD would be spoiled by the glaring omission of 'You're In A Bad Way'. Other than that, its not a bad place to start. It is Saint Etienne go pop, but then I like them better when they play pop than when they get more serious.

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 16:36 (twenty-one years ago)

smash
the
system

― piscesboy, Tuesday, 23 November 2004 16:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I love Saint Etienne in pop mode but honestly I think I prefer the mixture of unabashed pop and abstraction/seriousness on the first three albums (and the way they push at both ends on the long version of Tiger Bay is what makes it so especially amazing for me) and Finisterre to what I imagine the sustained burst of pop on a best-of to sound like.

I mean, yeah, Saint Etienne, great singles group, but it's a case where I think only having a best of album would really not give you a good overall sense of what they're about.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 23:37 (twenty-one years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.