 "Starts strong, ends weak" | 2008-08-27 |
| - Reviewed By User: A8IFUOL8S9BZC |
3 1/2
The album begins like a classic, displaying Belle's signature mellow folk-pop orchestrations at their best- where beautiful intertwined melodies and a hushed acoustic urgency effortlessly combine. Their "Sleep The Clock Around" is probably the best rendition I have heard of one of the most cliched chord phrasings used in modern rock, and everything feels spot on until the sixth track or so, which is when things begin to sharply decline, never fully recovering. |
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 "the best band at their best." | 2008-06-08 |
| - Reviewed By lanemyer2172 |
| not believing they could top their 2nd record, they did and made an album that changed me in so many ways i still havent figured them all out yet 10 years later. |
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| "My Favorite B&S album" | 2008-04-18 |
| - Reviewed By aerin_grace |
Boy with the Arab Strap isn't a perfect album -- Sinister is more consistent, but it's definitely a lot more varied instrumentally than its predecessor. Unlike Sinister, there's actually a buildup, and then a letting go, along with some looser-sounding improvisation at the end of "Rollercoaster Ride".
This is the first album which included songs not written by Stuart Murdoch (Chickfactor, Seymour Stein, A Space Boy Dream, Is it Wicked to Care?). Although they're not of the same quality, they fit very well in with the rest of the album.
It's important to view TBTWAS as an album... On their own, the songs aren't as attractive, but the fact that Space Boy Dream and Seymour Stein are right before Dirty Dream #2 makes them all the better for it.
There's kind of this "magic" quality to the sound of the music... the way the songs don't actually refer to anything, but really you know what they're talking about, as well as the quiet and intricate arrangements, the way everything pulls together in a way such that they can use a bagpipe and weird electronic sounds, and yet none of it sounds out of place... I've never found another group quite like them.
Some people like B&S, other's don't. In any case, they're a band that really grow on you. This album, along with Sinister, I swear I appreciate more every time I hear it. I'd advise anyone who is new to Belle & Sebastian to start with Dear Catastrophe Waitress in order to get a feel for their sound, and then move on to some of their older records. |
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| "My Favorite BS album" | 2008-04-18 |
| - Reviewed By aerin_grace |
| Boy with the Arab Strap isn't a perfect album -- Sinister is more consistent, but it's definitely a lot more varied instrumentally than its predecessor. Unlike Sinister, there's actually a buildup, and then a letting go, along with some looser-sounding improvisation at the end of "Rollercoaster Ride".br /br /This is the first album which included songs not written by Stuart Murdoch (Chickfactor, Seymour Stein, A Space Boy Dream, Is it Wicked to Care?). Although they're not of the same quality, they fit very well in with the rest of the album.br /br /It's important to view TBTWAS as an album... On their own, the songs aren't as attractive, but the fact that Space Boy Dream and Seymour Stein are right before Dirty Dream #2 makes them all the better for it.br /br /There's kind of this "magic" quality to the sound of the music... the way the songs don't actually refer to anything, but really you know what they're talking about, as well as the quiet and intricate arrangements, the way everything pulls together in a way such that they can use a bagpipe and weird electronic sounds, and yet none of it sounds out of place... I've never found another group quite like them.br /br /Some people like BS, other's don't. In any case, they're a band that really grow on you. This album, along with Sinister, I swear I appreciate more every time I hear it. I'd advise anyone who is new to Belle Sebastian to start with Dear Catastrophe Waitress in order to get a feel for their sound, and then move on to some of their older records. |
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| "Their Best Album" | 2008-01-21 |
| - Reviewed By greekfigleaf |
| As the title mentions, this is their best album in my opinion. It is mellow and catchy the whole way through. Good if you like that kind of thing. Has good replay value as well. |
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| "A Classic & Must-Have Belle & Sebastian Album" | 2008-01-06 |
| - Reviewed By User: AX4XYINL135XU |
| I completely disagree with the review below. "The Boy With the Arab Strap" is one of my favorite Belle & Sebastian albums. It was my first impression of Belle & Sebastian; it made a very strong one, too. I believe it is one of their most ingenious albums. Like all of Belle & Sebastian's albums, it takes a musically trained ear as well as an appreciation for style and meaning in music in order to appreciate and enjoy them. Many of my favorite songs of all time are on this album: "Sleep Around the Clock," "It Could've Been a Brilliant Career," and "Dirty Dream Number Two." Along with these songs, almost all the songs on this album have very touching meanings in their lyrics and innovative composition. I have listened to this album dozens of times and each time I hear and appreciate something new within each song. It is a must buy for any Belle & Sebastian fan. |
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| "A Classic Must-Have Belle Sebastian Album" | 2008-01-06 |
| - Reviewed By User: AX4XYINL135XU |
| I completely disagree with the review below. "The Boy With the Arab Strap" is one of my favorite Belle Sebastian albums. It was my first impression of Belle Sebastian; it made a very strong one, too. I believe it is one of their most ingenious albums. Like all of Belle Sebastian's albums, it takes a musically trained ear as well as an appreciation for style and meaning in music in order to appreciate and enjoy them. Many of my favorite songs of all time are on this album: "Sleep Around the Clock," "It Could've Been a Brilliant Career," and "Dirty Dream Number Two." Along with these songs, almost all the songs on this album have very touching meanings in their lyrics and innovative composition. I have listened to this album dozens of times and each time I hear and appreciate something new within each song. It is a must buy for any Belle Sebastian fan. |
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| "i spent the summer wasting" | 2007-10-18 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2NJUDUA9JOKET |
| i LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE this album. so many amazing songs on it. of course its not belle and sebastians best work, but that doesnt make it any less amazing! buy it and you will not regret it |
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| "I Always Come Back" | 2007-05-22 |
| - Reviewed By suppersppy |
| I have heard this album a hundred times but I always come back. It's one of their best albums and great by any measure. |
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 "Still The Best." | 2006-11-08 |
| - Reviewed By hajjej |
| Belle and Sebastian's third album is still the best. Combining the simple guitar, cello, and trumpet of their previous two releases with an expanded orchestra section, this record is good from start to finish. The only misstep was the decision to include Stuart David's A Space Boy Dream. This expiremental spoken word track ruins the cohesiveness of an otherwise perfect record. It's clear Stuart Murdoch hasn't abandoned the quiet ballads of his former records, but the rollicking title track is a sign of the more rock-oriented albums to come. If you want the best respresentation of Belle and Sebastian's early period, buy If You're Feeling Sinister. If you want the best representation of Belle and Sebastian's entire output, buy The Boy With The Arab Strap. |
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