Audio CD review:
Saint Etienne - Continental

Saint Etienne - Continental

Band: Saint Etienne Title: Continental Rating: Release Date: 25 January, 2000 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Shad Thames 2: Burnt Out Car 3: Sometimes in Winter 4: Winter Melody 5: Public Information Film 6: Process 7: He's on the Phone 8: Stormtrooper in Drag - Saint Etienne 9: Star 10: Down by the Sea 11: Sea [Instrumental] 12: Lonesome 13: Angel, Nobody Aver Would Start to Wonder Why

Customer Reviews sometimes blonde anthologies do have more fun " This ear-opener was the only worthwhile cover on the misguided Gary Numan tribute, "Random" (Numan deserved much better than the lackluster by-the-numbers imitations assembled there); but I didn't think it existed on a Saint Etienne album. I was excited to find this import, and I purchased it basically for one track: "Stormtrooper in Drag. So when I saw "Stormtrooper in Drag" on the tracklist of "Continental" I got it right away. This song is addictive, a high-octane energy blast. Saint Etienne takes Numan's Most Psychotic Song Ever (was he watching Visconti's "The Damned" on a bad trip?) to the club floor and dances all over it in stiletto heels. How pleased I was to also discover that the rest of "Continental" (a Japanese anthology of Saint Etienne's non-album tracks) is pretty great, ranking with "Good Humor" and "Sound of Water" as one of their best. What's appealing about "Continental" is its eclectic tour of electronica styles. "Shad Thames" is an Enofied near-instrumental, "Down By the Sea" ventures into Roni Size drum'n-bass territory, and "Angel" tries on Portishead's atmospherics, replete with simulated scratchy vinyl-lp noises. But through it all, Saint Etienne remains true to its own carefully crafted, slightly ethereal sound on the catchy tracks "Burnt Out Car," "Sometimes in Winter," "Lonesome," and the lump-in-the-throat-inducing "He's On the Phone. " That last number has a big, driving chorus that may surprise listeners who wanted to write off Sarah Cracknell as queen of the la-la-la's. But I've always appreciated her earthy, as well as her airy, side. She's like the neighborhood librarian who gets sexy and wild when she goes out to a club. She's so innately tasteful that she can allow her musicians to deflate her own breathy romantic "pose" with all kinds of weird electronic gadget-sounds, and that's always been a big part of her charm, for me. There is a refreshing lack of vanity to Saint Etienne that undercuts the plastic excesses of pop music and club life, even as the band makes itself at home in both areas. Sometimes blonde anthologies do have more fun! . Good, but... Don't get me wrong, I think the cd is a definite must have, but I find that it starts out extremely strong, maintains for awhile, and then inexplicably fades at the end. I find that after about the first 8 tracks or so I never want to listen to the rest of the cd. Would recommend adding this to your collection only after you already have most of their other albums. Great, one of their best This album, which came out only in Japan in 1997, shows the impressive versatilty of this band. This is a fine CD from Saint Etienne, one of the most underrated, artistic and expressive pop groups out there. Sarah's voice doesn't get much better than this. Even when she hums on "Shad Thames," it's sexy. The two-part "Down by the Sea" and "The Sea" is a hypnotic merger of simple lyrics and ethereal musical arrangements. . . a masterpiece in its own way. "Lonesome" is the kind of song that when you hear it, you simply cannot understand why it wasn't a hit. It has a kind of pop emotion. And they cover a lesser known Gary Numan song, "Stormtrooper in Drag. " Get out your dancing shoes for that one. Even the one minute long "Public Information Film" has a certain pleasantry about it. This includes "He's On the Phone," which is a fairly well-known song among the band's fans. I know the price may be a little steep for a CD but if you need to eat macaroni and cheese for a week to buy it. . . you should. This is HIGHLY recommended listening. . You can see a complete list of all Saint Etienne discography, or go back to the Saint Etienne tabs