Customer Reviews

Tigermilk

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

even though i am late forties-something, i try to keep up with the music scene. i would see belle and sebastian pop up here and there in the press, to generally favorable reviews. one day i was in a music store and asked a clerk about them. his eyes lit up instantly and he started to go on and on about them, all in a dither as to which album i should start with. he finally settled on mother's milk so i bought it and took it home for a listen. i have to admit that my first impression was "what the h*ll have i bought now?" but there was something there and i put it on again and the opening track suddenly grabbed me and i have been hopelessly hooked since. i am a single dad of two young boys and often after they are in bed i will dim the lights and pour a glass of wine and put this album on and feel quite clever and even a little bit cool for an old guy.

I adore Belle & Sebastian, but I must say that half of my favorite B&S songs are on this album and the other half are spread throughout the rest of their work. Not that I don't love every other album (with the possible exception of Storytelling), just that every single song on here is infectious, moving, funny, and stays with you a long time after you've stopped playing it. On all the other albums, I find songs that are a little too slight or meandering. But this one is 100%.
'The State I Am In' is one of the few songs I've heard that makes me laugh out loud, and contains some of the wittiest biblical allusions I've ever heard. 'Expectations' should be required listening for every high or middle school kid who thinks no one understands them. "Write a song, I'll sing along" I wish I'd heard it back then: even though I'm a boy, I can relate to every incident in the song. I could really go on and on, but every song is fabulous.
If you're just getting into B&S I highly recommend this album as a starting point.

Great album. The rhythm to "Electronic Renaissance" is quite similar to that on Pat Benetar's "Love is a battlefield," which I find quite amusing. Great song. Also a great song is "The State I am in." I love the tambourine in that song when they reference Veronica in the song "Expectations." .
Another great track is "I could be dreaming." I love the way the music is layered at the end of the song and Isobel speaks/reads while the guitar progressively gets louder and louder.

Belle and Sebastian's 1996 debut still sounds as fresh today as it did when it was released. If anything this proves the band to have been talented beyond their years when they recorded this, and shows that a timeless classic is a timeless classic, no matter whose bathroom it was recorded in...While often accused of being one-dimensional, the strength of this record lies in its diversity. Huge ranges in tempo, style and sound pervade this album, which in all its lo-fi glory is remarkably short.
For me the best song, and the best song they've ever done, is album opener "The State I'm In". As a manifesto and a call to arms it has never been excelled, and as a classic shaggy dog story, I doubt it ever will be! You can almost feel the joy Stuart derives from telling his stories and spitting out his acutely observed and intricate lyrics ("got married in a rush to save a kid from being deported, now she's in love...") and the album's sugar rush is insanely infectious.
The lyrical obsessions with buses, lesbianism and religion are already in place, and the band's charm is allowed to shine through the dodgy production.
This is a warm, heartbreakingly beautiful and affecting record and it deserves your attention.
PS. Listen closely at the start of track two - just before the vocals come in there's a weird noise. It's Stuart self-consciously zipping up his cardigan as he steps up to the mic to sing! How cute!!

First off i should say that i'd only give 5 stars to a flat-out classic album, so 3 stars isn't a bad score. This is overall a very solid album, but I got it after Sinister and most of their other EP's and, to be honest, it just isn't as consistently great as those releases. Most of the songs are high quality, with the exception of track 5 which is horrible. This song is so out of place on this album that it is quite jarring. If they had left this song out, this might have rated higher because it would have flowed better. Still essential if you are a fan though.

Why do you listen this album? Because you wanna be part of a picnic together with your closest friend? Because you wanna record it on your walkman tape and take it with you, while you take the subway, watching girls talking about their lives? Chelsea and Lisa? Why do you get attached to the songs so easily? Probably because you feel like "this is my personal moment right now". Chilly and comfortable, sat on a velvet chair or on a noisy bus, it doesn't matter, this album goes with ocasions of resting, drinking and observing.

Ok, so I already had "Fold you hands..." and "Arab Strap" when I bought this album, and was fairly impressed with the band already. Then, I bought this one, and my world was changed. Well, not really, but the songwriting did blow me away. Now, monthes later, I still regard it as the best album I own.
It starts out with "The State that I am in", one of the strongest tracks, lyrically. "Expectations" is a simple, witty song, as is "She's losing it". "You're just a baby" is harder to love, but the chorus is very nice. "Electronic Renaissance" is very different from the rest of the album, and the one skippable track (unless you're in the right mood for it). It progresses to "I could be dreaming" which, fittingly, is a very sleepy song. "We rule the school" is a simple ballad, and it really grows on you after time. Then comes my favorite track "My wandering days are over". The references to the spooky witch in the sexy dress are very nice, and the music has a great melody. I don't love anyone is an average song, but is essential to the album. "Mary Jo" is a good way to end it, it makes a reference to the first song and ties it all together very nicely.
I know everyone says "If you're feeling sinister" is their masterpiece, but I would disagree and champion this album.

When you're feeling particularly self-indulgent, navel-gazing and all that, you can listen to Morrissey, the Smiths, the Cure, or Belle & Sebastian. You might have a tiny shameful twinge afterwards, but you'll love it while it's playing.

And thank god I was let on to this group by a girl named Stacy in my college. She recommended them to me when I told her I liked Blur. I bought this, listened to it once, put it away for a year, and then decided to listen to it on a whim. It has totally changed my life, and now that she has graduated, I can't thank her and tell her how much I adore this music (and that's partially why I am writing this review).

It's a sort of pure pop breath of fresh air that hooks you from the first moment you hear Stuart's voice. The music, what can I say about it? Catchy, kinetic, comforting, good to make love to... or so I've heard, HA! Favorites are "The State I Am In, She's Losing It, I Could Be Dreaming, Mary Jo, and Electronic Rennaisance". The last one because it's so different from anything else on the album, and it makes me dance, dance, dance! It is a CD I listen to at least 2 times a week start to finish every week.

Thank you Stacy, I never would have found B 'n' S without you. BTW, get "I'm Waking Up To Us" also, "Marx And Engels" is great.

If you are like me, then music holds a special place in your heart. Probably, just above doughnuts and right below a back scratch. To this end, a tune's lyricalness, if you will, tends to evoke certain emotional responses within all of us. I.E., some Zeppelin to get you up for a work out or, how about a little Vavaldi to calm the nerves. I'd wager that all of you have particular musicians or songs that tweak each mood spot (And I do mean all of them).

That said brings us to the septet from Glasgow, "Belle and Sebastian". Recorded in 5 days for a college course, "B & S's" 1996 release "Tiger Milk" is a paradoxical quagmire of emotion served on a velvet carpet with a sprinkle of vinegar. A cursory listen to Stuart Murdoch's undulating brogue would leave one feeling gleeful and at peace with the universe. Yet, with a thorough listen one discovers a heartbreaking pathos covered in pop bliss. In this lies the genius of this album. Almost a metaphor for, lets say, the 1950's, "Tiger Milk" lures you in with a false façade of light fluff. If unaware, you'd slide through this disk. Yet, those who know better can't help but to relate to their frustration and regret of living in a world where the majority are oblivious to the evils around them. Remember what happened because of the ignorance of the `50's? That's right, the 60's, `nuff said.

"B & S" cover the emotional wasteland from abyss to abyss. To surf these lyrically adroit dunes, one needs to give over to the entire concept. You can't just bound from song to song and expect to comprehend the work. Which, in this case, is precisely the point. How often do we prejudge a piece before we complete the puzzle? How often do we blindly accept what's served to us just because it's served to us? How often do we follow just because we feel the need to be lead? Viable questions. Ask your self, why? I'd bet, again, that all your answers will sound startlingly similar to the lyrics drifting through "Tiger Milk".

Imagine a vanilla ice-cream cone on a hot day. It's just sitting there. You dash to it and without thinking, nosh headlong. Unfortunately, you soon discover the scrumptious looking scoop is actually made of lard. Now, if you took the time to think you'd notice the ice cream wasn't melting. A trifle simple allegory, but you get the point. In my opinion, anything that stimulates that thing bopping around in your skull deserves, at least, a peek. And "Tiger Milk" certainly earns one.

Depending on your mood, "Bell and Sebastian" will stir-up a plethora of sentiments. It's mostly reliant on which personal issues are closest to your conscience surface. Whatever your motivations, "Tiger Milk" will leave you with a stark impression. As for me, that's something I'll just keep tucked between doughnuts and a back scratch.