Customer Reviews

Sing...Jonathan David

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Every song is equally as amazing. I love this single/EP. 3 of B&S's very best songs are on this single/EP. Along with Legal Man and I'm Waking Up to Us, their best music is all there in increments. I'd recomend buying this along with both the Legal Man and I'm Waking Up to Us singles/EPs. 9 of the finest damn Belle & Sebastian songs to be released.

This is a bargain at only 6 bucks! "The Loneliness Of A Middle-Distance Runner" is worth the price of admission alone. Make a bag salad tonight instead of getting takeout and buy this CD.

Belle & Sebastian's cd single Jonathan David is buoyed by the title cut. It is another great example of the Scottish group's sharp melodic ear and supple melodies. The other two tracks are solid, but "Jonathan David" is amongst the band's finest songs.

This is, by far Belle and Sebastian's best work. All three songs are perfect examples of the band's varying sounds. The title track is a bouncy, retro sounding pop tune; Bacharach and the Beatles are definitely present here. "Take Your Carriage Clock..." has one of the most beautiful string arrangements I've ever heard, on a B+S record or otherwise. Stewart Murdoch's lyrics tell the tale of a man who can no longer stand his own mundane job and poor treatment. There is a great anger in his voice, but he pulls it all off in such a refined way, the listener hardly even notices it. The EP closes with "The Loneliness of A Middle Distance Runner", a more layed back track with a terrific chorus: "And no one cares, Oh you care I know, you care I forgot for a while". All in all, a wonderful collection, and a perfect introduction piece to one of the finest bands in indie rock.

At 3 songs and a bit more than 10 minutes, there isn't much material here, though fans will inevitably find this a worthwhile listen. I think it's more evidence that they are still going strong in their mature style. "Jonathan David" is an uptempo track with vocals from guitarist Stevie Jackson. The other two are lower-key, along the lines of the "This Is Just A Modern Rock Song" EP, I think.

I don't like the title track on this EP at all, nor do I like the second b-side "The Loneliness of a Middle-Distance Runner". They sound very similar to much of B&S's recent work, which I do not care for. "Take Your Carriage Clock and Shove It" however is one of the best Belle & Sebastian songs yet, easily making the CD worth the price. That peddle-steel that eases in with "honor forbids me but honor be dammed"... oh baby! It may be the most beautiful second of music you'll hear this year.

this is a really beautiful album. the title track, incidently, can be used on a compilation tape when your best friend takes the girl you like. take your carriage clock is again about this ppor guy who gets [tricked] . but the highlight i think is the loniness of a middle distance runner. a live favourite, rumour had it that b&s were considering releasing it as a single. but i guess that was before johnathan david.

Buy it now...I can't believe no one else has caught the cheeky reference to Iron Maiden in the last track, "The Loneliness of the Middle Distance Runner," which winks at the Iron Maiden song, "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner."

I'm glad to see that B&S have a large and diverse record collection, as it seems most of their fans do not. Pick up Maiden's "Somewhere in Time," and you'll see these bands have a lot more in common than you'd think. Both are excellent at describing people and places and most of all feelings.

In short, both bands are for intelligent, sensitive people who think too much. Get this, and then live dangerously and pick up "Somewhere In Time," it won't bite.

This set of three new recordings by Philly-based techno duo Belle and Sebastian shows off the "new sound" of the city of brotherly love. The A side ("Jonathan David") is a blistering slice-of-life spoken-word drama depicting the battle of the sexes on a Rittenhouse Square park bench. (The sizzling references to cheese steaks and scrapple will please locals and out-of-towners alike.) The better of the two B sides, "Take This Carriage Clock and Shove It," is a rave-up worthy of the Yardbirds, with Stuart Murdoch flailing away at his Stratocaster. The only disappointment is "The Loneliness of the Middle Distance Runner," which, fans will note, samples barely the first two bars of Coleman Hawkins' "Body and Soul" and is chiefly a showcase for Isobel ("The New Janis") Campbell's patented blues howl. The hidden bonus track ("I'm Lonelier Than You"), with its xylophones and boozy trombones, suggests a new direction for the upbeat twosome. Overall, another awesome performance by a couple of club kids with talent to burn.

I'm pretty sure I'm not alone on this one. Like every other Belle & Sebastian release, I raced out to buy 'Jonathan David' but when I got it home, that old familiar sense of dread kicked in. What if they finally lose it? I'm 30 and I listen to tons of music. Belle & Sebatian are one of the only bands that reduce me to an enthusiastic 15 year old anticipating a new Smiths record. I can't afford to lose them! So, after circling it a few times, I finally threw it on & my first thought was "No! Not another non-Stuart Murdoch song! This democracy has to end!" My ears pricked up a bit at the Zombies-like middle acapella bit so I knew SOMETHING was going on. Besides, I thought, most truly brilliant songs don't get you on the first listen. That was a week ago & I cannot get this single off my turntable or out of my head! The melody is insanely clever & catchy & the orchestration is perfect as usual. The 2 flip sides are both good Stuart songs - I almost take for granted the high standard he maintains in his writing. Still, it's the A side I keep returning to. I imagine there will be a split decision among B & S fans on this one. It's a subtle one - but seriously, I haven't had a song this stuck in my head since the Clientle's 'Reflections After Jane' a few years back. The only reason this doesn't get 5 stars is because 'If You're Feeling Sinister'is (unfortunately for B & S) the standard by which all their other releases will be judged & it's basically perfect.