Boy With the Arab Strap

Belle & Sebastian | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 8, 1998)
• Original Release Date: September 8, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Matador Records
• ASIN: B00000AFHM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (159 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,560 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #17 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Twee Pop
  • #20 in Music > Indie Music > Alternative Rock > Alternative Folk
  • #68 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Chamber Pop

Track Listings

1. It Could Have Been a Brilliant Career

2. Sleep the Clock Around

3. Is It Wicked Not to Care?

4. Ease Your Feet in the Sea

5. A Summer Wasting

6. Seymour Stein

7. A Space Boy Dream

8. Dirty Dream Number Two

9. The Boy With the Arab Strap

10. Chickfactor

11. Simple Things

12. The Rollercoaster Ride

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite album of all time ever, April 9, 2003

By 

Tyler McGaughey (san angelo, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boy With the Arab Strap (Audio CD)

I first heard about Belle and Sebastian from a friend of mine who had also turned me on to Kings of Convenience. I went out and bought this CD as soon as I could. I didn't really get into it at first and I didn't really understand what some of the songs were about. But the album grew on me. The songs are timeless, they conjure up the ghosts of late 60s pioneers like Love and Nick Drake, while always sounding modern and in touch with today's alienated youth. But now that I have listened to these twelve songs thousands of times, the thing that draws me back the Boy with the Arab Strap is the MOOD. Autumnal, like leaves falling but with a hint of summer still lingering and winter waiting at the door. Like "The Graduate" or a Wes Anderson movie, graceful and beautiful, with equal measures of humor, sorrow and tenderness.
If you haven't already, buy this CD and prepare yourself for the most subtle and gorgeous forty-five minutes of your life.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good, solid music - pure and simple, April 22, 2000

By 

Adam Richman - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boy With the Arab Strap (Audio CD)

Every so often, you buy a CD that is a "press play, leave on" CD - one that has enough enjoyability and variety to be listened to the whole way through...I found that here. Some people have a hard time considering music with vocals of such softness - rock; but the simple fact here is that this is an album where most of the power comes in the lyrics - which could stand alone as poetry, and in the subtle and clean instrumentation - which is nothing less than perfect. I know that it is already hard to imagine an alnum so good through all of my flowery, fawning words, but - one listen straight through and you too will be sold. This album has out and out, impossible-not-to-dance-to songs (Dirty Dream #2 and the title track), breathy atmospheric gems (Ease Your Feet in the sea, Chickfactor, Seymour Stein- a brilliant song) as well as grinding, undefinable, songs with no genre or label (the amazing "Simple Things," and the equally great "A Spaceboy Dream"). This is one to buy, because there really is nothing quite like it available anywhere from anyone - and as the band shy away from public acclaim (turned down several major-label deals to sign with small Scottish label "Jeepster") they strengthen the unique nature of their sound which has only gotten better with each flawlessly produced album. Maybe not pure mosh, pyrotechnic, guitar smash rock, and maybe not pure troubador ballads - but a great piece of arranged music nonetheless and an entirely enjoyable addition to any collection.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In case you were wondering . . ., July 25, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Boy With the Arab Strap (Audio CD)

I've had this CD for about a year and I just found out what an
Arab Strap is a few days ago.

An Arab Strap is a contraption that is designed to fit over a man's genitals and is usually made of leather.

I think I have gone into enough detail for most people. Just wanted to tell you.

(By the way, get the CD. It's really really good.)