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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Oh to be free and frivolous, like Stuart Murdoch and his extensive cast of players as they engage The Life Pursuit. There's no "Take Your Carriage Clock and Shove It" or "Get Me Away from Here, I’m Dying" on this disc. Life has gotten easier, it seems, since Belle and Sebastian's early days. To boot, since 2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress, the Belle cast has indulged a more 70s-era set of influences: Isn't that Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky" beat on the funny "White Collar Boy," a near sequel to "Step Into My Office, Baby"? And how about the T-Rex touch on the opening of "The Blues Are Still Blue"? No worries, Belle and Sebastian retain their gleam flawlessly. A jaunty lift is still in their step, a carefree abandon that charms even as it also reaches to the 70s for the funk-meets-psychedelia, "Song for Sunshine." It's bright and breezy throughout (the titles tell some of the story: "Another Sunny Day" and "Funny Little Frog"), with memorably decorous, familiar bouncing rhythms marking much of the album. The downtone "Dress Up in You" and "Mornington Crescent" are spare and lovely, wide-open in their pacing. All the same, "For the Price of a Cup of Tea," almost triggers a sing-along with just its name. --Andrew Bartlett
More from Belle & Sebastian
 Push Barman to Open Old Wounds |  The Boy with the Arab Strap |  Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant |
 If You're Feeling Sinister |  Tigermilk |  Belle & Sebastian--Fans Only |
Product Description
Written almost entirely by frontman Stuart Murdoch, Belle And Sebastian's sixth album is a magnificently assured and diverse pop record. With nods to such influences as Cornelius, Manfred Mann, and David Bowie, The Life Pursuit mingles the folky, be-sweatered pathos of the group's earliest work with joyfully satirical late 60's sunshine pop, and the sophisticated 80's-influenced work reminiscent of their prior album, 2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress. Matador. 2006.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
73 of 87 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Long after Radiohead decided that traditional rock songs were "beneath" them and started their weird sojurn into God-knows-what and the pop-punk exoplosion of the late Nineties wilted on the vine, very little about modern music gets me excited enough to buy an album totally cold with no advance listens. Apart from Weezer last year and Death Cab for Cutie recently, I really haven't purchased a new release by a current band in a long time. But that all changed last week when I got "The Life Pursuit".
If you have the 2003 "Dear Catastrophe Waitress" disc (or the harder-to-find "Books" single from the following year) the new direction of B&S probably won't be much of a shock for you. It's not that the band has "turned their back" on what got them the devoted cult following they earned with more laid-back releases like "Tigermilk" or "If You're Feeling Sinister", but simply that they've opened their musical pallette to include Seventies glam and pomp (well, their versions of the two). And the combination is infectious if you let it in.
Sure, fans of their more acoustic material will feel betrayed, and I can sympathize with them if they feel Stuart Murdoch and the band are forgetting their roots. But it's senseless to hold Belle and Sebastian to a fixed style, when there have been hints of this kind of musical direction in previous releases (anyone recall "Electronic Renaissance"'s odd position on the Tigermilk record?). What's more, like any good artists the group brings something unexpected and new to the styles they've embraced.
That's called true artistry, folks. If the record wasn't half as enjoyable as it is, you might have a point.
But songs like "The Blues are Still Blue", "We are The Sleeyheads", "Funny Little Frog", and "White Collar Boy" are immensely likable on repeat listens, and the gems that emerge like "Mornington Crescent" and "Act of the Apostles (Parts I and II)" roll around in your head long after you've removed the disc from your CD player (which won't be for a while, of course). This is good music from a great band who continue to defy the expectations that were placed upon them a decade ago and still retain that special something which makes them a force to be reckoned with.
So pick up "The Life Pursuit" and enjoy listening to it on repeat, as there isn't a bad track on the entire disc. Rock music rarely gets this enjoyable or listenable these days, so treasures like "Pursuit" should be acknowledged. Otherwise, it's just the same old crap but with a different album cover. And that's the artistic kiss of death.
If you have the 2003 "Dear Catastrophe Waitress" disc (or the harder-to-find "Books" single from the following year) the new direction of B&S probably won't be much of a shock for you. It's not that the band has "turned their back" on what got them the devoted cult following they earned with more laid-back releases like "Tigermilk" or "If You're Feeling Sinister", but simply that they've opened their musical pallette to include Seventies glam and pomp (well, their versions of the two). And the combination is infectious if you let it in.
Sure, fans of their more acoustic material will feel betrayed, and I can sympathize with them if they feel Stuart Murdoch and the band are forgetting their roots. But it's senseless to hold Belle and Sebastian to a fixed style, when there have been hints of this kind of musical direction in previous releases (anyone recall "Electronic Renaissance"'s odd position on the Tigermilk record?). What's more, like any good artists the group brings something unexpected and new to the styles they've embraced.
That's called true artistry, folks. If the record wasn't half as enjoyable as it is, you might have a point.
But songs like "The Blues are Still Blue", "We are The Sleeyheads", "Funny Little Frog", and "White Collar Boy" are immensely likable on repeat listens, and the gems that emerge like "Mornington Crescent" and "Act of the Apostles (Parts I and II)" roll around in your head long after you've removed the disc from your CD player (which won't be for a while, of course). This is good music from a great band who continue to defy the expectations that were placed upon them a decade ago and still retain that special something which makes them a force to be reckoned with.
So pick up "The Life Pursuit" and enjoy listening to it on repeat, as there isn't a bad track on the entire disc. Rock music rarely gets this enjoyable or listenable these days, so treasures like "Pursuit" should be acknowledged. Otherwise, it's just the same old crap but with a different album cover. And that's the artistic kiss of death.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Yay! I just received the limited edition of B&S's "Life Pursuit" LP. While the album might be disappointing at first, it really does grow on you. It's more singular in vision than the last LP, which makes it very consistent and just as lovely, and in the end one of the band's finest achievements.
The songs themselves are more overtly seventies rock-and-pop (and funk), with "The Blues are Still Blue" probably being the high point. Of course, several cuts are very reminiscent of old Belle & Sebsatian ("Dress Up in You," "Funny Little Frog," "Another Sunny Day" -- though "Frog" is steeped in rocking piano accents and hip, poppy guitar lines). You will be disappointed if you're only looking for something akin to "Sinister" or "Fold Your Hands," however.
The DVD in this limited edition package is a bit of a surprise, considering the current price on amazon is only a little more over the standard, comparatively average CD set. Six songs from the album are performed live, rather well, with Stuart Murdoch (the imitable and quite lovely band leader) showing some serious charm. I think I might be even more in love with him than I was before. (The songs are "Another Sunny Day," "Dress Up in You," "To Be Myself Completely," "Mornington Crescent," "Funny Little Frog," and "White Collar Boy.")
The packaging is exactly like the deluxe version of "Push Barman": hardcover mini-book, except way more pictures and linear notes. A lot of the Q&A from the band's official website is in here, which at first I found unimpressive, but I'm fine with it now. Richard's answers to most everything are hilarious, and the very notion of putting such a thing in the linear notes shows how well connected B&S is to its fans.
Surely worth the purchase for anyone who loves the band. It doesn't particularly matter if you're a casual fan or not -- the deluxe version honestly isn't much more than the regular one, and the music is catchy and friendly enough to guarantee new fans. Highly recommended.
The songs themselves are more overtly seventies rock-and-pop (and funk), with "The Blues are Still Blue" probably being the high point. Of course, several cuts are very reminiscent of old Belle & Sebsatian ("Dress Up in You," "Funny Little Frog," "Another Sunny Day" -- though "Frog" is steeped in rocking piano accents and hip, poppy guitar lines). You will be disappointed if you're only looking for something akin to "Sinister" or "Fold Your Hands," however.
The DVD in this limited edition package is a bit of a surprise, considering the current price on amazon is only a little more over the standard, comparatively average CD set. Six songs from the album are performed live, rather well, with Stuart Murdoch (the imitable and quite lovely band leader) showing some serious charm. I think I might be even more in love with him than I was before. (The songs are "Another Sunny Day," "Dress Up in You," "To Be Myself Completely," "Mornington Crescent," "Funny Little Frog," and "White Collar Boy.")
The packaging is exactly like the deluxe version of "Push Barman": hardcover mini-book, except way more pictures and linear notes. A lot of the Q&A from the band's official website is in here, which at first I found unimpressive, but I'm fine with it now. Richard's answers to most everything are hilarious, and the very notion of putting such a thing in the linear notes shows how well connected B&S is to its fans.
Surely worth the purchase for anyone who loves the band. It doesn't particularly matter if you're a casual fan or not -- the deluxe version honestly isn't much more than the regular one, and the music is catchy and friendly enough to guarantee new fans. Highly recommended.
40 of 47 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I find it quite odd that any Belle and Sebastian fan would come in here and give The Life Pursuit a one star. I truly can't figure out what fans expect of musicians. Some want an exact duplicate of previous efforts. Boring boring boring. Here Belle and Sebastian have released a great album of fresh and exciting new tunes. Admitingly, I raised an eyebrow at the first listen though now that I'm on my fourth listen, this stuff is great. It's uplifting and witty, as Belle and Sebastian have always been. It would seem to me that anybody complaining about this cd simply has a problem with change. Ironically, the cd really isn't much of a departure from their previous efforts. For those who want to complain, stick in 'If You're Feeling Sinister' and just listen to it over and over again. For those who are expecting Belle and Sebastian to grow musically with new fresh ideas, definitely get The Life Pursuit.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Belle and Sebastian album!
Nothing better than watching the best songs in the DVD. I think it's the best Belle and Sebastian album, Totally recommended!
Published 2 months ago by javier contreras
5.0 out of 5 stars
totally fabulous
I first heard about this album on Pandora..the song that drove me to buy it was Sukie in the Graveyard. I've been listening to it all day. Read more
Published 8 months ago by C. Schmidt
3.0 out of 5 stars
Belle and Sebastian continue their turn toward a more electrified,...
To listen to a Belle and Sebastian release from the new millennium is to feel initial shock and slight disappointment, only to soon discover that the Stuart Murdoch-led pop group... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Christopher Culver
5.0 out of 5 stars
Flawless
Not much to add to the discourse except to say that this now ranks as my favorite Belle and Sebastian album. Every song is a gem. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Donald E. Gilliland
5.0 out of 5 stars
Whimsical and full of flavor
I have a few albums from Belle & Sebastian and this one is different. The quality and momentum of the music is nice on this album. Read more
Published on January 12, 2010 by Katherine Vejchoda
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Honey, Loving You Is the Greatest Thing..."
For some reason, I didn't listen much to Belle & Sebastian's "The Life Pursuit" back in the cold winter days of 2006 when it was released. Read more
Published on July 22, 2009 by Richard Hine
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love this Album
This is the 2nd Belle and Sebastien album I've purchased, with the first purchased in the 90's ("Boy with the Arab Strap"). Read more
Published on February 8, 2009 by P. Myhre
4.0 out of 5 stars
Smart pop, now with less artery-clogging filler
While not a complete reinvention (although a few tracks beg to differ), TLP came on strongly revitalized in pop assertiveness, managing to rework some of the same old formulas this... Read more
Published on February 6, 2009 by IRate
4.0 out of 5 stars
I Recommend
I first came to know Belle & Sebastian when my pal Patrick put "Lazy Line Painter Jane" on for me. As I was preparing for a bus trip to Los Angeles, he said the song reminded him... Read more
Published on June 25, 2008 by Bradley Jacobson
5.0 out of 5 stars
a perfect album
This is the type of album that you can play again & again without skipping songs. Probably the best of Belle & Sebastian.
Published on March 26, 2008 by visionary
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