Words And Music By Saint Etienne [+digital booklet]

Saint Etienne | Format: MP3 Music

Product Details

• Original Release Date: May 29, 2012
• Release Date: May 29, 2012
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Universal UK
• Copyright: (C) 2012 Saint Etienne Limited
• Record Company Required Metadata: Music file metadata contains unique purchase identifier. Learn more.
• Total Length: 1:53:52
• Genres:
  • Pop
• ASIN: B00849J6M2
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,714 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars BEWARE! Deluxe Version Available For Same Price May 29, 2012

By Falsetto Prophet

Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase

Hello fellow Saint Etienne fans.

YES the wait has been way too long for this stellar album to come out - but if you wait 5 more seconds, the rewards are great.

There are TWO versions of this album available for download. Nearly the same price. Be sure yours is the 25 Track Deluxe Edition with Digital Booklet. For a half buck less, you merely get the standard album, no digital booklet.

OK, the booklet is not much to write home about. Just some pictures of some doorways around London, a lovely shot of the band (looking dapper and beautiful as always) and a lyrics page. The real treat is the remix album. Remix albums can either be essential (Prince, Big Country, New Order), dreadful (Lady Gaga) or inessential (Radiohead's The King of Limbs remix). I am not sure where this one will land, but for 50 extra cents, it's all butter to me.

Just like Sarah Cracknell's creamy, dreamy voice - oh how I missed her, that posh, soothing soprano and her dazzling closet of cocktail dresses. Pinky out, cocktail to lips, relax and let Sarah delight you with tales (spoken and sung) about the importance of music in her life.

This album will take a while to fully absorb, but don't wait for me or anyone else. While it is only ten bucks - grab it now and enjoy.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic! May 30, 2012

By SteveMor

This is a great album! I wasnt expecting this at all to be honest. After Tales From Turnpike House mellower entry in their catalog, I thought they would sort of follow that one up with something similar. Don't get me wrong, Turnpike House had some really nice songs, but most of the songs were pretty soft & gentle tunes without a whole lot of boldness or experimenting going on. It was kind of an easy going Saint Etienne CD! But Words & Music completely changes course with some incredible catchy songs, with great hooks, danceable, techno, with the unique trademark sounds from their older albums also added in. A lot of experimenting going on actually, changing things up from song to song. All of it so catchy and a pleasure to listen to. The first half dozen times I've played this CD I've just gotten lost in the journey. Sarah's vocals and the great productions and instrumentation just glides along and never gets boring. The album also has a depth like the other reviewer said you cannot grasp it during the first listen but with repeated plays you appreciate it more and more! The album has a complexity to it that will probably make it an enjoyable listen for a long time to come. To me the songwriting is just better this time, they've had 7 years to work on it and it's just a real treat! 5 stars all the way!!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely, catchy tunes. An ode to the importance of music in one's life. June 8, 2012

By Carolyn

Format:MP3 Music

This album quickly grew on me after a few listens. The other reviewers are absolutely right about it having a depth that you might not notice on the first listen.

My initial reaction was a bit less favorable. First of all, some of the songs sounded a bit samey to me, like maybe they stuck with the same synthesizer effects in each song (which is not really true, in retrospect). Also, I wasn't so sure about them releasing an "ode to music" album, because it's clear in their past albums that they love music. Do they really need to spell it out?

But like I said, the album quickly grew on me. There's no problem with them spelling out their love of music, because of course they're doing it in their classy Saint Etienne way. They've always done a great job of evoking just the right emotions with each song, and this album is no exception. This is not a mere "I (heart) music" on a bumper sticker sort of thing. It's a subtle sermon.

As for it sounding all a bit samey, well, there is a clear focus on catchy dance tracks on this album, and at first listen, it might seem vapid. But nothing is ever vapid with Saint Etienne, is it? This is where the hidden depth of the album comes in. There are little nuances here and there, and of course clever lyrics, and Sarah's wistful delivery of them, that demonstrate one of the messages of the album: music can be meaningful even if it doesn't sound like it at first.

In a way, the message in this album is what I've been wanting to hear from them for a long time. They clearly know a lot about music, and sometimes they're cheeky about it, putting acoustic name-drops in their songs and such. Some musicians take this too far and become arrogant, treating music like an exclusive club.... Some musicians go ironic, mocking the clichés of days past. But Saint Etienne never does that, and I love them for it. They have too much respect for the medium and its effect on people. And here they take a stand and come right out and say it: they are music lovers and they want you to love music, too. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a career high...will this be the end? July 18, 2012

By Kirk D. Colton

Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase

The best cult pop band of all time releases a career peak album. Now will they follow suit and follow in the foot steps of bands like Japan, Janes Addiction and Failure and call it a day after reaching such a high creative peak?. Only time will tell. I will say if they do, I want to thank Bob, Pete and Sarah for creating not only one of the best albums of 2012 but probably my favorite pop album of the last five years or so.

I have to wonder. Granted, the band has never got it's due. See the success of Adele, Amy Winehouse, Lilly Allen and listen to Saint Etienne's first three records and shake your head. Second, pop artists in their late 40s shouldn't be able to come up with such a great concept. SE have crafted not only a very creative concept album about the importance of music in people's life. But every song on the album is stellar. some like "DJ" are among the best the band has written. Even the songs that on the surface don't appear so great on the first listen grab you by the throat on subsequent repeats. And I find myself repeatedly playing this album quite a bit.

And to top it all of, this band is pretty clever. Not only do they raise the bar on "kitchen sink" melodrama that shows the band still worships Scott Walker albums 1 through 4. They reference other bands, their own music, and their own lyrics to their own songs. Like I said pretty clever for the worlds greatest cult pop band. Even the album cover showing "streets made of song titles" is just really ridiculously clever.

So I would say, this is a must have album for people in their late 30's to late 40's who grew up on glam rock and British new wave.... If the first song on this marvel, called "Over The Boarder" doesn't choke you up a bit complete with a lyric and music nod to New Order, then I would say pass on this. But let me repeat, on the first song, Saint Etienne know how to reference the importance of Blue Monday being the music score to many a teenagers' heart-broken melodramas. Like I said, clever band.

And one more thing, can some label please release a non-digital format of this thing stateside! Import prices kinda suck you know.

end
kdc Read more ›