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Written by Pete Timmermann Friday, 01 July 2005 18:00

While a nice purchase for the recent post-Catastrophe converts, for pretty much all of the other Belle & Sebastian fans, this two-disc set is a waste of time.

After six LPs, each of which sold well for an indie rock band, now seems like about as good a time as any to release a best-of Belle & Sebastian album, especially with their resurgence in popularity (and new fans gained) after their most recent album, Dear Catastrophe Waitress. But instead of going this (more obvious) route, their longtime label (from which they split just before releasing DCW), Matador, has just released a repackaging of all of the various EPs that B&S have released over the years, clunkily titled Push Barman to Open old Wounds. And, while a nice purchase for the recent post-Catastrophe converts, for pretty much all of the other Belle & Sebastian fans, this two-disc set is a waste of time.

Granted, it seems blasphemous to call an album with nearly all of Belle & Sebastian’s best songs on it a “waste of time,” but here’s how it is accomplished: there are no new tracks at all, and all of the EPs contained on these discs are readily available, with the possible exception of 1998’s U.K.-only This Is Just a Modern Rock Song, which can be had for about $5 if one were to go to amazon.co.uk and get it shipped over here. Plus, the way all of the EPs are jammed one after the other on these two discs doesn’t allow for things like proper transitions or general coherence.

Even so, I feel it necessary to point out again how fantastic many of the songs on this set are (longtime B&S fans are well aware that their best songs are almost always on their EPs): “Dog on Wheels” is still my favorite song of theirs, plus its follow-up on the 1997 Dog on Wheels EP, “The State I Am in,” is a popular favorite. The title tracks from Lazy Line Painter Jane, Legal Man, Jonathan David, and I’m Waking Up to Us are all fantastic, as is “A Century of Fakers” from 1997’s 3…6…9 Seconds of Light. Granted, there are a few annoying songs, such as “Belle and Sebastian,” “Put the Book Back on the Shelf,” and “I Love My Car.” One wishes that Matador had the rights to last year’s wonderful “Books” single, with the surprise breakout B-side “Your Cover’s Blown,” which would have made a good substitute for any of the above songs.

Ultimately, if Matador was bent on re-releasing their back catalogue of Belle & Sebastian EPs, I would have preferred it if they had skimmed the good songs off of each one, added a few new tracks and/or rarities, and released it on a single disc. Still, I’m sure the newly minted B&S fans won’t be complaining, as they are obviously the market for this set.