Arab Strap (the band, not the sex toy)

[Endemoniada]

I have been listening to the ickle scottish band Arab Strap recently and I was wondering if anyone could tell me why Philophobia is regarded as being superior to all their other albums? I have The Week Never Starts Round Here and Elephant Shoe, both of which I love and I don't see how there could be a drastic improvement.

Also, is Monday At The Hug And Pint worth buying?

[hr][s]And Trogdor smote the Kerreck and all was laid to burnination![/s]

[The_Farwall]

There's not much to say as to why, except that Philophobia is better. It's an album's worth of 13 consistantly good songs. The lyrics are at their most graphic (one of Arab Strap's characteristic great points, the first line of the Album is "It was the biggest cock you've ever seen. But you've no idea where that cock has been"), the songs are varied but all pretty damn good.
I've always thought the songs on elephant shoe are a bit too lowkey and samey, a bit dull. And The Red Thread suffers from the same problem to a lesser extent.
Plus, ever since Philophobia Aiden Moffat seems to have gotten a lot less angry which means the songs/lyrics have lost a lot of the bite that Philophobia and The Weekend Never Starts... have.
To be honest though, I'd recommend you go for Mad For Sadness for that era of Arab Strap. It's a live album consisting pretty much entirely of Philophobia material, and has some amazing versions.

EDIT: Haven't heard the new one yet so can't say.

[hr][s]"A bell is a cup... Until it is struck"
- wire[/s]

[Endemoniada]

Have you heard any of Lucky Pierre (Aidan's solo project) or Malcolm Middleton's solo album? They are supposed to be quite stunning, I haven't heard anything though.

[hr][s]And Trogdor smote the Kerreck and all was laid to burnination![/s]

[The_Farwall]

No, I don't really know much about them except that when a new Arab Strap album comes along, I'll try to get round to buying it. I hadn't heard about the solo projects at all.
[hr][s]"A bell is a cup... Until it is struck"
- wire[/s]

[Endemoniada]

Same here, but I visited the website the other day and it has a full discography of "every album any member of Arab Strap has ever appeared on" which is very cool. The only solo project I've heard is The Sick Anchors.

[hr][s]And Trogdor smote the Kerreck and all was laid to burnination![/s]

[jenniferloveschewits]

[s]Endemoniada wrote on 13:02, 4th May 2003:
Have you heard any of Lucky Pierre (Aidan's solo project) or Malcolm Middleton's solo album? They are supposed to be quite stunning, I haven't heard anything though.


Not heard any Lucky Pierre, but it's apparently 'Chilled-Out Electronica'. Malcolm Middleton's album is utterly superb, in a very miserable way. You can find some audio/videos for it on the Chemikal Underground website www.chemikal.co.uk .

Only heard one track off the new album (off a Chemikal Underground sampler), and it's a touch brighter, and Aidan seems to be singing a bit more. It's very like the tracks Aidan did with The Reindeer Section.

[jenniferloveschewits]

Just got 'Monday at the Hug & Pint', and it's pretty goddamned brilliant.

[Endemoniada]

I recently got Philophobia, and I'm going with the general consensus that it is their best album

[hr][s]when did a difference become a disease? - fugazi [/s]