If You're Feeling Sinister
Encyclopedia
If You're Feeling Sinister is the second album by Scottish
pop group Belle & Sebastian
, released on the independent label Jeepster Records
in the United Kingdom
and Matador Records
in the United States
. The album was released to much critical praise in 1996.
Band leader Stuart Murdoch
has stated in interviews that this is probably his best collection of songs, although they are not very well recorded. In 2005, Belle & Sebastian released a live version of the album entitled If You're Feeling Sinister: Live at the Barbican on the iTunes Music Store
.
placed the album at number 14 in its top 100 albums of the 1990s. Rolling Stone
magazine featured the album on its list of "Essential Recordings of the 1990s," while Spin
included the record at number 76 on its "100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005" list. If You're Feeling Sinister also appears as an entry in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die as chosen by music critics.
In 2007, as part of the 33⅓ series, Scott Plagenhoef wrote a book about the album.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
pop group Belle & Sebastian
Belle & Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian are an indie pop band formed in Glasgow in January 1996. Belle and Sebastian are often compared with influential indie bands such as The Smiths, as well as classic acts such as Love, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake. The name Belle & Sebastian comes from Belle et Sébastien, a 1965...
, released on the independent label Jeepster Records
Jeepster Records
Jeepster Records is a London, England-based independent record label which is currently the home of bands Parka and SixNationState. The label is noted for having been the home of critically acclaimed artists Belle and Sebastian and Snow Patrol....
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Matador Records
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The album was released to much critical praise in 1996.
Band leader Stuart Murdoch
Stuart Murdoch (musician)
Stuart Lee Murdoch is a Scottish musician, and the lead singer and songwriter for the indie pop band Belle & Sebastian. The majority of his childhood was spent a stone's throw from the birthplace of Robert Burns in Alloway, Ayr until he left school and attended university in...
has stated in interviews that this is probably his best collection of songs, although they are not very well recorded. In 2005, Belle & Sebastian released a live version of the album entitled If You're Feeling Sinister: Live at the Barbican on the iTunes Music Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
.
Critical reception
If You're Feeling Sinister has received wide acclaim. Pitchfork MediaPitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
placed the album at number 14 in its top 100 albums of the 1990s. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine featured the album on its list of "Essential Recordings of the 1990s," while Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
included the record at number 76 on its "100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005" list. If You're Feeling Sinister also appears as an entry in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die as chosen by music critics.
In 2007, as part of the 33⅓ series, Scott Plagenhoef wrote a book about the album.
Track listing
Personnel
- Stuart MurdochStuart Murdoch (musician)Stuart Lee Murdoch is a Scottish musician, and the lead singer and songwriter for the indie pop band Belle & Sebastian. The majority of his childhood was spent a stone's throw from the birthplace of Robert Burns in Alloway, Ayr until he left school and attended university in...
– vocals, guitar, piano - Stuart DavidStuart DavidStuart David is a Scottish musician, who formerly was a bassist with Belle & Sebastian and then went on to front Looper . He is the author of the novels Nalda Said and The Peacock Manifesto published by I.M.P. Fiction in 1999 and 2001...
– bass - Isobel CampbellIsobel CampbellIsobel Campbell is a Scottish singer, cellist and composer in the indie and rock genres.-History:Campbell was a member of Belle & Sebastian from their formation in Glasgow in 1996 until 2002, when she departed the band for personal reasons. She played cello and keyboards with the band, and sang...
– cello, vocals, percussion, recorder - Chris Geddes – keyboards, piano
- Richard Colburn – drums
- Stevie Jackson – guitar, vocals
- Sarah Martin – violin, recorder, percussion
- Mick Cooke – trumpet