Now that the Heavenly label has found its third major record company (after Sony and EMI), it’s to be hoped it will settle down and get on with business again. The signs are promising, as the label follows up a double package of Beth Orton’s ‘Trailer Park’ with two albums essential to any Saint Etienne collection. Continental especially has rarity value, originally destined only for release in Japan and containing the original ‘He’s On The Phone’, before Motiv8 crossed it over into the clubs. Some might say (with occasional justification) that Sarah Cracknell and co. make pop music that can be grey in colour, but in truth it’s often poignant and full of emotion, not to mention subtle electronic trickery. ‘Foxbase Alpha’ is more groove-based, and makes use of clever rhythms and samples in the likes of ‘Studio Kinda Filthy’, while ‘Continental’ is a bit slower in coming forward, revealing its treats on subsequent hearings. Of the bonus material Foxbase is the better, with the call to arms ‘People Get Real’ grooving nicely, just after the moving instrumental ‘Parliament Hill’. Both packages have exclusives new to CD, and while not all are essential (‘Is It True’ is particularly jarring on ‘Continental’) fans will get plenty of value for money. With the news that seminal albums ‘Finisterre’, ‘Tiger Bay’ and ‘Tales From Turnpike House’ are also due for the same treatment, these are heady days indeed for Saint Etienne fans.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Ben Hogwood
