London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne
2009 greatest hits album by Saint Etienne
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne is a compilation album by the English electronic music group Saint Etienne. It was released as a single CD, a 2-CD set, a deluxe 2CD/DVD set (packaged in a hardback book), and a 2LP vinyl set. It features the 2008 Xenomania Mix of "Burnt Out Car", the Richard X mix of "This Is Tomorrow" and "Method of Modern Love". The compilation features a selection of their regular A-sides on the first disc, while disc two includes various further A-sides, B-sides, non-singles and album tracks.
Released16 February 2009
Recorded1990–2009
Genres
Length151:21
| London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Greatest hits album by | ||||
| Released | 16 February 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 1990–2009 | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 151:21 | |||
| Label | Heavenly | |||
| Producers |
| |||
| Saint Etienne chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| BBC | Favourable[2] |
| Drowned in Sound | 8/10[3] |
| The Guardian | [4] |
| Pitchfork | 8.8/10[5] |
Originally due for release in November 2008 following the re-release of "Burnt Out Car", the set was delayed several times as a result of manufacturing issues as well as the introductory single's low chart position. In addition, a planned single-disc edition (featuring only the first disc of the set) was cancelled. The set ultimately came out in February 2009 following the release of the newly recorded Richard X collaboration "Method of Modern Love". Some early-run copies of the 2CD edition are available, though, omitting "Method of Modern Love". The single-disc edition was eventually issued alongside remastered single-disc editions the rest of the band's catalogue in 2011, following the release of deluxe editions of most of their albums.
In its week of release the compilation charted at number 79 in the UK,[6] missing out on the top 75 in part due to a surge in older albums following that year's Brit Awards.
Track listing
CD
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (feat. Moira Lambert) | Neil Young | Foxbase Alpha, 1991 | 4:32 |
| 2. | "Nothing Can Stop Us" | Foxbase Alpha | 4:22 | |
| 3. | "Join Our Club" (2001 remix) |
| So Tough (US edition), 1993[a] | 3:18 |
| 4. | "Avenue" (radio edit) |
| So Tough[b] | 3:50 |
| 5. | "You're in a Bad Way" (single version) |
| So Tough[c] | 3:03 |
| 6. | "Hobart Paving" (single version) |
| So Tough[c] | 4:50 |
| 7. | "Who Do You Think You Are" |
| You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone, 1993[d] | 3:50 |
| 8. | "Pale Movie" |
| Tiger Bay, 1994 | 3:46 |
| 9. | "Like a Motorway" (radio edit) |
| Tiger Bay[c] | 3:43 |
| 10. | "Hug My Soul" (radio edit) |
| Tiger Bay[c] | 3:55 |
| 11. | "He's on the Phone" (radio edit – feat. Étienne Daho) |
| Too Young to Die, 1995[e] | 4:09 |
| 12. | "Sylvie" (single version) |
| Good Humor, 1998[e] | 4:02 |
| 13. | "Heart Failed (In the Back of a Taxi)" |
| Sound of Water, 2000 | 3:39 |
| 14. | "Action" (radio edit) |
| Finisterre, 2002[f] | 3:51 |
| 15. | "A Good Thing" |
| Tales from Turnpike House, 2005 | 4:02 |
| 16. | "Side Streets" |
| Tales from Turnpike House | 2:57 |
| 17. | "Burnt Out Car" (Xenomania mix) |
| Continental, 1997[g] | 3:41 |
| 18. | "Method of Modern Love[h]" |
| New recording | 4:20 |
| 19. | "This Is Tomorrow" (Richard X version) |
| New recording | 3:28 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kiss and Make Up" (US version) |
| Foxbase Alpha (US edition, 1992) | 5:14 |
| 2. | "Filthy" (feat. Q-Tee) |
| You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone[i] | 5:35 |
| 3. | "Spring" |
| Foxbase Alpha | 3:44 |
| 4. | "People Get Real" |
| Foxbase Alpha (US edition)[j] | 4:45 |
| 5. | "Mario's Cafe" |
| So Tough | 4:31 |
| 6. | "Goodnight Jack" |
| Good Humor | 4:22 |
| 7. | "The Bad Photographer" |
| Good Humor | 4:00 |
| 8. | "Lose That Girl" |
| Good Humor | 4:05 |
| 9. | "Lover Plays the Bass" |
| Non-album single, 1999[k] | 4:16 |
| 10. | "How We Used to Live" |
| Sound of Water | 8:51 |
| 11. | "Boy Is Crying" (single mix) |
| Sound of Water[f] | 3:39 |
| 12. | "Finisterre" (edit) |
| Finisterre[f] | 3:45 |
| 13. | "Soft Like Me" (feat. Wildflower) |
| Finisterre | 4:26 |
| 14. | "Shower Scene" |
| Finisterre | 4:22 |
| 15. | "Stars Above Us" |
| Tales from Turnpike House | 3:26 |
| 16. | "Teenage Winter" |
| Tales from Turnpike House | 5:53 |
| 17. | "I Was Born on Christmas Day" (feat. Tim Burgess) |
| Xmas 93 EP, 1993[l] | 3:11 |
DVD
| No. | Title | Director(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (feat. Moira Lambert – original b&w version) |
| |
| 2. | "Kiss and Make Up" (feat. Donna Savage) | Marquis Films | |
| 3. | "Nothing Can Stop Us" | Hiro Nakano | |
| 4. | "Avenue" | Paul Kelly | |
| 5. | "You're in a Bad Way" | Paul Kelly | |
| 6. | "Hobart Paving" | Kelly | |
| 7. | "Who Do You Think You Are" | Kelly | |
| 8. | "I Was Born on Christmas Day" (feat. Tim Burgess) | James Fry | |
| 9. | "Pale Movie" | Fry | |
| 10. | "Like a Motorway" | Kelly | |
| 11. | "Hug My Soul" | Paul Wells | |
| 12. | "He's on the Phone" (feat. Étienne Daho) | Kelly | |
| 13. | "Sylvie" | Bjorn Lindgren | |
| 14. | "The Bad Photographer" | Lindgren | |
| 15. | "How We Used to Live" | Mikey Tomkins | |
| 16. | "Heart Failed (In the Back of a Taxi)" | Tomkins | |
| 17. | "Action" |
| |
| 18. | "Side Streets" | Kelly |
LP
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (feat. Moira Lambert) | 4:32 |
| 2. | "Nothing Can Stop Us" | 4:22 |
| 3. | "Join Our Club" (2001 remix) | 3:18 |
| 4. | "Avenue" (radio edit) | 3:50 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 5. | "You're in a Bad Way" (single version) | 3:03 |
| 6. | "Hobart Paving" (single version) | 4:50 |
| 7. | "Who Do You Think You Are" | 3:50 |
| 8. | "Pale Movie" | 3:46 |
| 9. | "Like a Motorway" (radio edit) | 3:43 |
| 10. | "Hug My Soul" (radio edit) | 3:55 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "He's on the Phone" (radio edit – feat. Étienne Daho) | 4:09 |
| 12. | "Sylvie" (single version) | 4:02 |
| 13. | "Heart Failed (In The Back of a Taxi)" | 3:39 |
| 14. | "Action" (radio edit) | 3:51 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 15. | "A Good Thing" | 4:02 |
| 16. | "Side Streets" | 2:57 |
| 17. | "Burnt Out Car" (Xenomania mix) | 3:41 |
| 18. | "This Is Tomorrow" (Richard X version) | 3:28 |
Notes
- 2001 remix first appeared on Smash the System: Singles and More, 2001.
- First album appearance of the radio edit was Smash the System: Singles 1990–99, 2005.
- First album appearance of the single version was Too Young to Die.
- First released as a non-album single, 1993.
- First album appearance of the radio edit was Smash the System: Singles and More.
- First album appearance of the radio edit.
- First album appearance of the Xenomania remix.
- Omitted from some 2CD editions.
- First released as the B-side of "Only Love Can Break Your Heart", 1990.
- First released as a non-album single; first UK album appearance was You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone.
- Later included on reissues of Continental.
- First album appearance was Too Young to Die; later included on A Glimpse of Stocking.
B-sides
- from "Burnt Out Car"
- "River"
- "Night Vision"
- "Destroy The Building"
- "Burnt Out Car" (Mark Brown remix edit)
- "Burnt Out Car" (Mark Brown remix)
- "Burnt Out Car" (demo)
- from "Method of Modern Love"
- "Method of Modern Love" (radio edit)
- "This Is Tomorrow" (original version)
- "Method of Modern Love" (Cola Boy remix)
- "Method of Modern Love" (Richard X Join Our Clique mix)
- "Method of Modern Love" (a cappella version)
- "Method of Modern Love" (Heartbreaks remix)
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (Official Charts)[7] | 96 |
| UK Albums (Official Charts)[8] | 79 |