London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne
London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne is a compilation album by Saint Etienne. It was released as a deluxe 2CD/DVD set (packaged in a hardback book), standard 2-CD set and on double 12" vinyl. 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.
London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne | ||||
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Greatest hits album by | ||||
Released | 16 February 2009 | |||
Recorded | 1990–2009 | |||
Genre | Indie pop, house, synth-pop, electronica, trip hop | |||
Length | 2:31:21 | |||
Label | Heavenly Records – HVNLP69 | |||
Producer | Saint Etienne, Various | |||
Saint Etienne chronology | ||||
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Singles from London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
BBC | (Favorable)[2] |
Drowned in Sound | (8/10)[3] |
The Guardian | [4] |
Pitchfork Media | (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 #79 in the UK,[6] missing out on the Top 75 in part due to a surge in older albums following the Brit Awards.
Track listing
CD/DVD: Heavenly / HVNLP69CDSE
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (Featuring the vocals of Moira Lambert) | Young | 4:32 |
2. | "Nothing Can Stop Us" | Stanley, Wiggs | 4:22 |
3. | "Join Our Club" (2001 Remix) | Stanley, Wiggs | 3:18 |
4. | "Avenue" (Radio Edit) | Catt, Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 3:50 |
5. | "You're in a Bad Way" (Single Version) | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 3:03 |
6. | "Hobart Paving" (Single Version) | Stanley, Wiggs | 4:50 |
7. | "Who Do You Think You Are" | Dyer, Scott | 3:50 |
8. | "Pale Movie" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 3:46 |
9. | "Like a Motorway" (Radio Edit) | Stanley, Wiggs | 3:43 |
10. | "Hug My Soul" (Radio Edit) | Batson, Cracknell, Male | 3:55 |
11. | "He's on the Phone" (Radio Edit) (Featuring Etienne Daho) | Cracknell, Daho, Stanley, Wiggs | 4:09 |
12. | "Sylvie" (Single Version) | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 4:02 |
13. | "Heart Failed (In the Back of a Taxi)" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 3:39 |
14. | "Action" (Radio Edit) | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Higgins, Powell, Coler | 3:51 |
15. | "A Good Thing" | Cracknell, Oakley, Waterfield | 4:02 |
16. | "Side Streets" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 2:57 |
17. | "Burnt Out Car" (Xenomania Mix) | Stanley, Wiggs | 3:41 |
18. | "Method of Modern Love" (this track is missing from some 2CD editions) | Robinson, X, Prime | 4:20 |
19. | "This Is Tomorrow" (Richard X Version) | Annie, Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 3:28 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Kiss and Make Up" (US Version) | Wratten, Hiscock | 5:14 |
2. | "Filthy" (Featuring Q-Tee) | Stanley, Wiggs, Mais | 5:35 |
3. | "Spring" | Stanley, Wiggs | 3:44 |
4. | "People Get Real" | Stanley, Wiggs | 4:45 |
5. | "Mario's Cafe" | Stanley, Wiggs | 4:31 |
6. | "Goodnight Jack" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 4:22 |
7. | "The Bad Photographer" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 4:00 |
8. | "Lose That Girl" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 4:05 |
9. | "Lover Plays the Bass" | Stanley, Wiggs | 4:16 |
10. | "How We Used to Live" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 8:51 |
11. | "Boy Is Crying" (Single Mix) | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 3:39 |
12. | "Finisterre" (Edit) | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 3:45 |
13. | "Soft Like Me" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, George | 4:26 |
14. | "Shower Scene" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Higgins, Powell, Coler | 4:22 |
15. | "Stars Above Us" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Xenomania | 3:26 |
16. | "Teenage Winter" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 5:53 |
17. | "I Was Born on Christmas Day" (Featuring Tim Burgess) | Catt, Stanley, Wiggs | 3:11 |
LP: Heavenly / HVNLP69
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (Featuring Moira Lambert) | Young | 4:32 |
2. | "Nothing Can Stop Us" | Stanley, Wiggs | 4:22 |
3. | "Join Our Club" (2001 Remix) | Stanley, Wiggs | 3:18 |
4. | "Avenue" (Radio Edit) | Catt, Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 3:50 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
5. | "You're in a Bad Way" (Single Version) | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 3:03 |
6. | "Hobart Paving" (Single Version) | Stanley, Wiggs | 4:50 |
7. | "Who Do You Think You Are" | Dyer, Scott | 3:50 |
8. | "Pale Movie" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 3:46 |
9. | "Like a Motorway" (Radio Edit) | Stanley, Wiggs | 3:43 |
10. | "Hug My Soul" (Radio Edit) | Batson, Cracknell, Male | 3:55 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "He's on the Phone" (Radio Edit) (Featuring Etienne Daho) | Cracknell, Daho, Stanley, Wiggs | 4:09 |
12. | "Sylvie" (Single Version) | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 4:02 |
13. | "Heart Failed (In The Back of a Taxi)" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 3:39 |
14. | "Action" (Radio Edit) | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Higgins, Powell, Coler | 3:51 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "A Good Thing" | Cracknell, Oakley, Waterfield | 4:02 |
16. | "Side Streets" | Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 2:57 |
17. | "Burnt Out Car" (Xenomania Mix) | Stanley, Wiggs | 3:41 |
18. | "This Is Tomorrow" (Richard X Version) | Annie, Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs | 3:28 |
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)
Chart positions
Chart (2009) | Peak position |
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UK Albums Chart[6] | 79 |
References
- Allmusic review
- BBC review
- Drowned in Sound review
- The Guardian review
- Pitchfork Media review Archived 10 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- "UK Chartlog - 1994–2010 DJ S – The System Of Life". zobbel.de. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
- "play.com". Play.com listings. Retrieved 8 February 2009.