The Life Pursuit
The Life Pursuit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by Belle and Sebastian | ||||
Released | 6 February 2006 | |||
Recorded | 2005 | |||
Studio | The Sound Factory, Los Angeles, CA | |||
Genre |
| |||
Length | 49:21 | |||
Label | Rough Trade | |||
Producer | Tony Hoffer | |||
Belle and Sebastian chronology | ||||
|
The Life Pursuit is the seventh studio album by Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian. It was released in Europe on 6 February 2006 by Rough Trade Records and in North America on 7 February 2006 by Matador Records.
The models on the album cover are Alex Klobouk, Natasha Noramly, and Marisa Privitera.[2]
Release and reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 78/100[3] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [4] |
The A.V. Club | A−[5] |
Entertainment Weekly | A−[6] |
The Guardian | [7] |
Mojo | [8] |
NME | 8/10[9] |
Pitchfork | 8.5/10[10] |
Rolling Stone | [11] |
Spin | B[12] |
Uncut | [13] |
The album earned the band its most successful chart performance yet, reaching #8 in the UK Album Chart and #65 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, selling 20,485 units in the first week. The Life Pursuit has been certified Silver in the UK. Lead single "Funny Little Frog" reached the top 20 of the UK Single Charts in January 2006, becoming the band's highest charting to date. "The Blues Are Still Blue" was released as the second single in April of that same year managing to peak inside the top 40. "White Collar Boy" was released as the last single in June peaking inside the top 50 of the same chart. "We Are the Sleepyheads" was used in MTV2 adverts and "To Be Myself Completely" was featured in MLB 2K6. In 2009, Pitchfork named the album the 86th greatest of the 2000s.[14]
The Life Pursuit has sold 112,000 units in US.[15]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Belle & Sebastian
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Act of the Apostle" | 2:55 |
2. | "Another Sunny Day" | 4:04 |
3. | "White Collar Boy" | 3:20 |
4. | "The Blues Are Still Blue" | 4:08 |
5. | "Dress Up in You" | 4:23 |
6. | "Sukie in the Graveyard" | 3:00 |
7. | "We Are the Sleepyheads" | 3:33 |
8. | "Song for Sunshine" | 4:06 |
9. | "Funny Little Frog" | 3:08 |
10. | "To Be Myself Completely" | 3:17 |
11. | "Act of the Apostle II" | 4:20 |
12. | "For the Price of a Cup of Tea" | 3:19 |
13. | "Mornington Crescent" | 5:40 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
14. | "Blue Eyes of a Millionaire" | 4:25 |
15. | "I Took a Long Hard Look" | 3:36 |
Charts
Chart (2006) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[16] | 45 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[17] | 56 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[18] | 41 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[19] | 86 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[20] | 47 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[21] | 32 |
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[22] | 25 |
French Albums (SNEP)[23] | 72 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[24] | 35 |
Irish Albums (IRMA)[25] | 23 |
Italian Albums (FIMI)[26] | 56 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[27] | 16 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[28] | 46 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[29] | 20 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[30] | 56 |
UK Albums (OCC)[31] | 8 |
US Billboard 200[32] | 65 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[33] | 3 |
References
- ^ a b c Pitchfork Staff (2 October 2009). "The 200 Best Albums of the 2000s". Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
Belle and Sebastian had been toying with R&B, glam, and funk for much of their existence, but by the time the group recorded The Life Pursuit, their musical chops had finally caught up with the quality and ambition of Stuart Murdoch's songwriting.
- ^ http://www.belleandsebastian.com/recordings/the-life-pursuit [bare URL image file]
- ^ "Reviews for The Life Pursuit by Belle and Sebastian". Metacritic. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Life Pursuit – Belle and Sebastian". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ Phipps, Keith (8 February 2006). "Belle And Sebastian: The Life Pursuit". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ Greenblatt, Leah (6 February 2006). "The Life Pursuit". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ Petridis, Alexis (3 February 2006). "Belle and Sebastian, The Life Pursuit". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "Belle & Sebastian: The Life Pursuit". Mojo (148): 92. February 2006.
- ^ Snodgrass, James (27 January 2006). "Belle & Sebastian: The Life Pursuit". NME. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ Hogan, Marc (5 February 2006). "Belle And Sebastian: The Life Pursuit". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ Ringen, Jonathan (7 February 2006). "The Life Pursuit". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ Harris, Keith (February 2006). "Belle and Sebastian: The Life Pursuit". Spin. 22 (2): 86. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "Belle & Sebastian: The Life Pursuit". Uncut (106): 91. March 2006.
- ^ "The 200 Best Albums of the 2000s - Page 2". Pitchfork.
- ^ Plagenhoef, Scott (15 September 2007). Belle & Sebastian's if You're Feeling Sinister. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 9781441194909.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ "Belle and Sebastian Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ "Belle and Sebastian: The Life Pursuit" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Belle and Sebastian". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ "Belle and Sebastian Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ "Belle and Sebastian Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- v
- t
- e
- Stuart Murdoch
- Stevie Jackson
- Chris Geddes
- Richard Colburn
- Sarah Martin
- Bobby Kildea
- Dave McGowan
- Lazy Line Painter Jane
- Push Barman to Open Old Wounds
- The Third Eye Centre
- How to Solve Our Human Problems
- If You're Feeling Sinister: Live at the Barbican
- The BBC Sessions
- Live 2015
- What to Look for in Summer
- Late Night Tales: Belle & Sebastian
- Late Night Tales: Belle and Sebastian Vol. II
- "Legal Man"
- "Jonathan David"
- "I'm Waking Up to Us"
- "Piazza, New York Catcher"
- "Step into My Office, Baby"
- "I'm a Cuckoo"
- "Funny Little Frog"
- "Casaco Marrom"
- "The Blues Are Still Blue"
- "White Collar Boy"
- Discography
- Bowlie Weekender
- God Help the Girl
- God Help the Girl (film)
- Put the Book Back on the Shelf