REVIEW: "Continental" by Saint Etienne

[Richenzo St. John-Billingsworth]

Japanese only compilation worth the price

Continental reviewed

By RICHARD JOHN
Jam! Showbiz

CONTINENTAL
Saint Etienne
(Nippon Columbia COCY 80608)

Why is it that the best music is always the hardest to obtain.
Probably something to do with forbidden fruit being the sweetest or
something like that.

Whatever the reason, one of 1997's best pop albums has just been
released and unless you earn your keep in Yen, you'll probably never
hear about it. Called Continental, it's the latest release from London
(England) popsters Saint Etienne and it's only available in Japan or
your local import record shop.

Long renowned for their uncanny ability to musically mix the 70s with
90s, the regional release of this compilation feels like a missed
chance on a global scale. Incorporating a very mixed bag, new songs,
remixes and b-sides, this is an ideal primer for the later Etienne
sound.

Among the standouts is the track Stormtrooper in Drag, an edited
version of the Gary Numan song currently doing the rounds on the
tribute album Random. There's also the Euro-beat,
should-have-been-single-of-the-year He's On The Phone, one of a
handful of tracks recorded with French superstar Etienne Daho under
the name Saint Etienne Daho.

Of most importance to fans will be the new tracks and whether they're
worth the $45 this disc will invariably cost. After being teased with
remixes of new songs on last year's Casino Classics double remix
import album, it's another nasty turn of events that the teasing
continues. On one hand, fans will be happy to know that, unlike 1995's
Japanese compilation called Fairy Tales from Saint Etienne , none of
Continental's 13 tracks have appeared on any domestic album (Fox Base
Alpha, So Tough and Tiger Bay for those counting).

That said, most of Continental is available elsewhere, but only import
releases. The Sea, Burnt Out Car, Angel and Sometimes in Winter are
from Casino Classics; He's on the Phone and The Process are on the
He's on the Phone single and Stormtrooper in Drag is on Random.

There are new tracks like Star, Lonesome and the instrumentals Shad
Thames and Public Information Film, but you can't shake the feeling
that these may be soon appearing pn a release this side of the
Pacific.

Taken for what it is, Continental is a toe-tapping compilation that'll
have you hunting down back catalogue releases in no time, but with a
hefty import price tag, the audience may remain in Japan for this one.

If you're really craving the Saint Etienne sound, best bets are to
either wait for the next album, currently being recorded in
Scandinavia and slated for an October 97 release or pick up singer
Sarah Cracknell's current solo album Lipslide - also only available on
import.

Track Listing
Shad Thames (3:38)
Burnt out car [Balerico mix] (4:18)
Sometimes in winter (4:11)
Winter melody [Psychonauts mix] (4:43)
Public information film (1:02)
The process (3:08)
He's on the phone [Motiv-8 mix] (4:07)
Stormtrooper in drag [edit] (5:26)
Star (4:02)
Down by the sea (3:13)
The Sea [PFM mix] (7:16)
Lonesome (3:25)
Angel [Broadcast mix] (4:16)

Rated: 4.5 out of 5 (would have been 5 out of 5 if it was domestic).

This review originally appeared Monday, July 28, 1997 on Jam
(www.canoe.ca/JamMusic/home.html) and can be found at:
www.canoe.ca/JamAlbumsR2Z/saintetienne_continental.html