Track Listing

1. Step Into My Office, Baby
2. Dear Catastrophe Waitress
3. If She Wants Me
4. Piazza, New York Catcher
5. Asleep On A Sunbeam
6. I'm A Cuckoo
7. You Don't Send Me
8. Wrapped Up In Books
9. Lord Anthony
10. If You Find Yourself Caught In Love
11. Roy Walker
12. Stay Loose

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9914 in Music
• Released on: 2003-10-06
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Dear Catastrophe Waitress was a make or break album for Belle & Sebastian. Having lost two founder members (Stuart David to Looper and Isobel Campbell to the Gentle Waves) and produced a couple of endearing but not hugely exciting albums (their soundtrack to Todd Solondz's Storytelling film and their own Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant), the pressure was on for the Scottish indie-pop six-piece to provide a startling return to form.

The presence of Trevor Horn (the man behind Tatu and Frankie Goes to Hollywood) as producer suggested that a stylistic leap was imminent. But would it be at the cost of the group's unique charm? Thankfully not. Chief songwriter Stuart Murdoch has clearly been listening to a lot of Randy Newman and Joe Jackson, along with a touch of Thin Lizzy, and Horn manages to meld these new influences with the trademark B&S sound. "Step into My Office Baby" is orchestral pop with a cheeky, almost raucous bent. "If She Wants Me" pulls off a flirtation with Orange Juice-style funk, while "Stay Loose" could be Squeeze covering "Space Oddity". On the more traditional B&S songs (the title track, "Wrapped Up in Books", live favourite "Lord Anthony"), the ante is upped simply by the quality of songwriting, which is a match for anything from the Tigermilk glory days.

For a band whose best work seemed long behind them, Dear Catastrophe Waitress is just what was ordered. Not simply a return to form, but a bright new future. --Ian Watson

CD Description
Fifth album from fey Scots indie-pop heroes is their first for Rough Trade and follows 2002's soundtrack effort 'Storytelling'. Featuring their usual blend of twee chamber-pop anddry wit, the album was, bizarrely, produced by Trevor Horn,the man behind the desk for such pop luminaries as Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Grace Jones, the Pet Shop Boys, TATU and LeAnn Rimes.

Customer Reviews

Catchy and pretty damned cool !
Never really expected that much from the new album from Belle and Sebastian, but hey how wrong I was. With a really strong opening with "Step into my Office, Baby" and the title track, "Dear Catastrophe Waitress", the scene is set for a much more cohesive package of tracks than has been seen on a B+S release for quite some time. The production from legendary 80's producer Trevor Horn is far more subtle than you'd expect and has made B+S sound as damned cool as they should be. Already when I listen to Piazza, New York Catcher I can find myself humming the opening bar as it's so catchy and memorable. Overall though the real reason this album works so well is that all the numbers here flow together so well. Above all else Stuart Murdoch's songs of bittersweet romances and fantasy relationships are as good as anything he's ever written. One of my favourite cd's of the year so far.

Recaptures the spirit of 97!
I've been a fan of B&S since I first heard the Dog on Wheels ep, back in 97. At the time it seemed they could just churn out tune after catchy tune. Three fantastic 4 track eps and their best album ('If you're feeling sinister') all put out in not much more than a year. However, they seemed to burn out after '3... 6... 9...'-- 'Boy with the Arab Strap' is vastly overrated, and 'Fold your hands' was just dull. Add a few lacklustre singles, and by the time 'Storytelling' came around, I was so disillusioned I never even bothered.

So where does that leave DCW? I bought it simply because I happened to be in a cd buying mood on the day it came out, and my expectations weren't high-- it took me a couple of days to even get round to putting it in the player. And it's not been off since.

To say that it's a return to form would be a little misleading, since they have never sounded quite like this. Although on paper teaming up with Trevor Horn sounds horrific, it is clear he and the band were thinking along the same lines. If you are sceptical about the collaboration, wait for the moment when the horns come in on 'I'm a cuckoo', and I defy you not to start grinning like an idiot.

They seem to have recaptured the ability to write great pop songs, but have been invigorated by a new direction. It's not the radical change some would have you believe, but seems to be a calculated development. This definitely recaptures the spirit of those first few releases-- buy it now!

New Direction, But Better For It.
Yes yes, it's not all twee acoustic guitars now but it's still fantastic.

Dear Catastrophe Waitress sees B&S move forward a decade or two in their sound and they've produced an album containing many fantastic pop songs. Really, this is what all pop music should sound like.

A couple of disappointments in 'Asleep On A Sunbeam' and 'Roy Walker', which both do little, but tracks such as 'I'm A Cuckoo' which rips off Thin Lizzy and the pacey number 'Wrapped Up In Books' with classy harmonies throughout show that B&S have progressed as a band and can maintain a high standard.

Don't believe the doubters, they're stuck in past!