Last year, Belle And Sebastian released what I dub as their best LP since 2006’s The Life Pursuit. That album is called A Bit of Previous. Then, back in January, they followed it up with another new release, Late Developers (which I reviewed a few months ago). Today I’m taking a look at a bit of their previous (see what I did there?) album Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance.
Not just that, I’m going to unbox the deluxe vinyl box set of that album.
The Vinyl Variants of Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance
First, a rundown of the various vinyl versions of Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance. There are 5 known vinyl versions in existence as of late 2022.
In addition to the box set, there are standard MPO and Nashville Pressings, distinguishable from each other through Matrix/Runout in the dead wax. MPO has “MPO” in the runout whereas Nashville has “WG/NRP” in the runout.
There’s a clear vinyl version limited to 1,500 copies, and your standard test pressing.
All but box set have the Matador catalog number OLE-1056-1. Instead, the box set has a “-8” rather than a “-1.”
Take a deeper look at the box set in my video below.
The cover art matches the other versions of this release, so there is really no difference there, but it comes in a nice box with a removable lid. The inside of the lid is blank, but the box itself has credits on the inside with the track list on back.
Whereas the other four pressings come on a double LP, the box set has four records. The first side of each has a single song and plays at 45 RPM, whereas the second has three songs and plays at 33.3.
Each record has a printed inner sleeve with a photo on one side and lyrics on the other. Two of the inner sleeves have a photo that mimics what was found on the standard double LP pressings.
Exclusive to the deluxe vinyl box set were two extended versions and four exclusive tracks.
The entire D side is exclusive, opening with “Born to Act” and “Two Birds,” and concluding with an extended version of “Ever Had a Little Faith.”
The additional exclusives included “Piggy in the Middle” on F2, an extended version of “Perfect Couples” on G, and “A Politician’s Silence” on H2.
It also includes a large, double-sided poster.
Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance Album Review
I was not the biggest fan of this record upon its release, but I’ll admit that it has grown on me over the years. Early spotlights from the band included “Nobody’s Empire” and “The Party Line,” and those continue to be favorites. Others like “The Cat With The Cream” and “Enter Silvia Plath” are non-single favorites.
Overall, it’s a solid release, and I’d much rather have the Deluxe Box Set over the standard pressing. Then again, I’m a die hard Belle And Sebastian fan, and have quite an extensive collection of their records, compilations, and singles.
So, if you’re a fan like me, the box set is the direction I’d steer you.
Tell me in the comments, what’s your all time number one Belle And Sebastian album? Until next time, keep collecting and keep supporting your favorite artists.
