So Tough

A bunch of Saint Etienne albums were recently reissued on vinyl. I think they are limited pressings so are not available for long. I made sure I grabbed a copy of my fave Saint Etienne record 'So Tough', a record I love so much it made my list of albums to take to my grave. Even now, some 24 years after its release, 'So Tough' delights me. It hasn't dated one jot, maybe because it was imbued with the past throughout, very retro yet very modern and timeless all at the same time.

It's easy to love any of its individual songs, but ultimately 'So Tough' should be enjoyed as a whole. That said, here's a couple of the singles released from it. Avenue remains a long-standing fan favourite, though the single edit sounds a bit rough to me. The full 7-minute version is perfect; this cropped version doesn't really do it justice, but nonetheless, it's still a great way to spend four minutes.



Better still is Hobart Paving. This is by far my favourite Saint Etienne moment. This single version eclipses the album mix. The added strings sound beautiful, but for me the highlight is the wonderfully mournful French Horn solo absent from the album mix. A real eye-moistener.