| Result: | % | % | Votes | ||
| Them’s The Vagaries | 47 | v | 53 | Bob Wilson – Anchorman | 530 |
Discussion during the voting…
| Result: | % | % | Votes | ||
| Them’s The Vagaries | 47 | v | 53 | Bob Wilson – Anchorman | 530 |
Discussion during the voting…
There are 14 Half Man Half Biscuit albums, plus two roundup compilations, as well as 4 EPs and a handful of one-off songs. No 'Greatest Hits'. Indulge yourself by starting here.
In which we chose the nation's favourite Half Man Half Biscuit song. For the next four years, anyway.
Search for any lyric, reference, song title ...whatever.
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Cygnus
Another very tough one for me; love both of these and am tempted to spoil my ballot paper but Vagaries just pips it for the genius rhyme of lexicographers/octopus which always makes me smile.
3 November 2015
Two fat feet
Vagaries might only have made the quarters last time round but it ran ACP close enough to earn the bronze medal. Clearly a massive favourite and deservedly so (although I was surprised that it performed quite as well as it did), and for all Bob Wilson’s fans it is a bit insubstantial by comparison. Another landslide, with Vagaries taking 65% of the vote.
3 November 2015
Idiot saul
I claim Anchorman for Chesterfield, as Robert Primrose Wilson was born there and George Stephenson (the engineer) lived, died and is buried there. Stephenson lived at Tapton House which later became a school. Bob Wilson was a pupil at that school, before he switched to my school, but before my time. That’s enough to earn my vote.
3 November 2015
Beltane beard
“…Vagaries” is great, especially the line about five day tests, but my vote goes to “Bob Wilson…” as it is just a slice of pure genius and it is incredible live too, absolutely anthemic. I was gutted when they didn’t play it at the Bury St Edmunds gig.
3 November 2015
Kendo nagasaki
Them’s the vagaries. Possibly their “best” song, not necessarily my favourite overall though
4 November 2015
talking to plankton
Just had another listen to them both. Too tough to call at the moment.
4 November 2015
talking to plankton
It took another listen and a study of the lyrics before casting my vote for Vagaries. I’m sure my employer would like me to give this much thought and care to my work.
4 November 2015
Featureless tv producer steve
Relatively easy call for me, this. Don’t get me wrong, Bob Wilson’s a great song, but Vagaries has all the hallmarks of HMHB genius, starting with the relatively mundane topic of “Hey, if we’re going to take this relationship to the next level, there’re a few things you should know about me” (we’ve all been there)*, and then taking a fantastic trip through NB10’s extraordinary and unique view of life on planet earth.
It also includes the unparalleled lines “Don’t say the light show’s excellent – it makes you smell of the laboratory, instead of a fan of the band”, which would make a marvelous stand-alone non sequitur in any other song.
*A thought occurs…did NB10 like this idea so much that he revisited it last year and wrote “The Bane of Constance”? I think I might see a pattern.
4 November 2015
toastkid
Starting with a great crunchy bassline, featuring some of my favourite HMHB lines and ending with a rousing singalong about aviaries, this would probably feature in my top five for the band: no hesitation whatever in this matchup. Them’s The Vagaries!
4 November 2015
Jeff dreadnought
FTVP Steve, I speculated similarly on the Bane of Constance thread a while ago. TTV does appear to fall into the tiny craft inside head category – but then so do the songs containing non-sequiturs or inexplicable guerilla lyrics, one could argue. Maybe the ones made up entirely of non-sequiturs deserve a category deserve a category of their own.
4 November 2015
Featureless tv producer steve
@Jeff, sorry, I must have missed your mention of it earlier. And whilst I agree that the non sequitur songs do deserve their own category, TTV and BOC seem specially linked by that fact that protagonist’s ideas are brought to light by romance.
In TTV, young Vince is voluntarily opening up to his new lady-friend, and eagerly telling her about himself.
In BOC, twelve years later (perhaps having learned his lesson many times), he’s kept his thoughts to himself – until one fateful Saturday morning when he’s lying in bed contentedly staring at the ceiling, and his latest lady-friend catches him off guard with the old “Whatcha thinkin’ ’bout?” line, and off he goes.
Poor Vince. Will he ever find lasting love?
4 November 2015
EXXO
Suppose in a way I’m happy for everyone who doesn’t have the personal experience of loved ones who are dementia sufferers to recognise that ‘The Bane’ is about the awful pain of Vince’s dementia for poor, lonely, forgotten Constance. For a couple of days when I first heard it I thought like you, but Heswall Flower Club is the give-away really & from there it all falls into place. A towering song about … shock, horror … an actual ‘issue’, though clearly NB10 doesn’t do anything as crass as to write songs about issues.
The least understood band in rock ‘n’ roll history? Sometimes I wonder.
4 November 2015
peter mcornithologist
@ Exxo.I have been the main carer for a loved one with dementia for 18 months and realise what a miraculous track The Bane of Constance is. Moreover as my love for this band grows I find virtually impossible to select the best tracks.For me, almost each one of the 192 has something to offer ,ranging from unique humour to heartbreaking insight. I think Mr Dickhead mentioned the difficulties of listening to Depressed Beyond Tablets.
However I shall end with a moan. on behalf of Vreni Schneider and Sandy Coloured Clowns.
4 November 2015
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
Thank you Exxo – I’d never got that re The Bane of Constance (it also makes the title intelligible). I did write a review that suggested UfO (the album) was full of songs about mental health issues but hadn’t considered TBOC in that group.
4 November 2015
Jeff Dreadnought
@Exxo, thanks for shedding light on the Heswall Flower Club line. Goes to show what you can miss if you’re not paying attention.
4 November 2015
Bobby SVARC
I was quite lucky.
4 November 2015
EXXO
And I was quite lucky too Mick to have you point me in the right direction on this one.
4 November 2015
Bobby SVARC
It was quite bizarre really back in October 2014, My daughters gran was diagnosed with dementia (Lewy Bodies) a few weeks before I was told about the meanings of the song and then a close friend’s sister was diagnosed with another form of dementia. I think, (for what it’s worth) that Constance is one of the best songs they’ve ever done.
4 November 2015
Hazelsound
‘I’ll not sit backwards on the train’ – this I can relate to. Vagaries for me.
4 November 2015
Featureless tv producer steve
So…..I guess the consensus here is that not only was I wrong about BOC being a delightful zany romp, but apparently I’m also a horrible person. Okay.
4 November 2015
SERA69
Squid yes not so octopus, the pleasure of 5-day tests, Vagaries just has so many perfectly well observed idiosynchrasies. It should lift the LFC trophy.
5 November 2015
Jeff dreadnought
Thing is, when you’re bouncing around the mosh pit belting out the Midge Ure chorus, a delightful zany romp is exactly what it sounds like. And then you come on here and eventually discover – with a bit of help from Bobby, Exxo and others – that it’s also a hugely thought-provoking and moving song. I’ve found this happening a lot with UfO, perhaps more than any other album.
5 November 2015
Bobby SVARC
The last 3 were all 5-day tests, no pleasure.
5 November 2015
Poolio
Vagaries was fave pre-Chatteris… Sorry Wilson, its a no brainer for me…
6 November 2015
Loop
One of those moments when you have been singing a line in a song for all those years then you suddenly realise you have no idea what it means. On account if me not being arsed to spend the time finding out I’m left with the only answer! Bob has it!
6 November 2015