Re-issue on black vinyl. The Boy with the Arab Strap is the third studio album by Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian released in 1998.
Stuart Murdoch recalled the recording process for this album felt very different than the previous two. The group spent several months working on it versus the previous albums which were recorded in just a number of days. The music itself was somewhat more experimental as well as more collaborative with some tracks written by Stevie Jackson and Isobel Campbell and more members of the group contributing vocals. Stevie Jackson sings lead on both "Seymour Stein" and "Chickfactor", Stuart David gives a spoken word performance on "A Space Boy Dream", whilst Isobel Campbell sings lead on "Is It Wicked Not to Care?" and duets with Murdoch on "Sleep the Clock Around".
Track Listing
Tracklist
| It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career | 2:23 |
| Sleep The Clock Around | 4:58 |
| Is It Wicked Not To Care? | 3:22 |
| Ease Your Feet In The Sea | 3:35 |
| A Summer Wasting | 2:06 |
| Seymour Stein | 4:42 |
| A Space Boy Dream | 3:01 |
| Dirty Dream Number Two | 4:14 |
| The Boy With The Arab Strap | 5:14 |
| Chickfactor | 3:32 |
| Simple Things | 1:46 |
| The Rollercoaster Ride | 6:40 |
Catalogue number - JPRLP3
