I feel I should preface by saying that I love this band to death. However, For Fans Only is pretty shoddy. Every negative comment listed below is pretty valid and probably more bothersome then one would expect. That being said, it's not without merit. I just wish it had been put together better.

Fans Only is really a collection of videos, interviews, and
guest appearances that are woven throughout - randomly it
seems at times - but the structure of it all is still exciting
enough to hold your attention, especially if you are new to
the videos.

As far as the interviews went, the dvd begins with introducing
the band in casual interviews during their everyday routines.
Then, the majority of the documentive material is more of a
here-and-there placement, within the studios and during shoots.
There are also a couple guest show appearances and performances.

I have to point out that there were some really nice moments
on the dvd with the motion graphics, including a couple pieces
specifically during the end. One is a montage where raw photos
and screenshots from various inspirations are cropped in on
to become some of the band's album covers and artwork.

Running time: 136 mins (2hrs 16 mins)

Keep in mind that this band doesn't necessarily do a whole lot of interviews. Magazine articles are fairly scarce compared to the more "popular" bands of the past ten-or-so years. With this said, one kind of has to go into watching this DVD with a sense of peeking-in on a group that simply makes music because they love doing so.

Much of the DVD is more or less a montage of clips: previously released and scrapped music videos (probably) and amateur shots of the band at work and at play. While there really is no definite line between one part of the DVD and the next, there is a definite flow present that doesn't detract from a fan or new listener enjoying the DVD. Songs are interrupted by the occasional interview clip or shot of the band doing their thing in the studio or out on the town.

There really isn't an all-too-boring part of the disc, it's all intriguing and enlightening. A band who's created a name for themselves via their clever music shouldn't go overboard with all the extras and special additions that most "best of..." and "greatest hits" DVDs of other bands would have.

I think "Fans Only" is presented in such a way that separates B&S from their peers in the sense that if you enjoy the band, you'll enjoy the smearing and blur that the whole presentation has. They've kept their music solid and smart over the years and consistency is a strong point they possess. The brilliant blend of music, dialogue, footage and video comes across as being very personal and distinct: much like their music itself.

I would have given this five stars, but I really, really, really think they should have waited a while after "Dear Catastrophe Waitress" to make it. I would love to know how the band approached their latest release and see some background behind it. Watching Trevor Horn work with the group would have been a major help in understanding how that particular album works (and sadly doesn't work!).

I picked this up on a whim the same day I bought the Dolby 5.1 version of Flaming Lips' "Yoshima Vs. the Pink Robots," thinking it was a comparable product (a CD with a DVD of videos. etc. included)--it is not. But this was only the first (or perhaps last) of my misconceptions. I hadn't heard a note of the band's music, and all I really knew about them was their reputation for finely crafted pop tunes that harked back to the 60's. This reputation was essentially the reason, in my ignorance, that I avoided this band for some time. "Oh great," I thought, "some ex-hippie couple doing retreads of Donovan tunes." Yet again, I was mistaken.

Belle & Sebastian, for the uninitiated, turns out to be a collective of musucians from Glasgow that seems to expand, contract, and change personnel at will. Almost all members are mulit-instrumental, giving their music a virtually unparrelled sweep and range across the folk/pop/rock spectrum. Main songwriter Stuart Murdoch is a force to be reckoned with: "The State I Am In" is probably one of the finest songs written in the 90's, ("my brother had confessed that he was gay/it took the heat off me for a while" and those are far from the best lines) and all the tunes presented here display a pitch-perfect pop sensibility.

I was enchanted and delighted enough to quickly accumulate a bevy of Belle and Sebastian CDs, and though they all have something to offer, "For Fans Only" serves well as a sort of "Greatest Hits" or "Best of" collection. And you can't argue with the 5.1 Surround sound. It's a great starting point, contrary to the DVD's title. The tunes presented here are arguably more varied and interesting than those on any given B&S CD--plus, there's more of them. Suffice to say, when I burned my own personal selection of B&S tunes, most of what got burned appears on "For Fans Only."

A word of warning: I've been highlighting the musical rather than the video aspects of this DVD with good reason. Though much of the "documetary" and live footage is interesting and enjoyable, almost all the "music-video" type footage is amateurish and nearly beside the point. But the songs themselves sparkle.

Maybe if I had been a longtime B&S fan, I'd find this set disappointing-not a lot of news here, I would guess. But it can't be beat as a welcome wagon for anyone like my former self who was curious but hesitant.

In the late 90s you were beyond hip if you were a fan of this
obscure Scottish indie band. I did not hear of them until 2001
but became an instant fan of their lush, melodic, 60s inspired sound after buying several of their albums. This DVD finally puts a human face to the somewhat mysterious group, and that face is warm, gentle and high-spirited throughout its length. It's amazing to witness the group camraderie shown in the behind-the-scenes footage here; you wonder if they have ever got into an argument in their lives! This makes the overall mood very peaceful, but by contrast the music is very vital, diverse and alive. It is fantastic to have all of the videos and so much vintage live footage collected here into a seamless whole. The charge that the DVD is disorganized or hastily put together does not seem to makes sense; I found the selection of footage and editing very seamless, which created one very unique overall
style. Highlights include a rollicking "Boy With The Arab Strap" live in Los Angeles, the ethereal "Lazy Line Painter Jane", the would-be retro-60s smash "Legal Man" (in both the promo version and a Top Of The Pops appearance), the oh-so-hip "Dylan At The Movies", the sensitive "State I'm In" and a curious Brazilian late-night talk show interview in which the band tries their best at singing in Portuguese. None of these moments are to be missed, at least by fans, which makes the title of this package very appropriate.