James - "Girl at the End of the World" (2016)

James delivers, as usual, on their 14th studio album. Three weeks together in Scotland, with Max Dingel as producer, results in a record with a more electronic sound than usual, something found on a couple of early 2000's albums with the group.

A source of irritation, however, was the label's idea to put a sticker directly on the cover, a sticker that tells which singles are found on the album. When the album is wrapped in plastic. And the sticker has a glue that makes it virtually impossible to peel off without leaving ugly marks on the cover. Why not put it on the plastic surrounding the LP? I was so upset that I wanted to contact the label and ask questions, but on the website no phone number or email address were given. Writing a handwritten letter felt like going to extrems. So they wont have to fear my anger. This time.

The record's nearly 45 minutes are generously distributed on two discs. It's said to be good for the sound quality with a greater distance between the tracks. There is a tendency of getting somewhat spoiled when buying new vinyl with various add-ons, like cool booklets, gatefold covers, etc., so I noted a bit disappointed that this album contains no more than both the discs and a mp3 download. But that's OK, and probably the reason the album has got a relatively affordable price to be a newly released vinyl. The downloading of the mp3 just gave me just over two minutes of each song, I blame it on technical issues during the download. It's nothing I usually listen to, anyway.

It's a good album. Not James's best, but neither one of the less good. If you like the band, I definitely think it should be acquired. Personally, I like the band better when it's a slightly less electronic focus, and Tim Booth's voice doesn't go through various effects, as it does on some songs here. But this doesn't go to exaggeration, and it feels without doubt like a solid James album. As a balance to the electronic sound, you get, amongst others, the Edward Sharp smelling Nothing But Love, which finishes side A. James have been around for a long time, and I am pleased that they continue to create great records. It can be mentioned that it was almost James's first # 1 album in England, but in the last moment they were put down to the second place by Adele.


Tracklist

Side A
1. Bitch - 4:52
2. To My Surprise - 4:21
3. Nothing But Love - 3:29

Side B
1. Attention - 4:08
2. Dear John - 4:04
3. Feet of Clay "- 2:37

Side C
1. Surfer's Song - 3:51
2. Catapult - 4:02
3. Move Down South - 5:19

Side D
1. Alvin - 2:13
2. Waking - 2:44
3. Girl at the End of the World - 3:00

James - "Stutter" (1986)

I really like James, ever since I bought my first tape with them during a trip to Southeast Asia in 1994-95. It was the album Seven, the cover looked so weird I couldn't resist it. The tape was then changed to a CD in Singapore, where my Walkman retired and a portable CD player was purchased. I'm sure my kids don't know what I'm talking about when these ancient machines are mentioned.

After Seven, I have over the years acquired not all, but most of, James' albums. However, I had no higher expectations for Stutter. Their first album, I thought. Inexperienced, no Brian Eno producing (which the band would have liked to) and, not least, 1986. That's right, 1986. Were there any good music produced at this time? Personally, I'm instinctively very suspicious of 80s productions, where good albums are the exception, and bad, synthish, cheap drum machine production is the norm.

But oh, how wrong I was. Stutter is a damn good album.

The band a lot later then 1986

It's a pretty crazy album, sprawling, unstructured, loud and full of youthful energy. And the typical 80's production? You see nothing of it, the production is exemplary timeless. The record takes the listener into the classic James territory, where the singer Tim Booth's characteristic voice competes with the band's frenetic playing. And the choruses are just as sweeping as James' choruses can be. This is an album you get pretty happy to hear. And what has become something of a hallmark regarding James' albums, everything ends with a quieter song. A concept that has lasted for 30 years.

I actually found the album here in Montreal, in one of the shops selling used vinyl. The owner seemed to be as surprised as me when he saw what I had found. It's not common to find James' albums over here.

A really good album that can be recommended. Fact is that I want to appoint Stutter to my favorite record with James, at least for now. Didn't think that when I bought it. Allmusic has written an unusually fun review of the record, which I quote as a conclusion:

This is shoddy, shameless chaos. Nothing more than a terribly produced tragic mess of rock-star baiting and deliberate discordance. An amazing debut.


Tracklist

Side A
1. Skullduggery 2:40
2. Scarecrow 2:57
3. So Many Ways 3:42
4. Right Hip 1:45
5. Johnny Yen 3:38
6. Summer Song 4:15

Side B
1. Really Hard 4:10
2. Billy's shirt 3:25
3. Why So Close 3:50
4. With Drawn 3:40
5. Black Hole 5:28

James - "Hey Ma" (2008)

From the modern era, the English band James is one of my favorite bands (modern era to me is the 90s onwards). The band was formed in 1982 and got their first hit Sit Down in the late 80s. The years have gone by, and James have continously delivered high quality products even if they have never become a band for the really big stadiums.

Personally, I discovered James the autumn of 1994 when I spent six months in South East Asia. It was still the time in history when tape cassettes were readily available, and in Thailand they were sold extremely cheap (and extremely pirated). I saw a tape with a weird cover, a fetus inside a stomach, and thought it would fit well in my Walkman. It was James album Seven. Since then, James has been a favourite band and I still regularly listen to their creations. Some albums are better than others, a few of my favorites are Laid and Pleased To Meet You (both on CD, in fact, Hey Ma is the only vinyl record I have wtih James) and I am now prepared to add Hey Ma to these favorites.

Hey Ma is a really great album. It was their first album in seven years and the band split up and reunited during these years. The album was recorded in France where they built a studio, and where each band member also had his own little studio for creative work. James has a long tradition of creating most of their music through improvisation, a road that Brian Eno had previously led them onto when he produced a bunch of their records. The songs on Hey Ma are created in this way where the producer Lee Muddy Baker has helped the band to turn the improvisations into complete songs with vocals and everything that goes with it.

James is usually considered as an alternative / indie band, whatever that means. It's quite accessible music with a high quality. Many choruses can be quite sweeping, one of my weak spots, and almost invites you to sing along. Each song is its own unique creation, and feels in no way like a mass production for the commercial radio world. Hey Ma gives me some vibes of the previous albums Seven and Laid, especially as the trumpet returns to certain songs, something which gave Seven a special sound.

The music on Hey Ma is fairly timeless and can be highly recommended, I think most people can dig this. James released their latest album, La Petite Mort, the summer of 2014, a record I haven't had time to get yet.

Finally, the European album looks like this:

But as it apparently was a somewhat sensitive with a baby and a gun in the same picture, the cover picture was banned for use in advertising for the album. And in the North American release, the gun in a magically way had disappeared (and the baby in a new pose), which happens to be the release I have.


Tracklist

Side A
1. Bubbles 5:23
2. Hey Ma 4:10
3. Waterfall 5:10
4. Oh My Heart 3:43
5. Boom Boom 4:15
6. Semaphore 3:46

Side B
1.Upside 4:27
2.Whiteboy 2:49
3. 72 3:39
4. Of Monsters & Heroes & Men 4:36
5. I Wanna Go Home 4:21