Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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51 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
25 Years of Brilliance, 9 April 2007
I have been a James fan for the last 16 years ever since the Sit Down days. The last time James released a Best of was in 1998 and prior to this they had released 6 conventional studio albums, 1 excellent live album and an album of jams called 'Wah Wah' (released in September 1994). They had previously notched a very respectable 14 Top 75 singles including 6 Top 20 hits - the most well-known of these being 'She's A Star' and the #2 hit 'Sit Down'
The last best of similarly to this singles collection contained two great new tracks 'Destiny Calling' and 'Runaground' which were thought at the time to represent James new direction. The Best of James flew to #1 in the UK Album charts and sold nearly a million copies in the UK - a remarkable achievement. The following year the album 'Millionaires' was released and whilst critically it got almost resoundingly excellent views it was given a mixed reception by James fans who viewed it as slightly conventional and commercially focussed compared to previous offerings. The album did well and got to #2 but slid out of the charts fairly quickly not achieving the sales levels originally predicted. The three singles from this album are on this new collection. Whilst all are excellent songs they don't quite capture the true James spirit for me and are highly polished songs.
James then in 2000 instead of releasing more songs from Millionaires started writing their new album 'Pleased to Meet You' which tried to go back to how the originally wrote material through a series of jamming session. The finished album - produced by Brian Eno was released in July 2001 to overall disappointing reviews and again mixed reception from fans. Only one single was released 'Getting Away With It (All messed up)' - which is contained in this new collection which had an edgier, rawer feel than any of the Millionaires singles. However the album was a mixture of familiar sounds blending previous albums Whiplash, Laid and Millionaires with a new more laidback sound.
Following the release of the album which peaked at only #11 (the worst album performance on their record label at the time - Mercury Records)two critical decisions were made; Mercury had decided not to renew James contract and Tim Booth (Vocalist for 19 years at the time) decided to leave James at the end of their short Arena tour at the end of 2001.
With fans in shock and mourning James effectively split up at the end of the tour and went their seperate ways. Tim Booth released a solo album 'Bone' in 2004 which got critical praise from fans and music critics alike. Since that time time Tim Booth appeared in Batman Begins in 2005 with a small role and in 2006 as Judas in the Manchester Passion play.
In January 2007 it was announced that James would be re-forming with original guitarist Larry Gott and the rest of James (minus Adrian Oxaal - replacement guitarist for Larry Gott and Michael Kulas (guitar/backing vocals)and they announced an April 2007 tour, the Fresh as a Daisy singles and a brand new album - slated for November 2007.
So Fresh as a Daisy - double singles CD has every single created by James (minus Sit Down 98) including their earliest material on Factory records the majority of which has not graced a CD until now.
Why is this collection so brilliant - every single crackles with inspiration and great ideas. Their are anthems (Sit Down/Laid/She's A Star/Desting Calling/Come Homes), their are slowburners (Sound/Who Are You/Runaground/Getting Away With It), singalongs (We're Going To miss you/How Was it For you?/Tomorrow) and their are some mid-paced classics (Say Something/Lose Control/Folklore).
The two new tracks like the previous 'new' tracks on 'The Best of James' are original and show another different face of James 'Who Are You' is one of the greatest songs James have ever made and contains a brilliant outtro 'Warning Coming Down' and 'Chameleon' is totally different to other James track with a true rock n'roll feel.
Those who have bought the Best of - buy the double album it has 16 songs that weren't on the previous best of - for those casual fans buy the single CD you get the new songs as well as hearing what James are about.
For those who haven't heard James before they make music like no other band; not rock but not quite pop, estoric, very emotional, romantic, passionate, catchy, edgy and magnificent.
so 25 Years of Brilliance in one CD...go discover what you've never heard, find out those songs you've missed or buy for the brilliant new tracks. James are back - music is back!
Tom
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Back for Good, 1 May 2007
Well James has meant a lot to me, I've seen them live well over 10 times. I guess they are my favourite band.
Unlike those below, I'm not allergic to the Seven "Simple Minds" era. To me James were expanding their sound, going widescreen. But still with their effortless ability to craft a hook and a chorus and a melody that stays with you.
As befits a band with a career dating back to the 80s James have had a number of phases. But despite these changes, they remain throughout definitively, distinctively James. Epic, uplifting.
Best of all, they are back, touring and writing new songs. 2 of them here, heavier (lots of base), more rock than folk (no complaints from me), and frankly fantastic.
Live fave Jonny Yen is not live by the way.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Limited edition two disc singles collection, 29 April 2007
Unexpectedly a band called James have decided to reform, their comeback tour to tie in with this compilation selling tens of thousands of tickets in no time whatsoever. The band return, complete with long-term bassist Larry Gott (who bailed out in the mid-90s), and release the 'Fresh as a Daisy'-compilation to remind everyone who they were (the compilation and tour now apparently paying for their new material, while an ideal calling card for a savvy record company). I can't say I was that enamoured with James following 'Seven', it seemed to me the 1990s equivalent of Simple Minds stadium ascent the previous decade, which is probably unfair, but I tuned out to the band about the time of 'Laid' (though a former housemate had a tape of 'Millionaires' which I quite liked, but never got round to buying) - so the second disc to me, is perhaps a revelation?
The second disc contains many decent pop songs, the Eno-produced 'I Know What I'm Here For' and 'Just Like Fred Astaire' definite standouts , while the 'Laid/Whiplash'-material offers up a slicker version of the early ramshackle James with the likes of 'Laid', and 'Say Something.' & for some reason, I thought 'We're Going To Miss You' was by someone else, it sounds pretty darn' wonderful now and not like the James many might expect.
I can't say I'm that excited over the 'Seven'-material that starts the second disc and ends the first one, 'Born of Frustration' and 'Ring the Bells' are both very catchy, but 'Sound' really does sound like a band going into Simple Minds/U2 bombastic stadium mode - the precedent for dung like Coldplay and Keane then! The single disc version, packed as it is, and no doubt a future best seller, doesn't hold that much appeal and is probably closer to the previous best of (though there are new songs, including new live faves 'Chameleon' and 'Who Are You?' - James apparently having many new songs ready to go).
But the first disc on this limited edition version of 'Fresh as a Daisy' is very, very appealing, since it contains many an old chestnut not on cd before or very hard to track down. The previous best of hardly took in James pre-Gold Mother, from memory it only included 'Hymn from a Village' from the 'Village Fire' e.p. and nothing from 'Stutter' (1986) or 'Strip Mine' (1988). This disc opens with the complete 'Village Fire' e.p., which I still play on vinyl, a 12" on Factory that contained both of their early e.p.'s 'Jimone' and 'James II'. These five songs are brilliant, though ramshackle indie that many won't like and not really indicative of the band in the early 1990s. 'What's the World?' was often covered live by The Smiths, turning up in a live version on the posthumous 'I Started Something...'-single, while 'Fire So Close' is a manic version of the song that would be slowed down to become the folky 'Why So Close?' on the charming 'Stutter.' 'If Things Were Perfect' sounds sublime, after all these years, and 'Hymn from a Village' a sort of anthem that I still find a compulsive listen.
The non-album single 'Chain Mail' (later the opener for the deleted live LP 'One Man Clapping') is an absolute joy to have on cd, while 'So Many Ways' represents their debut LP on Sire, 'Stutter' - though as can be seen by the tracklisting, a version of 'Johnny Yen' is also included, would this be a live version? 'Johnny Yen', like 'Scarecrow' and 'Why So Close' is a highlight of that underestimated debut. Next up are two singles from their second & final LP for Sire, 'Strip-Mine' - the gorgeous 'What For?' (James in 'In Between Days/Just Like Heaven'-mode) and the catchy 'Ya Ho' - though this album had some other equally catchy moments, like 'Are You Ready?' and 'Charlie Dance' - certainly an LP to pick up at a nice price...
1988/89 was where everything changed, James line-up extended to take on board key member Saul Davies, keyboard player Mark Hunter and cult figure Andy Diagram (see the recent Diagram Brothers reissue!). There was the live LP 'One Man Clapping' on Rough Trade, an album sorely in need of reissue going on prices on E-Bay & an absence on Amazon. James pretty much started again around this point, in 1989 they were rejuvinated with the classic singles 'Sit Down' and 'Come Home', which along with an association with the fashionable Madchester scene, put them on the road to disc two. I'm not sure which versions of 'Sit Down' and 'Come Home' are included, shame that all versions weren't collected - though I'd prefer the 1989 originals to the versions easily found on the prior 'Best of' and the reissue of 'Gold Mother.' The first disc includes the catchy rocker 'How Was It For You?', which was probably about sex at the time, but feels like a comment on nostalgia now and the 1990 single 'Lose Control', which is a fine song, but one marred by production at the time (b-side 'Out To Get You' was much better).
This two disc version of 'Fresh as a Daisy' is a very welcome compilation, though it would be nice to see the odd reissue of the pre-'Gold Mother' work, as well as a two-disc collection (or box-set?) of b-sides like 'The Sky is Falling', 'Out to Get You', 'Hup Springs', 'Sound Investment' and 'Tonight' and maybe other hide to find songs or versions? It would be nice to make the past fully available prior to the next James album. In the meantime, here's a reminder of how great James were...
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