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Track Listings
| 1. It's Hot |
| 2. Crazy |
| 3. Ten Below |
| 4. Porcupine |
| 5. Shine |
| 6. Dr Hellier |
| 7. Hero |
| 8. All My Letters |
Product Description
Review
James gained notoriety in the early 90s with student-pleasing sing-alongs such as the ubiquitous Sit Down, and earned a reputation for selling more t-shirts than records. Given that merchandising makes more money than records these days, they could have gone on to make a fortune from clothing lines. Instead they enlisted the help of Brian Eno, who accentuated the space and atmosphere at the heart of their songs with great success, particularly on Laid (1993) and Whiplash (1997). After the fanfare of a farewell tour in 2001, they reformed for the release of Hey Ma in 2008. James is an oft-misunderstood band and The Night Before, a mini-album of seven songs, won’t clear up any confusion. It’s deliberately curtailed, with a partner record (The Morning After) to follow later in the year, but such a short run time finds the constituent pieces failing to fully gel. The opener, It’s Hot, nods to Joy Division, albeit with a woozy charm in keeping with its title – it’s a pleasant grower. Crazy, the lead single, provides passable radio fodder and reflects James’ tendency to sound like U2, although on its “c-c-cr-crazy” chorus vocalist Tim Booth sounds like a man in pursuit of the correct spelling. His barroom philosophy is never more pronounced than when dealing with politics, such as Dr Hellier’s excruciating Iraq War history lesson. In their best moments James can echo the dream-pop of Cocteau Twins, a side presented here with the touching slide guitar of the chorus-less Porcupine. It’s a shame this subtlety is soon pushed aside by a tedious blokeishness missing from their previous records, such as on Shine’s mid-tempo tirade against the rich. The record is rescued somewhat by the reflective groove of Ten Below, which recalls days of wearing headphones in bed listening to John Peel’s show. But it’s not enough. Strangely for a band once keen to pursue experimentation, the reconvened James sounds too comfortable. They are one of the country’s best live bands, which is probably where these songs will find the life that is often lacking here. They have created luminescent music in the past, and are likely to do so again, but many will find it hard to connect with this collection. --Tom Hocknell
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CD Description
With a career that includes ten studio albums, 20 UK Top 40 singles and 12 million albums sold, The Night Before is the first of two mini albums from James, containing all brand new studio material from the seven piece band. Produced by Lee "Muddy" Baker (who produced Hey Ma as well as lead singer Tim Booth’s solo album Bone in 2004). The Night Before was conceived uniquely: the band set up an ftp site to which they all contributed, downloading and updating each other’s efforts at various intervals whilst Baker knocked things into shape. This virtual recording process (which eventually led to recording sessions in Brighton and Oswestry) was presumably inspired by the band’s history of working with Brian Eno. The stand out track from the mini album is "Crazy" was inspired from Booth’s hospitalisation for liver disease; throughout recovery Booth was convinced that his physical frailty (which often produced hallucinations) meant that he was "crazy".
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The negative reviews of this album - all be it personal choices - make me wonder if I've been listening to the same (mini) album/band. I've loved James since I was in my teens in the early 90s.
What I like about James and I'll be more specific about this release shortly is the way they have changed and matured....early days lyric: "An earwig crawled into my ear, made a meal of the wax...." To "dr helier says that my body's Afghanistan and we can't let the Taliban...." and "I'm not crazy I'm just laughing at myself" etc. If you know these songs I don't need to go on and on.
The point is that James have had the ability to move me on most of their albums - the last two Hey Ma and The Night are up with the best - including my personal favourite Seven.
To the nitty gritty:
It's Hot - 7/10
Crazy - 9/10
Ten Below 10/10
Porcupine 6/10
Shine 8/10
Dr helier 9/10
Hero 8/10
Tim Booth has a voice and a passion that comes across in these songs -I was cynical when he rejoined James after the 2001 split but he still has the ability to send a shiver down my spine backed by a bunch of great musicans in touch with their own sensitivity. But they are still fun and entertaining just in a more mature and measured way. I hope I see them on tour.
In short, a worthy addition to their discography from a massive - ongoing fan.
What I like about James and I'll be more specific about this release shortly is the way they have changed and matured....early days lyric: "An earwig crawled into my ear, made a meal of the wax...." To "dr helier says that my body's Afghanistan and we can't let the Taliban...." and "I'm not crazy I'm just laughing at myself" etc. If you know these songs I don't need to go on and on.
The point is that James have had the ability to move me on most of their albums - the last two Hey Ma and The Night are up with the best - including my personal favourite Seven.
To the nitty gritty:
It's Hot - 7/10
Crazy - 9/10
Ten Below 10/10
Porcupine 6/10
Shine 8/10
Dr helier 9/10
Hero 8/10
Tim Booth has a voice and a passion that comes across in these songs -I was cynical when he rejoined James after the 2001 split but he still has the ability to send a shiver down my spine backed by a bunch of great musicans in touch with their own sensitivity. But they are still fun and entertaining just in a more mature and measured way. I hope I see them on tour.
In short, a worthy addition to their discography from a massive - ongoing fan.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
love, love, love it! james have been just amazin since their return (hey ma rocks!) and this mini album is no exception. lookin forward to part 2
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 Download
I am a long term James fan. Some of the albums Ive liked some but not all tracks. I really enjoy every one on this mini album. All good quality. This is a good album for james fans. Can't wait for the 'second half' at the end of the year.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
James still going strong
Ive not listened to James for a long time and came across the sister album to The Night Before (called The Morning After) in a CD sale last summer. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Philhydro
Imperfect Sense
It's impossible to listen to "The Night Before", without the companion, and second part "The Morning After". The two work together as a whole, light/dark, yin/yang, Buzz/Woody. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Mr. M. A. Reed
KING JAMES THE FIRST
The greatest band to come out of Manchester return with a fine cd packed with ttuneful anthemic songs,James know their market well and this (addmitadly short)cd is a blast of power... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Finbar the looney
JAMES ARE BEAUTIFUL!
ACOMPANHO A CARREIRA DESSA BANDA DESDE O FINAL DOS ANOS 80 E DESDE ENTÃO NAO OS ABANDONEI MAIS. PRA MIM, É UMA DAS MELHORES BANDAS INGLESAS DE TODOS OS TEMPOS. Read more
Published on 27 May 2010 by Jose Marcos Paulino
like a vintage wine.....
If you like James then buy this album, if you've never heard them before then buy this album. James just get better and better, Hey Ma was a classic after a period in the... Read more
Published on 21 May 2010 by S. Dobson
classic
what a great come back cd from james this is there best stuff since 7 , so if you like james this has got to be on your wish list.
Published on 20 May 2010 by R. hills
Mind-blowing and utterly incredible!
This 'mini' album is amazing, even better then 'Hey Ma' which was a great comeback for the band. The Night Before is a great release and it shows how people can relate to the... Read more
Published on 12 May 2010 by L Chown
Authentic, fearless and free
Once again listening to these new songs, I am transported back to that place when I first got caught up in the magic of james sound. Read more
Published on 29 April 2010 by E. T. L. Jordan
A Heavenly Half - Hour
James have always been a great little band but time isn't everybody's friend.
Mostly they have carried their fans along with them. Others were left behind. Read more
Mostly they have carried their fans along with them. Others were left behind. Read more
Published on 24 April 2010 by The Wolf
An honest opinion (that's what Amazon allows!)
I'm also a James fan but I'm sad to say that I think this is a feeling-less work. The songs are oversentimental and lack the guts of all their previous work. Read more
Published on 21 April 2010 by Ms. J. Hinchliffe
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