[Oops. Fell off the wagon and down a rabbit-hole the past few days. Back now, slightly the worse for wear. Withdrawal is fun. Vivid, vivid dreams. Slightly scary.]
I haven't made an entry in my "dead" bands series for a while, so maybe the time has come to take a look at the blandly-named UK group James. They started out way-the-hell back in the '80s and were seen by some (possibly even Morrissey himself) as the second coming of the Smiths. I didn't really discover them until their 1993, Brian Eno-produced album Laid, which spawned the semi-hit title track (and is still their best album, IMO).
I always thought of lead singer Tim Booth as being sort of Bono-lite. Certainly, he has an affection for falsetto, which is fine by me. But one also gets the impression that the band saw themselves as risk-taking innovators throughout their career, which I can't quite buy. True, their sound did change over time, but they remained - for the most part - a pleasant folk-pop outfit whose ultimate demise was noticed by few, and mourned by still fewer. Certainly worth a look (and a listen) on this "dry" Friday eve...
From the LP Laid, 1993 >>>
[MP3] [SaveFile] "Laid"
From the LP Whiplash, 1997 >>>
[MP3] [SaveFile] "She's a Star"
From the LP Millionaires, 1999 >>>
[MP3] [SaveFile] "We're Going to Miss You"
From the LP Seven, 1991 >>>
[MP3] [SaveFile] "Seven"
From the LP Pleased to Meet You, 2001 >>>
[MP3] [SaveFile] "Alaskan Pipeline"
From the compilation Alternative NRG, 1993 >>>
[MP3] [SaveFile] "Ring the Bells" [live]
james was good. guess i know what year they broke up in, now. 19 years.
ReplyDeleteHey,
ReplyDeleteI have no idea if this comment will reach you or not, but if so, would you mind sending me the live version of ring the bells from alternative NRG? Your link doesn't seem to work anymore, and I can't find the song anywhere.
Thanks!