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Hey Ma
Participated by James
Studio : Decca U.S.
by Decca U.S.
Release Date : 2008-09-16
Publisher : Decca U.S.
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
EAN : 6025177270388
UPC : 602517727038
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 11 reviews)
List Price : $13.98
Our Price : $7.99
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Product Description |
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It s the 2008 reunion album from Tim Booth and the rest of the James gang. Though they began their career as jangly guitar heroes in the '80s, it wasn't until the early '90s that James broke through commercially at the height of the Baggy scene. Their UK success crossed over into the U.S. a few years later and the band were finally able to reap their just rewards. Now with Andy Diagram back in the band in addition to the Laid six of Tim, Jim, Larry, Saul, Mark and Dave, James are, once again, Seven. James recorded the album, their first in seven years, over a few months in a self built studio at a chateau in France. Hey Ma is 11 tracks including Bubbles, Waterfall and Oh My Heart. |
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Marketadvisory.co.uk |
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In need of proof that indie mid-distance runners James are more than just that lot that made audiences "Sit Down" in the early 90s, with the occasional B-list single since? Then set yourself down in front of the title track of this, their first album in seven years and their most vital release in fifteen. "Hey Ma!" shrills Tim Booth in a disfigured falsetto, "boys in body-bags, coming home in pieces!". It's a robust piece of dissent, awkward to listen to and not exactly a short-cut to radio playlists, but the remarkable thing is how infectiously the band chime up around him, from muted flutters to spirited pulse-boosting bombast without missing a beat, acoustic guitar shredded like ticker-tape, buoyed by hopeful harmonies. It becomes a ringing pop tune, transcending its context but in turn reinforcing its message, because you can't escape it--a textbook protest song, and as such a precious rarity. This classic James line up--the one that last crafted 1993's Laid--invoke the spirit of that record and though Brain Eno doesn't produce Hey Ma they remain inspired by his methods, resulting in a fluid gushing of inspiration, numerous melodic shadings and complex weaves of sound that are never quite allowed to run away with themselves. "Bubbles" explodes in a welter of criss-crossing driven hard by a quivering trumpet fanfare, "White Boy" has the kitchen sink thrown at it and judders nearest to their earlier eccentricities, while "Of Monsters & Heroes & Men" hosts a much more subtle evolution, perfect for Booth's unwinding prose and the hymnal ends it achieves. --James Berry |
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disappointed... |
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Though the first three songs are decent- Waterfall being the best of them- the rest of the album is at best average. I expected much more from an awesome band who had a lot of time to put together some great music but instead came up with tunes too mellow and lacking kick. Being a huge James fan, listening to this makes them sound aged. |
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Welcome back, guys! Magic does happen in life sometimes... |
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I happened onto James back in the 90's when they were touring the United States and landed at the theatre where I work in Sacramento, California. It's easy to get a bit jaded when live acts come and go frequently when you work in a live venue, but occasionally an act comes along that wakes you up and thrills you. James was one of those bands. I found myself mesmerized by lead singer Tim Booth (especially his passionate, intense voice and wild, free-form dancing) and the sound created by the entire band. Unlike many bands, all of the guys were interesting to watch, and seemed to have very different personalities (you wondered how they ended up in the same band). They filled the 1,000 seat theatre with layers of sound in a way that was almost overwhelming, and I was also impressed that the lyrics were not just typical pop love songs but songs that covered a wide variety of life experiences, and many grabbed me on first listen. It's truly rare that happens when you see a band without knowing anything about them. I'm not a kid, and yet I found myself, as the night wore on, acting like a giddy fan, pushing through the crowd to get closer to the experience, to the point where I was just a couple of rows back in the crowd standing against the stage. I was glued throughout the rest of the show, and found myself whooping, stomping, and dancing as wildly as Tim by show's end, sweating through every layer of clothing I had on. It was exhilarating. I became a huge fan of the group and their recordings, buying everything I could get my hands on, and was not disappointed in the studio versions of their music. However, I hoped to see them again someday live. A few years later I saw a gig announced for San Francisco, but, upon arriving at SF's Fillmore Theatre to see them the day of the show, we were stunned to hear that Tim had been skateboarding earlier in the day on the hills of SF and had broken his collarbone, and they were canceling the show. That was the last I heard of them in the U.S., as years later, in 2001, I discovered they had disbanded, and we were left with one of the best live-show DVD's ever produced, as a record of their final show, performed in their hometown--titled "Getting Away With It...Live." (Highly recommended viewing, by the way). Jump now to this year, 2008, and I was ecstatic to hear that the entire band--all 7 members--were re-forming and about to release a new CD. I was so excited I sought it out in its international release, months before being released in the U.S., and was floored that, on first listen, the guys were back in excellent form with a terrific new recording. "Hey Ma" is one of their best albums, maybe even their best (I'll decide that in years to come), and I've found that I'm listening to every song frequently, not just a few. My favorite cuts, though, are "I Wanna Go Home," "Waterfall," and "Of Monsters & Heroes & Men," though really the entire album shines as a complete and beautiful work. Then, even more good news: mid-summer I was overjoyed to hear the guys were going to do a mini-tour of the U.S to promote the Fall U.S. release of the album, and that one of their stops was San Francisco, at The Grand. I bought tickets the day they went on sale, and, frankly, was a bit nervous the show would be canceled again! But come October 1st the show went on as scheduled, I was once again a couple of rows from the stage, standing, dancing wildly, and getting the live James experience--exactly what I'd hoped for. It seemed like a miracle to see all 7 of the guys together again after so many years and looking so joyous and invigorated...I thought I'd never see them again live. So, welcome back, guys, thanks for getting back together again, and congratulations on creating such a beautiful, passionate album. I know this album, your past work, and the memory of the two live concert experiences will remain favorite memories of mine for the rest of my life. Here's hoping you stay together and continue, and we get to do it all again, but if that doesn't happen, I can say it already feels like I've had real magic happen in getting to live these "two lives of James" with you over the last 20 years or so. Cheers... |
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Hey, Ma! James is back! Turn it up! |
This is my favourite album of 2008! It's brilliant to see the band reunited, fresh and energetic. They're in top form here. I saw them live in September before I heard the album, and the show's enormous success was largely due to the strength of the album. Powerful, thrilling music. "Waterfall" is the best song of the year; check out these lyrics:
" Watching too much TV I'm an actor in a puppet show
There's so much stuff in my life no room for me to grow
One day I'm going to break from my life due south down to Mexico
I'm going to burn down my house it's the only way to let it go"
Go get it! You won't be sorry.
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Not a dud on it...one of the best of 2008 |
About the only thing I knew about James was that they had a huge hit in the 1990s with "Laid". Kudos to them for putting some great full-length samples up on their MySpace site which allowed me to sample the music on this album. I am not sure why it came out so much earlier in the UK, although they have quite a following there and perhaps timed the release in the U.S. to coincide with their great tour of the states.
The album starts off with "Bubbles", with some great lyrics such as "take an axe to your family tree" and ends with a soaring round of "I'm alive... I'm alive..." The title track is really great, albeit a rather politically-charged song. It was one of the songs they put on their MySpace site, along with another standout, "Whiteboy". "Whiteboy" is perhaps my favorite song of 2008, and it's just a fun, bouncy song. The album is a nice balance of mid-tempo songs and ends with "I Wanna Go Home", one of those great mid-tempo ways to end the album.
I liked their music so much from this one album that I checked out their other stuff and really enjoyed at least half of their album, Laid, and their greatest hits album is a real treat.
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Easily one of the best records I have ever heard |
Although I liked the popularly successful songs from James during the 80's and 90's, I never got heavy into the band. I heard one of their older songs on a local indie station recently, and checked it out on YouTube because I wanted to send the video link to someone (because of the lyrics). That led to more link-clicking, checking out their website, and finding out they had a local concert last week. Decided to go.
Turns out my girlfried was a real fan of "Sometimes" when it was hot. We went to the concert, loved everything we heard, and as a result I bought two of the new CD's, one for each of us. Several weeks later, we are still talking about and texting each other snippets from the lyrics, and talking about the band and the CD. I wish I could afford to buy a million and spread them around. Easily one of the top 10 I have ever heard. You must read the lyrics and hear the song previews. The "intro" clips don't do the songs full justice, as each is a musical odyssey, with some widely varying sounds in the same song. Lyrically relevant to everything going on today, and particularly some issues I can relate to in my own life. Musically captivating. Rides the range from thought provoking to exhilerating. Will make you a believer. [...]
At first listen, I "liked" about 5 or 6 of the 11 songs. A few I skipped when playing the entire CD in my car. The more I've listened, the less I've skipped, gaining a new appreciation for the lesser songs on the CD to the point that I now listen to it in its entirety. The entire song list will grow on you, and it is arranged perfectly. While not hugely "deep", the lyrical and musical combination is just right (not too heavy or light) for ease of listening. For comparison, I list Green Day's "American Fool" among my top ten also, although they are admittedly a "harder" sound.
Thank you, James. I have to apologize for the admittedly mediocre commercial success in the U.S., after discovering that in the UK and Europe they have always been hugely popular, still selling out venues many times the size of the ones here that they have been touring this year. I don't know if its because of their label, or whatever.
Research on my part led to discovery that at one time Radiohead ('80's), Coldplay ('90's) and Nirvana ('90's) all opened for them during the beginning of those band's careers, right before each became successful. Wish some major band would have them open now, so they can gain back more commercial success here. I also hope some major stations start playing more of this record. |
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