Did You Know Tuesday

Did you know.....that I had a wicked awesome time in Boston yesterday at the James concert?? Well, you probably didn't know that until just now, but it's true.

First off, here's their set-list:
Laid / Seven / Oh My Heart / Ring the Bells / Waterfall / Bubbles / Say Something / Five-O / I Wanna Go Home / Out to Get You /Upside / Hey Ma / Sit Down / Sound / Whiteboy / Tomorrow / Sometimes

Encore:
She’s A Star / Born of Frustration / Lullaby / Don’t Wait That Long / Come Home

The band was tight. The new songs blended well with the old. I was surprised to see so many younger people at the show because, let's face it, American radio has virtually ignored this great English band during it's over 20-year career so I was surprised (and happy) to see that the music of James is still finding listeners. And while today (Tuesday) is the US release date of their latest disc, Hey Ma, it was obvious that many people at the Paradise Rock Club did what I did and ordered it back in April when it was released in the UK and were already familiar with the new tunes.

The club was much smaller than I expected. I figured the venue would probably hold about a thousand people, but this was only a guess as I had never been to the to it before. Boy, was I wrong. It only held about 500! AWESOME! It was a sold-out show, but with only 500 people, it was an up-close performance. I was third back from the stage, center/left.

During the playing of "Sometimes", the band faded out and stopped playing, and we all kept singing “Sometimes, when I look deep in your eyes I swear I can see your soul”. The crowd sang alone for a couple of minutes as band watched on. Then they picked the song right back up from the crowd’s vocal performance and finished it. Tim Booth: “That was brilliant!”

In the final song of the encore (Come Home), Tim Booth looks into crowd and says “Where’s that guy who said he could play guitar on this song?” Turns out the guy had been standing in front of me all night with his girlfriend. He puts his hand up and says “HERE! HERE!” Tim Booth: “Well there you are. Get the fuck up here!” Turns out this fan by the name of Jonah could play the song and the band was right into having this guy play with them and the crowd loved it too. The dude was in his smilingest-happy-face-place, playing with a band he obviously loves. It was great.

Right before starting "Hey Ma", Tim Booth said, "Here's my feelings: if a leader of a country declares war on another country, he or she resign immediately. Because if you have to resort to war, you've failed as a politician and you should not continue." There was a decent amount of chatter between the crowd and the band...good chatter, like old friends getting reacquainted.

Look! The back of my head at the James concert as Tim Booth sings from atop the bar!

As the band makes their way to Philadelphia for their Tuesday (tonight) show at the Trocadaro Theater (one of my MOST FAVORITE PLACES to see shows when I was still a Philly resident), I want to let those in Philly who read this before they go: THE SHOW IS AWESOME! I’d love to have someone who goes to that show post the set-list here in the comments.

In a day or two, I hope to add some pics to this as a someone I met at the show (and who was also traveling down I95 to see the show in Philly) will hopefully be sending me a couple of the great pics she took while in the front row.

Show was awesome. I’ve waited over 15 years to finally see James. The wait, though difficult, was so worth.

The only thing that bummed me out was that they didn’t do anything from Millionairs or Pleased to Meet You, two albums that I really liked. Maybe next time they’ll dip more into those really decent James albums. And I really really hope there's a next time for them to tour the States.

Opening up for James was the Scottish band, Unkle Bob. I had no familiarity with their music, but got to the club in time to hear them play. Turns out to be a great music find. A sound that reminded me of the Psychedelic Furs, but during their later years...the Book of Days and World Outside sound. I really liked them a lot. Picked up their CD as I left the club at the end of the night and the singer (Rick Webster) and keyboard player (Geoff Widdowson) were there and chatted with me for a few minutes and also signed the CD. They were only about 23 years old, and very excited as this was the first time any of them had ever been to the US. They're supporting James for the three week tour. But for their Philly show they should've had my friends The Codes opening for them. The Codes are pretty awesome...er...wicked awesome...too. And James is known for having the foresight to pick great opening acts for their tours. Some of the bands who opened for James that you may have heard of: Stone Roses. Radiohead. Coldplay. The Corrs. Stereophonics. Third Eye Blind. And a little band I like to call Nirvana.

Yup...I had a great time at the show. I sure hope James comes back again. I'll make another road trip to see them. After all, if they can come thousands of miles to tour the States, I can drive 220 miles to see them.

9/19/2008 Update: Check out the vid for opening song Laid that someone at the show took. Whoever it was who took this had to be about 2 people away from me as I was just to the right side of where this was shot. Also, if you are the one who took this and either want credit or want me to remove it, let me know via the comments and I'll do that right away for you.

Friday and the Weekend

Well, it's Friday, and I'm off today, Monday and Tuesday. YES! In just a few minutes I'm getting on the road to make my way down to Rhode Island where I'll be visiting friends for the weekend. On Monday I'm heading into Boston to see James! WOOOOHOOOO! Then, driving back home either after the show or at some point on Tuesday.

Can't. Wait. To. See. James. At some point Tuesday I'll post set-list.

Here they are doing the song everybody knows of their, Laid, on Letterman in 1994.

JAMES IS COMING!! JAMES IS COMING!!

Well, for the first time since the early 1990’s, James is touring the US and releasing their “new” album Hey Ma, which was released in the UK in April.

The tour starts in Boston at the Paradise Rock Club on Monday, September 15. The picture below is blurry and barely readable (yeah…my digi cam is two years old and completely sucks for close-ups), but it is my ticket for the opening night of James’ US tour in Boston.

I’m so psyched!!! The band starts their first US tour in a bazillion years in Boston on September 15, which is the day before their latest CD, Hey Ma, gets released in the US. This also marks the first time in the same bazillion years that James has had a US distribution deal.

So, hurry hurry hurry!! Buy your tickets to see James, and most definitely, if you don’t have it already, go out on Tuesday, Sept 16 and buy Hey Ma.

At some point on Tuesday, September 16, I will have a concert wrap-up from their show at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, and I’ll post their set list. I just wish I had the $$$ to head down to Philly at the close of their Boston show as the Trocodero is their next stop on this brief, 3-week US tour.

James, it’s great to have you guys back State-side!

Hey Ma, I’m going to the James show!

Hey Ma! The New James Album, Hey Ma, Finally Arrived!

It FINALLY arrived in the mail today, and within seconds the mailing envelope was ripped to shreds, and the new James CD, Hey Ma, was spinning on my laptop.

The wait was worth it.

This new album by James sound less studio-y, and more rough around the edges. A nice, and welcome, change of pace for this awesome band out of Britain. While Millionaires (1999) and Pleased to Meet You (2001) were good albums with some amazing songs, they weren’t quite James albums, if that makes any sense. James’ reformation last year after a few years off seems to have reinvigorated the band.

Hey Ma is comprised of 11 songs. The opening song, Bubbles, is just amazing. It starts similar to Out to Get You (from Laid), but leaves behind the slow build for a faster beat. “I’m alive”, Tim Booth sings, a statement meant to imply that James never went away, but only rested for a while, maybe? The title track is an anti-war song, a territory James has been in before (Mother, from Gold Mother). This time, however, though the lyrics reflect the sadness of loss associated with any war, the music is upbeat and hopeful. Whiteboy is a fun rocker, along the lines of Laid. A fun song that never gets old.

Other great songs are Boom Boom (a slap at critics, perhaps?), Semaphore (an Out to Get You like sound...simply gorgeous), Of Monsters & Heroes & Men and I Wanna Go Home.

Two songs, Waterfall and Upside are the two weaker ones on the disc, but not horrible songs by any stretch of the imagination.

If you like James, you will definitely dig this new release. Overall, it’s an album similar to Laid (my favorite album by this band, and one of my top 5 albums of all time) in it’s presentation and style. Though not nearly as strong as Laid, Hey Ma is a very welcome addition to the James family of releases. If you’re in the United States, you’ll have to order it (I used amazon.uk) or see if your local record shop can order it for you. James does not have a distributor deal in the US, so you have to get their music imported these days. It’s too bad because they are far better than a great majority of bands/singers who find their way to US radio.

Just like REM seems to have found new life after a couple of years off and using a new producer, James too has come back strong after some time off. James, it’s really cool to have you back. I would someday love to see you live.

I would also love to find a girl in Maine who wants to come over and listen to James with me! I’m not sure that girl exists in Maine…seems nobody’s heard of James up he-yah. Boo hoo for me.

Amazon.uk Ships Really Slow...or How I Learned to Be Patient Waiting for the New James Album to Arrive

Update from amazon.uk: my copy of James' new Hey Ma album shipped on April 6, 2008. It's expected delivery is Monday, April 14.

Are you kidding me?? Get that effing CD here! NOW! I'm jonesing for new James....

Things I'm Excited About

1. The new album by James was released in the UK today. Hey Ma should be arriving in my mail tomorrow or the next day. (UPS...don't let me down.) Once I receive it and listen to it, I'll let you know what I think.

2. My best friend is getting married. My best friend is a girl. Weird, I know. Guys and girls aren't supposed to be best friends. But, it works for us. Anyway, she got engaged on St Patty's Day to a really super cool and laid back dude. They're gonna be happy together, and I'm psyched for both of them.

3. The Boston Bruins made the NHL playoffs. I can't see them getting out of the first round vs the Canadians, but I'm cheering for them to do so. And to win the Stanley Cup this year.

4. Being back home after my 9 day trip to Philly. It was a blast! Saw great friends in Rhode Island, super duper friends in Philly, and friends in Allentown during my excursion. But, I am happy to be back home. Ahhhhhhhhh.....home.

and last but not least......

5. College basketball is finally going to be fucking DONE for the year. I hate college and pro basketball. It's just not my thing. I would rather watch the snowpile at the end of my driveway melt than watch a single minute of a college or pro basketball game. I will be the happiest person on Earth when the final game in the March Madness thing is over tonight. I may be the only person within the United States who does not have a bracket sheet going. Not. A. One.

REM Accelerate

Tying in neatly with Wednesday's Word (below), I would like to tell you about REM's new album, Exhilerator. I mean, Accelerate.



The album is really really really good. Not quite great (great REM albums are Murmer and my favorite, Automatic for the People), but a welcome return to the rock n roll side of REM that really presented itself back in the days of Life’s Rich Pagaent.

The disc spins through 11 songs in about 34 minutes. Wow! Gone from this release are the flourishes and long instrumental parts that have filled so much of their last three albums. That’s not a bash at those releases, although Around the Sun (their last studio album) still to this day is one I really don’t play. I’m just pointing out that Accelerate is exactly what its title implies: a fast moving collection of songs that get to their point, lyrically and musically, without wasting any time. And it works.

I think my favorite thing about this release is that they’ve finally…FINALLY…put Mike Mills’ vocals back into the songs. For the last three releases it sounded like all of the backing vocals were just Michael Stipe overdubs. Mike Mills voice has always been such a big a part of the REM sound, I never understood why they buried his vocals.

A lot of this reawakening of REMs rock sound has to go to producer Jacknife Lee, recommended to them by pal Bono. He has pulled the rock sound that has been hibernating in REM back to the forefront. Although to be fair, if you heard REM’s live album that was released last year, or if you’ve seen them live (3 times for me), you know that when in the live setting, they do rock the house. But that power has been missing on the recent studio recordings.

If you’re an REM fan, you will more than likely love this return to form for the band. If you’re not a fan, well, I don’t know what to tell you. Though I do think you’d probably like the singles “Supernatural Superserious”, and “Living Well Is the Best Revenge”.

With REM’s latest release already enjoying a lot of speaker time in both my stereo, laptop and mp3 player, I know wait anxiously for my copy of James’ Hey Ma to arrive next week in the mail. Their new album, and first studio album in 5+ years is being released on Monday, April 7 in the UK. I pre-ordered by copy on amazon.uk and will be waiting by my door for the UPS delivery to come next week.

In addition to spending a week in Philly visiting old friends and hanging with my disc golf chummies, REM releases a new CD, their best in years. James is releasing their first studio album in 5 years. next week. This is turning out to be a really great birthday month for me so far (my birthday is April 20…that’s right…4/20).


Wonder what other great things the month has in store….

Upcoming Album...er, CD...Releases

Coming very soon from two of my all-time favorite bands!!

---REM's Accelerate hits stores Tuesday, April 1. The 11-song collection clocks in at under 34 minutes, so expect some short songs. The first single, Supernatureal Superserious, is really good and rockin'. Early reports are that this is REM's best album of new material in years.

--April 7th in the UK is the release Hey Ma, the first new batch of music from the re-formed band James. After taking a 5 year break the band got back together a year ago and did some shows in their native England. One thing led to another and pretty soon they were back in the studio recording. Their first UK single, Whiteboy, can be heard here on their MySpace page. Unfortunately, James does not have a US label supporting them, and haven't for many years, so the only way to get the new CD is to order it as an import. I have mine on order and can't wait for it to arrive.



So come on over for a CD listening party! I'll let you know the date.

UPDATE: 4/14/2008

Read my reviews here for REM, and here for JAMES!!

Sometimes

One of my favorite albums of all time is titled "Laid" by the band James. Many people know them because of their early 90's song "Sit Down" and also for the title track of the album I just mentioned.

The album "Laid" is a very atmospheric trip through hope, sadness, falling into love, falling out of love, unrequited love, loneliness, and loss of hope. A lot of emotion to cram into a 13 track album, but James accompanies very personal and heartfelt lyrics with music that is full of sound, but in a quiet kind of way. Brian Eno produced this album for James back in 1993, and his production touch is noticeable in the way that the songs become sonic landscapes as he layers sounds and instruments over one another to create beautifully full songs. The music is so good it often makes a song about sadness sound positive.

This is an album I listen to in a quiet room or with headphones. The words are amazing and in many cases so familiar in that I know when Tim Booth (singer) says "the human touch is what I need", it's a feeling I know. It's eerie how the songs on this album ring true to me. It's why I love to listen to it.

I get depressed sometimes. This is the album I listen to when I am. Not to imply that the album is depressing, it's not, it's a stunning piece of music, in my opinion. When I listen to it, I just feel....comfortable.

Lately, I've been listening to this album a lot.

"We made you feel the way you are is wrong,

We made you what you are, you are afraid,

If you don't play the game, we'll make you change.

Oh, I've changed"