Tim Booth (frontman) says about the new record: “With all the shit that
went down in 2020 this was a miraculous conception and another big jump
forward for us on the back of the last three albums. I hope it reflects the
colours of these crazy times. Sweet 16 is a proper album, no fillers and is
up there with our best.”
Lead-single: The title track. A vibrant and elevating electro thrill…
Band:JAMES (Manchester UK) Album: GOLD MOTHER – the band’s third LP Released: 4 June 1990 – 30 years ago today Score: #5 on NME’s end- of- the-year list
BBC Music wrote: “It’s often savage, sometimes bitter, and always
loaded with ideas. Yet its overall effect is uplifting, even euphoric, and
for all its weight, it flies, light as a feather.”
Hands up if you like these ten stunning tracks as much as I do. Ten standout performances that send shivers down my spine, ten goosebumps crackers I can listen to any moment of the day, ten stunners I heard for about 1 million times, and will countless times again in the future.
Here’s why…
1. Dead & Gone’ by TOY (UK)
Smashing psychedelia with a mind-blowing finale…
2. ‘I Am Mark E Smith by FAT WHITE FAMILY (UK)
One of the best live bands of the past 10 years…
3. ‘Chlorine’ by THE DISTRICTS (Philadelphia, PA)
Overwhelming passion, towering intensity…
4. ‘Despair’ by YEAH YEAH YEAHS (US)
Gorgeous pop queen Karen O at her very best…
5. ‘Baby I Call Hell’ by DEAP VALLY (California, US)
Kick-ass blues rock frenzy by two utterly cool ladies…
6. ‘Common People‘ by PULP (UK) Jarvis Cocker‘s orgiastic performance leads to spectacular euphoria…
7. ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony by THE VERVE (UK)
Fist-pumping anthem…
8. ‘Laid’ by James (UK)
No festivals this year, but this is my ecstatic alternative…
9. ‘Fried My Little Brains’ by THE KILLS (UK/US)
I’m in love with Alison Mosshart, she does my brains in…
10. ‘Rocks’ by PRIMAL SCREAM (Scotland)
The steamy ripper The Rolling Stones never wrote…
Band: James (Manchester UK) Active: 1982–2001 / 2007–present Single: Come Home B-side: Promised Land Score: #84 in the UK, when
re-released a year later it reached #32 Album: Gold Mother
the band’s third longplayer
1. ‘Play Safe’ by IGGY POP Let’s play safe / I never knew how / How to play safe / You told me how
2. ‘Safety Dance by MEN WITHOUT HATS We can dance, we can dance everything out control / We can dance doing it wall to wall
3. ‘If You Tolerate This Then You’re Children Will Be Next’ by the MANICS If you tolerate this then your children will be next, will be next, will be next, will be next
4. ‘Back Home’ by GOLDEN EARRING People wonder why I’m going back home / Just the place where I belong / Back home
5. ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ by THE VERVE I never pray / But tonight I’m on my knees / I need some sounds that recognize the pain in me
6. ‘Home’ by EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS Home, let me come home / Home is wherever I’m with you
7. ‘Come Home’ by JAMES This is a testing time when the choice is mine / Am I a fool for love or foolish with desire
8. ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ by LIVERPOOL FANS When you walk through a storm / Hold your head up high / And don’t be afraid of the dark
9. ‘All For One’ by THE STONE ROSES All for one, one for all / If we take a stand, we shall not fall
10. ‘Let There Be Love‘ by OASIS Who stole the soul from the sun in a world come undone at the seams? / Let there be love
Band: James (UK) Single: Laid B-sides: Wah Wah Kits on 7″ and
Wah Wah Kits, The Lake and Seconds Away on CD Released: 1 November 1993 Album: Laid– the band’s fifth LP Score: The single peaked at #25 in the UK
“This bed is on fire with passionate love, the neighbours complain
about the noises above, but she only comes when she’s on top”
Weekly series of five rolling ripsnorters to go bananas to this summer…
Summer holiday is over! Let’s have a final big bang to end these summer series
in noisy style! Here are 5 roaring festival performances from this past summer…
1. ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’ by JOHNNY MARR – Glastonbury UK
2. ‘Drain The Blood’ by THE DISTILLERS Reading + Leeds, UK
Today 30 years ago, on 10 June 1989, Manchester’s tip-top popsters JAMES
released their splendid signature single SIT DOWN . It peaked at a poor #77
on the UK Singles Chart, but when the cracker was re-issued in March 1991
it went to #2. The song was launched a third time in 1998 remixed by electro act Apollo 440. The lyrics reflected a homage to author Doris Lessing and Patti Smith.
Here’s the original version and the accompanying video clip…
‘Laid’ by JAMES Released: 27 September 1993 – 25 years ago
BBC MUSIC wrote: “It may be hard to believe, but once upon a time, back in the pre-Britpop era of the early 90s, James were one of the biggest groups in the UK… A warm, subtle album in tone, songs like Out to Get You, One of the Three and Lullaby might be seen as forerunners of Snow Patrol’s more-measured, less-grating fare… The cover may make your eyes bleed – the band in dresses, eating bananas – but the contents of Laid comprise what is probably James’ real masterpiece.”
TURN UP THE VOLUME! says: I’m still wondering why these colorful and sprightly popsmiths didn’t become global stars.
THREE TOP TRACKS: Laid / Out To Get You / Sometimes
* LAID – If that doesn’t make you happy then I don’t know what will do the trick …
* OUT TO GET YOU – goosebumps beauty…
* SOMETIMES – “Sometimes, when I look deep in your eyes I swear I can see your soul”
