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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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The band, really like the lead singer, Tim somebody but I've never got into their music, most probably because I never did uni.
I like some of their stuff I hear on the radio but equally tracks like "sit down" make me want to wear ear defenders and a rasta's hat.
Where should I start, what is their defining album? |
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By *stellaWoman
over a year ago
London |
"Start with Gold Mother
Then Laid
Then Pleased to Meet you so you can play “getting away with it (all messed up)”
Then Girl at the end of the World so you can play “nothing but love”"
Actually Seven should be before Pleased to Meet you |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"Start with Gold Mother
Then Laid
Then Pleased to Meet you so you can play “getting away with it (all messed up)”"
If I get that far.
There's a brilliant surreal interview online somewhere with former footballer and manager Gordon Strachan, where he discusses his relationship with Tim Booth.
The two are/were very close, in a non-sexual way. Quite eye opening to hear somebody from the macho, hetro world of football talking in this way. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I really like laid, but their newer stuff is good too. La petit mort is a beautiful album. I’ve seem James FAR too many times for a 32 year old and I think Tim is starting to get a little bit preachy. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"I really like laid, but their newer stuff is good too. La petit mort is a beautiful album. I’ve seem James FAR too many times for a 32 year old and I think Tim is starting to get a little bit preachy. "
I like his attitude. I've always meant to give them the time of day but have never got round to it.
I'm the same with The Fall but they've got so much dross to get through.
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"James and The Eurythmics and The Pet Shop Boys are my odd “love ‘em, just always have” bands.  "
PSB are one the greatest pop groups of all time, in my opinion.
Can't stand The Eurythmics, it's her voice. |
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By *stellaWoman
over a year ago
London |
"James and The Eurythmics and The Pet Shop Boys are my odd “love ‘em, just always have” bands.
PSB are one the greatest pop groups of all time, in my opinion.
Can't stand The Eurythmics, it's her voice."
It’s how you feel about me.  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Laid is their best studio album without doubt, I love the singles compilation though, the one with the flower on the front. Not a duff song on that album. ‘Born of frustration’ is their best song in my humble opinion. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"James and The Eurythmics and The Pet Shop Boys are my odd “love ‘em, just always have” bands.
PSB are one the greatest pop groups of all time, in my opinion.
Can't stand The Eurythmics, it's her voice.
It’s how you feel about me. "
If only I had you on CD, my journeys around the motorway network of the Midlands would be all joy and wet patches. |
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By *stellaWoman
over a year ago
London |
"James and The Eurythmics and The Pet Shop Boys are my odd “love ‘em, just always have” bands.
PSB are one the greatest pop groups of all time, in my opinion.
Can't stand The Eurythmics, it's her voice.
It’s how you feel about me.
If only I had you on CD, my journeys around the motorway network of the Midlands would be all joy and wet patches. "
I’ll have to try and work out how to cut a CD!
I’m now listening to the original single of PSB’s surburbia  |
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By *stellaWoman
over a year ago
London |
"Top of the World is one of my favourite melancholy songs. I’ve played it a lot.
This, also, is my favourite James track  "
It’s
It’s not my favourite James track overall but it’s definitely one that I have an affinity for. |
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Rather bizarrely, in July 1992 I saw James play live at Alton Towers.
I was just 17 at the time and it was my first ever gig.
By day, it was a somewhat surreal spectacle - a capacity filled theme park full of flower wearing revellers.
Good times... |
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"I really like laid, but their newer stuff is good too. La petit mort is a beautiful album. I’ve seem James FAR too many times for a 32 year old and I think Tim is starting to get a little bit preachy.
I like his attitude. I've always meant to give them the time of day but have never got round to it.
I'm the same with The Fall but they've got so much dross to get through.
"
The secret with the Fall is to just pretend they split up in 1994 and everything since then is Smith's incoherent ramblings over faceless musicians.The odd gem got through but in the main the later albums are unrewarding. |
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By *ax777Man
over a year ago
Not here |
"Start with Gold Mother
Then Laid
Then Pleased to Meet you so you can play “getting away with it (all messed up)”
If I get that far.
There's a brilliant surreal interview online somewhere with former footballer and manager Gordon Strachan, where he discusses his relationship with Tim Booth.
The two are/were very close, in a non-sexual way. Quite eye opening to hear somebody from the macho, hetro world of football talking in this way."
Tim’s a Leeds United fan. Many moons ago he dropped some CDs into Elland Road and that’s where he and Strachan first became friends. |
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By *ax777Man
over a year ago
Not here |
There’s far too many great James tracks to list and they have a great back catalogue of albums. Maybe a good place to start is with the Best Of, an 18 track compilation of their music up to 2001 when they split before reforming in 2008. Available on Amazon for less than a fiver!
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Love James..
Saw them years ago at the Edinburgh Playhouse..
Also saw them play live from the top of a building in Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester..also years ago |
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By *cgkcCouple
over a year ago
Hitchin |
"I really like laid, but their newer stuff is good too. La petit mort is a beautiful album. I’ve seem James FAR too many times for a 32 year old and I think Tim is starting to get a little bit preachy.
I like his attitude. I've always meant to give them the time of day but have never got round to it.
I'm the same with The Fall but they've got so much dross to get through.
"
I'm a recent Fall convert. Such a lovely singular racket. Wish I'd discovered them at 17. |
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Booth and The Bad Angel is still one of my favourite collaborations. Tim and an American chap Angelo Badalamenti with the awesome Bernard Butler. A true 90s treasure that was totally overlooked. I still think it’s his best work. |
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"James and The Eurythmics and The Pet Shop Boys are my odd “love ‘em, just always have” bands.
PSB are one the greatest pop groups of all time, in my opinion.
Can't stand The Eurythmics, it's her voice.
It’s how you feel about me.
If only I had you on CD, my journeys around the motorway network of the Midlands would be all joy and wet patches.
I’ll have to try and work out how to cut a CD!
I’m now listening to the original single of PSB’s surburbia "
Do you know the 12” of Suburbia? It’s their finest hour IMO, and sounds incredibly through headphones. This one:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_5d8WgWdEIA
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By *c1989Woman
over a year ago
Manchester |
"Start with Gold Mother
Then Laid
Then Pleased to Meet you so you can play “getting away with it (all messed up)”"
What a tune that one is.
Drink like Richard Burton, dance like John Travolta.
I have the back catalogue on my iPod but wouldn't say I've listened to every track. There are some random tracks that don't do it for me.
Sometimes is one of my favourites to sing in a crowd.
Well worth seeing them live and they play small venues which is even better.
Laid is my go to karaoke track. |
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I absolutely love James and posted a bit in another thread recently. Seen them a few times, first around 1989, and most recently at Glastonbury in 2016.
They have some great stuff on every album probably, but my favourite is Laid as well. Out to Get You and Five-O are particularly great.
Some hidden gems I love:
Alaskan Pipeline
(from Pleased to Meet You)
Of Monsters Heroes And Men - I just love the almost poetic rise and fall of how Tim sings it.
I Wanna Go Hope
(Both from Hey Mama)
Better Than That - it’s just so joyous.
(From Living in Extraordinary Times)
Tim’s solo album is worth a listen too. Saw him with his band three times that summer at festivals and a tiny venue. He brought out the best of the young band, and they seemed to rejuvenate him, so they were really great little intimate gigs. And he was doing a gorgeous acoustic version of Sometimes. |
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By *stellaWoman
over a year ago
London |
"Booth and The Bad Angel is still one of my favourite collaborations. Tim and an American chap Angelo Badalamenti with the awesome Bernard Butler. A true 90s treasure that was totally overlooked. I still think it’s his best work. "
How did I not know about this?!!
AB did the music for Twin Peaks (and The Straight Story, one of my fav Lynch movies) and Bernard Butler is awesome! Thank you for telling us about this!! |
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By *stellaWoman
over a year ago
London |
"James and The Eurythmics and The Pet Shop Boys are my odd “love ‘em, just always have” bands.
PSB are one the greatest pop groups of all time, in my opinion.
Can't stand The Eurythmics, it's her voice.
It’s how you feel about me.
If only I had you on CD, my journeys around the motorway network of the Midlands would be all joy and wet patches.
I’ll have to try and work out how to cut a CD!
I’m now listening to the original single of PSB’s surburbia
Do you know the 12” of Suburbia? It’s their finest hour IMO, and sounds incredibly through headphones. This one:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_5d8WgWdEIA
"
Oh I know it. Of course I know it!  |
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By *stellaWoman
over a year ago
London |
And whilst I also grimace slightly at Sit Down due to its over playing - it *has* got beautiful lyrics and is rather wonderful to be in the crowd as it’s sung at a live gig.
But the main reason I still rate it is because Musicians Against Homelessness launched their 2018 campaign with a beautiful version of Sit Down recorded by James with a string quartet conducted by Joe Duddell at Manchester’s Albert Hall. Good on them, worthy cause!
https://youtu.be/A-CS5E6Cm0M |
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By *stellaWoman
over a year ago
London |
And talking of musicians supporting homelessness causes here’s another great one:
Streets Of London - Ralph McTell featuring the Crisis Choir with guest vocalist Annie Lennox
https://youtu.be/q4OV54nb_Kw |
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"Booth and The Bad Angel is still one of my favourite collaborations. Tim and an American chap Angelo Badalamenti with the awesome Bernard Butler. A true 90s treasure that was totally overlooked. I still think it’s his best work.
How did I not know about this?!!
AB did the music for Twin Peaks (and The Straight Story, one of my fav Lynch movies) and Bernard Butler is awesome! Thank you for telling us about this!! "
Totally overlooked unfortunately. It’s an amazing record. |
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By *stellaWoman
over a year ago
London |
"Booth and The Bad Angel is still one of my favourite collaborations. Tim and an American chap Angelo Badalamenti with the awesome Bernard Butler. A true 90s treasure that was totally overlooked. I still think it’s his best work.
How did I not know about this?!!
AB did the music for Twin Peaks (and The Straight Story, one of my fav Lynch movies) and Bernard Butler is awesome! Thank you for telling us about this!!
Totally overlooked unfortunately. It’s an amazing record. "
I’ve lined it up for tomorrow to listen to whilst I write my report. |
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"And whilst I also grimace slightly at Sit Down due to its over playing - it *has* got beautiful lyrics and is rather wonderful to be in the crowd as it’s sung at a live gig.
But the main reason I still rate it is because Musicians Against Homelessness launched their 2018 campaign with a beautiful version of Sit Down recorded by James with a string quartet conducted by Joe Duddell at Manchester’s Albert Hall. Good on them, worthy cause!
https://youtu.be/A-CS5E6Cm0M"
Sit Down is that rare thing. A song that people loved, took on some sort of weird status and became overplayed, had us all actually sitting down... but it never stopped being great, even now. That’s a great version which I’ve heard before but forgotten about.
Having fallen down a hole on YT, I found Sometimes from his solo set at Glastonbury. I’m in there somewhere, right at the front. It was a weird year, in that Tim was headlining the John Peel tent. Hope of the States were before him, and before that some new beat combo, The Killers. The crowd got progressively smaller. Anyway, this is was the version of sometimes...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YJNq1QtT9xw
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Oh, another tangent, this time Joe Duddell. This is hands down one of my favourite things ever. It’s his peom, St Anthony an Ode to Anthony H Wilson, set to a beautiful instrumental reworking of one of my favourite New Order songs, Your Silent Face.
It’s a truly great and beautiful thing, funny and poignant.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3cYNI8s_vo4 |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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My favourite band. Seen them too many times to count, off to see them in a couple of weeks support The Courteeners in a couple of weeks in Manchester. One of the very few bands that have been around for so many years that have not morphed into a parody of themselves and playing greatest hits shows. Their recent albums have been amongst their best. Might have a wee record evening tomorrow  |
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Laid is a masterpiece of an album. My favourite album of my late teens.
For me, they are one of those very rare bands that have kept raising the bar as they continue. Their most recents works, whilst not as commercial popular as the 90s stuff, still have as much quality and I'd argue more. They have always had a perfect song structure and formula and the best prudicers in the world line up to work with them.
Tim Booth's solo album was also a quality piece filled with excellent songs. |
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