JAMES : GETTING AWAY WITH IT LIVE CD REVIEWS
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by Paul Morrison (from Amazon.co.uk)
Being a distant admirer of James for a good few years, I always stood back from the madness that "sit down" and "come home" brought. I was, however, interested in this, the supposed last album; it was live, it was James, and it was the lead singers' final (but one) trip onstage with the rest of the band.
This album sounds brilliant, the production is fantastic, it creates a closeness on the slow ones, and a feeling of crowd-crazyness on the fast ones.
The most breath-taking thing though, is the purety and vulnerability of the lead singers' voice, and the power and subtlety of the band-check out "sound"...the whole ten minutes, and see how you feel afterwards.
The lesser known songs, after being played a few times will astound you, listen to "Jonny Yen" or "Vervacious" with the volume up high, listen to the words, and you'll feel the goose bumps.
Listen to this whole thing at full blast, and you'll be converted....
By kinitawowi from Manchester, United Kingdom (from amazon.co.uk)
So, another chapter in the life of this band draws to a close. And listening to this album, hearing all 20,000 people sing their hearts out to Sit Down, and knowing the connection between band and fans, you have to wonder where they will go next.
I had the good fortune to be in the Manchester Evening News Arena that December 7th. The band ran through 22 of their finest, best loved songs in front of a crowd who adored them. Tim had the entire audience hanging on his every word, and but for two additional performances in Glasgow and London (contrary to popular belief, this was not their last gig - a chronic error on the part of the schedulers) he could have gone on forever. An electrifying atmosphere kept building and building, through the compulsory technical hitch, until the final declaration; "I'd love to invite you home for milk and cookies. Goodnight!".
Atmosphere is something that it's always difficult to capture in a live recording. However you play the track, it never seems to sound or feel like a stadium. Thanks to some expert production, this recording manages it. Maybe you had to be there, but listening to this strikes up all the images and sensations of a band performing at their most passionate, with the fans in full voice.
The songs speak for themselves. Sit Down, Laid, Come Home. The simple sound of these words is enough to tell any music fan that this is greatness on two discs. And as Larry Gott and Andy Diagram perform on classics like Protect Me and God Only Knows, they have lost none of their touch.
This is a band at their best in front of a crowd who adored them. They always loved the thrill of being with fans, and this recording demonstrates why despite all their problems, with lineup changes, record company changes and financial chaos, to name but a few, they have kept going.
Tim Booth has now moved on. Perhaps he will return at some point. Perhaps not. But one thing is for certain; it doesn't get much better than this.
by Ben Maydon (from amazon.co.uk)
It has long been the generally accepted thesis that James' best album has been, is, and always will be, their aptly-titled "The Best Of James". Couple that with the sprightly, up-beat pop rock of 1999's "Millionaires" and you have a winning combination. James couldn't lose after that. The ribbing the critics subesquently gave their next album "Pleased To Meet You", therefore, was not welcomed by the fans.
However, I defy anyone to find any defects in this, James' first and only proper live album ever to be released.
Recorded at what is almost certain to have been their last ever live gig, at Manchester in December 2001, this album takes many classic James hits like "Sometimes", "Laid", "Getting Away With It", and of course the quintessential indie-rock number "Sit Down" and shows just how adept James can be at performing these with high energy and definite gusto. Some of the tracks have even been sped up to add a more rocky feel and give a sharper edge (the extremely upbeat "Laid", with the audience joining in at a tremendous volume, is definitely one of the highest points in the album).
As a result, this is a definite, galloping record, bringing in all the classic James charm that they always had, and which riffs through many killer numbers without any sign or chance of them ever conceding or stopping.
I doubt they really wanted to stop, either.