JAMES : THE NIGHT BEFORE BATTERY IN YOUR LEG REVIEW

http://batteryinyourleg.com/blog/2010/03/15/james-the-night-before/

Sometimes a promo drops through the mailbox that makes me realize the privileged position I hold as a music journalist of sorts. Today was such a day. I have loved James for longer than I care to remember, well 1983 to be honest. I first saw them live supporting The Smiths and I was blown away then by Tim Booth as a vocalist and lyricist and still am.

Mention James and many people only know the big hit “Sit Down”. The problem was it was hijacked by city centre night clubs and drunken testosterone young men on a Saturday night. James have always been a thinking man’s band, a fact not lost on Tony Wilson who offered the band an album deal with Factory. I remember well buying the debut E.P. Jimone, with bold red lettering. One of my favourite tracks by the band, “What’s The World” – later ironically covered by The Smiths – was a soundtrack for late 1983 for me.

Those of you not really aware of the early work of James should check out the first two albums Stutter and Stripmine. I started this post with the intention of reviewing the new mini-album but I feel this background is relevant as James were around way before the Madchester movement took off. Indeed, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and Inspiral Carpets supported the band on tours in the late 80’s. I was also introduced to Radiohead after seeing them support James in 1993 somewhere, I still have the old tour t-shirt; black with a flower and James in big white letters.

So onto the new mini album…it was with trepidation that I put it into the player. I was scared that it would not live up to my expectations, but I need not of worried. Tim Booth has one of those effortless voices just like McCulloch – he soars and takes me along for the ride. Musically, it is retrospective yet relevant. “Crazy” – which the whole band pick out as a focal point – is just mindblowing. Lyrically, Tim drew the inspiration from his hospitalisation for liver disease, throughout his recovery he has been convinced that his physical frailty (which often produced hallucinations) meant that he was “Crazy”.

Every track has a different tone. “Dr Hellier” is a dark take I guess on Booth’s recovery; lyrically genius, I would love to ask him for an explanation. “Shine” is vintage James circa the Eno-produced “Laid” period of 1993. I could go on and try to give an explanation to every track, though this is potentially the best record I have heard this year. I so want to see them live on this tour, and I am going to do my best to catch some interview time with Tim as well.