WHIPLASH REVIEWS
WHIPLASH REVIEWS
Q Magazine 2.97 by David Sheppard 4*
After singer Tim Booth's extracurricular noir-pop activities with Angelo Badalamenti and the sonic deconstruction that characterised their last, Eno-hallmarked, album, Wah Wah, Whiplash sees James bolting back to centrefield.
The opening Tomorrow is the benchmark, with its crunching guitars and lashings of vocal melodrama. Lost A Friend and Greenpeace reveal Booth railing against political hypocrisy from the comfort of his armchair (the latter's sample-laden backing screams Eno, who is credited with "interference" - production courtesy of Stephen Hague), while She's A Star comes on all latterday Suede with requisite swagger and runny mascara-ed glamour. Indeed, despite a drum'n'bass diversion here (Go To The Bank) and a dubby excursion there (Watering Hole), you're never far from an elegantly crumpled pop/rock anthem. The closing Blue Pastures bucks this trend a jot as Booth plays the existentialist doubter with only a quivering spine of bass and lonely guitar for company.
Sunday Mirror 23.2.97 8/10
Manchester boys James will always be best remembered for their smash hit Sit Down, a big tune with a rousing chorus. Now they're back with an album of, well, big tunes with rousing choruses. That's not a bad thing as James do it better than most, and if you like their single She's A Star there's loads here to keep you happy with a few dance tracks too.
NME 23.2.97 by Paul Moody 4/10
WANNA KNOW a secret? These days, pop stardom is all about typography. And James have always been a lower case sort of band; fully prepared to convert us to their grandiose designs with the assistance of a resolutely understated small 'j'.
Remember the totem of 1993 chic that was the James T-shirt? Where vast swathes of the record-buying public happily walked the earth looking like human leftovers from a vast game of human Scrabble? Here, quite clearly was a group who didn't have to try too hard.
However, barely six weeks into a new year where we've already weathered two superstar comebacks and it's safe to say that James, having not provided us with a 'proper' studio LP since 'Laid' four long years ago (let's forget 'Wah Wah', shall we?), appear to be lost, if not for words, then for new ideas. Unlike Blur and U2 - whose 'Discotheque' was a textbook reminder of the need for a splash of modernity on re-entering pop's orbit - 'Whiplash' finds James returning to earth with a pronounced whimper. And not without trying. Three separate studios were used for recording 'Whiplash', or so the press release happily tells us: one for the 'final tape-down', one for 'experimentation', and one for Tim to 'explore new vocal and lyrical avenues', while Eno inevitably gets credited for providing 'additional interference'. Jee-sus. The result, bizarrely, is fixed firmly in the past.
From opening track 'Tomorrow' we're face to face with the very stuff of 1993: a splurge of lolloping drum'n'bass (more of which later), a volley of over-familiar chiming guitar chords and there's Tim, yodelling in that peculiarly plummy voice of his, like Moz minus the heartache, and in the mood to conduct an afternoon's jazz dance tutorial.
A jangling 'Waltzing Along' and 'She's A Star' - modern-day Suede minus the sleaze - follow suit after which we're treated to the dubby introspection of 'Watering Hole' (Tim telephones in his vocal from Ursa Minor), the grating whimsy of, erm, 'Homeboy' ("You're alone in this world/You're not a boy or a girl") and, most curious of all, the delve into Depeche-esque industrialism that is 'Go To The Bank'. Here Tim questions the very nature of contentment ("Why do I have to try so hard/Just to be happy?") before entrusting himself to the philosophies of his sister, who "knows what I need/'Cos it's not on the telly". Nietzsche it ain't.
Still, Tim's namechecked him already in junglist excursion 'Greenpeace' (I kid you not) in preparation for final existentialist blow-out 'Blue Pastures'. With the band reduced to a solitary bass and guitar for the occasion, Tim ruminates on the stuff of life ("And I feel I've committed some crime/But I don't know what I've done...") while we twiddle our thumbs and wonder how, having evidently tried so hard, James in 1997 sound almost exactly how they always did - neither lost in depression nor the discotheque but still peddling the same stadium-lite psychobabble they've always done. Most odd.
And you can bet your bottom dollar that those who would happily steal James' audience (Steven Jones, for one) are going to capitalise on that - small 'j' or no small 'j'.
Melody Maker 1.3.97 by Richard Smith
A game of two halves, Brian. At some point around 1993, 10 years into their career, James got bored with sounding like James. And let's face it, who could blame them ?
So they decided to "doa U2". You know, get that Brian Eno in for a bit. Experiment with dance music. Generally try to transform themselves from predictable, pious trad-rockers into something strange and thrilling. Problem was that James' last album "Wah Wah" was little more than experimentalism for experimentalism's sake and noone was buying.
"Whiplash" , then, is the band taking a step back while simultaneously hedging their bets - half experimentation and half of the old familiar. : But like "Wah Wah", the tracks where James are trying their hardest not to sound like James are just tragic. "Greenpeace" and "Go To The Bank" are drum'n'bass excursions every bit as misguided as Bowie's "Little Wonder". Things aren't helped by the fact that these new musical pastures are married to old-style James lyrical concerns - "Greenpeace" is all "oh dearie me, they're destroying the planet" while "Bank" is an attack on consumerism (a little rich coming from some of rock's most successful T-shirt salesmen). There's some light relief in the latter, though, with Tim Booth using a style of phrasing that's been sadly absent since Monty Python's "Lumberjack Song". This is just so much pointless electronic noodling-all rumbling bass, ambient blips, crackling drums and distorted vocals. James might be "taking risks" here, but what's the point when the end result is just a load of old wank?
The album's more satisfying when they go back to being old-school James. The new single "She'sAStar" wouldn't sound out of place on the last Suede album, which is a pretty horrible thing to say, I know, but like the country-tinged "Waltzing Along" and the short but stirring "Homeboy", these are bright and shiny songs with tunes. Much of the credit for this must go to the fine pop sense of producer Stephen Hague -as for the rest, I blame that Brian Eno, credited here with "frequent interference and occasional co-production". Like I said, a game of two halves, Brian. And Brian, your half's the worst.
Sheffield Alternative Magazine 4.97
I remember a time when you couldn't leave your house without tripping over a grubby student skulking around in a stained James shirt. You remember James? They were big, they were baggy, they got 'laid', frequently and were perhaps the only band ever to implore fans to 'sit down' at their gigs. They disappeared. Well, Tim Booth did flutter with a solo project alongside the Bad Angel (the bloke who wrote the "Twin Peaks" theme) and Bernard Butler, but that is by the by.
James are back and are cracking a throbbing star studded whip sure to make your toes tingle and your mouth water. The album kicks off with the divine "Tomorrow", a sure fire future single, which is brilliant, epic and holds no surprises. So er go, excellent, soaring, what a voice songs until track 4, 'She's A Star', comes to a close and the next number rumbles into action. Tinkle, tinkle, pretty noises... distorted vocals... then - WHAT? JUNGLE?! Yes. 'Greenpeace' has a thudding chorus that would sound good reverberating off the walls of any self respecting dance club. From here on, the album shifts direction - some bloke turns the bass up and songs are likely to be sliced with dancey beats. I must concede that I know pitifully little about the sphere of dance music, but to an ear that couldn't discern hip-hop from hopscotch, this sounds all very convincing.
'Play Dead' and 'Avalanche' have all James usual monster song quality with an added dimension to make your head spin like a runaway planet careering into the sun. 'Watering Hole' slips slightly into the banal, but hark and behold, there's a gem of a closer - a serious contender for the best ballady slow song ever written. 'Blue Pastures' is the taste of salty tears on a cheek whipped pink by the wind. One to play when your soul aches and your bones feel like they're crumbling away, it melts like butter, soothing the parts other songs just can't reach. All in all, an album worth dressing up in leather for.
Entertainment Weekly 21.2.97 by Josef Woodward
A quirky-sweet footnote of a small band, James return with their juicy follow-up to 1993's popular Laid As before, producer Brian Eno lends a hand, and the result veers from catchy delights (She's a star) to experimental detours (Greenpeace), before signing off with a dreamwordly lullaby (Blue Pastures). Whiplash is alterna-pop as its finest. B+
Sheffield Electronic Press 2.97 by David Stringer
Fourteen years down the line from Stutter, Whiplash is far from a consolidation of past success. It’s the sound of a band fighting out of a corner, rising to their own challenge and proving themselves once again.
That isn’t to say the record doesn’t take it’s cues from previous efforts. The same thread of intimacy that drew together Laid is pitched with the experimental dance dynamic so prevalent in Wah Wah. Tim Booth’s crystal tone weaves typically potent tales of despair, but more pressingly of rejuvenation. "Got to keep faith that your luck will change", he intones on the charged gem of an opener, ‘Tomorrow’. It’s that track that sets the agenda for the revival, its punching melody and glorious chorus pushing the bands focus away from their recent introversion.
Though the single, ‘She’s A Star’ treads the same, successful vein it’s the tracks that follow which constitute a real progression. The sceptical broadside ‘Greenpeace’ serves as a bridge between the crafted pop of the first half and the unwavering dance of the second. Booth’s wistful vocal punctuated by bursts of drum and bass. Perhaps it’s a risk for an established band to take on a new sound without looking desperate, but more often than not they manage to pull it off. What Goldie and Ed Rush would make of it though, is another story.
What makes it credible is that it isn’t a token effort, the rest of the album follows in this modernist trend. The hard house sound of ‘Go To The Bank’ and ‘Play Dead’ may seem to eager to push the band’s dance credentials, but this is countered by the melodic techno strains of ‘Avalanche’ and ‘Watering Hole’. It’s on these tracks that the new sound is most effective, as it is combined with the traditional songwriting we’ve come to expect of James. ‘Avalanche’ in particular gives Booth chance to soar like a distant deity over its strong melody and sparse beats.
With a new future forged, the band allow themselves one indulgence. The foray into the past that is ‘Blue Pastures’; an intimate , acoustic track that harks back to ‘Laid's’ claustrophobic ballads.
It may be that this album doesn’t please the fans. It’s likely it won’t please the critics. But then, this record is primarily about the band themselves. It’s an album that had to be made to prove they have a future and that they can be part of the future. After all, if you stand still to long all you can do is sit down.
Toronto Sun 23.2.97 by Jane Stevenson
Can I just say up front that I loved this band, one of Manchester's greatest hopes to follow in the musical footsteps of that city's other illustrious musicmakers -- New Order and, yes, Oasis.
Thankfully, the group doesn't disappoint on their latest album -- in stores Tuesday -- after their North American breakthrough album, 1993's Laid.
And much of the credit can go to singer-lyricist-dancer Tim Booth, who seems to know his way around a melody or two, be it shimmering pop (Tomorrow, She's A Star, Avalanche, Homeboy, Blue Pastures), industrial disco (Go To The Bank), trip-hop (Greenpeace, Watering Hole) or moody atmospheric rock (Waltzing Around, Play Dead).
Let's just say the involvement of Brian Eno -- who was on board for the band's 1994 improvisational double album Wah Wah and is back for Whiplash, along with producer Stephen Hague (New Order, Pet Shop Boys) -- and Booth's side project with composer Angelo Badalamenti, 1996's Booth And The Bad Angel, seems to have an effect.
Interestingly, the band began writing Whiplash in a barn near Woodstock after they had enjoyed a standout performance at Woodstock '94, despite a difficult slot on the lineup between Live and The Cranberries.
But I suspect the title refers to losing founding guitarist Larry Gott, who no longer wanted to tour, which nearly split up the band in the process.
James appears to have emerged stronger. And I, for one, couldn't be more pleased.
Calgary Sun 27.2.97 by Dave Vetch
WHIPLASH -- James (Mercury): James hit its creative stride on 1993's Laid CD and the British six-piece is equally ambitious here. Granted, the bulk of the material is classic James -- that is, surging folk-rock with anthemic choruses, personified in songs like the album's stirring, optimistic opener Tomorrow. But there are just enough detours to keep the proceedings interesting: the glammy She's a Star, the drums 'n' bassy Go To The Bank, and the off-the-wall Greenpeace, on which three contradictory moods, melodies and political viewpoints are juxtaposed to create a fascinating pastiche. Add singer Tim Booth's octave-leaping vocal style and keen social commentary and you have quintessential British pop. Rating: HHH*
Forging a New Identity With Eclectic Sounds by David Knight, Dotmusic 2.97
Since they formed more than decade ago James have been saddled with something of a reputation for earnest introspection, but this could be about to change. As guitarist Saul Davies says, "James used to be therapy. Now it's a party animal." In short, James have undergone a metamorphosis and the result is Whiplash, an eclectic album of rock, pop, folk and even explorations into dance. "It was time to change," says Tim Booth, James's charismatic frontman, "We weren't getting the best out of everybody. I was getting dragged down by the responsibility, there was a crisis and it led to us finding a new way."
Three years ago the band were coming off a successful American tour, supporting the gold-selling album Laid. Then came 'Black Thursday' - a day when founding member Larry Gott expressed his intention to leave the group and they discovered they owed several years' back taxes.
Soon after, Tim Booth announced he was recording an album with Angelo Badalamenti - last year's Booth And The Bad Angel. The result altered the chemistry of James fundamentally. For the first time all remaining members of the band began work on new songs , while Gott continued in a songwriting-only role. The band sampled vocals and melody lines Booth laid down during their initial jams, then took everything else apart and rebuilt them. "Tim was really cool. Now, for the first time, it feels like we're a proper band," says bassist Jim Glennie. It has led to songs like Greenpeace, conceived by Booth as a folk song, now bursting into industrial jungle. As Davies says, "A change has also taken place in our music interests and we've been getting into dance."
Brian Eno, who produced Laid and then the experimental album Wah Wah (both released in '94) is a key figure in the band's new music-making attitude, while the main production credit goes to the master of intelligent pop gloss, Stephen Hague. "Eno was full of mad suggestions, on the texture here, or an arrangement there, and he's a big fan of backing vocals," says Davies. "He supplied most of them on the album."
Although recorded at Rak Studios and Real World, a lot of the work was germinated at a movable 'third' studio dubbed Cafe Mullet. "Cafe Mullet was an environment where people could try new ideas and write songs," says Davies. "Three or four came from these sessions, which were a weird mishmash of live playing and technology." The polyrhythmed Go To The Bank, for example, was created this way.
As for James's more easygoing attitude, Glennie says, "Things have got a lot more straightforward since our success in America. We've opened the door to what other people have to say."
James have therefore taken record company advice and made the smooth and soaring She's A Star the first UK single. It has already garnered heaps of airplay and is likely to be followed by Tomorrow, an uplifting anthem more in the old James tradition, which appeared in rougher form on Wah Wah. "It provides a link with the old James and the new," says Booth. "The band have been viewed, quite wrongly, as some kind of vegetarian collective," says Mercury's head of marketing Jonathan Green. "But they are not at all angst-ridden and have been incredibly focused." Booth, for one, is ready to win over the British public once more. "It's like starting again, but I don't think people will have forgotten us if they ever saw us play live. Hopefully they will come back."
Twin Cities Reader 5.3.97
Through eleven years and eight albums, Manchester's James have always been about finding a leg up in the breakdowns and the brillance in the humdrum. Singer Tim Booth's searching lyrics and yearning vocals, the band's insistent melodies, James epic intimacy -- these are the things that make James unique and the elements that shine on their new album Whiplash. Three recording studios, two producers, one near band split and nearly two years of writing have produced the invigorated sound of Whiplash -- an album born of frustration, but shaped in visionary contentment. From the adept simplicity of "Lost a Friend" to the clattering industrial disco of "Go to the Bank" through the urgent energy of "Greenpeace," and the bold pop of "She's a Star," Whiplash finds strength in the undying spirit of pop music and captures James at the top of their game.
Marie Claire 3.97
Its been a long time (four years!) but well worth the wait. Instead of getting stuck in a sad indie time warp (see the now defunct Stone Roses for details), James have had the guts to come up with a bigger, better sound. Not as obviously singalong as the Sit Down-style James of old but still brilliant. Play Dead sounds like they've had a head-on collision with the Chemical Brothers - no bad thing. Welcome back, boys.
James MTV Online 3.97
Manchester, England's James have been around for 11 years. But it wasn't until 1991 that chests starting popping up around town bearing the cryptic message ''ja'' on the front and the equally cryptic ''mes'' on the back. Much later, it clicked: ''james." Suddenly the band went from virtual unknown to massive cult hero. James' music was nothing like the ''Madchester'' sound that was being churned out of that area at the time. Rather, it leaned toward folksy guitars and vocals, with the addition of a violin that kept them grounded in tradition. Their anthem, ''Sit Down,'' was the song for that year, and the seven-member group were finally getting the recognition they deserved.
James' last release in 1994, Wah Wah, was a double album under the production of Brian Eno, and is considered the group's concept ambient LP. That work marked the turning point for James, but is not the album that officially gave them their current identity. Whiplash is the group's eighth album and it marks a vast departure from the homegrown sounds of their previous works.
There are a few factors that may have been instrumental in bringing about these changes: founding member Larry Gott left the group, and Tim Booth spent a year away from the band while he worked on the Booth and the Bad Angel album with composer Angelo Badalamenti. In addition, this was the first time the group wrote songs apart from Booth in the studio, allowing the other members greater creative input than usual
Whiplash was produced by Stephen Hague under the supervision of Brian Eno. With such technological experts in the driving seats, the album makes use of more electronic means of making noise and stays away from songs that fit an older generation's ears, focusing instead on capturing new listeners' attention. All the instruments have been put through a modern filter and come out sounding brushed and polished, but with their core still firmly traditional. This combination of old and new doesn't always succeed, but comes together best in memorable tunes like ''Homeboy'' and ''Angel.''