Search - James :: Hey Ma

Easily one of the best records I have ever heard

RC | 10/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although I liked the popularly successful songs from James during the 80's and 90's, I never got heavy into the band. I heard one of their older songs on a local indie station recently, and checked it out on YouTube because I wanted to send the video link to someone (because of the lyrics). That led to more link-clicking, checking out their website, and finding out they had a local concert last week. Decided to go.



Turns out my girlfried was a real fan of "Sometimes" when it was hot. We went to the concert, loved everything we heard, and as a result I bought two of the new CD's, one for each of us. Several weeks later, we are still talking about and texting each other snippets from the lyrics, and talking about the band and the CD. I wish I could afford to buy a million and spread them around. Easily one of the top 10 I have ever heard. You must read the lyrics and hear the song previews. The "intro" clips don't do the songs full justice, as each is a musical odyssey, with some widely varying sounds in the same song. Lyrically relevant to everything going on today, and particularly some issues I can relate to in my own life. Musically captivating. Rides the range from thought provoking to exhilerating. Will make you a believer. [...]



At first listen, I "liked" about 5 or 6 of the 11 songs. A few I skipped when playing the entire CD in my car. The more I've listened, the less I've skipped, gaining a new appreciation for the lesser songs on the CD to the point that I now listen to it in its entirety. The entire song list will grow on you, and it is arranged perfectly. While not hugely "deep", the lyrical and musical combination is just right (not too heavy or light) for ease of listening. For comparison, I list Green Day's "American Fool" among my top ten also, although they are admittedly a "harder" sound.



Thank you, James. I have to apologize for the admittedly mediocre commercial success in the U.S., after discovering that in the UK and Europe they have always been hugely popular, still selling out venues many times the size of the ones here that they have been touring this year. I don't know if its because of their label, or whatever.



Research on my part led to discovery that at one time Radiohead ('80's), Coldplay ('90's) and Nirvana ('90's) all opened for them during the beginning of those band's careers, right before each became successful. Wish some major band would have them open now, so they can gain back more commercial success here. I also hope some major stations start playing more of this record."

A Wonderful Return to Form!

Crumbly | Madison, NJ USA | 09/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After being a fan of James early work, my interest started to fade around the time Laid came out in 1993. "Hey Ma" is a great place to rekindle the James fanship. Easily one of their strongest albums, here are some of the songs for which I had to immediately hit "repeat" after my very first listen: "Whiteboy", "72", "Monsters and Heroes", "I Wanna Go Home", "Bubbles", "Waterfall" -- you get the idea: the majority of the songs.



If you're a longtime fan or brand-new to James, this album is an absolute no-brainer: You're gonna like it. This is already one of my favorite "light-hearted" releases of 2008, and I embrace it like an unexpected gift from a dear old friend."

Welcome back, guys! Magic does happen in life sometimes...

Coaster Pal | 11/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I happened onto James back in the 90's when they were touring the United States and landed at the theatre where I work in Sacramento, California. It's easy to get a bit jaded when live acts come and go frequently when you work in a live venue, but occasionally an act comes along that wakes you up and thrills you. James was one of those bands. I found myself mesmerized by lead singer Tim Booth (especially his passionate, intense voice and wild, free-form dancing) and the sound created by the entire band. Unlike many bands, all of the guys were interesting to watch, and seemed to have very different personalities (you wondered how they ended up in the same band). They filled the 1,000 seat theatre with layers of sound in a way that was almost overwhelming, and I was also impressed that the lyrics were not just typical pop love songs but songs that covered a wide variety of life experiences, and many grabbed me on first listen. It's truly rare that happens when you see a band without knowing anything about them. I'm not a kid, and yet I found myself, as the night wore on, acting like a giddy fan, pushing through the crowd to get closer to the experience, to the point where I was just a couple of rows back in the crowd standing against the stage. I was glued throughout the rest of the show, and found myself whooping, stomping, and dancing as wildly as Tim by show's end, sweating through every layer of clothing I had on. It was exhilarating. I became a huge fan of the group and their recordings, buying everything I could get my hands on, and was not disappointed in the studio versions of their music. However, I hoped to see them again someday live. A few years later I saw a gig announced for San Francisco, but, upon arriving at SF's Fillmore Theatre to see them the day of the show, we were stunned to hear that Tim had been skateboarding earlier in the day on the hills of SF and had broken his collarbone, and they were canceling the show. That was the last I heard of them in the U.S., as years later, in 2001, I discovered they had disbanded, and we were left with one of the best live-show DVD's ever produced, as a record of their final show, performed in their hometown--titled "Getting Away With It...Live." (Highly recommended viewing, by the way). Jump now to this year, 2008, and I was ecstatic to hear that the entire band--all 7 members--were re-forming and about to release a new CD. I was so excited I sought it out in its international release, months before being released in the U.S., and was floored that, on first listen, the guys were back in excellent form with a terrific new recording. "Hey Ma" is one of their best albums, maybe even their best (I'll decide that in years to come), and I've found that I'm listening to every song frequently, not just a few. My favorite cuts, though, are "I Wanna Go Home," "Waterfall," and "Of Monsters & Heroes & Men," though really the entire album shines as a complete and beautiful work. Then, even more good news: mid-summer I was overjoyed to hear the guys were going to do a mini-tour of the U.S to promote the Fall U.S. release of the album, and that one of their stops was San Francisco, at The Grand. I bought tickets the day they went on sale, and, frankly, was a bit nervous the show would be canceled again! But come October 1st the show went on as scheduled, I was once again a couple of rows from the stage, standing, dancing wildly, and getting the live James experience--exactly what I'd hoped for. It seemed like a miracle to see all 7 of the guys together again after so many years and looking so joyous and invigorated...I thought I'd never see them again live. So, welcome back, guys, thanks for getting back together again, and congratulations on creating such a beautiful, passionate album. I know this album, your past work, and the memory of the two live concert experiences will remain favorite memories of mine for the rest of my life. Here's hoping you stay together and continue, and we get to do it all again, but if that doesn't happen, I can say it already feels like I've had real magic happen in getting to live these "two lives of James" with you over the last 20 years or so. Cheers..."