REVIEW: JAMES – BE OPENED BY THE WONDERFUL (2023)

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I first encountered James as the support to The Smiths on their `Meat Is Murder` tour in 1985.

Morrissey had been raving about them in all the music press and to be fair they were pretty entertaining. They dipped in and out of my life and I last seriously listened to them on the release of their last studio album `All The Colours of You` and got to witness them perform a few cuts from the album and some classic tunes live as well.

They have a new double album in celebration of their 40th Anniversary with `Be Opened By The Wonderful` a collection of some of their most loved and rare tracks, reimagined with a 22-piece orchestra and eight-piece choir, written, and recorded at Blueprint Studios in Manchester, orchestrated, and conducted by Joe Duddell with the ORCA22 Orchestra, led by Andra Vornicu, and featuring the Manchester Inspirational Voices choir directed by Wayne Ellington.

The first disc opens with `Sometimes` which is predominantly stripped back with vocal and minimal orchestration initially and is part spoken word and part sung but as it evolves the backing choir give it a much more poignant and gospel like feel and it becomes almost a different song to the original song of love and heartbreak. I read that the new song on the album, `Love Make A Fool` is a simple prayer to be possessed by the ecstatic universal aspect of love, which is what it is, a dreamy but fairly captivating listen.

`We’re Going to Miss You` retains that edgy feeling and adds a little to the fear factor. Apparently, the lyrics are a spell against anyone wanting to do singer Tim harm, so maybe there`s a sense of irony in there. It has an acapella segment at its closure. I always felt there was a sense of optimism on the original of `Tomorrow` and in this reworking it becomes a beacon of hope. It`s pretty stripped back with strings and vocal before growing in volume and depth.

`The Lake` was the b side to `Laid` and is maybe a hidden gem being quite reflective with shimmering strings that pictorially portray an iridescent lake or stretch of water. A wonderfully thoughtful piece which could be a metaphor for something far deeper. The joyful `She’s A Star` a song about empowerment is given a full orchestrated workout which allows a much more emotive impact.

`Lookaway` is fairly ethereal but speeds up while remaining fairly dreamlike. From the intro, you wouldn`t guess that `Sit Down` was one of the bands most famous signature songs but it was always gonna sound unusual as you`ve known the standard for over thirty years. A re-imagining that i`m sure I’ll come to love as I did the original.

This first disc closes with `Alaskan Pipeline` which could refer to trust issues in a relationship and is an intense listen. It has an almost operatic aria towards the end that is delightfully evoking. A thoughtful and weighty number to leave us on.

We are introduced to the second disc with `Someone’s Got It In For Me` a number that has been described as “a victim song”. This orchestrated version is really fleshes it out and gives it an almost cinematic quality. We have in `Hey Ma` a song based around the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and the immediate aftermath and consequences such as the Iraq and Afghanistan invasions. This interpretation remains pretty close to the previously released version.

`Hello` is again a close replica with maybe a secondary complementary vocal that adds a little something. I thought that `Beautiful Beaches` from the last studio album `All The Colours of You` a number written about climate change and the fires that ravished California was a track made with audience participation in mind. This submission has a much different contemplative vibe and ensured a more campaigning slant to it.

The brief `Why So Close` a protest song about working with nuclear energy has a raw barber shop quartet texture, while the feudal `Medieval preserves its narrative folk-tinged tone. `  

`Hymn From A Village` has a similar pace and recalls its funky texture with added strings on this possible dig at the superficial music around at the time of its composition. A plea for somebody to open up gains a deeper emotional quality on `Say Something`. A hint a somebody struggling with substance abuse is maybe hinted at and the frustration felt is almost tangible in the vocal delivery.  

`Top Of The World` is a fascinating listen as this adaptation has the addition of woodwind and strings which offers a unique angle. The lyrical content is fairly ambiguous and to me has many inferences. We have a song about the death of a loved one with `Moving On` This orchestrated version ensures that the song is both touching and moving but also has a sense of acceptance.  

To me there`s no better a song to close out on than `Laid` the track that broke the band in America although this version is almost unrecognisable. It`s more introspective and searching than the carefree summery vibe of the composition we all know and love.   

I felt that the submissions here were a considerate and thoughtful selection and not what I’d expect which gives it a certain amount of charm. After investing time in listening to this re-evaluation come re-imagining of these selected pieces, it has motivated me to dig out my own James collection and give them the time that they probably deserved first time around.

I`m sure after you listen to `Be Opened By The Wonderful` you`ll be inspired to do similar.     

Rating 9 / 10 

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