The Night Before (James album)

The Night Before is the 11th studio album by British rock band James, serving as the first of two mini-albums. Following the release of Hey Ma (2008), the band sought to experiment and take risks for their next record. They worked on material and uploaded it to a FTP server, where each member could download the material and work from home. After three months, Lee Muddy Baker pieced the tracks together. The Night Before is a power pop and space rock release, with individual track comparisons to U2, Joy Division and Cocteau Twins. Preceded by a UK tour, The Night Before was released on 19 April 2010. The album reached number 20 in the UK, and received a mainly favourable response from music critics, with a few of them finding it an enjoyable record.

The Night Before
Studio album by
James
Released19 April 2010
GenrePower pop, space rock
Length29:12
LabelMercury
ProducerLee Muddy Baker, James
James chronology
Hey Ma
(2008)		 The Night Before
(2010)		 The Morning After
(2010)

Background and production

After a six-year-long break up, James reunited in 2007 and released their 10th album Hey Ma in 2008.[1] Critics viewed it as a return-to-form for the group; they wanted to experiment and take risks for its follow-up.[2] At the end of the year, Booth said the group had 50–60 songs ready for their next album.[3] The members would record 30-minute long improvisations,[4] and each would be uploaded to a FTP server.[5] The members could download and work on it at home.[4] They would either continue one of the members' ideas or work on new parts around it.[5] Booth said this methodology was likely inspired by working with Brian Eno, which they had done for nine-to-ten years.[4]

The process lasted for three months; after that, Lee Muddy Baker would edited it all together.[5] Despite the members living in separate locations, Booth said it wasn't due to the convenience of it, but as a manner to keep their creative activity fresh: ""We were brainstorming. We're always looking for things to throw us off track."[2] Producer credit was split between Baker and the band.[6] Jonathon Shakhovskay mixed the recordings in The Engine Room at Miloco Studios in January 2010,[7] with assistance from engineer Bryan Wilson. Geoff Pesche then mastered them at Abbey Road Studios.[6]

Composition

Musically, The Night Before has been described as power pop and space rock,[8] with up-tempo, happy tracks.[9] Some parts of the release saw the group re-tread the same ground as before, with loud aggressive guitars and distorted vocals parts from Booth. Other sections featured Booth unaltered vocals over electronic backgrounds or echo-affected guitar work.[10] "It's Hot" is a keyboard-led track[8] with synthesized-beats and electronic sounds,[10] and was compared to Joy Division.[11] Discussing "Crazy", Booth said he was suffering with liver disease in his teenage years and would hallucinate because of it.[4] It was reminiscent of U2.[11] "Ten Below" sees Booth reflect on listening to John Peel's radio show[12] while enduring education in a Welsh boarding school.[13]

"Porcupine" discusses self-defence;[8] Booth seeing himself as the animal of the same name, against a skunk.[10] the slide guitar recalled the dream pop sound of Cocteau Twins[11] and U2 guitarist The Edge.[8] "Shine" is a mid-tempo track that criticizes rich people,[11] and was also compared to U2.[8] "Dr Hellier" talks about the Iraq War[11] and the film Fantastic Voyage (1966).[10] It incorporated basslines in the vein of New Order.[14] Booth wrote it after having shoulder operation with a James Bond-esque doctor.[15] "All My Letters" was written after Booth was featured on The Jonathan Ross Show alongside Will Smith and Jay-Z; it talks about the cost of fame.[16][17]

Release and reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[18]
BBC MusicUnfavourable[11]
Daily Record3/5[19]
DIY[14]
The Guardian[12]
The Line of Best FitFavourable[10]
musicOMH[8]
PopMatters[20]
The Times[21]

Promotion and touring

On 30 November 2009, the group announced they would be releasing two mini-albums in 2010, with the first The Night Before planned for released in April.[22] On 16 March 2010, the track listing for the album was revealed.[23] In April, the band embarked on The Mirrorball Tour in the UK,[24] with support from James Walsh and Unkle Bob. The Night Before was made available for streaming through The Independent's website,[25] before being released on 19 April 2010.[4] The iTunes version included "All My Letters" as a bonus track.[26] Deciding to release a mini album, Booth reasoned that attention spans were getting shorter, and that with the dominance of iTunes, people weren't listening to full albums any more.[4] To promote the album's release, the group performed a series of radio sessions.[25] The Night Before reached number 20 on the UK album chart.[27] "All My Letters" was later included on the career-spanning box set The Gathering Sound (2012).[28]

Critical response

The Night Before received generally positive reviews from music critics. The Guardian critic Dave Simpsons said it was "one of the strongest efforts of their career."[12] PopMatters writer John Garratt said it showcased the group's ability for "big songs, even if they are for a small album."[20] DIY contributor Lee White viewed it as "a tight and taught little collection" with "absolutely zero filler."[14] AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the "propulsive and seductive" nature of the release "grabs upon its initial listen."[18] The Line of Best Fit's Andy Johnson was impressed with the manner that the group "are able to carry off the weighty themes", while being able to "still turn the whole cocktail into such a readily listenable and digestible package."[10]

In a brief review, Daily Record said it "include[d] potential new favourites such as Porcupine and Ten Below."[19] Neil Dowden of musicOMH said it would be "welcomed by James fans", though it would be unlikely to "make new converts."[8] BBC Music's Tom Hocknell criticised its short length, finding the "constituent pieces failing to fully gel."[11] While noting they were an impressive live act, the live energy "is often lacking here."[11] The Times writer Dan Cairns remarked the group as coming across as a "Runrig/Deacon Blue with a new-age gloss," becoming "their own tribute band, James live to blight another day."[21]

Track listing

All words by Tim Booth, all tracks written by Booth, Larry Gott, Jim Glennie.[6]

  1. "It's Hot" – 3:26
  2. "Crazy" – 3:39
  3. "Ten Below" – 4:03
  4. "Porcupine" – 4:27
  5. "Shine" – 4:18
  6. "Dr Hellier" – 4:46
  7. "Hero" – 4:33

iTunes bonus track

  1. "All My Letters" – 3:07

Personnel

Personnel per booklet.[6]

Charts
Chart (2010) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[27] 20

References
  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "James | Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  2. Franco, Michael (20 February 2011). "None of It Seems Real: An Interview with Tim Booth of James". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  3. Harvey, Ian (8 December 2008). "Hey ma, James are back in town". Express and Star. Archived from the original on 23 May 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  4. Youngs, Ian (15 April 2010). "Talking Shop: James singer Tim Booth". BBC News. Archived from the original on 18 April 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  5. Valish, Frank (2 February 2011). "Before and After: An Interview with Tim Booth". Under the Radar. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  6. The Night Before (booklet). James. Mercury Records. 2010. 2730015.CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. "James - The Night Before". Miloco Studios. Archived from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  8. Dowden, Neil (19 April 2010). "James - The Night Before". musicOMH. Archived from the original on 26 April 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  9. Dowden, Neil (6 September 2010). "James - The Morning After". musicOMH. Archived from the original on 26 April 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  10. Johnson, Andy (16 April 2010). "James - The Night Before". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 19 July 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  11. Hocknell, Tom. "James The Night Before Review". BBC Music. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  12. Simpson, Dave (15 April 2010). "James: The Night Before". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  13. "The Night Before". James. Archived from the original on 16 July 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  14. White, Lee (5 May 2010). "James - The Night Before". DIY. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  15. Booth, Tim (14 March 2017). "Tim Booth on Twitter: 'Written after a Hi- tech shoulder operation conducted...'". Twitter. Archived from the original on 18 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  16. Booth, Tim (5 December 2019). "Tim Booth on Twitter: 'Wrote the lyric to "All my letters" after appearing...'". Twitter. Archived from the original on 18 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  17. Booth, Tim (5 December 2019). "Tim Booth on Twitter: 'The price of fame'". Twitter. Archived from the original on 18 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  18. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Night Before - James | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  19. "Other albums: April 23". Daily Record. 23 April 2016. Archived from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  20. Garratt, John (23 May 2010). "James: The Night Before EP". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  21. Cairns, Dan (18 April 2010). "James: The Night Before". The Times. Archived from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  22. "News (page 36)". James. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  23. Adshead, Adam (16 March 2010). "James announce new album tracklisting and release date". NME. Archived from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  24. Fullerton, Jamie (1 December 2009). "James announce UK tour and ticket details". NME. Archived from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  25. "News (page 35)". James. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  26. "The Night Before by James". iTunes. Archived from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  27. "James | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  28. The Gathering Sound (booklet). James. Universal/Mercury Records. 2012. 2753129.CS1 maint: others (link)
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