ed james. big time. review by alan haber. buhdge

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Big Time Ed James JAM (2004) There is a brief, telling moment in an episode of NBC's The West Wing that perfectly sums up the plight of the talented musician trying to get his record heard by a perfectly reasonable (large) audience. White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler, following Vice-President John Hoynes out of the White House to Hoynes's waiting car, asks Hoynes what he knows that he (Ziegler) doesn't. Hoynes says that (I'm paraphrasing here) he knows enough to sink a battleship. But what does that mean? Does knowing a lot get you what you're after? It takes more than knowing a lot, or mere talent and ability, to cut through the thick jungle of albums released every year. I mean, who has time to listen to everything? Or the money to buy everything? Wouldn't it be great if you could buy "everything" just by writing a small check, and be done with it? Lots of luck. So, and we're talking the pop arena here, you have to rely on friends and reviews to steer you to the cream of the large crop of releases being bandied about at any given point in time. Radio won't help you; well, certain specialty shows will, but overall...no. It's really up to you. When Ed James released his first CD, Meet Ed James, back in 1999, the reviews were ecstatic and rightly so: playing all the instruments and singing all the vocals (and writing all of the songs!)--the proverbial one man band--James hit the bullseye first time out with high-quality pop songs that stressed melody and harmony. It was plainly obvious from the start that his was a talent in it for the long haul, classy and classic all at once. James's second album, Poprocket, released three years later in 2002, began with a classical motif segueing into a song called "Welcome to the Show," perhaps a bit more hard rocking than James had been before, yet retaining his grand harmony stacks approach to pop. While most of the album was similar in tone to Meet Ed James, there seemed to be a yearning bubbling under the surface, suggesting that James was looking to expand his color palette and show some other sides of his musical personality. You can hear it in the opening seconds of "Rocketship"; in the harmonica present during "Sister Blue"; in the Who-like opening of "C'mon C'mon"; and the heavier-than-usual opening attack of "Trippin' On Your Love." Although Poprocket certainly retained Meet Ed James's overall pop aesthetic, it signaled a change was in the air. Big Time, James's third album, recently released, proves that a change was in the offing. It's here now, and it's most welcome. But don't get the idea that James has changed his last name to Osbourne; it's all about the coloring this time around, all about the approach, slightly rockier and expansive. Ed James is still Ed James, just a bit rockier around the edges, trying on different textures for size. That they all fit should come as no surprise. The opening, propulsive number, "You and Whose Army?" is like a speeding train, with gonzo lead guitar propelling it along its path. "Don't Follow Me" sounds like Styx with more cred and more balls. (There is, in fact, a pretty strong Styx sound throughout this album--check out "Best Laid Plans," "Black and White," and the intoxicating power ballad "Give Me a Reason," if you don't believe me; James is sounding more and more like Dennis DeYoung with every new release--a good thing, by the way). James also channels the Cars in "Shiver and Shake" to great effect, while still sounding very much like himself. Why do musicians have to be pegged into a certain genre? Is it wrong to say that an artist is simply an artist, whether he paints landscapes, still lifes, or expressionistic canvases? People need reference points, for whatever reason; it's what gets people into movie theater seats to see an action-adventure picture, and it's what gets someone to buy a James Taylor album. When people know what they're getting, or at least think they do, they're more likely to stick with it and see an artist through changes in approach. It's called growth, and if an artist doesn't grow, an artist stays still. Growth is key, and that's what's happening with Ed James. Big Time is not purely power pop, but it certainly is poppy. It's a growth spurt, for sure, carrying a different mind set than Poprocket and Meet Ed James. I'm going to wager that James has his sights set on the prize, but doesn't really know what it's going to take to get there. This is an artist working at the peak of his powers, an artist influenced by so many different musical colors. I'm going to say that James is a work in progress, and that his next release will be somehow different from this one, and I say, bring it on. Alan Haber November 28, 2004
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Big Time
Ed James
JAM (2004)

ed james's big time There is a brief, telling moment in an episode of NBC's The West Wing that perfectly sums up the plight of the talented musician trying to get his record heard by a perfectly reasonable (large) audience. White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler, following Vice-President John Hoynes out of the White House to Hoynes's waiting car, asks Hoynes what he knows that he (Ziegler) doesn't. Hoynes says that (I'm paraphrasing here) he knows enough to sink a battleship. But what does that mean? Does knowing a lot get you what you're after?

It takes more than knowing a lot, or mere talent and ability, to cut through the thick jungle of albums released every year. I mean, who has time to listen to everything? Or the money to buy everything? Wouldn't it be great if you could buy "everything" just by writing a small check, and be done with it?

Lots of luck. So, and we're talking the pop arena here, you have to rely on friends and reviews to steer you to the cream of the large crop of releases being bandied about at any given point in time. Radio won't help you; well, certain specialty shows will, but overall...no. It's really up to you.

When Ed James released his first CD, Meet Ed James, back in 1999, the reviews were ecstatic and rightly so: playing all the instruments and singing all the vocals (and writing all of the songs!)--the proverbial one man band--James hit the bullseye first time out with high-quality pop songs that stressed melody and harmony. It was plainly obvious from the start that his was a talent in it for the long haul, classy and classic all at once.

James's second album, Poprocket, released three years later in 2002, began with a classical motif segueing into a song called "Welcome to the Show," perhaps a bit more hard rocking than James had been before, yet retaining his grand harmony stacks approach to pop. While most of the album was similar in tone to Meet Ed James, there seemed to be a yearning bubbling under the surface, suggesting that James was looking to expand his color palette and show some other sides of his musical personality. You can hear it in the opening seconds of "Rocketship"; in the harmonica present during "Sister Blue"; in the Who-like opening of "C'mon C'mon"; and the heavier-than-usual opening attack of "Trippin' On Your Love." Although Poprocket certainly retained Meet Ed James's overall pop aesthetic, it signaled a change was in the air.

Big Time, James's third album, recently released, proves that a change was in the offing. It's here now, and it's most welcome. But don't get the idea that James has changed his last name to Osbourne; it's all about the coloring this time around, all about the approach, slightly rockier and expansive. Ed James is still Ed James, just a bit rockier around the edges, trying on different textures for size. That they all fit should come as no surprise.

The opening, propulsive number, "You and Whose Army?" is like a speeding train, with gonzo lead guitar propelling it along its path. "Don't Follow Me" sounds like Styx with more cred and more balls. (There is, in fact, a pretty strong Styx sound throughout this album--check out "Best Laid Plans," "Black and White," and the intoxicating power ballad "Give Me a Reason," if you don't believe me; James is sounding more and more like Dennis DeYoung with every new release--a good thing, by the way). James also channels the Cars in "Shiver and Shake" to great effect, while still sounding very much like himself.

Why do musicians have to be pegged into a certain genre? Is it wrong to say that an artist is simply an artist, whether he paints landscapes, still lifes, or expressionistic canvases? People need reference points, for whatever reason; it's what gets people into movie theater seats to see an action-adventure picture, and it's what gets someone to buy a James Taylor album. When people know what they're getting, or at least think they do, they're more likely to stick with it and see an artist through changes in approach. It's called growth, and if an artist doesn't grow, an artist stays still. Growth is key, and that's what's happening with Ed James.

Big Time is not purely power pop, but it certainly is poppy. It's a growth spurt, for sure, carrying a different mind set than Poprocket and Meet Ed James. I'm going to wager that James has his sights set on the prize, but doesn't really know what it's going to take to get there. This is an artist working at the peak of his powers, an artist influenced by so many different musical colors. I'm going to say that James is a work in progress, and that his next release will be somehow different from this one, and I say, bring it on.

Alan Haber
November 28, 2004