Be Opened by the Wonderful

Be Opened by the Wonderful
Studio album by
James
Released9 June 2023 (2023-06-09)
StudioBlueprint, Manchester, England
Length90:22
LabelNothing but Love Music
ProducerBrendan Williams
James chronology
All the Colours of You
(2021) 		Be Opened by the Wonderful
(2023) 		Yummy
(2024)
Singles from Be Opened by the Wonderful
  1. "Love Make a Fool"
    Released: 26 April 2023[1]

Be Opened by the Wonderful is the 17th studio album by English rock band James, released through Nothing but Love Music on 9 June 2023. It contains orchestral reworkings of the band's songs from the Orca 22 orchestra led by Andra Vornici, also accompanied by the eight-person Manchester Inspirational Voices gospel choir,[2] along with the new song and lead single "Love Make a Fool".[1] Orca 22 also accompanied James on their 40th anniversary tour to support the record.[3] The album debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
XS Noize[4]

Natalie Royle of Louder Than War wrote that "James have resisted the more obvious commercial route of simply repackaging their biggest hits", calling it "not only a showcase of some amazing James songs, it also is a masterclass in song rearrangement by Joe Duddell". Royle remarked that "there are so many layers and details to these songs and I am still discovering more after numerous listens".[2] Iam Burn of XS Noize described it as "an alternative version of a greatest hits album – though there are several lesser-known tracks here too" and found that the presence of the orchestra and choir "allows James to find a new sound that works well".[4] Rob Johnson of Total Ntertainment felt that the album "defies definition" and "acts as a sonic compendium of the band's entire career", also commenting that "for a band celebrating their 40th anniversary, it is striking how relevant they still sound".[5]

Track listing

Disc one
No.TitleLength
1."Sometimes"6:03
2."Love Make a Fool"4:45
3."We're Gonna Miss You"4:32
4."Tomorrow"4:20
5."The Lake"5:16
6."She's a Star"3:54
7."Lookaway"3:58
8."Sit Down"4:37
9."Alaskan Pipeline"5:58
Disc two
No.TitleLength
1."Someone's Got It in for Me"4:34
2."Hey Ma"4:44
3."Hello"4:51
4."Beautiful Beaches"3:24
5."Why So Close"1:43
6."Medieval"4:14
7."Hymn from a Village"3:37
8."Say Something"4:54
9."Top of the World"4:53
10."Moving On"6:25
11."Laid"3:40
Total length:90:22

Charts

Chart performance for Be Opened by the Wonderful
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[6] 38
Scottish Albums (OCC)[7] 2
UK Albums (OCC)[8] 3

References

  1. ^ a b "Manchester legends James share their new single 'Love Make a Fool'". XS Noize. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b Royle, Natalie (4 June 2023). "James: Be Opened by the Wonderful – album review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  3. ^ Patton, Alli (13 November 2022). "James to Release Double Album, Celebrate 40 Years with Tour". American Songwriter. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b Burn, Iam (9 June 2023). "Album Review: James – Be Opened by the Wonderful". XS Noize. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  5. ^ Johnson, Rob (9 June 2023). "James Be Opened by the Wonderful review". TotalNtertainment. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – James – Be Opened by the Wonderful". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  8. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
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