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Post by Johnny Yen on Jun 20, 2004 16:32:46 GMT -5
Whiplash is probably my leaset favourite James album. I can't really get into it.
However I was listening to it the other day and I got to thinking it has at least 6 truly exceptional songs on it.
Therefore I got to further thinking, What is it about the album that i don't like?
I came to the conclusion that the songs whilst good, have not been mixed properly on the album. And the single version of Waltzing along is fgar better.
Has anyone else got an opinion on this
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Post by Poster Saint on Jun 20, 2004 22:30:55 GMT -5
Whiplash is probably my leaset favourite James album. I can't really get into it. However I was listening to it the other day and I got to thinking it has at least 6 truly exceptional songs on it. Therefore I got to further thinking, What is it about the album that i don't like? I came to the conclusion that the songs whilst good, have not been mixed properly on the album. And the single version of Waltzing along is fgar better. Has anyone else got an opinion on this I'd say Whiplash ranks near the bottom of my list as well. It's a great album but it does fall short compared to the impact that other James records have on me. I think they make some very compelling points in songs like "Greenpeace"and "Homeboy". But I can't help but feel that "Greenpeace" would have been better without the jungle beat, despite the fact that it's appropriate in the industrial sense; and given the industrial commentary it's metaphorically sound. But I don't have a profound connection for the song aside from my appreciation for it. "Homeboy" is catchy and well-written but again it's not up to snuff compared to the rest of their work. I also agree with you about "Waltzing Along"; I prefer the single version. The rest of the album is perfect in my opinion. But that doesn't mean they made the best eleven choices or sequenced them properly. That songs like "Your Story" and "Honest Pleasure" were demoted to b-sides was a grave miscalculation. Bottom line: thinking of the album tracks on an individual basis, I love them all (even the ones I criticized). Thinking of how the album plays out just falls a little flat.
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Post by BlackHole on Jun 21, 2004 11:54:55 GMT -5
I have often caused controversy among James fans by admitting that Whiplash is, in all honesty, not only my favorite James album but probably my favorite album of all time. I honestly think it's amazing. And meanwhile, although most fans rank Laid as the best James album, I personally find it one of their weaker efforts (although it's still a great album, I just don't think it's one of their best). Whiplash is undoubtedly, for me, their best work, though I realize I'm in the minority as even the band themselves consider Whiplash one of their weakest albums.
I think the main appeal for me is that the songs seem to have a real depth to them that causes them to sound almost otherworldly or transcendental. While I've never done drugs, I kind of consider Whiplash to be like a seriously mindblowing Ecstasy trip. Most people tend to give me strange looks when I explain this, usually responding with "What? The songs on Whiplash are pretty cold and lifeless." And I can sort of see why people might view them this way, with all the complex electronica... but I just sense some real soul within all the seemed coldness, in the visions conjured up by the electronic soundscapes, the passion in Tim's vocals... and that soul, to me, is stronger and even more impassioned than on any other James album.
I really love the running order of the songs, each song seems to run perfectly into the next (despite the fact that most fans see it as more of a 'collection of singles' album)... I could never listen to the album on random play, and would even find it difficult to listen to most of the non-singles as individual tracks, outside of the album context, as they all seem to belong in this journey through transcendental soundscapes. The familiar, guitar-based soul of James opens up the album effectively, with the uplifting feel of "Tomorrow", dramatic lyrics of "Lost A Friend" and the soothing feel of "Waltzing Along" subtly leading us into the epic feel of the album... then, from "Greenpeace" onwards, the electronic spirit becomes progressively deeper, leading into the beautiful, cold ambience of "Play Dead" (a real feeling of lost souls in a void of confusion)... then "Avalanche" brings in the feeling of transgression from loss to control by combining the guitar-driven sound of the opening tracks with the electronic sound of the last few, a real feeling of elevation to a higher state of awareness, building up into the exquisite three-minute burst of ecstasy and euphoria that is "Homeboy" (IMO the album's strongest track, and focal point). As ever, chaos leads into lyrical as we calm down into looser, dreamier realms with "Watering Hole" then end by shedding the electronics in beautiful, tranquil stillness with "Blue Pastures" bringing the album to a perfect close.
I love the album because it is, to me, a journey through states of mood and awareness that culminates in ecstasy and psychological highs, then bows out with tranquil calm... listening to the album makes me feel, mentally, high... even just hearing the songs in my head really sucks me into their exquisite vortex and reminds me that no matter how negatively it is generally viewed, Whiplash will always be by far my favorite of all James' works.
The only flaw I can really detect is that the transition from guitar-based pop to electronica is pretty sudden and unexpected, with "She's A Star" suddenly being followed by "Greenpeace", possibly an 'in-between' type of song like "Your Story" could perhaps have gone between the two to keep the flow more coherent... but nevertheless, I consider the album more or less perfect, and a genuine masterpiece.
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Post by tripped82 on Jul 14, 2006 16:13:26 GMT -5
I think the creative leap from Seven to Laid was incredible and in some ways may forever overshadow Whiplash's merits. In Q Magazine in '99 there was whining over how it shed the American Audience. I find that notion ridiculous and believe that it had everythign to do with poor American promotion and not the album itself. My love for this album never became apparent to me until the release of the Gettting Away With It singles. When i first heard Make it Alright and read Eno's A Year With Swollen Appendices i realized it originated in the "Whiplash" era and it really hit home how much i loved this era of the band. But i also agree that the single version of Waltzing Along is superior. I also agree that the sequencing could have been better. Overall, any decent band who has a "thought" guy like Eno and someone as technically marvelous as Stephen Hague makes it impossible to make a terrible cd. I liken this sort of production collaboration to Eno and Tony Visconti's work on Bowie's Berlin Trilogy. I've always heard the band say negative things about Whiplash being so horrible due to all the things that were going on and i think Tim even referred to it as their "laziest album. But i don't know, i've always enjoyed bands "difficult" albums. I think R.E.M.'s Up is probably a good parallel and it almost equally splits their fan base.
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Post by psycheinaskirt on Jan 18, 2007 21:57:07 GMT -5
I love Whiplash, but I love their other albums more. Blackhole: I know what its like! I get the same reaction when I tell people that Their Satanic Majestie's Request is my favorite stones album.
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dotba
Yul Brynner
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Post by dotba on Jan 19, 2007 14:32:20 GMT -5
I adore Whiplash. The official songs and the 'other' sessions. Greenpeace, Watering Hole, Go to the Bank, Blue Pastures - what's not to like, other than the cover? I honestly feel every James album has the obligatory two 'lesser' songs and in this case it's Avalanche and Homeboy, but even those are pretty good (though, yes, they should have been swapped with the b-sides instead). Greenpeace may be one of my all time fav songs period. Being an environmentalist and animal lover, I can't get over how cleverly they put it together. And I like to be contrary, so I always find myself liking what others don't. Plus, this is like their 'acid-rock' album, so it's just a gimme ;D
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Post by Poster Saint on Jan 19, 2007 20:23:51 GMT -5
I've always heard the band say negative things about Whiplash being so horrible due to all the things that were going on and i think Tim even referred to it as their "laziest album. If memory serves--and I really ought to re-read the liner notes--Dave and Saul got the ball rolling on recording after the band suffered their calamitous financial crisis (which one, you might ask). In that sense, the "core members" were probably the latter ones to contribute to the Whiplash sessions, and perhaps the songs had already taken a certain life that late input could do little to change. Could also be they didn't necessarily share Dave's vision. On top of this, I would also make the obvious comparison to U2's Pop, which sounds like a primitive version of Whiplash, divided fans, was released the same year, and had a bit of Eno's imprint. In fact, I see many parallels between James and U2: near simultaneous "stadium albums" ( Achtung, Baby and Seven), experimental albums in 1993/94, etc. The only consistency being that James's releases were far better.
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Post by vervaceous on Jan 23, 2007 12:05:33 GMT -5
Whiplash is a great album. The only stinker on it is Go To The Bank, which in my opinion is utter shite and a bit of a space filler, but each unto their own.
Pleased To Meet You is flawless.
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Post by kinitawowi on Jan 23, 2007 12:38:34 GMT -5
The thing with Whiplash is that it's all over the place. There's no consistency, no cohesion, no flow from track to track, it's eleven rampantly distinct songs. Which is why I love it. It's been described as the "least James-y" of their albums because of this; I think it's their most James-y, the band at their craziest, most experimental, the one that covers the most facets of what they're about. It's my fave James album, and my 3rd fave album of all time (behind Achtung Baby and Tales From Turnpike House); only the sh iteness of the positively minging Homeboy denies it a place at the top table.
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Post by tomanderton on Jan 23, 2007 14:06:57 GMT -5
I think Whiplash is a great album, if push come to shove I'd say it's their best I like how rough round the edges it sounds at times and has some of their greatest songs on their. Not to say Laid hasn't got it's merits as that is also fantastic it just sounds slighting less exciting as Whiplash. I think the experiments on the album are brave and its a mix of electronica/rock that was taken to the next level on Millionaires which was 'over-produced' and lost emotion as a result.
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Mittens
Whiteboy
*HOT FUZZ*
Posts: 918
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Post by Mittens on Jan 23, 2007 15:45:54 GMT -5
I love Whiplash!! Yeah, perhaps not very James as people say (although I still feel quite unqualified to comment) but there's some cracking tunes on there- Greenpeace is awesome and a song that makes you shiver ... (could describe in otherwise ) and Avalanche and Play Dead could easily have been singles. It's so raw, yet melodic, and who'd have put the joy of that version of Waltzing Along and Tomorrow up against the hardness Go to the Bank?!?
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Post by Sean in Otley on Jan 25, 2007 13:02:00 GMT -5
I loved Whiplash when it came out, and still do to this day. I think it was quite a brave album to be honest, and I think they just about pulled it off, under what were quite worrying times/circumstances. I seem to remember it getting pretty favourable reviews from most of the press, barring the NME of course (4/10). One of my favourite memories of that time was the first time I heard 'Chunney Chops', where I literally jumped up into the air, and started waving my arms around in an extremely fast windmill action whilst cheering loudly!. I think that 'Play Dead' is an exceptional song, as wellas Avalanche, Watering Hole and Greenpeace. 10 years on and that album for me really captures a certain zeitgeist for me, and reminds me of scary, but happy times. Possibly pre-millenium tension, but it seemed like a very modern album for me at the time.
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Post by wearesound on Jan 29, 2007 9:13:27 GMT -5
I thought whiplash had some interesting experimental ideas on it, but remained rather indifferent after the first few plays.........then I saw Greenpeace played live at Neport Centre on the tour (1996 I think!) and it blew me away - probably the most intense moment of any James gig I've ever been to.
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Post by Johnny Yen on Mar 22, 2007 17:14:06 GMT -5
I have been listening to Whiplash non stop for a few weeks now and am loving it. As growers go, 10 Years is a bit much!
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Post by christine on Mar 22, 2007 23:22:28 GMT -5
I concur with Blackhole, Whiplash is terrific. I have the songs play randomly, and even to this day, when they are mixed up in my Rhapsody playlist, as soon as a Whiplash song starts, I pause, crank it up, and ponder. The cd is incredible and compliments their earlier work wonderfully, can't wait to hear what's new this year.
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