I don't think twain's review was inappropriate at all. Thank you for sacrificing 15 unhelpfuls to alert everyone to this flagrant display of narcissistic self adulation. Just review the music and leave the personal acheivements behind.
I for one, have found your review very helpful, Twain. But keep in mind, there are lots of lonely losers out there and this is great music for them. I was one myself when I bought this album, what 15 years ago? It helped me too. He bragged about getting laid, but what he probably meant was his girlfriend fell a little bit more in love with him to this album's soundtrack. You can do it too, reader. Before you click "unhelpful" on me, think about this advice. First, you have to find a girl, then play this along with some Bryan Ferry and you'll be fine.

Ugh. We don't wanna know which record you had your first time with. Records aren't meant for fu*cking. Girlfriends are. That's why she freaked out when she caught you with it. The sight of a boy doing his record would be unsettling for anyone to walk in on. Please keep what you do with your records on those long summer nights to yourself.

But anyway, this is James' best album. "Born of Frustration" is the best song on the album. Very hummable. Or in batz' case, very fu*ckable to. batz even sounds even sounds like he was "Born of Frustration".

If you think this review was uncalled for, please keep in mind the guy below detailed which album he lost himself to, which is much more innappropriate.

side two actually. the album image kinda freaked out my gf at the time, but this album will always bring a smile to me, for those long summer nights in LA.

ok, let me start off by saying that this is one of my favourite albums in the entire world...and i'm a music junkie so that's saying quite a lot. i had listened to james prior to the release of "seven" in 1992 and even owned several of their previous albums but it was this record that made me fall in love with the band and decide to get everything they had ever touched with their talented little paws. it's the texture of the music and the way that it builds sonically that grabbed me...and grabs me to this day, i might add. plus the lyrics are classically james as well, thoughtful and intelligent poetry that talks of real things in a meaningful way.

some of the highlights for me are the songs "ring the bells," "seven," (from which i got the title of this review) and of course "born of frustration," the single that had a very short-lived run on college radio here in the states. "live a love of life" tackles some interesting religious questions and spiritual dilemmas, another classic james issue, and the song "don't wait that long" is truly incredible as well - i have a lot of memories of lying in a drunken broken-star formation in the dark with my friends and listening to that song over and over again. ah, the good ol' days of college...i sure don't miss that at all.

but back to james - the song "heavens" is another amazing little snippet of musical and lyrical genius...
"i've been looking through microscopes to see how our life begins,
i've been training my lens on the stars to see where it ends
but it's this living in-between that is bringing me down..."
now how can you argue with that? that's good stuff, man, and if you could hear the music with it, i'm sure you'd totally agree with me...or else.

one more interesting little tidbit about the song "sound" - i read an interview a long time ago with tim booth, the lead singer, and he said that the part at the end where he yells "do something out of character" and other things of that nature was totally ad-libbed and organic. they were in the studio recording and he wanted the band to break out of playing it the way they were used to and started yelling things out, things that happened to fit so well with the music that they kept it that way. pretty cool, eh?

so blah, blah, blah...i obviously highly recommend this album, and most of the other james albums as well. an amazing record by an amazing band - you're definitely missing out if you love music and haven't heard and assimilated this little gem.

And yes, i was there in San Francisco for it. They were awesome, even though i'd never heard of them before. But in SF, if you hear about some live music downtown, near the water, of course you go check 'em out! At that time, they gave all of us free albums just for being there. I've recommended them to others and they all seem to share my appreciation. Energy along with melodious alternative sound. If you get a chance to see 'em live, do, they're great showmen! I'm gonna name my first-born son James....(OK, maybe not because of the band, but they don't need to know that!)