written by emza2511 on 06/09/2006
Admittedly, I liked the first James Blunt song, and when I first heard it I wanted to know who it was by. It had some really heartfelt lyrics, and Blunt had a rather edgy yet smooth sounding voice.
However, since I have listened to the other songs on the Back to Bedlam: Repackaged album, I feel let down by what I thought would be an excellent album.
All his songs sound the same, and his voice starts to grate after a while, and correct me if I'm wrong, but Blunt seems to me like he could do with a fish slap and a strong Brandy drink. Cheer up James! I'm sure the album would be a lot more cheerful, and I might enjoy if you did. Whereas at the moment, it has the capacity to, what's the word "suck my will to live?!"
written by Gamo 1k Master on 04/03/2006
I got James Blunt's Back to Bedlam: Repackaged CD not long ago, and I haven't been able to stop listening to it. It is one of the best albums I have heard in a while. Another good song by James Blunt is Where Is My Mind. This is what I have been playing on my iPod for the last week or two, and it hasn't begun to get old. Buy it!
written by StainedMascara on 01/03/2006
James Blunt's Back to Bedlam album is amazing!
I never get tired of listening to `You're Beautiful` or `Goodbye My Lover`.
But the thing James Blunt needs credit for on his album is the lyrics.
Lyrics should make you laugh, cry and understand, and James Blunt has managed to pass that with flying colours.
A Songwriting genius!
written by leben on 09/12/2005
James Blunt's Back to Bedlam album is a collection of lamentably simple, uninventive, insipid, predictable and endlessly boring tracks with redundant thematics, vocal stylings and instrumentation; all drawn together by an overbearing schmaltz factor. Probably one of the worst albums of all time.
written by Charnelmind The Smart on 30/08/2005
Oh lord, please rid me of the horrible plague of the bland, MOR singer-songrwiter that is currently plaguing the British charts. Why lord, oh why? Why must we be subjected to these appalling individuals such as Mr. Blunt who are "credible" because they can play the piano or the guitar and write sappy love songs and "serious" lyrics about "serious" subjects?
James Blunt is a songwriter-by-numbers who sounds pretty much identical to David Grey, Damien Rice, Daniel Powter and every other bland male singer around in the charts at the moment. There is NOTHING musically or lyrically challenging about this other than its deliberate attempt to be thoughtful and universal when it is, instead, boring and cliched. Plus his voice is worse than fingernails down a chalkboard.
What this blandness does is keep good singer songwriters such as the masterful and quirky Rufus Wainwright or the melancholic Antony & the Johnsons out of the charts as the public is fed bland nonsense to make them feel that they have gotten over their bad taste in boy/girl bands and moved on into more "adult" music such as Coldplay and this rubbish.
This is yuppie dinner party music at its worst. This is the sort of bilge that people buy to try and pretend that they have a wide and varied taste in music but that they only ever listen to in the background while they're doing other things so never actually realise how bland and un-poetic, and uninspiring it really is.
Down with this rubbish! Up with real musicality and experimentation!
Stage a coup! Next time you see Mr. Blunt or his nasal, whinging contemporaries, put them out of their misery!
Then go down to your local record shop and buy something that might actually make you think.
Written on: 12/10/2005
Actually, I think you'll find that Mr. Blunt's lyrics are little more than cliched nonsense designed to make girls go "aww how sweet." Take "You're Beautiful." First he says he has a plan. Then he goes away and moans about how he doesn't have a plan. Then he says he's high. Then he says that they shared a moment - possibly because he was high he mistook the girl thinking "wow, he looks totally wasted" with a moment. So, does he have a plan? Does his plan involve whining about how he can't get the girl? I don't understand?
<br>
<br>As far as singer songwriters with really lovely lyrics and interesting instrumentation, why not try:
<br>Nick Cave
<br>Rufus Wainwright
<br>Eels (a one man-act, essentially fronted by Mark Everett or E)
<br>Stephen Merritt (in any of his guises - Magnetic Fields, 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, etc.)
<br>Malcolm Middleton
<br>
<br>Each one of these artists has a unique voice that doesn't blend into the next guy and I promise will move you and make you think. And their lyrics are far from cliched and make actual sense and have actual meaning.
<br>
<br>If we're just talking love songs, just as an example, you can't compare "You're beautiful, you're beautiful, you're beautiful it's true" to the majesty of:
<br>
<br>"I don't believe in an interventionist God
<br>But I know, darling, that you do
<br>But if I did I would kneel down and ask Him
<br>Not to intervene when it came to you
<br>Not to touch a hair on your head
<br>To leave you as you are
<br>And if He felt He had to direct you
<br>Then direct you into my arms"
<br>
<br>Now can you?
written by ergo on 26/08/2005
Back To Bedlam: Repackaged comes across to me as a story of drugs, love, loss of loved ones.
There are clever lyrics refering to 3 wise men = 3 wise monkeys, monkey on my shoulder - american slang for drug addict, reference to Dorian Gray [reasearch that urself], so i feel theres a lot of stuff not blatantly stated.
It's the best album I have heard in years.
written by sasonjandie76 on 25/08/2005
On the James Blunt album, Back To Bedlam: Repackaged; Tears and Rain stood out for me. It is a song which I fear will be badly recited by many karaoke bars up and down the country. Goodbye my lover is a song I feel we can all relate to, yet could not have possibly put it into better words, than what Mr Blunt has achieved here. Each song evokes different emotions every 5 minutes. Happy, sad, positive and angry.
It is genius, and I hope it is not a one off album.
written by shell2782 on 22/08/2005
If you dont buy this album, or have and don't like it, you havent lived!!!
written by eagle on 03/08/2005
Every song on Back to Bedlam evokes an emotion, be it happiness, sadness, or sheer joy. From the uplifting 'High' to the heart-wrenching 'No Bravery' I can honestly say that this is the best album I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. A Masterpiece!
written by sidandgeorge on 16/07/2005
I think the album is great. Lots of lovely soulful songs, lyrics and tunes. I think he will grow into a very successful artist.
written by babrahams on 12/07/2005
James Blunt, Back To Bedlam: Repackaged is the best album I have bought in a long while. James Blunt's voice is very unique and is so easy to listen to. Each track is very different and full of emotion. My favourite track is Goodby My Lover, which is so sad, but beautifully written.
A superb album - a real must have!
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Vinceslama's Response to Charnelmind The Smart's Review
Written on: 09/10/2005
Alright buddy, if you're so inclined to tell us your opinion, what would you suggest as musically experimental music? Maybe its the fact that you just don't like this type of music and you have that right. But don't try and strengthen your own views in music by downplaying other musicians. When really music is all about opinion. If you don't like it, don't listen to it...all i can say is I'd rather read James Blunt's emotional, some may call sappy, lyrics then your bigoted rant about how this kind of music sucks.