Customer Reviews
I'm Sorry Jim but... - By: Maximus, 05 Jul 2008 
Was really disappointedin this album! I've loved Jamie Lidell from the beginning & my heart sank when I put this on. I can't help thinking it was the completely wrong direction to go from Multiply. Now Lidell's scrapped any essence of his original, techno driven creativity & replaced it with rather syrupy, bland pop soul. I've listened to Jim a few times thinking that it may suddenly click but it hasn't, & won't! James Pants is definitely the way forward now I think.
Sheer soul genius - By: Mr. Andy Heyes, 02 Jul 2008 
Jamie Lidell's released work has changed somewhat dramatically since I first encountered the electronic bleeps & scratches of his first full album, 'Muddlin Gear'.
His second, 'Multiply', really piqued my interest; here was a clearly accomplished vocalist & musician who had found his niche & a talent for creating endearing, innovative, foot-stompingly danceable music.
With 'Jim', his effortless soaring vocals hit every sweet note available while his astonishingly earthy tone, at its best, is spellbinding. At worst, his voice is a gentle...what am I saying? There is no worst.
Sliding between the impossibly funky with songs such as 'Out of my System', 'Little Bit of Feel Good' & 'Hurricane' & the pant-wettingly seductivein 'All I Wanna Do' & 'Green Light', 'Jim' is an absolute tour-de-force & I cannot recommend it highly enough. Lidell's voice is complemented by driving piano, delicate horns, subtle electronic touches & a fascinating story told with a sensitive lyric, & there is not a weak songin sight. Not since Jeff Buckley's 'Grace' have i given (very nearly) every song on an album a 5-star rating!
I have decided not to focus on the obvious comparisons with other, perhaps more well-known artists, as these have been mentioned aplentyin other reviews around the Web. Suffice to say that, try as my inner demon might, I cannot unfavourably compare the sound of 'Jim' with any soul music I have ever heard. Much has been made of his marriage of futuristic & retro sound, & with good reason, but all that I can say is that no comparisons need be drawn. Otis is smiling.
Compare and contrast - By: C. Whyatt, 30 Apr 2008 
I love this guys voice & his songs BUT my first impression was that he was an awful lot like James Morrison, whoin turn is a lot like Marvin, Bobby, Aretha, Prince, Ray etc.
James was slagged off when he hit the scene, but Jamie is lauded, weird.
Why love one & hate the other? One is 'trendy' & one is not maybe?
Really disappointing, what a let down.... - By: enoob, 30 Apr 2008 Sorry but I couldn't disagree more with the reviews written so far with regard to `Jim` on the Amazon website.
Having read all the reviews of this album & heard all the heavy weight comparisons with Sly Stone, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Prince etc, I bought this album with huge expectations. As always however, whenever these sorts of lofty pretensions are banded about (and here I do not blame the artist), the reality is that nothing could be further from the truth.
The album is a competent reading of the standard `souly`, R&B blueprint, which probably translates very well live. As far as the songs go however, there is nothing new here, nothing fresh, nothing even vaguely challenging. The songs follow a familiar well trodden path with tired motown grooves for the most part & chord progressions/arrangements, which have been used many timesin the past & now just sound clichéd. The less said about the lyrics the better; they are simply terrible; lightweight & lazy. You know them, you have heard it all before!
Sadly these days most `soul` artists are mere imitators & I think it is dangerous to try & compare artists from different generations. Times are different & technology has moved on & changed the way we listen & appreciate music. It is a shame that Lewis Taylor has gonein to retirement as he, more than anyonein recent times, had a slightly different take on this genre & could (at times) be quite brilliant...
I know it has been said before, but the likes of a Sly Stone or a Marvin Gaye may come along oncein a lifetime...please lets not devalue their genius. Sure everyone to their own, but for me, `Jim` is headed for ebay.
pretty fly for a white guy - By: William Rycroft, 18 Apr 2008 Jamie Lidell's 2005 album Multiply showcased his extraordinary voice together with music which combined old school soul & funk with more modern dance sounds. It was a Gonzalez remix of the title track with its simple piano accompaniment which showed the real strength: the voice. Jamie Lidell is a white guy from England who livesin Berlin & sounds like a combination of Stevie Wonder, Prince & Otis Redding. Marvellous.
New album Jim plays to these strengths opening with piano on the glorious Another Day before full backing comes in. Wait For Me bounces along with fantastic backing vocals & the soulful sound continues complete with handclapping chorus on Out Of My System. All I Wanna Do is a gorgeous, heartfelt ballad, Lidell's voice placed layer upon layer to build the backing. It's all about the voice rather than fussy production this time around. Which isn't to say that the dance influence isn't there; first single Little Bit Of Feelgood is a funky floorfiller & Figured Me Out has some crazy keyboards which reminded me of Doctor Fink (who played with Prince). There are even guitars to leadin the stomping Hurricane before things get a disco tinge on Green Light. It's Jamie & piano again on Where D'You Go? before the album finishes with the beautiful Rope of Sand, another stunning ballad with simple orchestration.
That's a very brief rundown. The production really focusesin on the voice & it's the kind of scrutiny that many singers would crumble under but on this personally titled album 'Jim' is revellingin his gift. The only way to know for sure how good he is, is to buy the album & enjoy.
