(Vinyl Love is a series of posts that quite simply lists, describes, and displays the pieces in my growing vinyl collection. You can bet that each record was given a spin during the drafting of each corresponding post.)
Artist: James
Album Title: Laid
Year released: 1993
Year reissued: 2015
Details: Double LP, Black vinyl, 180 gram, Remastered
The skinny: Pretty much everyone knows the title track, if not by name, then recognizing it within a few songs of pressing play, but it’s not even close to being the best song on the album. “Laid” was the Manchester-based James’ fifth album but their first working with uber-producer Brian Eno. It’s a beautiful atmospheric record that begs for earphones and candlelight.
Standout track: “Sometimes (Lester Piggott)”
My (life in) music lists 
13 replies on “Vinyl love: James “Laid””
These guys should have been, but never were, in my wheelhouse! No reason other than listening to other things. And…James was never aired on the radio where I lived…
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They received some airplay in Toronto but it was limited to 102.1. I also remember seeing some videos in MuchMusic’s alternative music show on Friday nights. Give them a chance now!😜
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I recently had a listen to this one and, well, it was okay. I definitely wouldn’t have liked it back when it was released, but I can appreciate some of it a little better now.
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Haha. We do tend to get softer as we get older. Good of you to give them another chance despite it not being your thing.
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You bet; I would have been right into GNR at the time this was released… just starting to hit the likes of Rage Against The Machine and such.
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Do you know if the reedition copy comes from original vinyl or from the cd. I m going to buy it and I don t want cd sound. Thanks, I apreciate.
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To be honest, I’m not sure of the original source. It was remastered, that I know, and it sounds great. Don’t know if that helps you though.
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“Say Something” was among my favorite radio-play songs of that album’s year (a very timely track, lyrically matching a situation I was having in my own life with someone back then).
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Another great track from the album. This one’s pretty solid all the way through for me but I do enjoy singing along with “Say something”.
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This is the one I had by them. You’re right, the title track was fun but the rest of the record was way better!
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[…] skinny: This is the companion album to “Laid“. When James went into the studio to record that album, producer Brian Eno saw the way the […]
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Laid as a song is probably my favourite song of all time.
I came into it through the Better Than Ezra Greatest Hits on CD many years ago. Later on ‘discovered’ it was a cover. I then found James, and yeah this song just rules.
I have the album now on CD (for $3 at the local Op-Shop to my shock), and the red vinyl double LP ($99 at the record store). No regrets, love listening to the album in all forms.
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I completely agree with all your points. This is one of my all-time fave albums by one of my all-time fave bands.
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