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Ed James: Meet Ed James! - (CD, 48:03) Jam Records JAM JCD-799
Jam Records
3424 Wedgewood Dr.
Portage, MI 49024
Cyberhome: http:/www.instacom.com/jamrecords
Just by looking at the cover of Ed James' new CD, Meet Ed James!, you
should pretty much have a solid idea of the type of musical journey you are
about to embark upon. Everything about the package: the type face, the
layout, the title, just SCREAMS early 60's pop. It's obvious after
listening to a couple of the tunes on this CD that Ed James' major
influences were the following:
- The Beatles before they went to India
- The theme song to "Friends"
- The band from the Tom Hanks movie "That Thing You Do"
Meet Ed James! is a collection of 13 totally harmless, sickly sweet,
good-to-their-mother pop songs - just the antidote for a warm spring day
spent down at the corner five-and-dime sharing sodas with your best girl (or
guy). Lots of major chords, lots of Beach Boy style harmonies, and lots of
silly lyrics ("Green M&Ms - like mistletoe/But I don't need them when I'm
with you") is what you'll get with this offering.
However, don't let it's simplicity get in the way of the fact that this is
an excellent display of hook-laden pop songs. Ed James has a knack for
hitting all the right notes and chords in all the right successions, always
leading you as the listener exactly where it is you expect to go. And that
makes all the more sense considering that Mr. James plays each and every
instrument on the CD himself ensuring that he is in complete control of the
sound from beginning to end. He is a virtuoso by no means, but his talents
are certainly adequate to bring his songwriting ambitions to fruition.
So in the end, is Ed James someone worth meeting? Well, he might not
be as the cover says "America's Phenomenal Pop Sensation," but Ed James is
as close to a "pure pop artist" as I've heard since Crowded House's hey
days. Is Meet Ed James adventurous? No! It is good music to wash
your car by? Absolutely!
More information on Ed James can be found at http://members.aol.com/EdWorld
~ Michael Askounes
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