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elcinelateleymickyandonie · 3 years

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Alan Napier.

Filmografía

Cine

- Caste (1930) como el capitán Hawtree

-Stamboul (1931) como Bouchier

- En el jardín de un monasterio (1932) como el conde Romano

- Lealtades (1933) como Gen.Canynge

- Alas sobre África (1936) como Redfern

- For Valor (1937) como General

- La esposa del general Ling (1937) como gobernador

- Los cuatro hombres justos (1939) como Sir Hamar Ryman

- No estamos solos (1939) como Archidiácono

- El regreso del hombre invisible (1940) como Willie Spears

- La casa de los siete tejados (1940) como Fuller

- Confirmar o negar (1940) como Updyke (escenas eliminadas)

- Eagle Squadron (1942) como oficial de Black Watch

- Un yanqui en Eton (1942) como restaurador (sin acreditar)

- Cat People (1942) como Doc Carver (sin acreditar)

- Cosecha aleatoria (1942) como Julian

- Asignación en Bretaña (1943) como Sam Wells

- Nombramiento en Berlín (1943) como coronel Patterson (sin acreditar)

- Lassie Come Home (1943) como Jock

- Madame Curie (1943) como Dr. Bladh (sin acreditar)

- La canción de Bernadette (1943) como Dr. Debeau (sin acreditar)

- Ángel perdido (1943) como Dr. Woodring

- The Uninvited (1944) como Dr. Scott

- Acción en Arabia (1944) como Eric Latimer

- El mono peludo (1944) como MacDougald, ingeniero jefe

- Ministerio del Miedo (1944) como Dr. JM Forrester

- Treinta segundos sobre Tokio (1944) como Mr.Parker

- Dark Waters (1944) como The Doctor (sin acreditar)

- Mademoiselle Fifi (1944) como el conde de Breville

- Hangover Square (1945) como Sir Henry Chapman

- Isla de los Muertos (1945) como St. Aubyn

- Tres extraños (1946) como David Shackleford

- Casa de los horrores (1946) como F.Holmes Harmon

- Un escándalo en París (1946) como Houdon De Pierremont, ministro de policía

- La mujer extraña (1946) como el juez Henry Saladine

- Simbad el marinero (1947) como Aga

- Fiesta (1947) como The Tourist

- Gran conquista (1947) como Tommy Donlin

- Ivy (1947) como Sir Jonathan Wright

- Adventure Island (1947) como Attwater

- Lured (1947) como el detective Gordon

- Driftwood (1947) como el Dr. Nicholas Adams

- Invicto (1947) como Sir William Johnson

- Forever Amber (1947) como Landale

- El lobo solitario en Londres (1947) como Monty Beresford.

-Johnny Belinda (1948) como abogado defensor

- Macbeth (1948) como Santo Padre

- Juana de Arco (1948) como conde de Warwick

- Hills of Home (1948) como Sir George

- Criss Cross (1949) como Finchley

- Mi verdadero amor (1949) como Kittredge

- La fuente mágica de Tarzán (1949) como Douglas Jessup

- Un yanqui de Connecticut en la corte del Rey Arturo (1949) como Alto Verdugo

- Manhandled (1949) como Alton Bennet

- El Danubio Rojo (1949) como El general

- Desafío a Lassie (1949) como Lord Provost

- Mentes maestras (1949) como Dr. Druzik

- Trípoli (1950) como Khalil

- Double Crossbones (1951) como Capitán Kidd

- El peligro de Tarzán (1951) como Comisionado Peters

- El gran Caruso (1951) como Jean de Reszke

- The Highwayman (1951) como Barton

- Al otro lado del ancho Missouri (1951) como el capitán Humberstone Lyon

- El velo azul (1951) como el profesor George Carter

- La puerta extraña (1951) como Count Grassin

- Big Jim McLain (1952) como Sturak

- Julio César (1953) como Cicerón

- Young Bess (1953) como Robert Tyrwhitt

- Désirée (1954) como Despreaux

- Moonfleet (1955) como Parson Glennie

- El bufón de la corte (1956) como Sir Brockhurst

- Miami Exposé (1956) como Raymond Sheridan

- El pueblo topo (1956) como Elinu, el sumo sacerdote

- Hasta que naveguen (1957) como fiscal

Island of Lost Women (1959) as Dr. Paul Lujan

- Viaje al centro de la Tierra (1959) como Dean

- Salvaje en el país (1961) como el profesor Joe B. Larson (sin acreditar)

- Tierna es la noche (1962) como Señor Pardo

- The Premature Burial (1962) como Dr. Gideon Gault

- La espada en la piedra (1963) como Sir Pellinore (voz)

- Marnie (1964) como Sr.Rutland

- Mary Poppins (1964) como Huntsman / Reporter # 3 / Hound (voz, sin acreditar)

- My Fair Lady (1964) como un caballero que acompaña a Eliza a la reina (sin acreditar)

- Signpost to Murder (1964) como El vicario

- 36 horas (1964) como el coronel Peter MacLean

- El amado (1965) como oficial del club inglés

- Batman (1966) como Alfred Pennyworth.

Televisión

- ¡No me llames Charlie! (Serie de televisión 1962-1963), papel recurrente como el general Steele.

-Twilight Zone (1963) episodio " Passage on the Lady Anne " como Capt. Protheroe

- Batman (1966-1968) como Alfred Pennyworth

- The Beverly Hillbillies (1967) episodio "The Clampetts In London" como químico

- Ironside (1970, 1973, 1974)

- QB VII (miniserie de 1974) como Semple

- El bastardo (miniserie de 1978) como Dr. Bleeker

- Centennial (miniserie de 1979) como Lord Venneford.

Créditos: Tomado de Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Napier

#HONDURASQUEDATEENCASA

#ELCINELATELEYMICKYANDONIE

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imagitory · 4 years

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D-Views: Muppet Treasure Island

Hi, everyone! Welcome to another installment of D-Views, my on-going written review series for films that fall under the Disney umbrella, as well as those that were influenced by those films! For more reviews for movies like Mary Poppins, Treasure Planet, and The Prince of Egypt, please consult my “Disney Reviews” tag and, of course, if you enjoy this review or any of the others, please consider liking and reblogging!

Today’s film is one of my childhood favorites, starring a cast of some of my favorite people, as well as frogs, pigs, and even whatevers. This is Muppet Treasure Island! (Thank you for your votes, @the-alexandrian-alchemist, @silvvergears, @extremelybears, @livinlifelikeishould and @karalora!)

Ever since 1976, the characters of the Muppet Show have been American pop culture icons. The show itself won a total of 21 Emmy nominations and four television awards over its long run, and by 1990 its cast had also starred in several critically acclaimed films (The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, and The Muppets Take Manhattan) and the very popular animated TV show Muppet Babies. And all of that wouldn’t have been possible without the Muppets’ creator, Jim Henson.

Like at the Walt Disney Company, the loss of their leader in 1990 hit Jim Henson Productions very hard. One silver lining, however, is that just like with Walt Disney, Jim Henson was memorialized not just by the characters he created, but by his many achievements and the many friendships he’d made in life. He received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame alongside Kermit the Frog; was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame; earned a memorial in his hometown Hyattsville, Maryland; was posthumously named a Disney Legend; was the focus of the heartfelt TV special The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson; and was laid to rest with two formal funeral services complete with performances of some of his favorite songs. And just like the Walt Disney Company, even after the death of someone who meant so much to them, Jim Henson Productions got back up and promised to do more in the memory of their lost leader. Jim’s son Brian Henson took the reins and directed the Disney-co-produced Christmas movie The Muppet Christmas Carol in 1992, before he moved on to their next project and today’s subject, Muppet Treasure Island.

So, here’s the thing -- I have a LOT of nostalgia for this movie. I will be upfront about that. But even with that acknowledged, I was sort of stunned when I found out how lukewarm the reaction to this movie was, when it was released in theaters. Sure, I knew it hadn’t broken the bank, but even if it earned about $34 million worldwide, it received no honors or awards, only hit third at the box office opening weekend behind the movies Broken Arrow and Happy Gilmore, and even now only boasts an average 73% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Critics at the time criticized how it was more “Treasure Island” than “Muppet”, with Roger Ebert calling it “less cleverly written” and Gene Siskel even more coldly deeming it “boring.” Although I’ll readily acknowledge that reading those reactions makes me want to run outside and scream “FUCK YOU, GENE SISKEL” at the top of my lungs, I promise to give a more rational review of this movie instead, one hopefully that acknowledges any possible shortcomings, but also will celebrate this film and how completely NOT boring it is.

One of the best things about this movie hits us in the face right off the bat -- the music, written by scoring giant Hans Zimmer and Nick Glennie-Smith. As much as I enjoy a lot of Muppet musicals, I attest that Muppet Treasure Island has the most cohesive score overall of any Muppet production. The Muppets were always creatures of the short, sweet vignette -- of the variety show -- of many disparate pieces sewn loosely together into a whole like a patchwork quilt. Even though The Muppet Christmas Carol’s soundtrack comes very close in its cohesion and I would say The Muppets (2011) -- my personal favorite Muppet movie -- is truer to the spirit of the Muppet Show in its music while also paying tribute to old-fashioned movie musicals, Muppet Treasure Island just paints a full-bodied picture from the off-set, building on refrains that return and morph over the course of the picture. From the very beginning, we get that this venture is NOT a standard Muppet movie. Like The Muppet Christmas Carol, the Muppets’ humor will only be part of the story told -- in TMCC, it takes a backseat to sincere emotions like love and redemption, while here in MTI, it takes a backseat to adventure and swashbuckling action.

The score also seamlessly flows into our first song, “Shiver My Timbers,” which just screams “pirate!” I’ve loved pirates ever since I was a little kid, and Muppet Treasure Island was one of the main reasons why. I was okay with Peter Pan, but Muppet Treasure Island was what really got me excited about pirates. They were rough, ruthless, and dangerous, but it was exciting to face off against them in an epic musical adventure, even if your only weapons were a couple of artfully thrown starfish. In the 90′s, pirate films weren’t really “in” -- it wouldn’t be until 2003 with the release of Pirates of the Caribbean that they became popular again -- but I think Muppet Treasure Island, through its music, really embraces the fun, action-packed thrills that Disney would later capitalize on in the Pirates films.

After our prologue, we meet Billy Bones (played by the perfectly cast Billy Connolly) and, of course, our hero, Jim Hawkins, played by newcomer Kevin Bishop. Kevin was the very first of a hundred kids who showed up for the audition to meet the casting agents, and he was selected for the part then and there. Sadly post-Muppets he moved on to stage and television, but for what it’s worth, I quite like Kevin in the role of Jim. He’s distinctly depicted as a boy, complete with a pre-puberty “boy soprano” singing voice (which I acknowledge is an acquired taste, but I personally enjoy), but that characterization only serves to accent how large of an arc he goes through over the course of the film. He starts off as smart, sincere, honest, and dreamy, but also very innocent and trusting, and over the course of the story, he learns to ground himself in who he is and what he believes in, to the point where he has to sever ties with someone he once considered a friend and mentor. Accompanying Jim in his journey are Gonzo and Rizzo, who largely serve as comic relief but do still serve as good friends and companions to Jim, as evident by the three characters’ “I Want” song, “Something Better.” Yes, Gonzo and Rizzo are sidekicks, but they’re still distinct personalities that bounce well off each other and “straight-man” Jim. Originally the filmmakers had considered simply having Gonzo and Rizzo being two characters called “Jim” and “Hawkins” respectively (splitting the part in two, not unlike what they did with Statler and Waldorf in The Muppet Christmas Carol), but due to concerns that the choice would result in a lack of heart in the finished product, that idea was scrapped. I think it ultimately was the better decision to leave the drama to the humans -- it’s not that the Muppets can’t conjure sincere emotion (just look at “Pictures in my Head” or “Man or Muppet”), but I still think having any of the existing Muppets fulfill the “coming of age” narrative the original Jim Hawkins goes through would’ve been a bit of a stretch. Even in The Muppet Christmas Carol or non-Muppet-show Jim Henson production Labyrinth, the main characters with a story arc are played by human actors who are able to ground the picture despite the cast of colorful, irreverent characters.

One of the main criticisms that critics of the time lobbed at this movie is that it feels more “Treasure Island” than “Muppet”, and in a way it’s a decent point, if not phrased very badly. Unlike in other Muppet projects, the humor plays second fiddle to the plot and the characters are not the characters we know from the Muppet Show with their Muppet Show backstories and consciousness. In The Muppet Christmas Carol, the film could very easily be seen as a “production” being put on by the Muppets, even if it’s never overtly stated as such, thanks to Gonzo (as Charles Dickens) constantly breaking the fourth wall. In Muppet Treasure Island, however, Gonzo and Rizzo have their own non-Muppet-show history as friends of Jim Hawkins way before ever meeting the other Muppets like Kermit and Sam the Eagle, and Kermit and Miss Piggy have a whole soap-opera romance that involves a wedding and getting marooned by pirates (we’ll get to that later). So yes, this is more “Treasure Island,” but it’s not less “Muppet” -- it’s less “Muppet Show.” These Muppets have different histories, but they’re the same characters despite this. Gonzo is an eccentric thrill-seeker -- Rizzo is a cowardly cynic -- Kermit is a soft-spoken pacifist -- Fozzie is a lovable dimwit -- Piggy is a self-centered diva. Think of Muppet Treasure Island as a Muppet AU fanfiction -- these may not be exactly the characters you know, and yet...they are! They’re the exact same big personalities with the same quirks, strengths, and weaknesses, just in an alternate universe. And honestly, I think it’s really cool, to see these sorts of characters so exclusively used for comedy in a world that’s not flat-out comedic -- one that’s kind of dirty and rough around the edges, with swashbuckling action and real danger around every corner.

The nice thing is that although yes, the comedy isn’t the central focus anymore, there is still really good humor in this film, a lot of it thanks to the shift in tone. There’s just something so very, very funny to me about Billy Bones’s death scene being followed up by Rizzo, Gonzo, and Jim just flat-out freaking out and dashing out of the room screaming like stupid kids, or the tense action scene where the pirates storm into the inn being punctuated by Rizzo trying to help Gonzo load the gun, only to spill the bag of bullets, or the epic entrance of the illustrious Captain Smollett’s carriage ending with the tall, solemn coachman stepping aside to reveal the Captain himself, played by Kermit the Frog. I think it plays into the ideas of subverting expectations and building up a punchline properly before delivering the joke -- as each scene is built up, we’re left constantly unsure if the film’s going to play things straight or just be completely irreverent, and the contrast is what can make a joke much funnier than in a purely, solely humorous scenario. There are a few points where the contrast can become a bit labored, but I laugh so much more during this movie that I ever have watching my favorite reruns of the Muppet Show, no matter how much I enjoy them. It’s something that, again, the Pirates of the Caribbean films would capitalize on much later. (Too bad they couldn’t incorporate that humor into any catchy musical numbers! Disney, where’s my Pirates of the Caribbean musical?)

Aha, and now we come to the brightest of the shining stars in this film -- our villain, Long John Silver, played by the amazing Tim Curry. I’m sorry, it’s an incontrovertible truth that Curry is a unique, magical ingredient that, when added to any movie, just elevates the cinematic dish to a whole new level and leaves you drooling for one more scene with him. I remember someone once saying that Curry is sort of like a Muppet in human skin thanks to his outrageous, yet likable acting, and...yeah, it makes it so that he fits perfectly in this movie, where he has to interact so closely with the Muppets. The nice thing is, though, that he also has a lot of chemistry with his human co-star Kevin Bishop, to the extent that you sincerely feel for the relationship that forms between Jim and Silver even if you know Silver’s intentions from the start. I particularly like their exchange in the ridiculously catchy “Sailing for Adventure,” as well as their scene at the front of the ship where they discuss their fathers and the stars.

Just as the adventure is getting going, however, it stops dead with the wind’s abandonment of the Hispaniola. Out of nowhere, the ship breaks out into the most ridiculous, most “Muppet” of all of the musical numbers, “Cabin Fever.” The song was one of my favorite parts when I was little and it’s always made me laugh, but it’s definitely the biggest detour of the movie that up until that point lived in its own pirate-centric world. It’s a very short-lived detour and as I said, it’s ridiculously funny, but it doesn’t have any bearing on the plot and I could see how people might find it kind of pointless, particularly since it doesn’t even feature three of our main characters, Jim, Silver, or Smollett. One other critique I will give the film is that some of the effects nowadays don’t look very real, like the Hispaniola being composited over still matte paintings -- there are points where the production values remind me a bit of the old Wishbone TV series, where they have to angle the shot just so or get creative just to try to make the ship look as big as it should be. But honestly, there were points where Wishbone impressed me with those same sorts of layering and green-screen effects despite its limited budget, and those cheaper effects don’t look tacky or out-of-place, so I personally don’t mind them that much.

Because this is a Muppet movie, it’s unsurprising that our Mr. Arrow (played by Sam the Eagle) isn’t really killed, instead just being tricked off of the ship by a manipulative Silver, but it says something that, even with that softened plot turn, the stakes are not completely dismantled. We still see the pirates as a legitimate threat when they kidnap Jim and take over the Hispaniola, even when they burst into song. Tim Curry’s “only number,” “A Professional Pirate,” is a perfect expression of his expert, charming showmanship, which in my mind truly can’t be matched by any other performer in Hollywood, past or present. No one gives a performance like Tim Curry. It makes it so that even when I was a bratty kid getting irritated about Silver calling privateer Sir Francis Drake a pirate and using “buccaneer” as a synonym for “pirate,” I would sing this song at the top of my lungs, trying to even reach 75% of the energy Curry put into his vocals.

At long last, Miss Piggy makes her grand debut as “Queen Boom Sha-Kal-a-Kal,” a.k.a. Benjamina Gunn. Although the diva doesn’t end up getting much screentime, she certainly gets a grand entrance, complete with an elephant steed decorated with flowers and a full musical number complete with a tribal chant and ethereal vocalizing. And true to form, when she lays eyes on her one true love, Kermit...she smacks him so hard that he’s thrown backwards off his feet and into a gong. What’s particularly interesting about Piggy in this movie is that although she and Fozzie are voiced by Frank Oz as always, both she and Fozzie were actually puppeted by Kevin Clash, as Oz was unavailable during this film’s production, and Oz’s vocals for both characters were added in post-production. Despite the difference in puppeteer, however, both characters are just as likable as ever -- I’d honestly had no clue that they weren’t performed by the same person! The film even got to use the full-bodied remote-controlled puppets for Kermit and Piggy for the love duet “Love Led Us Here,” which is kicked off by an Evita joke I never got as a kid but as an adult makes me grin like a friggin’ idiot. Fortunately the duet is inter-cut with Silver and the pirates finding the treasure, rather than it being chock-full of romantic flashbacks or prolonged looks between the two lovebirds, giving it a lighter tone than it would’ve had otherwise.

With a much reduced crew comprised only of Rizzo, Gonzo, Squire Trelawney, Dr. Honeydew, Beaker, and the newly returned Mr. Arrow, Jim comes to Benjamina and Smollett’s rescue and returns to Treasure Island to face Silver and the pirates. The action scene is full of humor, but because of the world established in the rest of the film, I would argue it still has stakes. The blows still hurt and there’s still a threat of defeat and danger, most notably when Long John Silver prepares to fight. Even if you don’t think the Muppets are going to die persay, you still feel the suspense in wanting to see what’s going to happen next. And when Silver surrenders, he himself can see the real treasure Jim found on his adventure -- a family...a group of people Muppets who will support him and encourage the very best in him.

Silver’s escape scene is a beautifully heart-wrenching scene -- one that could only have been earned by two excellent performances over the course of the film by Kevin Bishop and Tim Curry. Even though both Silver and Jim know that they’re different people and they could never walk the same path, it doesn’t mean that they don’t still greatly esteem and care about each other. In Jim’s case, it’s especially difficult, given that in parting ways with Silver, he has to cut loose of a very poor potential father figure who would’ve only dragged him down in the long run, but who was so likable in his own damaged way. It proves to be a very bittersweet scene sprinkled into a very happy, cheerful ending, complete with the chipper island-inspired end credits bop “Love Power.”

Muppet Treasure Island is -- in my opinion, at least -- one of the best Muppet movies ever made. It broke away from quite a few Muppet conventions, like the characters breaking the fourth wall and being aware of themselves being in a movie or TV show, and embraced a much less humorous tone in both its writing and cinematography. Yes, it reimagined a classic book like The Muppet Christmas Carol did, but this movie took the next step, embracing the world of the original novel as well as the set-up and immersing the Muppets’ cast of characters in it. Although I can see why some people would be more partial to the original Muppet movie formula and love it a lot myself, I really, really respect Brian Henson and the rest of this film’s crew for taking the Muppets in such a different direction. It was an entertaining, action-packed, funny pirate movie before those sorts of movies became popular again, and it remains my favorite “pirate” movie of all time, as well as my personal favorite incarnation of the Treasure Island story (barely beating out Treasure Planet). I know childhood nostalgia can play a role in what media can give you joy as an adult, but I truly don’t think it’s the only factor here -- it’s also just a really good movie, and I can only hope that more people will consider giving it a chance and have just as much fun Sailing for Adventure as I did!

#d-views #disney reviews #muppet treasure island #the muppets #reviews #opinion #analysis #oh boy here i go #brian henson #tim curry #kevin bishop #billy connolly

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starscelly · 10 months

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JIM PUT THE FUCKING PHONE DOWN IM SO SERIOUS. THIS ISNT FUNNY ANYMORE DUDE. CANT AFFORD TO PAY KIVO OR GLENNY BUT WE CAN SIGN AS MANY LOCKER ROOM CANCERS AS HIS HEART DESIRES APPARENTLY. WE NEED DEFENSE JIM.

#IM SO MADBJEBDJAND #yap yap yapping

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aito-mation · 6 years

Photo

jim @giacomos / @snoodlebee commissioned me to design a character based on his aesthetic (like i did w murph’s girls!!!) n here he is!!!!

he’s a super chill investigative journalist who covers mysteries n crimes in the local paper. he works w a volunteer med team, called “The Worker Bees,” that helps people who’ve been hurt during superhero/villain clashes,, he started working w them after discovering (while getting his journalism degree at community college) that he has the ability to detect internal problems in living things (sort of like a natural x-ray). he loves to bake n he brings baked goods to their patients all the time,, he also keeps a diary/journal where he catalogues his leads/mysteries n all the weird problems he detects in people. And he never goes anywhere w/o his fanny pack!!!

[ko-fi]

#Stfu Aito #jim #murph's girls #commission #in my mind he exists in the murph's girls universe (that's y i tagged that)#but his name n anything else abt him r all jim's to decide!!!! this boy is now jim's intellectual property :3 #i do not have a commission post but i m open for dms #glenn glennis #<-- his name is glenn short for glennis!!!!#aito's art

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glowwormsmith · 5 years

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Ten Favorite Characters

Ar I was tagged by @thefathersbride! Thank you!

Also this will be difficult because I like a lot of characters😫 In no particular order:

1. Homura Akemi (Madoka Magica)

2. Shiki Ryougi (Kara no Kyoukai)

3. Rick Grimes (The Walking Dead)

4. John Seed (Far Cry 5)

5. Goro Majima (Yakuza)

6. Nancy Thompson (A Nightmare on Elm Street)

7. Joseph Seed (Far Cry 5)

8. Jim Lahey (Trailer Park Boys)

9. Dale Cooper (Twin Peaks)

10. Weiss Schnee (RWBY)

I’m tagging @deputyash @teamhawkeye @dead-drop-mage @adanceofdragons @dolphinitley @thiswesternfeeling @naromoreau @glenny-boy and anyone else who wants to do this! (If you did it already, that’s fine).

#ask game #i put two fc5 characters b/c i love both my troubled villain boys

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musicaemdx · 5 years

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James em noite de glória no Coliseu dos Recreios de Lisboa

Com a imensidão de concertos que por aí têm havido em Lisboa e por outras zonas do país, seria de esperar que muito poucos tivessem reparado que os Jamesvoltariam a Portugal no início deste mês de Abril. Eu próprio só me lembrei que tinha este reencontro agendado com esta banda dois dias antes da data. Lembro-me -, ao contrário de muitos que porventura já tiveram o prazer de os ver em mais…

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#Ana Pereira #Andy Diagram #Andy Oxaal #Coliseu de Lisboa #Coliseu dos Recreios #David Baynton-Power #DestaquemMDX #James #Jim Glennie #Living in Extraordinary Times #PEV Entertainment #ReportagemMDX #Saul Davies #Tim Booth

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theseventhhex · 5 years

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James Interview

James

‘Living In Extraordinary Times’ follows the release of James' recent ‘Better Than That’ EP, the band’s first new music since their hugely successful 2016 album ‘Girl at the End of the World’, which debuted at number two in the UK album charts, second only to Adele – their highest debut entry in nearly twenty years. This is the band’s 15th studio album, and delivers the same vigour and urgency as its predecessors, a fusion of social commentary and personal reflection, covering everything from the current political climate in America in frustration-charged times and eternal optimism for better change. Simply put, this iconic outfit remains as important and relevant as ever. James’ knack for super-skilled musical arrangements and significant messages shows no signs of weariness… We talk to Jim Glennie about improvisation, meditation and Man City…

TSH: The remarkable consistency from James is so prolific and impressive. How does it feel for you to continue to have a unified band chemistry in the wake of yet another top release with ‘Living In Extraordinary Times’?

Jim: Everything feels fantastic. This whole recent period has felt so good for James. We’re constantly writing songs which serves as a key essence and factor that keeps us going. We love writing - it’s kind of our life blood. We’ve actually written throughout the summer and we’ve even written for the next record. It’s just what we do; just like authors writing new books - we just love writing new songs. There’s no stopping us.

TSH: There remains a hunger to still be creative and relevant rather than a heritage band?

Jim: Absolutely. The last thing we want is to get up onstage and run through rehearsed versions of the best of our material. We love expressing ourselves creatively because it signifies the cusp of where we’re at with our perspectives. We grab the spaces that we can when we’re together and we work relentlessly.

TSH: As opposed to the Scottish Highlands you found yourselves working in Sheffield this time around?

Jim: Yeah, we did the whole of this latest record in Sheffield in a studio called Yellow Arch. Everything worked out geographically for us. We were doing some festivals throughout the summer and Sheffield was sort of in between where we were at. We liked the city and the people and went there a few times and found that the place suited our purpose.

TSH: Tim’s mentioned that the process in forming these songs was ‘magical’?

Jim: Yeah, and I guess that’s because we just have a really good way of writing. We get into a room and just play. We switch on the drum machine and we record everything. We plug away for hours and hours and days and days. Along the way, we get into weird places, odd sections and strange headspaces, but the chemistry is always pleasing, and as Tim said, this time it felt magical.

TSH: Does starting with improvisation allow you all to excel?

Jim: Yes, and that’s the exciting part. Seeing the songs emerge is great. We just jam and spontaneously play - we listen to one another and things just appear - it’s really pleasing. All the songs have a life of their own and our process is never calculated. We simply piece our varied compositions into songs and journeys unfold. This way of working can be time consuming but the spontaneity of something appearing in the room that could potentially be special gives us such a buzz.

TSH: Tim’s lyrical style and overall songwriting is absolutely exceptional and so affective. As his close friend, what’s it like to see his comprehensive mastery close up?

Jim: Tim is such an amazing lyricist and he is totally underrated. For us, to come up with such great music and have Tim’s substantial, meaningful and impactful content added on top is truly incredible. It’s also great to play these songs to people live and hit home these powerful lyrical messages. Tim’s stuff can sometimes be quite obscure and he can also nail between the eyes too. It’s amazing how he layers up the lyrics and adds a unique depth and complexity to his writing. It’s wonderful.

TSH: What stands out most when you overlook a song like ‘Many Faces’?

Jim: That song feels like one of James’ journey songs. It involved a fair bit of improvisation and some chopping and changing. It’s more of a linear song and it’s going from section to section. With that one I feel like we found an area with which we hovered over and found some sweet spots. Also, it’s a song with some amazing lyrics to reflect the times of today and musically we get behind it with passion when we play it live.

TSH: I wanted to get your views on some past James hidden gems. Firstly, ‘Play Dead’ - a song that comes out of left field and displays a distinct new depth to your sound at the time...

Jim: That song is post ‘Wah Wah’ actually. When we did that record with Brian Eno and Markus Dravs it opened up a lot of new doors for James. We brought in these mad sonic shifts to our songs and what came in the wake of ‘Whiplash’ onwards was us trying to sort of implement new sonics and ideas. I think it was Dave who had the beginning jam of that song at his home studio and he did some of the mad stuff that’s on there - including the chopping up and sparseness of the beginning arrangement. When he played it to us we just thought it was brilliant. That one takes off as a more traditional James song towards the end; it becomes more lush, it sounds big and has some strings incorporated too. Looking back, it was a transition period for us in seeing how our songs could be messed up and taken away from a traditional format using technology. It was a very exciting direction to take.

TSH: Also, talk us through what you recall about the band fleshing out the excellent ‘Five-O’...

Jim: You know, I actually don’t know why we called it ‘Five-O’ - I recall it was something to do with Hawaii Five-O, and I’ve not got the foggiest beyond that. We still play that track live with Brian Eno’s vocals recorded. I remember Brian Eno layering up the backing vocals and he just has the weirdest voice; it’s very odd, thin and not that pleasant to the ear initially, haha! However, when you layer it up, it sounds great and it also cuts like nobody’s business. His vocals don’t have a deep rich resonance to them but they consist of a very frequency driven sound. His style was brilliant and worked so well on that song. I remember Brian Eno loved that song and he was steering the ship on that one in our rehearsal room in Prestwich in Manchester - it was one of the songs that pulled him in. What I love about that song is that it just comes straight out of the blocks and never eases up. It’s like everyone piles in at the beginning and we keep going - it’s like a steam train!

TSH: Does meditation help to keep you centred amidst all the bedlam in the world?

Jim: Yes. I meditate often and it stops me from going mad. I used to meditate for three hours a day and even now I still love doing it. I don’t know if it’s the same as spirituality but it does me the world of good and it’s my refuge from my ever chattering nonsensical brain. I guess the world in general feels very uncertain and chaotic but this current record is actually about a positive change that we feel is coming. It’s something we were really keen to get across. It’s not an album that reflects on the rubbish going on in the world; instead it touches on a period of change that’s coming. I don’t know what the change is or how it will manifest itself but I am hopeful we’ll unite and see the light very soon. Sometimes it feels like things have to get really bad before they get good. I guess you have to have hope that we’ll start to do things in a way which is less selfish, less destructive and less harmful. It’s about having belief that amidst all the chaos goodness will prevail.

TSH: James are renowned for their stunning live offerings. How does it feel for you to connect with audiences the world over for countless years?

Jim: Performing live for James is just the most incredible and amazing part of doing this. We simply love connecting with our fans and performing for them with dedication and devotion. Having a direct two way response with the audience feels like such an amazing achievement. Of course we like to change our set and offer some variety because performing live for us often means doing things we’ve not done before. Overall, it’s amazing to tour the world and have new fans and old fans joining us. Playing live will always allow us to feel liberated and satisfied with our craft.

TSH: Being a Man City must also leave you feeling very satisfied?

Jim: Haha! Being a Man City for the last seven years or so has been incredible and so much fun. I sometimes go to the games with my son too. I was born in Moss Side a mile from Maine Road and all my adult life I’ve suffered Man United wining everything. However, with Pep Guardiola on board and our rich owners, it really is a special time for Man City fans. I am just so pleased to see how amazing we are playing - the football is world class and there is so much quality in the team. We have some incredible players, especially in midfield. It’s a joy to watch such a beautiful style of football. Long may it reign.

TSH: For the band’s future preferences, what sort of aspects do you hope to maintain and stay true to?

Jim: You know, I feel like we’re always trying to prove something - it feels like we’re pushing ourselves to achieve something, but we‘re not sure what that is. Maybe it’s this unknown exploration that drives us in a way. Nonetheless, I am so proud of what we’ve managed to do to date and the whole band remains determined and optimistic about continuing this journey. It’s always exciting for us to get back into the studio to discover and unravel what the next step for James will be. Our next step is never a response to what we’ve done before; we don’t have a concrete plan of where we want to go. It’s normally a new connection or a reaction to something - we don’t have any control over it and we don’t consciously analyse things - we like to just let things evolve naturally. We just get into a room and something always happens. I guess the day it doesn’t click for us might mean the end for us. However, right now it feels like we’re able to get together and still do what we need to do. Ultimately, you get what you’re given. We’ve made a career of doing things with this in mind and we’ll continue to do so as we look ahead.

James - “Moving On”

James - “Born Of Frustration”

Living in Extraordinary Times

#Interview #James #Man City #Tim Booth #Jim Glennie

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