Albums like this throw the `review stars' system into complete disarray.
Briefly, 'Fresh as a Daisy' (what a GREAT title!) maps out James career in two distinct halves. Half the first consists of some of the finest, eclectic music you are likely to hear. Jingly-jangly folk rock served up with escalating intensity, like a slightly punked-up Fairport Convention, brimming with swerve and verve, vim and vigour.
The FC comparison is a fair one. `Chain Mail' `Johnny Yen' and the sparkling `Folklore' would sit snugly in the folds of `Unhalfbricking', despite being separated by a huge distance of culture, while the whole collection's stand out song `What For' provides what we may term (for the first and VERY probably the last time) thrash-folk, as it thumps, thuds and whistles it's way to its particular climatic conclusion.
Let's be plain, (hurrah! - imaginary Amazon ed) the first ten songs on this compilation are breathlessly, effortlessly brilliant which makes the rest, by their utter mediocrity, so very disappointing.
Maybe it's not entirely James' fault, they had a drawn-out disagreement with their record company which meant they had no product of any description on the shelves FOR YEARS.
When they finally emerged from legal limbo they'd become a rock act, all brass and bromide. The angry fire of the early singles had gone, replaced by turgid AOR and blunt preaching. Ironically this period saw them have hits, the pointless drone `Sit Down' being the biggest, and one of the worst. Closely followed by `Come Home'; the weedy 'She's A Star,' and seemingly hundreds of similar songs which could have been performed by hundreds of similar groups. Perhaps they owed thousands in legal fees and needed some cash quick, because the transformation from original, intelligent and inventive to bluff, conservative and tepid is SO pronounced after the enforced hiatus, it's almost like a slap. And the evidence is here on this cd, the most annoying excellent/poor hybrid in rock's excellent/poor history.
Which brings me back to my original dilemma, do I dismiss the later stuff and award a just and true 5 stars for their early work, or do I dock `em down to 2 for the moribund rest? (The remarkable `What For' is easily worthy of a star on it's own, so too `So Many Ways')
We're essentially dealing with two different groups, therefore two different works, but I must really hazard that no respectable music fan can expect to be taken seriously without the early recordings.
I suppose, being the indecisive cove that I am, I'll plump for somewhere in-between. Beyond the pontificating, commenting in generalizations and paraphrasing the great Boris Karloff; Cd1-Goood, Cd2-Baaad!
You could always be a top taste arbiter and isolate 'Chain Mail' and it's thorny folk cohorts onto a separate tape I suppose....

I've been enjoying music by James since my student days when I first heard the classic tracks "What For" and "Ya Ho" from the Srip-mine album. Back then Gold Mother had been released, followed up two years later by Seven. Both are great albums, imo, and this 2-disc Singles album gets the top tunes from each along with other well known James tracks and some tunes that aren't so well known. What you get as always are lyrics that question life, government, the human condition and the unique James sound and voice of Tim Booth. Recommended for James fans, and those who may be interested in hearing more of the band than just the big hits.

Unlike many previous reformations, this appears to be about more than a quick raid of your piggy bank to pay off the mortgage with some useless new tat and a bunch of old tat stuck together through contractual obligation."

Every band reforms these days. About the only people holding out are The Smiths, a band for whom acrimony is their bread and butter. After five years in the wilderness with nothing to show for it but a cameo in Batman, an obscure solo record and a period drumming in The Alarm, James are back. Instead of the usal cash driven rubbish, James present for the first time, the full scope of their work with a chronological, two hour collection of almost all of their hit singles (missing the first and third releases of "Sit Down" and the original version of "Come Home") and a couple of newies. Instead of taking the old singer and the old guitarist and building a karaoke tribute to past successes with new identikit session musicians, James took their classic lineup from their artistic and commercial peak, and here they are again.

"Fresh as a Daisy" is a necessary history lesson. Previous compilations have ignored James earlier, spiky years as quirky indie darlings, favouring the wider expanse of The Big Music. Here, they evolve, they grow from a caterpillar into an astonishing butterfly. With the first two, long lost, Factory EP's presented in their entirety, the start of this journey is the work of curiousity. By "Chain Mail" the band have started to find their melodic niche, moving into the age of vision and melody.

To be frank, you know what the main selling point of this compilation sounds like, and you've probably got it already - the uncool staples of indie discos with "Sit Down" and "Come Home" and "Laid" - widescreen visionaries with trumpets, unafraid to dream out loud and make fools of themselves in the process. (And fools they were, as anyone who has heard the slender but pointed "Destiny Calling" knows, they were unafraid of going too far). The main guts of "Fresh As A Daisy" are a perfect introductory point for the band, two hours of solid, superior stadium rock that showed up other acts who had a smaller vision but bigger ambitions for the charlatans they were.

Towards the end of it, James were starting to stagnate. "I Know What I'm Here For" is a lyrical fumble of scant substance, and "Getting Away With It" showed that the band perhaps needed to take a break to recharge after twenty years of constant work. The compilation comes to an end with two new songs from album number Umpteen (dependent upon your interpretation of what an album is), in the shape of the slinky "Who Are You?" and "Chameleon" that prove that the story is far from over, and that the flame still burns strong within them.

Well it's been a long time coming but the boys are finally back together, playing live and recording once again.
If you are new to the band then this is a pretty good place to start.
It starts off back in their factory days with tracks that only hint at the sound that is to come. moving through the whole sit down and come home phase where most people started liking them. (I could claim to be there at the beginning but i would have only been nine years old and would not have been let in to where they were playing).
The most exciting thing for me is the two new songs and I have to say that they are great. really can't wait for the rest of the new stuff.
Oh and by the way, if at any time you have to go on a long drive at night, stick Laid on in the car. don't know whyy it works but it is the most fantastic night time driving album.

Well James has meant a lot to me, I've seen them live well over 10 times. I guess they are my favourite band.

Unlike those below, I'm not allergic to the Seven "Simple Minds" era. To me James were expanding their sound, going widescreen. But still with their effortless ability to craft a hook and a chorus and a melody that stays with you.

As befits a band with a career dating back to the 80s James have had a number of phases. But despite these changes, they remain throughout definitively, distinctively James. Epic, uplifting.

Best of all, they are back, touring and writing new songs. 2 of them here, heavier (lots of base), more rock than folk (no complaints from me), and frankly fantastic.

Live fave Jonny Yen is not live by the way.