Among the millions of recipes for creativity, the one about putting yourself under pressure to do more than seems reasonably possible, just in case you end up pulling it off, endures. I inadvertently ended up in that position with The Book when the publisher first hinted that all I had to do was ask and an extension to my deadline would be granted, and then, when I did ask, told me that "might not be in my interests" after all. So I battened down the hatches, didn't say another word to him for 10 weeks, knowing I had to write a full chapter each week. And I did it. Word has it that U2 did something similar with this album though according to Wikipedia it was Bono cracking the whip. And they did it — more or less, allowing for a little touching-up in the subsequent weeks. I wonder if that's where Eno got the idea of pressing James to record two albums in six weeks, also in 1993.
I give the results 3½ stars out of 5. There. Big deal. Who cares about me giving marks, when millions have already voted with their wallets? What I suppose I mean is that I feel it's a mitigated success. Some good songs, some innovative songs, but also a bit of filler and the odd naff moment. Well done, chaps: at least then your ambition went beyond just maintaining your Big And Famous profile.
MusicBrainz entry for this album
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