Music Arcades: James: B-Sides Ultra

So in 2001 someone in James or their management decided to copy the idea I'd had a couple of years earlier, after I got my mini-disc player, of doing a compilation of James B sides. The fools! They gave the fans a say in which songs should be included. Hence the cover versions get included, but nothing from pre-1990 (i.e. before Sit Down) does.

When it came out, I was surprised at how many of my favourite songs were not included — needless to say, I didn't vote. No Your Story, for instance, and no Wisdom of the Throat — that really is a great song. No Downstairs, still wonderfully harsh. And neither of the Oedipal-rage songs from the B-side of YaHo.

And not only that, I was surprised, given how many James singles I own in multiple versions, how many songs were on B-Sides Ultra that I didn't already have.

I always felt my original compilation was better. In fact I enjoyed it so much I made a second mini-disc compilation of the remaining B-side songs I had, filled out with a few of my favourite early songs that I only had/have on vinyl. The first disc would probably still make it as my third or fourth favourite James album. The Boy, who has learnt since last October to distinguish James-the-band from James-the-steam-engine (and James-his-cousin), did a good dance to Stolen Horse.

Disc 1	Disc 2
Downstairs Stolen Horse All Good Boys Imagine Ourselves Fireaway Undertaker Assassin Goalie's Ball The Lake Your Story Where You Gonna Run? Long to be Right Be My Prayer Promised Land Slow Right Down Wah Wah Kits Seconds Away America Building a Charge All One To Me	Mary I Defeat Wisdom of the Throat Pocketful of Lemons Long to See Island Swing Mosquito Left out of her Will New Nature If Things Were Perfect Hymn From a Village What's the World? Folklore Skullduggery So Many Ways Really Hard Goal Goal Goal Stand The Shining Make It Alright So Swell (Ambient Version)