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I really enjoy the whole album, but my personal favorites are: "Redneck," "Discover," "Wave Hello" and "Down to the Sea."

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Partial Return to Form   August 14, 2004
 4 out of 9 found this review helpful

Though a fan of the English band James until the end, there was a marked decline in their work after the high-water mark of Laid. The highs of each release were of such caliber that it was possible to ignore the dross, but it was there, and on the misguided Pleased to Meet Me, dross was mostly what was left. They did not go out on a high note. So it's a pleasure to say that singer Tim Booth's first solo album Bone is a partial return to form. He's melodically on his game - Booth has never been so steeped in standard blues; that plaintive form keeps him, musically, grounded. And he has a gorgeous voice - warm, expressive, open, eternally full of wonder at the complexities and ironies of life. Yet there's a tad of the shaman in him, which comes close to ruining a number of tracks here. "Monkey God" is a propulsive dance track tied to prime hippie dippy lyrics. "Discover" is the worst Bowie rip of all time. "Redneck" actually has the lyric "I'm just ice cream, it's all rama", rending the catchy tune pointless. However, if you can stomach the rough spots, there's plenty to recommend. "Love Hard" is a crunchy number in favor of infidelity. Ditto "In the Darkness". And the title track has my favorite lyric of the last few months; so obvious I can't believe it hasn't been written before: "Life's a bitch," Booth informs us, "and I'm her whore." Yes!


His name really isn't James?   May 19, 2005
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This is a great 'Solo' effort for Mr. Booth. Apparently Lee Muddy Baker a musician friend sort of pushed him along to record this in a bedroom. Don't be afraid, the production is quite good, and the selection of sounds and music is quite diverse and enjoyable. Any fan of Tim and much of the James catalog will enjoy Bone. The lyrical content is even a cut above in some cases. Tim's voice and vocal style is a mix of his most refined and emotional. He recycles "Fall In Love" from the "Badangel" album, one of the few songs of his I truly dislike. Besides this 'lowlite' the rest of it is better than I had ever expected from Tim without Brian Eno.


Welcome surprise   October 11, 2004
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

First, the answer to the obvious question...yes, James fans can buy with confidence. From the self-deprecating liner notes one would expect a hastily put together side project (Booth is working on acting & screenplays since James' breakup)-but this isn't the case at all. This is lyrically, vocally, and melodically a very solid & sustained effort-the right mix of harder & softer moments and a variety of tone & song structure that is much to rare nowadays.Hope this will help keep him in the game & on the map