"James Blunt is definitely one of the most successful newcomers around. His single "You're Beautiful" topped all the charts and is still a huge success. In Europe, though, he was also very successful with his other singles "Goodbye My Lover", "High" and, most notably, "Wisemen". All these fantastic songs can be found on his album "Back To Bedlam".
"Back To Bedlam" is one of those rare albums with no filler tracks, nailing song after song after song. Blunt's style is mellow, nostalgic and melodramatic. He has a wonderful falsetto, which he often uses in his most emotionally charged ballads ("You're Beautiful", "Goodbye My Lover", "No Bravery"), but he never crosses the line of being corny or pathetic. Sure, there are a lot of artists of this style out there, but James Blunt is actually an awesome musician, a fantastic songwriter and a great singer.
He proves his singing talents even more on the second disk of this special edition of "Back To Bedlam". The second disk is called "Live in Ireland" and it is a live performance of most of the songs from the album, with three new tracks - "Where Is My Mind?", "Fall At Your Feet" and the fantastic "Sugar Coated". The CD is also enhanced with the "Goodbye My Lover" video, and a short documentary about the making of it.
This is a great double-disk to have in your collection. "Back To Bedlam" is an outstanding debut album, and it will be interesting to follow James Blunt's career from this point on."
VERY GOOD...BUT BEWARE
Patricio Almeida | Ecuador | 02/16/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"is the same cd that comes inside of the DVD "THE SESSIONS", so I got 2 now and don't know hat to do."
Mr. Blunt has my vote!
B. Snyder | Alaska | 01/24/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I love this CD. Be aware though, that the "F" word is used in Beautiful instead of "flying high" like it says on the radio."
Capo on the 8th Fret
C. CRADDOCK | Bakersfield | 06/16/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"James Blunt was everywhere all of a sudden. After they featured him on Oprah, sales went through the roof, his music was featured in big time bank commercials on TV, you couldn't turn around without hearing it blasting on the radio, he was on Love Monkey starring Tom Cavanaugh, before it was cancelled, playing himself, and who is that having his nipple nibbled by a super model on the beach at St. Tropez?
Why it is James Blunt. But being ubiquitous, as it were, has its drawbacks, so get ready for the Blunt backlash.
Some people complained they were sick of his high voice, hearing the song so much, and why did he put his capo on the 8th fret, on the song "You're Beautiful," making it sound like he was plucking a ukelele. He sounds like a stalker in that song, obsessed with some girl he will never know in the biblical sense.
To the scoffers I say, James Blunt has prevailed, and not only that, he has done pretty well for a drab looking English bloke who is not really very tall. That super model was his new girl friend, which makes the song, "You're Beautiful" a self-fullfiling prophecy, or if anything, it exceeds his dream.
Back to Bedlam is a great album by a promising newcomer who has already scored several hits on his first go round. Love the way the piano is woven around his voice and guitar in "You're Beautiful" and on the other cuts on Back to Bedlam."