Catching Tales (Dlx) [Deluxe Edition, Import]

Jamie Cullum | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 3, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Deluxe Edition, Import
• Label: Universal Int'l
• ASIN: B000AD1NY4
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #134,680 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Get Your Way

2. London Skies

3. Photograph

4. I Only Have Eyes For You

5. Nothing I Do

6. Mind Trick

7. 21st Century Kid

8. I'm Glad There Is You

9. Oh God

10. Catch The Sun

11. 7 Days To Change Your Life

12. Our Day Will Come

13. Back To The Ground

14. My Yard

15. Wifey

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not quite "Twentysomething", October 11, 2005

By 

K. Bortz "fins up!" (Delmont, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Catching Tales (Dlx) (Audio CD)

On "Catching Tales", Jamie Cullum has modernized his sound. There's electric piano and sampling, and some good mature lyrics (as well as others about, well, catching tail) and Cullum even plays acoustic guitar on "My Yard". But it's not as magical to me as "Twentysomething", which still ranks as one of my favorite albums - perhaps because Twentysomething was more cover-heavy, making the originals that more special.

Musically, this sounds on this album mine from standards (I'm Glad There is You) to 70's style disco jazz (Mind Trick) to trip hoppy jazz (Get Your Way) to bossa nova (I Only Have Eyes for You) to straight ahead pop-rock (London Skies, also with Cullum on guitar). Much of it reminds me of Billy Joel or Ben Folds, and that's a good thing, and there's a lot of Fender Rhodes electric piano, giving the CD a definite 70s r&b jazz feel. It all sounds very good, but I would have like a little more of the organic feel of "Twentysomething". And I don't think the original songs on here have quite the instant hook that those on Twentysomething did, although "My Yard" is ready for top-40 radio and "Photograph" almost captures the greatness of "All at Sea". That said, this is heads and tails above other current releases and is a great breath of fresh air that you can easily lose yourself in.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Catching On to Catching Tales..., January 5, 2006

By 

Brittany Rose (Winnipeg, MB) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Catching Tales (Dlx) (Audio CD)

There have been a lot of reviews up to this point about how this album is no "Twentysomething". And they're right. But does that mean this album is bad? Nope. It's just different. On his latest disc, "Catching Tales", Jamie Cullum flexes his songwriting and genre-crossing wings to span across decades and styles of material effortlessly in another jazz-pop-folk gem.

First off - if you pick up the deluxe edition for an extra buck or two, which I recommend, you get wicked extras like commentary from Jamie on the liner notes...which oddly (or a stealth PR-move) reflect what he discusses on the bonus DVD included with the disc.

In terms of the sound of the disc, it really varies. The "nu-school" variety of songs are written by Jamie, his brother Ben (who contributed fab tracks like "All At Sea" on Jamie's previous album), as well as a few other notables like Ed Harcourt, a mellow rocker- who co-wrote the Tsunami-inspired slower track "Oh God", and Dan the Automator of the Gorillaz who worked on Jamie's first jazz-hop single "Get Your Way".

I tend to lump the guitar & drum filled "London Skies" & the piano-driven "Photograph" together when thinking of this album, as many reviewers will name them as the best tracks, and they are similar in tempo, pace, and style. Jamie's (and my Dad's) fave track is the mod-rock-Coldplay style "21st Century Kid" - an excellent potential single. Finally one of my three faves on the album is the last guitar track, "My Yard".

Jamie also borrows inspiration from other sounds loved in the past and present. "Nothing I Do" is a upbeat swing song inspired by tracks like "Mack the Knife", "Mind Trick" jives to a 70's soul vibe, another fave of mine, "7 Days To Change Your Life" takes an old jazz stance, while "Back to the Ground" swings to a sweet bluesy guitar and keyboard combo.

As for the covers, because really, every self-respecting new-age jazz kid must do some covers, Jamie picks an eclectic mix and certainly makes them his own. "I Only Have Eyes for You" takes on a minimalist approach, while "Our Day Will Come" Is an over-the-top calypso-inspired smash. The Doves cover "Catch the Sun" is fairly forgettable, and the "I'm Glad There is You" is a classic take on a classic song - a well-done standard.

Overall this is a solid album. It takes some getting used to, as it's a bit more scattered than Jamie's last effort. My only complaint is it doesn't have quite the same innocence or warmth attached to it as "Twentysomething" did, as if it almost seems a bit more digitalized. Still - this album kept me listening again & again and I look forward to seeing Jamie in concert next week!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars GrownUpMusic.com Recommended!, November 13, 2005

By 

Larry Harris "GrownUpMusic.com" (Los Angeles, Nirvana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Catching Tales (Dlx) (Audio CD)

While Rod Stewart continues to pump out drippy, uninspired, muzak-worthy "Great American Songbook" CDs (he's up to 4 now), fellow Brit Jamie Cullum is shaking up the standards and writing a few of his own with much more engaging results. Cullum fuses jazz and pop into a fresh sound that gets him invited to edgy musicfests like Coachella, but he's the boy you can bring home to meet mom. His smooth, sexy baritone echoes "The Stranger"-era Billy Joel, while his fingers fly over the 88s with Green Day fury. He takes risks. He experiments. But he never offends. Jamie Cullum is a musical cocktail party full of flirting, dancing and spin-the-bottle. And it's a party kids and parents can attend together. While we still consider "twentysomething" his best, Cullum gets props for stretching out on "Catching Tails" with the funky "Get Your Way" and inspired remakes of "I Only Have Eyes For You" and "Our Day Will Come")