Kings & Queens [Import]

Jamie T. | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 8, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: 101 DISTRIBUTION
• ASIN: B002IDH4U6
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #537,754 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. 368

2. Hocus Pocus

3. Sticks 'n' Stones

4. The Man's Machine

5. Emily's Heart

6. Chaka Demus

7. Spider's Web

8. Castro Dies

9. Earth Wind And Fire

10. British Intelligence

See all 11 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Operation (Live At The Electric Ballroom)

2. 368 (Live At The Electric Ballroom)

3. If You Got The Money (Live At The Electric Ballroom)

4. Back In The Game (Live At The Electric Ballroom)

5. Earth Wind And Fire (Live At The Electric Ballroom)

6. The Dance Of The Professionsals (Live At Electric Ballroom)

7. Sticks 'n' Stones (Live At The Electric Ballroom)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Some two and a half years after the release of his Mercury nominated debut album Panic Prevention , Jamie Treays is set to cement his status as one of the UK s most genuine and exciting young musicians with the release of his new album Kings & Queens on September 7th 2009.

But why the long-hiatus? Burnt out after a hectic period of touring following the success of his debut release (over 200,000 UK sales, tours in Europe, the US and Australia), Jamie decided to take his time with his follow-up and explore different musical avenues. Originally starting down a folk direction, he quickly scrapped this because, to quote the man himself: it was just a bit boring. What followed was an intense eighteen month period for Jamie and his production partner Ben Bones, where the sole mission was to create music that would make people excited. It was a tough period for Jamie, who put himself on creative lock-down, with the only music surfacing being the blistering Sub-Pop inspired punk-rap of Fire Fire, which came with a home-made video that felt like a late-80s Powell-Peralta skate movie. It was a track that exploded all over the blogs but left his fans split down the middle about what direction the Wimbledon born lad was taking.

They shouldn t have been concerned. By alternating between his garden shed studio and a higher-spec East London recording space, plus the decision to not release any music until he was 100% satisfied, Jamie has completely avoided the second album trap. In his words, I didn t do my second album. I did my third one instead.

Kings & Queens features eleven songs. And what songs they are. Short, sharp and punchy, mainly. Slow, dreamy and haunted, occasionally. Still pungent with the whiff of London streets and messy times, but less celebratory, more troubled and increasingly poetic, veering suddenly from the in-your-face facts of life, to cultural comedy and, inevitably, to surreal, anxious night-time imagery. It often sounds like the connection between the darkness and street violence of the early '80s and the obvious similarities to the tense, recession-hit Now, as a generation of kids raised to expect abundance and money find themselves thrown out of work by obscure mistakes in distant financial institutions. Nothing as direct or as dull as protest rock, you understand. Just snapshots of stressed young England from a precocious talent who has quickly evolved into an acute, self-possessed artist.

Kings & Queens is exactly the album that Jamie T's admirers hoped he would make... full of the gutter poetry, anger and humour of the first album. But tougher, more focused, more confident... and with even better tunes. Jamie is happy with his work, and typically defiant and self-deprecating in his ambitions for it. 'I made Panic Prevention four years ago. If this one doesn't sound different then it's a shame. This album was a process of freak-outs, then confidence, and then just... getting through it. If this album could achieve any one thing, it would be that it forces people to f*** off and let me get on with what I do. And for people to accept that I'm not going to do the same thing over and over again. There are artists that we all trust to do that, and I want to win the right to be one of those artists.' --Press Release

Product Description

UK vinyl LP pressing. 2009 sophomore album from the British Rap/Rock singer/songwriter. Some two and a half years after the release of his Mercury nominated debut album Panic Prevention, Jamie Treays is set to cement his status as one of the UK's most genuine and exciting young musicians with the release of this album. Kings & Queens is exactly the album that Jamie T's admirers hoped he would make... full of the gutter poetry, anger and humor of the first album. But tougher, more focused, more confident... and with even better tunes. Jamie is happy with his work, and typically defiant and self-deprecating in his ambitions for it. EMI. --This text refers to the Vinyl edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No sophomore slump here..., December 2, 2009

By 

BigBALLSPaul "Yes, they're huge..." (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kings & Queens (Audio CD)

Initially, I was worried that Jamie's sophomore effort wouldn't be nearly as good as his first. Now, after listening to it 10+ times, I venture to say that it might actually be better. It has a different feel than his first album, but unlike most artists' second albums, it feels good. I don't feel like I'm listening to something contrived and artificial - it's short and sweet and not overproduced.

5/5. Great album. Buy it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice work!, November 30, 2009

By 

C. A. Stewart (NYC, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kings & Queens (Audio CD)

This is a great follow up album for Jamie T. I loved Panic Prevention and was worried I wouldn't dig his second one as much. It has a bit more studio polish to it, but still works brilliantly. Go Jamie!!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars King of the Craft, November 27, 2010

By 

Lerfty Lucas - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kings & Queens (Audio CD)

Jamie T is able to make a great record worthy of many repeated listens in a bedroom or in a studio, it seems. I was unsure of how I would like this new record of his after being a fan of 'Panic Prevention' for a while. I heard a couple of songs from the CD and didn't know that I liked them as much as his "lower quality" recordings. I bought the CD, nonetheless. I am very happy with my purchase. I have listened to the CD probably 5 or 6 times, and am not a bit tired of any of the songs, and am enthralled by the way the lyrics are written, quite intriguing I think. I haven't even listened to Jamie's last CD since I got this one, though I plan to soon.. As soon as I can set this one down.