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James Blunt spent a year in Kosovo as a soldier in the British Army, and that exposure of the horrors of strife and conflict inspired the emotional tenor of his work as an artist. Lie here on the floor and cry on my shoulder.Īfter you listen to this album, you'll feel you have a friend in James. Other prime tracks are "Wisemen" the second hit single "You're Beautiful" about a love that can never be (watch out for the single, totally unexpected expletive) and "So Long Jimmy" and "Billy" which up the tempo just a tad.Īs the emotionally charged track "Cry" begins:ĭo you see the truth through all their lies?ĭo you see the world through troubled eyes?Īnd if you want to talk about it anymore, "Will you be my shoulder when I'm grey and older? Drawing from personal experience, he sings of love, heartbreak, pain, relationships and unattainable romance. Most of the other tracks display a lot of raw emotion. His voice takes a little getting used to, but the track "Goodbye My Lover" brings to mind Supertramp's "Goodbye Stranger" from the Breakfast in America album. Colorful background aside, it's hard to imagine his reedy falsetto warbling through the streets of Serb villages or recording music in his landlady's bathroom, but that's exactly the way it happened for James Blunt. This album is not something you'd expect from a guy who studied engineering, was a part of the NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo, rode horseback for the Queen and watched over the Queen Mother as she lay in state. All of which prove that there’s a lot of depth to this modern, musical hero. And throughout, the arrangements remain understated yet effective, thanks to the input of such heavyweight producers and songwriters like Linda Perry and Guy Chambers.
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But Blunt also sings with conviction about matters of the heart, and that’s the territory that most of Back to Bedlam visits, with songs of loss like "Goodbye My Lover", "So Long Jimmy" and "Billy". success of singles like "You’re Beautiful" and "No Bravery" (inspired by his time stationed in Bosnia) are both heartfelt and sensitive, the latter packing an additional emotional punch beyond the typical lovelorn ballads of his contemporaries like Damien Rice. Swapping a rifle for a guitar, the former cavalryman’s ballad-heavy debut is a clearly aiming to win the battle for the public’s hearts and minds.
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Walking up to strangers on the London underground and telling them they’re beautiful.As a piece of propaganda, James Blunt’s album Back to Bedlam does more for changing the face of the British Army than a series of television adverts ever could. I did Bake Off with her and she is just awesome. Who would play you in the film of your life?Īlison Hammond. My hair, face, nose, neck, stomach, legs and feet. What do you most dislike about your appearance? I started shouting at a guy on the stage to help me up – but then realised he was the BBC cameraman and I was shouting, “Help me!” to the nation. My third time playing at Glastonbury, I crowd surfed, but the stage was too high to climb back on to. What is the trait you most deplore in others? What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? He is married with two children and lives in Ibiza. On 19 November he will release his greatest hits, The Stars Beneath My Feet (2004-2021). In 2004, he released his debut album, Back to Bedlam, which went on to become the UK’s biggest-selling album of the decade. B orn in Hampshire, James Blunt, 47, became an officer in the British army and served with Nato forces during the 1998-99 Kosovo war.