"guitar wizard" - 5 best gigs - The Independent


"musically, lyrically and vocally, it's stunning and thought-provoking... a real artist in a sea of imitators."


Of James' 60-minute album, Coming Home to Stay:

JAMES HOLLINGSWORTH of Bristol, UK is talented. That's an obvious statement and one that few would argue over. It's the degrees of the talent that might cause a few to squabble. Is he a better singer, than guitarist? Is he a better poet than musician? Who's his contemporary in the American scene?? (You know how we love comparisons.) In the end, we all know it doesn't matter, but we enjoy trying to dissect another's giftedness as if to 'discover' for ourselves a shortcut to their greatness. But even if we're successful at pinpointing what it is that we think makes them special, without their particular DNA, we can only hope for, at best, a substandard duplication, but hardly a flattering imitation, of their uniqueness.

James Hollingsworth is UNIQUE and dare I go out on a limb, I don't think he has an equal, especially when you consider the sub total of what he does.., and how he does it. Yes, there's the obvious John Martyn reference that will undoubtedly arise when you listen to him in passing, but with the exception of them being fellow countrymen, the comparison is unfair, being more than a few generations apart, there's something decidedly more spiritual and mystical in James' writings. COMING HOME TO STAY is a journeyman's CD in that the songs represent many different stages of growth and musicianship as they span from 2001 to the present day. But the journey isn't necessarily his to travel along, but you're invited in a most intimate way to participate, from the opening lines of the first tune, Sooner or Later (2003) where he offers you the opportunity of common introspection:

When you look around the World
It's hard to imagine how things are gonna get better
Without feeling like an idealistic fool...

I don't wish to divulge my point of view on the remaining 11 tunes as what I truly feel and learned about myself as I listened is quite personal and I suspect you'll feel the same, if you give the full CD a full and complete listen. I can only implore you to take the journey with James through his poignant songbook in this latest release and then let him know personally how he's touched your soul, as he undoubtedly will. Musically, lyrically and vocally, it's stunning and thought-provoking and just sits well in your spirit as you listen...
- EDEN



See more CD's at James' website.

	This Mote in Heaven (single edit)		Melodic Dream Trance
	Remembering part of The Game of Clouds and Rain		acoustic techno
	What is This? part of 'The Game of Clouds and Rain' (Adventures in Loopland)		Club Trance
	The Hotter They Are Part of 'The Game of Clouds and Rain' (Adventures in Loopland)		Psychedelic trance
	Still Lights up the Rain (live) Recorded live at St George's Hall, Bristol.		Psychedelic folk
	Deny Denial		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Coming Home to Stay from the 2007 album 'Coming Home to Stay'.		Acoustic Ballad
	Faster than Light (live at Coombe Lodge)		Live Performances
	Sooner or Later (live) Recorded live at St George's Hall, Bristol.		Acoustic English songwriting
	Swansong (live) Recorded live at St George's Hall, Bristol.		Acoustic Ballad
	Our Own Little World (Acoustic Band)		Psychedelic folk
	Still Lights up the Rain from the 2007 album 'Coming Home to Stay'.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Way Down South from the 2007 album 'Coming Home to Stay'.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Saturday Road Ahead from the 2007 album 'Coming Home to Stay'.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Long Way Out from the 2007 album 'Coming Home to Stay'.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Sooner or Later from the 2007 album 'Coming Home to Stay'.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Eternity from the 2007 album 'Coming Home to Stay'.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Better Never Than Too Late from the 2007 album 'Coming Home to Stay'.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Cast down from the Skies from the 2007 album 'Coming Home to Stay'.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	You're not the only one from the 2007 album 'Coming Home to Stay'.		Acoustic Ballad
	Beyond Revelation from the 2007 album 'Coming Home to Stay'.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	The Bounty of Id from the 2007 album 'Coming Home to Stay'.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	The Same Sky (live) From the live album Alive in 2005.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Through the Eyes of Aliens Version 1. Improvisation. Tone-Accelerated Acoustic Guitar and Hand-drums dynamically massaged with an electronic Compressor		Experimental
	Taken Down from the 2007 7-song mini-album 'Seventh String', released 07/07/07.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	This is It from the 2007 7-song mini-album 'Seventh String', released 07/07/07.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	No News is Bad News from the 2007 7-song mini-album 'Seventh String', released 07/07/07.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Write it on the Door from the 2007 7-song mini-album 'Seventh String', released 07/07/07.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Zen from the 2007 7-song mini-album 'Seventh String', released 07/07/07.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Grace under Pressure from the 2007 7-song mini-album 'Seventh String', released 07/07/07.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana
	Quieter Lifetime from the 2007 7-song mini-album 'Seventh String', released 07/07/07.		Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana

	DMD Compact Disc Online Coming Home to Stay "musically, lyrically and vocally, it's stunning and thought-provoking... a real artist in a sea of imitators." - EDEN	Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana	info
	DMD Compact Disc Online Seventh String "James's voice is like a seventh string on his guitar, the effect is captivating." - The Eleventh Hour, Bath, UK.	Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana	info

Comments                                                Add new Comment   View All

SHIZOEY	11/20/2008 6:38:47 AM Hi. Please check the new fucking song out.... And tell us what you think Have a Great Week Best Regards SHIZOEY
caro	6/12/2007 6:24:51 AM Hey James, you have quite a few new songs...very nice :) i especially like the piano one (saturday road ahead). wishing you the best!
SILVERWOODSTUDIO	4/21/2007 6:59:21 PM James, thank you! I guess birds of a feather---do flock together!
caro	4/13/2007 5:19:29 PM tnx ;)
caro	4/13/2007 8:30:27 AM Very nice! I like the album cover really much as wel :)
		View All