Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears

Last updated

Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears
WendyjamesTEARS.jpg
Studio album by
Wendy James
Released8 March 1993
Studio
Genre Pop rock, alternative rock, pop punk
Length36:22
Label MCA
Producer Chris Kimsey
Wendy James chronology
Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears
(1993)		 I Came Here to Blow Minds
(2011)
Singles from Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears
  1. "The Nameless One"
    Released: 8 February 1993
  2. "London's Brilliant"
    Released: 5 April 1993
  3. "Do You Know What I'm Saying?"
    Released: 7 June 1993
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Christgau's Consumer Guide Scissors icon black.svg [2]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
NME 5/10 [4]
Rolling Stone (unfavorable) [5]

Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears is the debut solo album by English singer-songwriter and Transvision Vamp vocalist Wendy James, released on 8 March 1993 by MCA Records.

Contents

Background

The album was conceived after Wendy James had a chance meeting with Pete Thomas, drummer for Elvis Costello and the Attractions, during Transvision Vamp's final tour. [6] After asking Thomas if Costello might be able to help her with guidance or advice for a possible solo career, Thomas suggested she contact him. [6] [7] The album was then written in its entirety, in one weekend, by Costello, with several tracks co-written by his then-wife, Cait O'Riordan. [8] James told Melody Maker in 1993, "I sketched a letter to Elvis, reasonably long and philosophical, and sent it off, thinking nothing would ever come of this, it's a ridiculous idea. I didn't hear anything for a while and then Elvis's publisher rang up and said, 'He's written you an entire album, and if you like it, it's yours'. I was astounded. It's like, imagine if your favourite artist or performer of all time has just written you, personally you, your very own album." [9]

James received a cassette of basic demo recordings and a lyric sheet from Costello in December 1991 and she recorded the material in June 1992. [9] James briefly met Costello at a party after U2's Earl's Court concert on 31 May 1992. [9] Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears was released by MCA, Transvision Vamp's former label, which James signed with as a top priority solo act. [7]

Speaking of the album's material, James told NME, "Elvis is a man with a tremendous amount of insight. I'd only met him once, but he seemed to understand perfectly everything I had gone through. Some of it is pure storytelling, but overall it's an almost conceptual album which traces the successes and failures of my own career." [7] She added to Melody Maker, "All of the songs, from the melancholy songs to the glory glory hallelujah songs, are rather cynical. And there isn't a moment on the album where you can get away with anything, because you're being asked to look at yourself in a very hard-hearted manner every step of the way. There are many times when it's cutting someone's ego, whether it's mine as the singer, or someone else's." [9]

The album's title comes from a line in the chorus of Bob Dylan's song "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll". [10] James chose the title as it was a bit of advice she gave herself. [7]

Reception

Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears was relatively unsuccessful, only peaking at No. 43 on the UK Albums Chart. [11] The singles released from the album also met with moderate to minor success, with "The Nameless One" and "London's Brilliant" peaking at Nos. 34 and 62, respectively. [12] In 1994, Costello's demos for "Puppet Girl", "Basement Kiss" and "We Despise You" were released on his "13 Steps Lead Down" EP. [8]

Upon its release, Sian Pattenden of NME gave a mixed review. She described the album as "fairly proficient, but, more importantly, dull" and added that the "only excuse one can make for this sniffle of an album [is that it] prove[s] beyond doubt Costello has a sense of humour". She added, "It's all about Wendy and her world, which is not enough for ten songs. Wendy has only two emotions: 'irritated' and 'angry'. Unfortunately, she only has one singing style, which seems to be 'trying to resist the urge to shout'." [4]

Track listing

All songs by Elvis Costello, except where noted.

  1. "This Is a Test" – 1:58
  2. "London's Brilliant" (Costello, Cait O'Riordan) – 2:29
  3. "Basement Kiss" (Costello, O'Riordan) – 4:03
  4. "Puppet Girl" (Costello, O'Riordan) – 2:48
  5. "Earthbound" (Costello, O'Riordan) – 4:32
  6. "Do You Know What I'm Saying?" – 5:16
  7. "We Despise You" (Costello, O'Riordan) – 3:21
  8. "Fill in the Blanks" – 3:14
  9. "The Nameless One" – 5:30
  10. "I Want to Stand Forever" – 4:31

Personnel

Additional musicians

Technical

Charts

Chart (1993)Peak position
Australia (ARIA) [13] 132
UK Albums (OCC) [14] 43

Related Research Articles

<i>Mighty Like a Rose</i> 1991 studio album by Elvis Costello

Mighty Like a Rose is the 13th studio album by the British rock singer and songwriter Elvis Costello, released in 1991 on compact disc as Warner Brothers 26575. The title is presumably a reference to the pop standard "Mighty Lak' a Rose", and although that song does not appear on the album, the words of its first stanza are quoted in the booklet of the 2002 reissue. It peaked at No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart, and at No. 55 on the Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transvision Vamp</span> English alternative rock band

Transvision Vamp were an English pop rock band. Formed in 1986 by Nick Christian Sayer and Wendy James, the band enjoyed chart success in the late 1980s, particularly in 1989. James, the lead singer and focal-point of the group, attracted media attention with her sexually charged and rebellious image. They scored 10 UK chart hits and also enjoyed considerable success in Australia. Their top single was 1989's "Baby I Don't Care", which reached number three on the UK and Australian charts.

<i>King of America</i> 1986 studio album by The Costello Show featuring the Attractions and Confederates

King of America is the tenth studio album by British rock singer and songwriter Elvis Costello, credited to "The Costello Show featuring the Attractions and Confederates" in the UK and Europe and to "The Costello Show featuring Elvis Costello" in North America. Released on 21 February 1986, it peaked at No. 11 on the UK album chart and No. 39 on the Billboard 200. In The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics poll for the year's best albums, King of America finished at No. 2, and it was also selected as one of Rolling Stone magazine's top twenty albums of the year. In 2000, it was voted No. 540 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.

Wendy James is an English singer-songwriter most notable for her work with the pop band Transvision Vamp.

<i>The Delivery Man</i> 2004 studio album by Elvis Costello and The Imposters

The Delivery Man is the 21st studio album by Elvis Costello, released on Lost Highway Records, B0002593-02. It was recorded with the Imposters at Sweet Tea Studio in Oxford, Mississippi. It peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard 200.

<i>The River in Reverse</i> 2006 studio album by Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint

The River in Reverse is a 2006 collaboration between Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint. It received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album.

<i>Velveteen</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Transvision Vamp

Velveteen is the second studio album by English rock band Transvision Vamp, released on 20 September 1989 by MCA Records. The album includes the single "Baby I Don't Care", which reached number 3 in the United Kingdom and Australia. Velveteen reached number 1 on the UK Albums Chart and number 2 in Australia, where it became the 39th best-selling album of the year.

<i>Pop Art</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Transvision Vamp

Pop Art is the debut studio album by English pop rock band Transvision Vamp. It was released in October 1988 and features the band's first top ten hit "I Want Your Love". The album reached No. 4 in the UK, and peaked at No. 13 in Australia, where it was the 25th highest-selling album of 1989.

<i>Little Magnets Versus the Bubble of Babble</i> 1991 studio album by Transvision Vamp

Little Magnets Versus the Bubble of Babble is the third and final album by UK pop rock band Transvision Vamp. The album was released in 1991, two years after their UK No. 1 album Velveteen.

<i>Living in the USA</i> 1978 studio album by Linda Ronstadt

Living in the USA is the ninth studio album by American singer Linda Ronstadt, released in 1978. The album was Ronstadt's third and final No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

<i>Baby I Dont Care</i> (album) 2002 compilation album by Transvision Vamp

Baby I Don't Care is a budget compilation album by the British pop rock band Transvision Vamp comprising all their singles, selected album tracks and extended versions. It was released on CD in 2002 on the Spectrum Music label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">13 Steps Lead Down</span> 1994 song by Elvis Costello

"13 Steps Lead Down" is a song written and performed by new wave musician Elvis Costello that was first released on his 1994 album Brutal Youth. Written quickly during a day-long session, the song features lyrics referencing El Escorial and the twelve-step recovery movement. The track is one of those on Brutal Youth that features the reunited Attractions, Costello's longtime backing band.

"The Nameless One" is the debut solo single from former Transvision Vamp lead singer Wendy James. It was released in the first quarter of 1993 as the lead single from James' debut solo album Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears. Written by Elvis Costello, the song marked a more alternative direction in sound, slightly different from the pop/rock stylings of Transvision Vamp. The single met with limited success, only peaking at number thirty-four on the UK Singles Chart and spending just three weeks in the top one-hundred.

"London's Brilliant" is a song by former Transvision Vamp lead singer Wendy James. It was released in 1993 as the second single from her debut solo album Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears and was written by Elvis Costello and his then wife Cait O'Riordan. The single was unsuccessful upon release, peaking at a low number sixty-two on the UK Singles Chart.

"Do You Know What I'm Saying?" is the third and final single released from Wendy James' debut solo album Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears. The single was released in 1993 and was written by Elvis Costello.

Number One is the first album released by indie rock band Racine. The band was fronted by Wendy James, who was notable for previously being the lead singer of the late 1980s pop/rock band Transvision Vamp.

<i>I Came Here to Blow Minds</i> 2010 studio album by Wendy James

I Came Here to Blow Minds is the second solo album by former Transvision Vamp and Racine lead singer Wendy James. It was originally released in October 2010 as a digital album, but saw a physical release in March 2011.

<i>Wise Up Ghost</i> 2013 studio album by Elvis Costello and The Roots

Wise Up Ghost is a collaborative studio album by British singer/songwriter Elvis Costello and American hip hop group The Roots. The album was released on 17 September 2013, by Blue Note Records. The album's first single "Walk Us Uptown" was released on 23 July 2013.

<i>Look Now</i> 2018 studio album by Elvis Costello and the Imposters

Look Now is the 30th studio album by singer-songwriter Elvis Costello and his band The Imposters.

"The Other End (Of the Telescope)" is a song by American band 'Til Tuesday, which was released in 1988 on their third and final studio album Everything's Different Now. The song was written by Aimee Mann and Elvis Costello. Costello recorded his own version of the song for his 1996 album All This Useless Beauty.

References

  1. ↑ Henderson, Alex. "Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears Albums Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic . Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  2. ↑ Christgau, Robert (2000). Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishers. p. 148. ISBN   9780312245603.
  3. ↑ Willman, Chris (20 June 1993). "In Brief". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  4. 1 2 Pattenden, Sian (6 March 1993). "Long Play: Imperial Boredom". New Musical Express . p. 35.
  5. ↑ Perone, James E. (1998). Elvis Costello: A Bio-bibliography. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 106. ISBN   9780313303999.
  6. 1 2 "Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears – The Wendy James". Wendy James . Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Staunton, Terry (13 March 1993). "Wendy's Boat Comes In". New Musical Express . p. 12.
  8. 1 2 Mason, Stewart. "13 Steps Lead Down [EP] Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic . Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Mueller, Andrew (6 February 1993). "The Second Coming of Wendy James". Melody Maker . pp. 24–25.
  10. ↑ "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll". The Official Bob Dylan Website. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  11. ↑ "Now Ain't the Times for Your Tears – Full Official Chart History – Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  12. ↑ "Wendy James – Full Official Chart History – Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  13. ↑ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 13 September 2016". Imgur.com. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  14. ↑ "Wendy James | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.