This bed is on fire with passion and love / The neighbors complain about the noises above / But she only comes when she’s on top

If you were a college student in 1993, those lyrics likely ring a bell. James had been around for over a decade before “Laid” and its mischievous lyrics landed the Manchester, England band its biggest U.S. hit, reaching #3 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.

Now some of us had been chanting along to “Sit Down” since ’91, and were entranced by the Simple Minds-like “Born of Frustration” the year after that. Even at that stage, James remained a music fan’s best-kept secret: an amazing band you wanted more folks to discover, while still desiring to keep them all to yourself. But “Laid” (and Laid, the album) broke through, and soon everyone and his drunk (frat) brother knew the lyrics.

Popularity breeds a concert tour, so James spent most of 1994 touring the States. But this newfound adoration was short-lived. That fall, they issued Wah Wah, a 23-track disc of aural improvisations recorded during the Laid sessions with producer Brian Eno. Meant to be viewed as a companion to Laid rather than a full-fledged album, Wah Wah‘s sonic wanderings left fans looking for “Laid Pt. 2” confused. For the record, I love me some Wah Wah, but I’m a fan of Eno’s ambient-rock (which is why I dig the new Coldplay disc, too).

Three years passed before James returned with 1997’s Whiplash, having weathered a band member’s departure and a delay brought on by lead singer Tim Booth’s side project with film composer Angelo Badalamenti, Booth and the Bad Angel. Whiplash continued James’ association with Brian Eno, and the disc boasted a nice balance of straight-up rock/pop songs (“She’s A Star”) and the group’s more experimental leanings (“Watering Hole”). One of my very favorite James tracks, “Avalanche,” beautifully melds both together. And “Homeboy” is pretty awesome, too.

Millionaires followed in 1999, and Pleased To Meet You in 2001; Eno was again behind the board for both. These efforts never made it on my radar, I’m sorry to admit, and reading reviews now, it appears I may have missed out. But back to the story at hand. Shortly after the release of Pleased To Meet You, Tim Booth departed the band, effectively ending James.

However, in January 2007, Booth announced that the Laid-era James lineup had reformed. After a well-received spring tour and greatest hits comp, the band began recording its 10th studio album, Hey Ma (alas, sans Eno). Hey Ma received a UK release in April, and is scheduled to reach these shores on September 16. James is again at the top of their game, as tracks like “Whiteboy” attest. Hear here:

Another standout track, “Waterfall,” was inspired by a skinny dip Booth enjoyed under Snoqualmie Falls in Washington ten years ago. He was in the area to collaborate with Angelo Badalamenti, and as clued-in pop-culture fans know, those waterfalls were famously featured in the opening credits of Twin Peaks, which Badalamenti scored. Take a listen to “Waterfall”:

James tours North America this fall, timed to the release of Hey Ma (the band stops at Chicago’s Vic Theatre on September 25). Booth couldn’t be more excited about the current state of affairs for his band:

“This is the best period of James I’ve ever been involved in. The band is reformed in its strongest line up (the ‘Goldmother’ to ‘Laid’ period), and everything feels fresh again. The response in Europe has been ecstatic and we are proud and excited to be returning to the States, where we feel we have some unfinished business.“

So, go on. The secret’s out yet again, and we’re all older, wiser, and I think, ready for everything James has to offer. But if you come for the concert, take off the backwards baseball cap, and promise to go easy on the fist-pumping when the band launches in to “Laid,” okay?

Hey Ma is available for pre-order via Amazon.