Be Opened by the Wonderful
# Be Opened by the Wonderful

Be Opened by the Wonderful is the 17th studio album by English rock band James, released through Nothing but Love Music on 9 June 2023. It contains orchestral reworkings of the band's songs from the Orca 22 orchestra led by Andra Vornici, also accompanied by the eight-person Manchester Inspirational Voices gospel choir, along with the new song and lead single "Love Make a Fool". Orca 22 will also accompany James on their 40th anniversary tour to support the record. The album debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart.

## Critical reception

Professional ratings :

| Review scores ||
| - | - |
| Source | Rating |
| XS Noize | |

Natalie Royle of Louder Than War wrote that "James have resisted the more obvious commercial route of simply repackaging their biggest hits", calling it "not only a showcase of some amazing James songs, it also is a masterclass in song rearrangement by Joe Duddell". Royle remarked that "there are so many layers and details to these songs and I am still discovering more after numerous listens". Iam Burn of XS Noize described it as "an alternative version of a greatest hits album – though there are several lesser-known tracks here too" and found that the presence of the orchestra and choir "allows James to find a new sound that works well". Rob Johnson of Total Ntertainment felt that the album "defies definition" and "acts as a sonic compendium of the band's entire career", also commenting that "for a band celebrating their 40th anniversary, it is striking how relevant they still sound".

## Charts

Chart performance for Be Opened by the Wonderful :

| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
| - | - |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP) | 38 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) | 2 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 3 |
