James - The Collection (2004)

The Collection is the third of four compilation albums by the British alternative rock band James. Released in 2004, almost three years after the band separated in December 2001, it contains an unusual mix of hit singles, key album tracks, B-sides, remixes and some rarer tracks, making the release useful for collectors. "So Long Marianne" (a cover of the Leonard Cohen song originally recorded for the 1991 tribute album I'm Your Fan) and "Confusion" (from the Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) soundtrack) appear here for the first time on any James release, "Once a Friend" for the first time on CD, "Lazy" for the first time on a UK release and "Coffee and Toast" for the first time as anything other than a download. The album was produced to provide a retrospective look at James' career; however, it was released with no marketing campaign and without any input from band members, generating little critical interest.