James - "Stutter" (1986)

I really like James, ever since I bought my first tape with them during a trip to Southeast Asia in 1994-95. It was the album Seven, the cover looked so weird I couldn't resist it. The tape was then changed to a CD in Singapore, where my Walkman retired and a portable CD player was purchased. I'm sure my kids don't know what I'm talking about when these ancient machines are mentioned.

After Seven, I have over the years acquired not all, but most of, James' albums. However, I had no higher expectations for Stutter. Their first album, I thought. Inexperienced, no Brian Eno producing (which the band would have liked to) and, not least, 1986. That's right, 1986. Were there any good music produced at this time? Personally, I'm instinctively very suspicious of 80s productions, where good albums are the exception, and bad, synthish, cheap drum machine production is the norm.

But oh, how wrong I was. Stutter is a damn good album.

The band a lot later then 1986

It's a pretty crazy album, sprawling, unstructured, loud and full of youthful energy. And the typical 80's production? You see nothing of it, the production is exemplary timeless. The record takes the listener into the classic James territory, where the singer Tim Booth's characteristic voice competes with the band's frenetic playing. And the choruses are just as sweeping as James' choruses can be. This is an album you get pretty happy to hear. And what has become something of a hallmark regarding James' albums, everything ends with a quieter song. A concept that has lasted for 30 years.

I actually found the album here in Montreal, in one of the shops selling used vinyl. The owner seemed to be as surprised as me when he saw what I had found. It's not common to find James' albums over here.

A really good album that can be recommended. Fact is that I want to appoint Stutter to my favorite record with James, at least for now. Didn't think that when I bought it. Allmusic has written an unusually fun review of the record, which I quote as a conclusion:

This is shoddy, shameless chaos. Nothing more than a terribly produced tragic mess of rock-star baiting and deliberate discordance. An amazing debut.


Tracklist

Side A
1. Skullduggery 2:40
2. Scarecrow 2:57
3. So Many Ways 3:42
4. Right Hip 1:45
5. Johnny Yen 3:38
6. Summer Song 4:15

Side B
1. Really Hard 4:10
2. Billy's shirt 3:25
3. Why So Close 3:50
4. With Drawn 3:40
5. Black Hole 5:28