James, December 1986

“Fierce superstitions defused with a laugh”

James’s first LP Stutter was released the same year as this review.

James were always one of my favourite live bands. I first saw them in 1985 in a small club in Liverpool so I’m guessing this was the second time.

I’m not sure why the review reads “it prefers to be obvious” in the final paragraph. I suspect this was down to a Melody Maker copytaker or subeditor. I’m trying to think what I might have written but I don’t think it was that. Forty-two years later, I don’t think I have much chance of remembering.

JAMES

Liverpool University

Melody Maker, December 20/27, 1986

JAMES have the sort of fans who would sing along to a Pan book of horror stones: greatest hits, earwigs, brains, and audience participation are all evident but "Skull Duggery", their most macabre narrative, is kept near the end. James introduced things as "This tale is about..." and tales are what they are all about. If there's a folk element in James it's less folk music and more folk memory - glimpses of fierce superstitions defused with a laugh.

Before they arrived we heard Talking Heads on tape, and tonight's narratives share their coolly manic tones. Yet these True Stories have an English sensibility torn between reticence and abandon and are concerned with English preoccupations like the sea, death, depression, and eating.

The words are important, but they never tell you what to think or what to make of what you think already. The group looked like the least interesting people you could ever meet in a student's union bar - except, of course, their lead singer Tim Booth whose preposterous voice, preposterous dancing, and all too innocent eyes set him apart from the crowd.

The others just play, and sing their lilting, galloping, jarring stuff with tear-away drums, soar-away voices, sweet piercing guitars and Aran-knit sweaters with Ray Bans! It's not quite noise, not quite songs, just music: a music that once pierced with a shocking directness. With that choice of fashion, that guitar, and that energy it could be pretty but it prefers to be obvious. Tunes, rhythms, and words don't quite go where you expect but you go with them anyway. The audience dances, sings and shouts as if it was just another group. It's very English after all to pretend that everything's normal.

Back in the 21st century

Tim Booth has a book out - a novel called When I Died for the First Time.

Listen to James

Here are James doing Skullduggery live in 1985.

I have never liked the word “earwig”. It reminds me of a bad dream I had as a child.