Stutter (album)

Stutter is the debut studio album from English band James, released in July 1986. It was produced by Lenny Kaye, although the band had originally hoped to work with Brian Eno. After a bidding war between a number of labels, the album was released on Blanco y Negro, part of Sire. Artwork was provided by John Carroll.

Stutter
Studio album by
James
Released21 July 1986
RecordedEarly 1986
StudioAmazon Studios, Liverpool
GenreAlternative rock, indie rock
Length39:51
LabelBlanco y Negro/Sire
ProducerLenny Kaye
James chronology
Stutter
(1986)		 Strip-mine
(1988)
Singles from Stutter
  1. "So Many Ways"
    Released: 28 July 1986

Reception and legacy
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Martin C. Strong(6/10)[2]
NME(favourable)[3]
Robert Christgau(B)[4]
Sounds[5]

The album initially received positive responses in the UK and Germany where it was voted second-best album of the year by writers (and 16th-best by readers) of the influential indie magazine Spex.[6] AllMusic called it "Thin, spiky, jagged folk music" and commented on the performances by the band: "Tim Booth is a mere bystander to his wild vocals while the rest of the band watch Gavan Whelan have an absolute fit on — what sounds like — four drum kits at once. This is shoddy, shameless chaos. Nothing more than a terribly produced mess of tragic rock-star baiting and deliberate discordance. An amazing debut."[1]

The Guardian listed Stutter as one of the "1001 Albums to Hear Before You Die", praising the record thus: "Before Madchester, and before the Horlicks rock of "Sit Down" became ubiquitous, James were an invigorating prospect: a folk-pop band apparently engaged in a bout of pro-wrestling with their instruments. Their debut album clangs like a grand piano tumbling downstairs - leaving singalong melodies in its wake."[7]

Track listing

All songs written by James.

  1. "Skullduggery" – 2:43
  2. "Scarecrow" – 3:00
  3. "So Many Ways" – 3:46
  4. "Just Hip" – 1:46
  5. "Johnny Yen" – 3:41
  6. "Summer Song" – 4:16
  7. "Really Hard" – 4:13
  8. "Billy's Shirts" – 3:27
  9. "Why So Close" – 3:48
  10. "Withdrawn" – 3:42
  11. "Black Hole" – 5:29

Note: The song "Stutter", later released on the live album One Man Clapping, had already been performed live by the time of recording, but was not included on this, or any other, studio album by James.

Release details
  • UK 12" vinyl – Blanco y Negro/Sire (JIMLP 1)
  • UK cassette – Blanco y Negro/Sire (JIMC 1)
  • UK CD – Blanco y Negro/Sire (JIMCD 1)
  • UK CD (May 1991 re-release) – Sire (7599-25437-2)
gollark: I have some useful guidance somewhere, let me see.
gollark: So you should do your music thing in a different way.
gollark: Kc5f: apioforms rotating parallel to electroapiomagnetic fields are not particularly interesting from an apionic-analytic perspective.
gollark: Kc5f: anatidaephobia.
gollark: I was asking SectOLT, obviously.

References
  1. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r10157
  2. The Essential Rock Discography - Volume 1. 2006. p. 550.
  3. Haslam, Dave (26 July 1986). "Stutter: Reviews". NME. Archived from the original on 3 January 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  4. Christgau, Robert. "James: Consumer Guide Reviews". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  5. Levy, Eleanor (1986). "Stutter: Reviews". Sounds. Archived from the original on 3 January 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  7. "1001 Albums to Hear Before You Die - Artists beginning with J". The Guardian. 20 November 2007. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
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