Loving the freecycle music press I got from the later 80s/early 90s. Today, I read May 26th 1990’s Sounds. Pop Will Eat Itself and Cicciolina on the cover (as well as, erm , Fish from Marillion)
This copy was also James – heavy, with a review of their breakthrough album, Goldmother. I was instantly transported back to me as a 16 year old.. even at that time a ‘long term fan’ of James…. of course, it was all via Morrissey’s blessing (like the Primitives and Bradford), but there was genuine vigour in the first couple of James albums… and best of all, they were underground. Then the ‘crossed over’. I had no idea what that meant at the time, til my little secret band were public property in the 6th form common room. However good Goldmother was (in hindsight, it was ‘OK’), I couldn’t bear to be in with the hordes and so abandoned them like every indie snob should do.
This carried through well into my 20s and probably still exists.. I just don’t see enough media to know if bands I like are that successful. The Darling Buds never crossed over, so I carried on loving them through all three very average albums happily knowing they were ‘mine’ , as was the case with semi obscure favourites such as Momus , the Primitves , the Lilac Time and so many others.
But James were the ones who broke my heart and opened my condescending snobbery. And for that, I’m grateful
armyourears.com 