First thing about pseudonyms, Jim – you don’t print your own name beside it, you wait for the interest to build and then you reveal your true identity, even years later. Even Paul McCartney got it right with the Fireman, sending the product to the press and radio stations with no clue to who he was, (yes, ok he admitted it later).
This “solo” record has received a lot of positive press of late, (stand up Billy Sloan, old pals act etc); however it should be judged objectively and, if Mr Kerr is serious about his oeuvre (and I’m not a chef), he should stand up and take it like a man.
The galling thing is that I probably wanted to write this off and give it a good old Betty mauling, or nailing, drubbing or even fisting – sorry, that is one goes too far but you get the gist.
Kerr is revisiting the past here, and on first listening it really was a past by numbers, bit of Low-era Bowie here, bit of sub-Kraftwerk here, with the same limited voice droning all over it. The fact of the matter was, and I am nothing if not professional despite no fees for this work (I have to say I would charge by the hour if it was my way), I listened for a couple of times more (some particularly long car journeys without children when radio reception was dodgy, so hardly the first choice) and yes, Wee Jim has turned me: there are some good hooks, the worrying thing was that I was still humming them in bed, readers you don’t want to imagine me in bed but there ye go…
There are still some reservations however (like the Indians have, no sorry the Native Americans) – the voice is very limited, the “tribute” to Billy Mackenzie titled ‘Return of the King’ has inexplicable lyrical content, i.e. no idea how this relates to the alleged subject matter but maybe it does. However, in evoking the MacK man, Wee Jim, for me, just illustrates his own vocal limitations.
Some latter tracks evoke the spirit of 90s era Peter Gabriel (the processed bass and heavy stylings) which would be ok if Wee Jim had the voice, the presence and the brain – however, I don’t know that this stacks up: on my listenings, no it does not.
The first few tracks however do have (grinding one’s teeth) some Killer Hooks – ‘Refugee’ and ‘She Fell in Love with Silence’ being good pop songs in any era, although for those of us of a certain vintage, recalling some Chameleons/Bowie and other assorted now minority interest sounds.
Is this good enough for Wee Jim?
I know that Simple Minds had their moments (I’d be proud to tell you that Empires and Dance and other albums were in the vinyl collection, although Live in Paris is the guilty pleasure) but from ‘Mandela Day’onwards there were some true war crimes and the credibility radar almost blew up…
In short, an interesting record, mainly recalling past glories and a “I’ve still got it” stance partially vindicated.