CONTAINERS, THE - Self-Contained

Its difficult to miss James A Smith, hes about 67 for one thing. His music is packed with hooks and one-liners that are hard to forget. Thirty-eight years after the songs on this album were recorded, they are being released into a world that is finally ready to receive them. When he moved to London in 1977, you would often see James at the Marquee club, especially if Wire were playing, or at the Roundhouse for Elvis Costello, Split Enz, or the Buzzcocks. A couple of years later you might have caught him on stage during The Containers brief period of gigging. He was back in 1980, solo mostly, but called The Beach Bullies; maybe you saw him at the Hope & Anchor... or even supporting an early incarnation of the Thompson Twins. Like so many keen young musicians, he really worked at it. He tried longer and harder than many, but the breaks didnt come, apart from one solitary flirtation with vinyl. The 1980 release, We Rule The Universe, by The Beach Bullies, delightfully augmented by sin