Psychocandy was one of the albums that stood in competition with Steve McQueen in 1985, and the brothers Reid were notorious for their violent and uncompromising attitude.
So interesting to read what they had to say about their rivals in an interview by JD Beauvallet in Summer 1988, in the French Inrockuptibles magazine. Beauvallet played them the “Truckin’ Mix” of “Faron Young” and asked them what they thought of it…
Jim Reid: “No… is that maybe Prefab Sprout? It’s not at all like what else I know by them. I saw them play a concert a very long time ago in Glasgow in front of maybe ten people. At that time it was the worst concert I’d ever seen… I like some of their songs but they irritate me. Them and us are polar opposites. I think they’d be very surprised to learn that we love some of their records… Do you think they like us? Yes?! In that case I love them <laughs>”.
William Reid: “I saw them signing records in a big store last week. I should have asked them to sign their last album for me”.
And actually, the rest of the interview, covering a lot of other groups, is in a surprisingly thoughtful and conciliatory vein. Whether they’d just been caught on a good day or wanted to wrong-foot the interviewer by being pleasant, I don’t know, but then again any band capable of producing “Just Like Honey” can’t be all black of heart.