The Jesus and Mary Chain – 21 Singles
Like the Velvet Underground, their most obvious influence, the chart success of the Jesus and Mary Chain was virtually nonexistent, but their artistic impact was incalculable; quite simply, the British group made the world safe for white noise, orchestrating a sound dense in squalling feedback which served as an inspiration to everyone from My Bloody Valentine to Dinosaur Jr. Though the supporting players drifted in and out of focus, the heart of the Mary Chain remained vocalists and guitarists William and Jim Reid, Scottish-born brothers heavily influenced not only by underground legends like the Velvets and the Stooges but also by the sonic grandeur and pop savvy of Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. In the Jesus and Mary Chain, which the Reids formed outside of Glasgow in 1984 with bassist Douglas Hart and drummer Murray Dalglish (quickly replaced by Bobby Gillespie), these two polarized aesthetics converged; equal parts bubblegum and formless guitar distortion, their sound both celebrated pop conventions and thoroughly subverted them.
21 Singles is a perfect, understated title for a compilation that nonchalantly illustrates just why the Jesus and Mary Chain are revered by post-punk partisans and are considered so influential. Sure, Psychocandy is the masterwork — ground zero for noise pop and shoegazing, a record that helped shift the course of indie rock in the second half of the ’80s — but to reduce their career to just that one record isn’t fair, since the albums that followed found the Mary Chain exploring interesting ground, whether it was swirls of feedback and noise or dark, haunting soundscapes. Although albums like Darklands and Honey’s Dead were consistent works in their own right, the group was often best heard through its singles — and, collected together on this stellar collection, they form a strong canon. Again, Psychocandy remains their masterpiece, but for a summation of their entire career this is first-rate, giving all their best on one collection that is essential for any post-punk or alt-rock library.
Track Listing
1. Upside Down
2. Never Understand
3. You Trip Me Up
4. Just Like Honey
5. Some Candy Talking
6. April Skies
7. Happy When It Rains
8. Darklands
9. Sidewalking
10. Blues From a Gun
11. Head On
12. Rollercoaster
13. Reverence
14. Far Gone and Out
15. Almost Gold
16. Snakedriver
17. Sometimes Always
18. Come On
19. I Hate Rock ‘N’ Roll
20. Cracking Up
21. I Love Rock N Roll
Details:
Title: 21 Singles (Best of)
Artist: The Jesus and Mary Chain
Released: 2 July 2002
Label: Blanco y Negro/American
Runtime: 1:13:14
Bitrate: 192 kbps mp3
Filesize: 103.1 MB
Download from Rapidshare
Read more…
admin Music Guitar, Indie, Indie Rock, Noise, Pop, Post-Punk, rock, World
