jesus and mary chain 'automatic' out on vinyl

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One of the seminal albums of my young waverdom is once again available on vinyl. Jesus And Mary Chain's 1989 album Automatic may be held beneath their first two classics, Psychocandy and Darklands, but it's the one I remember best.

The Reid brothers wanted to move on from their formative sound — so much so, the following album was entitled Honey's Dead, in reference to "Just Like Honey" — fully embracing drum machines and synth bass.

It's understandable Creation-era fans were disallusioned at the time, but listen to "Blues From A Gun" and tell me it's not epic:




And then there was "Head On" - probably better known as covered by The Pixies:




And for those who thought they had lost their edge, here's a live performance of "Gimme Hell":




So yeah, maybe it's not JAMC's masterwork, but Automatic is all right with me.

And just for fun, here's a 1994 MTV Studios performance of "Reverence" from the also underrated and also just re-released on vinyl Honey's Dead:

speaking of jesus and mary chain

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Yesterday's post about Crocodiles got me in the mood for some good ol' Jesus and Mary Chain.

Much like Joy Division and My Bloody Valentine, the Reid brothers have become more influential with age. Underrated in their day, they're a favorite touchstone of many a present day indie rocker.

Part of their appeal is their can't be bothered cool. Their unapproachable aloofness and sometimes earsplitting feedback provides a certain air — like they could give a shit if you're even listening — but the intensity of Jim Reid makes it too hard to look away.


Take, for example, this 1984 television performance of "In A Hole" from Psychocandy:




And this 1989 television performance of Automatic deep cut, "Gimme Hell":




The Reid brothers famously split in 1999, but reunited for a 2007 tour. This Oslo, Norway performance of "Reverence" from 1992's Honey's Dead proves they can still kill it:




I want to die on a bed of spikes...