Musical adventures into words

I don't think any rock fan can dispute that Psychocandy is a certifiable Classic, but what about The Jesus and Mary Chain's other albums? Sometimes I feel that too many people say they like this band without having delved into the other facets of the band's psyche. There are some solid gold classics that get overlooked in the face of that fuzz-squall tambourine-shimmying effort of domineering greatness.



This album has more room to breathe than the noise swell compression of Psychocandy. One thing a lot of musicians can easily forget is the effect that silence and the ease to breathe can have. Darklands is on a par with its predecessor and often I'm more in the mood for its subtleties and songwriting strengths. No chaos here, just fluid, lyrical, and melody-heavy indie pop. So shiny, so pretty, rather than the often all-out attack of that debut album. The optimism is a release and relief too. There are many dated 80s drumbeats to dance away too. It's also got my favourite and lost little ditty About You on it, which I often sing till my heart's content.



A laid back acoustic-lead slice of loveliness. Some dark moments, but plenty of bright pop hope. Sometimes Always, in particular, is a thing of sunny beauty, with honey gold vocals from the graceful Hope Sandoval. There's a down-and-out cowboys in some bar in the desert feel to this album, or at least a musicians on the road feel. I must say I didn't even notice, but have just been made aware that Shane MacGowan vocalizes on the song God Help Me, which actually reminds me of Spacemen 3 more than anything. Another thing is the brilliant pop brevity nature of Stoned and Dethroned - 17 tracks in under 50 minutes is some great feat. It's one of my favourite acoustic albums, Stoned and Dethroned indeed. First I owned it on ropey old C90, taped off a CD I loaned from the library, and it got lost and overlooked for a few years, then it got replaced in CD form for a birthday and it's been a gorgeous constant since.



Bought for about a quid in a bargain basement store, Munki is a kinetic leap back to the scrapey harsh rock of their early days only chunkier, weightier. Star track is the fizzy rush of MoeTucker, which is an indie pop thrill. And Fizzy itself is a shot to the veins, one of their best songs. Surprise entrance of brass on the single Iloverockandroll, which reminds me of Boo Radleys a tad. Late 90s post-Britpop feel to it. It's the sound of a band still alive and kicking, but again this album has been unnoticed and unrecognised in its greatness, and was the band's first studio album not to make the Top 40 charts.

It's sad how so many people just like/crave Psychocandy sounding Jesus and Mary Chain. There's such wide and far reaching scope to their efforts, real development and change, but always the constant underpin of melody gliding brilliantly through, which is what I love them for rather than the fact they once over-used feedback. Oh well, it's the masses' mad loss.