Barrelscraping
Robert Prieur / Melody Maker
10.07.1993
10.07.1993
The Jesus And Mary Chain
Sound of Speed
(blanco y negro)
The title is, of course, a joke.
You've got to admire their sauce. Since Psychocandy (three lines in and already it was screaming to be mentioned), The Jesus And Mary Chain have ploughed a lonely furrow, either morosely recycling their record collection, or, as they rapidly run out of styles to regurgitate, recycling their own back catalogue. This is a masterstroke. Ripping of T-Rex and the Velvet Underground is boring, ripping off the titles of their own ancient "Just Like Honey" and "Boyfriend's Dead" to come up with the title of their fourth LP was a breathtaking move.
Like the Manic Street Preachers, the Mary Chain have a barely visible but all-important humour running through their music, partly accidentally since they come across so seriously. From "Darklands" and onwards this has often been their saving grace. Their use of the same old trigger words is a gas. You can kinda predict that 1995's "Resuscitation" EP will feature "Jesus Teen", "Lowlife Lust" and "Bluesdriving". "Sound of Speed", a compilation of odd B-sides and bonus tracks, puts the emphasis on "fun".
High on laffs is the Reid Brothers' rendition of "My Girl". Stripping the song of all its exuberance, their handling is less David Ruffin idiot joy and more Leonard Cohen with a poll tax demand in his quivering hand. "I've got sunshine on a cloudy day", croaks Jim, and you wonder
why they didn't use this version over the end credits of the eponumous movie, seconds after Macauley Culkin has been stung to death by bees.
"Penetration" features a vocal reminiscent of Douglas Hurd telling a bawdy gag, and includes lines like "I'll take it till it breaks my spine/I'll take it till I die". Very Tunisian. Another sly gag is the inclusion of "Sidewalking", which was also on "Barbed Wire Kisses", their last collection of odds and sods. Just to piss off the trainspotters, I'm sure. "Tower of Song" is basically apocalyptic in its message, but includes the curious observation, "Hank Williams...listening to him coughing all night long" - a neat reference, perhaps, to the box set craze of issuing any unrealeased cack by "legendary" figures.
Yes, a future as Scotland's foremost fuzz/blues/comedy crossover act is assured. Which makes it all the more galling that people who speak of The Jesus And Mary Chain in hushed reverential tones will nod their heads in approval of this tatty collection of covers ("Little Red Rooster" - oh, mama), crud and deathly dull one chord workouts.
As long ago as 1986, Jim Reid said that what ever happened next he could always loook back with pride on "Psychocandy", a startlingly pessimistic view of his band's future.
"Sounds of Heavy Dopers" would have been more appropriate. "Sound of Sleep" better still.
This LP is, of course, a joke.
Sound of Speed
(blanco y negro)
The title is, of course, a joke.
You've got to admire their sauce. Since Psychocandy (three lines in and already it was screaming to be mentioned), The Jesus And Mary Chain have ploughed a lonely furrow, either morosely recycling their record collection, or, as they rapidly run out of styles to regurgitate, recycling their own back catalogue. This is a masterstroke. Ripping of T-Rex and the Velvet Underground is boring, ripping off the titles of their own ancient "Just Like Honey" and "Boyfriend's Dead" to come up with the title of their fourth LP was a breathtaking move.
Like the Manic Street Preachers, the Mary Chain have a barely visible but all-important humour running through their music, partly accidentally since they come across so seriously. From "Darklands" and onwards this has often been their saving grace. Their use of the same old trigger words is a gas. You can kinda predict that 1995's "Resuscitation" EP will feature "Jesus Teen", "Lowlife Lust" and "Bluesdriving". "Sound of Speed", a compilation of odd B-sides and bonus tracks, puts the emphasis on "fun".
High on laffs is the Reid Brothers' rendition of "My Girl". Stripping the song of all its exuberance, their handling is less David Ruffin idiot joy and more Leonard Cohen with a poll tax demand in his quivering hand. "I've got sunshine on a cloudy day", croaks Jim, and you wonder
why they didn't use this version over the end credits of the eponumous movie, seconds after Macauley Culkin has been stung to death by bees.
"Penetration" features a vocal reminiscent of Douglas Hurd telling a bawdy gag, and includes lines like "I'll take it till it breaks my spine/I'll take it till I die". Very Tunisian. Another sly gag is the inclusion of "Sidewalking", which was also on "Barbed Wire Kisses", their last collection of odds and sods. Just to piss off the trainspotters, I'm sure. "Tower of Song" is basically apocalyptic in its message, but includes the curious observation, "Hank Williams...listening to him coughing all night long" - a neat reference, perhaps, to the box set craze of issuing any unrealeased cack by "legendary" figures.
Yes, a future as Scotland's foremost fuzz/blues/comedy crossover act is assured. Which makes it all the more galling that people who speak of The Jesus And Mary Chain in hushed reverential tones will nod their heads in approval of this tatty collection of covers ("Little Red Rooster" - oh, mama), crud and deathly dull one chord workouts.
As long ago as 1986, Jim Reid said that what ever happened next he could always loook back with pride on "Psychocandy", a startlingly pessimistic view of his band's future.
"Sounds of Heavy Dopers" would have been more appropriate. "Sound of Sleep" better still.
This LP is, of course, a joke.
