Reviews (page 8 of 8)
My friend in high school had a weird obsession with this band and would basically never stop listening to them. I thought they were ok then and ok now.
Frábær plata. Hlusta á hana reglulega. Sá þá í London fyrir fimm árum. Var snilld að sjá þá live.
Frábær plata! Ekki hlustað á hana í gegn í dálítið langan tíma. Besta plata J&MC er samt Psychocandy. Hún er stórkostleg.
Solid, betri en ég átti von á. Fengi 3.5 ef það væri hægt en slefar ekki upp í fjarkann hjá mér
I'm a fan of the dark environment they create in their music. Sometimes you need a little darkness in your life, and this one hits the spot.
I had heard of them, but don't remember hearing their music. This album was released when I was in college, so I probably did hear some tracks given the band's college-radio-friendly sound (that's not meant as an insult; just reminds me of the music I'd hear back then on college radio stations). Not only am I glad I got to hear them, but it's also cool to learn things like this band is primarily a pair of brothers from Scotland. I like Jim Reid's guitar playing, especially when he plays clean - sounds like a Tele to me, and I love clean Tele sounds (not so much chicken-picking, but arpeggios and melody lines), but honestly, I'm way too much a beginner to really know; I'm just going with what's familiar to me. I mostly love that he doesn't overdo it on his guitar. The restraint is admirable and totally enhances the atmosphere of the music. Truly nails it. They write very well. Nice sense of melody, good balance of light and dark, and smart use of harmony. Not so broody and moody that they sound like tons of other broody and moody 80s and 90s bands, but enough dark texture to draw my ear's interest. Some of the songs get downright experimental, and if the whole album were like those tracks I doubt I'd like it so much, but I hear it as part of the overall feel and it's fine with me. I really like this album. So glad I was introduced to it!
Decent vibes
Like… watching… paint… dry. Which may also be what the lads are doing on the cover. I’m trying real hard (and judging by the results, a lot harder than The Jesus And Mary Chain seemingly worked on 'Darklands') to find the right adjective here. ‘Dispassionate’ doesn’t work, for that implies strong emotion. ‘Disinterested,’ ‘impassive’ seems to work better. I read a book years ago written by Kathleen Norris in which she identified a condition called ‘acedia’ meaning a kind of spiritual or emotional sloth, apathy. I believe the Reid brothers, Jim and William, might be suffering from acedia. I mean, for God’s sake, they barely utilize a drum machine for much else than one droning beat, the only instrumental break was the very last song with a guitar solo that was literally four notes, and they sing with little or no fervor. Pat Boone comes across as Roger Daltrey in comparison. And if the music leads you to draw a bath of warm water, then the lyrics make you grab the razor blade and start your descent: ‘As sure as life means nothing and all things end in nothing… I want to go.’ ‘I have nothing left to give for you to take… there is nothing left of me.’ Here’s a particularly cheery one: ‘Everyone’s falling on me and I’m as dead as a Christmas tree.’ I take it he’s referring not to the beautifully adorned and twinkling lit ones in December, but the really super dead ones that are drug out to the curb with the rest of the trash in January. The best song on the entire LP was the last one, both because there was the tiniest glimmer of positivity in the lyrics, but mostly because it was the shortest one of the bunch. And boys, your LP must have infected me with a bit of your acedia, because I’m not even feeling any of the shock you desired when you named your band, The Jesus And Mary Chain.
I pretty much like everything this band has done, I bounce between this and Honey's Dead as my favorite.
Not my favorite. Very different but didn't love it.
Que sorpresa….. un sonido duro pero depresible… como un dará más violento… quizá inicio de Indie. Sountrack para un ventrue
Pop-rock cansino. Un 2.
Did it help that I listened to this on a wet, overcast day? Probably.
A rare 80's pop rock album that isn't incredibly dated. It's also not super memorable in any way. Best track: Darklands
Good early alternative. Solid
Listened before? N I've heard of these guys before but never really listened to them. This one was pretty good! Reminds me of Echo and the Bunnymen a bit. I enjoyed it. Added to Library? Y Songs Added to Playlist: Happy When it Rains, April Skies
Love the JAMC! Distinctive sound, good lyrics, never gets old.
It was ok. Not as bad as expected
3.5/5 This one is more accessible then the other album I rated. The sound trough out the album stays somewhat the same, but it’s good. Favourite songs: - Darklands - April skies
A probable link between '90s grunge and '80s new wave. Apart from the sweet guitar riffs and some decent alt-rockish hooks (which are only in the first half, btw), this album is neither interesting nor enjoyable as a whole.
I only knew pyschocandy. This is a lot more mellow. Still a a good listen.
I really like The Jesus and Mary Chain. This is not my favorite album from them, but it's still a very good one.
on paper i should like this, i don't not like it, but don't know when I'd choose it, especially given it sounds a bit 80s now
I really dig it
I could listen to a lot of this.
Back in the 80s I enjoyed a lot of the new wave/alternative music, but I was never into it enough to delve deep into the different artists. As a result, I was never sure when I heard a song if it was Jesus and Mary Chain, The The, Psychedelic Furs, or any number of other faceless new bands. Giving this a good listen now though, I’m pretty impressed with this band. Really good stuff that I need to listen to again. 4 stars.
ponderous but rudimentary
3,5; classic and smooth rocking, great guitars, nice vocals, I enjoyed it very much
some good melodic tunes, too long and too many songs sound the same.
This album was short and sweet and captured some of the essence of J&MC. "April Skies" is a standout, but the overall tone, earnestness, and emotion of the album is strong. Yes it's a bit mopey and emo, but what do you expect?
This album was nice. A chill vibe.
Not as revolutionary as their predecessor and noise pop masterpiece Psychocandy, but it's just as solid. Plenty of amazing tracks, including the bonus "Some Candy Talking" that I pretend is included, sounds inspired by Velvet Underground. Has a very 60s jangly psychedelic pop sound, with matching dreamy vocals and the familiar 80s alt rock / New Wave production. A lot clearer than Psychocandy, but many tracks are definitely fuzzy, doing what they do best. More accessible for sure, but I'd still recommend Psychocandy to people who want to see what makes them so mind blowing. Highlights in every track, with some cranking the speed ("Down on Me") while others contributing to a dark chasm of an atmosphere ("The Wall", "Nine Million Rainy Days").
Ну неплохо так, задорно
pretty forgettable
Основатели шугейзинга не особо впечатлили. Есть пара песен, которые более менее понравились, но на этом все.
Was good, love the voice and the tone
Miserable Glaswegians sing about depressing things in a public toilet. It's an album smothered in rain clouds but occasionally poppy melodies break through like a bit of warm sunshine. Best Tracks: Darklands; Happy When It Rains; April Skies
Boring
I remember seeing The Jesus and Mary Chains at Loopaloza 1992. They were a middle of the day act and I believe Ministry came on after them. They had a much more edgier style which makes since with this album being their second release and in the 80's still. I was not in love with the first few songs of this album but started to feel more like the band I saw as we got past song number 10. Not a bad album but I think that out of their whole catalog there may have been a better representation of the band.
Legalzinho Melhor música: april Skyes
I don’t know how I’d missed this!
Reminds me of velvet underground but not as good
De va swag!!
Pleasant soft noise pop tunes
Kinda swag... men galninggodis ärbättre
Getting past one’s expiration date is one thing, but this stuff is bland all over. Whiny borefest with tons of feedback.
This is absolutely decent. But I really can't wrap my head around what could make this album relevant enough to warrant inclusion on the list.
7/10
Boring but not bad.
A solid proto-shoegaze LP filled with lush chord vamps and looming vocals. Spoiled this one a bit by knowing J&MC's later work - this album does feel a bit stuck in second gear when every song is centered at the ~90 bpm mark, especially when this band can really crank it out on uptempo tracks.
I used to listen to this band and had one of their albums back in the day. I probably would not have ever looked them up to listen again. Not that I disliked them. They were a product of their time and were influenced by 60s and 70s rock and roll as well as late 70s punk. They produced a decent sound and generated some excitement but not enough to get to the next level.
As I recall, their first album garnered interest because of the feedback and production. That sound seems to have been stripped away, leaving them to be judged here on the vocals and the song writing, which I find dull and uninspiring.
I’m really done with Shoegaze. It seems that every other album that comes up is either Shoegaze or Brit-pop so this band is collateral damage.
Huge Rolling Blackouts vibes from track one and then scattered throughout.
Great guitar wall of sound. Reverb and atmosphere for days.
I really dig this, totally a vibe. Will have to check out more of their stuff.
A pretty decent alt rock album. Never listened to this band before but their sound wasn’t too unfamiliar. Their choruses were pretty good on some of the up best songs. The lyrics are a bit deeper and darker. Some of the songs felt a bit too melancholy and gothic but overall it had songs I’d listen to again. 6.4/10
Really good
A bit of a surprise that this album is from 1987. It clearly was early and/or inspirational for some of the 90s sound. Shoegaze is an appropriate category.
I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would, and I feel I really slept on The Jesus and Mary Chain.
I thought to myself, NO MORE PUNK. And they listened, and I actually enjoyed this. I just... am done with punk.
Tän tyylinen masistelu ei oo ollenkaa mun juttui man
JAMC resonoi kyllä vahvasti oman musamaun kanssa ja tälläkin levyllä parhaat biisit ihan huikeita. Kuitenkin n. puolet vähän heikompaa.
Tästä tykkäsin. Kivaa post-rock-fiilistelyä. 4/5
fuck off you rock fuckers
4 for sure. Love their floaty grunge sound. And this album doesn't even have their big hit on on.
ok
Found it quite plain. Pretty much all around, the vocals and instrumentation don’t leave much of an impression. 3/10
Rock alternativo.
Uno de los grandes defectos de muchos discos está referido a que no es posible distinguir una canción de otra. Este disco sufre mucho de eso.
Love it. Boundary pushing indie pop; jaded romance.
Great noise pop, love this genre, Psychocandy is better though and by a solid margin.
Solid alt rock.
This is not how I remember JAMC. The Beach Boys influences are easy to hear, and they've updated them incredibly.
Nothing particularly exciting but enjoyable
It was pretty boring. Enjoyable enough to not skip but having it on in the background nothing really stood out and made me stop and think about it.
I was waiting for something exciting to happen on this album and it never did. I certainly didn’t mind listening to it, I don’t think I’d go back to the whole album though. Darklands was good and finished up nicely with About You.
This album was confusing... 60s style songs, 90s style grunge but with 80s drum kit. The whole thing felt... "blah". Uninteresting, nothing standing out. No favorite track.
Meh
Pop tranquilo. Pocos acordes. Tranquilo de escuchar. Buena voz. Muy de la década de los 80.
I guess I can see why this was popular in the timeframe it was released. I find it unremarkable though.
Not quite fun for all the family. I never quite figured out the fuss about JaMC in the "mature" music press back in the day. Older and "mature" myself now, I sort of get it. Sort of.
Brings me back to high school. Not the greatest album but I enjoyed listening to it.
3.5. Pretty good.
Certainly a lot better sound than one that I was imagining, quite pleasant to listen to. I certainly hear overtones of the Beach Boys in some of the tracks which came as a bit of surprise. One I would possibly listen to again
3.5/5. I mean, it’s a vibe I guess but they didn’t have to make Just Like Honey every song
pretty good introduction to new wave/post punk.
4.3 - Perhaps it's a testament to the gripping power of "Psychocandy" but my first instinct when listening to this album for the first time is to understand it within the context of "Psychocandy." In actuality, to me this album is way more pleasant and approachable. Songs like "April Skies" are just pop delights. "Fall" has just hints of that fuzzy guitar sound that they'd blow out so completely on "Psychocandy." There's an expansive, shimmery and atmospheric sound - wish I had listened to this album before attempting to understand "Psychocandy." Though my path here feels somewhat circuitous, I'm really happy I finally got to this great record.
I need to go through the lyrics. Sounds to me like a phoned in album. Lead singer doesn't sound like he's even into it.
2/3
My first thought, when listening to this album, was that it was a pretty decent, run-of-the-mill rock album for the mid '90s. That I looked and saw that it was released in '87. Turns out, it's actually a pretty decent rock album that was ahead of it's time. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Solid 3 stars.
Inevitablemente surge la comparacion con psychocandy y queda claro que se nutre de ese, sin embargo, este es mucho mas pop sin dejar de ser oscuro, como seria de esperar
Decent album. Bloody loud live!
Pretty good. Very similar throughout, but still solid.
Nope
each day is getting better but we are not there yet, felt like generic 80's music.
Another unknown, and another cool album. It's similar in spirit to the two '80s alt rock albums that we started this week with, but it feels more refined. I enjoy the singing more on here and some great melodies. I swear I've heard "On the Wall" before, but it may just have been a similar tune. This one was really enjoyable. Favorite tracks: Darklands, Happy When it Rains, April Skies, On the Wall. Album art: Really solid framing/text, and the picture is decent. Not super memorable but I like this one. 3.5/5
Consistency: 10/10 Tunes: 8/10 Really neat album and artist
First Listen. LOVE their sound. Every song sounds great. Can't wait to get to know this one better. 2/5 for now, but I can tell this will be higher, next time I listen to it.
Doesn't hit the heights of Psychocandy for me.
Great, but a sign of diminishing returns. They really should have stopped after this.
33 tracks and a 1 hour 44 minute run time? That's a lot. First song has some vaguely U2 sounds to it. It's growing on me over time - there's a sort of campy Suicide meets the Doors feel to it. The Surfin' USA cover is suitably dark and gothic.
It was ok. I enjoyed the original release tracks more than the 2011 expanded additions. Stand out track: Happy When It Rains
I know this band exists, and I know they are held in high regard, but I must admit, outside of Fool's Gold, I hadn't listened to much else. It's a nice enough album, a little 'of its time' for me. I'm sure the Brits still froth over it.
New wave 80s, not impressed.
Better than I expected, but not really my kind of thing. Happy when it rains is a cracking tune, and they get a wee extra 🌟 just for being Scottish!
Really love this kind of sound. Great guitar work. Almost a mix between jangly and droning that somehow works? My only issue is that it’s a bit samey, but it’s a minor issue. Just barely holding it back from a 5.
Dreary and Moany. Interestingly enough, while that usually strikes me strongly, this one missed me to some extent.
When you listen to this you realise how influential they have been. So many bands today, especially American indie bands, Sound like The Jesus and Mary Chain. Enjoyed this album.
Legendario.
Part of me wonders why people are so quick to hype up Psychocandy as a total masterpiece when this follow-up is actually stronger in some areas. Less abrasive and groundbreaking, sure, but the production and song writing, especially on highlights like the title track, "April Skies," and "Only Happy When It Rains," are leagues above most of its predecessor.
Another pretty heavy 80s sound. Tried to keep an open mind but wasn't really for me.
Darklands by The Jesus and Mary Chain (1987) It’s refreshing to hear baritone voices in a rock mix, but drum machine and lack of bass lines destroy this relentlessly boring attempt at music by two archetypically untalented sibling guitarists. Lyrics make you wonder what was on their alleged minds. Because they are ubiquitously expressive of completely numbed souls—delivered with an equally numb vocal tone quality. They sink this dud into a muddy abyss. Slowly. Don’t listen to this album before you die. Save it for Purgatory. 1/5
Not the impact of Psychocandy but still a very good album, nice to see it on the list!
No, this is not doing it for me. Wouldn't mind having it playing in the background, but it sounds lethargic at times and overall leaves me cold.
Meh
Sleepy, sparse, and subdued. Short, I was surprised when it was over. Has that 80s/90s production that I hate, where everything sounds like it was recorded in a tunnel. I like the ideas, but there's nothing I'm crazy about here. Favorite tracks: "Nine Million Rainy Days", "Fall"
Not very memorable
Slow, sad 80s. It was fine, not my favorite.
This band has definitely been a good discovery for me in 1001 albums. Enjoyed the last one too!
Not a massive fan but it ain't bad
Not their debut but fine nonetheless.
Feels like one continuous song called "Rainy Day" and It's one really nice day :) Nothing special imo, but at least it's not punk
An album with a proper start middle and finish. Came to love the Jesus and Mary Chain in the last few years bug never got to hear it when its contrast to Kylie and Jasons shite was the mainstay of popular music in the UK
Pleasant enough to listen to, but monotonous in some ways and somewhat simplistic, laid back, but just kind of average
When I was a naive, church-going 13 year old, I thought this band and The Jesus Lizard were probably satanic. They seemed way more out of reach than Metallica or Slayer to me. Pretty funny to find out they're pretty much just dark pop. There isn't a standout to me on this album, but I do like listening to all of these.
I’ve always wanted to like this band because they are undeniably cool. The music itself though… I could kind of take or leave. In hindsight, I feel as if I should have listened to it much louder than I did. Suspect it would make a greater impact. Also, I saw them live at Lolapalooza the same year as the Chili Peppers. They played at like 3 in the afternoon which felt wrong on every possible level.
19 year old me's top 10 album to walk the dog and smoke a cigarette to
30th September 2021 Listened in the morning while getting ready for work which I'm finding is the best time to listen to these. I knew GMC from just like honey and thoroughly enjoyed this. Pulp meets the National.
Hummmm paso sin ver
Cool dreamy vibes, grungy but melodic. Was very surprised they're Scottish as it's a very American sound - nice guitars and vocals.
Another band I know are supposed to be Very Important but that I have never taken much time to understand. I know Psychocandy is supposed to be great. Straight up, with Darklands, I like the song but detest the intensely 80's drum sound*. I like the Scots brogue of the vocals. Two tracks in, it feels like a lot of shoegaze. Inoffensive but not mind-blowing. Happy When it Rains is a step up. A genuinely good pop indie song with a grumpy streak. Then it turns out I know and like Down on Me from indie discos! And it's a tune! This alone has made today's album worth my time. Nine Million Rainy Days is also great - the middle of this album is very strong - like Atmosphere by Joy Division filtered through Heavenly Records. April Skies isn't quite as good, but this is still shaping up well. It continues in a fairly 'album track' vein to the end from here, until the very sweet closer, About You, which is a leap in quality again. A hard one to rate. The best tracks are 4s and 5s, the filler is solid 2s. Ideally I'd rate it 3.5, I suppose I'll see how I feel and rate it either 3 or 4! * Just found out this is because they replaced Bobby Gillespie (of Primal Scream) who was their drummer with a drum machine. I believe even Steps and Ed Sheeran benefit from lacking Bobby Gillespie, so I'm not marking them down for this!
Chill
Classic Scottish indie
Based on what I read about the group today, this is the only album I would probably enjoy (and did). I'll search out other works by them, just to see. A decent album.
Yeah, I like the vibe. It definitely aged well. Somewhere between Nirvana and Depeche Mode.
Good but samey. Prefer PsychoCandy
Music writers fall over themselves to overpraise Joy Division and New Order, yet rarely do I find anything to reassess the Jesus and Mary Chain (although Sofia Coppola using "Just Like Honey" came close to igniting a Jesus and Mary Chain Renaissance). This album fulfills all the promises those overrated bands suggested. It sounds like the first time you ever fell in love. Of course, I'm a sucker for harmonies and power pop so I'm probably just as guilty of hyperbole as those New Order backers. This is one of those albums that can vary between a 4 and a 5 rating for me. The title track alone is a piece of pure bubble gum pop perfection.
Boring
Klint nogal vaag
Inoffensive 80s Indy. Nothing overly catchy. Good background slower pace music
É possível perceber a importância, só não é suficiente para sensibilizar para mais audiências.
Not sure
It was alright, more good than bad but not thrilling
Decent music for a cloudy rainy day.
Pretty boring. Honestly didn't even bother finishing it.
It wasn't bad bad so it saves itself from a 1 star review, but man was that a whole lot of unmemorable nothing
Generic soundtrack music that all blends together.
I don't really have much to say about Darklands; it was mostly just background noise for me. Nothing really jumped out as I listened to it, and the lyrics were like a less grating, slightly-more-punk version of Morrissey. If I were feeling a little more generous, it'd probably be three stars.
while I actually love their first album, Psychocandy, I've never been a fan of anything else they've done. but, I said I'd give it a fair shot. the only thing I've really gleaned from this is that I suddenly realized where the Stone Roses got their influence. so following that influence line, without this album, there'd probably be no Oasis, which is either great or terrible news depending on who you are. anyway, decently catchy melodies, but in the end it's a very plodding and vapid stretch into the pop sphere which leaves me neither loving nor hating it.
Rating: 5/10
nice to listen to but a little too simple
Als tiener ooit al eens begonnen aan deze band, maar terzijde geschoven om toen onduidelijke redenen. Die blijken nu ineens veel duidelijker te zijn; gewoon te saai!
Tja, het ging een beetje aan me voorbij. Niet slecht, maar ook niet erg spannend.
Niet heel goed kunnen luisteren, maar wat ik ervan mee kreeg was niet onaardig.
Aanvaardbaar.
It was okay.
Ok .., hear the Scottishness in some of the melodies …. More pop than i thought it might be
underwhelming
Alternative music ahead of its time
Nothing noteworthy about this album
Nice vibes
Like the sound but too many weak songs.
Top 3 1. (1) Darklands 2. (8) Cherry Came Too 3. (6) April Skies
Very much a product of its time: second half of 80s drenched in reverb and gated snares. Good melodies, languid vocals.
Eh. Nothing about it catches my attention. It's inoffensive, though, so not a terrible grade. Just nothing special.
I respect it but I’d never play it again
If this were the first rock album I’d ever heard, I’m sure I’d love it. But it isn’t, so it shall be added to the ever-growing pile of OK basic-rock albums I’ve heard and forgotten about. Fav track: About You
You know that scene in Killing Zoe where Eric Stoltz arrives in Paris the night before the heist and has a long night partying, eating pills and getting f'd up only to open his eyes and see his buddy being inappropriate with some other dude's rear end...? That's what this album sounds like.
Feels like modern alt rock, but it’s the 80s = mind blow
Enjoyed, surprising 1988. Shoegaze.
Never listened to before, definitely dig it. "April Skies" "Darklands" "Deep One Perfect Morning" "Nine Million Rainy Days
3 1/2
Decent but nothing out of the ordinary
Quality album - moody, atmospheric, engaging, enigmatic.
Shoegaze before it had a name. Liked the harder albums more, a la The Hardest Walk, but a good album I never really listened to.
A solid proto-alternative album. But nothing really stood out. Was good in the background, but never demanded my attention. They made an impact on some though - apparently they are name-dropped in songs by Death Cab, Jimmy Eat World, and Shins, so it sounds like they were influential even though I had heard the name but didn’t know their music.
Meh
Old school 80's melancholy alt-rock
I find nothing remarkable about this album or this band. Although I knew their name, I'm actually surprised I'd never heard their music before. The music doesn't hit my 80's sweet spot. (Possible exception is the final track - the acoustic approach is much more interesting to me for their sound than the rest of the album.) It actually sounds more like some of the forgettable 90s bands, so maybe they were ahead of their time. But I haven't missed having them in my life and don't think I will.
Completely forgettable. The only redeemable quality for this album is that it is not so offensive that I would turn it off immediately.
Awesome!!
kinda boring but there's some okay songs
Best Song: Down On Me Worst Song: Nine Million Rainy Days
Very nice
Cant fault it
New to me, neutral
Really enjoyed the moody atmosphere.
very meh neither bad nor good yk
Thoroughly this album. Never heard any of their music before
ambient, good
Decent.
It was fine. Just wasn’t all that interested.
Darklands is packed full of big pop guitar hooks, and some familiar sounding melodies from Psycho Candy. The band relies less on the wall of sound from the previous album, but much more on what sounds like a drum machine here, sometimes to great effect. It's a very enjoyable listen, and interesting to hear where the Jesus and Mary Chain went after the reverb heavy Psycho Candy. Fav Tracks: Happy When It Rains, About You, April Skies Rating: 3.5/5
I suspect JAMC might be a little too cool for their own good. I appreciate that it's got some teeth, and there are a few real standouts on this record. It's not quite as good as Psychocandy and a gets a little repetitive at points, but still an enjoyable listen I'll likely come back to. Top notch driving music. Favourite songs: "April Skies", "Happy When It Rains"
Can tell they're British. At times the riffs sounded a bit like The Lightening Seeds. Pretty average though, some tracks were alright, didn't excite me much. 2/5
Love this album. Such good indie music.
It’s college rock w/ some cajones behind it. A little distortion behind the jangle. It’s good, I think I need to listen to it again. After I listen to Psychocandy, I think that is going to be more along the lines of what I picture a Jesus and Mary Chain album to be. This is weird, but parts of this seem like a more friendly version of Samhain. The deeper I get into this the more I like it
It's just so boring. Maybe I don't *get it* but it's just wailing over the same two chords for the whole album
Could probably give this another listen, but I'm starting to get pretty behind. Nothing special or particularly compelling, just decent alt rock
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: April Skies Cutting Edge: Happy When It Rains Overall Notes: Fairly one-note. I know their song Head On and that song is better than the entirety of this album. I can see how this would've influenced grunge and stuff but this album was just aight.
3.5 thanks
awesome - cant believe I didnt know about this
Good stuff
I liked it.
Nah
Better than expected
Not as good as their first album but I'm a big fan of this too
This is right up my street.
Nothing special.
Meh
The Jesus and Mary Chain feel like a real musical blind spot for me. I did a pretty deep dive into various Scottish indie bands in my late teens/early twenties (The Vaselines, Teenage Fanclub, Eugenius, Arab Strap, The Delgados, Belle and Sebastian, Mogwai, Prolapse, Magoo, Telstar Ponies etc. etc.) Somehow J.A.M.C. got missed off my list and now I feel like a fool. Loved this album and given it was released in 1987 I can see how they influenced a load of my favourite bands. Really liked it. Will now be digging into their back catalogue properly (and probably pretending I always liked them).
pleasant to listen to but nothing that exciting. 7
Hm. Had some cool moments but was a bit boring overall. 6/10
Guys where’d the edge go...
I'd not listened to this album before but I really enjoyed it. Much less drenched in reverb than Psychocandy allowing the melodies to shine. You can almost hear the beach boys in some of the tracks.
Sounds like a cross between Primal Scream (even though Bobby Gillespie had left by this point), Dinosaur Junior, New Order and the Stone Roses. It has an overall gloomy vibe but on occasions builds to more euphoric moments. I would prefer more of these. Quite a few of the songs seem to be about, or are evocative of, bad weather. An acceptable album but not one I will revisit. 3/5.
Szkocik z kolejnym albumikiem, klasyczne rokowanie bandy braterskiej, bo glownymi czlonkami sa bracia Reid, nazwisko chyba skads kojarze, ale skad nie potrafilbym powiedziec dokladnie, albumik w orginalnej wersji, to klasyczny epek 36 minut, 10 trackow, ale spotifajowa wersja zawiera ultra miod delux, gdzie sa jakies czwarto wymiarowe strony vynyla i nigdzie indziej nieujawniane traki i trwa to wszystko godzine i 44 minuty, ale nadal trzyma poziom i nie ma sie uczucia, ze jest to meczony odsluch, niektore surowe, niekonwencjonalne wersje odkrywaja dany utwor na nowo, swietnym przykladem tego moze byc otwierajacy i zamykajacy darklands, w orginale jest to stonowany kawalek oparty na dwoch gitarkach, ale po dodaniu tam dodatkowych smyczkow i nadaniu surowosci wokalu przez jego lekkie podbicie kawalek wchodzi na nowy poziom, dlatego znajdzie sie dla niego miejsce na plejce, jedynymi kredytowanymi artystami sa gitarkowo wokalni bracia Reid, za drumy odpowiedzialna byla drumiaca maszynka, wiec tez wplywa na to jak je slychac, dobra pozycja na sluchansko nastawione na gitarki, ostatnim trakiem jaki jeszcze plejkuje to on the wall, jakos wiliamowe wokale bardziej przypadly mi do gustu, ale najczesciej obaj pojawiaja sie na traku jako back upy jeden drugiego
Better than I expected, only heard 1 of their albums before
8. Pretty good.
Bit boring and samey
nice!
Enfim um indie GOSTOSO
Indie 90's tranquilo oscuro
Nothing bad but just boring. 6
didoodidoodoo DOOOO
This isn't really all that good. Just dark and everything sounds the same. 3/10.
Haven’t listened to this TJAMC album and really enjoyed it
good
A little slow in tone but a easy vibe
Tengo buenos recuerdos de este grupo, incluso alguna anécdota como el padre de un amigo diciendo que el vinilo estaba rayado que esas guitarras sonaban fatal. La cuestión es que es Darklands no me ha parecido interesante conociendo Psycandy, Automatic o Honey's Dead. Escuchable como complemento a sus otros trabajos.
I found this one kind of boring. Just felt like the same thing over and over Favorite tracks: “Down on Me”
As Spencer said as we were listening to this in the car- it’s the soundtrack to a coming of age film set in the 80s. But still very enjoyable no the less
Old style but wasn't the interested
Is it goth, or is it just goth-aligned post-punk? Either way, I'm a fan of this gloom! Fave track - "Nine Million Rainy Days" for most depressive lyrics...
2
Droned on for too long.
sleepy time, not bad - just not good
Jaren 80 bah
Eh it's a pretty good pop album but it's so much worse than Psychocandy. 7/10
Really cool 80's punk!
Couldn’t even finish it with a full dedicated 1.3/5
Never heard this before. I like how they created a ‘sound’.
Decent but not life changing
Pretty repetitive and not all that interesting.
Was not aware of this band. Thought it was ok. Their guitar sounds made me think if the Raveonettes, the way they almost sound uplifting if they weren't soaked in reverb as if playing from a dark empty dungeon.
Very chill and new wave/ early grunge sound. Provided for and excellent driving album.
middling
Never heard of Jesus and the Mary Chain before, but really liked this album for its 80s-fused feeling to a lot of the instrument sounds and vocals, with catchy lyrics. Spotify continuous play introduced me to "Orange Juice", which is another great 80's band with some great tracks. Highlights: -Darklands -Happy When It Rains -
I enjoyed this. Never listened to them before.
not good, not terrible. kind of dated sound (80s drum machines and synths with tons of reverb), but it still works as background music. all the songs blend into each other.
wow - where has this been all my life so far...sounds amazing. I am all in from the sound of the first song!
early albums way better...
80s rock
Well... knowing the connection to Primal Scream helped a lot with context, but still not all that impressed.
Meh was ok
May not be their best album but may be their most enjoyable.
Pretty chill but was just sort of "there" for me, I do like the slow-dark delivery though.
Great sound!
A nice album from this (alternative) rock band. Music I can listen to. Maybe I wil listen to it again.
Another classic 80's rock album, liked it but nothing particularly outstanding about it.
7
Do you remember the JAMC? Yes, yes I do.
Appropriate for the time, not a bad album, just slightly tough to recall at the moment
Ok I guess
Awesome album, I can't believe I waited so long before listening to it
4.5
Das dieses nichtssagende Album in diese Liste aufgenommen wurde, ist eine Frechheit und ein Ärgernis. De Artikel über dieses Album in der englischen Wikipedia ordnet die Band zu allem Überfluss noch dem alternative rock zu. Es handelt sich um generischen Pop mit Gitarren.
A little too mellow. Not really sure I get it. I like the couple hits on the album, the rest fell a little flat.
Nope, not for me. Very tedious.
Not good, lyrics are not really sensible or well thought-out and the music feels very repetitive very fast.
A cool alternative discovery.
Pretty interesting stuff. Kind of laid back and easy to listen to. A solid 3.5 stars.
Again with the melodramatic
This album surprised me, actually enjoyed it.
Reminds me a little of Joy Division but more subdued. Good stuff.
was ok igues neit speciaal
YES
Nice album, love the genre. However, I didn't manage to 'fall in love' with any specific song...
A few individual songs stood out, but each song sounded too similar to each other, i ended up getting bored half way through
Steady, liked some parts better than others but felt like loud noise for the most part.
Hm...this is a tough one. I enjoyed it for the most part, but nothing really stood out. I'd have to give a second listen, but would be welcome to check out the rest of their discography since "Just Like Honey" caught my ears first. 3.5?
A good shoegaze album is still a snoregaze to listen to 😴
Not my Jam, but ok
I hate it when I like gen x nonsense like this. it's catchy and every song feels like I've heard it heaps of times, but it's also complete gen x crap. lol.
Okay
Just oozes with cool!!!