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Psychocandy

The Jesus And Mary Chain

1985

Psychocandy
Album Summary

Psychocandy is the debut studio album by Scottish rock band the Jesus and Mary Chain. It was released in November 1985 on Blanco y Negro Records. The album is considered a landmark recording: its combination of guitar feedback and noise with traditional pop melody and structure proved influential on the forthcoming shoegazing genre and alternative rock in general. The band moved from its abrasive sound with the release of their second album, 1987's Darklands.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.93

Votes

10449
Genres
Rock
Indie
Shoegaze

Reviews

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Thu Jun 24 2021
1

Am I insane? This album makes me so fucking angry. The distortion is so OTT it makes most songs unlistenable. Seriously, I had to switch my earphones to make sure my speakers weren't broken. If they blasted this in Guantanamo Bay it would be classed at cruel and unusual punishment. What makes it worse is the songs under the added effect sound pretty decent.

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Mon Oct 04 2021
5

this must've been hard to understand in 1985. i love it. the howling proto-guitar-wash running underneath everything, the kinda holdover-from-punk-rock tone they have, all mixed with the super calm, almost dead vocals, make for a fantastic soup of noise and love. it's like if daniel ash went to sing with lou reed, and i love it.

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Fri Nov 11 2022
5

I have already heard this a million times. Anyone who has never heard this before will probably rate it a 1, but back in 1986 this sounded like nothing I had ever heard before. My friends as I were obsessed with this album. Some hard bands were noisy, but this was just noise as music. But under the noise, there are genuine pop songs and hooks buried in there. This is the record all the showgazing bands of the 90s cited as an influence. In short, a masterpiece.

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Sat Dec 16 2023
3

I don’t know, I feel like this album could use a little more reverb.

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Fri Sep 03 2021
4

4.2 + I've revisited this record several times over the years, and have consistently left confused. There's hardly a music critic that doesn't fawn over it. Several things are immediately apparent and good: (a) the blown out guitars give a dry brightness, providing a fuzzy texture that swallows up most other contrasts in the middle, it makes me feel like standing in a desert at high noon with the sun illuminating everything in hot white with no shadow, (b) the songs themselves are simple, happy and poppy, almost 1950s bubblegum, which I suppose explains partly how they're able to keep the sound from going completely off-kilter, (c) it's impossible not to hear this album's fingerprints on "Loveless" and other shoegaze albums that would follow. Within the context of 1985, this album probably felt like a juggernaut and 35 years later it still sounds so fresh. For me, I feel like JAMC lean too heavily on the fuzzy, trebly, squealing guitar sound, and at turns I find it unpalatable. Songs like "In a Hole" hurt my ears. Still, I get why critically this album's a stunner and in small doses there is so much that speaks to me personally. It's a record that I currently admire more than love.

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Wed Jan 05 2022
1

thrashing around on your guitar is shit. Play...more...slowly stupid rock cunts

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Thu Apr 29 2021
4

I’ve heard just like honey. But not much else from this band. Now I know where Black Rebel Motorcycle Club gets their schtick. I feel like this is perfect post punk, heavily distorted, the vocals blend like an instrument almost taking a back seat to the guitars. It’s like slow motion Ramones—“you trip me up” literally sounds like “blutzkrieg bop” in half time. The distortion and heavy vocal reverb makes for a hypnotic feel as the band jump a back and forth between soft and heavy. You can see the roots of shoegaze here, it’s like Sonic youth without all the avant garde shit. Only complaint is that it was a touch repetitive, could’ve cut like 3-4 songs. Loved it. Added to Spotify library.

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Wed Aug 11 2021
4

On hearing this when it was first released I was a little disappointed that I wasn't blown away quite as much as I was with the first two singles. But they were such highs that it would always be hard to compete. This was a game changer when it came out in 1985 and has stood up to the test of time. JAMC never consistently reached these heights again.

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Thu Jun 16 2022
5

Classic debut by the Reid brothers - their use of feedback crossed with 60s Spector girl groups was pioneering and was a major influence on noise rock and shoegaze. Future Primal Scream vocalist drums on the album. This album is not for the faint of heart - the feedback sometimes dominates the instrumentation so if you have sensitive ears, proceed with caution! The album opens with the classic Just Like Honey (used memorably in the film Lost in Translation) and also contains Never Understand and You Trip Me Up. Some versions include Some Candy Talking, another of their best songs, though this wasn't on the original tracklist. So if you like your pop songs noisy, turn this one up loud and enjoy!

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Sun Sep 11 2022
5

I have always enjoyed music by artists who really know how to use noise. I don't mean simply being noisy or being loud, which anyone can do. I mean artists with an ability to take noise - notes, feedback, fuzz, distortion - and employ it as a musical instrument in its own right. On Psychocandy, The Jesus & Mary Chain really embraces noise in beautiful and unsettling ways, always pushing against what we think we should expect from music. A lot of artists have done this to varying degrees, but J&MC is beyond next level in their talent for it. This music is unabashedly noisy and somehow also gorgeously melodic when they want it to be. To be sure, this isn't meant to be an easy album. It's piercingly dissonant and probably has induced quite a few earaches over the past 35+ years. But the cumulative effect of what they've created really is like an inverse of the wall of sound idea. It's difficult, noisy to be sure, but surprisingly beautiful if you can just let the sound wash over you. I loved this album when it came out and am pleased to see that it has held up beautifully over time. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): The Hardest Walk, Just Like Honey, You Trip Me Up, Cut Dead, My Little Underground, Something's Wrong, Sowing Seeds, Taste of Cindy, Taste the Floor, Inside Me, Never Understand, In a Hole, It's So Hard, The Living End

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Sat May 01 2021
4

Such a nice blend of noise and hook

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Mon Jun 20 2022
1

Both gave me tinitus and sounded like i had tinitus. There is something about this style that i can't grasp.

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Wed Jul 26 2023
1

Probably one of the worst things I've heard maybe ever? This actually made me angry honestly like some of the most grating shit lmao.

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Thu Apr 29 2021
4

First impression: I think Lost in Translation could be a top 5 all time movie for me. Sure it's touching, funny, understated, but the unsung hero is the soundtrack. Was enjoying but halfway through knew I was missing something...it was volume. Once the bluetooth speaker was off and the headphones were in, this album transformed. Rich reverb soaked wall of guitar. Simple poppy melodies. Perfect. Done. "A" record. P.S I think there's a musical family tree that seeds with the Ramones, branches to The Jesus & Mary Chain, leafs to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and ultimately dies and drifts to the ground with BRONCHO.

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Mon Nov 07 2022
4

Texture can be a very powerful thing. Sometimes texture can even overpower the underlying structure. As in food, where you might enjoy the flavor of something, but if the texture is off-putting, it can ruin the whole experience. With that analogy in mind, I can see why this album causes some people to have strong reactions. I for one enjoy the combination of abrasive texture and bubblegum hooks. If they were purely abrasive through and through, it would simply be repellent, but, since they pair it with such sweet, vaguely nostalgic melodies, it becomes a really compelling mixture. I admire their ability to take these almost skeletal little ditties and build such dense atmospheres around them that they feel practically cavernous.

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Mon Dec 06 2021
2

If you took Phil Spector’s wall of sound and replaced the lead instruments with wood shop machines you might get something like this. The opening beats to “Just Like Honey” sounded like a 60s girl group was about to sing, but instead we hear an ethereal male voice and a distorted, jangly guitar. I kind of liked “Just Like Honey,” but my ears started squinting almost immediately. “The Living End” continues on in this vein… I’m guessing the recording session went something like ‘DO YOU HAVE TO RUN THE TABLE SAW WHILE WE’RE TRYING TO RECORD OUR ALBUM?! Yes? Oh well fuck it go ahead and roll the tape.’ I’ve been known to enjoy distortion effects but I was not enjoying this much. I will say that listening on a good pair of headphones actually helped a little on a few of the songs. There are plenty of catchy hooks, beats and bass on this that I enjoyed (“Never Understand” was catchy - if someone would only turn off the grinder in the background). At times the distortion was more tolerable (“The Hardest Walk”, “Cut Dead”, “Sowing Seeds”), but I don’t see more of this in my future.

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Thu Jun 24 2021
1

Like a more depressing Stone Roses. Nothing to get excited about and nothing stood out. I’m being made feel like the guitar playing is progressive and ground breaking. Am I so out of touch? No. It is the children who are wrong. I found myself quite agitated by the end of this album. It was a laboured slog trying to get thru it and the ambiguity around where one song ended and the other began really added to frustration. One of the worst yet.

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Fri Dec 03 2021
1

"Just boost everything above 3k 10dB." - Producer (probably). Mix was tough to listen to, vocals were buried behind instruments and swimming in fx. Not a fun listening experience

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Wed Jan 11 2023
1

Just reverb and droning voices that I though was never going to end.

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Wed Jan 05 2022
5

Ah, The Glasgow Beach Boys, love the abrasive use of Wall of Sound techniques to give that '60's feel with a grittier 80's post punk realism. Love "Just Like Honey" & "you Trip Me Up" A good choice for the list seeing as what the lads went on to do with Bobby G! I would have this in my collection

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Wed Mar 16 2022
5

This album is expansive in a way that I wasn’t expecting from an 80s post punk/alternative band. The melodies were well developed and memorable as well. This album provided the groundwork for the shoegaze movement as well, which I’m a huge fan of. The guitars are over distorted and fuzzy but the vocals are clear. Though this album can be characterized as noise rock, it’s strong melodic tendencies elevate it to something else entirely.

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Fri Jun 10 2022
5

Beautiful crafted 1950s and 1960s style classic pop songs slathered in epic walls of white noise. Cool as they come indie perfection. Must be played loud enough to make ears and eyes bleed.

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Sun Jan 08 2023
5

A pinnacle of noisy music that led the way for countless alternative rock subgenres through its employment of high feedback. These songs are creative and exciting, influenced mostly by post-punk contemporaries but also greatly by 60s bright sunshine pop music with its soft drawn-out vocal style and jangly instruments. But for sure their fusion with high feedback is modeled after the Velvet Underground. It's echoey and features subtle effects and instrumental shifts (very reminiscent of shoegaze) which makes for a fun and engaging listen. There are soft beautiful songs and harsh abrasive songs, and although I'm a fan of both styles, it sometimes catches me by surprise, like the sharp transition from "Cut Dead" to "In a Hole". Possibly my only complaint, but a wrong track order is not enough to tear apart my experience here. I'm a fan of nearly every song, which is surprising considering there are 14 of them. But they're short enough that you become intrigued by each concept before moving on to the next, yet none of them sound rushed. They're cute short pop songs full of creative ideas.

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Tue Jun 06 2023
5

Yes! YES! Blast me with feedback! Wash away my consciousness with squalls of jagged noise! Sonically flatten me! I like this more than "Darklands", which I replayed so as to compare and contrast. "Darklands" is much more conventionally sounding post-punk, but this - tis is gorgeous noise pop. Fave track - "You Trip Me Up", followed closely by "Just Like Honey"

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Mon Apr 26 2021
4

Already knew a few of these. Famously ripped off the Fall on a number of tracks, but I'm not sure those were the ones I particularly cared for.

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Thu Apr 29 2021
4

Liked it a lot. Very vibey, easy to get lost in the distortion and reverb. Some highs, some lows, some inbetweens, good for fair weather and foul.

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Fri Apr 30 2021
4

The first track of the album 'Just like honey' is the most played track of the album and this band all time, but it does no justice to this album and what it has to offer to the listener. The album was cohesive and the noise and monitor feedback sounds used as an extra layer and helping the album keep this cool and 'I don't care' sound. I really like it!

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Fri May 28 2021
4

Very good, and clearly very influential, sometimes a bit much on the ears though.

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Wed Jul 07 2021
4

Wow. It’s like a cross between the velvet underground and nirvana. Pretty unique. Their sound isn’t pleasant per se, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I haven’t really heard anything like this.

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Wed Sep 22 2021
4

Psychocandy is the kind of album music critics tend to fawn over. Why? Because it's really basic rock 'n roll, so they don't have to talk about music or deal with any complexities. In Psychocandy's case, they can prattle on about the innovation of drowning the songs in echo and distortion and how brilliant it was to fuse Beach Boys melodies with Velvet Underground sonic violence. Even better, they can laud the album for setting up shoegaze, etc. The thing is, for once, I basically agree with the critics. These basic, basic songs, which would sound like nothing if they were recorded straight, are like a warm bath for me. I luxuriate in the swirl of noise. I wouldn't blame anyone for dismissing Psychocandy as style over substance and repetitious to boot, but to me, for what they're going for, it would be hard to improve on. One last point: this came out in 1985, arguably the nadir of Anglo music, so Psychocandy gets points simply for not sucking.

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Fri Oct 15 2021
4

Extra special Scots band featuring a very young Bobby G.

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Wed Jul 06 2022
4

Psychocandy announces itself with a bang with Just like Honey a psychedelic pop masterpiece. And there is some, but just a little, fall off from their. These guys turn up the distortion from time to time, but never such that the melody lines are lost. The more you listen the more get lost in their psychedelic jungle. This band and album countless trends to come; shoegaze and brit pop to name but two. Other highlights; Never Understand with its driving beat and distorted noisy guitars, The Hardest Walk harkening back to the best of the 60s pop and I just love the feel of Cut Dead. Great stuff. 4.5 stars

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Fri Dec 30 2022
4

Melodies, noise and a sense of danger. This album is bloody brilliant. The Spector inspired production teases you with the melodies that are hiding away underneath all that feedback. Psycho Candy was responsible for the reverb on amps being fucked around with in teenage bedrooms throughout the mid 80's. Guilty. At the root of the record are some beautiful songs. The Mary Chain are classic rock 'n' roll: flicking the finger but tearful behind the shades.

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Wed Jan 24 2024
4

This album caught my ear from the very start. The opening beats were straight from the Ronettes' Be My Baby. But then it transition into what almost sounded like a '60 psychedelic song. The whole album had a '60s fuzz sound to it. It almost seemed like they were emulating their favorite bands from the era on different songs with a little punk mixed in. But they executed well. I almost want to give it a 5 because of my unexpected enjoyment of it. But I can't put it on my list of absolute favorites. So it gets a 4. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.

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Thu Sep 24 2020
3

This is not an album that I feel should be one of the albums anyone needs to hear before they die. I have nothing against noise rock or lo-fi, but this album is not one of the best examples of that. The band obviously takes their inspiration from punk and the sound of groups like Velvet Underground and such, so it's not like they were the first or the last, and this album is not the best example of it either.

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Thu Apr 15 2021
3

It took a while to get through this. I've listened to Darklands a lot and enjoy it, though this is less moody and a lot more fuzz feedback. It it interesting to have it blended with pop harmonies, so I give them props even though it isn't an easy listen (i feels longer than 39 minutes).

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Wed Feb 17 2021
3

not bad, but fairly bland to me. had a hard time really differentiating these tracks or getting into them on a larger level...could be bad headphones though

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Tue May 11 2021
3

Fully turned distortion pedals gnash into a wall of dream pop soundscapes. Songs call back to Troggs, Kinks, and Turtles hits. Contrast of harsh fuzz and bubblegum pop feels like listening to a Phil Spector album while a dentist fills in cavities.

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Thu Aug 24 2023
3

This is another record that had inch thick dust on my hard drive, one that ricocheted off me thirty years ago: I was disappointed by the promised noise (how could this be compared to Sonic Youth?) and unimpressed by the tunes (sounds old so very old). I'm charmed now, especially by the opener, but something about its self-consciousness reins in my enthusiasm. To a Velvets' Candy, we add a Cindy; we hear a motorbike; we see a creepy Spector behind the desk. I know he was just a Ringo for hire, but perhaps the knowledge of what Bobby Gillespie was to become has tainted my appreciation of Psychocandy.

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Tue Jun 15 2021
2

Thought something was wrong with my headphones

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Fri Oct 22 2021
2

I wanted to like this but Christ, they included some unpleasant noise in there.

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Thu Aug 24 2023
2

better than Darklands, still the most over-rated band of their era

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Tue Jun 08 2021
5

This is fucking my ears in the best way possible. The Reid brothers. Legends.

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Sat Jun 26 2021
5

Love this. Not sure it should work but it does and gets better with age

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Sat Aug 07 2021
5

Much better. What a unique sound.

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Fri Dec 24 2021
5

so fuzzy one of most beautiful songs (ever) has the refrain “I’ll be your plastic toilet” Perfection

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Mon Apr 18 2022
5

really beautiful shoegaze a bit too screechy, I get that that’s the point but no matter what volume I put it at, it felt like I either couldn’t hear it or I was hurting my ears still super beautiful album, 9/10

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Fri Jun 10 2022
5

Distorted dreampop done dirty

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Fri Jun 10 2022
5

Kumquats! (Kumquats? Damn!) Call the po-lice, and the fireman, kumquats! (Kumquats, damn) This week's top pick's papayas, man Girl, who sent you for satsumas? (×4) Cos Upton fruit's gon' give it to ya Wednesday afternoon, usual spot TWO FOR ONE APRICOTS

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Fri Jun 10 2022
5

dead good. i went to see JAMC play psychocandy about 10 years ago and it was the first night on the tour. they started off by playing some of the big uns off their other albums and they sounded awful, like as bad as any gig i've ever been to. it filled me with pure dread that i was probably not going to have the stamina to see it through and lose a much loved band in the process. however, as soon as they started the psychocandy section it was fucking perfect, sounded brilliant. don't know if they were sharking us or if they just hadn't played the other songs in ages but i'm yet to see another band go from so bad to so good in a single set.

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Tue Aug 23 2022
5

Love this band and album so much! First discovered the Jesus and Mary Chain when they opened for NIN at a show I went to 5 or so years back. 80s hidden gem!

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Wed Aug 31 2022
5

Weird and noisy, and uncomfortable to listen to at points, but also awesome and unique. An influence on loads of bands I love, and interesting as the first album by one of the great, but underappreciated, Scottish bands.

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Mon Oct 31 2022
5

Thought this was going to be a 4 before listening to it again today, especially after Darklands proved to be plodding in places 35 years on. But this sounds just as sharp as it did when I bought it on release. A superb blend of the most basic elements, and I should listen to it more often.

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Mon Oct 31 2022
5

One of my all time fave albums

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Sun Dec 11 2022
5

Rated Dark Lands as 4 due to a somewhat unfortunate comparison it to this album. Influential album (think Raveonettes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club etc). Strong pop songs, buried under a big dosis of dust. Due to all the 60s pop references, it has a bit similar feel as those Ramones songs except that Psychocandy is no punk rock.

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Sun Jan 29 2023
5

Totally basis review as it’s a Scottish band but also love this album, love the distorted guitars the shoegaze sound and the vocals.

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Thu Mar 02 2023
5

"Pyschocandy" is the debut album by the Scottish rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain. It is considered a landmark recording of guitar and noise with a pop melody. That's a good description. It was also influential for the future genres of shoegaze and alternative rock. More on that later. The band was brothers Jim and William Reid (guitar, vocals), Douglas Hurt (bass) and Bobby Gillespie (drums and soon to be leader of Primal Scream). There were many bands listed as influences/influential including The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, The Stones, Einstürzende Neubauten but the band standing out for me is Suicide. The drum bang and those anthemic guitar chords strike up "Just Like Honey." Jim Reid almost whispering. Great backing vocals at the end by Karen Parker. An 80's alternative classic. Is it about the difficulty of going back to someone and admit you're wrong or oral sex. Let's say both. I have to admit the first song that got me into this band was hearing "The Hardest Walk" in the movie "Some Kind of Wonderful." Let's hear it for John Hughes in the 80's. It's more melodic pop: the best example of this on the album. A searing guitar solo. Obviously about walking away from someone. "Taste of Candy" gets us back to the echo, constant white noise, feedback and a simple beat. A darker tone probably about taking speed. A lot of these songs are about taking drugs or at least you could draw that conclusion. The first single "Never Understand" starts with feedback but goes to a pop melody. About drugs and self-abusive behavior. A screeching, white noise, feedback, long ending. Suicide in the studio. The second single "You Trip Me Up" continues with the feedback and a guitar sounding like a buzzsaw. It's about....well, you know. The album ends with the Suicide-esque "It's So Hard." Haunting and whispering vocals. Mechancal noises. More feedback. There's a lot to like about this album. Short songs, none longer than 14 minutes, get to the point. The mix of guitar being louder than the vocals almost making them indecipherable but more mysterious. There is an obvious direct line from Suicide to The Jesus and Mary Chain to the shoegaze genre. And I'm a big shoegaze fan. I like their subsequent albums but none reach "Psychocandy" heights.

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Wed Mar 29 2023
5

An absolute classic, beautiful noise rock that paved the path for so many great bands the following years.

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Wed Apr 26 2023
5

Fuzzy, swirly, lovely, screechy, goodness. Hugely influential to me. 5 / 5 stars.

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Wed Apr 26 2023
5

With (most) of the rest of you. 5/5. I remember when it came out and it sounding like nothing else out there. Still holds up.

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Mon May 08 2023
5

I'd heard some of these tracks, didn't know who they were.

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Thu Jun 08 2023
5

It's pretty bloody great all said and told.

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Wed Jul 05 2023
5

One of my personal favourites. I can still remember how it was to listen to it for the first time. And it still amazes me

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Fri Aug 18 2023
5

If an aspiring rock n' roller in 1965 decided to take a twenty year nap, wake up in 1985 and booked a ticket to Glasgow, Scotland, this is what he would sound like. Psychocandy is a fever dream and then some put to wax. In a quest to spot and secure the future, it was fit to best represent the past and then-present with drainpipe jeans, leather jackets and unruly hair. All the while crafting music that mixed Phil Spector, the deepest depths of feral rock and roll and Glasgweian force. It is no surprise that Psychocandy is what many think of when they hear of The Jesus and Mary Chain. All you need to hear, when it comes to why, is that first song. Perhaps the finest and most pivotal hour for one of Glasgow's finest bands. Play it loud as nature intended.

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Wed Nov 01 2023
5

Oh what a beautiful record. End to end sparse and lush. Love it and loved it again after all these years.

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Wed Nov 22 2023
5

Surprisingly good, thought it was going to be lame but i love the distorted sound combined with the 80s kinda goth vocals. Liked tracks: Just Like Honey, The Living End, Taste The Floor, In a Hole, You Trip Me Up

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Wed Nov 22 2023
5

i love noise. just walls of sound. just pure sound waves going into my ear snail.

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Tue Dec 05 2023
5

This just rules. I have always thought that this band’s music is deceptively simple. Lots of simple, 50s style rock and roll, but through a unique lens. On this listen, I stated to think of what Suicide did and I think there are a lot of similarities, even if the sound is not a one to one connection. Anyway, great album.

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Wed Dec 13 2023
5

A quite brilliant debut, up there with the best debuts of all time. Just Like Honey showed that beneath the noise there was a sturdy songwriting chassis that would enable them to evolve (a bit!).

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Thu Jan 18 2024
5

suprised at how much i liked this music. didn't know it existed

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Mon Jan 29 2024
5

Released in 1985, "Psychocandy" by The Jesus and Mary Chain is a landmark album that significantly contributed to the evolution of alternative and shoegaze music. This revolutionary work marries a unique blend of noisy, distorted guitar soundscapes with hauntingly sweet melodies, creating an album that remains influential and relevant to this day. 1. Lyrics (Pros and Cons) Pros: The lyrics of "Psychocandy" are often overshadowed by its groundbreaking sound, but they play a crucial role in conveying the album's themes. The lyrics are cryptic and abstract, evoking a sense of disillusionment, alienation, and desire. Tracks like "Just Like Honey" showcase the juxtaposition of sugary-sweet melodies with darker, introspective lyrics, creating a compelling emotional contrast. However, the cons lie in the album's intentional obscurity. Some may find the lyrics too enigmatic, making it challenging to decipher their meaning. Yet, this ambiguity adds to the album's mystique, allowing listeners to interpret the words in a way that resonates personally. 2. Music (Pros and Cons) Pros: "Psychocandy" is celebrated for its innovative use of noise and feedback, which was revolutionary at the time. The amalgamation of the Reid brothers' distorted guitars, reminiscent of The Velvet Underground, creates a dense sonic landscape. The album opens with the intense "Just Like Honey," instantly introducing the unique wall of sound that defines the band's style. The incorporation of classic pop melodies into a chaotic and dissonant sonic environment is a notable strength. This fusion of sweetness and dissonance, exemplified in tracks like "The Hardest Walk" and "Never Understand," sets The Jesus and Mary Chain apart from their contemporaries. Cons: The deliberate overuse of feedback and distortion may be an acquired taste. Some listeners might find the abrasive nature of the music challenging to digest, especially those accustomed to more polished production. This intentional rawness, while central to the album's aesthetic, may alienate some listeners. 3. Production (Pros and Cons) Pros: "Psychocandy" showcases a groundbreaking approach to production. The album was produced by John Loder, who successfully captured the band's vision of combining pop sensibilities with a cacophony of noise. The deliberate choice to saturate the tracks with feedback and distortion contributes to the album's visceral impact. The unconventional production techniques were ahead of their time, influencing countless artists in the alternative and shoegaze genres. The production also cleverly balances the dualities within the music – the soft and the harsh, the melodic and the dissonant. The result is an immersive listening experience that defies traditional expectations. Cons: The intentionally lo-fi and abrasive production might be off-putting to listeners accustomed to cleaner, more polished soundscapes. The decision to push sonic boundaries, while groundbreaking, may limit the album's accessibility to a broader audience. 4. Themes "Psychocandy" explores themes of love, disillusionment, and existential angst. The juxtaposition of sweet melodies with harsh noise reflects a nuanced commentary on the complexities of relationships and the contradictions of human experience. The album's title itself, a portmanteau of "psycho" and "candy," encapsulates the duality of its themes – the sweetness of life tainted by a darker, more unsettling undercurrent. The album's thematic richness lies in its ability to evoke a range of emotions. Tracks like "Just Like Honey" capture the bittersweet nature of love, while "You Trip Me Up" delves into the volatility of relationships. The overarching theme of disillusionment permeates the album, making it a cohesive and emotionally resonant work. 5. Influence "Psychocandy" stands as a pivotal influence on the alternative and shoegaze genres. The Reid brothers' innovative use of noise and distortion paved the way for bands like My Bloody Valentine, Lush, and Ride. The album's impact is evident in the sonic experimentation that characterized the late '80s and early '90s alternative music scene. The Jesus and Mary Chain's fusion of pop melodies with noise laid the groundwork for the shoegaze movement, where the emphasis on atmospheric soundscapes and dreamy textures became a defining feature. The album's influence extends beyond its contemporaries, shaping the trajectory of alternative music for years to come. Conclusion "Psychocandy" by The Jesus and Mary Chain remains a groundbreaking and influential album, pushing the boundaries of alternative music with its unique blend of noise, melody, and introspective lyricism. While its intentionally abrasive production and cryptic lyrics may not appeal to everyone, these elements are integral to the album's lasting impact. The duality of sweetness and dissonance, explored thematically and sonically, creates a timeless work that continues to captivate and inspire new generations of musicians. As a seminal piece in the alternative music canon, "Psychocandy" deserves recognition for its role in shaping the sonic landscape of the late 20th century.

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Thu Feb 01 2024
5

Weird, what about all this feedback, and the sound of vacuum cleaners I thought once, listening to the album for first time. By now every single note is part of my brain. The romance in Just Like Honey, the aggression in Never Understand , this is such a brilliant album it makes you think: why "1001 albums" to listen before you kick the bucket, 1 is enough! A very dear one had psychcandy as her email address when I met her and now already for many years is dead, at the funeral I wanted to play one of the songs of this album and I selected the most accessible one, Just Like Honey. All other funeral-goers found it tough to listen too (-:

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Thu Feb 15 2024
5

Gets a bit samey towards the end, and not as polished as Darklands, but an absolute classic

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Tue Mar 05 2024
5

First time hearing this full through but I think I’ve gotta go 5. Just Like Honey is a killer debut opener. Love the high pitch noise in several of the songs. The Hardest Walk and Taste of Cindy were other faves. Kind of proto shoegaze. Need to soend more time with it but a great way to start the week.

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Fri Mar 22 2024
5

Piercing noise, swooning melodies, and caveman drums performed by the coolest Scots to ever walk the Earth

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Thu Apr 04 2024
5

Spacious and dreamy throughout. I'm a big fan of this kind of shoegaze.

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Tue Jun 15 2021
4

So cool to hear the prototypes of my beloved grunge and garage rock. Love love alternative 80s.

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Mon May 17 2021
4

Love it - sound like they definitely influenced Conor Oberst.

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Mon Jul 05 2021
4

A bit of me actually, moody but enjoyable

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Tue May 11 2021
4

Amazing album. Way before its time and obviously very influential to the alternative wave that would follow. Love every second

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Fri May 28 2021
4

Got slightly repetitive and some of the guitar effects were a bit much but other than that it's a solid album

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Fri Oct 15 2021
4

Kick. Kick-kick. Snare. If it ain't broke then don't fix it.

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Fri Oct 15 2021
4

Every song sounds like a variation of the 5 star opener 'just like honey' and that's fine by me.

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Wed Nov 24 2021
4

Very good, but sometimes a bit too abrasive and distortion-y, even for me.

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Mon Dec 13 2021
4

Jedna od definicija noise popa. Definitivno ako se ikad želi ući u taj žanr, ovaj će se album uvijek morat proć.

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