Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Just what the doctor ordered today.
I listened to this on a car stereo first, and was a bit underwhelmed. I listened again with headphones and it was a different experience. I prefer the sound they have on “Just Like Honey” and “Sowing Seeds” over songs like “In a Hole” but it was good stuff overall.
skemmtilegt, hrátt og grófar upptökur. ég vil meira, sei sei já.
Noisy pop rock: a fairly simple formula that became massively influential to alt-rockers everywhere. And it's a good time.
Great album. Picks up where echo and the bunnymen left off
I like being reminded that Nirvana didn’t come out of nowhere. Bands like Jesus and Mary Chain (and others) were steadily paving the way. Great listen.
Never heard this one before, although I was familiar with the band. It's pretty good.
Went through this album on three separate occasions, but never as a focal point. Even so, I can easily say this is high 4 low 5 territory for me. Something about the noise pop meets post punk combined with some really really nice compositions just works wonders here. This is one of those albums where any individual song doesn't stand alone particularly well, but as a whole album it just clicks.
A precursor to Brit Pop with a Scottish flair that doesn't quit.
Started off really strong. Really incredible song into one of the worst on the album. Wasn’t a bad song, just not where their strength lies. They thrive with a mellower song. Not necessarily slower, but softer. It did seem like they were trying to replicate “Just Like Honey” on some other songs like, “Sowing Seeds” and “You Trip Me Up”. They starts to feel like a bit of a one trick pony by the end of it. Not one bad song, though. Thoroughly enjoyed the whole album. 4/5
Tak powinno się robić albumy, w których brzmisz jakbyś miał wyjebane (take fucking notes HMS Fable...). "Beach Boys melodies meet Velvet Underground feedback and beats, all cranked up to ten and beyond, along with plenty of echo" - myślę, że to najlepsze podsumowanie tego albumu, jakie można znaleźć. I z tej samej recenzji o jednym utworze, ale można tak powiedzieć o całym albumie imo: "Storming down like a rumble of bricks wrapped in cotton candy". Konceptualnie i intelektualnie mi się to podoba. Artystycznie nie jest to do końca mój styl i po dwóch przesłuchaniach jestem odrobinę zmęczony, ale w gruncie rzeczy bardzo szanuję ten album. Nie sądzę, żebym go zbyt często słuchał w przyszłości, ale po krótkim namyśle jednak pójdę w 4.
I choked myself a little bit to get high and enjoy this album more. It gets my highest score of 'I want to take drugs and listen to it'/10. And also numerical value of 4 stars as I think there are albums that go in that direction but are also better.
Gitary przesterowane do granic możliwości dominują każdy utwór, tworząc ścianę dźwięku, która na pierwszy rzut ucha wydaje się nieprzystępna. Ale w tym hałasie kryje się piękno – głęboko ukryte melodie, które ujawniają się z każdą kolejną chwilą. "Just Like Honey", otwierający utwór, to idealny przykład – subtelna linia perkusji, melancholijne wokale i prosta, lecz urokliwa melodia wciągają jak powolna, nostalgiczna fala. Album balansuje między ostrą agresją a słodkim, niemal popowym wdziękiem. "The Living End" czy "In a Hole" eksplodują energią i dzikością, podczas gdy "Cut Dead" lub "Sowing Seeds" ukazują bardziej refleksyjną, niemal delikatną stronę zespołu. Ten kontrast jest esencją "Psychocandy" – zestawienia ekstremów, które tworzą unikalną całość. Pod względem produkcji album jest celowo surowy, a jego brzmienie jest zarazem retro i futurystyczne. Inspiracje zespołem The Velvet Underground czy Beach Boys są wyraźne, ale przefiltrowane przez buntowniczą wrażliwość lat 80., co nadaje całości świeżości i oryginalności. Choć nie wszystkie utwory są równie niezapomniane, a intensywna ściana dźwięku może być wyczerpująca, "Psychocandy" wymaga uwagi i cierpliwości, ale odwdzięcza się niezapomnianym doświadczeniem. 4/5
This is one of the gnarliest, nastiest, noisiest albums that I can think of that is still fairly accessible and is supported by a back bone of such beautiful songcrafting. 8+/10
I really, really like music like this.
It is good, dreamy, noisy, dissonant post-punk. Not as pop-heavy as other mid-eighties peers but also less ear-bleedy than say Sex Pistols or even Ramones. Interesting and enduring. I liked it.
A pretty good album, I liked Just Like Honey the most.
Classis album
It's like a pop song got hit by a guitar pedal and refused to apologize.
I wish that I had heard this back in 1986. This was really out of the ordinary for that year. There's a lot of reverb and distortion. Those don't always work, but for the most part they do. "Taste the Floor" and "Cut Dead" were the real standouts for me. There were a couple of tracks that just sounded like feedback, but the rest were pretty decent.
I love this noise. I think it was the first shoegaze band I listened to. I remember hearing the song ‘Just Like Honey’ at the end of the movie Lost in Translation—I was completely captivated by the sound
The album title perfectly describes the music within it. Psycho - Is for the heavy distortion that engulfs These songs and creates it own maddening sound Candy - for the beautiful melodies and pop songs underneath all its LOUD Noise First track “Just Like Honey” gives you a little more Candy than Psycho. But other tracks lean heavier on that first word! 4/5 PS - album features later lead singer of Primal Scream Bobby Gillespie on drums. Just thought I’d add that
The first track is incredible, of course. The rest obviously paved the way for the likes of MBV - but Loveless has a sound that does something to me, whereas this one is much more grating at times. The second half is overall much more listenable, which I'd not appreciated before.
While not exactly the most pleasant sounding release, this album should still be celebrated for all the influence it gave to future artists. Solid 4 Stars.
7.5/10 This was a surprise hit. I knew if the band but don’t think I’d heard anything Think Stone Roses + Spiritualized/Soaceman 3 with a little sprinkle of The Cure Noisy tuneful poppy druggy indie Too many tracks? Best: Just Like Honey
Album that inspired a genre. Has some great moments.
I've had their second album before this from the generator and feel similarly about both. This one doesn't quite have the same catchy melodies but was hugely influential in the shoegaze genre. Still has good songs and the guitar noise effects are sound super cool, particularly given JAMC were one of the first bands to make music like this. If I have any criticism it's that the tracks sound a bit samey after a while, but I like it
I enjoyed the actual album a lot, although it's only available in a shitty extended version on Spotify, which makes it feel overlong at nearly 80 minutes as opposed to the 40ish minutes of the original album. I wish record companies would stop pulling this shit. I only want to listen to the actual album, not a ton of outtakes, alternative versions and b-sides.
What’s not to like? Ebullient, orgiastic hooks and melodies. Great cascading waves of lavishly fuzzy feedback. All of it sounding as if it’s being played down the hall or across some vast and vacant industrial space (or the Tate Modern, one supposes [albeit anachronistically]). No band did musical chiaroscuro better (metal darkness with pop lightness) or dynamic valences (heavy banks of sound with melody floating free) – it’s enough to make a listener both light-headed and depressed. “Just Like Honey” is an all-out keeper, and a soft opening for the raw, distorted, echoey, grind to come. There’s a light-headedness within all the heaviness and darkness, as well as a mix between more melodious cuts and dirging soundscapes. This record is a true original, with an extraordinarily apt title, too – Psychocandy indeed. Out there.
duplicate
I love This record.
Good, not great
ample amounts of distortion and gloomy vocals. not a bad album, if i do say so myself.
I like just like honey and I had slightly different expectations for the album but like I dont even know why because it totally made sense and fit together. pretty good
I fw it
Fun creepy trentemøller vibes. Enjoyable but def a repetitive style.
Promising start, good middle, mediocre finish. Grungier than my normal style, but generally enjoyed it more than I expected
Pretty good. Ahead of its time. Probably 4.5
Representing the Feeling of the 80s
3.5
I didn't mind this, some tracks were better than others for sure
I advise everyone with sensitive ears to turn down the treble volume for this one. In 1985, this noisy, tinnitus-inducing debut was obviously a striking feat, especially compared to the bland mainstream aesthetics of the time. Yet retrospectively, I can't help feeling like the songwriting on this admittedly seminal record is so mundane at times that it becomes difficult to gulp it down in one sitting (and this is where the abrasive production can't really help redeem that flaw--whether your sound suggests you made your record in a basement or a professional studio, mundane songs will remain mundane). A potential hot take here: picking up this noisy-garage thread with nods to goth, punk, rockabilly and the Velvet Underground, a later band known as A Place To Bury Strangers has written far better songs with catchier arrangements. Check them out if you've never heard of them. Which doesn't mean that Psychocandy is ultimately bad. The way the extreme sound of "In A Hole" foretells APTB is impressive to say the least, but it also conveys some welcome dynamics in an LP lacking them overall. And on the other side of that spectrum, opener "Just Like Honey" is a gem. Too bad that the duo is stuck in those two modes, generally speaking, and rehashes the same sort of tunes elsewhere, only with a lesser impact. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list (rounded up to 4) 8.5/10 for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: less that 150. Numbers of albums I'll keep in my list: half approximately (including this one, but mostly for "historical" reasons) Numbers of albums I might keep: a quarter, approximately. Numbers of albums I won't keep: another quarter.
Pretty cool.
I really enjoyed this. A ton more than I thought I would.
I was really surprised how fast this album grew on me - I added four songs to my "Liked" playlist. Good stuff.
Allt distortionið á þessum gítar! Finn næstum því lyktina af þessari tónlist.
4.5
pretty good stuff maynard. 4 stars.
Total classic. I’m seeing shoegaze getting lots of hate on this site, just let it wash over you… 🌊
Young boys took the girl group structure/beats (particularly young hal blaine's be my baby) put some fuzzed out yet quiet guitars over it, in the 80s fashion, reminds me of psychedelic furs/big country etc ( I have no idea the timeline of these acts) and created something that sounds like nothing else, and sounds pretty damn cool. Not a 5 cause that's pretty much all they did.
You call it ear barrage, I call it white noise. Nevermind that my ears are bleeding, it's a statement.
I like it. Didn't listen much on the day but I'm listening now. Nice sounds.
Never heard of this group. Good listen
Played it on proper speakers. Love it.
All the negative reviews complain about the distortion and all the positive reviews praise the distortion I think the distortion and the shoegaze-y vibes of it make it enjoyable I do however always hate these "Extended Version" "Unabridged Release" "2005 Remaster Re-release Expansion Version" albums because they always add another 30 minutes of songs that weren't good enough to be on the album in the first place and still aren't. Only 3 stars if I take into account the extra bullshit
Det er en ret sjov oplevelse nu når at jeg bedre kan lide et af de bands som de har influeret, end selve bandet. den første halvdel var jeg godt inviteret i, men efter 35 minutter ish begyndte det hele at flyde sammen for mig. Men det er fedt alligevel!
Pop-perler svøbt i støjrock. 2 dele Sonic Youth 1 del Joy Division Rør rundt og drys med lidt Beach Boys
Psychocandy I am a fan of this album, but I can see why it might be a bit marmite, they have a template and they work some variation around the edges, occasionally speeding things up, but there’s no doubting the songs are cut from similar cloth. But I like that cloth a lot. Phil Spector/girl group/bubblegum pop drum foundation, Velvet Underground tempos and drone, Stooges guitar, a slowed down punk noise and sensibility, lots of feedback, some Beach Boys melodies and then some 50s echoey fraternal harmonies. Mix those threads up in a garment gumbo and, to my ears, you have a tasty outfit. What I also like is that this is one of those albums where you can simultaneously hear both the influences and who they influenced. Just Like Heaven, have always loved it, a great tune, their best version of their song, but there are other highlights, The Hardest Walk, Cut Dead, Taste of Cindy, Never Understand, Inside Me, My Little Underground, Somethings Wrong, It’s Do Hard. Actually that’s nearly every song. Some Candy Talking is probably their second best song, really very good. So it comes down to whether you like their template or not. As you can tell I think it’s great, so it’s an easy 4 for me. I’m tempted to go 5, but Rubber Soul’s excellence is casting a bit of a shadow today. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good early British goth
This was fun -- I lost track while listening to it and tuned in like 2 hours later still listening to it.
"Psychocandy" is deceptive. It sounds like a droning, boring, generic rock effort. But if one pays attention, it actually packs a dark, brooding brand of rock topped with extreme, deliciously wooshy distortion that made me think it was from the '90s. Apparently, it was from '85. These guys are quite ahead of their time.
There's a lot of good things about the album, I like the vocals, they can be very expressive. My favourite is probably vegetable man on the extended version.
Couple goood stand out jams; overall it all beigns to sound the same but i love it! i own this record its good.
Wow. What a sound! This is an album you can feel! Standouts: Just Like Honey, Taste the Floor, Cut Dead, Taste of Cindy, Never Understand, Sowing Seeds, 4/5
Just two guys and some instruments and drum machine. The flipside to My Bloody Valentine, the British Sonic Youth. It's rough around the edges but kind of beautiful in its sheer brutality.
Rating: 8/10 Great album overall. Almost every song is extremely catchy and fun to listen to. The vocal and instrumental melodies were very strong throughout, even though the guitars were very distorted. The distortion is overwhelming at times, creating a wall of noise. I had a revelation while listening to this that there is beauty and emotion in the noise, so I definitely see the appeal to this style of music. The last three songs felt redundant and a bit boring compared to everything else but the rest of this was great; this might score much higher (or much lower) on repeated listens depending on how I end up feeling about the noise. Favorite songs: all but the last three. Worst songs: You Trip Me Up, Something's Wrong, It's So Hard.
It’s no Pogues but I’m surprised how much I liked this album. Favorite tracks include Taste of Cindy and You Trip Me Up. I wouldn’t have guessed this album was made in the 80s.
Buzzing and rattling, and soothing. Feedback is an instrument in this album, akin to a violin or pad of some sort and at the front. There are a few more radio friendly songs. Vocals are acid-washed out and low; the guitars are the important bits. Feels like a space heater on high.
Loads of reverb, what’s not to like
I like it. Simple as that.
Really good album, can’t believe I didn’t listen to them more back in the day.
Vette sound, coole nummers. Wel heel ongepolijst af en toe
I enjoy a good amount of noise rock, but I have never really connected with JAMC. It clicked with me a little bit on this listen. I like all of the guitar tones and effects I just wish that the underlying songs were more complex it feels like every song vamps between the first and fifth. I will probably enjoy this much more on a 2nd listen. I give this a 3.5, but I can't so I guess it rounds to a 4
great album - not sure how I'd missed this one in the past
I wouldn’t listen to this every day, but there’s definitely a time and place for it.
Lo-fi earworms for days, this is some proto-shoegaze Scottish loveliness. Wouldn’t recommend listening to this on the Jubilee line, you can’t hear shit
Just psychodelic
Imagine what a shock to the system this was in the mid-80s, a blown-out firestorm of distorted guitar amid a sea of the cheesiest synth pop man has ever produced. Many often credit My Bloody Valentine or Ride as the first shoegazers, but this band truly laid the groundwork by taking well-written rock and pushing the instrumentals to 11. What's so profound here is that the songwriting is similar to many rock bands of the time with a touch of new wave idealism/vocals, but coupled with the wall of roaring sound, each track takes on a hazy, dream-like quality that would become a staple of shoegaze down the line. Jesus and Mary also get big props for being so consistent yet exploratory with their sound, still pumping out LPs today with another one on the way in a few months (a more fun-loving attitude towards making music I wish Kevin Shields would take some notes from).
Hey, how about EVEN MORE distortion. 4.5/5
While the last few tracks lean too heavily towards distortion and screaming, this is a strong album.
I really should listen to more Jesus and Mary Chain, this is neat. B
I’ve heard of this band but never intentionally listened to them. I liked it! Reminded me of Nirvana. Listens: 2 Fave Tracks: Just Like Honey, Taste The Floor, Never Understand.
Delightful. This album hits a sweet spot that balances noisy and catchy. Like a cute little dog that won’t stop howling, but in a good way.
This is fun throwback rock and roll with a blown out, feedback laden twist. My only caveat is that after about six songs or so they all start to blend together and sound alike. I think that’s kind of the point, but just a little variation would have been nice.
Cool movie mood music
Loved these guys back in the day, a couple of Scottish lads heavily influenced by the Ramones and The Velvet Underground, and they produced a fab rock album in the mid 80s that has stood the test of time.
Slept on this for way too long. NOISY. MELLOWDRAMATIC. SHOEGAZEY.
Tämä on vuodelle 1985 jotain jota tämä vuosi ei olisi kaivannut. Jotain, jonka tämä vuosi olisi voinut olla ottamatta vastaan. Ja sinä juotavana päivänä se kävi näin. Astuttiin toimistoon sisään ja odotettiin odotushuoneessa. - Sisään! - -- - Istukaa olkaa hyvä. - -- - Jahas - -- - Ja kaikki näyttäisi olevan kunnossa. Leimasin kävi ja se painoi: [1 - 9 - 8 - 5] -merkin passiin. - Olette vapaa. - -- - -- Kiitos. Toinen subjekti. Toinen paikka. Toinen hetki. Vuosi 1985, myöhäisyksy. Aamu. Herätys. Hän ja hänen kokemuksensa. Hänen silmäänsä tunkivähän päivänvaloa jostain katon rajasta, mutta alempana,missä hän lepäsi, oli vielä puolihämärä. Hän tajusi sen. Tämä on shoegaze, tämä on uuden alku, ja tulevaisuudessa pop ja äänet voidaan liittää paremmin yhteen. Niitä ei tarvitse soittaa erillisenä, toistaan päällekkäisinä kokonaisuuksina ja kutsua sitä yhdeksi, sillä todella kyse on kahdesta. (Albumin cover itseironiikkaa parhaimmillaan) Albumi alkaa matalalentoa, Just like honey biisillä ja loppuu yhtä alhaalla Its so hard kappaleella Lana del ray tyyliteltyine tuskahduksineen. Matalalennon ja yksinkertaiset pop soundit yhdistettynä komplekseihin noise raitoihin.. Nothing like it..
This album ripped. I love the heavy reverb guitar that you find in the noise pop/shoegaze bands from this era. This was a delight after a stretch of pretty middling album selections on this.
Here Comes Alice sounds straight up like it would be from my favorite teen coming of age movie.
There’s lots of noisy indie out there. What elevates this one above the rest is partly how early it is, but more importantly how abrasive the noise on this album gets. There were multiple times when I listened to it that I was taken aback by an instance of feedback starting a song. Gnarly!
Så bra sound men alla låtar är tyvärr inte hitz
Brilliant sound! Love it! 4/5
Nice album! I wish these came with some color commentary providing the context of the album itself. Like listening to this it feels standard, but I’m sure its because it defined a sub genre of music when it was released, so that would be nice.
Really an album that was ahead of it's time, lovely pop songs with the most insane wall of guitar noise you'll hear. Just Like Honey is a stone cold classic, but there's plenty more to enjoy. The juxtaposition of the harsh noise with the sweet pop tunes is such a fun combination. Better than I remember from the last time I heard the album.
4.0
The Velvet Underground influence is very clear and plain to see, particularly in the vocals and the guitar styling, but the soundscapes that it creates are heavier and more psychedelic. I really loved it
The combination of pretty standard 80s pop (with a nostalgic twang) and post-punk distortion works better than expected and is interesting enough. 3.5 rounded up.
This was a good listen, pretty hazy 80s rock that has stood the test of time
Fully expected to dislike this, but man, I was wrong. From the initial Ronettes-by-way-of-Hell drumbeat that intros 'Just Like Honey' (a trick repeated on 'Sowing Seeds') through to the dark pulse of 'It's So Hard', this was a thoroughly enjoyable listen. Not a genre I have much familiarity with, but this sounds like a kissing cousin to a wing of the goth family. There are some decent tunes buried beneath the fuzz, but actually the noise is the star of the show - vast, towering waves of sound washing over proceedings. It's a 'big' sounding album too, right? Cavernous and gloomy, music of the night. A pleasant surprise.
Warm and fuzzy
Great sounding album. I really enjoyed it
Quality 90s noise rock
Great debut album. Love the distorted guitar and synths. Love the haunting vocals and dark lyrics. Whole several songs felt like a variation on a theme, it worked really well.
Just Like Honey is just such a comforable feeling song. Like putting on your favourite jumper. I'll need to spend some more time with this album to figure out what other tracks I like, both sessions felt like the rest of the album just faded into the background (in a good way).
good stuff. I thought these guys were more of a 90s band but I guess Just Like Honey had staying power and we still listening to it in the 90s
Musical noise. I like it.
I was recommended The Jesus and Mary Chain several years ago and never followed up. After I listened to Darklands I kicked myself over having missed years of listening to this band. Having listened to their second album first, I was glad to see that their first was just as good, with them having fully fledged out their sound and not needing to go through a growing pain period.
Sempre belli
I've liked some of The Jesus and Mary Chain's music, though it can sound like noise to me. Still, this is a seminal album due to the shoegaze and how they were one of the first bands to effectively mix pop and noise. This isn't a perfect album, as it may be a bit long, but it's an album I think a person would need to hear.
Top tunes, weird sound great stuff
Heard of but never heard this band. Enjoyed this record, would go back for more
Darklands is better. But still rules
Eerste echte noise album die we krijgen in de lijst denk ik? Ik was al bekend met de band en wat nummers, dit is de eerste keer dat ik een album hoor, en vind het nice. In A Hole denk ik m’n fav. Geen 5 want de mastering klinkt een beetje gek, of het is de compressie ofzo idk. Daarom 4.5
I actually don't enjoy this album as much as I used to, which is surprising because I still listen to a good bit of noise rock. There was a time when Just Like Honey was one of my favourite songs, and I still like that and quite a few of the others on here. I just find their wall of noise to be a bit oppressive and monotonous after a while. Having said that, it's undeniably a hugely influential and important record. I wouldn't be surprised if I warm to it again at some point.
Kinda the quintessential noise pop album. Has some amazing tracks, but also some filler. Still great!
Okay I warmed up mighty fast to this record. At first I’m thinking… ah yes, we’ve heard a lot of post punk music recently. And my brain falls into the same template. But then I realize that there are actual songs buried under here. Sweet songs, endearing songs, innocent songs. And the juxtaposition of the heavy guitar noise… never too much, but always poking through, so you’re aware of it. Like a swarm of intrusive thoughts. I had to get over the mixing (it’s not great), and try to focus. But, buried deep in that haze, there’s something delightful about what’s going on. 4/5.
What's the old line about this album? "Bubblegum pop drowned in feedback?" Seems about right. Good thing I like both bubblegum pop and feedback.
Històric i influència de tantes coses que vindrien després. Feedback a volums de vegades insoportables que amaguen grans melodies pop. Tot i ser excel.lent, ha passat més a la història pel seu caracter revolucionari que perquè realment sigui una obra mestra
It's a good one
Classic 60s pop and psychedelia meets wall of sound, and nails on a chalkboard guitar feedback. Inspired by the past, ‘Psychocandy’ ended up influencing the future. Didn’t grab me instantly but grew on me after a few listens. It will grow on you too.
As much as one liked this band in the real-time day, it was only sporadically, a song here, a video there, and some promotional vinyl from college radio, still in one’s possession. And one took J&MC only semi-seriously, as if they’d seem only reverb deep on closer examination; one means – just how edgy could they be, if one liked them, one’s taste often being impugned as “normie” (before that term was a commonplace) by one’s college radio colleagues? All that shows the callow critical tendencies of one’s youth, though the title of the recurs might be seen as a bit of a troll (long before such was named), and perhaps the name of the band seemed a touch too provocative by design. What one hears more clearly now is that the depth is in the hollowness. This record, though not quite as rich as Darklands, holds up well. One limitation is that “Just Like Honey” is the only truly first-rate song here (though perhaps one of the top 20 or 30 of the decade). The innovation lasts thru the influence, one supposes. And, speaking of decades, it says something about the feast of 80s alt-indie-post-punk (whatever) that a band this good and this original remains obscure compared to relative bland-o mediocrities of the ‘90s (lookin at you Blur and Oasis and Nirvana).
Very good punk find.
some of it just felt like noise but it had a really earnest energy that i liked, especially in the back half. 7/10
Unplugged amp core but not necessarily bad. 7/10
psyco-grangee but a little difficult to listen
The Jesus And Mary Chain are obviously an incredibly influential group. Their debut, filled with oppy noise, laid the groundwork for the shoegaze pandemic of the 90's. 'The Hardest Walk' is a prime example of this. Psychocandy is such a fitting title, because the whole thing is basically sugar sweet melodies drenched in noise and dissonance - starting with the terrific opener 'Just Like Honey'. At times, the noise takes on a too dominant role, as on the duo of 'In a Hole' + 'Taste of Cindy', and although the balance is occasionally perfect ('Sowing Seeds'), it seems to me that the group hadn't quite found the balance between noise and melody that they did on Darklands.
“I sure love pop, but I just can not stand the sugarcoated productions.” Jesus Christ and his mother Mary, are you in luck!
No wonder its called one of the albums that pioneered the shoegaze movement. I can see the impact left by them on the upcoming bands after them. However, the main problem in this album is the use heavily distorted sound that can really interfere with my listening session. I had to skip some songs just because i cant handle the amount of screeching. But it is still an interesting album though.
4.75
Spiky greatness.
The Jesus and Mary Chain from the early 90's didn't interest me all that much. Psychocandy is different. I won't say I love this album, but I was surprised how thoroughly enjoyable it was to listen to. I played it twice. I know a lot of people complain about the noise of it all, but I found it to be comforting. I can't describe exactly how it makes me feel, but something like nostalgic, but without that thing to feel nostalgic about. I don't know, this was a good one.
Kind of impressed by this, especially the fact that this sound existed in the mid-80's. It instantly made me think of The Raveonettes, who wouldn't form for another 15+ years. Unfortunately, I find it exhausting, but I enjoyed the first half of the album before my ears wore out.
I’ve complained that albums on this list have one song that is essential and the rest are pretty forgettable. This is on where the first track is undeniable and gives the whole album enough power to be called essential, even if the rest of it is not great. I can appreciate Psychocandy for the sound they pioneered, mostly for the other bands such as My Bloody Valentine and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club who went on to make better music.
The Jesus and Mary and Alice in Chains.... All of the Jesus bands run together. Am I the only one that has this problem? I think there was an article in an old Interview Magazine that tried capturing all of the bands that used the word 'Jesus' in their band name. The Jesus Lizard MC 900 Foot Jesus Jesus Jones Jesus and Mary Chain which I sometimes get mixed up with Alice in Chains. I can tolerate their music only in small doses, but I'm not a fan of Alice in Chains and have somehow always equated the two. Alice in Chains is super dated and doesn't translate to any era except for the Soundgarden-Seattle-garbage of the '90s. Though Jesus and Mary Chain blossomed during that same time they transcend different eras of music and time. Though this album is dated, it's still interesting to listen to. I'm a big fan of BRMC and I hear that a lot in this album and specifically on The Living End. The drone-y shoegaze-y vibes bleed from this album and the fuzzy reverb / feedback effects create an interesting feeling. It's almost as if they've figured out how to get time to just stand still. Just Like Honey is great, Some Candy Talking is too. There's a lot of distortion and feedback over some mellow singing / talking that creates an interesting juxtaposition. I can understand how some people would absolutely hate this and complain that all songs sound alike, but if you've got something good the last thing you'd do is change to something different.
Starts off pretty mellow. So much distortion... kind of reminds me of a Rob Zombie/The Clash mashup. "In A Hole" - I though my HomePod was broken- nope just a very mean distortion pedal haha
I like that they are Scottish. And I could listen to a few songs, but not the whole album at once. It doesn't feel punk enough, but I enjoyed it. Favorites: - In a Hole - The Hardest Walk
I’m almost giving it a five. It probably is a four, but just like honey is so good. Sucker for anything with a wall of noise layer. I really like that it’s the vocal style of more the the synth heavy stuff but then more guitar heavy musically so it felt more grounded and focused. It felt kind of like two different albums mixed together with some of the punk stuff
Interesting. Heard about this band a lot as a kid but never actually listen. Kind of remind me on Ministry minus the metal.
I used to be fairly one note with my music tastes and I got recommended this band (as I was trying to find something new to me) I only listened to like one song from them and forgotten them forever fast forward just over a year or so and here I am trying to review a full length album, day 107 let’s go… The album opens with Just like honey, this song is amazing like an awesome shoegazey march! The living end is a messy track sounding like they’re in a storm of screeching nonsense didn’t like this track much. I like taste the floor, the guitars are a little too distorted for me but still a great song in there. The hardest walk isn’t too overpowering in distortion and the vocals are louder in the mix (which I prefer for this band) yeah it’s nice. Cut dead isn’t what I thought it would be it’s just nice and calm, just what the album needs. In a hole is a good example of what a song can sound like all distorted/messy and still sound great! Taste of Cindy is a shortie but it’s not a bad song I actually quite enjoy this one. ( Technically not on the album) some candy talking is a must listen the best song on the album! We get a proper rocker with Never understand, the song is a little too screechy with the guitars but it’s still enjoyable. Inside Me has probably the best bass line on the album and the song is great but there’s too much extra noise. I’am a bit skeptical about the lyrics on sowing seeds ( especially for the time that it was made as if the album was modern you could see it as an attack on apple I guess) but it’s cool! My little underground is cool, has the usual issues but it’s cool. You trip me up is a banger yeah screechy but a banger! The penultimate track ( somethings wrong) is the longest track on the album and yeah one of the albums best! The album closes with with it’s so hard, this song is odd but not dreadful. There’s almost slightly too much screech for me but hey the songs were still amazing!
This album was really influential for me. I had just started listening to Triple J (Australian alternative youth radio) about the time this came out and so thought this was kind of normal. Later, I discovered it was not. The J&MC really picked up on the noise factor from the Velvet Underground (along with other influences, like the Beach Boys, girl groups, Suicide, Einsturzende Neubauten, and Phil Spector) to create a "high IQ, low technique" (to quote Lou Reed's NYT obit) pop musique. Not easy listening, but I like that. I like that a lot.
Dirty but excellent!
Amazing! Love the screeching, nearly unlistenable, table saw sounding guitar that appears every now and then. A delightfully surreal atmosphere throughout. Very nearly 5 stars for me.
Already listened to it
Noisy post-punk songs that reveal in the dark moodiness. What makes this album distinctly unique is the sort of proto-shoegaze sound that would influence the greats like My Bloody Valentine. The large, swooping sounds from The Jesus and Mary Chain are undeniable, using reverb and distortion to wield bizarre songs of lust, adrenaline, and a myriad of other fleeting feelings. Fantastic, in a word.
If you don’t like this, idk what to say, man. 4.0
Distortion. Extreme distortion. And, at times, heavy use of reverb. But some of the melodies are really nice. Standout: Just Like Honey. 3.5/5
I've long held that Jesus and Mary Chain songs mostly sound the same, and that is the case for this album. However, it's a great sound, and it's not grating over a whole album. And that sound is really the epitome of Gen X cool :)
Killer mix of noise and pop music. It's wild hearing the influence of this album on such a diverse range of later music too.
Powerpop + distortion = this. Surprised me in a good way, though there were a couple of tracks I'd like to permanently delete. Best track: Some Candy Talking
Edgy and raw, with some excellent riffs
Jedna od definicija noise popa. Definitivno ako se ikad želi ući u taj žanr, ovaj će se album uvijek morat proć.
Very good, but sometimes a bit too abrasive and distortion-y, even for me.
On Psychocandy beautiful songs and great lyrics are hidden in a structure of noise and distortion. You could even say that a lot of the songs are rather tender and emotional.
Every song sounds like a variation of the 5 star opener 'just like honey' and that's fine by me.
Kick. Kick-kick. Snare. If it ain't broke then don't fix it.
Listened 4/10/21
A good noise.
Very good
Got slightly repetitive and some of the guitar effects were a bit much but other than that it's a solid album
Amazing album. Way before its time and obviously very influential to the alternative wave that would follow. Love every second
A bit of me actually, moody but enjoyable
Love it - sound like they definitely influenced Conor Oberst.
Buzzing guitars!
So cool to hear the prototypes of my beloved grunge and garage rock. Love love alternative 80s.
preciosura
-i don’t know if i would ever listen to something like this in my free time but somehow i also enjoyed it -kind of a unique sound that blended noise rock with more traditional 80s pop sounds, i had heard of this band but wasn’t quite expecting that from them. glad i listened for sure and there were some songs i loved -Favorites: Just Like Honey, In A Hole
Nja... Enstaka låtar absolut men inte ett helt album. Tröttnade någonstans efter halva faktiskt. Men gillar Just like honey jättemycket och även Sowing seeds
It was aight kinda felt like fuzzy early psych rock
Little pop songs wrapped in noise. High 3.
Not something I necessarily like, but this was fine. Shoegaze and indy stuff are just not my thing, but at least this wasn't boring me out of my mind as it usually does.
This album is not as bad as all the reviews make it out to be!
I do like J&MC and the cleaner tracks here are awesome, but I have to admit that this is quite often a difficult and even unpleasant listen
It's like a step before an album i would really enjoy
MORE GAIN. MORE REVERB. LETS MAKE THIS 1 MILLION DECIBELS. Sounded like a primitive and darker Stone Roses demo.
Yet and another band this week that I was totally unfamiliar with. I did kind of like this album, but not enough to push it into four star territory. It is a strong three stars, however.
will revisit, didnt finish, was ok
I think I wanted to like this more than I did. I have heard of the bands influence on other artists that I really like. So I figured it would connect more with me than it did. It started off good but it kinda lost me halfway through or so. But maybe I just didn't give it enough attention.
I found this interesting, if a bit raucous in places.
Shoegaze got off to a rough start. I don't have nearly enough fidelity to listen to this proper. You need a deafening wall of speakers to get this loud enough to appreciate.
This album is not bad, but not great.
Better than their second album. A bit more palatable, but I can only listen to the droning for so long, three stars.
I came to the JAMC a bit later - Automatic, Honey’s Dead - and they were briefly my favourite band, but Psychocandy and Darklands were hard to find or too expensive on import so I came to those even later. Maybe too late! There’s a lot I admire about Psychocandy and it is something of a perfect mix of harsh and soft, noise and jangle, clearly the jumping off point for at least 2 genres to follow. But the songs themselves are perhaps too basic for me and have never had the hold on me that their other material still does.
3 1/2 stars. I should listen to this again.
Ok, not great, not bad, just ok. 3 stars
168. o
Yes, but.. I ca hear why this album is venerated, and a shot in the arm to British music at the time, but ... just not my taste. There's a feeling of More Noise Will Hide The Flaws, but at no point was I tempted to skip or abandon the listen. YMMV, but I'm out.
Interesting bunch of songs from a time period that I don’t consider that interesting
I like a bit of reverb and distortion but youcan definitely have too much of a good thing as this album proves. That said I still enjoyed it.
I quite like the more moody and hazy tone of the vocals this album against some of their other cleaner stuff
M’oui
OK, but not my cup of tea
Fuzzy
Not bad for the 80s but nothing that stood out and energy also good. Goin down on 3.5
es bueno, solo me pareció un poco repetitivo
My love for this has slowly mellowed over the years. Still a nice early shoegaze album, and the opening track is still a classic
Decent listen.
Great album let down a bit by the thin production.
I expected this to grow on me more than it did. I like the shoe-gazey vibe, and the songs do have good melodies, but it didn't grab or excite me.
If these guys didn’t influence the dandy Warhols then I’m at a loss. It’s noise with vocals. The guitars are loud but not drowning out loud. There’s a fanbase for this sound and I’m somewhere on The outskirts dipping my foot into the musical darkness from time to time. There’s a taste to this and it’s either hated or liked. No one loves it. Choice cut: Just Like Honey
Feel like I wanted to like this album more than I did, Just like Honey and Taste of Cindy were great and the rest of the album was pretty solid but just never really took off for me idk
I appreciate the groundwork it laid for shoegaze that I enjoy a lot more, but it's pretty harsh on the ears and none of the songs are remarkable enough to have me wanting to come back and listen more.
I was expecting something more like The Smiths, but I kind of dig this. Fuzzy, but good sounds.
Headache Mazzy Star
méchant, c'est bien fou mais c'est cool.
Decent 80s new waveish musak
A key record for what would later become shoegaze, even if it doesn’t quite fit the label itself. 𝘗𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘺 is darker and far more abrasive, with layers of feedback and distortion often swallowing the melodies beneath. That contrast is part of its appeal, but over time it can feel a bit monotonous. There are definitely moments where it clicks, but I tend to gravitate more toward the dreamier, more melodic side of the genre, which is something Cocteau Twins do better for me.
Just Like Honey - 4/5 The Living End - 3.5/5 Taste the Floor - 3/5 The Hardest Walk - 3/5 Cut Dead - 3/5 In a Hole - 3/5 Taste of Cindy - 3/5 Never Understand - 3/5 Inside Me - 3/5 Sowing Seeds - 3.5/5 My Little Underground - 3/5 You Trip Me Up - 3/5 Something's Wrong - 3.5/5 It's So Hard - 3/5 This is an album that is way ahead of its time. Heavy amounts of reverb and guitar distortion make this stand out compared to any other rock band of the time. Despite it being out of place (in a good way, eventually influencing the shoegaze genre), it's not the king of thing for me. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: Just Like Honey
I've listened to this one a couple of times now and I just can't figure it out. This album was like a new phase of psychedelic that tries to recreate that old school 50's live music sound with super over-distorted and noisy guitars. I mean, it's got that part down as it feels like a live performance in a dingy venue. I think it's a cool idea, but at this time the results just aren't developed enough. I shouldn't need to dig through a thick layer of distortion to find something listenable. It's an cool idea if it's complementary, but some of the tracks are just too much. The Lost Souls - Doves album does a much better job of this. This is kinda why I wish that this list was presented in a bit more of a logical order. If i'm going to be listening to Shoegaze, start with the origins and then show me where it's at at the peak. I listened to Lost Souls months ago and really enjoyed it, now i'm seeing where it's coming from. I like Something's Wrong and a couple of the tracks on here where the distortion is a bit more complementary.
So the static I’m still not the biggest fan of but the vocals are really good and the instrumentals are good as well. I enjoyed.
Damn, I bet their live shows produce such a bad headache. Overall it was just okay.
Not bad, kinda like psychedelic punk or something.
I can take this album in small doses. The heavy distortion gets annoying after awhile. My favorite song is Just Like Honey.
I like this but it’s a big soft and samey for me to love it
I can hear echoes of Echo & the Bunnymen, and indeed—there’s noise, but there’s also music in it. I was in that kind of mood that day, so listening to it at home in the evening felt just right. It’s not an exceptionally good album musically, but it grooves. 5/10
Just Like Honey In a Hole Some Candy Talking Sowing Seeds Something’s Wrong
Just Like Honey Taste the Floor Sowing Seeds
I never listened to them before. Fun album
Lotta distortion. Just Like Honey and Taste of Cindy are solid cuts. Not my favorite Jesus and Mary Chain record.
Jesus and Mary Chain have two song modes: slow 50’s style dirges and fuzzed-out rockers. Most of the time it works but occasionally you listen to one song certain that you’d literally heard the same one 4 songs ago. Vocals are very lackadaisical which sometimes makes you cry out for them to put some welly into it. The whole album utilises a level of reverb that makes the whole thing sound like it was recorded in a disused aircraft hanger. BUT… a lot of it is very pretty and cool. Go figure.
Har så lyst å like denne plata. Like sjangeren, en del bra låta, men slit sånn med lydbildet. De tynne gitarene som lage en slags billig støyvegg. Æ kommer nok til å høre mer på denne, men æ e ikke frelst.
Mye bra. Mye stygg gitar. Dem kan bedre enn det her.
Liker egentlig dette bandet, men denne plata ble litt for monoton for min del. Noe med lydbildet som var ganske kjedelig etter hvert. 3/5
Liker bandet, men jeg har aldri hørt så mye på dem i ett strekk før, og det ble veldig ensformig. Synd, for plata har et par sterke låter (eller kanskje egentlig bare Just Like Honey).
3/5
This was unremarkable. Nothing grabbed me while listening to it and a day later I’m struggling to even remember anything about it. I’ll give it a middling 3/5
This one’s tough. Just Like Honey is good. The next two tracks I didn’t really like. The Hardest Walk is actually quite good. In a Hole is way too distorted. Taste of Cindy is less fuzzy but still too much. The last few tracks are in the middle somewhere. I can see why this is influential but it’s kind of a toss up for me
I know Jesus and Mary Chain but didn’t really listen to any of their albums other than what I’d hear on KROQ. I was disappointed based on my limited knowledge of them from the radio - too much noise rock for me.
A cool grungey sound. I liked it! But I think I’d enjoy it more if I were depressed so I feel like I can’t fully appreciate it at this time in my life but I’ll keep this one in the back pockets.
In A Hole
5 / 10 - Interessanter Mix aus sauberen, ruhigen Vocals und total verzerrtem, lärmenden Instrumental - Verzerrung und Noise teil des Gesamtwerks, nicht nur des Verzerrens wegen - Trotz des Lärms sind die meisten Kompositionen recht ruhig und monoton - Durch den ruhigen, gelangweilten Gesang und dem konstanten Krach im Hintergrund recht ermüdend komplett durchzuhören Favs: - Just like Honey - In A Hole
I came of age in the tail end of JAMC's presence in alternative rock music in the US. Their biggest contribution to rock to me is that the Pixies did a cover of Head On, which I proceeded to cover in one of my first bands, even at a church youth group lock-in without really explaining that it, like many of the other songs we played, were in no way Christian rock songs. But c'mon man we're all having fun and no one's getting hurt. This album just runs together for me.
3.1 Torn on this one. Pioneered a great genre, kicked off shoegaze, noiserock, I think helped set the course for alternative rock, grunge etc. first listen I quite enjoyed it and was excited to go back, but after 3 or 4 listens I'm already a bit bored of it. Unlike MBV there's no real great hooks, and the dreamyness just isn't there. It's a wall of sound for wall of sounds sake. Should be on the list, but not a great album.
Really catchy songs, insanely distorted. Honestly preferred the less distorted tracks, which is not to say that the crazy distorted ones were bad, just I tended to like the cleaner ones better
very fun listening experience enjoyed thoroghly and happily surprised love the raw garage vibe and romantic emotional lyric. very punk pop and emo. Melancholic teenage and rebel vibes. Only one song I was kinda meh and cringing in the beginning. I would however have ordered some of the songs differently for IMHO better experience 3* would give another listen or more for sure
Teilweise voll toll, teilweise viel rauschen
Sooo, what I'm hearing is that Scotland invented grunge in 1985. It's a lot of good, early, raw "rock" sounds that definitely moved the genre forward away from more pop stuff. I wouldn't say I enjoy it, but I respect it.
2.5
Inspirerande skitighet, låter som Ramones spelat in med darkthrones bandspelare. Blir 3a för black metal-pop.
Mjuka poplåtar i hårt distad förpackning är alltid en bra present. Kunde inte lyssna mer än en gång men har ju lyssnat förr.
Under all the feedback and distortion, there's probably a pretty good album here.
I could do with a little less reverb, but like the energy.
I can see why it’s important Sounds ahead of its time sonically Some cool songs but I’d rather listen to the shoegaze stuff this album helped inspire
"Psychocandy" is an album of deliberate contradictions, oscillating between atmospheric moodiness and abrasive noise. The decision to bury the vocals deep in the mix enhances that cavernous, haunting feel. For me, the record is at its best when leaning into Phil Spector-inspired production - the opening track, "Just Like Honey", is a perfect example. However, I’m less convinced by the feedback-drenched tracks like "Never Understand", which lean heavily into a punk aesthetic. This makes for a somewhat uneven listening experience; yet, for fans of what my mother would call "loud music", it’s never a dull moment. Three stars The version of the album I listened to has the excellent "Some Candy Talking" which was wasn't on the original release. Side one 1 "Just Like Honey" (5/5) 2 "The Living End" (3/5) 3 "Taste the Floor" (3/5) 4 "The Hardest Walk" (4/5) 5 "Cut Dead" (3/5) 6 "In a Hole" (3/5) 7 "Taste of Cindy" (4/5) Side two 1 "Some Candy Talking" (5/5) 2 "Never Understand" (3/5) 3 "Inside Me" (3/5) 4 "Sowing Seeds" (4/5) 6 "My Little Underground" (3/5) 7 "You Trip Me Up" (3/5) 8 "Something's Wrong" (3/5) 9 "It's So Hard" (3/5) Total - 52 Average - 3.47 253/1001 138/253 albums reviewed were new to me
This was cool, need to check out more proto-shoegaze
Not listened to this album for a long time. Really enjoyed revisiting this
Et band jeg har vært i nærheten av å lytte til før, da de opererer innen sjangre jeg tiltrekkes av. Biter av alt-rock, post-punk og shoegaze her. Pop-melodier druknet i fuzz. Kan til og med minne om en noisy The Stone Roses til tider (se f.eks. The Hardest Walk). Litt varierende sangkvalitet, men jeg er kjempefan av estetikken. Første lytt var veldig engasjerende, men albumet tapte seg betraktelig ved påfølgende gjennomganger. En sterk treer. Top 3: Sowing Seeds, My Little Underground, The Hardest Walk
Interesting. Clearly very influential on a lot of stuff I really like, but I found the proto- nature of this a bit off putting. I enjoy the things this influenced more I think. The vocals weren’t great and the buzzy guitar tone was a little irritating as well.
Liked the guitar sounds. Songs didnt really stick with me.
The fifth and sixth members of the band are Feedback and Reverb.
dark and moody, although i did struggle to get a grasp on some of the songs with the amount of distortion over them which was a shame
Pretty good, never heard of them before. Kinda distorted avant garde, good to run to.
Priem
Ein Mix aus Wave und Rock, der konsequent durch einen Störsender gejagt wird – spannend, aber nicht überragend: ein interessantes, raues Debüt, das nicht immer zündet, aber definitiv Charakter hat
Surprising OK
It has a decent sound, but the songs didn't stand out much
The only reason this is getting a 3 instead of a 2 is that I'm blinded by the fact that they're Scottish, this will probably be as patriotic as I get this year.
I feel like I’m missing something. Not like I’m insulted, but, rather, I feel like I’m missing out. I really like the fuzzed out rock of The Jesus And Mary Chain, but it doesn’t hit me in any powerful way like I keep hoping it will. I appreciate their noisy tendencies, but the notes beneath the wall of distortion leave me wanting something ~more~, whatever that may be. As I think about it, TJAMC have more in common with Suicide than most other bands on this list, but this still sounds like B grade work. What am I missing?! What’s the secret to liking The Jesus And Mary Chain?!
This is a perfect album for this project: you should definitely hear it once, even if you hate it. The simple description of this music is bubblegum pop songs played with the reverb and distortion turned up to 11. Actually, I don't think it's much more complicated than that. By now a lot of bands have followed this formula, but I think Jesus and Mary Chain were one of the first to do it. Which makes this album sound almost quaint, which feels like an absurd thing to say about such cacophonous music. I don't need to hear this album again, but JAMC are so over-the-top committed to this sound, there's a kind of hilarious genius to it. Gotta respect.
Didn’t really listen
I had to listen to the full album 3 times to actually pay enough attention to it to rate it. I would say there are some stand outs but over all... it's a good album for background listening. It can get a little drone-y but all the songs felt cohesive without getting to repetitive. I would put this on again to listen to at work but it wouldn't be my main pull for a listening experience.
3.5. Very cool little album from a band I had never heard of. Liked this one a lot.
2.7
Jesus Chains robes
some good songs but not really my kind of music.
The effects put an interesting vibe on what would otherwise be a pretty bland pop album. It's creative but it lacks a cool factor.
I don’t actually hate the massive amount of reverb and washed out nature of everything as much as I thought I would. I do, however, think that those effects are the only reason this is notable. It’s a pop rock album under it all. It’s not bad, it’s not particularly engaging either.
Sometimes it felt like surf rock
Fuckin decent.
Liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Too many songs though 3 stars
01) Just Like Honey - 7,5 02) The Living End - 6,5 03) Taste the Floor - 6,5 04) The Hardest Walk - 6,5 05) Cut Dead - 6,5 06) In a Hole - 6,5 07) Taste of Cindy - 7,0 08) Some Candy Talking - 7,0 09) Never Understand - 7,0 10) Inside Me - 6,5 11) Sowing Seeds - 7,0 12) My Little Underground - 6,5 13) You Trip Me Up - 6,5 14) Something's Wrong - 6,5 15) It's So Hard - 6,0 TOTAL: 6,67 (67/100) Current ranking: 530/792
Not bad. It almost sounds like if the velvet underground went straight shoegaze. Probably groundbreaking and novel for the time and holds up well due to modern shoegaze aesthetics/revival being very in right now but the actual music isn't as interesting to me.
The contrast between the loud instruments and the singing is interesting. they should scream more
Enough like Sonic Youth for me to like it but too shoe-gazery for me to love it. If you want to fuck me in the ear with your guitar you're going to have to look me in my eyes.
Normally I hate this kind of noisy grunge, but I actually found myself feeling pretty neutral about it, which is maybe the highest praise I can give it. Although the last song is truly awful
Nice
Eigentlich ganz cool, grunge/punk mäßig, haunting, für mich persönlich etwas zu gritty, die Musik ist zu laut und man hört den Gesang nicht so gut, sehr repetetiv und es gibt kein Lied was wirklich raussticht
A couple of these songs really hit, but overall, a meh?
Listened Before? N Pioneering noise-rock record. Dripping with sludgy sounds. Enjoyed it, but couldn't listen every day. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Just Like Honey
Reminds me of a lite version of the band "James".
Favorite Track: Just Like Honey
This is one of those it sucks so bad that it kinda becomes good albums
Could only find album as part of a bootleg upload. Interesting, but I don't think the quality was enough to accurately judge
First impression is I’m instantly into it. Proto Stone Roses. Sounds years ahead of its time. Bit relentless as an album all at once. 2.5 rounded up to a 3
J&MC are instantly recognizable. Nice alternative music but not a favorite for me.
Previously rated: #394 - Darklands (3/5) ******************************* Album #990 This was quite the assault on my ears -- very noisy. My Little Underground is the epitome of that with all the feedback. It's effect heavy on everything, including the vocals, which made it almost impossible to decipher any of the lyrics. Too bad, because there are some good melodic and catchy songs here. I wouldn't mind hearing them with less noise. Whereas Darklands got a high 3, this one would be a low 3, so they are further apart in enjoyment than the equal rating would indicate.
I feel so distorted
The contrast between the soft/whispery vocals and the wall of noise behind it is interesting (overdrive is cranked to 500000 and gets a bit grating), but the content of the songs themselves don't really do it for me or make me feel much. It is cool sounding, songs are simple poppy numbers but the delivery throws you. This is so clearly a precursor to shoegaze. A bit same-y
Day699 - i like it but imagine how cool i’d be if this was my favorite band
i liked the way they implemented the noise, but the album is just… boring? idk i only enjoyed 2 songs
Good but mostly makes me want to listen to Darklands and the Happy When It Rains EP. It’s like an appetizer.
Nice one
1001 Albums Vol. 0016: Psychocandy ============================================================ Introduction: Well, it's been quite a while, but I've finally reached another album and even name that I've never heard yet again. Good for me because this is why I really started doing this in the first place. I wanted to make self-discoveries while discovering names completely new to me at the same time. Will I make any self-discoveries with this album? Probably not. I've heard shoegaze before and know that upon repeated listens I generally warm up most songs in the genre. Speaking of which....Psychocandy is the debut album by the band...The Jesus And Mary Chain...weird name...released in the year 1985. Wow, it's actually kinda surprising to not be listening to something from the 60's or 70's. Anyway, this album is considered to be extremely influential and one that you should listen to before you die due to its productional innovation. This was apparently one of the first albums created to fully lean into a more echoey and noise-filled environment which would become signature of the genre known as shoegaze. And again, like I said, shoegaze is a genre that I can generally get behind. It's definitely one of the more obscure and hard-to-get-into genres. That may be because of subdued lyrics, dreamy production, or something else that people generally don't like that I'm missing. Point is, shoegaze is a genre that is not for everyone. The score on this site perfectly reflects that, AND...I will say, from the additional research I've done into this album, these lower scores may actually be somewhat valid this time around. From what I've seen, this album doesn't deserve to be in the 2's, but its score isn't nearly as unfair as some of the other albums on this site. It's a pretty mixed bag from what I've read. Besides that, the only other thing to mention before I get into the listen is that this album was apparently pretty influential on alternative rock as well. That's cool. Alternative rock tends to be a pretty consistently good genre. Anyway, with all of that said, let's get into the first potential 3/5 that I've generated for quite a minute. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 1: Just Like Honey Score: 10/10 Track 2: The Living End Score: 7/10 Track 3: Taste The Floor Score: 8/10 Track 4: The Hardest Walk Score: 9/10 Track 5: Cut Dead Score: 8/10 Track 6: In a Hole Score: 6/10 Track 7: Taste of Cindy Score: 8/10 Track 8: Never Understand Score: 7/10 Track 9: Inside Me Score: 6/10 Track 10: Sowing Seeds Score: 8/10 Track 11: My Little Underground Score: 7/10 Track 12: You Trip Me Up Score: 6/10 Track 13: Something's Wrong Score: 7/10 Track 14: It's So Hard Score: 5/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Conclusion: This was a weird listen. It's so very obvious that this was shoegaze in its early days because this album was actually pretty rough around the edges. It contains that iconic and instantly recognizable shoegaze vibe to it but with a lot less good production. Admittedly, there are a lot of pretty good songs on here, but there were also a lot of alright and a few bad songs as well. You have songs like Just Like Honey is a great song that honestly sounds like it could have come out later in the shoegaze era....You then have songs like In a Hole which isn't bad but makes me want to rip my ears out because the guitar is so, so, so incredibly loud to the point where it sounds like static. Again, not a bad song, but a better producer and sound design could have made it way better. This isn't an isolated issue across the album either. Many of the later songs have this exact same problem only it doesn't extend across the entire song. Yes, I know this album leans more towards noise than shoegaze, but it's still annoying and kinda takes me away from the songs. Again though, I would consider mostly everything on this album to range from alright to great. It could be a lot worse. On the positive side, the music here manages to be pretty good when it's not bombarding your ears with irreversible damage. Most of these songs I find pretty good follow the trend of having a more dreamy vibe similar to that of shoegaze instead of noise. There's a weird mix between the two genres on this album. It's a mix that honestly sounds incredibly unique if not a bit rough. I wouldn't classify this album entirely as dream pop, shoegaze, or noise. It's just its own thing. It's a thing that I haven't really heard anywhere else. That deserves credit. Anyway, the lyrics on this album are alright. Again, Just Like Honey is pretty great in terms of its lyrics while the others are either good or alright at best. Most songs contain an interconnected theme of feeling isolated or wanting to isolate yourself from the world. Then you have some that straight up tell a tale of someone riding their motorcycle into a tree and getting decapitated upon impact. I'm not hating on that song, I like it because of how goofy and unexpected it is...but it's still goofy. For the most part, the lyrics on this album are pretty vague and are up to heavy amounts of interpretation. The same can be said about what is even being said by the singer. As is generic with shoegaze, the music takes the forefront with this album while the singer takes the backburner. I'm not criticizing this choice in production by any means, if anything it only helped set the standard for what would later be the shoegaze genre. It's good even though I know a lot of people probably hate shoegaze just for that reason. With all that said, Psychocandy is a very mixed bag. Yes, it did help set the standard of an up-and-coming genre of music, but that fact is so very clear throughout most of the album. If anything, most of the album kinda has that D.I.Y. tone of early punk rock but a lot more echoey and with more production distortion. At the end of the day, it is a good album, but it is also one of the weakest I have generated on this site so far. ============================================================ Psychocandy Score: 7/10 Song Average: 7.3/10
Super grunge vibe, which I like. Some tracks really push the feedback noise vibe a little too far, but overall I like this one. That being said, I'm not sure I'll go back to it. Like a high three, but still a three.
It’s good, reminiscent of mbv just not as perfectly put together
Maybe you had to be there at the time?
Enjoyed it but didn’t love it. Kinda punk, kinda alternative
I overall enjoyed this album. It feels like early britpop, most similar to the stone roses. I thought some of the lyrics were quite gimmicky but I enjoyed sowing seeds and just like honey.
It was ok.
Many brilliant albums would not exist without "Psychocandy". The Jesus and Mary Chain did something almost unheard of in the music industry. They used guitar feedback and noise to create a unique sound. Without it, "Psychocandy" would be just another '80s album. However, it's not a great record. 3 stars for "Psychocandy".