Do The Jesus and Mary Chain still matter? Of course they do. This groundbreaking Scottish band paved the way and drew the blueprint for some of the most innovatively original bands of the last two decades. The Raveonettes, BRMC, Catherine Wheel, and countless others pretty much owe their existence to the sound that the Reid brothers perfected. Last week The Jesus and Mary Chain celebrated the 30th anniversary of their seminal masterpiece Psychocandy by performing the record in its entirety for two sold out nights at The Warfied.
I totally missed this record when it came out back in 1985 as I was celebrating hair metal at the time (and still do actually), but I would later became a big fan. To be completely honest, Psychocandy wasn’t the record that pulled me in. I discovered the band for the first time when I heard Jim Reid sing “I wanna die just like Jesus Christ, I wanna die on a bed of spikes.”
It was 1992’s Honeys Dead and their stint on the Lollapalooza tour that year that pulled me in. I would later go back and revisit the critically acclaimed Psychocandy and even though I dig the record, I think Honey’s Dead and its follow-up, the terribly underrated Stoned and Dethroned, are superior records in every way. Maybe it’s a time period thing, I don’t know, but I just prefer the songwriting, the lyrics, the production, and the evolution of the band over those two records in particular. I think it was their creative peak.
With that being said there was no way in hell I was going to miss out on the chance to see these guys on stage again. Psychocandy performed live in its entirety or not, I was in. I love the fact that the Reid brothers do things a bit differently as well. Instead of the common practice of opening up and jumping right into playing the anniversary record and showcasing an encore of hits at the end, they did the opposite. (A total George Costanza play, if you will). So funny enough, I got to hear my favorite songs set up the full record performance, and it really worked out nicely.
The entire show was really something special any way you slice it though. Not being a professional music critic myself I don’t really get why all the attention is given to “that one” breakthrough album of an artist’s career. Especially in this case where there are two equally great gems that should be celebrated as well. Then again, maybe I’m pulling a bit of a George Constanza move here as well.
Bottom line: even though they sounded great and look fantastic for their age, I can’t imagine the Reid brothers doing another US tour. So go see them while you can, and while you’re at it pick up the deluxe versions of Honey’s Dead and Stoned and Dethroned—they are absolutely stunning in all their repackaged glory.
