The Jesus and Mary Chain Damage and Joy

Looking forward to hearing this new album. Listened to some of their back catalogue recently to get in the spirit, and enjoyed them all over again, although a couple of the albums had a slightly dated quality (Honey's Dead), otherwise mind blowing.

 

That early 90's sound

 

Which MBV would kick into overdrive on "Loveless"

 

So this is probably as close to a confessional album as Reid & Reid are ever going to get and I love it. The way they are making fun of their situation is hilarious. All these comments on RYM (these acronyms!) how "Damage & Joy" wasn't "dangerous" enough... Jesus!

I think for a band like this showing some real positive emotion is actually pretty dangerous. Or at least has been for the last 30+ years

Definitely not an album for people unfamiliar with the JMC but for listeners of a certain age group this record actually contains many truths. This is what makes it great!

 

Sorry, what's RYM?

 

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Well I kinda hated it. Every song has the same chugging guitar rhythm and those drum machines are really cheesey and clunky. My favourite era for the band is probably Stoned and Dethroned plus its b-sides and I Hate Rock N Roll, at least in terms of the sound of those songs - they rhythm sections always sounded really full. This just sounds cheap. It's basically like a whole album of Munki's Cracking Up.

 

Fantastic album! Even though I remember being slightly perplexed by it when I bought it in late summer 1994. JMC just managed to sound "contemporary" again (this is what "Honey's Dead" sounded like in 1991) and then... this!

 

Ha me too. First hearing Sometimes Always as a follow up to Snakedriver (I forgot - I'd add that to my favourite era too) was a bit of a headscratcher to say the least! It's a couple of songs too long, but there are so many great songs on Stoned and Dethroned. Girlfriend, She, Dirty Water, Everybody I Know.... really great. For some strange reason, the b-side The Perfect Crime is another favourite, despite it barely being a song.

 

Ha! I was disappointed that I missed the Berlin show last Monday. Now... guess who's going to play in October?! Will get tickets as soon as possible!!!

I guess the fact that the JMC will play Berlin twice in one year is a very good sign!!!!

 

That's funny, I was playing this over the weekend for about the 10th time now and found myself thinking it sounded the beefiest and best as far as drums are concerned on any of their albums really. Look at the credits, it's a real drummer for all songs, guy from Fountains of Wayne it seems except for one. Sure they add bits of programmed drums in there as always, but this album sounds the most like a band to me because of the better sounding drums. I do love Stoned & Dethroned, but feel the drums on that are really lightweight sounding. Different strokes I guess

So far I still think it's their best album since Darklands, subject to change of course, I'll update in a year and see where I stand!

 

I saw them live last night as part of a festival in Paris .
It was sad .
They were never great live to start with but this was very bad .
Jim's voice , not that great to start with ( like Bobby Gillespie ) is shot .

 

Man, I just left the Berlin gig after 40 minutes. Love the JMC but standing in a middle-aged crowd, listening to badly played songs about teenage topics is a truly bizarre experience. The version of "Teenage Lust" was unbelievable. Had to leave after that. Sorry..

But Cold Cave, the support act, was pretty great.

 

i can eventually live with the middle aged crowd ( like me ) and songs about teenage topics performed by middle aged guys ( for example the recent Undertones shows were amazing ) but all the rest was pathetic

 

I fear I might be middle aged myself but some of these versions really hurt. The other week I saw Slowdive which was mesmerising and fantastic. But the JMC? I mean... a friend has been telling me how Jesus sucks live for ages. But since I love the songs I didn't really pay attention.

Looking at Setlistfm I missed half the concert. And I'm glad I was gone when "Reference" came on. That lyric might have been too much

 

I've seen them twice in the past two years and thought they were great but what do I know?

 

Well, a lot of people there appeared to like it so what do I know?

I actually gave this some thought today because I love the band, quite like the new album and paid 40€ for the ticket.

The first thing I noticed was that - unlike the Slowdive gig last week - there were almost no younger people. Then there was the fact that there was no stage presence, charisma. Jim didn't wear sunglasses and looked exactely like a bloke living next to me. William played his guitar in the back of the stage and didn't even look at the audience.

I love most of these songs but the versions sounded uninspired, unintense and in some cases simply wrong. Jim's voice - great during opener "Amputation" - increasingly failed him.

For me JMC always has been about subversion and rebellion and to see these songs played in front of a middle aged audience, pumping their fists to lyrics like "shoot everyone who's hip" and dead keen on celebrating their youth was frustrating. Basically like one of those oldies shows the generation of our parents used to visit in the 80s. And for me the JMC is about many things. But definitely not about nostalgia.

 

Clearly, they aren't the same band as they were in the '80s/'90s; they can be a little rough when performing these days.

Nonetheless, it is possible to realize that everyone's older now yet still enjoy the music for what it's worth, even forgive a little sloppiness when they play. All the same, I'm aware that everybody has a line of demarcation, past which, it becomes a bad performance.

It seems though, if you're too worried about rebellion, middle-agedness (?) and nostalgia then you won't be in the right frame of mind to enjoy them anyway.

 

Well.... apparently, yes. But I've recently seen Sparks - both performers are 65+ and a very different band than they were. And the show just burst with energy, you wouldn't have called that a nostalgic evening. Or look at Nick Cave. But this JMC gig? I mean.... they do have the catalogue and on paper their set is looking great. But on stage? I wouldn't yet call them a parody. But we are getting there.

 

they always sucked big time live even in the eighties when i first saw them .
the problem now is not the sloppy playing , its the opposite : a bunch of very professional ( studio sharks look) players with a sterile wall of sound ( hello Foo Fighters) and the 2 Reid Brothers just standing there to take the cash ( i dont blame them for that )

 

I'm shocked by what I'm reading here. And stunned.

I saw them a few weeks ago in London at The Forum (cap 2,300) and was surprised how good they were: Jim in great voice, William doing his noise technician thing hunched by his amp wall (though I wouldn't have minded if he was louder), two encores, great songs.

They seemed reinvigorated.

I guess they have the off-nights, but didn't they always? Don't be scared off, I had a great time!

5th time seeing them since '89, and they weren't all great shows, but this one certainly was.

 

Back to topic - Damage and Joy is very good too.

It would be hard for them to surprise us at this point, but they come close with six tracks with female vocals.

I take them for granted, so I'm taken aback at how good it is every time I play it.

Sing along now - "I spent the night with a blow up girl and some LSD..."

 

The musicians were indeed quite anonymous, the drummer sucked big time playing rather unsubtle and not especially fluid. Haha.... this from a band that relied on drum machines for most of their career.

All in all it was really boring. When it should have been a celebration.

 

Lines like that are simply annoying. Couldn't they at least treat this topic with a tiny little bit taste and wit? See "No ***** Blues" by Grinderman. This is how it's done. Grab your audience and stick it to them

 

No P---- Blues is a high bar for any song!

The Reid's "dumb" lines never spoil things for me - it's just amusing (or not) wordplay for a woman musician of volatile mood - she did "make it on the MTV" after all.

There are plenty of sweet lines on there too: "Share your imagination and your deep, dark inspiration. Wrap the whole thing up in wonder" etc

It's a great listen people, give it a(nother) go!