JAMC's early gigs have become the stuff of legend in underground circles. Playing in front of small audiences, the band earned their notoriety by playing very short gigs, some lasting no more than ten minutes and consisting of a constant wall of feedback and distortion. The group became know as well for playing with their backs to the audience and refusing to speak to them. Many shows culminated with the Reids trashing their equipment, which was often followed by the audience rioting. All of this delighted manager and Creation Records boss Alan McGee, who obviously found it very easy to get attention for the band, as well as aliened more commercially-minded music business figures.
Their debut single, "Upside Down", came out in 1984 on Creation, but they signed to the WEA-backed Blanco y Negro the following year. Said label released their debut album, titled 'Psychocandy', which fused together the Reid's two primary influences, the guitar noise and avant-garde rock of The Velvet Underground with the 60s pop leanings of Phil Spector and The Beach Boys. It included songs such as the indie sensation "Just Like Honey". The record divided many music fans due to its deliberately abrasive sound yet still received positive critical reviews and is now considered a landmark recording in the history of alternative music.
Gillespie left the band before the next album, 'Darklands, came out, going on to front Primal Scream. He was briefly replaced by John Moore (later of Black Box Recorder), before former Biff Bang Pow! drummer Dave Evans. The aforementioned 'Darklands' also received supportive reviews, and it showed a less noisy and more contemplative sound that was welcomed by both many post-punk fans and many mainstream rock fans. Notable songs from that period include "April Skies" and "Happy When It Rains".
Albums
# Psychocandy (November 1985)
# Darklands (September 1987)
# Automatic (September 1989)
# Honey's Dead (March 1992)
# Stoned & Dethroned (1994)
# Munki (June 1998)
# Damage and Joy (2017)
Plus the following - (sessions, singles, b-sides, live recordings et cetera)
# Barbed Wire Kisses (April 1988)
# The Sound of Speed (1993)
# Hate Rock N' Roll (1995)
# 21 Singles (2002)
# BBC Live in Concert (2003)
# The Complete John Peel Sessions (2003)
# The Power of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities (2008)
For the iconic indie label Sub Pop, the band recorded 1998's 'Munki' album, which would turn out to be their last before splitting the following year. The album is often thought of as sounding 'divided' due to the Reids' crumbling relationship. Jim Reid has recalled: "Me and William weren't really getting along at all. That last year we barely even spoke. 'Munki' is one of my favorite albums, but it was really divided. William would go into the studio with the rest of the band and record while I wasn't there, and then I'd go in with them when William wasn't there."
William Reid then recorded as the artist Lazycame. Brother Jim formed the band Freeheat, which disbanded in 2003. Jim Reid is currently recording solo material and he has, to date, recorded and released one single Song For A Secret which was released on Transistor Records.
Like some of their influences such as Dee Dee Ramone, Lee Hazelwood, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed, throughout their career the boys were rumored to have ongoing substance abuse issues, which may have contributed to their notoriety. They reportedly dabbled in regular use of things like amphetamines and heroin, which made for lyrical reference in songs like Some Candy Talking and the album title Stoned & Dethroned.
Despite not having huge commercial success, they've gone on to influence a range of other music groups such as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Butthole Surfers, My Bloody Valentine, and Spacemen 3.
The Jesus and Mary Chain reunited to play at the Coachella Festival on April 27, 2007, followed by two more shows in Spain at the Summercase Festival. More shows followed in late 2007 and early 2008 in London.
Calling themselves 'Sister Vanilla' an LP, Little Pop Rock, was released in 2007 and reunites the brothers along with their sister, Linda, singing on most tracks.
Damage And Joy is the brand new studio album by The Jesus And Mary Chain, released on March 24th, 2017.
Other personnel;
Richard Thomas (drums 1988-1990)
Ben Lurie (bass/rhythm guitar/backing vocals 1989-1998)
Steve Monti (drums 1990-1995)
Matthew Parkin (bass 1992)
Barry Blackler (drums 1992)
Nick Sanderson (drums 1993-1998)
Mark Crozer (rhythm guitar 2007-now)
Loz Colbert (drums 2007-now)
JAMC singer Jim Reid is name-checked in the 2017 song "Lollipop (Ode to Jim)" by Canadian band Alvvays which begins "I saw Jim Reid in the corridor.." and contains other allusions to JAMC themes.
http://thejesusandmarychain.uk.com/
Reverberation
The Jesus and Mary Chain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your health was fine
It's strapped inside your skin
You want to leave
But you believe
You won't get back again
You only know
You have to go
You try and try
You die and die
You're stuck on your own now
Reverberation
Reverberation
You find ?
It doesn't cease
This deadly irritation
You catch a lie
You stare behind
You're sick with fermentation
You hold your thoughts
Your mind is caught
Your fixed with fascination
You think you'll die
But can't rely
It's back with devastation
Reverberation
Reverberation
?
Come on
You start to swirl
The downward curl
Catches up your feels
?
Comes home to you
And downs inside your ?
You start to fight
Against a knife
That swings inside your mind
There's something black
That bounces back
And grabs you from behind
Reverberation
Reverberation
The Jesus and Mary Chain's "Reverberation" is a song about feeling trapped and unable to escape from one's own thoughts and emotions. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been struggling with their mental health but has recently come to the realization that they need to leave their current situation to find peace. However, they are struggling to do so because they believe they will never be able to come back to where they are now. They are caught in a cycle of trying and failing to escape, which leads to feelings of helplessness and despair.
The repetition of "Reverberation" throughout the song represents the never-ending cycle of negative thoughts and emotions that the singer is experiencing. They feel as though they are caught in a downward spiral and can't escape the "deadly irritation" that is haunting them. The line "There's something black that bounces back and grabs you from behind" suggests that the singer feels as though they are being attacked by their own thoughts and emotions, which are holding them back and keeping them from moving forward.
Overall, "Reverberation" is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to the struggles of mental health and the feeling of being trapped in one's own thoughts and emotions. It's a reminder that we need to be kind to ourselves and seek help if we are struggling, as we cannot always do it on our own.
Line by Line Meaning
You've finally found
You have recently discovered something important
Your health was fine
Your health was not an issue during your discovery
It's strapped inside your skin
You have a realization that is consuming and inescapable
You want to leave
You would like to escape this realization
But you believe
You are convinced that leaving is impossible
You won't get back again
You think that once you leave, you cannot return
You only know
You are certain of one thing
You have to go
You feel the need to depart
This feeling you can't deny
You cannot ignore your emotions
You try and try
You make attempts to escape
You die and die
You experience repeated failure
You're stuck on your own now
You are now alone in your struggle
Reverberation
The echoes of your realization are persistent
Reverberation
These echoes continue without end
You find ?
You have discovered something that confuses you
It doesn't cease
This confusion doesn't go away
This deadly irritation
This confusion is causing significant distress
You catch a lie
You have become aware of a deception
You stare behind
You cannot stop dwelling on past events
You're sick with fermentation
You feel unwell due to a buildup of something harmful
You hold your thoughts
You try to control your thoughts and emotions
Your mind is caught
You feel trapped in your own mind
Your fixed with fascination
You are captivated by your current situation
You think you'll die
You believe that the stress will kill you
But can't rely
You cannot trust your own judgement
It's back with devastation
Your problems have returned with even more force
Come on
You are urging yourself to keep going
You start to swirl
You feel overwhelmed and dizzy
The downward curl
You are spiraling down a negative path
Catches up your feels
Your emotions become impossible to ignore
Comes home to you
You realize something you had not before
And downs inside your ?
You feel a great sadness
You start to fight
You attempt to resist the negative feelings
Against a knife
Resisting those feelings is as painful as being cut with a knife
That swings inside your mind
These negative thoughts are pervasive
There's something black
You are aware of a darkness inside you
That bounces back
This darkness only gets stronger
And grabs you from behind
This darkness consumes you completely
Reverberation
The echoes of your realization never cease, even when the song is over.
Reverberation
These echoes will continue long after the song has ended.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Roger Erickson, Stacy Sutherland, Tommy Hall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind