The Jesus And Mary Chain - The Sound Of Speed

Like the Velvet Underground, their most obvious influence, the chart success of the Jesus and Mary Chain was virtually nonexistent, but their artistic impact was incalculable; quite simply, the British group made the world safe for white noise, orchestrating a sound dense in squalling feedback which served as an inspiration to everyone from My Bloody Valentine to Dinosaur Jr. Though the supporting players drifted in and out of focus, the heart of the Mary Chain remained vocalists and guitarists William and Jim Reid, Scottish-born brothers heavily influenced not only by underground legends like the Velvets and the Stooges but also by the sonic grandeur and pop savvy of Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. In the Jesus and Mary Chain, which the Reids formed outside of Glasgow in 1984 with bassist Douglas Hart and drummer Murray Dalglish (quickly replaced by Bobby Gillespie), these two polarized aesthetics converged; equal parts bubblegum and formless guitar distortion, their sound both celebrated pop conventions and thoroughly subverted them. In late 1984, the band issued its seminal debut single, "Upside Down," a remarkable blast of live wire feedback anchored by a caveman-like drumbeat; the record made the Mary Chain an overnight sensation in the U.K., as did their nascent live shows, 20-minute sets of confrontational noise (performed with the band's members' backs to the audience) which frequently ended in rioting. This is a CD with B-sides and rarities. Enjoy!

Track list:

1. Snakedriver
2. Reverence [Radio Mix]
3. Heat
4. Teenage Lust [Acoustic Version]
5. Why'd You Want Me
6. Don't Come Down
7. Guitarman
8. Something I Can't Have
9. Sometimes
10. Write Record Release Blues
11. Shimmer
12. Penetration
13. My Girl
14. Tower of Song
15. Little Red Rooster
16. Break Me Down
17. Lowlife
18. Deviant Slice
19. Reverberation
20. Sidewalking [Extended Version]