Jesus And Mary Chain Think Negatively

09/10/08 12:34pm

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

Have you ever had someone scream "Think positive!" at you? If you've ever grumbled at this phrase, maybe you can take comfort in the fact that there's a four-disc Jesus And Mary Chain box set called The Power Of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities coming your way.

The package is due out Sept. 30 through Rhino Records. It collects 81 Jesus And Mary Chain rarities that were assembled by the label, frontman Jim Reid and his guitarist brother, William Reid. It comes with a six-by-eight-inch gatefold shell, interviews with Jim and William, rare band photos and a double-sided poster showing the covers of the band's singles on one side and a hand-drawn family tree of the group's various lineups. The Power Of Negative Thinking will also be available as a download.

The Jesus And Mary Chain formed in 1984 and released seven albums before folding in 1999. They reformed last year and have been touring and working on a new album. In addition to the Reid brothers, the band's current lineup includes former Ride drummer Laurence Colbert, guitarist Mark Crozer and former Lush bassist Phil King.

Here's what's on The Power Of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities:

Disc one:
"Up Too High" (previously unreleased)
"Upside Down"
"Vegetable Man"
"Suck"
"Ambition"
"Just Out Of Reach"
"Boyfriend's Dead"
"Head"
"Just Like Honey" (October 1984 demo)
"Cracked"
"Taste Of Cindy" (acoustic)
"The Hardest Walk"
"Never Understand" (previously unreleased alternate version)
"My Little Underground" (previously unreleased demo)
"The Living End" (previously unreleased demo)
"Some Candy Talking"
"Psychocandy"
"Hit"
"Cut Dead" (acoustic)
"You Trip Me Up" (acoustic)
"Walk And Crawl" (previously unreleased)

Disc two:
"Kill Surf City"
"Bo Diddley Is Jesus"
"Who Do You Love"
"Everything's Alright When You're Down"
"Shake"
"Happy When It Rains" (demo)
"Happy Place"
"F.Hole"
"Rider"
"On The Wall" (Porta Studio demo)
"Surfin' USA" (April outtake)
"Here It Comes Again"
"Don't Ever Change"
"Swing"
"Sidewalking"
"Surfin' USA" (summer mix)
"Shimmer"
"Penetration"
"Break Me Down"
"Subway"
"My Girl"

Disc three:
"In The Black"
"Terminal Beach"
"Deviant Slice"
"I'm Glad I Never"
"Drop" (acoustic remix)
"Rollercoaster"
"Silverblade"
"Lowlife"
"Tower Of Song"
"Heat"
"Guitarman"
"Why'd You Want Me"
"Sometimes"
"Teenage Lust" (acoustic version)
"Reverberation (Doubt)"
"Don't Come Down"
"Snakedriver"
"Something I Can't Have"
"Write Record Release Blues"
"Little Red Rooster"

Disc four:
"The Perfect Crime"
"Little Stars"
"Drop" (re-recorded)
"I'm In With The Out Crowd"
"New York City"
"Taking It Away"
"Ghost Of A Smile"
"Alphabet Street"
"Coast To Coast" (previously unreleased alternate take with William Reid vocals)
"Dirty Water" (previously unreleased demo with William Reid vocals)
"Till I Found You" (previously unreleased)
"Bleed Me"
"33 1/3"
"Lost Star"
"Hide Myself"
"Rocket"
"Easylife, Easylove"
"40,000K"
"Nineteen666"