Jesus And Mary Chain — The Power Of Negative Thinking: B-Sides And Rarities

The Power Of Negative Thinking: B-Sides And Rarities

Rhino/Warner

Aaron Brophy (CHARTattack)

10/28/2008 12:06pm

To discount the 81 tracks collected on The Jesus And Mary Chain's four-disc set The Power Of Negative Thinking as b-side and rarity toss-offs would be grossly negligent. While most of the content doesn't quite compare to the songs on JAMC's many proper records, what these songs sometimes lack in singular greatness, they make up for as unfiltered windows into the soul of one of the alternative nation's most important bands.

The earliest b-sides aren't worth much. There's little in the way of substance or quality to "Suck," the flip of the "Never Understand" single, or "Boyfriend's Dead," the opposite to "You Trip Me Up." Their sole value is to reaffirm that, yes, the Chain were noisier, dirtier, and grungier than any of those west coast Americans who'd emerge a half decade later.

Where the Chain formula really starts to show itself is in a song like "Cracked," the b-side to "Just Like Honey." Outwardly just another noise song, if you dig underneath the crackle there's an entirely poisoned surf/blues guitar riff keeping everything together.

It's probably the three bonus tracks to '87 single "April Skies" that say the most about the Mary Chain. "Kill Surf City" ruthlessly parodies then eviscerates Jan And Dean's "Surf City" before "Bo Diddley Is Jesus" uniquely salutes the blues legend and the band finish off with a drawling cover of "Who Do You Love."

These songs are all delivered with the band's special combination of gloom and white noise, but what they really show is a solid and knowledgeable appreciation for past rock 'n' roll masters. That appreciation is no less evident on the straight (or as straight as a band like them could muster) cover of "Surfin' USA" and "Rider," a brilliant Darklands leftover built on the classic theme of motorcycle riding and a blueprint track for the sound that'd later define their Automatic and Honey's Dead albums. And if there's still any doubt that the Jesus And Mary Chain were properly schooled in r'n'r traditionals, absolutely violent interpretations of "Little Red Rooster" and "Guitarman" will stab those doubts to death with a switchblade out behind the drive-in.

When you look at it carefully, what the Chain attempted to do was nothing short of redefining the parameters and reigniting the spirit of rock 'n' roll. That's a lot to put on the shoulders of a couple angry brothers from Glasgow who dressed in too much black, but few others since them have done as much to advance the sound of old school rock 'n' roll.

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