392) Jesus & Mary Chain - Darklands

They were the great hope, they could barely play, their gigs lasted twenty minutes they hated everything and they had delivered with a debut album that over forty years later is still glorious to these ears.

Bobby Gillespie had left the band to focus on Primal Scream full time and for the recording of their second album drum machines replaced him as the Reid brothers went it alone.

The band parted with manager Alan McGee and were even able to manage forty-five-minute sets, they were not going to change rock and roll, few have, but why not continue to release great songs.

Two singles preceded the album with Aril Skies becoming their first top ten hit and what a glorious song it was/is over a chugging guitar and riffs Jim delivers a perfect vocal and I would imagine they expected top ten success with Happy when It Rains which followed the same formula but built towards the chorus, this didn’t crack the top ten but they were now delivering hit singles, no more feedback and difficult vocals but still a brooding change to a lot of music that was making the top forty.

The title track opens the record and its clear they have cleaned up their sound, and if you were hoping for Psychocandy part II you were in for a disappointment, it never gets out of first gear but then doesn’t need to as it’s a good opener because it pricks at your ears enough to know that you want to hear more and Deep One Perfect Morning does exactly the same although when the guitar kicks in one minute in it’s an exquisite  moment and listen to that guitar shimmer at the end of the more up-tempo Down On Me.

William had sung the opener and returns for Nine Million Rainy Days and On The Wall. William is not here to cheer you up, delivering Rainy Days with a deep vocal but Jim’s woo-woo backing vocals add a loose Exile on Main Street vibe to the track.

Fall may have got on Psychocandy a bit more rough and ready and On the Wall starts like Lou Reed, but when they hit the chorus, they have layered the guitars, but they never cut loose. and Cherry Came Too falls into the same category although nice solo.

 About You we are at the end as over an acoustic guitar Jim croons and the final words we have are “There’s something warm. Good about you.”  Who would have thought that from the brothers from East Kilbride.

They couldn’t match the shock rawness and excitement of their debut, and they didn’t try, but they delivered a damn fine record.

7.25

GIVE IT A STREAM: April Skies