Automatic (The Jesus and Mary Chain album)

Automatic
Studio album by The Jesus and Mary Chain
Released 9 October 1989
Recorded 1989, Sam Therapy, West London
Genre Alternative rock
Length 43:26
Label Blanco y Negro Records
Producer Jim Reid, William Reid
The Jesus and Mary Chain chronology
Barbed Wire Kisses
(1988)		 Automatic
(1989)		 Honey's Dead
(1992)
Singles from Automatic
  1. "Blues from a Gun"
    Released: September 1989
  2. "Head On"
    Released: November 1989

Automatic is the third album by Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain. The group on this record is basically the core duo of brothers William and Jim Reid with a drum machine providing percussion and even a synthesizer filling in on bass guitar. The only other credited musician was Richard Thomas who joined the touring version of The Jesus and Mary Chain as a drummer. Thomas drummed on "Gimme Hell" and was a former member of Dif Juz. He also made appearances on Cocteau Twins' 1986 Victorialand LP and This Mortal Coil's 1986 Filigree & Shadow.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Robert ChristgauB−[2]
Drowned in Sound8/10[3]
Los Angeles Times[4]
Paste[5]
Pitchfork Media7.8/10[6]
Q[7]

Although released to generally poor reviews at the time (with the aforementioned synthesized drums and bass being the biggest point of contention), Automatic contains their most successful single in America up to that point, "Head On" (later covered by Pixies). Critical and fan reception has improved with the passage of time. Pitchfork Media wrote in 2006: "Conventional wisdom wrongly calls (Automatic) the dud," of the JAMC's discography, but that in hindsight the album "feels like a career peak"[8] and has been a fan favourite.

The last two tracks, "Drop" and "Sunray", do not appear on vinyl LP versions of the album.

Track listing

All songs written by Jim Reid and William Reid.

LP (BYN 20), limited gatefold LP (BYN 20W) and cassette (BYNC 20)

Side 1

  1. "Here Comes Alice" – 3:53
  2. "Coast to Coast" – 4:13
  3. "Blues from a Gun" – 4:44
  4. "Between Planets" – 3:27
  5. "UV Ray" – 4:06

Side 2

  1. "Her Way of Praying" – 3:46
  2. "Head On" – 4:11
  3. "Take It" – 4:34
  4. "Halfway to Crazy" – 3:40
  5. "Gimme Hell" – 3:20
CD (BYNCD 20)
  1. "Here Comes Alice" – 3:53
  2. "Coast to Coast" – 4:13
  3. "Blues from a Gun" – 4:44
  4. "Between Planets" – 3:27
  5. "UV Ray" – 4:06
  6. "Her Way of Praying" – 3:46
  7. "Head On" – 4:11
  8. "Take It" – 4:34
  9. "Halfway to Crazy" – 3:40
  10. "Gimme Hell" – 3:20
  11. "Drop" – 1:58
  12. "Sunray" – 1:34

Personnel

The Jesus and Mary Chain

Additional personnel

Charts

Year Chart Position
1989 UK Albums Chart 11
1989 US Billboard 200 105
1989 Swedish Albums Chart 42
1990 Australia (ARIA Albums Chart)[9] 89

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r10350
  2. ↑ http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=649&name=The+Jesus+and+Mary+Chain
  3. ↑ http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16544/reviews/4143612
  4. ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/1989-11-12/entertainment/ca-1917_1_mary-chain
  5. ↑ http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2006/08/the-jesus-and-mary-chain-reissues.html
  6. ↑ http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11882-psychocandy-darklands-automatic-honeys-dead-stoned-dethroned/
  7. ↑ Q magazine. July 2006 (p.122)
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
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