"Sure, this is not what one would define as a proper album, but it does have some great singles on it, starting with I Hate Rock N Roll and Snakedriver. It meanders for a bit, and feels more like demos than finished songs. I do love Thirty Three and a Third (an homage to the Ramones song 53rd and 3rd, or just the speed of an lp?). Anyway, if you're a hardcore fan, or are maybe just curious to see what this band is all about, this might be a nice little primer. I would hardly rate this up with the band's best efforts -- see Psychocandy, Darklands and Munki. But this is a fun little slice of rock n roll from a band that has had its share of ups and downs in the industry."
Well worth it for JMC fans
trainreader | Montclair, N.J. | 09/07/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Other than "Teenage Lust- Desdemoana Mix," which is an incredibly lousy version of one of the band's best songs, "Hate Rock 'N" Roll contains thoroughly enjoyable (short) songs, any of which could, and should have been included in the other albums. I especially like William Reid's "Something I Can't Have," and "New York City" with the hilarious stanza, "Hey Mr. President get down on your knees/the U.S.A. got a social disease."
"Penetration" rocks hard; it's hard to sit still to it. Jim Reid turns "I'm In With the In Crowd," into the grungy defiant "I'm In With The Out Crowd." Perhaps the most interesting song on the album is Ben Lurie's "Taking it All Away," which I believe is the only JMC song not written by either or both of the Reid brothers. "I Hate Rock 'N' Roll" appears as the last song on "Munki," the band's next, and, unfortunately, last album.
Overall, a very good and worthwhile B-side album, but I wonder why these songs (besides the dreadful alternative mix to "Teenage Lust") couldn't have been included as part of the primary albums."
Another decent comp
D. Cross | Hollywood, CA USA | 11/09/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Yet another singles/b-sides compilation (3rd one), but, hey, it saves you the time and money of tracking down all the singles. The first three songs get 5 stars, being three of the best tunes in the bands ourvre. Unfortunately, the rest is spotty. But then, that's par for the course, this not being a proper album.
As for the reviewer who complained about screeching guitar... uh, isn't that what JAMC were known for???"
THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN LOVE ME
Guy De Federicis | east of here | 01/06/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Not bad. Not good either. Take a song, any song, say, Mott the Hoople's "The Golden Age of Rock and Roll", from Hoople's last studio album, and screech a distorted guitar over it and you have title track, "I Hate Rock 'N' Roll", or take later day Beach Boys single, "Do It Again", and screech same distorted guitar and you have second track, "Snakedriver". What we have here is pure pop, buried under a droning tuneless guitar that makes the same alarming sound my last car did before it died, (it was a Hyundai). Fair enough, it's a rarities and B-sides collection, (meaning the album didn't work), but Odds and Sods it ain't. It ain't even YESterdays. Some of it is very catchy, and maybe I should be thankful the killer guitar crucifies nearly every song or you may find yourself playing Name That Tune in the deep recesses of your garage rock mind, (not always a good thing if you remember "Indiana Wants Me", and The Archies). But I love the short, punkish, "I'm In With The Out Crowd", and the gentle and really lovely, "Little Stars", sounds like every debut bar band remaining afloat by an excellent bass player, or so you told your drunken friend, who felt they just sucked. But I hate, "Teenage Lust - Desdemoana Mix", Desde-MOAN-a, get it? It's really not very funny. And all of this is not very good. But it's not bad either."