Search - The Jesus and Mary Chain :: Automatic

Unjustly neglected

Leaman G. Crews | 12/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"AUTOMATIC has been unfairly dissed over the years as a "sellout," a "disaster" or, as the Spin Alternative Record Guide said in 1995, an "ordinary hard rock record."



If only your "ordinary hard rock" record sounded like this.



Yes, there are drum machines. But guess what, DARKLANDS had them, as did a bunch of JAMC albums in the future. On the one track here with live drums, "Gimme Hell," the drums sound exactly the same as on the other tracks. The brothers Reid were going for a specific sound, and they got it either through live drummers or not.



Lack of feedback? I invite you to listen to "Coast to Coast," "Blues From a Gun," "Between Planets," "Her Way of Praying," "Head On" or "Gimme Hell" at full blast and defend this opinion. No, it's not the proto-shoegazing feedback of PSYCHOCANDY, but even proper shoegaze bands dropped those tricks after their first record or two.



As always, the Reid brothers are amazing songwriters. It doesn't matter if they drape their songs with PSYCHOCANDY style feedback, DARKLANDS type gothness, or the grace and beauty of the mellow STONED AND DETHRONED. The genius of their songwriting shines through, and any true fan will tell you that AUTOMATIC is just as awesome as anything else the band did."