Neha Patil (Editor)

Automatic (The Jesus and Mary Chain album)

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Released
  
9 October 1989

Automatic (1989)
  
Honey's Dead (1992)

Release date
  
9 October 1989

Genre
  
Alternative rock

Length
  
43:26

Artist
  
The Jesus and Mary Chain

Label
  
Blanco y Negro Records

Producers
  
Jim Reid, William Reid

Automatic (The Jesus and Mary Chain album) httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenthumb5

Recorded
  
1989, Sam Therapy, West London

Similar
  
The Jesus and Mary Chain albums, Alternative rock albums

The jesus and mary chain automatic full album


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.

Contents

Reception

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" 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
  • Jim Reid – vocals (tracks 2, 4–10), guitar, synthesizer, drum programming, production
  • William Reid – vocals (tracks 1, 3, 11), guitar, synthesizer, drum programming, production
    • Additional personnel
  • Alan Moulder – engineer
  • Jamie Harley – recording assistant
  • Lee Curle – recording assistant
  • Dick Meaney – mixing assistant
  • Richard Thomas – drums on "Gimme Hell"
  • Ryan Art – design
  • Steve Mitchell – photography
  • Andrew Catlin – photography

    • Songs

    1Here Comes Alice3:54
    2Coast to Coast4:13
    3Blues From a Gun4:44

    References

    Automatic (The Jesus and Mary Chain album) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA