#137: The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy (1985)

Zack: It’s funny how some albums predate all the comparisons that I, as a listener, would like to make. Only a few tracks in to Psychocandy, I thought I had heard hints of Nirvana. I opened up Wikipedia and saw that it was released in 1985, a healthy six years before Nevermind. My next thought was Pixies. After all, they were a huge influence on Nirvana and there were a few songs that captured the genre-merging sound that was Doolittle. But Pixies first album (Surfer Rosa) wasn’t until 1988. Later on, I thought I heard traces of Sonic Youth. Finally, I had struck gold! Sonic Youth released their first album in 1983, two whole years before Psychocandy. But Sonic Youth’s first album of any real merit is Evol, which didn’t come out until 1986. It turned out all I had found was the Pyrite, so I was forced to admit that I had made a fundamental mistake. I had spent so much time searching for what bands and musicians had influenced Jesus and the Mary Chain, but the reality was the opposite. Psychocandy wasn’t the influenced, it was the influencer. Without me being prepared at all, I was listening to a pivotal moment in music that would go on to help shape the sounds that Sonic Youth and Pixies and Nirvana were crafting. Psychocandy, as it turned out, was a pioneer in music that has gone wildly unappreciated. Well, no more. Psychocandy was an amazing album. It had everything you could want from something produced in the 80s and none of the egregiously bad hair. It was catchy and fun but at the same time deep and thoughtful. It took everything its predecessors had given it and then build upon that foundation into what would become the future of the music industry. It was and always will be nothing short of a really good album.

Favorite Tracks: Cut Dead; Something’s Wrong; Inside Me

Emily: One flaw I’ve found with doing this list out of order is that it’s sometimes difficult to tell the timeline of events. Did one band pioneer a sound, or did they copy it from somewhere else? Was it a trend or a shot in the dark? Where is the originality, and where is the influence? The Jesus and Mary Chain definitely indicate this problem. I’m a fan of post-punk, but Psychocandy sounded like something I’ve heard before. The melodic noise-pop sound showed up with Sonic Youth and others, and the monotone delivery of lyrics is a hallmark of the post-punk genre. Since I’ve heard these elements before, I’m predisposed to think that The Jesus and Mary Chain, although very good, just aren’t all that original. Maybe I’m wrong though. Only time – and more list completion – will tell.

Favorite Tracks: The Living End; Cut Dead; Taste the Floor

#136: The Police - Reggatta de Blanc (1979)

Emily: First, to our loyal readers, I must apologize for the egregiously long delay between posts. Second, to our new/random readers, welcome to our 136th album review! I hope you take the time to go back and read the other 135. Or just a couple, that’s cool too. Anyway, let’s talk about Reggatta de Blanc. It’s a fake French translation that’s supposed to mean “white reggae,” which actually sums up the album pretty well. It’s fake reggae by three British white dudes. Now, that could be disastrous in the wrong musical hands, but Sting and Co. handle it rather well. They infuse the new wave, rock, and post-punk sounds of the era with instrumental breakdowns (like the whole title track) and a little island flavor. It’s a surprisingly good combo, especially in the album’s best-known track, Message in a Bottle. The song is a bit more rock than the rest of the album, but the reggae influence is clear yet subtle – perhaps the best example of “reggatta de blanc.”

Favorite Tracks: Message in a Bottle; On Any Other Day; Bring on the Night

Zack: Let me start off my review of The Police by saying that I went through a phase in the summer of 2010 where I think I listened to Roxanne like 150 times over a weekend. I have no idea why. But I do know that there is a somewhat simplistic drinking game devoted to the songs where everyone divides into teams, one designated “Team Roxanne” and the other “Team Put on the Red Light.” Whenever you hear the lyrics that correspond to your team name, you drink. Those of you who know how the song ends will probably realize how suicidal this is. And also why I’m arranging a game this weekend. Anyway, Reggatta de Blanc is not the album with Roxanne, which is tragic. But it is the album with Message in a Bottle, which is awesome. Reggatta de Blanc is a very true Police album. It encapsulates the merger of reggae with more traditional rock compositions that they did so well. I understand that later Police albums, most notably Synchronicity, move on from this sound in favor of something a little bit more polished and New Wavey. Well I don’t know how that will turn out, but this was pretty good. They struck the perfect compromise between the fun of reggae and the jammability of some good ol’ fashioned rock and/or roll. There was a consistency throughout the album that never touched upon repetitive or boring. All in all, I would say that the album easily lived up to the lofty expectations that my Roxanne phase instilled in me.

Favorite Tracks: Bring on the Night; Message in a Bottle; No Time This Time