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
Have this CD, can't deny it will give you a headache listened to at any volume. Some songs I like are You Trip Me Up and Never Understand. Much prefer Darklands I'd say.
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