Jesus & Mary Chain Power Of Negative Thinking: B-Sides And Rarities CD

Issued in 2008, this four-disc box set finds the Rhino label reverently presenting a slew of B-sides and rarities by the lauded Scottish noise-pop act the Jesus & Mary Chain. Proceeding in chronological order from 1983 to 1998, THE POWER OF NEGATIVE THINKING moves from the U.K. group's fierce, feedback-drenched early era (see the pounding squall of "Upside Down" and the rumbling "Just Out of Reach") to its more reflective later tunes (the jangly "Ghost of a Smile" and the gentle "Bleed Me"). The collection also features a number of previously unreleased tracks, including the formative demo "Up Too High" and the amped-up anthem "Walk and Crawl," making NEGATIVE THINKING absolutely essential for any dedicated JAMC fan.

One of the most important U.K. bands of the last 25 years, Jesus And Mary Chain formed in East Kilbride, Scotland in 1983. They created a new intersection of noise and pop, draping curtains of guitar distortion over melodies worthy of The Ronettes or The Beach Boys. Rolling Stone called their 1985 debut LP Psychocandy (#268 on their list of 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time) a "decadent alt-rock masterpiece of bubblegum pop…drowned in feedback." With the famously contentious Reid brothers as the band's sole constant, JAMC went on to become just as famously prolific-along with five classic Blanco y Negro albums, they issued a wealth of compelling non-LP material. For the first time, it's collected in one place on Rhino's 4-CD box THE POWER OF NEGATIVE THINKING: B-SIDES & RARITIES. After disbanding in 1998, JAMC reunited in 2007 and are currently recording their first album in a decade, making this the ideal time for Rhino's exploration into their storied past. Album Facts " 4-CD boxed set presents 81 rarities, including 8 previously unreleased tracks. " Spanning 1983-1998, selections are arranged chronologically. " Opens with the previously unreleased "Up Too High," a Darklands-esque rarity recorded on cassette in 1983, and closes with "Nineteen666" from their late '90s Sub Pop era. " Other previously unissued gems include an alternate version of "Never Understand," demos of "My Little " Underground" and "The Living End" and the unheard song "Walk And Crawl" (all from the Psychocandy era) as well as three Stoned And Dethroned-era discoveries including the lost song "Till I Found You." " Highlights also include their 1984 debut Creation single ("Upside Down" b/w "Vegetable Man"), an acoustic version of "Teenage Lust," "Bo Diddley Is Jesus," and much more. " Deluxe box packaged in a 6" x 10" gatefold shell. " Booklet features new interviews with Jim and William Reid, rare photos, and an 18" x 24" double-sided poster featuring a hand-drawn JAMC "family tree."Rolling Stone (p.75) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "11 covers reveal the band's sense of humor....Feedback freaks will savor the nuclear noise pop."
Magnet (p.109) - "THE POWER OF NEGATIVE THINKING is a weighty, absorbing, often hugely entertaining and occasionally thrilling curio. JAMC completists will love it..."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.120) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t's thrilling and has lost little of the initial impact....An alternate take on 'Never Understand' obliterates with screeching feedback, howls and screams..."
Paste (magazine) (p.61) - "Acorss these 81 tracks, you get B-side demo versions of well-known Jesus and Mary Chain songs, excellent covers, acoustic renditions, alternate mixes and more. It's fascinating..."