Automatic (The Jesus and Mary Chain album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Automatic
Type = Album
Artist = The Jesus and Mary Chain


Released = September, 1989
Recorded = Sam Therapy, West London
Genre = Alternative
Length = 43:33
Label = Blanco y Negro
Producer = Jim Reid, William Reid
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:sjd3vwrva9tk link]
*Pitchfork Media (7.8/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/37601/The_Jesus_and_Mary_Chain_Psychocandy_Darklands_Automatic_Honeys_Dead link]
*"Q" Rating|2|5 July 2006 (p.122)
*Robert Christgau (B-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=649&name=The+Jesus+and+Mary+Chain link]
Last album = "Barbed Wire Kisses" (1988)
This album = "Automatic" (1989)
Next album = "Honey's Dead" (1992)

"Automatic" is the third album by Scottish alternative band The Jesus and Mary Chain. The Mary Chain 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 is Richard Thomas, who had joined the touring version of the Mary Chain as a drummer. He plays drums here on "Gimme Hell." Thomas also appears on Cocteau Twins' 1985 Victorialand LP.

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 up to that point, "Head On" (later covered by the 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." [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/37601-psychocandy-darklands-automatic-honeys-dead-stoned-dethroned]

The last two tracks, "Drop" and "Sunray", were initially only available on the CD release, and not the vinyl LP and cassette releases. Later re-issues on cassette and CD feature all 12 tracks.

Track listing

# "Here Comes Alice" – 3:52
# "Coast to Coast" – 4:13
# "Blues from a Gun" – 4:44
# "Between Planets" – 3:27
# "UV Ray" – 4:04
# "Her Way of Praying" – 3:46
# "Head On" – 4:11
# "Take It" – 4:34
# "Half Way to Crazy" – 3:41
# "Gimme Hell" – 3:18
# "Drop" – 1:55
# "Sunray" – 1:35

Personnel

*William Reid - Guitar, vocals (on Tracks 1, 3, and 11), Synthesizer, Drum Programming
*Jim Reid - Guitar, Vocals (on Tracks 2, 4-10), Synthesizer, Drum Programmingplus
*Alan Moulder - Engineer (Mixed at The Church)
*Jamie Harley - Recording Assistant
*Lee Curle - Recording Assistant
*Dick Meaney - Mixing Assistant
*Richard Thomas - drums on "Gimme Hell"

Charts