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33⅓ Main Series #118
Psychocandy
The Jesus and Mary Chain's swooning debut Psychocandy seared through the underground and through the pop charts, shifting the role of noise within pop music forever. Post-punk and pro-confusion, Psychocandy became the sound of a generation poised on the brink of revolution, establishing Creation Records as a tastemaking entity in the process. The Scottish band's notorious live performances were both punishingly loud and riot-spurring, inevitably acting as socio-political commentary on tensions emergent in mid-1980s Britain. Through caustic clangs and feedback channeling the rage of the working-class who'd had enough, Psychocandy gestures toward the perverse pleasure in having your eardrums exploded and loudness as a politics within itself.
Yet Psychocandy's blackened candy heart center – calling out to phantoms Candy and Honey with an unsettling charm – makes it a pop album to the core, and not unlike the sugarcoated sounds the Ronettes became famous for in the 1960s. The Jesus and Mary Chain expertly carved out a place where depravity and sweetness entwined, emerging from the isolating underground of suburban Scotland grasping the distinct sound of a generation, apathetic and uncertain. The irresistible Psychocandy emerged as a clairvoyant account of struggle and sweetness that still causes us to grapple with pop music's relation to ourselves.
Yet Psychocandy's blackened candy heart center – calling out to phantoms Candy and Honey with an unsettling charm – makes it a pop album to the core, and not unlike the sugarcoated sounds the Ronettes became famous for in the 1960s. The Jesus and Mary Chain expertly carved out a place where depravity and sweetness entwined, emerging from the isolating underground of suburban Scotland grasping the distinct sound of a generation, apathetic and uncertain. The irresistible Psychocandy emerged as a clairvoyant account of struggle and sweetness that still causes us to grapple with pop music's relation to ourselves.
- GenresMusicNonfiction
136 pages, Paperback
First published April 21, 2016
7 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 27, 2022
The toxic combination of amateur writing, academic self-importance, second-hand sources and historical illiteracy sinks this 33 1/3. i was hoping to learn something about one of my favorite albums but, despite what appears to have been an enormous amount of research, travel and interviewing, there was nothing on offer but some vaguely connected social context and half-baked theorizing.
August 15, 2016
Ugh. Having been a teenage indie kid / goth back in the day, the Jesus and Mary Chain were a pivotal band in my difficult teenage years. They were the epitome of cool, all black leather jackets, skinny black jeans and backcombed birds nest hairdos - the antithesis of the 80's pop wave of pretty boys in lip gloss Choosing Life. As a result, I was really excited to get my hands on this volume of Bloomsbury's series of books about classic albums.
My excitement was sadly short lived as it became apparent that this was written by someone who wasn't actually either (a) a teenager or (b) British in the 80's, and so was really missing the innate context that positioned the band in British musical history. So instead of being a well-positioned take on what it meant to be a disaffected youth in Thatcher's Britain, it comes across like a well-researched sixth form essay written by a hipster trying to find a cool, iconic British band that none of her schoolmates will have heard of.
As a result, the book assumes a pretty strange register - assuming its core target audience is people who love the JAMC and serious musicophiles, then it comes across as really patronising, explaining things that need no explanation (a Glasgow Kiss, wee neds etc). It might be better pitched to a casual reader, but I'm not sure how many casual readers would be interested in an in-depth exploration of the JAMC's debut album!
All in all, I found it equally frustrating and disappointing. With the right author, this could have been a fascinating document of the mid-80s indie explosion in the UK. As it is, it comes across like a weird research paper by an American student. A real shame.
My excitement was sadly short lived as it became apparent that this was written by someone who wasn't actually either (a) a teenager or (b) British in the 80's, and so was really missing the innate context that positioned the band in British musical history. So instead of being a well-positioned take on what it meant to be a disaffected youth in Thatcher's Britain, it comes across like a well-researched sixth form essay written by a hipster trying to find a cool, iconic British band that none of her schoolmates will have heard of.
As a result, the book assumes a pretty strange register - assuming its core target audience is people who love the JAMC and serious musicophiles, then it comes across as really patronising, explaining things that need no explanation (a Glasgow Kiss, wee neds etc). It might be better pitched to a casual reader, but I'm not sure how many casual readers would be interested in an in-depth exploration of the JAMC's debut album!
All in all, I found it equally frustrating and disappointing. With the right author, this could have been a fascinating document of the mid-80s indie explosion in the UK. As it is, it comes across like a weird research paper by an American student. A real shame.
August 25, 2019
Amazing record, disappointing book.
A few factual errors and a severe need of a good edit don’t help, but the real disappointment here is the lack of discussion of the actual album itself.
I was hoping to learn something about the writing and recording process of this incredible album; I’m none the wiser really.
A few factual errors and a severe need of a good edit don’t help, but the real disappointment here is the lack of discussion of the actual album itself.
I was hoping to learn something about the writing and recording process of this incredible album; I’m none the wiser really.
March 11, 2018
The Jesus and Mary Chain's debut album, Psychocandy is a big fave of mine. Essentially JAMC wrote pop tunes but disguised it with ear splitting feedback. Everyone should listen to Psychocandy at least once in their life and discover how melody and distortion can work hand in hand.
Although I did not learn anything new with this volume, it still is a great read. Mejia documents the roots of JAMC, what inspired them to record Psychocandy, some meanings behind the lyrics and then the cultural role Psychocandy plays thirty years later.
If you are a fan of the band read this. Although not an official history, Mejia manages to interview Jim Reid, Douglas Hart and Bobby Gillespie plus some other people who played an important role in the Scottish indie scene, so this is almost like an official band bio. I suggest reading this while having the album in the background as it weirdly complements the book.
Although I did not learn anything new with this volume, it still is a great read. Mejia documents the roots of JAMC, what inspired them to record Psychocandy, some meanings behind the lyrics and then the cultural role Psychocandy plays thirty years later.
If you are a fan of the band read this. Although not an official history, Mejia manages to interview Jim Reid, Douglas Hart and Bobby Gillespie plus some other people who played an important role in the Scottish indie scene, so this is almost like an official band bio. I suggest reading this while having the album in the background as it weirdly complements the book.
June 9, 2019
A decent romp through the background to the album. Best consumed in one sitting, like the album
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August 27, 2016This is a review written in exchange for an advance electronic galley from the publisher via Netgalley.
So here’s a book from the 33 1/3 series, bringers of wonders and delights and occasional wtf moments, about an album I love.
Which is why I want to love this book: I love Psychocandy. I saw the Jesus and Mary Chain on TV in 1985. A month or two later, I bought the 7″ of “Never Understand” and a friend bought the 7″ of “Upside Down.” They were great, but then came Psychocandy and the sharp left turn of “Just Like Honey” and I was even more impressed. I bought all their albums, saw them on the Automatic tour, etc.
So I want to love this book because I love the album. But it feels like I’m the wrong audience for it. Instead of a deep dive into the album, it feels more like a book by and for people half my age discovering a classic album long after it was released. I assume that’s the reason for the Britney Spears stuff. Situating the JAMC’s catchy noise merits a discussion of pop, maybe even bubblegum pop (though the usual touchstones are the Beach Boys and girl groups for that side of their sound), but the pop discussion generally seems a bit historically off and very American. I’m not British but it’s always seemed to me that the UK and the US don’t necessarily mean quite the same thing when they use the word “pop.”
Mejia reads like she had fun writing the book, going off on digressions about candy, falling into hipster or rockcrit-speak occasionally (“punk-surged”?), and clearly expressing her own enthusiasm for what we agree is a great album. But while she did research and interviews, I don’t feel I encountered much that was new to me. There’s no rule that a book in the 33 1/3 series has to talk about recording studios, equipment, production techniques, unreleased tracks, or the like, but I could have used a bit more focus on the record.
Still, considering some of the albums the 33 1/3 people have chosen to cover in recent books, this is a positive sign and a readable, occasionally fun book. If it keeps people under 50 interested in the Jesus and Mary Chain, job well done.
So here’s a book from the 33 1/3 series, bringers of wonders and delights and occasional wtf moments, about an album I love.
Which is why I want to love this book: I love Psychocandy. I saw the Jesus and Mary Chain on TV in 1985. A month or two later, I bought the 7″ of “Never Understand” and a friend bought the 7″ of “Upside Down.” They were great, but then came Psychocandy and the sharp left turn of “Just Like Honey” and I was even more impressed. I bought all their albums, saw them on the Automatic tour, etc.
So I want to love this book because I love the album. But it feels like I’m the wrong audience for it. Instead of a deep dive into the album, it feels more like a book by and for people half my age discovering a classic album long after it was released. I assume that’s the reason for the Britney Spears stuff. Situating the JAMC’s catchy noise merits a discussion of pop, maybe even bubblegum pop (though the usual touchstones are the Beach Boys and girl groups for that side of their sound), but the pop discussion generally seems a bit historically off and very American. I’m not British but it’s always seemed to me that the UK and the US don’t necessarily mean quite the same thing when they use the word “pop.”
Mejia reads like she had fun writing the book, going off on digressions about candy, falling into hipster or rockcrit-speak occasionally (“punk-surged”?), and clearly expressing her own enthusiasm for what we agree is a great album. But while she did research and interviews, I don’t feel I encountered much that was new to me. There’s no rule that a book in the 33 1/3 series has to talk about recording studios, equipment, production techniques, unreleased tracks, or the like, but I could have used a bit more focus on the record.
Still, considering some of the albums the 33 1/3 people have chosen to cover in recent books, this is a positive sign and a readable, occasionally fun book. If it keeps people under 50 interested in the Jesus and Mary Chain, job well done.
April 1, 2017
Instead of reading this book, read an article that the author pulls from, which accomplishes far more in significantly less pages. The article is Brown Acid Black Leather: The Story Of The Jesus And Mary Chain's Psychocandy, by Julian Marszalek: http://thequietus.com/articles/07301-...
I came to this book as a new fan of the album with very little knowledge of the band and a moderate knowledge of that particularly era in British music. The actual information I gleaned about the band was not even enough for a Wikipedia article: This is important (and basic) info, but not a deep enough dive for 100+ page book. (Look! I managed to express it all in a single paragraph!)
The rest of the book is made up of: (1) metaphor-bloated commentary that would make Tim Burton vomit black glitter; (2) sophomoric and/or trite passages, often with but a tenuous tie to the music. Example: "But to understand the Mary Chain...one must understand candy" (79); (3) the author's bold claims--which are either unsubstantiated or totally biased--which often showcase how limited the author's knowledge of music must be. The author's devotion to the album is very clear, but that is not reason enough for one to write a book.
I came to this book as a new fan of the album with very little knowledge of the band and a moderate knowledge of that particularly era in British music. The actual information I gleaned about the band was not even enough for a Wikipedia article: This is important (and basic) info, but not a deep enough dive for 100+ page book. (Look! I managed to express it all in a single paragraph!)
The rest of the book is made up of: (1) metaphor-bloated commentary that would make Tim Burton vomit black glitter; (2) sophomoric and/or trite passages, often with but a tenuous tie to the music. Example: "But to understand the Mary Chain...one must understand candy" (79); (3) the author's bold claims--which are either unsubstantiated or totally biased--which often showcase how limited the author's knowledge of music must be. The author's devotion to the album is very clear, but that is not reason enough for one to write a book.
February 11, 2017
With not a whole lot to go on (interview-wise, etc) this is a fond, firm, fair assessment of one of the great 'alternative' albums...a punk set of songs with a pure pop heart. And Paula Mejia does well to hunt out and evoke the exact geographic/spiritual locations for the songs.
December 21, 2017
I found it enjoyable, but a little bit repetitious. Describing this album isn't easy but the author was innovative. The songs are coy with darkness, dark humor and double entendre... and feedback galore. But it did lead me down some nice Girl Group rabbit holes on Youtube with the references to some of the bands that inspired the J&MC.
January 7, 2020
I hate to write this but I found this book to borderline unreadable. It is chock full of mistakes, such as Upside Down apparently soaring to the top of the pop charts, Sid Vicious' death being the reason the Sex Pistols split, Never Understand being The Mary Chain's debut single, Top of the Pops being Jimmy Saville's TV show, the band Lush spelt all caps. These are just off the top of my head, pretty bad all told.
Worse than that though the actual meat of the book has been cribbed from other sources (all named). Any actual analysis of the songs or stories surrounding the album itself are few and far between. What becomes apparent very quickly is that Paula Mejia has no actual connection to the band or the times, spending whole chapters laying out things that are blindingly obvious to anyone with a basic knowledge of Britain during the '80s; Thatcher was a nightmare, there were riots, the miners strike was a big deal. Which would be fine in a thicker tome, but in a book that has less than 150 pages it rankles somewhat.
You'd be better off reading Zoë Howe's Barbed Wire Kisses if you want to know anything about the actual writing or recording of this landmark album.
Worse than that though the actual meat of the book has been cribbed from other sources (all named). Any actual analysis of the songs or stories surrounding the album itself are few and far between. What becomes apparent very quickly is that Paula Mejia has no actual connection to the band or the times, spending whole chapters laying out things that are blindingly obvious to anyone with a basic knowledge of Britain during the '80s; Thatcher was a nightmare, there were riots, the miners strike was a big deal. Which would be fine in a thicker tome, but in a book that has less than 150 pages it rankles somewhat.
You'd be better off reading Zoë Howe's Barbed Wire Kisses if you want to know anything about the actual writing or recording of this landmark album.
May 26, 2017
Ugh. This could have used some.... strong guidance from an editor as to what was necessary to include. The times that the author references herself could have worked if this was written as a mix of analysis and memoir, but instead, it was more like an uneven mixture of decent analysis paired with conjecture with the occasional, "And then I did this/liked this/talked to this person." It was really uneven, and I wanted to be charitable and give it three stars because music commentary is indeed subjective. There was so much padding in here that was -supposed- to be cultural context, but it felt tacked on as an "Oh shit, gotta make this book a certain length" at the end.
There are strong bits, and I love this album, but overall I don't recommend buying this book.
(Full disclosure: I received this book for free via NetGalley.)
There are strong bits, and I love this album, but overall I don't recommend buying this book.
(Full disclosure: I received this book for free via NetGalley.)
August 5, 2023
This 33 1/3 book on the Jesus and Mary Chain and with it I see the variety of ways these books can be done. The first 33 1/3 book I read, about DJ Shadow, was excellent as it was just a whole bunch of interviews the writer did with DJ Shadow. The second, which I thought sucked, was the Smiths Meat Is Murder, since it was just a short story that barely mentioned the band and album at all. What a loss.
With this, my third book, we've found a compromise: An analysis of the album and the group. I get the sense that the writer was unable to actually interview the musicians, instead quoting from other interviews that have been done, which is a respectable method.
I liked the book. I give it an 8.
With this, my third book, we've found a compromise: An analysis of the album and the group. I get the sense that the writer was unable to actually interview the musicians, instead quoting from other interviews that have been done, which is a respectable method.
I liked the book. I give it an 8.
October 11, 2019
Badly written and poorly researched
Littered with mistakes and cultural misunderstandings (Top of the Pops was not Jimmy Savile's music programme) not to mention the appalling stereotyping of Scotland. The actual music on this classic album is barely mentioned and when it is it is cliché ridden and repetitive. What could have been a wonderful treatise is instead a stretched thin slog whereby the same information is repeated. over and over. One of the weakest entries in the series. Read the Quietus 2011 article on Psychocandy instead for greater illumination and poetic analysis.
Littered with mistakes and cultural misunderstandings (Top of the Pops was not Jimmy Savile's music programme) not to mention the appalling stereotyping of Scotland. The actual music on this classic album is barely mentioned and when it is it is cliché ridden and repetitive. What could have been a wonderful treatise is instead a stretched thin slog whereby the same information is repeated. over and over. One of the weakest entries in the series. Read the Quietus 2011 article on Psychocandy instead for greater illumination and poetic analysis.
June 24, 2023
Disappointing for not providing any real insights to the album. It’s unclear if there would be any audience for this. The other realization I have after reading this is that, while Psychocandy is a special album by any account, there may not be much of a story to write about it. In other words, the background, inspiration for, making of, and interest in thai album may be plain-enough. There may not be mystique to pierce to necessitate a book. The only book I could imagine being fun to read would be a fan’s subjective description of what the sound of the album does for them. Because the album, above all, is about the sound.
April 3, 2025
This mercifully short book was evidently a scholarly essay about the social and economical environment that produced the early band members, later fleshed out to this book by interviews with Jim Reid and Bobby Gillespie.
As far as it goes it is kind of interesting but repetitive. It makes its main points over and over and over. As for the technical/geek side its value is an absolute zero as it gives no information at all about production techniques or the gear used. Its emphasis is more on the impact the album made upon its original appearance.
As far as it goes it is kind of interesting but repetitive. It makes its main points over and over and over. As for the technical/geek side its value is an absolute zero as it gives no information at all about production techniques or the gear used. Its emphasis is more on the impact the album made upon its original appearance.
September 3, 2017
Pyschocandy by the Jesus and Mary Chain was a seminal record from my youth and a classic, so I was looking forward to reading the 33 1/3 Pyschocandy (2016) book by Paula Mejia. While it provides some interesting background about the making of the record I would have like more discussion of the origins of the songs and a track by track discussion other than the rambling narrative that was presented in this book. Perhaps, also a bit too much biographical information from the author. Nonetheless, one of the great records of the 80s that still sounds contemporary today.
August 26, 2019
I'm stuck in the middle on this one...thus 3/5 stars. At times, the book is so easy to read that you do indeed get caught up in the whole storytelling aspect of Mejia's approach. This is really what I am always looking for in some of these, ease of reading, perfect for a quick indulgence. That said, it also didn't really offer much more in the way of the story or the information that's not already out there concerning the band. Just a twist and a new angle and I would have been sold.
March 1, 2021
The 33 1/3 series is a great premise that occasionally soars when a great writer finds something in an album they have to share (the Aja volume for example); sorry to say that this one is pretty weak, I don't understand why the author chose this album to eulogize, there's no real connection, no substance and if you're a fan of Psychocandy nothing new to learn. Probably ok for someone who never heard it before. Sorry Paula.
July 31, 2018
I generally don’t notice bad writing unless it really gets in the way of the story or information, and unfortunately that was the case here. Mejia’s writing is enthusiastic but pretty noticeably amateurish; this reads more like a college essay than a professional piece of music criticism. I’m sorry; you seem like a likable person!
February 28, 2021
I found this book to be incredibly dull after 50 pages in. Most of the information about the band is already known by anyone with even a passing fancy for the JAMC and it’s really poorly written. Could have used an edit or two and there are tons of typos and grammatical errors. SUCKS
August 17, 2018
The read like a repetitive grad school thesis. Zero details about the recording sessions, or songwriting. Just blah blah blah pop, noise, Scotland.
September 25, 2021
Good book
July 7, 2025
Louder than what's safe
Girl group beat and Velvet squall
Sweet depravity
Girl group beat and Velvet squall
Sweet depravity
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