Darklands (album)

Last updated

Darklands
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands.png
Studio album by
the Jesus and Mary Chain
Released31 August 1987 (1987-08-31)
Studio Livingston (London)
Genre
Length35:51
Label Blanco y Negro
Producer
The Jesus and Mary Chain chronology
Psychocandy
(1985)		Darklands
(1987)		 Barbed Wire Kisses
(1988)
Singles from Darklands
  1. "April Skies"
    Released: April 1987
  2. "Happy When It Rains"
    Released: August 1987
  3. "Darklands"
    Released: October 1987
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Paste Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Pitchfork 7.8/10 [4]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Select 4/5 [8]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 8/10 [9]
The Village Voice B+ [10]

Darklands is the second studio album by Scottish alternative rock band the Jesus and Mary Chain, released on 31 August 1987 by Blanco y Negro Records. The album is the band's first to use drum machines, replacing live drummer Bobby Gillespie, who had left to pursue a career as the frontman of Scottish rock band Primal Scream. Lead vocals are performed by Jim Reid, with the exception of "Darklands", "Nine Million Rainy Days" and "On the Wall", which are sung by William Reid.

Contents

Darklands reached number five on the UK Albums Chart, the band's highest-peaking album on the chart to date. [11] The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . [12]

Primal Scream later recorded a cover version of the album's title track as a B-side to their 1998 single "If They Move, Kill 'Em". [13]

Reception

Ned Raggett of Allmusic observed. "Feeling no doubt burdened by the various claims of being the new Sex Pistols, and likely fed up with accusations that the walls of feedback were their own trick, the Reid brothers underwent a bit of a rethink with Darklands. The end result must have fallen squarely between two camps -- hardly eligible for sunny commercial airplay, not quite as flailing as the earliest efforts -- but, from a distance, this is an appealing, enjoyable record." noting a "often stripped away" "calmer classic rock twang and groove,". Though he felt "the changes on Darklands can be overstated -- the basic formula at the heart of the band (inspired plagiarism of melodies and lyrics alike, plenty of reverb, etc.) stayed pretty much the same" comparing its foundation to its predecessor Psychocandy (1985) despite its different sound and mood, and concluded. "Darklands is no Psychocandy in the end -- nothing the band released later ever was -- but it's still a good listen." [14]

Nitsuh Abebe of Pitchfork praised the album in a 7.8 review saying "With Gillespie gone and replaced by an unobtrusive drum machine, the band turns down the noise attitude and works on developing the back-to-basics pop songs that were always underneath. The singles (“Happy When it Rains”) are a joy, big hooks laced with just the right amount of vintage leather-and-shades cool." [15]

Robert Christgau of The Village Voice gave the album a B+ and observed, "they know damn well their putatively erotic-existential despair speaks to thrill-seeking normals by making chaos rhyme." and felt it was "inevitable for them to take their folk-simple hook-ditties in an acoustic direction," but concluded "Yet as a normal I miss the feedback--without all that chaos, the trick just doesn't come off death-defying enough." [16]

Track listing

All tracks are written by William Reid and Jim Reid

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Darklands"5:29
2."Deep One Perfect Morning"2:43
3."Happy When It Rains"3:36
4."Down on Me"2:36
5."Nine Million Rainy Days"4:29
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."April Skies"4:00
7."Fall"2:28
8."Cherry Came Too"3:06
9."On the Wall"5:05
10."About You"2:31

2011 expanded edition

Disc one (bonus tracks) [17]
No.TitleLength
11."Some Candy Talking"3:18
12."Taste of Cindy" (acoustic version)2:00
13."Psychocandy"2:54
14."Hit"3:29
15."Darklands" (BBC Radio session)4:40
16."Down on Me" (BBC Radio session)2:29
17."Deep One Perfect Morning" (BBC Radio session)2:37
18."Fall" (BBC Radio session)3:11
19."In the Rain" (BBC Radio session)2:28
20."Happy Place" (BBC Radio session)2:24
Disc two [17]
No.TitleLength
1."Kill Surf City"3:12
2."Bo Diddley Is Jesus"3:17
3."Who Do You Love"4:05
4."Everything's Alright When You're Down"2:39
5."Shake"2:01
6."Happy When It Rains" (demo)3:46
7."Happy Place"2:24
8."F.Hole"1:07
9."Rider"2:12
10."On the Wall" (Portastudio demo)3:41
11."Surfin' USA" (April outtake)2:58
12."Here It Comes Again"2:32
13."Walk and Crawl"2:24
14."Some Candy Talking" ( NME version)3:10
15."Mushroom"3:19
16."The Hardest Walk" (soundtrack version)3:12
17."Don't Ever Change"3:32
18."Swing"2:25
19."Darklands" (with strings)5:27
20."Interview (Janice Long)"14:36
DVD [17]
No.TitleLength
1."Some Candy Talking" (music video)3:25
2."April Skies" (music video)3:59
3."Kill Surf City" (music video)3:16
4."Happy When It Rains" (music video)3:33
5."Darklands" (music video)3:59
6."April Skies" (live on Top of the Pops )3:41
7."April Skies" (live on Villa Tempo)3:47
8."Happy When It Rains" (live on The Roxy )3:36

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Darklands. [18]

The Jesus and Mary Chain

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Darklands
Chart (1987)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [19] 81
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [20] 64
European Albums ( Music & Media ) [21] 38
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [22] 20
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [23] 38
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [24] 23
UK Albums (OCC) [25] 5
US Billboard 200 [26] 161

Certifications

Certifications for Darklands
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [27] Gold100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Jesus and Mary Chain</span> Scottish alternative rock band

The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid, who are the two founders and only consistent members of the band since its formation. They are recognized as key figures in the development of the shoegaze and noise pop subgenres. The band have had twelve top 40 entries and two top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart in the course of their career.

<i>21 Singles</i> 2002 compilation album by The Jesus and Mary Chain

21 Singles is a compilation album by Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain, released in the United Kingdom on 27 May 2002 by Warner Strategic Marketing, and in the United States on 2 July 2002 by Rhino Records. As the title proclaims, it contains 21 of the band's singles in chronological order from their 15-year career.

<i>Psychocandy</i> 1985 studio album by the Jesus and Mary Chain

Psychocandy is the debut studio album by Scottish rock band the Jesus and Mary Chain. It was released in November 1985 on Blanco y Negro Records. The album is considered a landmark recording: its combination of guitar feedback and noise with traditional pop melody and structure proved influential on the forthcoming shoegaze genre and alternative rock in general.

<i>Barbed Wire Kisses</i> 1988 compilation album by The Jesus and Mary Chain

Barbed Wire Kisses is a compilation album by Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain. It was released on 18 April 1988 by Blanco y Negro Records. The album contains singles, B-sides and rare tracks. Throughout the 1980s the band was known for their prodigious output in these formats, often in limited editions which quickly went out of print. This album collects many of those releases spanning the band's career up to that point.

<i>Isnt Anything</i> 1988 studio album by My Bloody Valentine

Isn't Anything is the debut studio album by Irish-English rock band My Bloody Valentine, released on 21 November 1988 by Creation Records. Its innovative guitar and production techniques consolidated the experimentation of the band's preceding EPs and would make the album a pioneering work of the subgenre known as shoegazing. Upon its release, the album received rave critical reviews and reached #1 on the UK Independent Albums Chart.

<i>Honeys Dead</i> 1992 studio album by The Jesus and Mary Chain

Honey's Dead is the fourth studio album by the Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain, released in 1992 on Blanco y Negro Records. It marked a return to a more abrasive sound for the group, as well as incorporating elements of alternative dance. The title refers to one of the band's early hits, "Just Like Honey", and is intended to demonstrate a complete departure from their earlier musical style.

<i>The New Record by My Bloody Valentine</i> 1986 EP by My Bloody Valentine

The New Record by My Bloody Valentine is the second EP by the Irish-English alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine, released in September 1986 on Kaleidoscope Sound. Recorded at Alaska Studios in London, the EP's sound is influenced by C86, a brand of indie pop, and diverges from the band's earlier post-punk sound.

<i>Automatic</i> (The Jesus and Mary Chain album) 1989 studio album by the Jesus and Mary Chain

Automatic is the third studio album by Scottish alternative rock band the Jesus and Mary Chain, released on 9 October 1989 by Blanco y Negro Records. The group on this record consists of the core duo of brothers William and Jim Reid, with a drum machine providing percussion and synthesised bass. The only other credited musician was Richard Thomas, who joined the touring version of the Jesus and Mary Chain as a drummer. Thomas drummed on "Gimme Hell" and was a former member of Dif Juz. He also made appearances on Cocteau Twins' 1986 album Victorialand and This Mortal Coil's 1986 album Filigree & Shadow.

<i>Stoned & Dethroned</i> 1994 studio album by The Jesus and Mary Chain

Stoned & Dethroned is the fifth studio album by the Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain. After spending most of 1992 touring, including a slot on that year's Lollapalooza tour, the band went into the studio during January 1993 with the notion of recording an acoustic album. For the first time since Psychocandy, JAMC recorded with a full band with Steve Monti from Curve playing drums and touring bassist Ben Lurie. The recording took longer than planned, lasting the better part of a year. The album also features lead vocals from guests Shane MacGowan from The Pogues on "God Help Me" and Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval, singing a duet with Jim Reid on "Sometimes Always", which was the album's first single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just Like Honey</span> 1985 single by The Jesus and Mary Chain

"Just Like Honey" is a song by the Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain from their 1985 debut album Psychocandy. The track was released as the third and final single from the album through Blanco y Negro Records in September 1985. An important milestone in the development of the alternative rock subgenre of noise pop, the song was written by band members William Reid and Jim Reid. Drummer Bobby Gillespie quotes Hal Blaine's opening drum riff from The Ronettes' "Be My Baby" in the song's intro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Jesus and Mary Chain discography</span>

Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain have released eight studio albums, two live albums, eight compilation albums, two video albums, six extended plays and 21 singles.

<i>Some Candy Talking</i> 1986 EP by the Jesus and Mary Chain

Some Candy Talking is an extended play (EP) by Scottish rock band the Jesus and Mary Chain, released on 14 July 1986 by Blanco y Negro Records. The EP includes an acoustic version of "Taste of Cindy", originally taken from the band's debut studio album, Psychocandy, and a song titled "Psychocandy", which did not appear on that album. The titular song did not appear on the original pressing of Psychocandy, but was featured when the album was released on CD in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darklands (song)</span> 1987 single by the Jesus and Mary Chain

"Darklands" is a song by Scottish rock band the Jesus & Mary Chain and the third single from their album of the same name. The single was released in October 1987 by Blanco y Negro Records on 7-inch vinyl, 10-inch vinyl, 12-inch vinyl and as a CD single. The 10-inch and the CD were entitled Darklands E.P.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Understand</span> 1985 single by The Jesus and Mary Chain

"Never Understand" is the first single from the Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain's debut album Psychocandy. It was the band's first release on Blanco y Negro Records and was released through them in February 1985. The song was written by William Reid and Jim Reid, and was produced by The Jesus and Mary Chain. It is considered influential for its use of guitar feedback.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Trip Me Up</span> 1985 single by The Jesus and Mary Chain

"You Trip Me Up" is a song by the Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain from their 1985 debut album Psychocandy. The track was released as the second single from the record through Blanco y Negro Records in May 1985. The song was written by band members William Reid and Jim Reid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sometimes Always</span> 1994 single by the Jesus and Mary Chain

"Sometimes Always" is a song by the Scottish alternative rock group the Jesus and Mary Chain and the first single from the group's album Stoned & Dethroned. Written by William Reid, the song is a duet between Jim Reid and Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval. The song was a moderate commercial hit in the UK while also making some noise on the alternative circuit in the US. It has since seen critical acclaim as one of the best songs from the Stoned & Dethroned album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">April Skies</span> 1987 single by the Jesus and Mary Chain

"April Skies" is a song by Scottish alternative rock group the Jesus and Mary Chain and the first single from the group's second studio album, Darklands (1987). The song was released by Blanco y Negro Records in April 1987, reaching No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 6 in Ireland, and No. 16 in New Zealand, making it the band's highest-charting single in all three countries.

<i>The Peel Sessions</i> (The Jesus and Mary Chain EP) 1991 EP by The Jesus and Mary Chain

The Peel Sessions is an extended play (EP) by the Scottish rock band The Jesus & Mary Chain, released in September 1991 by Strange Fruit. It contains recordings the band made for John Peel's Radio 1 show. It was re-released in 2000 as part of a compilation containing all of the band's Peel sessions.

<i>The Complete Vinyl Collection</i> 2013 box set by The Jesus and Mary Chain

The Complete Vinyl Collection is a box set release by Scottish alternative rock band, The Jesus and Mary Chain. It was released on 12 December 2013 via Demon Music Group, marking the band's 30th anniversary.

<i>Damage and Joy</i> 2017 studio album by the Jesus and Mary Chain

Damage and Joy is the seventh studio album by Scottish alternative rock band the Jesus and Mary Chain, released on 24 March 2017 by Artificial Plastic Records. It is the group's first album in 19 years, and marks their first collaboration with producer Youth.

References

  1. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "Darklands – The Jesus and Mary Chain". AllMusic . Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  2. ↑ "The Jesus and Mary Chain: Psychocandy / Darklands / Automatic". Mojo . No. 153. August 2006. p. 111. ISSN   1351-0193.
  3. ↑ Leven, Jeff (8 August 2006). "The Jesus and Mary Chain – Reissues". Paste . Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  4. ↑ Abebe, Nitsuh (4 August 2006). "The Jesus and Mary Chain: Psychocandy / Darklands / Automatic / Honey's Dead / Stoned & Dethroned". Pitchfork . Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  5. ↑ "The Jesus and Mary Chain: Darklands". Q . No. 100. January 1995. p. 273. ISSN   0955-4955.
  6. ↑ "The Jesus and Mary Chain: Darklands". Record Collector . 2006. p. 87. ISSN   0261-250X. [T]hey purposefully refined the dynamics to craft genuine pop hits...
  7. ↑ Sisario, Ben (2004). "The Jesus and Mary Chain". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  429–30. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8 . Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  8. ↑ Manning, Sarra (April 1997). "The Jesus and Mary Chain: Psychocandy / Darklands / Barbed Wire Kisses / Automatic / Honey's Dead / Stoned And Dethroned". Select . No. 82. p. 112. ISSN   0959-8367.
  9. ↑ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  10. ↑ Christgau, Robert (26 January 1988). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Retrieved 22 January 2016– via RobertChristgau.com.
  11. ↑ "Jesus & Mary Chain | full Official Chart History" (select "Albums" tab). Official Charts Company . Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  12. ↑ Dimery, Robert; Lydon, Michael (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe Publishing. ISBN   978-0-7893-2074-2.
  13. ↑ If They Move, Kill 'Em (UK CD single). Primal Scream. Creation Records. 1998. CRESCD 284.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ↑ Darklands - The Jesus and Mary Chain | Album | AllMusic , retrieved 21 June 2024
  15. ↑ Abebe, Nitsuh. "The Jesus and Mary Chain: Psychocandy / Darklands / Automatic / Honey's Dead / Stoned & Dethroned". Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  16. ↑ "Robert Christgau: CG: the jesus and mary chain". www.robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  17. 1 2 3 Sinclair, Paul (12 July 2011). "The Jesus and Mary Chain / 2CD+DVD Deluxe Editions / Full track listings". Super Deluxe Edition. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  18. ↑ Darklands (liner notes). The Jesus and Mary Chain. Blanco y Negro Records. 1987. BYN11.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  20. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Jesus and Mary Chain – Darklands" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  21. ↑ "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 4, no. 38. 26 September 1987. p. 18. OCLC   29800226 – via World Radio History.
  22. ↑ "Charts.nz – The Jesus and Mary Chain – Darklands". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  23. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – The Jesus and Mary Chain – Darklands". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  24. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – The Jesus and Mary Chain – Darklands". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  25. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  26. ↑ "The Jesus and Mary Chain Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  27. ↑ "British album certifications – Jesus & Mary Chain – Darklands". British Phonographic Industry. 10 November 1989. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.