Munki

Hailed by some as the saviours of rock'n'roll on the release of their debut LP 'Pychocandy' in 1985, it was perhaps inevitable that the Jesus and Mary Chain's career path would be downhill from thereon in. This, their last record, originally appeared in 1999 to widespread disinterest and the band split up soon after, bitter and disillusioned. It's a good record though, sometimes a fantastic record one, though at other times it is admittedly a little hard on the ears. The tension between Jim and William Reid, the brothers from East Kilbride who basically were the band, is nowhere more evident than it is here. Jim's songs are upbeat and melodic, celebrating his life and what he has made of it with music, as on the opening blast of 'I Love Rock'n'Roll' and the heartfelt 'Stardust Remedy'. One wonders to what extent Jim's optimism is an attempt to annoy his famously surly brother Wiliam, whose bitterness, misanthropy and self hatred manifest themselves in a number of uncompromising songs. On some, like 'Birthday' and 'Cracking Up', the result is bracing, dynamic, a perfect demonstration of the group's mastery of indie-rock dynamics; elsewhere, as in 'Commercial' and 'Degenerate', it's a (no doubt intentionally) bruising grind. The album is by no means unremittingly grim, however. Guest appearances by the brothers' sister on 'Mo Tucker' and Mazzy Star singer Hope Sandovaal on 'Honey' provide light relief and musical variety, while several more delicate songs towards the end, William's 'Never Understood' and 'I Can't Find the Time for Times' and Jim's 'Man in the Moon' and 'Dream Lover' prove that both could write impeccably melodic, sensitive, even moving pop music when they so chose. The album ends, however, with 'I Hate Rock'n'Roll', William's bitter tirade against the music industry by which he felt so wronged, and one can't help but think that if they felt like that about it, it's probably just as well they gave it up. While they lasted, though, they were unique, and this is a great lost album.

...Truth is it's not been of my car CD player for three weeks! Driving to work these days has taken on a whole new meaning.

I was a J&MC fan throughout the eighties having caught them early on during one of the chaotic Glasgow shows back in 84. I must admit that come the early 90's I thought they had become the 'Ramones' of feedback.

This album changes everything and I just wished I had picked it up four years ago! Not a duff track in sight with, to these ears, the best set of songs on any J&MC album, great trashy lyrics courtesy of the ever cynical Ried brothers, you can sense history in the making as the two songwriters clash between the hate/love rock 'n' roll central theme.

I mean who can not sit back and enjoy a song with the immediate lyrical onslaught of 'I was just a teenage Jesus freak'? Production is huge and the noise guitars and bathtub drums work brilliantly with the tunes and melodies underpinning the chaos.

William sounds so p****d off on some of the tracks that you can almost sense the inevitability of the soon to happen split.

Leaving the very best to last this is a suitable swansong for a group who wouldn't compromise. Totally overlooked upon release this perhaps makes this an even more important masterpiece in the J&MC anti fashion. For Creation & no doubt McGee to take responsibility for the release is a fitting end from where it all started.

Always been a casual fan of the J&MC, but I never heard Munki until today. Astonishingly good. A fabulous indie rock album of epic proportions and, in my humble opinion, their best work.