Automatic (The Jesus and Mary Chain album)


Automatic is the third album by Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain. The group 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 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 Victorialand LP and This Mortal Coil's 1986 Filigree & Shadow.

Reception

Although released to generally poor reviews at the time, Automatic contains "Blues from a Gun", their most successful single in America up to that point, and "Head On". Critical and fan reception has improved with the passage of time. Pitchfork wrote in 2006 that "conventional wisdom wrongly calls the dud" of the band's discography, but that in hindsight the album "feels like a career peak" and has been a fan favourite.
The last two tracks, "Drop" and "Sunray", do not appear on vinyl LP versions of the album.

Track listing

All tracks written by Jim Reid and William Reid.
LP, limited gatefold LP and cassette
Side one
  1. "Here Comes Alice" – 3:53
  2. "Coast to Coast" – 4:13
  3. "Blues from a Gun" – 4:44
  4. "Between Planets" – 3:27
  5. "UV Ray" – 4:06
Side two
  1. "Her Way of Praying" – 3:46
  2. "Head On" – 4:11
  3. "Take It" – 4:34
  4. "Halfway to Crazy" – 3:40
  5. "Gimme Hell" – 3:20
CD
  1. "Here Comes Alice" – 3:53
  2. "Coast to Coast" – 4:13
  3. "Blues from a Gun" – 4:44
  4. "Between Planets" – 3:27
  5. "UV Ray" – 4:06
  6. "Her Way of Praying" – 3:46
  7. "Head On" – 4:11
  8. "Take It" – 4:34
  9. "Halfway to Crazy" – 3:40
  10. "Gimme Hell" – 3:20
  11. "Drop" – 1:58
  12. "Sunray" – 1:34

    Personnel

The Jesus and Mary Chain
Additional personnel
As of May 1998 the album has sold 60,000 copies in United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.