Automatic (The Jesus and Mary Chain album)


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.

Reception

Although released to generally mixed 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 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".
The last two tracks, "Drop" and "Sunray", do not appear on vinyl LP versions of the album.
The album is name-checked in the lyrics of "The Authority Song" by emo band Jimmy Eat World on their 2001 album Bleed American in the line, "the DJ never has it, JAMC Automatic."

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

  • Alan Moulder – engineering
  • Jamie Harley – recording assistance
  • Lee Curle – recording assistance
  • Dick Meaney – mixing assistance
  • Richard Thomas – drums on "Gimme Hell"
  • Ryan Art – design
  • Steve Mitchell – photography
  • Andrew Catlin – photography

Charts

As of May 1998, the album had sold 60,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.