Album of the Day

For their 1985 debut, The Jesus And Mary Chain combined pop melodies worthy of Brian Wilson, echo-laden production worthy of Phil Spector and guitar feedback noisier than The Velvet Underground; alternative rock has yet to recover. Scottish siblings Jim and William Reid (along with bassist Douglas Hart and drummer Bobby Gillespie) grace PSYCHOCANDY with 14 hazy, intoxicating originals that range from amphetamine rush (“Never Understand”) to spectral beauty (“Just Like Honey”). Outlets including Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and Q Magazine have hailed the collection as one of the best of the 1980s, and the Expanded Edition of the seminal set adds a baker's dozen single, demo and alternate versions. It's the perfect way to celebrate the birthday of Gillespie, who went on from PSYCHOCANDY to found Primal Scream.