Munki

Digitally remastered and expanded three disc (two CDs + NTSC/Region 0 DVD) edition of this 1998 album. Features all the non-album b-sides, a rare comp track and previously unreleased material from the BBC archives Returning to their original home of Creation Records for their sixth album, the Jesus And Mary Chain delivered this sprawling double album master-class in experimental Rock 'n' Roll. Taking the listener on a journey through cracked AM radio melodies, beautifully doomed late night slow burners, and feedback-fuelled noise-pop. By this point the always volatile relationship between the Reid brothers had disintegrated to the point where they were recording their songs separately, though the resulting album is an oddly cohesive and satisfying whole. Edsel. 2011.

You just can't keep a good doom-and-gloomer down. In a career that began with the white-light, white-heat explosion of Psychocandy back in '85, the Reid Brothers--singer Jim and guitarist William) have rarely allowed any rays of sunlight to disrupt their rainy feedback parade. Until Munki, that is. Label-less for a couple of years, the Reids reassessed their situation with the self-financed Munki and saw that life, at least for the time being, was good. Trips back to childhood, reflections on the joys of rock 'n' roll, analysis of the optimistic reasons they made Psychocandy in the first place--it's all here on the relatively upbeat Munki. Shocking, but fun. --Tom Lanham