Customer Reviews

The Power of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
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Thank you Rhino, I love this. Thank you Reids, as well. This list is only intended for those completist fans wondering what didn't make the box, and are almost all from UK-only vinyl releases:

1) "Upside Down" (demo) - from the extremely rare w/l testpressing of the unreleased 12" version of said single.

2) The live Can cover, "Mushroom (Head)" - previously on the "Barbed Wire Kisses" compilation, and culled from the b-side of "April Skies."

3) "Psychocandy" & "Some Candy Talking" (both acoustic) - from the acoustic 2nd 7" single of the "Some Candy Talking" double 7" set.

4) "Some Candy Talking" (NME version) - kickin' noisier version from the NME freebie 7" EP from 1986, called "NME's Big Four."

5) "Nine Million Rainy Days" (Live) - from the 1988 Sounds - Waves 2 freebie 7" EP.

6) "Taste of Cindy" & "April Skies" (both Recorded Live in Detroit) - b-sides to "Sidewalking."

7) "Happy When It Rains" (Long Version); various mixes of "Sidewalking," "Reverence," "Far Gone and Out" & "Teenage Lust."

8) A live Cramps cover, "New Kind Of Kick," from the "Come On" CD #2 (recorded live at UC San Diego CA 11th November 1992); also appears on the "Alternative NRG" live compilation to benefit Greenpeace.

9) The 3 live b-sides from the limited-edition 10" of "Almost Gold."

Thanks for reading, and please enjoy the wonders of the box.

The Jesus and Mary Chain is my all time favorite band, so of course, I loved this 4 CD set. The demo versions, alternate versions, and unreleased tracks are great. My only complaint is that half the set is taken up by pretty much all the tracks from the CDs "Barbed Wire Kisses" and "Hate Rock'n'Roll". I already own those two CDs and anybody who is a big enough JAMC fan to want to buy this set probably already has them too. It might have been better as a 2 disc set instead of a 4 disc, and just let "Barbed Wire Kisses" and "Hate Rock'n'Roll" stand on their own. Or I would've loved to have seen more demos or some live tracks instead.
That all being said, If you love the Jesus and Mary Chain, you will love "The Power of Negative Thinking".

I have most if not all of these songs on vinyl but having them in one place and
the sheer quality of this influential band's songs make this box a must have item.

The Jesus and Mary Chain are slowly becoming my favorite band. In the recently released box set "The Power Of Negative Thinking: B-Sides And Rarities" JAMC prove themselves as a band that has variety and have a deep understanding of the rock and roll format. I'm a sucker for that format especially when the blues are more of an influence than the folk. i.e. T. Rex (not Tyrannosaurus Rex), The Doors, 13th Floor Elevators, Velvet Underground. However, the Jesus and Mary Chain don't sound like any of these bands, in the slightest.
This compilation includes some great covers of really really old, like oldie old songs I've always loved like: 'My Girl', 'Surfin' USA', 'Who Do You Love' all with their trademark spice.
So don't think The Jesus and Mary Chain are just the Kings of Leon of the 80's, oh no. They are much more...

I fell in love with the Jesus and Mary Chain as an eighteen year old away from home for the first time at the dorms in Santa Barbara in 1985. Much to my delight they were playing at the UCSD dining hall when I returned home for Xmas. They were an immediate impact on my way of viewing the world and the connection between sound and art and songwriting and the idea that this world is ours. There are people like me. The B-sides to I Hate Rock and Roll, I Love Rock and Roll and Cracked were a genius album in their own right. This is a box set I've long wanted to compile. Thank You, Reid Brothers. Sister Vanilla had me still believing.

I still haven't received my copy of this box set yet, but I am so anxious I started listening to the excerpts for some of the songs. All I can say is that ROCKET sounds Sweet. NINETEEN666 also sounds great. I would have down loaded rocket by itself just to tide me over until I get this in the mail. Also I noticed that iTunes has an extra song on their set an acoustic version of SOME CANDY TALKING, and as far as I can tell it's from the complete peel sessions, the same disc that MY GIRL was lifted off of, for this set and Sound Of Speed.

I'm also most excited to get all these tracks premastered and hopefully the sound will be evened out across the tracks. For example the version of SOMETHING I CAN NEVER HAVE on Hate Rock N' Roll is ear shattering loud, compared to the Sound Of Speed mix (and the rest of tracks on the disc as well)

I'll try and edit this review as soon as I receive the set and let you know the end result.

Update!
Yes this set is just as sweet, as the picture, sounds great, although SOMETHING I CAN NEVER HAVE still pierces. But the Unreleased stuff is Stellar. I feel sorry for anyone who downloaded this, because the packaging is worth it. And the poster's cool too. Don't think, just buy it. Remember "You Don't Need Money, If you Got Soul."

If you are a real fan of the Reid Bros, buy it; if you don't know the band, buy it too. The best band in the 80's, ahead of their time mixing chaos with melodies and Can with Beach Boys. What else can i say?

I will make this brief - pure bliss. Its like getting a great new JAMC album. So much I have never heard, so much to discover. If you are even just a casual fan, get it! You will be pleased. On my death bed I will regret never seeing them in concert and not doing that dirty blond back in college when I had the chance...taste of Cindy, indeed.

A great product, that is very well packaged from one of the best bands of the 1980's. Especially welcome is the demo material from the Psychocandy era and the number of unreleased tracks from circa 1984. The comprehensive notes and JAMC family tree are also excellent additions. one point of complaint though. Because this item was continually not in stock on any of the amazon EU sites I had to order from the US sites. As a result of this I had to pay a 10 Euro import duty to get it through customs in Belgium. This was surprising and most unwelcome.