Accelerated Culture – Episode 77

The Jesus & Mary Chain’s “Honey’s Dead” (1992)
December 7, 2025
Hosted by Lori and Scott Free

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, Lori and Scott Free deep-dive into the Jesus & Mary Chain’s 1992 landmark album, Honey’s Dead. The hosts explore the band’s musical evolution, the alternative scene of the early 90s, and the cultural context that shaped the creation of this fuzz-drenched, genre-blending record. The journey includes a detailed history of the band, a track-by-track review, and reflections on the album’s impact and legacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Updates & Recent Shows

• Scott recaps a busy month of live music, including Kerala Dust (“Radiohead if they cared if you could dance to it”—[02:30]), Little Simz, Cut Copy and Portugal the Man.
• Shoutouts to friends and listeners in the music scene, notably Zach from Q101, who’s helped connect the podcast with the industry.

2. Introduction to The Jesus & Mary Chain

Origins & Influences ([11:00–19:00])

• Formation: East Kilbride, Glasgow, 1983 by brothers Jim and William Reid.
• Motivation: Started the band in reaction to dislike of “the crap coming out of the radio.”

  “It was the crap coming out of the radio that made us want to be in a band.” – Scott (paraphrasing the Reids, [12:44])

• Sound: Influences include Phil Spector’s wall of sound, 60s girl groups (Ronettes, Shangri-Las), The Ramones, Velvet Underground, The Stooges, Suicide, New York Dolls, and pop as well as punk.
• Noise & Feedback:

  “According to William Reid, that's why we started using noise and feedback. We want to make records that sound different.” – Lori ([16:10])

• Shoegaze Connection: Their fuzzy, feedback-laden style often lumped in with the shoegaze scene, though with more raw edge.

Early Live Reputation & Persona

• Short, Frenetic Shows: “Very short live sets, 20 minutes or less, with both brothers hopped up on amphetamines, playing with their backs to the audience” – Lori ([21:39])
• Anecdotes about coin tosses deciding band roles vs. less glamorous reality.

3. Career Milestones Leading to Honey’s Dead

Early Successes ([23:24–36:46])

• Debut single: “Upside Down” (1984) — gained traction, over 75k copies sold.
• First Album: Psychocandy (1985) – “love it or hate it” noisy debut, established signature sound.
• Major Moves: Managed by Alan McGee (Creation Records), later switched management.
• Notable Drummers: Bobby Gillespie (later of Primal Scream) played on Psychocandy.

Later Albums & Growing Tensions

• Darklands (1987): More accessible, featuring “April Skies,” “Happy When it Rains.”
• Automatic (1989): Introduction to American charts with “Head On” and “Blues From a Gun.”
• Tour-induced exhaustion and sibling conflict, near band splits, and a Christmas truce ([30:00]).

4. The Making of Honey’s Dead

The Studio & Production Team ([31:55–37:00])

• Setting: Built their own studio, The Drugstore, to work at their own pace and escape label pressures.
• Production “A Team”:
  • Engineers: Flood (noted for U2’s Achtung Baby) and Alan Moulder (worked with NIN, MBV, Arctic Monkeys).
  • Drummer: Steve Monti (ex-Curve, Ian Dury, Cocteau Twins).

Album Concept & Artwork

• Title: Refers back to their earliest single: “Honey’s Dead” = “this is no longer the same band.”
• Cover Art: Pre-Raphaelite painting “Ophelia, first version” by Arthur Hughes.

Reception & Legacy

• Release Date: March 22, 1992
• Chart Impact: Peaked at #14 UK, #158 US (an “if you know, you know” cult favorite in the US).
• Placed in context: the album’s consistency signals the band at their creative peak.

Track-by-Track Album Review

1. Reverence ([38:53])

• Key Quote:

  “I want to die just like Jesus Christ, I want to die just like JFK.” – Jim Reid ([39:07])

• Buzzing distortion, hip-hop influenced beats, “industrial feeling but slick.”
• Controversy: Banned from BBC TV for controversial lyrics and video imagery (American flag shot full of holes, crucifix imagery).
• Scott: “That, my friends, is how you start a Jesus and Mary Chain album in 1992.” ([39:42])

2. Teenage Lust ([46:28])

• Sleazy tension, repeated phrase, strip club video.
• Lyric content feels “uneasy”—acknowledges age-difference discomfort, sleazy vibe.

3. Far Gone and Out ([52:20])

• Bouncy, tambourine-laden pop track, echoing Spector-girl group feel.
• Chorus: “Hey, hey, hey” – irresistible earworm.
• Notable Letterman Show performance marred by pre-partying and surreal post-show awkwardness ([56:03]).

4. Almost Gold ([59:42])

• Sweeter, poppier, lush with violins and bright chords.
• Gold-toned, dreamy music video.

5. Sugar Ray ([63:50])

• Industrial edge, percussive stuttering guitar, “Godzilla-roar” sound (nod to NIN’s Reptile).
• Lyric: “All my friends have fun with guns but all I want is you.”
• First heard from the Freejack movie soundtrack, also used in a 1993 Bud Ice commercial.
• Lori interprets final chorus as referencing “le petit mort”—sexual climax ([69:25]).

6. Tumble Down ([69:39])

• Ramones/Ronettes hybrid with fuzz, sampled 18-second clip from Einstürzende Neubauten (“Tanz Debil”).
• Lyrics of unrequited infatuation; ending marked by persistent drumming.

7. Catchfire ([73:42])

• Simple, shoegazey, wah-heavy and infectious.
• Lyrically minimal and open to interpretation: “Catch fire, and we're gonna crucify her.”
• William on breathy vocals.

8. Good for My Soul ([77:31])

• “Mid-tempo, Jesus and Mary Jane almost plodding, but bright major chords happening.” ([78:20])
• Noted for cinematic feel and multiple industrial guitar textures.

9. Rollercoaster ([84:26])

• Originally released as a 1990 EP, reworked for this album with live drums and less vocal echo.
• Song structure compared to a “sonic rollercoaster”: multiple mood/volume swings.

10. I Can’t Get Enough ([87:32])

• Straightforward, up-tempo pop—love song with dark undertones.
• Lyrics: “I can never, ever get enough of you. You’ll be the death of me.” ([89:42])
• Hosts joke: “Bubblegum pop with a gasoline and strychnine aftertaste.”

11. Sundown ([90:57])

• Slow, sunny, and melancholic song about departure and mortality.
• Scott:

  “I may want this song to be played at my funeral.” ([91:46])

• Lyrics: “The planet poisoned me, is a sick place to be … I’ve got a taste for it now, I’ve gotta leave…”

12. Frequency ([93:59])

• Album bookend: miniature, stripped-down reprisal of "Reverence"—now sung by William.
• “Radio on” lyric is a Modern Lovers “Roadrunner” homage.
• Closes album on both a cyclical and unresolved note.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Shout out to Zach, thanks so much for the hookups and for listening to this show and to getting other people in the music industry at the radio station and at record companies listening.”—Scott ([07:10])
• On the Reids’ musical philosophy:

  “Because we are so good. Because we’re so much better than everybody else. Because so many other people are complete rubbish.” ([31:55])

• On the album’s evolution:

  “This album is generally regarded to be where their sound becomes most consistent and becomes the Jesus and Mary chain that we come to know and love…”—Scott ([35:08])

• On the band’s voice division:

  “Jim is the growlier one and William is the breathier.” ([61:38])

Legacy, Later Years & Reflection

• Post-Honey’s Dead:
  • Heavily toured, including Lollapalooza 1992; sales disappoint despite effort and critical acclaim.
  • Internal strife, changing alternative landscape; eventual breakup in 1998 following an infamous onstage row.
• Reunions & Recent Activity:
  • Reunited for Coachella 2007, various tours and festivals (including Riot Fest).
  • Damage and Joy album (2017), Glasgow Eyes (2024):

    “It was a lot more electronic and synth driven… really cool as hell.” – Scott ([106:25])

  • Still strong live performers, “plenty of attitude and just cool as hell.” ([107:00])
• Personal Connection:
  • Lori and Scott reminisce about seeing the band live together, noting the Jesus and Mary Chain remains a secret handshake among alternative fans.

Track Favorites

• Lori: “Far Gone and Out” (“That ‘hey hey hey’ is just too catchy.” —[97:53])
• Scott: “Sugar Ray” (“That percussive delay guitar stutter thing… the best track on an album mostly made of really great tracks.” —[97:53])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Origins and Influences: [11:00–19:00]
• Early Live Show Reputation: [21:39–23:24]
• Band History Leading to Honey’s Dead: [23:24–36:46]
• Album Production Team/Context: [31:55–37:00]
• Track-by-Track Review Starts: [38:53]
• “Reverence” Breakdown: [39:07–45:24]
• “Teenage Lust”: [46:28]
• “Far Gone and Out”: [52:20]
• “Sugar Ray” and Movie Connection: [63:50–67:35]
• Album Wrap and Favorites: [97:20–98:37]
• Career Reflection and Legacy: [98:42–107:10]

Next Episode Teaser

• Spooky by Lush (Episode 78, Dec 21st): “It dovetails out of the Jesus and Mary Chain’s sort of psychedelic post-shoegaze thing to get back into true shoegaze. It’s a great album. I’m excited about it.” – Scott ([107:37])

This episode captures the creative chaos, sonic innovation, and indelible cool of the Jesus and Mary Chain at their Honey’s Dead era—essential listening (and reading) for alt-music devotees, long-time fans, and newcomers alike.