The Sound of Speed

{{About|the 1993 compilation album|the 1993 EP|Sound of Speed}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}

{{Use British English|date=June 2014}}

{{Infobox album

| name = The Sound of Speed

| type = compilation

| artist = The Jesus and Mary Chain

| cover = JAMC TheSoundOfSpeed Album.jpg

| alt =

| released = 25 October 1992 (Japan)
12 July 1993 (Worldwide)

| recorded = 1988–1993

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Alternative rock

| length = 74:11

| label = Blanco y Negro

| producer = Jim Reid, William Reid

| prev_title = Honey's Dead

| prev_year = 1992

| next_title = Stoned & Dethroned

| next_year = 1994

}}

{{Album ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r206503|pure_url=yes}}|title=The Sound of Speed - The Jesus and Mary Chain|publisher=Allmusic}}

|rev2 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music

|rev2score = {{rating|3|5}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC&q=The+Sound+of+Speed+jesus+and+mary+chain+1993+larkin&pg=RA4-PA1997|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|first=Colin|last=Larkin|date=27 May 2011|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=9780857125958|via=Google Books}}

|rev3 = NME

|rev3score = 7/10{{cite magazine |last=Fadele |first=Dele |title=Long Play: Kilbriders on the Storm |magazine=New Musical Express |date=10 July 1993 |page=31}}

}}

The Sound of Speed is a compilation of singles and rare tracks by Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain.{{cite web |title=Jesus and Mary Chain |url=https://trouserpress.com/reviews/jesus-and-mary-chain/ |website=Trouser Press |accessdate=13 July 2020}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0_-gBAAAQBAJ&q=The+Sound+of+Speed+jesus+and+mary+chain+1993&pg=PA240|title=The Jesus and Mary Chain: Barbed Wire Kisses|first=Zoe|last=Howe|date=11 November 2014|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=9781250030245|via=Google Books}}

The track listing below is for the version released in most of the world - the Japanese version dropped "Snakedriver", "Something I Can't Have", "Write Record Release Blues", "Tower of Song", "Little Red Rooster", "Lowlife" and "Reverberation", but added "Subway", "In the Black", "Terminal Beach" and "I'm Glad I Never".

It reached #15 on the UK albums chart.{{Cite web|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/the_jesus_and_mary_chain-barbed_wire_disses|title=The Jesus and Mary Chain Barbed Wire Disses|website=exclaim.ca}}

Critical reception

The Independent gave the compilation a mixed review, writing that "the most interesting tracks here are the cover versions of songs like 'Guitarman' (Elvis done in the vein of Dylan), 'Little Red Rooster', and Leonard Cohen's 'Tower of Song', whose exhausted languor makes a surprisingly smooth transfer to Mary Chain mode".{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/rock-until-the-pips-squeak-albums-its-the-year-of-the-pumpkin-andy-gill-celebrates-meanwhile-the-1484966.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/rock-until-the-pips-squeak-albums-its-the-year-of-the-pumpkin-andy-gill-celebrates-meanwhile-the-1484966.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=ROCK / Until the pips squeak: Albums: It's the Year of the Pumpkin.|date=15 July 1993|website=The Independent}}

Track listing

All songs written by Jim Reid and William Reid, except where noted.

=LP (4509-93104-1) Worldwide=

Side 1

  1. "Snakedriver" – 3:44
  2. "Reverence (radio mix)" – 5:39
  3. "Heat" – 3:00
  4. "Teenage Lust (acoustic version)" – 2:25
  5. "Why'd You Want Me?" – 3:15
  6. "Don't Come Down" – 2:39
  7. "Guitarman" (Jerry Reed) – 3:43
  8. "Something I Can't Have" – 3:02

Side 2

  1. "Sometimes" – 2:53
  2. "Write Record Release Blues" – 2:58
  3. "Shimmer" – 2:46
  4. "Penetration" – 2:48
  5. "My Girl" (Smokey Robinson) – 3:05
  6. "Tower of Song" (Leonard Cohen) – 4:49
  7. "Little Red Rooster" (Willie Dixon) – 3:25
  8. "Break Me Down" – 2:29
  9. "Lowlife" – 3:27

=CD (4509-93104-2) Worldwide=

  1. "Snakedriver" – 3:44
  2. "Reverence (radio mix)" – 5:39
  3. "Heat" – 3:00
  4. "Teenage Lust (acoustic version)" – 2:25
  5. "Why'd You Want Me?" – 3:15
  6. "Don't Come Down" – 2:39
  7. "Guitarman" (Jerry Reed) – 3:43
  8. "Something I Can't Have" – 3:02
  9. "Sometimes" – 2:53
  10. "Write Record Release Blues" – 2:58
  11. "Shimmer" – 2:46
  12. "Penetration" – 2:48
  13. "My Girl" (Robinson) – 3:05
  14. "Tower of Song" (Cohen) – 4:49
  15. "Little Red Rooster" (Burnett, Dixon) – 3:25
  16. "Break Me Down" – 2:29
  17. "Lowlife" – 3:27
  18. "Deviant Slice" – 3:01
  19. "Reverberation" (Roky Erickson, Tommy Hall, Stacy Sutherland) – 3:46
  20. "Sidewalking (extended version)" – 7:52

;Original releases

=CD (WMC5-520) Japan=

  1. "Reverence (radio mix)" – 5:39
  2. "Teenage Lust (acoustic version)" – 2:25
  3. "Don't Come Down" – 2:39
  4. "Heat" – 3:03
  5. "Guitarman" (Jerry Reed) – 3:43
  6. "Why'd You Want Me?" – 3:15
  7. "Sometimes" – 2:53
  8. "Shimmer" – 2:46
  9. "Penetration" – 2:48
  10. "My Girl" (Robinson) – 3:05
  11. "Subway" – 2:07
  12. "In the Black" – 2:56
  13. "Break Me Down" – 2:29
  14. "Terminal Beach" – 2:26
  15. "Deviant Slice" – 3:01
  16. "Glad I Never" – 1:31
  17. "Sidewalking (extended version)" – 7:52

Personnel

=The Jesus and Mary Chain=

=Additional personnel=

  • Brad Davidson – bass (track 15)
  • Wiff – drums (track 15)
  • Dick Meaney – engineer (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 to 10, 15)
  • Anjali Dutt – engineer (track 2)
  • George Kaleve – engineer (track 4)
  • Alan Moulder – engineer (track 7)
  • Flood – engineer (track 17)
  • John Loder – production (track 20)
  • Colin Bell – photography

References