The Jesus and Mary Chain

“Howe does a fantastic job at unveiling a band that have been, up until now, shrouded in mystery . . . comprehensively and beautifully wrought.” —The Quietus

Musically, culturally and even in terms of sheer attitude, the Jesus and Mary Chain stand alone. Their seminal debut album Psychocandy changed the course of popular music, and their iconic blend of psychotic white noise and darkly surreal lyrics that presaged the shoegaze movement continues to enchant and confound.

Zoë Howe's biography is the fierce, frank and funny tale of the Jesus and Mary Chain, told by the band members and their associates for the very first time. The story begins in the faceless town of East Kilbride, near Glasgow, at the dawn of the 1980s with two intense, chronically shy brothers, Jim and William Reid, listening to music in their shared bedroom. What follows charts an unforgettable journey complete with incendiary live performances, their pivotal relationship with Alan McGee's Creation Records and those famous fraternal tensions—with plenty of feedback, fighting, and crafting perfect pop music along the way. It is high time this vastly influential group and sometime public enemy had their say.

“The story is skillfully told and the book brings loads of chronologically arranged and sometimes hilarious details to the reader.” —PopDiggers

“A touching story of kids in the music business, recalled by their adult selves. A cut above the usual.” —Euan McColm, The Scotsman

“A fitting tribute to the men in black.” —Loud and Quiet

“Barbed Wire Kisses adroitly charts the Mary Chain’s career . . . Engaging throughout.” —Record Collector (four-star review)