Artist: The Jesus & Mary Chain
Title: Sometimes Always
Format: 10" Single
Label: Blanco y Negro
Catalogue Number: NEG70TE
Year of Release: 1994
Tracklisting
A1 Sometimes Always (2:32)
A2 The Perfect Crime (1.32)
B1 Little Stars (3.29)
B2 Drop Re-Recorded (1.50)
Continuing with the complete-lack-rules theme, we move on to a record that isn't even mine! My wife bought this when it came out in 1994, just as she said, she was getting in to the band. "I'm afraid it's not very good", she said.
It's not bad, but it's the quieter side of The Mary Chain, and I think she prefers the 'wall of feedback' stuff.
Sometimes Always is a straightforward tale of a couple where the guy leaves, realises he's lost something good, and begs to be taken back, and he is. Hope Sandoval was William Reid's girlfriend at the time, so it's tempting to think it's autobiographical, but I honestly have no idea.
Video:
The Perfect Crime sounds a lot like Spiritualized, and is lyrically very similar to some of Jason Pierce's work:
We fell in love you liked the look in my eye
Hand in hand we reach for the sky
But I was easy baby
Yeah I was easy baby
And you told me so long
You never ever want to see me baby
It's quiet, then it's loud. Then it stops.
Little Stars could even be a Spacemen 3 tune. They must have had very similar influences. I've not knowingly heard the original version of Drop, so not sure why it's been rerecorded as a B-side for this. It's fine.
Here's a mildly amusing interview from 1985: https://www.spin.com/featured/jesus-and-mary-chain-psychocandy-november-1985-interview/