This is the album from the band I like that has the song that I didn’t realize was their song when I first heard it.

What I’m saying is, The Pixies did a brilliant cover of Head On that to this day is considered definitive. To me, at least. Frank Black exploded with the unchained emotion the too-cool-for-school Jim Reid (or was it the other Reid? Who knows?) just couldn’t muster and, you know what? It’s one of those rare covers that’s better than the original. I mean, it didn’t just rock, it ROCKED. HARD. Blaring guitars, snarling vocals and reckless abandon.

Which isn’t to say this album, Automatic, isn’t awesome. It is. It’s just to say that for me it as (sadly) always been “the album with the song The Pixies did better.”

Shitty way to start a review, I know. I’m kind of a fucked fan, aren’t I? (Honest, though.)

The Jesus And Mary Chain were a delightful little band – just two brothers, really, plus backup players – who rocked their way into hearts and minds with Beach Boys melodies laid over squalls of feedback and guitar noise. Throw in a bit of Echo & The Bunnymen cool and good timing, and for good few years these fellas were a modest success story. They weren't taking over the charts, but they were hip enough to be ... err, hip, I guess. My love of the amazing Honey's Dead is no secret to anyone who has ever heard my crappy four-track recordings (you think I'm ashamed of that plug? I'm not ashamed.) While that one is their best and Psychocandy was their brilliant first, it is arguably Automatic that first put these guys on the map.

No surprise there. Head On was a surefire hit. The laid back cool of Here Comes Alive, the energetic rock of Blues From A Gun, the catchy lines of Halfway To Crazy, the blissful baladry of Drop (which looks ahead to Stoned And Dethroned. Lots to like on this record.

But perfect it ain't

The production isn't the best. The drum machine sounds like a drum machine – and not in a good way. The guitars are way low in the mix for a guitar-driven band. And it's got a touch of 1980s sheen that doesn't sit too well with their sound. It's just a bit too glossy, a tad too clean and a mite too radio friendly.

But I like it. Good stuff. It lacks the edge that makes JAMC awesome, but it's a pretty good entry in their catalog. So why was it unavailable in North America for the last few years? I'll be damned if I know, but it was. Out of freakin' print. Not anymore, though. Warners is bringing the Jesus And Mary Chain catalog back, and with extra features to boot. Sweet!

On this flipper disc – one side a CD, the other a DVD – you get the full Automatic album in all its 12-track glory. It's all there and sounding as good as the day it was released. On the DVD side, you get a totally remastered, 'enhanced' version of the album that sounds pretty darn good pumping through a home theater system. Big, full, loud. Just what the doctor ordered. Since getting my grubby little mitts on these re-releases, it'd been my listening means of choice. Also on side two are three music videos. Automatic includes Blues From A Gun, Her Way Of Praying and Head On. If I told you I'm a huge fan of 1980s' music videos for anything other than cheese factor, I'd be a liar. But extra stuff? You can't look a gift horse in the mouth. Extra stuff is always cool. With digital music taking over, this is a big incentive to go ahead and buy the physical, tangible release. Kudos to Warners.

I like Automatic. It's really good. It's not my favorite from their catalog. It's not even my second favorite. But I like it plenty. If you haven't checked out The Jesus And Mary Chain yet, this is a pretty good place to start.