Recorded between 1984 & 1998.

Audio Remasterers: Dan Hersch; Bill Inglot.

Not content to get regular day jobs, Scottish brothers Jim and William Reid (both on vocals and guitar) founded the Jesus & Mary Chain. The band's first single, "Upside Down," issued in 1984, was a mission statement of sorts, with squalls of guitar feedback looming over cool, detached singing and a lumbering beat. The group soon became UK music press darlings, largely due to their volatile live gigs. Over the years, the JAMC lineup changed numerous times (even including Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie briefly), and the Reid brothers began relying less on distortion and more on melody.

This chronologically ordered collection touches on every phase of the Jesus & Mary Chain's career, initially focusing on their remarkable debut, PSYCHOCANDY, and its outstanding '87 follow-up, DARKLANDS. Highlights from this period include the pop-perfect "Just Like Honey" and the swaggering "Sidewalking." As the band evolved, they became increasingly pop-savvy, as best revealed by the energetic "Head On" (later covered by the Pixies) and the gentle "Sometimes Always" (featuring vocalist Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star). Although the JAMC disbanded in 1998, legions of artists have since cited them as a major influence, and 21 SINGLES shows exactly why this group is so revered.