At the time of their arrival from Scotland in the mid '80s, this band – the Reid brothers (Jim and William) and assorted cohorts including Primal Scream drummer Bobby Gillespie – were regarded, like their namesakes, as saviors. Not of the human race, but of rock and roll; the Mary Chain were directly antithetical to the antiseptic hooey all over the Reagan-era airwaves. Deadpan, cynical, and above all, totally feedback- and distortion-drenched (not to mention overtly pro-drug), these guys were revolutionaries.

In retrospect, however, they really weren't. The Mary Chain basically combined the Velvet Underground's embrace of ugliness with the Ramones' sense of cheery, insane pop. And as they were burning up the press and causing riots in Europe (for 15-minute sets), Americans like Hüsker Dü were making a similar sound that was faster, meaner, and in some ways much better. This overview shows how the Reid brothers' desire to make successful radio fare derailed them (not unlike what happened to the Ramones and Lou Reed, ironically). When they didn't know better, as on the blistering "Some Candy Talking" (pure noise plus melody) and the melancholic suicide anthem "April Skies," they rated among the all-time rock greats. When they decided to tame William Reid's guitar, as on the forced outrageousness of "Revelation," they were basically goth-lite, baring one-inch nails.