Never Understood by William Reid - ISBN: 9781399604123
Paperback
Brotherly strife, feedback, and riots: the untold story of The Jesus and Mary Chain.

Never Understood

The Jesus and Mary Chain

$41.27

  • Paperback

    304 pages

  • Release Date

    28 October 2025

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Summary

A TELEGRAPH MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR A ROUGH TRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR AN UNCUT BOOK OF THE YEAR A RESIDENT MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR

In Never Understood, William Jim tells the story of The Jesus and Mary Chain - one of Britain’s greatest guitar bands - for the very first time.

A wildly funny and improbably moving chronicle of brotherly strife, feedback, riots, drug and alcohol addiction, eternal outsiders and extreme…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9781399604123
ISBN-10:1399604120
Author:William Reid, Jim Reid
Publisher:Orion Publishing Co
Imprint:White Rabbit
Format:Paperback
Number of Pages:304
Release Date:28 October 2025
Weight:289g
Dimensions:202mm x 136mm x 36mm
What They're Saying

Critics Review

Art ignites in the mind and, in the case of The Jesus and Mary Chain, churns relentlessly on to the centre stage. Perhaps the definitive outcasts-saved-by-rock ‘n’ roll story – IRVINE WELSHForget Phil Spector’s wall of sound - The Jesus and Mary Chain didn’t know where to stop, and it led to the most exciting sounds to come out of the UK in a generation. Here is the story of the Reid brothers’ rollercoaster life. Scream if you want to go faster - they’ll almost certainly oblige – IAN RANKINIn this entertaining autobiography, William and Jim Reid emerge as both expert chroniclers and good company … Fraught, funny and occasionally farcical * SCOTSMAN *An epic story about the Reid brothers’ war against the world and themselves. An odyssey of rock ‘n’ roll, class, addiction, self-crucifixion and resurrection. As diseased and beautiful as their music. I couldn’t put it down – BOBBY GILLESPIEFrom the opening line to the last you get it all: addiction, poverty, success, misery, redemption. All told with a brutal, raw honesty and a dry, intoxicating realism – NICKY WIREA wonderful book. Jim and William were outsiders among outsiders and being in a band was life or death for them. Somehow against all the odds they created one of the most iconic bands of all time and easily some of the most sublime music of the 80s – ROISIN MURPHYFunny and moving * Observer *★★★★ * TELEGRAPH *

About The Author

William Reid

Brothers William and Jim Reid are founding members of The Jesus and Mary Chain.

Many revere them as true rock ‘n’ roll anti-heroes.

Ben Thompson is a critic, ghost writer, and radio host.

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