Methodrone

Not to be confused with mephedrone or methedrone.
Methodrone
Studio album by The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Released 1995
Genre Shoegazing
Length 71:58
Label Bomp! Records
Producer Naut Human, David Deresinski
The Brian Jonestown Massacre chronology

Spacegirl & Other Favorites
(1993)
Methodrone
(1995)
Take It from the Man!
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]

Methodrone is the second studio album by American psychedelic rock band The Brian Jonestown Massacre, released in 1995. The name of the album is a portmanteau of the drug methadone, used in treatment of heroin addiction, and the word "drone", referencing the overall shoegaze sound of the album. The album's dreamy rock sound is comparable to that of Spacemen 3 and My Bloody Valentine.

Background

This was the first album released after the departure of guitarist and founding member Travis Threlkel, and the only album to feature vocalists Elise Dye and Paola Simmonds. Drummers Brian Glaze and Graham Bonnar were also brought into the line-up to replace Ricky Maymi who had begun playing bass in the band. It was also Graham Bonnar's only appearance in the band. "She Made Me" and "Evergreen" were released as a double A-side single in 1992. Methodrone was re-released in 2007 on Anton Newcombe's A Records.

"Wisdom" was later re-recorded on the band's first and only album with TVT Records, Strung Out in Heaven. "Wisdom", "She's Gone", "That Girl Suicide" and "Evergreen" were included on the band's greatest hits compilation Tepid Peppermint Wonderland: A Retrospective.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by The Brian Jonestown Massacre except where stated. 

No. Title Length
1. "Evergreen" (lyrics Newcombe, vocals Newcombe/Dye) 3:24
2. "Wisdom" (lyrics/vocals Newcombe) 5:20
3. "Crushed" (lyrics/vocals Newcombe) 6:08
4. "That Girl Suicide" (lyrics/vocals Newcombe) 3:41
5. "Wasted" (lyrics Newcombe, vocals Newcombe/Simmonds) 4:21
6. "Everyone Says" (lyrics Newcombe, vocals Newcombe/Simmonds) 4:15
7. "Short Wave" (lyrics/vocals Newcombe) 2:47
8. "She Made Me" (lyrics/vocals Newcombe) 4:42
9. "Hyperventilation" (lyrics/vocals Newcombe) 9:53
10. "Records"   1:50
11. "I Love You" (lyrics Newcombe/Travis Threlkel, vocals Newcombe) 4:11
12. "End of the Day" (lyrics/vocals Newcombe) 5:09
13. "Outback"   4:07
14. "She's Gone" (lyrics Newcombe, vocals Newcombe/Hollywood) 7:18
15. "Methodrone" (lyrics/vocals Newcombe) 4:52
Total length:
71:58

Personnel

The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Engineering and mixing

Critical response

The second album by a band that had been steadily releasing singles throughout the two years previous, Methodrone was largely ignored upon its release. However, it garnered a favorable review in British tastemaker magazine Mojo, where Brian Bannin wrote, "Everything moves with the slowness and presence of a disgraced monarch in exile...At its best, Methodrone has the tormented grace of accepting doom".

Cover artwork

The faces featured on the cover artwork are, clockwise from top left, Brian Glaze, Matt Hollywood, Anton Newcombe, and Dean Taylor.

References

  1. Raggett, Ned. "Methodrone - The Brian Jonestown Massacre". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-03-01.