The Jesus And Mary Chain - Cracking Up

What this video is

Released April 1998 on Creation Records, 'Cracking Up' arrived as The Jesus and Mary Chain's internal collapse — a years-long fraternal and creative breakdown between Jim and William Reid — was accelerating toward the band's dissolution later that same year. The Munki album, from which the single was drawn, marked the end of the band's original run and their final release for 19 years. The video exists within the…

Why it matters

As the lead single from The Jesus and Mary Chain's final pre-hiatus album, this video document captures a foundational noise-pop act at a critical transitional moment. The band's influence on shoegaze, dream pop, and alternative rock — their synthesis of Beach Boys melodicism with Velvet…

The director

Ben Unwin is a UK-based filmmaker and editor, born 1986 in Hong Kong, living and working in London. His work spans music videos, commercials, documentaries, and editorial work. He is credited as director on approximately 15 music video productions and as…