THE DREAM SYNDICATE - Days of Wine and Roses [1982]
Of all the fashion faux pas committed through the decades, the 1980s undoubtedly committed some of the most brutal. Unfortunately, the music scene of this period merely exacerbates this sad state of affairs. Not only do we have to deal with spandex and mullets, we even have whole music genres named after fashion. ‘Hair metal’ would be one that “springs” to mind (though one could really see that genre as an extension of glam metal which arose in the 1970s.) Here’s another less likely name for a genre: the Paisley Underground movement.
Before you fear the worst, read on. The Paisley Underground movement was certainly one of the more curious branches of 80s alternative rock. Its key bands (The Rain Parade, The Dream Syndicate, Green On Red, The Bangles before they walked like Egyptians) were steeped in a jangly, retro sound reminiscent of The Byrds but played with a vicarious punk bite. Somewhat maligned at the time (Robert Christgau once wrote of a Rain Parade album “Smart hippies knew how dumb a lot of that music was even then. It's twice as dumb now”), the Paisley Underground proved to be quite influential and actually had noble intentions to begin with: a kind of antidote to the intimidating hardcore Los Angeles punk scene which, let's face it, was full of jocks. I guess if it were a movie, it would be called Revenge Of The (Retro Music) Nerds.
Some people say Rain Parade’s Emergency Third Rail Trip is the definitive Paisley Underground moment. While that album has prettier tunes, The Dream Syndicate’s debut Days of Wine and Roses certainly rocks harder. So, let’s get the most obvious thing out of the way here first: this album is essentially a Neil Young/Velvet Underground homage, albeit one that’s done very well. Steve Wynn gets my vote for the best Lou Reed impersonator out there, although he’s not far removed vocally from another Steve (that is, Steve Kilbey) who was also fronting his own Australian paisley popsters (at least at that stage), The Church.
The opener, ‘Tell Me When It’s Over’, is simply infectious guitar pop and gets the album off to a cracking start. Featuring a killer riff and a particularly indolent Wynn vocal, the whole thing jumps off the speakers like a Crazy Horse (sorry, I couldn't help myself). Elsewhere, propulsive, high-octane numbers such as ‘Then She Remembers’ and the title track sound like a pissed-off Bob Dylan circa 1965 if he was put in a blender with Black Flag for company.
But it’s the guitar playing of Karl Percoda that impresses the most. Whether it’s the shards of feedback he injects into the droning ‘Halloween’ which makes it all the more unsettling, or his haunting lines on’ Too Little, Too Late’ (featuring bassist Kendra Smith’s lovely vocals), he lends the songs a palpable sense of urgency and drive. Legend has it he only played cheap guitars because he ruined every other guitar that was worth something. Take that for a lesson in guitar heroics, Sonic Youth. Oh wait, you did.
Before you fear the worst, read on. The Paisley Underground movement was certainly one of the more curious branches of 80s alternative rock. Its key bands (The Rain Parade, The Dream Syndicate, Green On Red, The Bangles before they walked like Egyptians) were steeped in a jangly, retro sound reminiscent of The Byrds but played with a vicarious punk bite. Somewhat maligned at the time (Robert Christgau once wrote of a Rain Parade album “Smart hippies knew how dumb a lot of that music was even then. It's twice as dumb now”), the Paisley Underground proved to be quite influential and actually had noble intentions to begin with: a kind of antidote to the intimidating hardcore Los Angeles punk scene which, let's face it, was full of jocks. I guess if it were a movie, it would be called Revenge Of The (Retro Music) Nerds.
Some people say Rain Parade’s Emergency Third Rail Trip is the definitive Paisley Underground moment. While that album has prettier tunes, The Dream Syndicate’s debut Days of Wine and Roses certainly rocks harder. So, let’s get the most obvious thing out of the way here first: this album is essentially a Neil Young/Velvet Underground homage, albeit one that’s done very well. Steve Wynn gets my vote for the best Lou Reed impersonator out there, although he’s not far removed vocally from another Steve (that is, Steve Kilbey) who was also fronting his own Australian paisley popsters (at least at that stage), The Church.
The opener, ‘Tell Me When It’s Over’, is simply infectious guitar pop and gets the album off to a cracking start. Featuring a killer riff and a particularly indolent Wynn vocal, the whole thing jumps off the speakers like a Crazy Horse (sorry, I couldn't help myself). Elsewhere, propulsive, high-octane numbers such as ‘Then She Remembers’ and the title track sound like a pissed-off Bob Dylan circa 1965 if he was put in a blender with Black Flag for company.
But it’s the guitar playing of Karl Percoda that impresses the most. Whether it’s the shards of feedback he injects into the droning ‘Halloween’ which makes it all the more unsettling, or his haunting lines on’ Too Little, Too Late’ (featuring bassist Kendra Smith’s lovely vocals), he lends the songs a palpable sense of urgency and drive. Legend has it he only played cheap guitars because he ruined every other guitar that was worth something. Take that for a lesson in guitar heroics, Sonic Youth. Oh wait, you did.
Despite its derivative qualities, Days of Wine and Roses bears all the hallmarks of a snotty, garagey classic. The whole thing sounds like a bunch of young musicians who were clearly in awe of their heroes and just wanted to make a great record. For that reason alone, they had as much vitality up their sleeves as they did paisley patterns.
-AMCS
Survive in the Shallows (2008)
Fires, Floods and Boredom (2006)
I know you're so proud that I never wore paisley shirts or had a mullet in the 80's.
ReplyDeleteBut was that more of a crime than, say, buying 'Songs from the Attic?'
(for what it's worth, no)
Why didnt I have your reviews to read back then?