Photo by Ed Colver
The early 80s Paisley Underground scene in Los Angeles yielded a curious paradox: combining the gentle harmonies and intricate guitars of psychedelic-era bands like The Byrds and Velvet Underground, with the fury of punk. This scene included the likes of The Bangles, Rain Parade, The Three O’Clock…and The Dream Syndicate.
The Dream Syndicate wore their influences on their sleeves: the moniker refers to La Monte Young’s early 1960s New York experimental ensemble The Theatre of Eternal Music, whose members included former Velvet John Cale, and Tony Conrad. The Dream Syndicate’s sound was much harsher than their hippie-era forebears; they dwelled in the same energy cloud as Echo and the Bunnymen, but infused with a more frenetic ferocity.
When The Dream Syndicate emerged in the early 80s, frontman Steve Wynn declared that “We’re playing music we want to hear because nobody else is doing it.” He added, “I’ll compromise on what I eat or where I sleep, but I won’t compromise on what music I play.”
To celebrate their 40th anniversary, The Dream Syndicate’s 1982 debut, The Days of Wine and Roses, will receive a reissue via Fire Records: History Kinda Pales When It and You Are Aligned: The Days Of Wine and Roses. This 4-disc, 54-track collection, out 23 June, boasts ten rarities and a whopping 31 previously unreleased recordings from the original lineup of Steve Wynn, Dennis Duck, Kendra Smith, and Karl Precoda.
“Hearing these bonus tracks of live and rehearsal performances of The Dream Syndicate, culled by Pat Thomas from the cassette collection of Dennis Duck, I remember things about that band and what we were doing in 1982 that I had long since forgotten,” Wynn muses. “We would actually listen to these cassettes back then religiously, simultaneously for study and clues for what to do next but also just out of amazement that we were suddenly playing in our own favorite band, doing a kind of music we had only dreamed somebody might do someday.”
The first disc presents a newly remastered edition of the original nine-song album, which is accompanied by the band’s eponymous debut EP, also released in 1982 on Down There Records. This disc alone serves as a rich repository of post-punk, dream-pop, and indie rock history.
The second disc, meanwhile, takes us on a journey through the band’s earlier days with tracks from a 7-inch that features frontman Steve Wynn’s earlier band, 15 Minutes. The disc also includes rehearsal takes from Dream Syndicate’s embryonic phase, recorded in 1981 and 1982, and a pair of live radio performances from ’82.
The third disc is an eclectic mix of live recordings and rehearsal takes, which showcases the band’s dynamic live performances and their remarkable ability to innovate and evolve constantly. Finally, the fourth disc features fifteen live cuts from a 1982 concert in Reseda, California, as well as backstage material recorded in Tucson, Arizona, in the same year.
In North America only, the album will be available as a 4-CD bookback edition and a 2-LP vinyl edition, featuring the remastered album plus the band’s debut EP. The 4-CD bookback edition also includes a 30-page booklet of new liner notes by band historian Pat Thomas, as well as exclusive interviews with Kendra Smith, engineer Paul Cutler, and the album’s producer, Chris Desjardins. Additionally, rare photos, gig posters, and other exciting extras are included.
With its wealth of rare recordings and previously unreleased material, this comprehensive collection is a testament to The Dream Syndicate’s profound influence.
Pre-order here:
Tracklisting:
Disc 1: The Days of Wine and Roses + Down There EP
1. “Tell Me When It’s Over”
2. “Definitely Clean”
3. “That’s What You Always Say”
4. “Then She Remembers”
5. “Halloween”
6. “When You Smile”
7. “Until Lately”
8. “Too Little, Too Late”
9. “The Days of Wine and Roses”
10. “Sure Thing” (Down There EP)
11. “That’s What You Always Say” (Down There EP)
12. “When You Smile” (Down There EP)
13. “Some Kinda Itch” (Down There EP)
Disc 2: Even More Hot Rocks (No Hits & Out of Phase Cookies)
1. “That’s What You Always Say” (15 Minutes / 7-Inch Single Version)
2. “Last Chance For You” (15 Minutes / 7-Inch Single Version)
3. “Too Little, Too Late” (Rehearsal Version, 1981)
4. “Definitely Clean” (Rehearsal Version, 1981)
5. “Is It Rolling, Bob?” (Rehearsal Version, 1982)
6. “A Reason” (Rehearsal Version, 1982)
7. “Like Mary” (Rehearsal Version, 1982)
8. “Outside the Dream Syndicate” (Rehearsal Version, 1982)
9. “Last Chance For You” (Rehearsal Version, 1982)
10. Unknown song with lyrics (Rehearsal Version, 1982)
11. “Some Kinda Itch” (Live at KPFK, 1982)
12. “Open Hour” (Live at KPFK, 1982)
Disc 3: Crackling Noises OK — Do Not Correct
1. “Until Lately” (Live at 1313 Mockingbird Lane, CA, 1982)
2. “Sure Thing” (Live at 1313 Mockingbird Lane, CA, 1982)
3. “Then She Remembers” (Live at 1313 Mockingbird Lane, CA, 1982)
4. “It’s Gonna Be Alright” (Live at 1313 Mockingbird Lane, CA, 1982)
5. “Halloween” (Live)
6. “That’s What You Always Say” (Live)
7. “Sure Thing” (Live)
8. “Definitely Clean” (Live)
9. “Too Little, Too Late” (Kendra vocal) (Live)
10. “When You Smile” (Live)
11. “Some Kinda Itch” (Live)
12. “That’s What You Always Say” (Rehearsal Version)
13. “Road Runner” (Rehearsal Version)
14. “Instrumental” (Rehearsal Version)
Disc 4: Live’r Than You’ll Ever Be
1. “Tell Me When It’s Over” (Live at the Country Club, Reseda CA, 1982)
2. “That’s What You Always Say” (Live at the Country Club, Reseda CA, 1982)
3. “Sure Thing” (Live at the Country Club, Reseda CA, 1982)
4. “Then She Remembers” (Live at the Country Club, Reseda CA, 1982)
5. “Halloween” (Live at the Country Club, Reseda CA, 1982)
6. “Definitely Clean” (Live at the Country Club, Reseda CA, 1982)
7. “When You Smile” (Live at the Country Club, Reseda CA, 1982)
8. “Days of Wine and Roses” (Live at the Country Club, Reseda CA, 1982)
9. “Halloween” (Backstage, Tucson, AZ, 1982)
10. “Definitely Clean” (Backstage, Tucson, AZ, 1982)
11. “That’s What You Always Say” (Backstage, Tucson, AZ, 1982)
12. “Folsom Prison Blues” (Backstage, Tucson, AZ, 1982)
13. “Until Lately” (Backstage, Tucson, AZ, 1982)
14. “Some Kinda Itch” (Backstage, Tucson, AZ, 1982)
15. “Piece of My Heart” (Backstage, Tucson, AZ, 1982)
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