Dream Syndicate

Finding good stuff in the early 1980's was not an easy
 chore, basically we were stuck with 1970's
hangers-on, The Clash, Costello, etc......but there WERE good ones out there, you just had to LOOK for it (not nearly as easy as it is today to seek out good stuff with the myriad of sources we have, in fact, blogs such as this were a life saver to me before I began this one.)

So, anyway, one band that DID have a "moment", however brief, in the early 1980's was Dream Syndicate......Strongly influenced by the Velvet Underground and Television, while losing point or two for not being TOTALLY originl, the strength of their influences gains the point back wih interest.

The 1982 debut, "Days of Wine and Roses", was the career highlight, it's an excellent album, I think to a degree forgotten about today, but a really good period piece from a not-so-great period. The classic lineup was singer/guitarist Steve Wynn, bassist Kendra Smith, unique, noisy guitarist karl Precoda, and drummer Dennis Duck. ......Smith left after this album, and Precoda left after the next, basically stripping the band of it's identity and it's sound, BUT please don't over look "Days", "Tell Me When It's Over", "Halloween", and "Then She Remembers" are fine Velvets/Television influenced tracks, there are alot more, AND this particular version is loaded with tons of EP tracks and more (Good thing because I don't have and can't find the pre-"Days" self titled EP,which is also one worth seeking out, but this loaded up version of days can certainly suffice.


OK, Smith left, and the band released "The Medecine Show", not nearly the quality of "Days" (I'd give "Days" four stars, this one maybe 2.5, something like that....."Still Holding onto You" and "Armed With an Empty Gun" are good enough songs, but there are a few that don't quite get it done here such as (IMO) the title track and the never ending "John Coltrane Stereo Blues"......this was a career that was pretty much headed down to suckville, and THEN Precoda left, basically tripping the band of ANY remaining link to their original nd.

I AM going to include 1986's "Out of the Grey" and 1988's "Ghost Stories", just because I happen to have them and for the sake of comparison....if you are interested what happened to the sound after "Medecine Show", this documents th decline, basically they became a Steve Wynn solo project (although not to sell short remaining drummer Dennis Duck, he remainedd one).....I'd rate of those albums at a 1.5, but perhaps they may be of interest to you, if so, dig in.

Also I am going to included the double-CD "Live at Raji's", recorded in 1988.....it's not bad, really,
not as bad as it COULD be, it includes material from the bands whole career, and at least it's OK to hear live versions of "Halloween" and "Days of Wine and Roses", and a cover of "All Along the Watchtower", go figure.

Why not round this out with the "Lost Tapes 1985-88", again, after the band which peaked so early had alredy done so, if you are a fan of the band, this may become a "find" for you.....

I don't really care that much for most all of the post-first two albums stuff, there is a moment or two.....please atleast check the first two out, "Days" could nearly be called a classic of it's era, and "Medecine Show" is probably better than I have let on.......if these two REALLY do it for you, pick and choose wisely, maybe opting for the live set.......and, as usual, it's ALL there for ya, if your interested.

DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES-01 Tell Me When It's Over/02 Definitely Clean/03 That's What You Always Say/04 The SHe Remembers/05 Halloween/06 When You SMile/07 Until Lately/08 Too Little Too Late/09 The Days of Wine and Roses/10 Sure Thing (EP Version)/11 That's What You Always Say (EP version)/12 When You Smile (EP Version)/13 Some Kinda Itch (EP Version)/14 Too Little Too late (Rehearsal Version)/15 Definitley Clean (Rehearsal Version)/16 That's What You ALways Say (15 Minutes)/17 Last Chance For You (15 Minutes)

THE MEDECINE SHOW-01 Still Holding On To You/02 Daddy's Girl/03 Burn/04 Armed With an Empty Gun/05 Bullet With My Name On It/06 The Medecine Show/07 John Coltrane Stereo Blues/8 Merittville/09 Tell Me When It's Over/10 Bullet With My Name On It (Live)/11 Armed With and Empty Gun (live)/12 The Medecine SHow (Live)

OUT OF THE GREY-01 Out of the Grey/02 Forest For the Trees/03 50 In 25 Zone/04 Boston/05
Blood Money/06 Slide Away/07 Dying Embers/08 Now I Ride Alone/09 Drinking Problem/10 Dancing Blind/11 You Can't Forget/12 Let It Rain/13 Cinnamon Girl/14 Ballad of Dwight Frye/15 Shake Your Hips/16 I Won't Forget/17 The Lonely Bull

GHOST STORIES-01 The Side'll Never Show/02 My Old Haunts/03 Loving the Sinner, Hating the Sin/04 Whatever You Please/05 Weathered and Torn/06 See That My Grave Is Kept Clean/07 I Have Faith/08 Someplace Better Than This/09 Black/10 When the Curtain Falls/11 Now I Ride Alone/1I Ain't Livin Long Like This

LIVE AT RAJI'S DISC 1-01 See That My Grave Is kept Clean/02 Still Holding on To You/03 Forest For the Trees/04 Until Lately/05 That's What You Always Say/06 When You Smile/07 Burn/08 All Along the watchtower/09 Tell Me When It's Over

LIVE AT RAJI'S DISC 2-01 Merrittvlle/02 The Days of Wine and Roses/03 The Medecine Show/04 Halloween/05 Boston/06 John Coltrane Stereo Blues

LOST TAPES 1985-88-01 Here On Earth as Well/02 I Ain't Living Long Like This/03 Killing Time/04 Lucky/05 Weathered and Torn/06 The Best Years of My Life/07 Running From My Memory/08 When You Smile (Live)/09 It Hits You Again/10 Blood Money