The Dream Syndicate

Certain Songs #357 : The Dream Syndicate – “Halloween”

October 31, 2015 by Jim Connelly

Album: The Days of Wine and Roses
Year: 1982.

The only song on The Days of Wine and Roses not written by Steve Wynn, “Halloween” became somewhat of a staple cover on the indie underground circuit, due to the fact that it was simple to play and open-ended in structure.

It was also seasonal and eternal: you could learn it for a Halloween show, but play it year-round, due to the fact that it technically about the film Halloween, not the holiday.

Certain Songs #343: The Dream Syndicate – “Closer (KCRW 12-09-1987)”

October 16, 2015 by Jim Connelly

Album: It’s Too Late Too Stop Now
Year: 1987

I wish I knew where I found It’s Too Late To Stop Now. Was it at Ragin’? Or Amoeba in Berkeley? Or some record store in L.A.? All I know for sure was that it’s this weird compilation of demos, outtakes, radio performances and guys with tape recorders recording shows.

So a bootleg. Except that I seem to remember reading that it was a fan club record, or some other nudge nudge wink wink “hey, this is kinda legit.” I do know this: it’s probably the best Dream Syndicate album that isn’t The Days of Wine and Roses.

Certain Songs #342: The Dream Syndicate – “Black”

October 15, 2015 by Jim Connelly

Album: Ghost Stories
Year: 1988

While I had — and still have — no use for Medicine Show and Out of the Grey, I was happily surprised when The Dream Syndicate put out their 1988 swan song, Ghost Stories.

While it was basically yet another straight-ahead rock album (something Wynn has pretty much done for the rest of his career, with enough success that I still look forward to every release with his name on it), Ghost Stories had both a better sound and better songs than its immediate predecessors.

Certain Songs #341: The Dream Syndicate – “Drinking Problem”

October 14, 2015 by Jim Connelly

B-side, 1987

No one tried harder to like Medicine Show, the 1984 follow-up to The Days of Wine and Roses, than I did. While it now makes perfect sense in the context of the music that Steve Wynn has made for the rest of his career, in 1984, it felt like an abandonment of core principles.

And even now, the hollowness of both the production and the songs overshadows everything else. With Precoda gone — and Wynn doing great work with his pals in Danny and Dusty, I barely paid any attention to 1987’s Out of The Grey when it first came out.

Certain Songs #340 – The Dream Syndicate – “The Days of Wine and Roses”

October 13, 2015 by Jim Connelly

Album: The Days of Wine and Roses
Year: 1982

The key to The Days of Wine and Roses — and why I loved it so much — was scratched right there on the run-out groove of the album: “PRE MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT.”

In other words, The Days of Wine and Roses was basically the album made by the bastard children of Lou Reed and Bob Dylan. This, of course, was made explicit by the title track, which lifted heavily from “Tombstone Blues” but used that lifting as a starting point, not an end point.

Certain Songs #339: The Dream Syndicate – “Then She Remembers”

October 12, 2015 by Jim Connelly

Album: The Days of Wine and Roses
Year: 1982

“Tell Me When It’s Over” was the single. “Halloween” was the one that everybody covered. The title track was the one that shamelessly stole from “Tombstone Blues,” but my favorite song from The Days of Wine and Roses is “Then She Remembers”.

Hell, it’s practically my favorite song of the 1980s, if not ever.

Not for the words, which I’ve never actually known outside of the chorus — Steve Wynn screams them in such a way that I had no idea they were about an abuse survivor until I looked the lyrics up on the internet for this post — but for the ungodly exquisite noise The Dream Syndicate makes throughout.

Certain Songs #338: The Dream Syndicate – “Tell Me When It’s Over”

October 11, 2015 by Jim Connelly

Album: The Days of Wine and Roses
Year: 1982

Listen to Steve Wynn’s rhythm guitar. It’s the last thing you notice on this song. You’re listening to Karl Precoda’s endlessly corkscrewing lead, or you’re listening to Dennis Duck’s stop-time on the chorus, or you’re listening to Wynn coming on like the bastard son Uncle Lou had with Sister Ray.

But the key to “Tell Me When It’s Over” — the kick-off track to an album that I love beyond all measure — is one of the great rhythm guitar parts in history. With every scrape of his fingers against the strings, it’s like he’s peeling another layer from his very soul and holding it aloft for the world to see.

Medialoper Bebop Episode 22: Time Change!

November 9, 2011 by Jim Connelly

This week, Kirk, Tim and Jim are reeling from the ramifications of the reversion back to Pacific Standard Time, so there are fewer topics, but more digressions!

First, a look at Amazon’s Kindle Owners Lending Library, and what it might mean for the Publishing industry, and you, the Consumer. Yes, you!! (07:20 – 21:00)

A voicemail from Commissioner Loper leads to a plot to capture Jay Fung, who still doesn’t know that he’s been mentioned on nearly every single podcast for the past couple of months. (21:02 – 23:00)

Then, a Musical Moment to Die For: The Dream Syndicate – Then She Remembers. (23:02 – 25:02)

Finally, Jim reveals his amazingly simple 21st Century plan to fix the problem of Daylight Saving Time, something that has been publicly affecting our lives since at least 1983. (25:03 – 33:32)

Here’s what’s in Jim’s mix this week: John Doe, Deer Tick and some rare Smiths. (33:33 – 37:54)

All that, and commentary from our special guest, Siri!!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 47:18 — 65.0MB)

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