THE DREAM SYNDICATE
''THE COMPLETE LIVE AT RAJI'S, DISC ONE''
2004
93:16
DISC ONE
1/See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
F. Lewis/4:53
2/Still Holding on to You
Steve Wynn/4:15
3/Forest for the Trees
Steve Wynn/4:25
4/Until Lately
Steve Wynn/7:09
5/That's What You Always Say
Steve Wynn/4:47
6/When You Smile
Steve Wynn/3:44
7/Burn
Steve Wynn/5:52
8/All Along the Watchtower
Bob Dylan/2:39
9/Tell Me When It's Over
Steve Wynn/3:52
DISC TWO
1/Merrittville
Steve Wynn/7:46
2/The Days of Wine and Roses
Steve Wynn/8:22
3/The Medicine Show
Steve Wynn/8:51
4/Halloween
Karl Precoda/6:55
5/Boston
Steve Wynn/7:35
6/John Coltrane Stereo Blues
Karl Precoda / David Provost / K. Smith / Steve Wynn/12:11
Peter Case /Additional Personnel, Harmonica
Paul B. Cutler /Guitar, Vocals
Dennis Duck /Drums
Mark Walton /Bass, Vocals
Steve Wynn /Guitar, Vocals
REVIEW
by Stewart Mason
On tour in support of their final album, 1988's Ghost Stories, Dream Syndicate recorded a limited-edition live album, 1989's Live at Raji's, that quickly became something of a holy grail for fans. Especially in comparison to Dream Syndicate's previous live release, the curiously flat This Is Not the New Dream Syndicate Album...Live EP from 1984, Complete Live at Raji's (an expanded double-disc set featuring the full concert) is truly remarkable. Covering the band's entire career, reaching all the way back to 1982's groundbreaking Days of Wine & Roses (over half of which is represented), the set list is a well-chosen blend of Steve Wynn's twisted character studies and the band's neo-psychedelic guitar rave-ups. The second disc in particular focuses on the latter side of Dream Syndicate's sound, consisting entirely of half-a-dozen different jams in the seven- to nine-minute range, all of which feature only the barest minimum of aimless noodling in favor of some impressively noisy solos and some of Wynn's most raw-throated singing, especially on a near-violent climax to "The Days of Wine and Roses." The whole thing is capped off with the definitive version of "John Coltrane Stereo Blues," Dream Syndicate's own "Sister Ray," which had never quite been captured in its full glory on tape before. Dream Syndicate were already kaput when the first release of Live at Raji's came out, but this expanded edition shows that unlike many of their so-called Paisley Underground contemporaries, they went out at the peak of their powers.
BIOGRAPHY
by Denise Sullivan
Dream Syndicate are at the foundation (alongside the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, and R.E.M.) of contemporary alternative music simply because at the time when most bands were experimenting with new technology, the Syndicate deigned to bring back the guitar. Fronted by Steve Wynn (b. Feb. 21, 1960) and including Karl Precoda (guitar), Dennis Duck (drums), and Kendra Smith (bass), the band formed in Los Angeles after Smith and Wynn had relocated there from Davis, CA. They debuted with a self-titled, unbelievably Velvet Underground-like EP on Wynn's own Down There label. It was shortly off to Ruby/Slash for Days of Wine and Roses, the most lauded record on the college charts that year. The record has been cited as influential from artists as diverse as Kurt Cobain to the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson. Live, they had developed into an assaultive guitar band prone to jamming, which helped earn them the tag as leaders of L.A.'s paisley underground movement.
Released in 1984, Medicine Show was met with mixed response by the college crowd. By this time, Smith had left the band and was replaced by Dave Provost on bass and Tom Zvoncheck on keyboards. Wynn took his cues from Neil Young & Crazy Horse on the record rather than Lou Reed (who was considered a preferable source at the time), and the rootsier sound caused a backlash with the fan base. As the band label-hopped, a new lineup and falling morale spawned Out of the Grey (Big Time) in 1986 and the Elliot Mazer-produced Ghost Stories (Enigma) in 1988. The band had realigned to include Mark Walton on bass and Paul B. Cutler on guitar. They recorded Live at Raji's in 1989 as their swan song.
Wynn has since recorded albums as a leader and with Gutterball (featuring the House of Freaks and Silo Bob Rupe) and is continuously collaborating with other musicians. His 1996 solo record had him backed by the Boston band Come. Smith went on to work in Opal with David Roback, a prototype version of his Mazzy Star, and has since recorded solo albums as well. After a long hiatus from music, Karl Precoda reappeared in 1997 fronting the Last Days of May, a neo-psychedelic instrumental trio. Duck continued to work with Wynn as a touring drummer and bassist Mark Walton played with the Continental Drifters. A documentary of Dream Syndicate's last tour, Weathered and Torn, has been released on DVD.
''THE COMPLETE LIVE AT RAJI'S, DISC ONE''
2004
93:16
DISC ONE
1/See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
F. Lewis/4:53
2/Still Holding on to You
Steve Wynn/4:15
3/Forest for the Trees
Steve Wynn/4:25
4/Until Lately
Steve Wynn/7:09
5/That's What You Always Say
Steve Wynn/4:47
6/When You Smile
Steve Wynn/3:44
7/Burn
Steve Wynn/5:52
8/All Along the Watchtower
Bob Dylan/2:39
9/Tell Me When It's Over
Steve Wynn/3:52
DISC TWO
1/Merrittville
Steve Wynn/7:46
2/The Days of Wine and Roses
Steve Wynn/8:22
3/The Medicine Show
Steve Wynn/8:51
4/Halloween
Karl Precoda/6:55
5/Boston
Steve Wynn/7:35
6/John Coltrane Stereo Blues
Karl Precoda / David Provost / K. Smith / Steve Wynn/12:11
Peter Case /Additional Personnel, Harmonica
Paul B. Cutler /Guitar, Vocals
Dennis Duck /Drums
Mark Walton /Bass, Vocals
Steve Wynn /Guitar, Vocals
REVIEW
by Stewart Mason
On tour in support of their final album, 1988's Ghost Stories, Dream Syndicate recorded a limited-edition live album, 1989's Live at Raji's, that quickly became something of a holy grail for fans. Especially in comparison to Dream Syndicate's previous live release, the curiously flat This Is Not the New Dream Syndicate Album...Live EP from 1984, Complete Live at Raji's (an expanded double-disc set featuring the full concert) is truly remarkable. Covering the band's entire career, reaching all the way back to 1982's groundbreaking Days of Wine & Roses (over half of which is represented), the set list is a well-chosen blend of Steve Wynn's twisted character studies and the band's neo-psychedelic guitar rave-ups. The second disc in particular focuses on the latter side of Dream Syndicate's sound, consisting entirely of half-a-dozen different jams in the seven- to nine-minute range, all of which feature only the barest minimum of aimless noodling in favor of some impressively noisy solos and some of Wynn's most raw-throated singing, especially on a near-violent climax to "The Days of Wine and Roses." The whole thing is capped off with the definitive version of "John Coltrane Stereo Blues," Dream Syndicate's own "Sister Ray," which had never quite been captured in its full glory on tape before. Dream Syndicate were already kaput when the first release of Live at Raji's came out, but this expanded edition shows that unlike many of their so-called Paisley Underground contemporaries, they went out at the peak of their powers.
BIOGRAPHY
by Denise Sullivan
Dream Syndicate are at the foundation (alongside the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, and R.E.M.) of contemporary alternative music simply because at the time when most bands were experimenting with new technology, the Syndicate deigned to bring back the guitar. Fronted by Steve Wynn (b. Feb. 21, 1960) and including Karl Precoda (guitar), Dennis Duck (drums), and Kendra Smith (bass), the band formed in Los Angeles after Smith and Wynn had relocated there from Davis, CA. They debuted with a self-titled, unbelievably Velvet Underground-like EP on Wynn's own Down There label. It was shortly off to Ruby/Slash for Days of Wine and Roses, the most lauded record on the college charts that year. The record has been cited as influential from artists as diverse as Kurt Cobain to the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson. Live, they had developed into an assaultive guitar band prone to jamming, which helped earn them the tag as leaders of L.A.'s paisley underground movement.
Released in 1984, Medicine Show was met with mixed response by the college crowd. By this time, Smith had left the band and was replaced by Dave Provost on bass and Tom Zvoncheck on keyboards. Wynn took his cues from Neil Young & Crazy Horse on the record rather than Lou Reed (who was considered a preferable source at the time), and the rootsier sound caused a backlash with the fan base. As the band label-hopped, a new lineup and falling morale spawned Out of the Grey (Big Time) in 1986 and the Elliot Mazer-produced Ghost Stories (Enigma) in 1988. The band had realigned to include Mark Walton on bass and Paul B. Cutler on guitar. They recorded Live at Raji's in 1989 as their swan song.
Wynn has since recorded albums as a leader and with Gutterball (featuring the House of Freaks and Silo Bob Rupe) and is continuously collaborating with other musicians. His 1996 solo record had him backed by the Boston band Come. Smith went on to work in Opal with David Roback, a prototype version of his Mazzy Star, and has since recorded solo albums as well. After a long hiatus from music, Karl Precoda reappeared in 1997 fronting the Last Days of May, a neo-psychedelic instrumental trio. Duck continued to work with Wynn as a touring drummer and bassist Mark Walton played with the Continental Drifters. A documentary of Dream Syndicate's last tour, Weathered and Torn, has been released on DVD.
