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Los Angeles, 1980s. In the east side lives a young girl named Hope Sandoval. Mexican origin, like many from those parts; shy, neurotic, with a very sweet face, but one of those that's "a bit like that"; one of the most captivating and enchanting voices Mother Nature has ever given us. The father is absent, the family situation complicated; Hope begins to drop out of school and, as happens to many, seeks solace in Music. She stays in her room listening to records upon records, harboring the desire to "play like the Rolling Stones." A muse made to measure.
She tells her best friend, Sylvia Gomez, about it, and founds with her, just with her, the "Going Home": literally a voice and a guitar, proponents of melancholic, introspective, and languid folk. The two girls earn the appreciation of some local clubs, and naturally, they follow the local music scene closely. In L.A., it is the roaring years of the Paisley Underground, a splendid psychedelic revival filtered through punk and post-punk. One of the key bands of the movement is the Rain Parade with guitarist David Roback, and our girls are fervent admirers of them (who could blame them): in '83, they go to watch one of their concerts in Pasadena, after which Sylvia sneaks into the backstage and hands over a demo of Going Home to the good Roback. Dave listens and is happily impressed: these two are to be watched...
Four years later, "Happy Nightmare Baby" by the Opal sees the light, the swan song of the Paisley Underground. Roback is still on guitar, Kendra Smith, ex-Dream Syndicate, an obscure key figure of the scene, handles bass and vocals. The album is a masterpiece, but during the promotional tour, Kendra disappears without a trace; that's when David, contract-bound to release a second LP under the name Opal, remembers a voice, that voice. Hope arrives, listens to the material for the second album, likes it little, and the two start almost from scratch: the Mazzy Star are born.
"She Hangs Brightly" comes out in 1990, and it's an extraordinary album. I know, everyone knows Mazzy Star for "Fade Into You," part of that "So Tonight That I Might See" usually considered their masterpiece... and probably it is, but this first album remains my personal favorite.
Less dark, dreamy, compact, and magmatic compared to the following one, "She Hangs Brightly" is a kind of fabulous fusion between Roback's and Sandoval's repertoire; and this woman, with that voice, cannot help but impose herself on everything. Look at the cover of the interior of Hotel Tassel, symbol of Art Nouveau: Mazzy Star is the tendril of a wisteria that wraps around the soul.
The album revolves around the incredible title track: a sound carpet reminiscent of the Doors (speaking of L.A.), hypnotic organ, ghostly atmosphere, sepulchral psychedelia, in a swirling crescendo. A wonder of a song, which already anticipates some solutions of "So Tonight". The rest, however, is not inferior and, given its variety, I think it's useless and perhaps detrimental to write a lengthy piece going into detail: this album is a stream of amethysts to be listened to as a whole in one breath. I'll just mention a few: the acoustic, sweet, nostalgic "Ride it On"; the blues of "I'm Sailin", which sometimes reminded me of the legendary Robert Johnson. And finally, the two "blast from the past": "Give You My Lovin'" bears Gomez's signature, is enhanced by Roback's talented psych embroidery, and reminds me of some Velvet Underground; "Ghost Highway" was supposed to be the title track of the new Opal album, was written by David alone and, not surprisingly, it is the track where I think the Paisley influences are most marked. But I have not finished.
"Before I Sleep": I am compelled to write separately about this poignant, poetic finale. A finale of exquisite class, which reminds me of "I Can See It" by the divine My Bloody Valentine: after having spoken and thought so much about Love, it is time to go to bed. Mazzy Star are literally naked; Hope is literally naked, inside us. Again a voice and a guitar, making love with our spirit. A major chord seals the album. The music is over, the words are over, only the languor and the tears remain that this extraordinary group has shed in your eyes.
So many defenses, so many strategies, so much ferocity, when I am nothing but a boy who needs to give and receive love, and this Mazzy Star understood.
I talk so much about Death Metal, I talk about Grindcore... but who am I trying to fool?
Strong is your body, strong are your bones, strong as your bloody lie is uncovered...
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Halah (03:15)
Well I think I see another side
maybe just another light that shines
And I look over now through the door
And I still belong to no one else
Maybe I hold you to blame for all the reasons
that you left.
And close my eyes, still I see your surprise
And you're leaving before my time.
Baby won't you change your mind?
Surely don't stay long I'm missing you now.
It's like I told you I'm over you somehow
Before I close the door I
Need to hear you say goodbye.
Baby won't you change your mind?
I guess that hasn't changed someone
maybe nobody else could understand
I guess that you believe you are a woman
And that I am someone else's man
But just before I see that you leave
I want you to hold on to things that you said
Baby I wish I was dead.
Surely don't stay long I'm missing you now.
It's like I told you I'm over you somehow
Before I close the door I
Need to hear you say goodbye
Baby won't you change your mind?
03 Ride It On (03:01)
Ride it on baby
Into my view
Ride it on baby
Into your side
Ride it on baby
Just like you used to do
Did you want me to love you
Well, I'm just here for the call
And you said that you're so low
Well, I won't really do you any harm
Won't you ride it on baby
Just like you used to do
There's no love that you're over feeling
And you still want to be with me
But you're leaving like you said that you would
I'm waiting for the call
And you love like you always say now
But you know it won't do you any harm
Ride it on baby
Just like you said that you would
Oh then ride it on baby
Just like you know it's understood
Ride it on baby
It's still into your view
Ride it on baby
I only want to be with you
I'm dreaming that you're going far
And you lie, take and whine
Won't you ride it on baby
But you're so heavy for the price
Ride it on baby
Just like you said that you would
05 I'm Sailin' (03:13)
I'm sailin', sailin'
[To a] place I've never seen
That's way down south
Sweet ol' New Orleans
Cause my hometown friend treats me awful mean
If I could holler, yeah, holler
If I could scream and cry
It hurts me so
When I look up in the sky
Cause my friends turn their heads
As they pass me by
Now it's rainin', it's rainin'
The wind's blowin' cold
Lord I thought I heard
My train whistle blow
Now I'm gonna sail so far
'Til I won't be back no more
Pardon me, Pardon me
It's so hard to stand
I ain't got no money
Uncle Sam has called my name
Now there's not a soul
To lend me a helpin' hand
09 Ghost Highway (03:28)
You're a ghost on the highway
And I'll love you forever
Ghost on the highway
And I'll love you forever
Forever and ever
And ever and ever
Your eyes are an island
And I'll hold you forever
Your eyes are an island
And I'll love them forever
Forever and ever
And ever and ever
You're a ghost on the highway
And I'll love you forever
Ghost on the highway
And I'll love you forever
Forever and ever
And ever and ever
10 Free (03:11)
I fell asleep in the silence
Before the street fights the fire
Free in the world that you've given
Lay in the sound
The water still calls
Still calls
Afraid of the dark that surrounds me
Hide in the dirt of the ground
Free in the wind that surrounds me
I'm not afraid to sleep in the night
Not afraid
To sleep in the night
Free like a bird of the holders
Holding the wake of the sun
I know the road that you send me
I know the way it leads to home
Real like the bones in my body
Real like the flesh that covers the grave
It's real
Like the flesh
That covers
The grave
Wait for the gaurds that you send me
Before I'll show myself
Wait for the storm
That comes to me
Maybe I'll just change my mind
Plea for the will of forgiveness
I'm not afraid to say I was wrong
I was wrong
Maybe I won't
So long
So long
11 Before I Sleep (02:10)
If it's
The truth
That's all I know
I look for you
And just say
I know
The lie
That was
Is now
The last
I'll go
For you
Before I sleep
I hear you say
You say
I stay
Near the edge
And waste my time
Just waste my time
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