The Dream Syndicate
The Day Before Wine and Roses

THE REVIEW

It's already all written in the album's title.

We are at the dawn of the Dream Syndicate; two months after this live performance, the first album of Steve Wynn's band, sanctified not only by me, is released. Accompanied by Kendra Smith, Karl Precoda, and Dennis Duck.

They have only recently come together; only a handful of concerts have been played so far in their California to create that sharp, nervous, abrasive sound. They represent the darker, more visionary and metropolitan side of the emerging Paisley Underground.

Acid Rock heading towards the likes of Velvet Underground and Television.

It's September 5th, 1982; they are already a small-great legend in the City of Angels. They find themselves in the ZZZZ studio in North Hollywood for California's Kpfk radio and record this hour of raw sonic noise; decidedly lo-fi audio quality but "who cares."

Legend has it that everyone or almost everyone was present at the event: Green On Red, Rain Parade, even the Bangles. Reliable witnesses even swear they saw very young R.E.M. members moving among the audience. However, one thing is certain: the audience was hit by an electric avalanche well represented by the cover image (with a Precoda intent on drawing his acid guitar riffs, while the shadow of Steve engaged in ruining the strings of his noble instrument appears in the foreground).

The lysergic Rock of the sixties memories meets the nerviness of the Garage; accentuated by endless electric rides and a dry expressiveness with an acrid Punk flavor. Songs they penned themselves that would later end up on their debut like "That's What You Always Say", "When You Smile" and "The Days of Wine and Roses" (much appreciated, also by you, the abundant minute of silence given the magnitude of such immortal masterpieces); "Mr. Soul" by Buffalo Springfield, "Outlaw Blues" by Dylan (or rather Bobby Dylan pronounced like that by Steve when announcing it!!).

On that magical night, the Syndicate played "Open Hour," a song that two years later would be reprised as "John Coltrane ecc...ecc..." in "Medicine Show" (proceed with the votive silence) and would become a lethal and conclusive flagship of their live acts.

Before concluding, an obligatory quote from Steve himself on one of the albums that influenced him the most: "I am a guitarist. I love the guitar, and I believe the six strings can engage every emotion in the human spirit. This is the perfect example and the greatest testament to the wonders of the guitar." Holy words, dear Steve, holy words.

I forgot one thing: the album in question is "Marquee Moon" by ..........come on, there's no need to write the name of Tom Verlaine's band!!!

Ad Maiora.