Although Michael Quercio of the band The Three O’Clock is credited with coining the term “Paisley Underground” Rain Parade’s debut ‘Emergency Third Rail Power Trip’ became the album that defined the sound. Released in early 1983 (so we are actually on its 41st Birthday), the jangly guitar and dreamy vocal that open ‘Talking In My Sleep’ encapsulate the sound of the Underground perfectly. Splashy cymbals and a bass that carries the tune as much as the bottom end join in to give us the template for much of the mid-80s.
When a tinkling bell signals the start of ‘This Can’t Be Today,’ and a Sitar, and psychedelic keyboards complement another robust bass line and fuzz guitar the rebirth of the 60s is complete. As a characteristic of the Paisley Underground bands was a tendency to show up on each other’s records finding Kendra Smith on day release from Dream Syndicate providing backing vocals is no surprise.
When AUK’s Paul Kerr interviewed Matt Piucci earlier this year he shared his view on the Paisley Underground. “People like labels, it helps keep life simple. There’s some value in that. We had kind of like a shared sensibility back then, but that term was a bit limiting. It wasn’t just us in Los Angeles, there was a lot going on at that time. In the South, in various cities, bands who were post-punk, slightly psychedelic. But I do think that there was a commonality of proximity, and we were writing original songs. We were all the same age, went to the same schools, a bit too young for punk but we were all informed by that stuff.”
American Songwriter was slightly dismissive, saying: “The Paisley Underground wasn’t so much a movement as an intermission between next new things.” In the same article they listed their top songs from the movement, including two which probably fired the starting gun for Alt-Country and Americana, ‘Looking For Lewis and Clark,’ and Green On Red’s ‘That’s What Dreams (Were Made For). ’While Rain Parade were definitely on the trippier, psych end of the PU, David Roback’s ‘Carolyn’s Song’ is only a Mellotron away from being a pure country song. And if you can imagine Jeff Tweedy singing ‘Look Both Ways’ you have the template for Uncle Tupelo, especially true on the demo version offered here.
Of the extra disc of material offered with this reissue, the songs show a more stripped-back Rain Parade, with 4 track recordings and demos of most of the album. These aren’t the usual rough sketches that often get passed off as bonus tracks. ‘What You’ve Done’ is nearly fully realised, and as good a song as anything on the original album. The six live songs are of variable audio quality, but all are sparkling performances. ‘First Of September’ is particularly fiery. The rehearsal demo ‘Time Machine’ which closes proceedings is a minute-long draft which showed promise, but never progressed.
With Dream Syndicate having a 40th anniversary box of their debut ‘The Days of Wine and Roses’ out it is interesting to compare how two of the leading lights of the Paisley Underground have stood the test of time. And the answer is in both cases very well. You can trace their influence into bands like Stone Roses, and Teenage Fanclub as well as the poppier end of current Americana. ‘Emergency Third Rail Power Trip’ is, along with the other key texts of the Paisley Underground, far more than marking time until the next big thing. It was and still is an important connection between the Byrds-loving, post punks of the late 70s and growth of “indie” and Americana later in the 80s. Above all it is also still a great listening experience. As their press notes “Rain Parade creates truly timeless music.”
