RTH: I’ve got …Tick…Tick…Tick and it rocks. The cover does though bring us back to the continuing Velvet Underground connection:
Intentional I’m assuming? Is there a story here?
SW: Oh my. That IS similar. I had NO idea. Ha ha–just kidding. Though it was no big deal. I was just having some fun and making a sly nod to my past and also an homage to Tucson, which had been so important to me at the time.
RTH: To Allmusic.com’s credit they don’t mention VU at all in their review. They do though make comparisons to Television. Is the Television comparison apt in your opinion? Are you a Television fan? Marquee Moon at least…
https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/NoTomorrow.flvWe’ve interviewed Richard Lloyd twice…
…but have yet to interview any living VU members though I’d wager Doug Yule is gettable.
SW: Oh yeah. I mean, I don’t get all that many VU comparisons these days. But the Miracle 3 and I, in particular, gets compared a lot to Television. And that’s very fair. I think that Television and Neil Young and Crazy Horse are the perfect definition of the classic 2 guitars, bass, drums rock band. And I’d like to think that The Dream Syndicate and most definitely SWM3 fit into that legacy. I’ll have to check out your review with Richard. We had a great tour together 10 years ago. The guy can play, that’s for sure.
RTH: Where does the name Miracle 3 come from? It makes me think of Robyn Hitcock’s recent work with The Venus 3 and The Minus 5, which also includes Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey. You guys trying to start a new movement hear or something? I could call it The Paisley 3 movement or something…
SW: I think that the Miracle 3 predates the Venus 3, but follows 3 Mustaphas 3 and the Three Stooges. We were going on tour for Here Come The Miracles and I just felt that I wanted a band name since it felt less like a singer/songwriter tour than anything I had done. I had to think of something quickly and that seemed very obvious. I had this idea that I would change the backing band name for each record that followed but Miracle 3 just kind of stuck. It does actually sound pretty good, even 11 years later (!)
Hey, both of you guys are funny! Cool inner-view. Townsman kcills better pick up on this — he and I used to cover “Days Of Wine and Roses” in our college band!
Nice work!
Excellent! Love “Trial Separation Blues”
I really enjoyed this — thanks!
Mod and Sammy brought the Surf AND the Turf this morning with those 2 interviews. Very cool stuff.
I’ve always thought the Fleshtones shared the same issue with NRBQ. They both put on high energy entertaining party rock shows with a lot of humor and excitement. Their records just don’t explode off the grooves the same way the live shows do. Still, the live shows are well worth seeing.
I don’t know much about The Dream Syndicate other than the name, but after this excellent interview, I’ll listen up! Thanks gents, this was a very enjoyable read (and listen).
Totally agree: This is an excellent interview, and I will also listen-up to music that will be “new” to me! Thanks for leading us down a new path.
I really love …tick…tick…tick and I really love even more The Dream Syndicate’s Complete Live at Raji’s. That might be one of the best live albums ever recorded. It’s just a blistering album.
Nice! I basically burned a hole through the Dream Syndicate’s first album and they put on an excellent show back then. Later albums fell off a bit for me by comparison to that one bolt of lightening.
Also love the Jim Jarmusch thing!
There’s a pretty big leap from Days of Wind and Roses to their last, Ghost Stories which I also like a lot. To me Ghost Stories was growth step away from Steve’s first solo albums which are amazing. I can totally see how many people would love the first but not the rest. I though was on for the ride and still dig the stuff he’s putting out these days.
Wynn definitely earns RTH Good Egg status. I think Days of Wine & Roses is a perfect album, but I really didn’t like the follow-up, so I never kept up much after that. I did get Here Come the Miracles, and it’s as good as everyone says. This interview should inspire some further explanation.