Customer Reviews

Ghost Stories [Expanded]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

It makes me feel so sad that i`m the first one to review this...Steve Wynn`s a genius and the songs here are pure edge,sharp as blade.Consider pearl jam musicians and and a terrific syd vicious alike punk voice together and there you`ve got TDS.But that brief description pays no justice to the album because there are at least 9 astounding songs here.If you like Galaxie 500,Sonic Youth you have to pay you due here and you will love this.Wynn`s guitar fuzz is so sharp that will rip your speakers for sure.Titles like " See that my grave is kept clean" show how talented this band was ....".....I`ve got two white horses following me ...and they`re waiting on my buriying ground..." Gorgeous.This is a criminally underrated but cult band for many.I used to be a fanatic of layered noise ( Jesus and Mary Chain, Sonic Youth) but TDS kick them all in the ass.

Arrgghhh! So many great under-rated albums, so little time. `Ghost Stories' (Expanded version) is a slow simmering gem. Steve Wynn's lonely voice and beautiful lyrics have fully matured, evolving from an earlier punk sound to a great musician. His wavy Jim Morrison-Lou Reed-Tom Petty voice projects through with full, rich sound and emotion (and matched with a very talented band!).

Some picks: The slow "When the Curtain Falls" resonates with echoing guitar riffs and hints of John Lennon; it remains one of the great under-appreciated songs from the `80s. Or something more palatable for a mass audience such as the poppy "Carolyn" or the country/celtic "Darlin' They Know." Jeez, if Springsteen had penned and sang "See That My Grave is Kept Clean" (aka "There's Two White Horses Following Me") it would've no doubt become a mega-hit. The album wraps up with a rowdy "I Ain't Living Long Like This" and then a cool take on War's classic "Spill the Wine." Hopefully the Web will provide the audience this album deserves. Steve Wynn has paid his dues and (IMHO) joins the ranks of iconic (living) artist's club of Springsteen, Petty, Jagger, Davies, Young, and of course, Dylan.

Although *Days of Wine and Roses* is wonderful, this is the one that digs the deepest. The results are stunning. I would start with *Days...* if you've never heard the Dream Syndicate or Steve Wynn, but *Ghost Stories* is where you want to get to.

A friend of mine and I talked at length about this album last night. This is conry, but he said, "That album IS me." I understood. It is me too. There are few things, if any that I have connected more than with this.

.....and it's aged incredibly well.

If you liked "the days of wine and roses" and anything earlier by the syndicate, I doubt this album will sound good to you. I'm not saying it's not good, it's just no way near as powerful or moving. Do not buy it if you thinking it might be another "days" it's not. It is good for what it is, but should not be labelled as "The Dream Syndicate". I only gave it one star, but that's because it wouldn't let me put none.