Customer Reviews

Happy Nightmare Baby

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Influenced by such bands as Pink Floyd, the Doors, and T-Rex, Opal blasted out of the Berkley music scene with this 1987 gem. Mixing scary blues riffs, psychedelia, and the avant, David Roback created one of the most memorable bands of the late 1980's. Kendra Smith's nonchalant vocals are set deep within the mix of Roback's screeching guitars and trippy organ, loading the album with nightmarish soundscapes. While Roback gained later fame with his band Mazzy Star and Kendra Smith released several solo albums, they have yet capture that magic that Opal had on Happy Nightmare Baby.

While yes, the recording quality is not the best, the material is amazing. This is probably my favorite of all of Dave Roback's work. Kendra Smith's voice is perfect for the music and the music is insanely good. I have been listening to this cd since it was release and it never tires.

Although "Happy Nightmare" has a couple of compelling tracks on it, the band's true masterwork was their debut album. "Northern Line" and "Harriet Brown" are as hauntingly beautiful as anything I've ever heard. We had the LP at my college radio station in the 80's, and it took me 2 years to find a copy of the CD through one of those rare/out-of-print search services in "Goldmine" magazine. It was worth it. Next to that record, nothing on the 2nd album or by Mazzy Star even comes close.

one of the saddest days in my life...hearing that the Opal concert I was supposed to be attending...had been cancelled. Super Bummer.
I don't know how I stumbled onto this band, probably college radio-in the wee small hours-coming down off...

To the people who compare this band to the doors!?!?

The doors tried for years to make music this haunting, seductive and opiate laced. They didn't come close.

Kendra Smith's vox are so languid, effortless and sung as if she's just breathing the words out of her mouth, so smoooooth, so smacking of horse. AND she's playin the bass...oh so sweet.

Meanwhile D.Roback and whomever else, are creating the most velvet induced din, ebbing between git wailing supreme and floating drones of the studded wallpaper ilk... to mighty maximum e/affect...whoa...how can you talk about music this good? You can't! Intoxicating. Hypnotic. Etherial.
Track down any opal you can, turn out the lights and float away. And, oh yeah, don't forget to turn it up reeeeal loud. Several times daily.

Mazzy star...good but not opal. Portishead? Probably had this album.

Roback formed Mazzy with a Kendra stand in (at least he didn't call it Opal) and Kendra went macrobiotic, moved to nothern Ca. and released a cool album in the mid nineties. That's the last I heard.

Anyone know what she's up to?

Why oh why did I long ago trade in my vinyl copy of this album? At least I've got it on cassette. I was 15 in 1987 when I bought it. I remember having a bunch of friends and acquaintances from high school over to my backyard one afternoon sophomore year. I jammed my cassette copy of this album on my boombox as we all smoked some fine tobacco. All the kids liked it, some REALLY grooved on it, even though there were a variety of partyin' kids there: long-hair metal kids, mod/punk kids (of which I was one), jocks who liked to smoke the fine tobacco, etc. AWESOME, AWESOME, stuff. If you're familiar with David Roback and Rain Parade and Mazzy Star, you'll like this even more. It's actually my favorite Roback album that I've heard, and I love Mazzy. If you're not aware of Roback, but like trippy, psychedelic, mellow rock to smoke fine tobacco to, get this. Oh yeah, "Happy Nightmare Baby" is one of the best songs ever. Right on, dudes!

If you can find this album, let me just say "Get it, get it, get it!" Even if it's a little pricey, go ahead and splurge. I don't see how you could be disappointed.

Any fan of '60s psychedelic rock, especially The Doors, is going to love this band. I love David Roback as a guitarist (also known for Rain Parade and Mazzy Star) and Kendra Smith's laconic, drugged-out sounding vocals here.

Unfortunately, I think Opal will always remain an obscure and underrated band, especially for the fact that their material is now out of print. And much of what is left out there has a somewhat hefty price tag, but I can't deny it's worth it. They were a gem.

This is Opal's psychadelic album, and the precursor to Mazzy Star. Happy Nightmare Baby is very different from their excellent previous record The Early Recordings (which is more bluesy). The singular vein that runs through all their work is the marvelous lyrics. If you are a fan of Mazzy Star you will probably enjoy listening to Opal. Difficult to find now.

An absolutely stunning collection of songs. Hypnotic, acid-drenched, dark West Coast psychedelia. Kendra Smith was like a junked-out Greta Garbo next to Roback, the sinister folkie. Mazzy Star, while fair, could never reach the heights displayed on this album. I bought this when it came out in 1987 and listen to it often. Excellent, midnight blues explorations.

There is not too much you can say. This record was virtually ignored by the mainstream press and loved by the underground. I would advise anyone into psychedelic music both current and past to check this out if they haven't already.

I saw Clay Allison (before they became Opal) live in the summer of 1984 at the seventh street entry in minneapolis. I had just moved back from living in California, and nothing says California like this band did. They came out (David, Kendra, Slyvia, and Keith) and started to play. I don't think they said a word to the audience. But the beautiful music they made. Timeless. Think Doors. Only half the band is female. Ying/Yang. This record is very good, but their "early recordings" is the best! How can it not be released? "grains of sand", "fell from the sun" & "all souls" take me back to that summer 17 years ago. Clay Allison was the last band of the sixties.