Luna - Lunapark (1992)

Luna - Lunapark
Studio Recordings - Out of Print
Available new from resellers $50
@flac

Out of Print

Though Dean Wareham is often compared to Lou Reed, and for good reason, I believe he has more in common with Neil Young. Like Neil, he projects warmth and quirkiness, with none of Reed's forbidding coolness. There are no folk songs here, but there is a slight country twang that gives a distinctive edge to Luna's polished urban sound.

One would have to be remarkably churlish to not like a CD in which the first line after nearly a minute of lullingly lazy guitar/drum playing is "You can never give the finger to the blind." Or how about "Soho's got the boots/Noho's got the crack/New England's got the foliage/but I ain't going back," also from the first song, Slide? Askew lyrics backed by insistent, but laid back and unobtrusive -- well, there is the occasional wa-wa pedal reverb -- arrangements mark nearly every one of these songs. Most involve Wareham's romantic entanglements, which bemuse more than anger him. As violent as he gets is Slash Your Tires, and that's only in his dreams. Goodbye and We're Both Confused, the two fine closing cuts, are more typical, bittersweet and tinged with "if-I'd-only-done-this" regret. And when love works, as in Nasty People and I Want Everything, Wareham understands that it makes one a better person in every way, "all my nasty habits are walking away." Smile and the eager I Can't Wait are the closest Lunapark gets to loud, with fuzzed and reverb sound partially masking the vocals. Probably the weakest cut is the short (2:04) Time, with a slight story and light Nashville lilt to the guitar work.

 

 

Track List:
01 Slide
02 Anesthesia
03 Slash Your Tires
04 Crazy People
05 Time
06 Smile
07 I Can't Wait
08 Hey Sister
09 I Want Everything
10 Time To Quit
11 Goodbye
12 We're Both Confused

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Luna - Tell Me Do You Miss Me Trailer

Lunapark

 

Luna - Live Chicago, IL 2004

Luna - Abbey Pub
Chicago, IL.
November 11, 2004
Super Excellent Audience @ 320

Wikipedia says:
Luna was a Dream Pop/Indie Pop band formed in 1991 by Dean Wareham after the breakup of Galaxie 500, with Stanley Demeski and Justin Harwood (Demeski formerly of The Feelies and Harwood formerly of New Zealand band The Chills). They announced plans to break up in 2004, and played their final concert at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on February 28, 2005.

The original line-up was expanded with the addition of guitarist Sean Eden for their second album, 1994's Bewitched. Lee Wall replaced Demeski on drums in time for 1997's Pup Tent, and Britta Phillips of Belltower (also known as the singing voice of animated character Jem) joined when bassist Justin Harwood departed in 2000. Phillips and Wareham eventually became romantically involved.

In 1991 after the end of Galaxie 500's US tour supporting the Cocteau Twins, Dean Wareham told his bandmates Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang that he was quitting the band. Dean then signed a demo deal with Elektra Records and recorded a number of tracks with Mercury Rev drummer Jimmy Chambers. Some of these recordings were later released on the Anesthesia single on No.6 Records in the US and Mint Tea in the UK under the name Dean Wareham.

Elektra's VP of A&R, Terry Tolkin, was suitably impressed and Dean signed a deal with Elektra, and started pulling together a band. He first contacted Justin Harwood whom Dean had met while Justin was playing with The Chills and they recruited drummer Byron Guthrie, the trio recorded some more demos (produced by Dave Fridmann) and played a couple of live dates augmented by Mercury Rev guitarist Grasshopper. Guthrie was then replaced by former Feelies drummer Stanley Demeski and this line up recorded the first album Lunapark, produced by Fred Maher and released by Elektra under the name Luna² to avoid confusion with a new-age musician who was already using the name "Luna" (later an agreement was reached which allowed the band to use the name Luna).

Shortly after the release of Lunapark, the band placed an advertisement in the Village Voice for a guitarist, and Canadian former drama student Sean Eden was recruited. The new four-piece went into the studio and recorded a number of cover versions that would become the Slide EP and then toured the US. In the summer of 1993 the band landed the prestigious slot supporting the reformed Velvet Underground on their European tour after which they set about recording their second album. Bewitched was recorded in New York City and co-produced by the band with Victor Van-Vugt. Velvet Underground guitarist Sterling Morrison played guitar on two tracks. The album was released in 1994.

In 1995 the band went into Sorcerer Sound studio in New York City with producer Pat McCarthy and engineer Mario Salvati to record their third album Penthouse. The album featured the legendary guitarist Tom Verlaine (Television) on the tracks Moon Palace and 23 Minutes in Brussels. The album was released in August 1995 to critical acclaim with Rolling Stone declaring it one of the essential albums of the 90s. The album featured a cover of Serge Gainsbourg's Bonnie and Clyde as a hidden track, the song featured Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab duetting with Dean Wareham. Bonnie and Clyde was released as a single in the UK and was named Melody Maker single of the week.

Track List:
[ fade in ]
Malibu Lovenest
Tiger Lily
Lovedust
Tugboat
Astronaut
23 Minutes In Brussels
Bonnie And Clyde
Speedbumps
Going Home
Owl & Pussycat
Pup Tent
Broken Chair
Double Feature
1995
Mermaid Eyes
I Can't Wait
Bewitched
Black Postcards
[ fade out ]

Abbey Pub pt1

Abbey Pub pt2