EMERGENCY... / EXPLOSIONS... (REMASTERED EDITION)

Of all the albums that emerged from L.A.'s "Paisley Underground" scene, Rain Parade's Emergency 3rd Rail Power Trip (1983)—and its follow-up EP, Explosions in the Glass Palace (1984)—were probably the most transparent in their influences and probably the most successful in transcending them. Here was the jangle-rock of the Byrds married with the soft, downbeat vocal harmonies of early Pink Floyd, infused with a Love-like delicacy—yet the dark lyrical themes and droning twin guitar melodies made listening to Rain Parade like being on an acid trip teetering on the knife edge between pure nirvana and colossal bummer. Which, for true fans of psychedelia, was an awfully sweet spot to be. We at Real Gone Music are thrilled to be putting these two classic records back into print, both of them complete on a single CD and including "Look Both Ways," the track that was left off the original U.S. release, with liner notes by Paisley Underground historian Pat Thomas featuring quotes from Rain Parade founding members, guitarist Matt Piucci and bassist Steven Roback (brother to fellow founding member David Roback, now of Mazzy Star). And even more important, our new single CD edition of this twofer features a brand new remastering by Explosions in the Glass Palace Co-Producer Jim Hill approved by both Matt Piucci and Steven Roback...the first remastering since the album was originally released on CD back in the ‘90s. (Realgonemusic.com)