An Encapsulated History of The Dream Syndicate
For Those Who Remember and Those Who Never Even Knew.
Steve Wynn, Kendra Smith, Russ Tolman, Gavin Blair and Steve Suchil all met at the University of California at Davis (near Sacramento) in 1978. Centered on Wynn's songwriting and Kendra's vocals, they formed a band called The Suspects. The Suspects stuck together for a couple of years and recorded one single before Wynn and Smith moved to Los Angeles. Although this band didn't amount to much, they served as a direct predecessor of The Dream Syndicate. Formed in 1981 by singer/guitarist Steve Wynn, bassist Kendra Smith, guitarist Karl Precoda and ex-Human Hands drummer Dennis Duck, the Syndicate's musical philosophy first coalesced from extended jamming on the song "Suzie Q." After a few months, they released an EP on Steve Wynn's Down There record label with some help from sound engineer (and future Syndicate guitarist) Paul B. Cutler. With Karl's sonic guitar style prodding Wynn's Lou Reed-ish vocal yowl into total derangement, the Syndicate's pulsing sound took off like a proverbial rocket.
Within a year, the band had signed with Slash Records and released the highly acclaimed LP, "The Days Of Wine And Roses." Produced by Chris D of the Flesheaters (and later the Divine Horseman), "Wine And Roses" was the final Dream Syndicate recording to include Kendra Smith, who left to work with her then-boyfriend, David Roback (of The Rain Parade). The band's second album, "Medicine Show" (produced by Sandy Pearlman of Blue Oyster Cult fame), was initially derided for its homogenized, seventies-styled production. Sadly, "Medicine Show" was the last studio album to showcase Karl Precoda's over-the-top guitar vocabulary. In retrospect, it was also the band's darkest and most idiosyncratic release, featuring the transcendent, nine-minute jam opus "John Coltrane Stereo Blues."
After Precoda's departure and dissolution of the band, guitarist/producer Paul Cutler and Steve Wynn decided to reform The Dream Syndicate. Cutler had been honing his formidable guitar chops with the ghoulish 45 Grave and in a seemingly strange partnership with Wynn, he gave the Syndicate a new lease on life. Soon, Steve, Paul, Dennis Duck and bassist Mark Walton were recording and performing as the most durable edition of The Dream Syndicate. From 1985 until December 1988, they released three albums and toured incessantly across America and Europe. By this time, Steve was composing vivid passion plays inspired by hard-boiled novelists like Jim Thompson and Ross McDonald. With Paul Cutler stalking Steve's foreboding lyrics with his venomous guitar attack, Dream Syndicate Mark II was every bit as electrifying onstage as their "Wine And Roses" line-up.
by Mitch Myers
copyright 1999 New City Communications, Inc.