| Emergency Third Rail Power Trip | ||||
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| Released | 1983 | |||
| Recorded | February – March 1983 | |||
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:51 | |||
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| Rain Parade chronology | ||||
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Emergency Third Rail Power Trip is the debut album by American rock band Rain Parade, released in 1983. It is one of the most prominent records in the Paisley Underground movement of the 1980s.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [2] |
| Mojo |  [3] |
| Q | [4] |
| Record Mirror | [5] |
| Uncut | 8/10 [6] |
| The Village Voice | C+ [7] |
In a contemporary review for The Village Voice , music critic Robert Christgau felt that the band imitates "dumb" music from the psychedelic era, specifically "the wimpy singing, wispy tunes, unsure drumming, repetitive guitar effects, and naïve world view of, oh, Kaleidoscope, Morning Glory, Aum." [7]
However, AllMusic's Denise Sullivan would later state that the band was "clearly way ahead of their time," adding that "it would take years before sleepy music ... would catch on." [2] As a result, the "traditional, gentle psychedelic pop" of this record "sounds no more made in the '80s than in the '60s or '90s." [2] In his 2003 book Turn On Your Mind: Four Decades of Great Psychedelic Rock, critic Jim DeRogatis stated, "Emergency Third Rail Power Trip is not only the best album from any of the Paisley Underground bands, it ranks with the best psychedelic rock efforts from any era", with uplifting melodies offset by themes that were "dark and introspective." [8] DeRogatis added:
Songs such as "What's She Done to Your Mind," "Kaleidoscope," and "Look at Merri" showcase Piucci and the Robacks' ethereal vocals, Eddie Kalwa's precise drumming, Matt Piucci's colorful sitar, Will Glenn's violin and keyboard accents, and an intricate, chiming, but droney two-guitar attack that picks up where the Byrds left off with "Eight Miles High." [8]
Musician and critic Scott Miller, in his 2010 book Music: What Happened? , cited "1 Hour 1⁄2 Ago" as one of 1983's best songs, calling the Rain Parade "core practitioners" of the Paisley Underground movement, with this album being "probably the most certifiably trippy of the branded projects." [9]
Adapted from the album liner notes. [10]
The Bangles are an American all-female pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, in 1981. They are known for hit singles during the 1980s that made them one of the most successful pop rock groups of the decade. The band’s biggest commercial successes include "Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986), which became a worldwide phenomenon, "Manic Monday" (1986), a song written by Prince, and a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s "Hazy Shade of Winter" (1987), which was featured in the film Less Than Zero. Their ballad "Eternal Flame" (1989) became a big hit, topping the charts in several countries and is one of their signature songs. Other hits included "In Your Room" (1988) and "If She Knew What She Wants" (1986).
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Paisley Underground is a musical genre that originated in California. It was particularly popular in Los Angeles, reaching a peak in the mid-1980s. Paisley Underground bands incorporated psychedelia, rich vocal harmonies and guitar interplay, owing a particular debt to 1960s groups such as Love and the Byrds, but more generally referencing a wide range of pop and garage rock revival.
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Sign o' the Times is the ninth studio album by the American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Prince. It was first released on March 30, 1987, as a double album by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. The album is the follow-up to Parade and is Prince's first solo album following his disbanding of the Revolution. The album's songs were largely recorded during 1986 to 1987 in sessions for releases Prince ultimately aborted: Dream Factory, the pseudonymous Camille, and finally the triple album Crystal Ball. Prince eventually compromised with label executives and shortened the length of the release to a double album.
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The Rain Parade is a band that was originally active in the Paisley Underground scene in Los Angeles in the 1980s, and that reunited and resumed touring in 2012.
True West is a guitar band, often considered part of the Paisley Underground. Singer Gavin Blair and guitarists Richard McGrath and Russ Tolman are the nucleus of the group.
Michael Quercio is an American musician. He is the founder, bassist and lead singer of The Three O'Clock, and coined the term Paisley Underground as the name of a musical subgenre.
David Edward Roback was an American guitarist, songwriter and producer, best known as a founding member of the alternative rock band Mazzy Star.
"Mr. Soul" is a song recorded by the Canadian-American rock band Buffalo Springfield in 1967. It was released June 15, 1967, as the B-side to their fourth single "Bluebird" and later included on the group's second album Buffalo Springfield Again.
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Kendra Smith is an American musician who was a founding member of The Dream Syndicate, a member of Opal, and later recorded as a solo artist.
Rainy Day was an all-star Paisley Underground band, a collaborative project composed of members of Los Angeles-based bands including Dream Syndicate, The Three O'Clock, Rain Parade and The Bangles.
Can't Get Lost When You're Goin' Nowhere is an album by Gone Fishin', a band featuring Matt Piucci from Rain Parade and Tim Lee from The Windbreakers.
Crashing Dream is the second album by the American band Rain Parade, released in 1985 by Island Records.
Brightside is an album by the American band Viva Saturn, released in 1995. It was the band's final album, as Restless Records chose not to release 1998's Ships of Heaven.
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