In the ongoing excavation of groovy sounds from the relatively recent past, the so-called “Paisley Underground” has been somewhat ignored. Other than Rhino Records’ well-done 2005 compilation, Children of Nuggets, which was more global in scope, there has not really been a deep dive into the American psychedelic revival of the 1980’s. This Can’t Be Today rectifies that. Housed in the standard Cherry Red clamshell box, the set contains 67 (could it be coincidence that 1967 is generally considered the peak year of psychedelia?) tunes influenced to varying degrees by the sounds of ’67.
While the Paisley Underground moniker was largely rejected by the Southern California bands it was originally applied to (Three O’Clock, Dream Syndicate, Rain Parade, Green on Red), it is a reasonably descriptive term for 1980’s era bands carrying the torch for 60’s Los Angeles forebears like the Byrds, Love, Doors, and Buffalo Springfield. Interestingly, what This Can’t Be Today reveals is that, while some bands explicitly aped the sounds of the past – the psychedelia of Plasticland and True West, and the garage punk of Plan 9, Dead Moon, and the Cynics, for example, many bands falling under the umbrella of the compilation tended to favor a more contemporary update of the 60’s folk rock sound, a sound also explored on the 2020 compilation, Strum & Thrum: The American Jangle Underground 1983-1987, and exemplified by bands like the Reverbs, Dreams So Real, Impossible Years, Winter Hours, and Flying Color, all following in the wake of the most prominent band featured on the compilation, R.E.M. * In some cases, bands like the *Rain Parade (whose Emergency Third Rail Power Trip track gave the compilation its name) and the Long Ryders (with “And She Rides,” a jangle drone epic from their debut EP) achieve the perfect meld of college rock jangle and late 60’s psychedelia.
This Can’t Be Today paints with a broad brush, including heavyweights not typically considered psychedelic, such as Husker Du, the Meat Puppets, and Camper Van Beethoven, as well as lesser known but fondly remembered bands like Dumptruck, the Green Pajamas, and the Sneetches. Overall, it makes for an exceptionally enjoyable listen while providing an education for older fans of psychedelia as well as those who were not around during the brief post punk heyday when psychedelia became cool again.
