Mazzy Star – Took Dreamscape to new vistas.
Mazzy Star for a mid-week Lunch – recorded at Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona on May 31, 2012.
If there was a sound that helped define the 90s, but also went on to create an indelible impression on contemporary music for decades after, it would be via Mazzy Star and the collaborative efforts of singer-writer Hope Sandoval and guitarist-writer David Roback., But it would be the ethereal vocals of Hope Sandoval that propelled the dreamscape quality of Mazzy Star.
Sadly, David Roback is no longer with us, which adds a goodly degree of poignancy in listening to Mazzy Star, but Hope Sandoval is continuing the tradition as well as the collaborations with everyone from The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Chemical Brothers to Massive Attack.
This particular concert happened during their 18 city European tour, their first since 2000. Performing at several major festivals (including this one from Barcelona), the band consisted of original members Suki Ewers and Keith Mitchell, and were also joined by Sandoval’s Warm Inventions band-mate Colm Ó Cíosóig and Keith Mitchell’s son Paul, whose band the Brook Lee Catastrophe also served as the opening act of select shows. Pedal steel guitar was performed by Josh Yenne. After the final date of the tour in August 2012, David Roback stated that production on the album had completed and that it would see release “soon”. In late 2012, several unreleased song titles composed by Hope Sandoval and David Roback were registered with the band’s long-time publisher BMI, including “Flying Low” and “Spoon”, both of which were performed multiple times on the tour. The band also launched an official merchandise store (apparently no longer operating).
With the passing of David Roback, it’s fairly certain that Mazzy Star is no more – but like they always say; there are no sure things in life.
In any case, dive back to 2012 for a listen to what was going on at Primavera Sound and Mazzy Star from May 31st.
