“Like Big Star the Parade understand their guitars and how to use both electric 6 and 12 string guitars…”

“The Rain Parade are Will Glenn (keyboards/tambourine), David Roback (gtr/vocals/ tambourine), Matthew Piucci (gtr/vocals/sitar), Steven Roback (bass/vocals) and Eddie Kalwa (drums/percussion) who’s recently replaced Michael Murphy. Last year they released a debut single on their own Llama record label: “(look what) She´s done to your mind” / “Kaleidoscope”, anigh-perfect masterpiece to theses ears. The A-side succeeds in the same way that a song like “September girls” succeeds. Like Big Star the Parade understand their guitars and how to use both electric 6 and 12 string guitars - they take the L.A.  folk rock beat from 1965 and make it wholly their own. They also have a far better grasp mixing electric and acoustic guitars than any of the current glut of the UK folk poppers such as Aztec Camera and the Bluebells. Their songs come alive because they understand the dynamic of melody whilst Aztec Camera and co. remain introverted and brittle, almost boring…Flip the Llama 45 over for “Kaleidoscope” which is exactly as the title suggest, a shifting web of dreamy guitar/sitar/and keyboard motifs. I’m loathe to use that much maligned word but this really is one of the most natural, fresh sounding psychedelic to have been written in at least 15 years. Whereas you feel that sometimes the Soft Boys are straining contriving their sound a little (eg. Hitchcock’s ”Acid Bird”), this feels just right, even down the tension within the song: feedback guitar pilling against their gentle swirling synthesizer”

Omkring midnat, jeg så dét først i morges, kom en meddelelse om, at David Roback fra The Rain Parade, Rainy Days, Opal, Mazzy Star mv., var død. Kun 61 år gammel. Af alle Robacks musikprojekter, så er The Rain Parade klart det band, jeg har hørt mest. Til trods for, at Roback kun var med i gruppen i få år og forlod den efter den forrygende debutplade, ’Emergency Third Rail Power Trip’, fra 1983. Anmeldelsen herover gælder dog debutsinglen ’What She's Done to Your Mind’ b/w ’Kaleidoscope’ fra 1982. Den er nuppet fra det engelske fanzine Bucketfull Of Brains (#6 fra 1983). Bladet viste meget tidligt interesse for Paisley Underground-scenen og forblev trofast med at anmelde de forskellige bands i årene frem.

Her singleversionen af ’What She's Done To Your Mind’. Sangen blev senere genindspillet til debut-lp’en: