Like the Velvet Underground, Mark Mulcahy is one of those artists whose work is massively influential on a wide variety of artists despite never seeing much in the way of commercial success. One need only look at the track listing of Ciao My Shining Star to get an idea of Mulcahy’s far-reaching musical impact: Thom Yorke, The National, Michael Stipe, Dinosaur Jr., Frank Black, Vic Chesnutt and 15 other groups all contribute covers of Mulcahy’s songs.
Ciao My Shining Star aims to recognize the impact Mulcahy has had on music. The album’s proceeds will also benefit Mulcahy, whose wife died unexpectedly last year. He has twin daughters to look after, so the money from the album will help him juggle that responsibility with making music.
Mulcahy’s first notable group, Miracle Legion, was a “college rock” band that was a contemporary of R.E.M. However, children of the ‘90s may best recognize Mulcahy’s music from the Nickelodeon show The Adventures of Pete and Pete, a cult classic known for its hip musical taste. Mulcahy’s side project, Polaris, provided the soundtrack for the show, including theme song “Hey Sandy.”
Ciao My Shining Star stacks the early tracks with all its heavy hitters. Michael Stipe’s “Everything’s Coming Undone,” with heavily vibratoed guitars and a Peter Gabriel-esque choir on the chorus, sets the tone on track 3. Dinosaur Jr., in full overdriven-amplifier-and-wavery-vocal glory, knocks “The Backyard” out of the park. Josh Rouse’s matter-of-factly soulful rendition of “I Woke Up in the Mayflower” is another standout, a cool Sunday morning jam.
The flip side of Mulcahy’s widespread influence is the questionable relevance of some of the artists included on Caio, My Shining Star. The 21 tracks total over an hour, and the waning moments of the record may elicit a response more along the lines of “Who is The Autumn Defense?” than a positive one. The Autumn Defense, by the way, is Wilco bassist John Stirratt’s side project, and the band’s contribution, “Paradise,” is solid. The deluxe edition of the album includes an additional 20 tracks that can’t possibly improve the pacing.
The point is that Mulcahy’s music–particularlythe songs chosen for this compilation–is mostly mid-tempo stuff. Nothing really ignites the collection. Only one Pete and Pete song (the National’s lush arrangement of “Ashamed of the Story I Told”) is included, making this collection’s appeal to fans of the show somewhat limited.
As it is with most covers, the original Mulcahy recordings of many of Ciao My Shining Star’s songs are stronger than the ones that appear here. Mulcahy’s version of “Bill Jocko” was dark, smooth and bluesy; Frank Black’s reading is a shouted mess. In fact, only a few of the singers (Yorke in particular) can attempt to match Mulcahy’s beautifully expressive delivery.
Ciao My Shining Star is a worthwhile purchase for fans of Mulcahy or the many artists who appear. It won’t have the same nostalgic effect on anyone who isn’t familiar with Mulcahy’s work with Miracle Legion and as a solo artist. The uninitiated would be better off starting with the man’s original work.
