Mary Goes Round – Sunset

Following on from 70 Suns In The Sky, Mary Goes Round reissued their debut mini album Sunset with a selection of bonus tracks on CD. Due to popular demand…well a couple of requests, here is an edited history of the band with some edited reviews translated from French music magazines of the time.

The first appearance of Jérôme Avril (guitar/vocals) and Cécile Balladino (keyboards) together on stage was in 1986 at the Rex Club in Paris. Taking their first steps as Red Light (the band was special guest for Sonic Youth), this can be considered as the very début of Mary Goes Round. Playing a key role in the creation of the band, Maurice (bass guitar) and Gilbert Correy (drums) originally introduced Jérôme to Cécile. This gig was the only event for the band at this time as they had no real prospects until they were given the opportunity to have a song released on the compilation Unreleased [Volume 1] in 1987. For this occasion, The Shelter was recorded and the name Mary Goes Round was finally chosen. This version of The Shelter is the only studio recording MGR ever did with a drummer. Nothing really important happened after that until MGR was asked to participate in the Unreleased [Volume 2] compilation one year later. MRG recorded The Nightmare this time with a drum machine to replace Gilbert who was still in the band but absent. After this second compilation, MGR decided to produce their own album without Gilbert who by this time had definitely left the band. MGR recorded a five song demo that led the band to a distribution deal with New Rose, the infamous independent French label record. Eventually, the mini-album Sunset, was released in 1989.

Already noticed on the Présage label’s Unreleased [Vol 1+2] compilations, Mary Goes Round confirmed their talent with a mini-album that is timeless and arouses curiosity. The content largely rewards the listener with quality, described by popular sayings as an ugly defect. The disc opens with a devastating title to The Sisters of Mercy, 'Mary Sleeps Alone' and continues in the same mode to finish in two pictorial beats, one of which, very short, gives its title to the album. Mary Goes Round combines energy and emotional power, racy melodies, synthetic keys, brilliant guitars (a clear but distorted, heroic or crystalline sound, which is found from song to song like a signature). The group has its roots in pop music from the seventies and rewraps these psychedelic colours with the spleen of the eighties. Others before them followed the same path, it sounds familiar but if the compositions hang from the first listen, it is still more by their own potential than by such or such simplistic reference.

Ripped from the CD to distorted, heroic or crystalline sound MP3 @ 320kbps

Mary Goes Round; Sunset

1.      Mary Sleeps Alone

2.      Dark Times

3.      The Night

4.      The Promised Land

5.      The Great Desire

6.      Sunset

7.      Teardrops Again

8.      The Nightmare

9.      Mary In The Sky

10.   On The Sea

11.   The Shelter

12.   Another Sunset

Tracks 8-12 are CD bonus tracks

Tracks 1-7 recorded in December 1988-January 1989 at Studio du Val d'Orge.

Track 8 recorded in February 1988 at Studio Mesa.

Tracks 9-11 recorded in November 1989 at Studio Mix It.

Track 12 recorded in November 1988 at Studio Mesa.