Mike Daly’s ‘Early Miscellaneous’ Finally Released
Mike Daly & The Planets
We knew about these songs. There was, at one time, a buzz about them at the Aquarian Weekly office. And why not? Longtime Aquarian editors Mike Daly and John Reynolds had recorded them and left them in the dust when new projects arose. They sat around in boxes untouched, unheard and relegated to ignominy. Why? Weren’t they good enough? What would cause an artist like Mike Daly, who I’ve been trumpeting for years, to ignore some of his best work? Both of his bands—Mike Daly & The Planets and Every Damn Day—were terrific.
Dating back to 1980, these songs have finally been unearthed, spruced up with new tech, and nursed to completion by producer Jim Van Sickle. Originally recorded at a plethora of New Jersey, Maryland and Alabama locations, including a vacant office building, Daly’s Paterson abode, Nu Bleu Studio in Garfield, guitarist Scott Van Sickle’s attic, the producer’s basement, pianist Ray Nissen’s home studio, string arranger Chris Opperman’s home studio, with cover art by Alicia Daly, Early Miscellaneous, by Mike Daly’s Lost N’ Found, is an 11-song treasure with Daly on vocals, bass and guitar, the producer on keyboards, bass and conga, Reynolds on lead guitar, drummers Dave Enyart/Rich Stout, Jim Smith on tympani and guitarist Chuck Daly.