Miracle Legion – The Backyard ….80’s Underground Mondays

I took an instant liking to this song…a song about reminiscing about childhood. I started to explore their other music and found out that this 80’s alternative band was really good.

The lead singer Mark Mulcahy reminds me of Dan Stuart of Green on Red with a little Lou Reed thrown in…not a bad combination. They were on college radio in the 80s but were more popular in the north east and in the UK where  NME and Melody Maker wrote about them. 

Miracle Legion were formed in 1983 in New Haven, Connecticut. Their lineup consisted of singer/guitarist Mark Mulcahy, lead guitarist Ray Neal, drummer Jeff Wiederschall, and bassist Joel Potocsky.

This song was on The Backyard that was the second release (6 song EP) by the band in 1984 on Rough Trade Records. After two more releases, their debut album, Surprise Surprise Surprise, from 1987 and 1988’s seven song EP, Glad, Mulcahy and Neal found themselves as the only two members remaining in the band.

Miracle Legion carried on as a duo, and they released their second full length album, Me And Mr. Ray in 1989. The band didn’t remain a duo for long, as drummer Scott Boutier and bassist Dave McCaffrey joined. With Boutier and McCaffrey on board, the band released their third album, 1992’s Drenched, but legal problems with their record company caused Neal to throw in the towel and leave the band. Miracle Legion, at least temporarily was broken up.

In 1996 their legal issues were resolved, the band released their album Portrait Of A Damaged Family until they regrouped in 2017 and released Annulment. 

The Backyard was praised when it was released…from Melody Maker to the Trouser Press.

From Wiki: Drawing comparison to R.E.M., the record received much acclaim. Music critic Robert Christgau writing positively on Mulcahy’s lyrics says that they are of “dazzled childhood and yearning adolescence,” and likens the vocals to Loudon Wainwright III. The album has been called a “landmark” by Trouser Press, and calls the title track “sheer brilliance.”

My Backyard

Think it was the hottest day of the year
Even still we started fires with the embers
Sweetest man held on at the top of the hill
Sweetest lady held on to her memories

The world was so big and I was so small
And your voice was always the loudest of all

Yesterday we cut down the apple tree
Cracking wood made my little heart tremble
I wish I didn’t have to try so hard
But little boys got a lot to remember

The world was so big and I was so small
And your voice was always the loudest of all

I loved the days I spent with you
And I still have all you could offer
The backyard looks so empty now
Then I think of her, I think of her

The world was so big and I was so small
And your voice was always the loudest

The world was so big and I was so small
Your voice was always

The world was so big and I was so small
Your voice was always the loudest of all

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

19 thoughts on “Miracle Legion – The Backyard ….80’s Underground Mondays”

    1. I thought the same…the more music by them I heard the more I liked it. They were on Letterman also…so they did get out there but not far.

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  3. pretty good and very obscure! Sounds in the early-REM fold, which is good, but I don’t think I’ve even heard their name before. Most I at least have heard/read of in passing somewhere.

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  4. I can’t remember hearing the name anywhere, but for some reason the video started halfway through which must mean I’ve listened to some of it before. He has quite a gruff voice compared to most of the bands from that scene.

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    1. Nice rich and thick music behind him…I’ve heard of him before somewhere… Mark Mulcahy
      Maybe it was while researching one of the other bands.

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