Rainy Day: Rainy Day (1984)

One of my absolute all-time favorite albums, a modest, low-key gem.  Basically, members of the loose affiliation of Paisley Underground jangly retro pop/psychedelia bands of the 80s -- the Bangles, Rain Parade, Three O'Clock, Dream Syndicate -- got together and jammed on a bunch of classic, mostly 60s covers, no pretentions or claims to greatness, and left the tape running.  It's beautiful and disarming and wonderful.

Sadly, this baby is long out of print and doesn't stream anywhere in the known universe, so if you don't already own a copy and you're not down the block and able to borrow mine, you'll have to settle for a YouTube rip.  Which you should do, because it's just great.

You've got Bangle Susannah Hoffs singing a stunningly beautiful version of Dylan's "I'll Keep It With Mine" (which I prefer over Nico's legendary take), as well the Velvet Underground's "I'll Be Your Mirror"; Kendra Smith of Dream Syndicate singing the Neil Young/Buffalo Springfield tune "Flying On The Ground Is Wrong" and Big Star's "Holocaust"; Michael Quercio of the Three O'Clock helming the Byrds' "John Riley" and the Beach Boys' "Sloop John B" (as well as a droning romp through Hendrix's "Rainy Day, Dream Away"); and David Roback of Rain Parade (and later Mazzy Star) taking lead on a partial cover of the Who's "A Quick One" and another Neil/Springfield cover, "On the Way Home").

Here's a rip of the whole album (with the break-out of each song's start time below):

0:00 I'll Keep It With Mine
3:25 John Riley
6:39 Flying On The Ground Is Wrong
9:59 Sloop John B.
14:22 Soon Be Home
18:31 Holocaust
22:25 On The Way Home
25:18 I'll Be Your Mirror
27:54 Rainy Day, Dream Away

Incidentally, these same bands regrouped for a small project last year, with the Rain Parade, the Bangles, the Dream Syndicate and the Three O'Clock each performing covers of the other bands' songs.  And it's a delight; go buy it this very second before it, too, ends up out of print.