Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy (CD Review)

This album is absolutely beautiful throughout, and the thought behind it is even more beautiful. Mark Mulcahy's wife Melissa died unexpectedly about a year ago, leaving him to raise two 3-year-old twin daughters on his own. As a songwriter and member of New Haven-based Miracle Legion in the 1980s, then Polaris, the house band for the Nickelodeon show "The Adventures of Pete and Pete" and later as a solo artist, Mulcahy inspired many artists. After hearing about his loss, 21 of those artists recorded covers of Mark Mulcahy songs for this tribute album, with proceeds going to Mulcahy so he can support his daughters and keep making music.


Released Sept. 29, the album features a picture of Melissa on the cover, and the track list is as follows:

1. Thom Yorke - "All For The Best"
2. The National - "Ashamed Of The Story I Told"
3. Michael Stipe - "Everything's Coming Undone"
4. David Berkeley - "Loves The Only Thing That Shuts Me Up"
5. Dinosaur Jr. - "The Backyard"
6. Chris Harford & Mr Ray Neal - "Micon The Icon"
7. Frank Black - "Bill Jocko"
8. Vic Chesnutt - "Little Man"
9. Unbelievable Truth - "Ciao My Shining Star"
10. Butterflies Of Love - "I Have Patience"
11. Chris Collingwood (Fountains Of Wayne) - "Cookie Jar"
12. Frank Turner - "The Quiet One"
13. Rocket From The Tombs - "In Pursuit Of Your Happiness"
14. Ben Kweller - "Wake Up Whispering"
15. Josh Rouse - "I Woke Up In The Mayflower"
16. Autumn Defense - "Paradise"
17. Hayden - "Happy Birthday Yesterday"
18. Juliana Hatfield - "We're Not In Charleston Anymore"
19. Mercury Rev - "Sailors And Animals"
20. Elvis Perkins - "She Watches Over Me"
21. Sean Watkins - "A World Away From This One"

These songs just flow through the album, and while they're performed by different artists, they have a distinct Mark Mulcahy sound. There's raw emotion in Frank Black's "Bill Jocko" that starts with shouts of "Why do I have to stay? Why does she get to go?" and in Thom Yorke's "All For The Best" with the lyrics, "You're so beautiful it sings." These love songs alone feel like a tribute to Mulcahy and his wife. These artists, using Mulcahy's own songs, really did him justice and gave the album a spirit of hope.

I interviewed Mulcahy two years ago for an article for the Record-Journal before he performed at the Meriden Daffodil Festival. I was told by the event promoter that Mulcahy received a shout-out from Thom Yorke at a Radiohead concert, and I asked him about it. He said he was surprised, and he didn't know how Thom Yorke even knew he was there. Now this tribute album comes out with some big-name artists like Thom Yorke and Michael Stipe jumping on to help him. I read in other articles that he was also surprised, and really touched, by this tribute album. I think that's the best part about him. He's made great music, and he's inspired many people, and yet, he's still surprised by it.