Retro Review: Marcy Playground - Shapeshifter (1992)

If you are an 80s or early 90s baby, you might remember making out to Marcy Playground's grungy 1997 hit "Sex and Candy." Unfortunately, when the radio stations stopped playing that song, the band was forgotten and effectively condemned to a status nearly as bad as anonymity: the One Hit Wonder.

Marcy Playground has since maintained their aging fan base through regular album releases, the newest of which is "Leaving Wonderland…in a fit of rage" and an extensive tour schedule with new drummer Shlomie Lavie. However, had a different single been released that fateful year, Marcy Playground may have been fondly stamped into your high school memories.

It's not too late to listen to their blood-pumping, adventurous album "Shapeshifter", released way back in Nov. 1992. You probably have never heard of guitarist and singer John Wozniak, bassist Dylan Keefe, or former drummer Dan Rieser. Surprisingly, their 13-track (oops…there's a hidden single) CD bursts with everything that was great about Generation-Y pop, punk, and grunge: energy, an irrepressible desire to blend genres, and respect for their musical predecessors.

The album begins with the Adderall-induced "It's Saturday", on which Wozniak yodels about the freedom of playing hooky. "America", the second track, is quieter, with narrative lyrics over simple acoustic guitar on "America" paying homage to Paul Simon. The distorted sound of "Our Generation" and "Bye-Bye" spices up their mature, tender lyrics about searing young love.


Most memorable are "Secret Squirrel", "Pigeon Farm", and "Wave Motion Gun". "Pigeon Farm" is a sunny, roll-the-windows-down kind of a song. But "Secret Squirrel", which describes the conflict between the cartoon hero and his nemesis Dr. Doom, should have been their breakout single. And the rollicking, stomping guitar on "Wave Motion Gun" captures the disorientation of a kid excitedly tripping on a science-fiction fantasy.

Instead of being the band the skater boys used to woo their cheerleader girlfriends, Playground should have been the band the guys were rocking out to in their cars.
The rock gods didn't look too favorably upon Marcy Playground, but the band is not yet too old to play loud music. There is still time to bring them back.