Released on both 12" vinyl and cassette,[1] the six song EP The Backyard was recorded at Presence Studios and released under Rough Trade Records in 1984.[lower-alpha 1] The songs were composed by Mark Mulcahy and Ray Neal.[2]
The eponymous title track "The Backyard" became a staple on college radio charts following its release,[2] and there was a music video for it which received regular rotation on MTV.[3] The lyrics to "The Backyard" focus on Mulcahy's youth.[4]
A tribute album to Mulcahy, Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy, was released in 2009 by Shout! Factory and features a cover of "The Backyard" by alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr.[5]
Drawing comparison to R.E.M.,[6] the record received much acclaim.[7] 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.[6] The album has been called a "landmark" by Trouser Press, and calls the title track "sheer brilliance."[8]
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