Influential 80's
country rocker's finest moment gets the deluxe treatment.
In the mid-80's, long
before alt-country went overground, few people carried the flag for
old-school country rock. In the decade that saw the rise of hi-tech,
The Long Ryders were one of the few bands that saw worth in the past,
playing music that owed more to Gram Parsons, Buffalo Springfield,
British 60's Beat, The Byrds and Hank Williams than it did to the
stylings of the day. That said there was a definite driving punk edge
to their wares, largely due to anglophile band member Sid Griffin.
(Sid later became a much loved UK-based music journalist, and leader
of his new band The Coal Porters).
“Native Sons” was
their debut album and now gets the deluxe reissue treatment with
extra tracks and alternative versions. Massively influential to a
broad range of younger musicians who were starved of something
authentic and not smothered with artifice. This album was very much
the roots of the alt-country and Americana that would become cool and
omnipresent a decade later.
The songs and
production have stood the test of time well, veering from fast upbeat
rock and roll, through country laments, to jangly garage pop.
Original Byrd Gene Clark even makes an appearance, singing the lead
vocal on “Ivory Tower”.
If you're going to buy
this album, I'd suggest opting for the CD rather than the download,
purely for the illuminating sleeve notes and photos. Proof that
there's still life left in the CD format if the packaging is well
thought out.
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