2016 four CD collection. The Long Ryders were formed by several American musicians influenced by Gram Parsons and The Byrds, with country and punk rock influences. The band featured Sid Griffin on guitar, autoharp, and bugle, Stephen McCarthy, guitar, steel guitar, mandolin, and banjo, Des Brewer, as bassist, (later replaced by Tom Stevens) and Greg Sowders, playing drums and percussion. With a sound reminiscent of Gram Parsons, Buffalo Springfield and The Flying Burrito Brothers, but with a harder edge, they anticipated the alternative country music of the 1990s by a decade. This career overview has been compiled with both Sid Griffin and Tom Stevens from original tapes (where they exist) - Sid has contributed a track by track breakdown for the set. The set features all the original albums as well as demos, singles and rare live recordings. Re-\mastered by Andy Pearce, the recordings and in Sid's opinion have never sounded so good. A new booklet designed by Phil Smee contains many rare photos and memorabilia.
C**T
Love it!
Just a few thoughts:1. The Long Ryders sound is uniquely their own. No one else sounds like them.2. The live set on CD 4 kicks ass and makes me even sadder that I didn't get to see them live during those early days. Great pick-me-up for a hung-over Saturday.3. The previously-unreleased tracks on CD 3 show that had they done another album it would have rocked. Play that fast thing one more time!4. The sound quality is great throughout. It really stands out for me on CD 1 for the 10-5-60 EP and Native Sons LP which I previously only had on vinyl.5. The whole thing is great.
S**N
A GREAT BAND.
Wayne Klein beat me to the punch in reviewing this set and pretty much said what you need to know if you're a Long Ryders fan, so I won't waste anyone's time. So I'll just say if this band is new to you, and if you want just one album to see if this great band's music is worth adding to your music shelf, buy the album " Native Sons", but get the deluxe version with a lot of great tracks added on.But if you're familiar with the band--get this box set. It comes with pretty good/great sound (a few of the live tracks are a bit flat but the performances override that), a well laid out booklet with track by track information, period photos, and complete track list for each disc. Plus there's a pretty cool poster included, and everything fits inside a clam shell style cardboard box.Influenced by and a cross between Parsons/Byrds/Springfield/Clash The Long Ryders were one of the best bands to come out of the '80s. Their songs buzzed with energy and even the slower stuff had an exciting edge to the sound. The live set included here is typically good Ryders in concert. Always more popular in Europe (but listen to "Encore From Hell" to see how quickly things change with reviews like "just a bar band from California", among other bad reviews read out loud ) than the U.S., it's a mystery why.The single disc live set, "Three Minute Warnings" is also very cool. And don't forget the first two albums (from the same era as The Long Ryders) by Rank and File for more "cow-punk" rock 'n' roll. Cheers.
D**E
Eureka- We Found Gold!
Man, what an exhaustive tribute to a great unrecognized band of their day. There is so much material here that it takes a real commitment just to listen to it all. If you do- then you are definitely a hardcore fan of the band! There is so much gold here, I can't reference it all here. This is just a solid money release, as Vince Vaughn would say in Swingers. A bit steep on the old price tag, but well worth the investment.
A**R
One of the best, little known bands of the 1980's
I feel strongly about this band. They deserved better than they got in the 80's. They didn't fit the mold at the time and combined American roots music with the Byrds, Gram Parsons and the Sex Pistols. Maybe things would have been different with social media today.All I can do is recommend this box set as high as possible. If you are truly interested in very good musicianship combined with good song writing and hooks, this is for you.I've been on Amazon since it's inception and this is the 1st review I've felt compelled to give.Thanks Sid and the boys for giving us a fantastic epilogue (although hopefully not!).Look forward to the North American tour this summer!
R**B
Alt-country before alt-country was cool...or even existed.
Way before americana, before alt-country, this band paved the way. They mixed rock n' roll, country & western, r&b and folk influences and they expertly delivered the goods with a joyous punk energy.This is a tremendous value as box sets go. The sound quality is excellent and the bonus tracks are not throw aways. The fourth disc live recording catches the band at one of many peaks and the packaging, graphics and song-by-song descriptions are top notch!Highly recommended.
J**N
One of my favorite bands of the 80s
One of my favorite bands of the 80s. Really excellent collection, all you would ever need. Came on time and in perfect condition.
M**S
Five Stars
Bought this without a clue as to who they were. Pleasantly surprised. Worth a listen or three.
R**I
... What more do you want? ...
...What more do you want? It' s all here! Fan-tas-tic!!!
S**N
The Long Ryders ride again
Another long lost 1980's band that are really worth discovering. Previously, I had only been familiar with Looking For Lewis and Clark and Spectacular Fall. I was buying loads of albums during this time and only had limited funds and never purchased any of the original albums. Over the years I was aware of Sid Griffin, particularly his detailed notes on the Gene Clark compilation, Flying High (one of my favourites).I have previously been tempted to buy a Long Ryders compilation but never got around to it. So when I heard about this box set, I thought I would pre-order it. I had never pre-ordered anything from Amazon before and was surprised that as the price had dropped on release, I was given a small refund back.As for the music, there is plenty of it and much of it is pretty good. The Byrds influences are certainly there and this is a good thing (there is an accoustic cover of The Byrds' Further Along). There is also a mix of punk, psychedelia and country thrown into the mix.The first three CDs include songs recorded for each particular year, the first one covers 1983-1984, the second 1985 and the third 1986. The fourth CD is a live concert recorded in 1985.The first two CDs are quite direct - most of the tracks are quite short and fast. The band sound very exciting and I prefer these ones at the moment. By 1986 you can see that the band have evolved and the songs are more structured. The live CD is just ok, not one that I will play that often.The packaging is fine - there are notes by the band on all the songs. I especially like the story about Never Got To Meet The Mum.I am enjoying this immensely and it has made me buy tickets to see them play in May.A worthwhile purchase for someone like me who had never previously had any of their albums from the 1980's.
P**G
superb!😊
Can't recommend this highly enough! No sound problems on this at all as suggested by another reviewer. Takes me back to a time but also this can be seen as a forerunner to Americana and would stand highly among a more contemporary peer group of today. Check out vocalist Sid Griffin's more recent work in the Coal Porters too.
J**C
One of my favourite bands never sounded better
I've been a fan of the Long Ryders for years and I have all the albums on vinyl but I couldn't resist this newly remastered box set. The box itself is really nicely done, the liner notes for all the tracks are great giving some background to where the songs came from and what they are about.The music itself sounds fantastic in its remastered form. The raw energy of the early tracks really packs a punch and the jangling guitars and vocals throughout really sound bright.If you're a fan of Americana or Alt-Country you really could do a lot worse than picking this box up, at this price it's a steal.
B**R
Five Stars
An outstanding collection by one of the most underrated bands of the 80's - cheers guys!
J**M
Indispensable anthologie
Etiquettés Paysley Underground au même titre que Rain Parade, The Bangles ou Three O'Clock, les Long Ryders ont été bien plus que membres de cet éphémère courant. Aujourd'hui, on s'accorde à reconnaitre en eux les véritables précurseurs du riche creuset musical appelé Americana. C'est donc leur rendre justice que de publier cette anthologie, qui survole en détail leur carrière, de 1983 à 1987. C'est en février 1982 que le guitariste Sid Griffin et le bassiste Barry Shank quittent The Unclaimed pour former un nouveau groupe à l'ambition panoramique, et gouter à des styles aussi variés que Folk-Rock, Tex-Mex, Surf, Psychedelic: avec le multi-instrumentiste Stephen McCarthy et le batteur Greg Sowders, le quatuor ne tarde pas à attirer l'attention du producteur Earle Mankey qui leur fait graver début 1983 des maquettes de "Still Get By" et "And She Rides", vite sélectionnées pour figurer dans les compilations The Rebel Kind et The Radio Tokyo Tapes. [CD1] Ces deux plages, réenregistrées, constituent l'ossature du premier mini-LP intitulé 10-5-60 sur le label PVC en septembre 1983. Shank a quitté le groupe dès août 1982, bien avant les séances d'enregistrement, non sans laisser une trace durable dans l'histoire des Long Ryders, sa composition "Ivory Tower" restant l'un des temps forts de leur carrière: il a été remplacé par l'anglais Des Brewer qui laisse tomber ses collègues au bout d'un an, juste après la parution du disque! L'australien Don McCall prend sa place pour les premiers concerts de promotion du LP, mais ne tient que quatre mois. Fin 1983, la formation stabilise enfin son line-up avec l'arrivée du bassiste/guitariste Tom Stevens, fort d'un EP six titres, Points Of View, paru en 1982 sur le label Pulse. C'est avec l'album Native Sons chez Frontier, que les Long Ryders vont véritablement se faire remarquer: une photo de pochette qui copie celle du légendaire (mais jamais paru) LP Stampede de Buffalo Springfield, des sessions aux studios A&M à Hollywood sous la houlette d'Henry Lewy (ingénieur du son des deux premiers albums des Flying Burrito Bros) et la présence en studio de Gene Clark, venu fredonner quelques harmonies. En 1985 la réputation du groupe gagne l'Europe, surtout aux Pays Bas et en Angleterre, et une tournée sur le vieux continent assure aux Long Ryders la couverture de plusieurs magazines, ainsi que la signature d'un contrat prometteur pour trois albums chez Island. Le soudain succès des Long Ryders fit surgir un autre projet, qui hélas ne vit pas le jour, et qui est l'occasion manquée du coffret: il consistait à ajouter six titres enregistrés en février 1985 aux studios A&M, "The Trip", "I Can't Hide" (des Flamin' Groovies), "As God Is My Witness" (avec le regretté Sneaky Pete Kleinow" à la pedal-steel), "Sandwich Man", "Time Keeps Travelling" et "Masters Of War" (de Bob Dylan) au mini LP 10-5-60 pour le transformer en un LP de onze plages rebaptisé 5x5. Seule la reprise de Dylan est incluse sur le CD1 du coffret. Les compilateurs ont préféré proposer une poignée de titres live captés au club McCabe's de Santa Monica en mai 1984. [CD2] C'est au Royaume Uni que le groupe s'arrêta pour mettre en boite son troisième LP, State Of Our Union au printemps 1985. L'unique titre qui en fut extrait, "Looking For Lewis & Clark" grimpa brièvement dans les charts et fit l'objet d'un double single en tirage limité dans sa version longue, flanqué de trois chansons inédites, "Child Bride", "Southside Of The Story" et "If I Were A Bramble And You Were A Rose" qui figurent sur le CD2, en compagnie des remix de "Lights Of Downtown" et "Capturing The Flag", un follow-up single abandonné pour cause de perte d'intérêt de la maison de disques! [CD3] Le groupe, de retour aux studios A&M, choisit en 1986 de graver son quatrième album, Two Fisted Tales avec le producteur Ed Stasium: c'est la période la plus prolifique de la formation: outre les onze chansons de l'album, le CD3 du coffret contient "Ring Bells", paru uniquement sur la face B du single "I Want You Bad", et pas moins de neuf demos/outtakes! Un troisième album sous la bannière Island aurait dû se concrétiser en 1987, mais un changement de personnel au sein du label anglais entraîna littéralement l'abandon du groupe américain, et le désenchantement général provoqua bientôt la dislocation du quatuor: Tom Stevens fût le premier à déposer les armes en juin, brièvement remplacé par le bassiste noir Larry Chapman, et lorsque Stephen McCarthy, désabusé, décida de quitter la formation en décembre, le leader Sid Griffin préféra dissoudre le groupe. [CD4] Le quatrième disque documente un concert capté le 6 avril 1985 à Goes aux Pays-Bas: les Long Ryders y interprètent avec fougue quinze titres, et à leur écoute on ne peut s'empêcher de faire le rapprochement avec REM, autre groupe américain en pleine ascension qui, bénéficiant d'un management efficace, accéda à une renommée mondiale bien plus durable.Que vous soyez fans de longue date ou que vous vouliez découvrir le groupe, ce coffret, agrémenté d'un livret de vingt-quatre pages fourmillant d'anecdotes et de commentaires chanson par chanson, est indispensable. Cependant, pour posséder de manière exhaustive l'oeuvre des Long Ryders en studio, il faut investir dans trois autres CD: Metallic B.O. (Prima SID001) pour "Sandwich Man", Native Sons Deluxe Edition (Prima SD024) pour "The Trip", "Time Keeps Traveling", "I Can't Hide" ainsi que les trois premières demos de 1983 et Anthology (Polygram 314 558 280-2) pour "I'll Get Out Somehow".
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