The Long Ryders
Album : Looking For Lewis And Clark: The Long Ryders Anthology
Time : 200
Year: 1998
Comments : "If we'd been 10 years older or seven years younger," says founder Sid Griffin, "we'd have cracked it." Instead, the premier country-punk band of 1980s Los Angeles remains a cult favorite and a pioneering influence on countless alt-country musicians. Along with coleader Stephen McCarthy, Griffin forged a new path by fusing punk's energy with country's plainspoken honesty. This enlightening 40-song, two-CD collection includes cuts from each of their five albums and adds an assortment of B-sides, outtakes, and unreleased demos. High-powered riffs and urgent rhythms are tempered in various places by harmonica, banjo, lap steel, mandolin, Autoharp, and even poppy background vocals. The Ryders provide a crucial link between Gram Parsons and Uncle Tupelo. --Marc Greilsamer