Album review: THE LONG RYDERS – Native Sons Expanded 3 CD Edition

Cherry Red [Release Date: 19.01.24]

Since its 1984 debut, The Long Ryders’ album, Native Sons has been regularly lauded by the music press.

The album’s fusion of Garage, Folk and Country Rock has commonly drawn praise from high profile publications such as Rolling Stone, Mojo and Melody Maker. Some referring to the album as the originator of Americana.

Founder member Sid Griffin has collaborated with the Cherry Red staff to compile this 3 CD boxset celebration, adding 2 discs of outtakes, demos, and live tracks to the original, groundbreaking album.

It’s worthy of note that the label have championed the Long Ryders for many years now, wrapping up the bands first three albums, Native Sons, State Of Our Union and Two Fisted Tales, plus added value live material, in a 2016 boxset, titled Final Wild Years.

An elongated, 3 CD boxset of State Of Our Union and Two Fisted Tales was further compiled and released by the label in 2019.

In amongst the bonus material within this Native Sons’ Compilation there are some genuine gems. More obviously, The 5 x 5 Sessions (originally known as the 10-5-60 EP, basically an audition tape to hawk around major labels, prior to Native Sons) are tacked on the back of the eventual full length album.

Other key demos include the Tokyo Tapes, recorded further back (1982), before the band developed their fully realised sound . . . a merge of the Beatles, The Flying Burrito Brothers and naturally, Bob Dylan.

Talking of which, among the 44 bonus tracks here, the band cover Dylan’s seminal protest song ‘Masters Of War’. Once as a demo and once as part of the band’s live set, recorded at Dingwalls in 1985, which comprises most of Disc 3. Also in this set is a cover of Tim Hardin’s ‘If I Were A Carpenter’, a song steeped in the traditions of English folk music and a huge hit for Bobby Darin in 1968, smoothing his attempted transition from Top Forty Pop to genuine artistry.

The band have seen some members come and go, but three of the four originals, Sid Griffin (a sometime Coal Porter), Stephen McCarthy (a sometime Jayhawk) and Greg Sowders are still together, recording after a fresh start up in 2017.

The Long Ryders never truly evolved from College Campus favourites to chart busting best sellers in the USA, but they progressively gained in reputation and popularity on this side of the Atlantic.

The band’s two most recent albums, Psychedelic Country Soul (2019) and September November (2021) opened to huge critical acclaim in the UK music media. Both have been released by the label they call home, Cherry Red.

Having proven their durability, it looks like longevity will be unavoidable. *****

Review by Brian McGowan

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)