A Bit Of An 80's Roots Rock thread feat. various Dels, Scorchers, Ryders, Johnnys, Farmers etc

This discussion confirms for me that roots rock and retrograde was searching for an identity in the 80's. It wasn't quite as formulaic as it's become post Def American's influence. I've said that before I guess but I wasn't as sure about it.
When I got married I went and got a bunch of stuff that I hoped my (then) wife could relate to, she was into "Alt/county". Of course she didn't like it, but man what a haul! Here is what I got on a roadtrip through Iowa.

Sixteen Horsepower- Sackcloth and Ashes
Grifters- Crappin' You Negative
Gun Club- Birth The Death, The Ghost
The Pyramid Meets The Eye- Roky Erickson Tribute
Drivin' & Cryin'- Smoke
Masters of Reality- S/t
Four Horsemen-(both)
Thin White Rope- When Worlds Collide
Havana Black- (both)
Mudhoney/Jimmy Dale Gilmore E.P.
Steve Earle- Copperhead Road

also another Gun Club, A Bad Livers, A Joe Ely, and A Jimmy Dale Gilmore that I don't have anymore. Not all of a type or anything, but they all have that vibe.

There's some great/godly stuff in that stash......

That Roky tribute is a brilliant tribute record.....JAMC, Thin White Rope, Primal Scream, ZZ Top, Richard Lloyd, Butthole Surfers etc.

Although they could of subbed the version of You're Gonna Miss Me on that tribute with DMZ's or Radio Birdman's firecraking renditions.

I just ordered three "Sister Double Happiness" discs on the basic of that Roky tribute. They covered my favorite song by him.
I agree with Toho, that I'd never have thought about including The Lords NC or Fields of Nephilim in this, but when I think about it...most of my favorite rootsy bands from this period had the Gothic subtext, although it was more "American Gothic" than the over the top classic Robert Smith/Peter Murphy inspired stuff. Really the Appelachian and swampy type Goth is way more creepy IMO. And when I think of some of the influences on "mid-period" roots rock one could include The Damned, The Cramps, hell...Roky Erickson and Johhny Cash. That stuff all had a creepy side. I see that in a broad range of 80's rootsy stuff from Southern Death Cult to even Chris Isaak (I really liked his early stuff).

SAHB Healer wrote:

I just ordered three "Sister Double Happiness" discs on the basic of that Roky tribute. They covered my favorite song by him.
I agree with Toho, that I'd never have thought about including The Lords NC or Fields of Nephilim in this, but when I think about it...most of my favorite rootsy bands from this period had the Gothic subtext, although it was more "American Gothic" than the over the top classic Robert Smith/Peter Murphy inspired stuff. Really the Appelachian and swampy type Goth is way more creepy IMO. And when I think of some of the influences on "mid-period" roots rock one could include The Damned, The Cramps, hell...Roky Erickson and Johhny Cash. That stuff all had a creepy side. I see that in a broad range of 80's rootsy stuff from Southern Death Cult to even Chris Isaak (I really liked his early stuff).

Yeah love Isaak, and he definately fits in with this whole shebang.

Here's a band that fits everything you described....Cramps, Johnny Cash, Roky, Gun Club, Isaak etc, based in the Nick Cave and Bad Seeds camp but went from roaring "Rolling Stones cut with battery acid" one minute to swooning Isaak the next........

Caustic swampy Stones......



Serenading Isaak the next.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaY67m_btg0


That's the reason their my fave band.

Gun Club another great band that I have not listened to in years but I was a fan back in the early 90's. I need to pick up some of their albums again sometime in the future.

Shiney wrote:

What about DRIVIN' N' CRYIN'?

They are often labeled southern hard rock or something but there is alot of nodding to older country backwoodsy sounds there....

And I implore both of you to check out the following bands...sort of rootsy....in a strained through a still, backwoodsy sorta way

DEVIL IN A WOODPILE
WOODBOX GANG



and the almighty 16 HORSEPOWER!!! I think they'd be considered rootsy!

I LOVE Drivin' n Cryin'! I got 'em all!

I saw them live on the Smoke tour and they were so freakin' loud!

"Turn it up or turn it off!!"

tohostudios wrote:

I LOVE Drivin' n Cryin'!

"Turn it up or turn it off!!"

A great song, and it's followed by a fairly mellow hidden track, so when he says "turn it off" I turn it off if I'm in a loud mood. The hidden track isn't bad or anything, but sometimes I'm just not in the mood for it.

I love Drivin' n Cryin' but I'm not really sure why.

Kevin Kinney has a really weak voice and the early albums especially have a sort of country vibe.

Maybe it's the variety in the music. They play rockers like Whisper Tames The Lion yet also have countryish songs like When You Come Back.

I don't know but I love DnC.

I pikced up their cd today on a whim for $5 and it's killer and fits in with the rest here...


THE RAINMAKERS...and Toho.....JOANNA DEAN quests on it!!

Which Rainmakers disc is that?

And which Drivin n Cryin disc did you pick up?

I've never heard Drivin N Cryin's music......only know of them because they were the back up band along with various members of REM for Nikki Sudden's brilliant Jewel Thief (Liquor, Guns & Ammo) (1991) record. Which fits into this style as well.

Just picked up that Rainmakers disc. I used to have it on vinyl.

I didn't pick up and D N' C cds...It was just an awkwardly worded post....

RP...DRIVIN' N' CRYIN' are great...espec. the first 3 records...(imo)

I like the DnC trilogy of Mystery Road, Fly Me Courageous and Smoke the best. The really early ones are pretty hit or miss for me. Especially Whisper Tames The Lion. Although I was pissed that that title track wasn't on the Best Of comp I bought.

And I owe RP a big debt of thanks for the intro to Diamond Dogs.

This CD just won't stay out of the player. The songs are so damn catchy. This band reminds me a lot of Mott The Hoople.

My favourite "ranga" Ginger of the Wildhearts has done it again in his guest stint at Classic Rock magazine, first the Scorchers and now the Long Ryders.......


The Wildhearts’ mainman on another overlooked classic from the 80s.

THE LONG RYDERS
‘State Of Our Union’
Island, 1985

As the 80s continued to churn out derivative, soulless, flaccid
garbage to base level standard consumerist drones lured in with
promises of bright colours and funky hair-dos, meanwhile, somewhere
deep underground, incredible bands, like LA’s The Long Ryders, although critically ignored, nonetheless spoke to music connoisseurs like Moses on the mount.
Mixing The Byrds’ Rickenbacker jangle, the Flying Burrito Brothers’ sense of melody and harmony, Gram Parsons’ wayward spirit and The Clash’s
energy, Sid Griffin’s alt. country precursors (by a full ten years) The
Long Ryders spoke of family pride and backwoods tradition in a manner
not yet delivered to a largely unworthy public.
Although sharing vocals duties, it was always Griffin’s cantankerous
and sardonic delivery that stood out as chief voice, and on the first
song of this, their second full length album, Sid compliments the sub
Sham/Iggy riff of ‘Looking For Lewis And Clark’
with wonderfully canine vocal performance, carving out an instant
classic and one of the most underrated songs of any generation.
From this awesome introduction to the duelling leads of stunning last track ‘State Of My Union’,
the sheer quality of songwriting and purity of performance never gives
pause for criticism throughout the duration of this awesome album.
Stephen McCarthy’s thrilling guitar work suggests pedal steel riffs
technically impossible to play on guitar, while rhythmic thrust of Griffin, Greg Sowders (drums) and Tom Stevens
(bass) keep this train trundling along on a tight schedule. WDIA weaves
gently before the ocean while Here Comes That Train Again hints at
sadness and longing, until You Just Can’t Ride The Boxcars Anymore
kicks the party back in with McCarthy’s most astounding finger work of
the album, leaving no confusion as to why The Jayhawks were happy to enlist his services in 2003.
As great and energetic a live band as they were (and they truly
were, all swinging basin haircuts and Sid Griffin’s awkwardly majestic
mid-air leaps) The Long Ryders were one of a rare breed of bands able
to effortlessly recreate the energy and passion in the studio. Although
the slightly tinny production runs occasionally at odds with today’s
testosterone-packed production values, there have been few performances
since as purely thrilling and authentic as those displayed in State Of
Our Union. An amazing listen and one that deserves your patience and
attention.
Raise a beer at those rebel yells, thrill to the singers’ howls,
swoon before the sweet melody and roll around on its fur rug of musical
quality.
Oh yes.
Some of America’s greatest crimes were committed in 80s and almost all were musical. And while we gorged on Huey Lewis And The News, Survivor and Billy Ocean,
the pallets of the world continued to be starved and ignorant to such
fine fare as The Long Ryders, Lone Justice and Jason & the
Scorchers. And no album came closer to the pioneering indie spirit of
underground 80s roots music than State Of Our Union. Amen brother.
Come back next Friday for another from Ginger’s back catalogue.

I have that Long Ryders disc. The Vanderbilt college station used to play Lookin For Lewis and Clark a lot and that's how I got interested in the Long Ryders.

I reckon Native Sons pips State Of The Union in terms of the Long Ryders best disc but i'm loving Ginger for "getting it" and writing about the Scorchers and Long Ryders who are these important bands in the 80's that even now sort of don't get the recognition/kudos for what they did. He is in a way rewritting rock history the way it should be.

I reckon he's odds on to write about Lone Justice next.......a brilliant band i shamefully forgot to mention in this thread.

Lone Justice only has the S/T and Shelter, right?

tohostudios wrote:

Lone Justice only has the S/T and Shelter, right?

They also released a live album 'BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert' a few years after they disbanded and two comps.

Yeah, I have one of the comps in addition to the two studio releases.

tohostudios wrote:

Yeah, I have one of the comps in addition to the two studio releases.

I remember they had released a live concert on VHS, years ago, I donot like VHS but now I wish I had picked that up. I also see that Maria McKee has not been idle releasing several solo albums during the past two decades.

And it sounds like she's gotten more and more eclectic.

I love the Del Fuegos and Jason and the Scorchers. But my favorite of these bands have to be the Blasters. I remember getting into them after I saw "Streets of Fire". I still listen to them quite a bit.

I also like the Cramps, who many people would not consider part of the same category, but they did quite a bit of rockabilly.