Native Sons (The Long Ryders album)

Native Sons is the debut album by American band the Long Ryders, released in October 1984 by record label Frontier.[4] The album and the single "I Had a Dream" reached number 1 and 4 on the UK Indie Chart, respectively.[5]

Native Sons
Studio album by The Long Ryders
Released	October 1984
Recorded	Summer 1984[1]
Studio	A&M Studios, Hollywood, California
Genre	Paisley Underground[2] garage rock folk rock country rock alternative country[2]
Length	33:18
Label	Frontier
Producer	Henry Lewy Paul McKenna
The Long Ryders chronology
10-5-60 (1983) Native Sons (1984) State of Our Union (1985)
Singles from Native Sons
"Tell It to the Judge on Sunday" Released: 1984 "I Had a Dream" Released: 1985[3]

Musically, the album fuses 1960s style garage rock and folk rock with country rock.[2][6] Rolling Stone's David Fricke described Native Sons as an album "where Nashville, ’77 London and the mid-Sixties Sunset Strip converge in songs of pioneer aspiration and outlaw bonding."[7] Native Sons features former Byrds member Gene Clark guesting on the track "Ivory Tower".

The album cover is a recreation of the abandoned Buffalo Springfield album, Stampede.[8][9]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]
Robert Christgau	B+[10]
Classic Rock	[11]
Mojo	[12]
R2	[13]
Record Collector	[14]
Trouser Press	favorable[15]
Uncut	[16]

AllMusic praised the album, writing that it "established their eclectic mixture of Byrds/Clash/Flying Burrito Brothers' influences ... while turning in an original sound that became the banner for both the paisley underground and cowpunk styles in the mid-'80s." AllMusic concluded that "on Native Sons, the Long Ryders pioneered a musical design that future alternative roots rockers would use as a manual."[8]

Trouser Press described the album as "a stirring dose of memorable and unpretentious country-rock that incorporates Highway 61 Dylan, paisley pop, Kingston Trio balladry and wild rock'n'roll."[15]

Uncut felt that the album's production was kept "authentically raw" without "any hint of '80s sweetener", which made the Long Ryders seem "urgent, primal, like a new breed of country-garage band."[16]

R2 magazine called it an "essential purchase".[13]

Track listing

Adapted from the album's liner notes.[17]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Final Wild Son"	Sid Griffin, Stephen McCarthy	2:35
2.	"Still Get By"	McCarthy	2:50
3.	"Ivory Tower"	Barry Shank	3:00
4.	"Run Dusty Run"	Griffin, Greg Sowders	2:24
5.	"(Sweet) Mental Revenge"	Mel Tillis	2:50
6.	"Fair Game"	Griffin, McCarthy	2:35
7.	"Tell It to the Judge on Sunday"	Griffin	3:06
8.	"Wreck of the 809"	McCarthy, Tom Stevens	3:54
9.	"Too Close to the Light"	Griffin, McCarthy, Stevens, Sowders	4:00
10.	"Never Got to Meet the Mom"	Griffin	2:14
11.	"I Had a Dream"	McCarthy	3:50

1987 and 1992 CD bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"Join My Gang" (10-5-60 EP)	Griffin	2:49
13.	"You Don't Know What's Right, You Don't Know What's Wrong" (10-5-60 EP)	McCarthy, Des Brewer	4:03
14.	"10-5-60" (10-5-60 EP)	Griffin, Shanks	3:12
15.	"The Trip" (10-5-60 EP, 1987 reissue)	McCarthy	2:39
16.	"And She Rides" (10-5-60 EP)	Griffin, Sowders	4:33
17.	"Born to Believe in You" (10-5-60 EP)	Griffin	3:08

2011 Deluxe Reissue bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"Join My Gang" (10-5-60 EP)	Griffin	2:49
13.	"You Don’t Know What’s Right, You Don’t Know What’s Wrong" (10-5-60 EP)	McCarthy, Brewer	4:03
14.	"10-5-60" (10-5-60 EP)	Griffin, Shanks	3:12
15.	"Born to Believe in You" (10-5-60 EP)	Griffin	3:08
16.	"The Trip" (10-5-60 EP, 1987 reissue)	McCarthy	2:39
17.	"And She Rides" (10-5-60 EP)	Griffin, Sowders	4:33
18.	"Time Keeps Travelling" (5x5 sessions)	Griffin	3:37
19.	"I Can’t Hide" (5x5 sessions)	Cyril Jordan, Chris Wilson	3:11
20.	"Masters of War" (5x5 sessions)	Bob Dylan	4:33
21.	"Still Get By" (Radio Tokyo demo sessions)	McCarthy	2:53
22.	"10-5-60" (Radio Tokyo demo sessions)	Griffin, Shanks	3:06
23.	"And She Rides" (Radio Tokyo demo sessions)	Griffin, Sowders	4:00
24.	"Too Close to the Light" (Buckskin Mix, UK only B-side of "I Had a Dream")	Griffin, McCarthy, Stevens, Sowders	3:55

Notes

• Radio Tokyo demo sessions recorded at Radio Tokyo Studio, Venice, California, in 1982
• 10-5-60 EP recorded at Earle's Garage, Thousand Oaks, California, in 1983
• 5x5 sessions recorded at A&M Studios, Hollywood, California, in February 1985; "The Trip" originated at these sessions

Personnel

Adapted from the album's liner notes.[17]

The Long Ryders

• Sid Griffin – guitar, harmonica, autoharp, bugle, vocals
• Stephen McCarthy – guitar, steel guitar, keyboards, mandolin, banjo, vocals
• Tom Stevens – bass, standup bass, vocals
• Greg Sowders – drums, percussion, vibraphone

Additional musicians

• Gene Clark – additional vocals on "Ivory Tower"
• Dave Pearlman – steel guitar on "(Sweet) Mental Revenge"
• Phil Kenzie – tenor and baritone saxophone on "Tell It to the Judge on Sunday"
• Des Brewer – bass, vocals on 10-5-60 EP and Radio Tokyo sessions

Technical

• Henry Lewy – producer, engineer
• Paul McKenna – producer, engineer
• Earle Mankey – producer, engineer (10-5-60 EP)
• The Long Ryders – producer (5x5 sessions)
• Ethan James – producer, engineer (Radio Tokyo demo sessions)
• Ed Colver – photography

Chart positions

Chart (1984)	Peak position
UK Indie Chart[5]	1

References

1. Hammershaug, Bjørn (27 March 2019). "Album by Album: Sid Griffin Tells the History of The Long Ryders". read.tidal.com. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
2. Hann, Michael (13 September 2016). "Cult heroes: the Long Ryders – the accidental creators of alt-country". theguardian.com. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
3. The Long Ryders - Singles & EPs on Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
4. The Best of the Long Ryders (CD liner notes). The Long Ryders. Prima. 2004.CS1 maint: others (link)
5. Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1989. Cherry Red Books. Archived from the original on 2010-01-05. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
6. "The Long Ryders "Native Sons"". therisingstorm.net. 26 September 2008. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
7. Fricke, David (2019). "Fricke's Picks: Long Ryders, Motorpsycho, Ace of Cups". rollingstone.com. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
8. Campbell, Al. "Native Sons – The Long Ryders | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
9. Stampede on Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved July 10, 2019
10. Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: The Long Ryders". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
11. Martin, Gavin. "Classic Rock – Native Sons review". sidgriffin.com. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
12. Fyfe, Andy. "Mojo – Native Sons review". sidgriffin.com. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
13. Ranson, Gerry. "R2 – Native Sons review". sidgriffin.com. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
14. Staunton, Terry. "Record Collector review". Record Collector. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
15. Robbins, Ira; Schinder, Scott. "TrouserPress.com :: Long Ryders". TrouserPress.com. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
16. Hughes, Rob. "Uncut – Americana Album of the Month review". sidgriffin.com. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
17. Native Sons 2011 Deluxe Reissue on Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved July 10, 2019.

External links

• Native Sons at Discogs (list of releases)