The Long Ryders

Native Sons - Zippo 1984

Tracks: 1. Final Wild Son / 2. Still Get By / 3. Ivory Tower / 4. Run Dusty Run / 5. Mental Revenge / 6. Fair Game / 7. Tell It to the Judge on Sunday / 8. Wreck of the 809 / 9. Too Close to the Light / 10. Never Got to Meet the Mom / 11. I Had a Dream

Comments

: "Native Sons" was the first real album from the Long Ryders. The band released a most promising mini album "10-5-60" the year before, 1983, but this was their first real album.

The group members wrote most of the material themselves in an energetic country-rock style, with occasional touches of punk. Guitarist Stephen McCarthy really shows himself as a fine song-writer on the album; writing two of the finest rockers on the album; "Still Get By" and "I Had a Dream" (a highlight for me). With the other prolific songwriter in the group, Sid Griffin, he wrote the fine mid tempo rocker "Wreck of 809". The whole group is behind, the melodic garage ballad "Too Close to the Light", which reminds me of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. A lot of 1960s feel in this.

Sid Griffin is less significant as a songwriter on this album than on "10-5-60". His best contribution here is probably the upbeat country rocker, "Run Dusty Run" written together with drummer Greg Sowders. Finally, I must not forget to highlight the album's perhaps best-known song, Ivory Tower, written by Barry Shanks, and where Byrds singer Gene Clark participates. A really great rock ballad.

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