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New Riders of the Purple Sage

New Riders of the Purple Sage

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Album Review

Anyone who enjoyed the Grateful Dead's Workingman's Dead or American Beauty and wanted more, then or now, should get this record and follow that with the Riders' next two albums. With Jerry Garcia and Mickey Hart in tow and the Jefferson Airplane's Spencer Dryden playing what drums Hart didn't, plus Commander Cody at the piano, New Riders of the Purple Sage is some of the most spaced-out country-rock of the period. Even ignoring the big names working with John Dawson, David Nelson, and Dave Torbert, however, this is a good record, crossing swords with the Byrds, the Burrito Brothers, and even Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and holding its own; maybe a few of the cuts (especially "Henry") are predictable at times, but mostly NRPS was full of surprises (the amazingly sweet, brittle guitars, in particular) and has tunes that have held up well: "Portland Woman," "Whatcha Gonna Do," "I Don't Know You," and "Louisiana Lady," not to mention the eight leisurely paced minutes of acid country found in "Dirty Business." There are no added notes, but they'd hardly be vital — the album is an open book. [The 2003 CD reissue on Columbia/Legacy adds three bonus tracks, all recorded live at the Fillmore West on July 7, 1971, two of them covers: the Band's "The Weight" and Joe South's "Down in the Boondocks."]

Customer Reviews

Has many merits, but far from perfect

This is the debut album of the New Riders, and though it contains some of their best songs, it's obvious that the band had some things to work on. The pros: John Dawson's songs here are the most inspired that he ever wrote. Jerry Garcia offers gorgeous pedal steel and proves just as adept soaring through a country ballad as he does spicing up the extended jams of his other band, the Grateful Dead. The cons: the production and mixing aren't that great. The drums, bass, and pedal steel are too quiet, and the guitars are too loud. The vocals are often doubled and layered in a sloppy manner. They are generally either to quiet or too loud, never quite right. Also, the only members who contribute much are Garcia and Dawson. The rest of the band does little more than accompany them. The rest of the group had yet to develop into its own seperate entity and the whole purpose of this album seems to be a way for Dawson to show off his righteous songwriting and for Garcia to show off his Nashville-caliber country chops. Overall, I would recomend this album. It was a landmark acid-country album and contains some truly great tunes. It's great for road trips, especially when there's plenty of beer and weed. Don't expect a flawless product, though.

Nearly Perfect!

I must be listening to different album than is the other reviewer. I find this to be a beautifully produced, arranged, and mixed album. The songs are all excellent (although Henry and Glendale Train have long ago worn out their welcome). Torbert's bass playing really shines, although he doesn't contribute any songs or lead vocals until the next album. Garcia's steel playing is unique and fits this music, however his style is clearly not "Nashville," and would have been completely out of place on any mainstream C-W music of the time. I probably hadn't heard this record in 20 years, and it is once again one of my very favorites. Amazing how well it has stood the test of time.

Some of the finest country psych work ever produced!

I play, and have manufactured, multiples of every instrument recorded on this album, and can tell you this is a phenomenal collection of songs! Your opinions mean very little to those of us who have played with some of these artists, if you have never sold or produced a piece of music in your life, then shut it! You have no right to an opinion! Jerry's pedal steel is mind blowing!

Biography

Formed: 1969 in San Francisco, CA

Genre: Rock

Years Active: '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, '00s, '10s

For most of the early '70s, the New Riders of the Purple Sage™ (yes, the name is trademark-protected) were the successful offshoots of the Grateful Dead. Although they never remotely approached the success or longevity of the Dead, they attracted a considerable audience through their association with Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, and Mickey Hart, whose fans couldn't be satisfied with only the Dead's releases — the New Riders never reached much beyond that audience, but the Deadheads loved them as...
Full Bio

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