Tales Of The New West (Deluxe Reissue)
Blixa, 2021
10/10
Listen to Tales Of The New West (Deluxe Reissue)
The San Diego roots rock legends The Beat Farmers are seeing some much deserved reissue attention here, as their 1985 debut album comes with a 2nd live disc on this installment. Certainly far ahead of their time in the areas of Americana and cow punk, their searing riffs and eccentric moments have clearly aged well on this timeless first record.
Disc 1, the original album in full, leads with the punchy country rock of “Bigger Stones”, where rugged melodies and a sing-along quality make for a perfect starting point, and this continues to the call and response vocals of the gritty “There She Goes Again”, as well as the rhythmic and dance friendly “Reason To Believe”, which is originally a Springsteen tune.
In the middle, the quirky story telling of “California Kid” unfolds with charming guitar acrobatics, while “Never Goin’ Back” recruits a retro-rock feeling with some of the best singing in its rural rock landscape. “Showbiz”, another exceptional track, then gets soulful with spirited harmonica and bright brass in a late period Replacements sort of way.
Near the end, “Selfish Heart” is a charged vintage rocker with crisp drumming amid a more firm rock’n’roll delivery, and “Happy Boy” exits the listen with a playful galloping angle that seems like a cowboy anthem that’s not to be taken too seriously.
The live portion is 21 tracks long, and includes a diverse set where bare moments like “Sunday Morning” and the nearly blues “Trying To Get To You” are met with the bristling pace and swirling guitar work of “You Can’t Judge A Book By Its Cover”. They also include an upbeat interpretation of “I Still Miss Someone”, where bouncy bass, shuffling percussion and expressive singing builds into a busy execution of loose Americana. Apparently this show helped the band score a record deal and that’s not at all surprising considering the memorable performance.
Although they gained a strong cult following, and even appeared on David Letterman in the early ‘90s, The Beat Farmers were largely unsung heroes. Tragically, drummer/singer Country Dick died onstage in 1995, which dissolved the band (although they still perform as The Farmers). For many, this will their first taste of The Beat Farmers, as it should be; this first album truly set the tone for the band’s career, and is a classic in the area of country rock, swamp rock and rootsy sounds with plenty of bite, as they certainly belong in a category with Uncle Tupelo or Whiskeytown.
Travels well with: The Bottle Rockets- Bit Logic; Dave Alvin- From An Old Guitar: Rare And Unreleased Recordings