The Long Ryders
10-5-60

The Long Ryders are an incredibly interesting (though not explicitly) psychedelic band from the '80s. Sid Griffin and Steve McCarthy, veterans from the Unclaimed experience, a fundamental band of the sixties revival, formed the group in the early '80s in Los Angeles together with Greg Sowders and Barry Shank. The "Y" in the name is a clear reference to the Byrds, the source of inspiration for most of the "longryderian" repertoire. Their music is almost a mix of jingle-jangle folk-rock and post-punk (occasionally the sounds vaguely recall the new-wave scene).

In 1983 they released their debut album, the splendid mini-album produced by Earle Mankey "10-5-60". The journey begins... "Join My Gang" is an anthem, a blend of explosive energy and guitar rock that repeatedly brushes against the psychedelic sound, without ever leaving folk-rock. The splendid vocals can be considered a hybrid between Johnny Rotten, Tom Verlaine, and Roger McGuinn. The guitar solos seem like a country variant of the Television. However, the magic stumbles immediately afterward in "I Don't Care What's Right, I Don't Care What's Wrong", a somewhat unsuccessful country-rock tune (everyone has their own tastes). But here's the comeback with the splendid title track, certainly the most psychedelic and aggressive song: a gritty riff of distorted guitar and a melody clearly inspired by "So You Want To Be A Rock'n'Roll Star".

The second side opens with another burst of energy: "The Trip" is simply perfect; the verse is the perfect introduction to the sharp electric guitar chords of the chorus. By now we are a step away from post-punk. But "And She Rides" mentally brings you back to the first of the 13th Floor Elevators (the melodic tracks, of course), and "Born To Believe In You" is yet another homage to the music from twenty years before.

The L. R. should be considered today a curiosity in the vast musical panorama of past decades. Even today, although they did not (at least on this album) show signs of extraordinary brilliance, they exert a certain charm feeling very little the weight of over twenty years on their shoulders. Not to be missed.