Search - The Long Ryders :: The Best Of The Long Ryders

A Shame this band Split up so Soon

Morten Vindberg | Denmark | 02/12/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Long Ryders released three albums, one mini-album and some singles during 1987-83.



I was familar with their mini-album "10-5-60" from 1983 and their last full-length album "Two Twisted Tales" from 1987, and I thought both were fine - especially "Two Twisted Tales", which has a great sound and some very good songs. Most of the strongest tracks from this album are included here, although some good songs obviously are omitted for reasons of space. "Baby's in Toyland," "Harriet Tubman's" and "For the Rest of My Days" are in fact better songs than several of the tracks included from the other albums.



Judged from the songs included here "Two Twisted Tales", must be the band's greatest album, The sound of the three songs from "Native Sons" is pretty thin compared to "TTT" and only "Ivory Tower" is really a really memorable song.



From "State of Our Union" four songs are included, all pretty solid. I especilly like bassist Tom Stevens' ballad "Years Long Ago".



Stevens also wrote "A Stitch in Time" which, along with "I Want You Bad", is the highlight on this compilation. Great tight sound on both - reminds me somehow a little of the Standells. "Gunslinger Man" is also good; could have been a Tom Petty song.



The rarities must be for completists only - "Masters of War" is more or less a drag.



Considering that their final album seems to be their strongest, it's really a shame that the band only existed such a short time - it seems with 3 songwriters within the band, that they had much more to offer."