New Riders of the Purple Sage - New Riders(Full Album 1976)

Side 1:01: Fifteen Days Under the Hood (0:00 – 2:44)02: Annie May (2:44 – 6:11)03: You Never Can Tell (6:11 – 10:05)04: Hard to Handle (10:05 – 13:44)05: Dead Flowers (13:44 – 17:49)Side 2:06: Don’t Put Her Down (17:49 – 22:05)07: Honky Tonkin’ (I Guess I Done Me Some) (22:05 – 24:55)08: She’s Looking Better Every Beer (24:55 – 27:36)09: Can’t Get Over You (27:36 – 29:40)10: The Swimming Song (29:40 - 31:48)Track 1 was composed by Jack Tempchin & Warren HugheyTrack 2 was composed by Vick ThomasTrack 3 was composed by Chuck BerryTrack 4 was composed by Otis Redding, Allen Jones, & Alvertis IsbellTrack 5 was composed by Mick Jagger & Keith RichardsTrack 6 was composed by Hazel DickensTrack 7 was composed by Delbert McClintonTrack 8 was composed by John ShineTrack 9 was composed by John DawsonTrack 10 was composed by Loudon Wainwright IIIPersonnel:John Dawson: rhythm guitar, lead vocals, harmony vocalsDavid Nelson: lead guitar, harmony vocals, lead vocals on “Fifteen Days Under the Hood”, “You Never Can Tell”, “Hard to Handle”, “Dead Flowers” “Don’t Put Her Down” & “Honky Tonkin’ (I Guess I Done Me Some)”Buddy Cage: pedal steel guitarSkip Battin: bass guitar, harmony vocals, lead vocals on “She’s Looking Better Every Beer”Spencer Dryden: drumsBy 1976, the New Riders’ extremely frequent output of albums had exhausted John Dawson’s repertoire of original songs. 1976’s “New Riders” album features only one Dawson composition; the rest of the cuts are various well executed Country/R&B covers. Dawson also takes a back seat vocally, with David Nelson taking the lead on the majority of the songs. The atmosphere on this album is very different than their previous release, 1975’s “Oh What a Mighty Time”. That album featured extensive use of female backup singers and horns, whereas this album has a very loose feel with sparse Country arrangements. It is for that reason that I rank this among the New Riders’ best albums.Standout tracks are “Fifteen Days Under the Hood”, “She’s Looking Better Every Beer”, “Can’t Get Over You”, and “The Swimming Song”. This was Skip’s last album with the group, as he left before its release to replace Chris Ethridge in The Flying Burrito Brothers. He would be replaced by Stephen Love, formerly of Rick Nelson’s Stone Canyon Band and the Roger McGuinn Band. Skip’s departure marks the end of my personal favorite era of the group, for Skip was a huge asset to any group he was in due to his instrumental virtuosity, quality singing, and fantastic original songs.