Customer Reviews

The Adventures of Panama Red

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I see there are already plenty of reviews of Panama Red already, so I really have no excuse for writing my own. All the same...

Firstly, I think people who don't like this album are probably thinking of NRPS as the dead's little sister, which frankly it is not. It has very little to do with the dead. It's psycadelic cowboy rock.
It is also totally fantastic. There is not a song on the album that I don't like.
Here's a mini review of the songs-

"Panama Red"- Totally a classic. First time I heard it I was singing along by the end.
"It's All Right With Me"- Oo-Oo- yeeeaaah, to qoute it.
"Lonesome LA Cowboy"- The lines about smokin' dope, snortin' coke are great. Heck, the whole song is.
"(Ok Sam)Important exportin' man"- Very catchy. Greatest saxaphone.
"One Too Many Stories"- Oh, woe. The only one I couldn't call my favorite. But it's still fine.
"Kick in the head"- Absolutely my favorite. The lyrics are bizarre and typicle Robert Hunter. (Funny the dead never preformed it)
"You Should Have Seen Me Runnin"- Lord. Buffy Sainte-Marie is the greatest back up ever. I don't know why there isn't more of her and less of Donna Jean. (???)
"Teardrops in My Eyes"- I can't help dancing when this plays. Happiest sad song ever.
"L.A Lady"-Really well done. Good singing, good music, good lyrics. What more could you ask for?
"Thank the Day"- Typical Torbert (It's about sailing). The lyrics "I couldn't keep from smiling" must apply to the listener.
"Cement, Clay and Glass"- Wait a sec. THIS is my favorite. Great anti urban sprawl song.
I have only one beef, and trust me it's not the song's fault. I guess when they put it onto cd they changed it a little, because at the end when he (David Nelson, I think. Don't qoute me) is singing "Cement, Clay and Glass" over and over you can hear Donna Jean Godchaux singing signifigantly louder than the he is. This isn't a problem on the record (I know because I have it), just the Cd.

Thats it for the songs, but I think I should mention one other thing thats unfortunate: the packaging for the Cd is not nearly as exciting as it was for the record. The fantastic Panama Red cartoon is rather squashed. Aslo, the sleave that had the lyrics and the picture of NRPS with the grungy dog is not reproduced anywhere.
Thats really all, and, frankly, I can deal with the two small drawbacks because the CD means I can listen to it in the car, lend it to my friends, whatever.

It's pretty hard to dislike the New Riders, so you should definatley give this Cd a try.

***** I can't help but think that if the NRPS defined the mainstream of country music I'd probably like a lot more of it. This was a party favorite of mine and my whole gang's back in (way back in) college days. This album (ahem...CD) belongs in your collection of party and road cruising tunes along with NRPS's Powerglide. Every song is solid, the lyrics are fun and easy to sing along to, the musicianship and vocals are tight and precise but not stiff. Only one downside (maybe two...). The darned CD is too short, it's over just as you're getting cranked up. That's a good reason to follow it up with a Powerglide chaser. And...even though the musical performance is top notch, this CD has a fair amount of hiss on the quiet sections and gives you the feeling of a hissy cassette background with no Dolby noise reduction. But the music is that good, you'll excuse the poor engineering translation from tape to CD. *****

FRIENDS HAVE ASKED ME WHAT MY ALL TIME FAVORITE ALBUM IS I ALWAYS SAY PANAMA RED. IF I COULD ONLY KEEP 5 CD'S I KNOW THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE I WOULD GRAB. I THINK EVERY SONG BUT ONE IS GREAT. YOU HAVE FAST COUNTRY UPBEAT TUNES(WITH GREAT STEEL GUITAR), AND SLOW BALLADS LIKE LONESOME LA COWBOY, I THINK IS ONE THE BEST BALLADS I HAVE HEARD. AND YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN ME RUNNING IS ANOTHER GREAT SONG

PUT IT on FIRE ONE UP AND ENJOY THE MUSIC

I first bought this album in 1975. Its amazing how after 30 yrs the songs still sound as good as they did way back then. Very good collection of tunes. Half the cd is country and the other half is rock. Total track time is around 30 minutes. Very good music.

First..Woody Guthrie, then Easy Rider, then the Byrd's Sweetheart Of The Rodeo then The New Riders...this rock and roll country and western offshoot of the Dead came into their commercial heyday with these bright unashamed batch of songs.
Their self titled debuet is the most Dead like, their 2nd Powerglide pushed them into speedier funkier grooves while Gypsy Cowboy defined them in a more roots folk setting.
Panama Red became their anthem as the Merry Pranksters of rock culture.
Of course the themes of many of the songs are somewhat comical these days but eventhough the CD is a short one the songs and tunes are alive and still sound fresh.The ballads have beautiful melody,the rockers rock like Commander Cody and the production was top-notch for it's day with bright loud lovely sound.
Their ist release with Garcia and company is a classic..this is the one to forget your troubles with.

The Dead, Skynard, Allman Bros. & Eagles mixed into a bowl and fired up! I bought this album solely for "Panama Red" but the entire album turned out to be very enjoyable. The sound of the album is unique but also reminiscent of other bands that were popular at the time of it's release (1973). Mostly, the lyrics are funny but occasionally become introspective. The "drug culture" and language that is present in the songs take you back to a seeminly simpler time, this one is definitely worth buying.

This represents a solid example of '70's country rock and the best original work ever done by the NRPS. Starting with the title song, the album is a story book of the modern day cowboy. The guitars will appeal to those with a bent towards rock and roll while the pedal steel will attract country enthusiasts. Although the NRPS never rose to the heights of some of their '70's counterparts (Allman Brothers, Lynard Skynard, Marshall Tucker, etc.), this was an admirable performance and worthy of a listen.

People ask me where I heard of New Riders of the Purple Sage. You never really hear about them now, and that is completely unwarranted. A band this good should not be forgotten as they were, no, their songs should appear in more than just Coen brothers movies.

Easily, the most memorable song on this record is Panama Red. It features an instant hook, and will have you singing (silently perhaps) along by the end of it. The record even has a comic of it with the lyrics. The other songs fluctuate between country and rock, but they consistently maintain very country sounding bass and steel guitar. None of the other songs are as catchy as the title track, but Lonesome L.A cowboy, Kick in the head and a few others are rather memorable.

DO yourself a favor and find this record. Chances are that it will be for sale for about a dollar or two in a record store bargain bin (that is where I found mine), thus you really have no excuse for rediscovering what may have been one of the best country rock bands ever (Crosby Stills and Nash were really more like 3 (or 4) guys playing guitar).

I first heard this album in maybe 1976-77, ever since then it has been my favorite album. Ive bought the album three times a casette twice, and now a CD when that wears out ill buy another. I like the new riders a lot. I have songs on other recording's which i may consider more "favorite." But from start to finnish this is a great album, from the opening title track, to the closing "Cement,Clay And Glass." A steller studio recording. While growing up the one song I found A little "slow" was "Thank the Day" Now I think it's one of the finest song's on this record. An ever changing, ever improving record. Even after 25 years or so

Ok folks, here's one from the GREAT trilogy of country rock godliness consisting of this album as well as Carolina Dreams by Marshall Tucker Band and The first album by The Outlaws. I have loved this album since high school in 78 or so. The hippy dippy songs are cool but the pure country stuff is almost unmatched by anything. One of my nominees for greatest song of all time is You Shoulda Seen Me Runnin'...my god...how perfect this song is, and Buffy Saint Marie's backing vocals are the absolute nutz! This is desert island material.