Customer Reviews

Complete Recordings 1987-1989

5 star:		(4)
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Someday, the Donner Party will be held in the esteem of the Shaggs, Holy Modal Rounders and the Scene is Now. A wonderful mess of sound. Appelachian folk meets California psychedelia by way of punk DIY. If you were into any of the 80's American underground, do yourself a favor and give this generous set a try.

This has to be one of my favorite bands of all time. For neigh on 10 years I have been placing notes on the net looking for their first record (released in 1987 and absolutely unobtainable). I've done innumerable searches & learned more than I ever wanted to know about cannibalism in early America--but, this is all irrelevant. They combine sweet folky music & straighforward rock with- er, well, some unusual lyrics. If you like Dogbowl, and early King Missle you will love these guys as well. I'm soooo happy that their material has been rereleased!

I bought this lovely two-cd set on a whim. Now I'm trying to buy the original albums on vinyl. I am addicted. Pray for me.

I've been a big Quasi fan for quite some time now. I love them. Fronted by a much happier Sam Coomes, the Donner Party is a wonderful, silly band with clever lyrics, fun instrumentals, and the occasional giggle or goofy voice. The band's sound is a bit dated--sort of a cross between old R.E.M. and early Quasi with the occasional banjo or accordion thrown in--but still very enjoyable.

So, in conclusion, if you like Quasi, buy this album. Even if you don't like Quasi, buy it anyway. It's worth every penny.

i am really enjoying this. i can remember hearing "boxfull of bones" on the radio in lexington, kentucky when i was in junior high and calling in to get them to play it again so i could tape it. only once did i find a donner party tape (i guess the first), but it didnt have "boxfull of bones" so i didnt buy it. whoops. i then found they were hard to come by when i did look for some of their music again in the future. kindof a, that song, that song, who was that band? oh yeah... cant find'm. but i guess thanks to innerstate they are resurrected. there is a certain pureness to these recordings... later bands like the hilltops from oxford, mississippi (later to become members of wilco and blue mountain) pulled off this sound some, and i doubt theyd ever heard of the donner party. it's an evident sound of those influenced by early 80s punk as well as more roots rock type stuff and/or country, and even early-REM etc... some critic types may hear this and label it alt-country or whatever... but it's not, and if so, way ahead of its time. this is the real deal. music for the love of making music. no one cares what label is put on it at this point. it's just the donner party. not the one that had to eat some of their frozen fellows up near truckee, but the other one. thanks innerstate for putting this out...... now, 11 or so years after i heard of this band, i finally got around to buying something, and all of it at that.