Live Austin, TX 6/13/75

New Riders of the Purple Sage (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 1, 2005)
• Original Release Date: November 1, 2005
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: KUFALA Recordings
• ASIN: B000BTEPQA
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #129,772 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. I'm Bringin' Home Good News

2. You Angel You

3. She's No Angel

4. My Dog Peaches

5. On The Amazon

6. Before The Next Teardrop Falls

7. Over And Over

8. Whiskey

9. Crooked Judge

10. I Will Never Make You Blue

11. New Orleans

12. La Bamba

13. Glendale Train

14. Dead Flowers

15. Nadine

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

In the summer of 1969, John Dawson was looking to showcase his songs while Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead was looking to practice his brand new pedal steel guitar. The two played in coffeehouses and small clubs initially, and the music they made became the nucleus for the New Riders of the Purple Sage. Along with guitarist David Nelson and the rhythm section of Mickey Hart and Phil Lesh from the Dead, the New Riders played every chance they got. By 1970, Dave Torbert took over on bass, and soon enough, smoky clubs all over the San Francisco bay area were filling up with whooping, foot-stomping crowds as their music got tighter and more dynamic. Through extensive tours with the Dead, and the addition of Jefferson Airplane drummer Spencer Dryden taking over for Hart and the talented Buddy Cage filling the pedal steel spot that Garcia had to vacate, the New Riders emerged as a fully independent unit. An excitingly creative band with a special brand of music—sweet country harmonies mixed with pulsing rock rhythms. Throughout the 1970s, the New Riders recorded seven album for Columbia, of which their 1973 release, The Adventures of Panama Red, is probably their most widely known. They wound out the seventies recording 3 albums for MCA, going through a few more personnel changes, with Dawson carrying the NRPS torch throughout the 1980s and early 1990s until he retired to the hills of Mexico. The New Riders of the Purple Sage received a Lifetime Achievement Award from High Times magazine at their Doobie Awards in September, 2002 and performed a brief set at the festivities at B.B. King's Blues Club in New York City.

Product Description

Austin, Texas, 1975. The “Outlaw Country” movement was reaching its peak with weekly musical meetings of hippies and rednecks at the 1500 capacity Armadillo World Headquarters. Whether the charge was being led by local luminaries like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Freddie King, or by California country-rock imports like the New Riders of the Purple Sage and Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, the Armadillo’s legend was becoming well known throughout the country. Before it was all said and done, the Armadillo hosted everyone from Bruce Springsteen, Jerry Garcia and Frank Zappa to Bill Monroe, Gram Parsons and Ray Charles. The New Riders of the Purple Sage had been making Austin a home away from home for a few years by the time this middle night of a three-night run of performances came about. Bassist Skip Battin, formerly of The Byrds, had been in the band for a full year now, contributing heavily to the Riders’ 1974 album Brujo, and his unique playing style and energy are an essential element to the band’s good time vibe that permeates this recording. 6/13/75 features crisp versions of “Lonesome L.A. Cowboy,” “Henry,” “Louisiana Lady” and “Glendale Train.” The Austin atmosphere kicks into high gear as Battin sings his ode to the lone star state capital, “Austin, Texas,” which jams right into Dawson’s Austin inspired “Instant Armadillo Blues.” Long before there ever was the term ‘jam-band,’ the New Riders strut some psychedelic stuff on fan favorites “Dirty Business” and “Portland Woman.” Other highlights and rarities include a very early take on the Battin penned “Strangers On A Train,” “My Dog Peaches,” a never before released Dawson song, David Nelson singing Merle Haggard’s “I’m Bringing Home Good News,” Dawson going Tex-Mex on Freddy Fender’s “Before The Next Teardrop Falls” and a very rare Riders performance of the Gary U.S. Bonds hit “New Orleans.” The New Riders Live at the Armadillo was mastered directly off of the original 1/4 track reel to reel recording and captures this night just as it was—in all of its hot, sweaty, beer-soaked and smoke-filled glory.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hot from the Sun, May 3, 2006

By 

Unicorn2 (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live Austin, TX 6/13/75 (Audio CD)

This is actually a pretty good representation of the 75-6 edition of the band, featuring Skip Battin on bass & vocals. While he is and isn't, quite the songwriter Torbert was, he brings some material to this disk that well makes up for the somewhat weak contributions he made to the final 2 Byrds albums. The Kufala company has seemingly learned its lessons following the disastrous first release they pumped out, in that all the songs feature well balanced mix of instruments and voices- though you do notice as each singer's mic is tweaked for their first featured song.
The band though are in excellent form- "Strangers on a Train" and "Portland Woman" stand out on the first disk, which is to say that the preceding tracks are not so bad- just that these two are where they catch fire.
Side two features several country tunes (Merle Haggard's Im Bring in' Home Good News" as well as their set staple La Bamba & acouple more), and an extended "Crooked Judge" with a drum-bass solo workout. Nelson and Cage are in great form on this and anyone who wants an education in country picking should at least take on the intro to Henry...
I like this CD better than the other Kufala Cd's, which is regrettable because I happen to really love Torbert's performing but as it is, this is as good a picture of the Battin band as you are going to find.

5.0 out of 5 stars Panama Red is Back in Town, June 2, 2011

By 

PK (Florida) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Live Austin, TX 6/13/75 (Audio CD)

When I first saw the songs on this disc, I couldn't understand why a concert CD from this time period did not include Panama Red. I went to their web site and discovered the songs listed on Amazon are for the second disc only. Here are the songs on the first disc:

Disc One

I Don't Know You
Panama Red
Lonesome L.A. Cowboy
Austin, Texas
Instant Armadillo Blues
Teardrops In My Eyes
Dirty Business
Henry
Sutter's Mill
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke
Louisiana Lady
Strangers On A Train
Portland Woman

Also included is a third disc that is a sampler. KUFALA Recordings sampler #9. "The finest in authorized bootlegs and select studio recordings". There are 13 recordings on the disc, but the only group I ever heard of is New Riders.

I really enjoy concert CDs. The sound is a little uneven on this one, but I enjoyed the show.

pk

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great snapshot of NRPS in the mid-70s, April 13, 2009

By 

J. Polsgrove "Southwestdeadhead" (Baja Arizona) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Live Austin, TX 6/13/75 (Audio CD)

I came across this, and a few more early '70s soundboards of live recordings, in a local Borders, of all places. I beg to differ as to the sound quality. I'm from Dallas and caught many shows down at the 'dillo in Austin. The sound on this is as good as anything else that's been released from the 1970s. It wasn't archival recording, but as soundboards go, it's definitely "A" material.

I'd forgotten that Skip Battin played with NRPS! He was a strong influence on the late-generation Byrds' double album "Untitled."

All in all, this captures what a night at the Armadillo World Headquarters was like! Hey, it was tough growing up as a longhair in early 1970s Texas. Austin was like an oasis in the midst of redneck territory. (Willie and friends had recently moved to town, so this show captures Austin on the verge of becoming the music mecca that it is.)

This is nice NRPS and it's worth owning, if only for nostalgia's sake. (Although David Nelson has put the band back together now -- it's April 2009 -- and they'll be playing here in Tucson on Saturday, April 25. Damn right I'll be there!)

Enjoy the memories...