LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

San Diego's Beat Farmers put the bar in bar band. Led by singing drummer Country Dick Montana, they barreled beer-long through roots-rock originals and wide-ranging covers -- everything from Chuck Berry to The Velvet Underground to Merle Haggard. They were key members of the cow-punk posse that also included Rank & File, The Blasters, Jason & The Scorchers, and Los Lobos. The band formed in 1983 when Montana called up guitarist-vocalist Jerry Raney and asked him, "Want to start a rolling musical pleasure unit?" They played their first gigs at The Spring Valley Inn, where they had to move a pool table in order to set up. They soon graduated to Bodies, a local club in which they would ritually mount a booze-drenched rock 'n' roll orgy. In 1984 the Farmers teamed up with producers Steve Berlin and Mark Linett to make their debut album. Given a shoestring budget, they nonetheless managed to cut basic tracks in Frank Sinatra's room at Hollywood's Capitol Studios; nitrous-fueled overdubs took place at the decidedly more humble Amigo Studios. Tales From The New West resulted, a crafty collection of dustbowl drinking songs, jangle-pop gems, and wildman blues. While no studio recording could ever capture the roof-raising ruckus of the Beat Farmers' early live shows, this 1985 cult classic comes dangerously close. This expanded and remastered Rhino Handmade release presents Tales in its entirety, plus selected tracks from 1986's Glad 'N' Greasy and 2003's belated Live At The Spring Valley Inn 1983, as well as demos for 1986's Van Go. Tales Of The New West is available as an individually numbered limited edition of 5,000 copies.
TRACK LISTING BIGGER STONES (2:20) THERE SHE GOES AGAIN (2:41) REASON TO BELIEVE (2:35) LOST WEEKEND (2:51) CALIFORNIA KID (2:39) NEVER GOIN' BACK (3:51) GOLDMINE (2:52) SHOWBIZ (2:13) LONESOME HOUND (2:38) WHERE DO THEY GO (2:58) SELFISH HEART (2:40) HAPPY BOY (2:18) POWDERFINGER (3:40) DEATH TRAIN (2:38) BEAT GENERATION (2:32) GLAD 'N' GREASY (2:38) DELAYED REACION (2:29) BIG ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN (2:00) ROAD OF RUIN (2:27) GUN SALE AT THE CHURCH (3:22) BLUE CHEVROLET (3:04) DECEIVER (2:59) JUMP RIGHT BACK (1:46) LONELY BLUE BOY (3:03) DIM LIGHTS, THICK SMOKE AND LOUD, LOUD MUSIC (4:45) I STILL MISS SOMEONE (2:18) MONDO (3:44) WATCHING THE RIVER (3:31)