Powerglide

Performer: New Riders of the Purple Sage
Artist: Jerry Garcia; Bill Kreutzmann; Nicky Hopkins
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: The New Riders' sophomore effort is one of their best, perhaps thanks to stellar performances by guests including genius pianist Nicky Hopkins, and Jerry Garcia on banjo. In any case POWERGLIDE finds them summoning up the genuine honky-tonk spirit. Their version of "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music)," for example, is as ragged-but-right as vintage Burrito Brothers. Highlights include a clever country-rock recasting of Ashford and Simpson's "I Don't Need No Doctor," founding member John Dawson's delicate and poetic "Lochinvar," and a nice cover of Ricky Nelson's "Hello, Mary Lou," which gives steel guitarist Buddy Cage several opportunities to shine.

Formed in 1969 by Bakersfield country obsessive John Dawson and guitarist David Nelson, the New Riders Of The Purple Sage counted among their original line-up Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, and Mickey Hart from the Grateful Dead. Cutting their teeth as the Dead's opening act, the New Riders quickly established an independent identity through the strength of Dawson's original songs. Their 1971 debut, which featured Garcia on pedal steel, blended country rock with a loose, hippie aesthetic. POWERGLIDE introduced steel ace Buddy Cage and a punchier, more assertive sound, which yielded their 1973 fourth album, THE ADVENTURES OF PANAMA RED, gold status. After this commercial peak, the band continued recording and touring in various guises in the ensuing decades--although the '00s lineup did not feature John Dawson.

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