The Adventures of Panama Red

Performer: New Riders of the Purple Sage
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: This is arguably the best album from this long-running Grateful Dead spin-off band; the songs are consistently strong, and, within their country-rock format, surprisingly varied. The playing, particularly by steel guitar wiz Buddy Cage, is more focused than ever, perhaps due to the presence of veteran country producer Norbert Putnam at the helm. Highlights include the cleverly self-mythologizing title song, the very funny "Lonesome L.A. Cowboy," which chronicles the group's bemused encounter with the nascent glam-rock culture, and the ironically upbeat cry-in-your-beer anthem "Teardrops in My Eyes." Long time fans will be pleased to learn that the CD booklet includes the "Panama Red" comic strip that graced the original album's back cover.

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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