Boston Music Hall, December 5, 1972

Performer: New Riders of the Purple Sage
Artist: Eric Andersen
Engineer: Bill Culhane; Bill Culhane
Producer: Rob Bleestein
Distributor: E1 Distribution (USA)

Notes: Available at www.kufala.com. New Riders Of The Purple Sage: John Dawson (vocals, guitar); David Nelson (guitar, background vocals); Buddy Cage (pedal steel guitar); Dave Torbert (bass, background vocals); Spencer Dryden (drums, percussion). Additional personnel: Eric Andersen. Recorded live at Boston Music Hall, Boston, Massachusetts on December 5, 1972. Personnel: David Nelson (vocals, guitar); Dave Torbert (vocals, bass guitar); John Dawson (vocals); Spencer Dryden (drums, percussion). Recording information: Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA (12/05/1972). Unknown Contributor Role: Eric Andersen. They've been a long time coming, but live recordings -- "authorized bootlegs" -- have found their niche in the CD market. Instead of listening to chopped-up concerts from the 1972 tour, Grateful Dead and New Riders of the Purple Sage (NRPS) fans can listen to the whole show. Boston Music Hall, December 5, 1972 is the second NRPS release plucked out of the vault by Kufala, and qualifies as another rocking show from the band's classic years. The gig gets a jaunty kickoff with "Truck Drivin' Man," a good-time ode to life on the road, and then delves into the hippy-dippy "Watcha Gonna Do." One of the joys of hearing NRPS live during this period is the dual powerhouse of David Nelson's guitar and Buddy Cage's pedal steel. Even on a throwaway like "Hello Mary Lou," Nelson's country-flavored fretwork sounds as though it would match Clarence White note for note, while Cage's wacky no-holds-barred approach guarantees that something interesting will happen each time he cuts loose. There are fine versions of "Portland Woman" and "Glendale Train" from the band's own catalog, and plenty of fine, and, occasionally, unusual covers like "Down in the Boondocks," "Long Black Veil," and "She's No Angel." John Dawson's a fine vocalist, and overall, NRPS handle vocals with much more aplomb than the Dead. In a way, NRPS' combination of country and rock realized the potential of the new genre in a way that the Flying Burrito Brothers only hinted at. While it goes without saying, fans will want to pick up a copy of Boston Music Hall. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

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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