Published on Aug 4, 2001
It’s been far too long since the late, lamented Beat Farmers
have been featured on these pages. Maybe it’s because every time I
listen to them, I can’t help but feel depressed that a talented,
sick individual like Country Dick Montana no longer drags his
knuckles along the surface of this planet. Maybe it’s because I,
along with many other fans, realize that the music industry just
never knew what to do with this rag-tag crew of musicians. Maybe,
just maybe… it’s because I’ve gotten too busy here in the Pierce
Memorial Archives.
Whatever. That all changes here.
Tales Of The New West, the 1985 debut from the Beat Farmers,
captured a growing influence in independent, alternative music. The
mixture of country, rock, a splash of folk and some absolutely
twisted humor was not unique to the Beat Farmers – well, okay, the
twisted humor was – but they, along with bands like Los Lobos, were
definitely pioneers in this sound. Listen to the early works of the
BoDeans, and tell me they weren’t influenced by these guys.
The Los Lobos connection is possibly explained by the production
hand of Steve Berlin and Mark Linnett, but the, aah, “normal” music
on
Tales Of The New West also pays homage to the early work of
Los Lobos. Songs like “Bigger Stones,” “There She Goes Again” and
“Never Goin’ Back” could easily have come from the guitar of Cesar
Rojas, and not the crew of Montana, Jerry Raney, Rolle Dexter and
Buddy Blue. The cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Reason To Believe” is
interesting, taking away some of the frustration of the original
and giving it a shot in the arm rhythmically.
The country side of the Beat Farmers possibly was never stronger
than it was on
Tales Of The New West, with songs like “Lost Weekend,”
“Where Do They Go” and “Lonesome Hound” tipping a hat to the likes
of Hank Williams while keeping a foot firmly planted in the
electric music territory. It’s an interesting combination, and
maybe it just wasn’t given enough time to really develop in the
Beat Farmers camp. Then again, I freely admit my experience with
the band ended with
Loud And Plowed And… Live, but that will be changing. Why,
right now I’m dusting off my CDs of
Glad ‘N Greasy and
Poor And Famous…
The two contributions that feature Montana as lead throat are
possibly two of the band’s most beloved and best songs. “California
Kid” is not quite as worked up as the live version – but since the
live track is the one that I was most familiar with, I admit to
having a little bit of bias there. But the original version of this
song and “Happy Boy” are just as able to put a sick smile on my
face. (True story: I made a tape which featured “Happy Boy” for a
teacher I worked with, someone who loved animals. The tape was
returned to me in pieces the next day. Mission accomplished.) It is
interesting to note that Montana’s voice, while its recognizable
bass tone, isn’t as scarred with the effects of cigarettes, whiskey
and late night barroom experiences – in other words, the vocals
that Montana became best known for.
Tales Of The New West did indeed plow some new ground in the
music world, and people were probably left scratching their heads
after this one appeared on their doorsteps. Over 15 years later,
though, it seems to be a natural progression, and reveals itself to
be an almost perfect match for the Beat Farmers, with only the
country side giving them a little room to grow. This isn’t the
easiest one in their catalog to find, but it’s well worth the
effort.