Long Ryders – I Had A Dream

When I was discovering the Paisley Underground Scene from the 1980s, this was one of the bands that jumped out at me. I did a post on them a few years ago with a song called Looking for Lewis and Clark.  I still can’t believe this was released in the 1980s because it lacked big production and a Casio-sounding keyboard. To me, this sounds like grounded roots music, and reminiscent of the Byrds, and I love the sound. It’s both country twang and chiming power chords.

If you’re going to kick off your first proper album, you may as well come out swinging, and the Long Ryders do just that here. This song wastes no time; the guitar riff is a jangle straight out of the Byrds’ Rickenbacker playbook, but it’s dirtied up with a garage-band growl that says these guys were listening to as much Crazy Horse as Mr. Tambourine Man.

The Long Ryders cut their debut album Native Sons in early 1984 at A&M Studios in Hollywood, with Henry Lewy, Joni Mitchell’s longtime collaborator, behind the board. He understood space and warmth, two qualities the Ryders wanted in spades. The sessions were quick; they were on an indie budget, so this song went down live in the studio, the band feeding off each other’s energy.

The album was praised by critics, Melody Maker saying ” “a modern American classic” and Allmusic has praised the album, writing that it “established their eclectic mixture of Byrds/Clash/Flying Burrito Brothers’ influences … while turning in an original sound that became the banner for both the paisley underground and cowpunk styles in the mid-’80s.”

The album peaked at #1 on the UK Indie Chart in 1984. 

I Had A Dream

Tried so hard to explain
The way things are and how quick they can change
But you never listened you just turned your head
Never even heard a single word that he said
While it’s true now that I’m not a saint
I felt pain when you live to hate
Said it before and I’ll say it again
Leave me alone man or treat me like a friend

I had a dream last night
Everybody’s laughing and everything was alright
Still some hope in sight, that was last night

I had a dream last night
Nobody’s crying, nobody’s frightened
Still some hope in sight, that was last night

Well if it seems like I sound like the rest
We’re trying hard not to be too depressed
Once they take everything I’ve left, it’s so easy
So if you’re dreaming I hhope that you do
Wish for the best and hope that it comes true
Who knows what they’ll leave when they’re through

I had a dream last night
Everybody’s laughing and everything was alright
Still some hope in sight, that was last night

I had a dream last night
Nobody’s crying, nobody’s frightened
Still some hope in sight, that was last night

Unknown's avatar

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

32 thoughts on “Long Ryders – I Had A Dream”

    1. There are a lot of bands in that scene that I really liked. Rain Parade, Green on Red, and a few others. For me…much better music than what was in the top 40 at the time.

      Like

      Reply
  3. Pingback: Long Ryders – I Had A Dream – MobsterTiger

    1. They had some really good songs and I really like this album. I SO wish I would have known about all of these bands back then. Today we would at least know about them because of social media.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Perhaps, but still would be easy for them to get lost in the clutter there . Back when I was on MySpace, maybe around 2005-08, I guess I wrote about music at times and had a playlist up and so I had easily over 100 bands and singers following me (or whatever we called it then) and new requests almost every day. I checked some of their pages out and had a quick listen to, but didn’t have time to get to them all by any stretch of the imagination. For all I know, one of them might have been a young unknown called Taylor Swift.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Yea…they are not remembered to the masses…but like Big Star and others…people like me love them. The Replacements for instance…sold out 20 thousand seat places…so I guess bands like this (yea they still are playing) make a living. No they could not sell out like the Replacements did but you get what I’m saying. there is enough of us.

        Wow…you started a long time ago. Do you have a copy of the site or did you keep any of the content?

        Liked by 1 person

  7. All I needed to read from your post was, “the guitar riff is a jangle straight out of the Byrds’ Rickenbacker playbook, but it’s dirtied up with a garage-band growl that says these guys were listening to as much Crazy Horse as Mr. Tambourine Man,” and I instantly knew I was going to love that song. And, surely enough, I do!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. They are right up my alley… I mean if I were in a band…this would be the style of music I would be playing now. I just totally love this Christian. Their biggest hit was Looking For Lewis and Clark…and it was great as well.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      2. Man I really like them. I think they are still together. I’m going to post another “Paisley Band” next week that I really like.
        They were doing what I wanted to do at that time.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. When I was briefly flirting with the idea to try and pursue music professionally in my early twenties, Jackson Browne’s “Running On Empty” album was the type of music I dreamed of making. Yeah, I would have been running empty, running on an empty wallet and would probably be dead by now. Sometimes, I guess going the boring career route isn’t the worst outcome.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. LOL…now you never know Christian! You could have made it…it’s a crap shoot and about who you know and your timing.

        Liked by 1 person

  8. I like the first video, nicely put together. Good tune. I also love this line in your post:
    “it’s dirtied up with a garage-band growl that says these guys were listening to as much Crazy Horse as Mr. Tambourine Man.”

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  10. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before Max, but a later one I heard on some random Mojo/Uncut free CD was their ‘Psychedelic Country Soul’ which, for me was a winner ten seconds into first listen. They are good, I’ll have to dig deeper and further back. Or try, but as we know, so much to try to hear, not enough free time to stop and smell the roses, hear the Byrdsy-sound, whatever.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I’m listening right now to it. I love the sound of it obbverse. If you get a chance listen to Looking For Lewis And Clark. No you never told me before about these guys. I posted one 4 years ago.
      Thanks for the reccomendation! I love this. This is the kind of music I would love to write and some stuff I’ve done sounds kinda like this…the mid tempo style.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Yes, I’ve heard ‘Lewis and Clark’ before, I went back on your site to confirm it. For me ‘Psych’ has a more mature yet still tuneful hook and feel. Both fine tunes from a band that has obviously been decent for a long while.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I’m glad to say that they are out there still playing. I’m posting another band from that scene next weekend. This is what I was talking to you about the other day…I look forward to posts like this….

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment