Two-Fisted Tales (album)

''Two-Fisted Tales'' is the third studio album by American band the Long Ryders, released in 1987 by Island Records. It was their last studio album for 32 years until 2019's '' Psychedelic Country Soul''. The album yielded two singles, a cover of NRBQ’s " I Want You Bad" and "Gunslinger Man". On ''Two-Fisted Tales'', the Long Ryders moved further away from their country rock origins towards a more college rock direction.

Background

The recording sessions for ''Two-Fisted Tales'' took place in November and December 1986 at A&M Studios and Eldorado Studios in Hollywood, California, and were produced by Ed Stasium (known for his work with the Ramones, Talking Heads, Motörhead, the Smithereens and Living Colour).''Ed Stasium Biography''
edstasium.com. Retrieved September 6, 2019. Guitarist Sid Griffin said of working with Ed Stasium, "He crafted a radio-friendly record that did not sacrifice our Americana/alt-country principles one iota. Ed drilled us and rehearsed us like the U.S. Marine Corps, even down to deciding kick drum patterns. It was terribly exciting." The album features guest appearances by David Hidalgo of Los Lobos and Debbi and Vicki Peterson of the Bangles. Head of Island Records, Chris Blackwell, gave the band almost complete artistic freedom. "He just told us to give him two songs that AOR could play and we could live out our Hank Williams fantasies for the rest", Griffin said.

The band's cover of NRBQ’s " I Want You Bad" was released as the album's first single. "Our label wanted a cover to help break us," drummer Greg Sowders explained, "and we picked an obscure one". The single's B-side, "Ring Bells" – recorded but not finished at the ''Two-Fisted Tales'' sessions – was completed during mixing sessions in February 1987 at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas. The finished album was delivered to Island in March but the release was delayed for two months. "Tom Waits was selling better than Island expected, U2 were still shifting units, and so we were told to wait", Griffin said. In the two years since the Long Ryders signed with Island, several key employees had left the label's A&R department, and the new team, according to Griffin, showed little interest in the band and the release of ''Two-Fisted Tales''. Griffin: "The guy at Island that signed us ... they let him go. So, our defender at the record label was gone". When the band's rough album cover mockup was accidentally printed and went out as the final cover, they saw it as further proof of their label's indifference. Griffin: "No cleaning it up, no equalising the borders, no attempt to make our broad idea into something focused."

The album was finally released in June 1987 and despite "I Want You Bad" getting radio airplay, neither single nor album charted. By the end of the year, after the departures of bassist Tom Stevens and guitarist Stephen McCarthy, the Long Ryders had disbanded.

According to Griffin, ''Two-Fisted Tales'' contains more Long Ryders songs that were covered by other acts than any other of their albums.

Musical style and reception

AllMusic described the album's sound as "a unique blending of McGuinn-esque guitar figures" with country-rock and traditional roots rock. They wrote that the Long Ryders' instrumentation, which includes mandolin, autoharp, lap steel and accordion, "reflects their allegiance to traditional Americana music." In their artist biography, AllMusic wrote that the album blends "the upbeat jangle" of bands like R.E.M. with the Long Ryders' love of "classic twangy sounds."

''Shindig!

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