''Veneta, Oregon, 8/27/72'' is an
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...
by the
country rock band the
New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded live on August 27, 1972, at the Springfield Creamery Benefit concert, at Temple Meadow, near
Veneta, Oregon
Veneta is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,561.
History
Veneta was established in 1912 by Edmund Eugene Hunter, who named the settlement after his five-year-old daughter. Veneta pos ...
. It was released on September 21, 2004. It was the third complete New Riders concert that was recorded in the 1970s and released in the 2000s as an album on the Kufala Recordings label, and the only one to be released as one disc instead of two.
In 2020, the album was remixed and remastered, and retitled ''Field Trip''. It was released on CD by Omnivore Recordings on April 24, 2020. It was released as a two-disc LP, in a limited edition of 1,500 copies, on August 29, 2020, in conjunction with
Record Store Day
Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...
.
Springfield Creamery Benefit
The Springfield Creamery Benefit, sometimes called the Field Trip, was a benefit concert for a dairy owned by Chuck Kesey, the brother of
Ken Kesey
Ken Elton Kesey (September 17, 1935 – November 10, 2001) was an American novelist, essayist and countercultural figure. He considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s.
Kesey was born in ...
, and his wife Sue. The New Riders of the Purple Sage were the warm up band for the
Grateful Dead. Despite challenging technical conditions — the weather was unusually hot, and many of the people present were under the influence of
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known colloquially as acid, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages LSD manifests primarily mental, vi ...
— the Dead's performance that day is highly regarded by tape traders. The concert is documented in a film and an album, both called ''
Sunshine Daydream''.
CD production
According to the CD liner notes, ''Veneta, Oregon, 8/27/72'' "was produced from the original 16-track analog master tapes running at 15 i.p.s. We've tried to preserve this day as it was.... An outdoor event on an extremely hot day with an assortment of
Merry Pranksters
The Merry Pranksters were comrades and followers of American author Ken Kesey in 1964.
Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters lived communally at Kesey's homes in California and Oregon, and are noted for the sociological significance of a lengthy roa ...
on the loose." The album includes several sets of stage announcements that were made during the course of the New Riders' performance, as well as some onstage remarks by members of the band.
Critical reception
On
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
, Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. said, "While the New Riders were always much more straightforward in concert than the
Dead
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
, and thus lacked the
jam band
A jam band is a musical group whose concerts (and live albums) are characterized by lengthy improvisational " jams." These include extended musical improvisation over rhythmic grooves and chord patterns, and long sets of music which often ...
appeal, they were nonetheless a formidable force. And while they are often remembered for combining
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...
and
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
, they sound like a good old-fashioned rock band here, even on a country song like "
Truck Drivin' Man
"Truck Drivin' Man" is a popular country song written and recorded by Terry Fell in 1954. One of his band members, Buck Owens, sang harmony with him on the recording.
In 1965, Owens recorded the song himself, omitting the fourth verse - "When I ...
". Specifically,
David Nelson's guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
work and
Buddy Cage's steel work add pizzazz to even the most mundane song, while
Dave Torbert's bass adds infinite bottom end. For whatever reason, ''Veneta'' seems even tighter, more musically together, than previous
ive archivalreleases."
[
On Jambands.com, Mike Greenhaus wrote, "While more polished live packages and reissued studio sessions still define their canon, rough-edged live releases like ''Veneta, Oregon, 8/27/72'' are essential in capturing both the sound and the feel of the New Riders' golden age.... the country quintet stemmed from the Dead's '' American Beauty'' studio peak, layering gentle psychedelic touches into their concise rock songs. Always more comfortable playing the tripped-out country-folk ]Gram Parsons
Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973) who was known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist who recorded as a solo artist and with the International Submarine Band, ...
trademarked during his tenure in The Byrds
The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...
, the NRPS offer unique live versions of cuts like "Louisiana Lady" and "Hello Mary Lou
"Hello Mary Lou" is a song written by American singer Gene Pitney first recorded by Johnny Duncan in 1960 and in the following year by Ricky Nelson. The song was recorded by Ricky Nelson at the famous United Western Recorders Studios on 22nd Ma ...
", without necessarily jamming such tracks. And, with the exception of the country-rock workout "Willie and the Hand Jive
"Willie and the Hand Jive" is a song written by Johnny Otis and originally released as a single in 1958 by Otis, reaching #9 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and #5 on the Billboard R&B chart. The song has a Bo Diddley beat and was partly in ...
", this bare bones release is stacked with short, tight songs, not epic jams."
On Earvolution, Jim McCoy said, "Cage's playing is the highlight throughout, with his trademark solo on the late Gene Pitney's "Hello Mary Lou" blazing like a rocket up his 10-string E9 neck; similarly, his twangy, pronounced double stops bring great life to "Groupie" and "Whatcha Gonna Do". It's not that the other musicians are slackers; in fact, the opposite is true.... for those already familiar with the New Riders — especially fans of Buddy Cage — this recording is an essential. Those Deadheads for which 8/27/72 holds a special place in their collections would also be wise to pick up this disc not just for the sake of having a complete representation of the day in their hundreds of hours of material, but because it is a solid example of live early-seventies rock music in its own right."[McCoy, Jim (May 8, 2006]
''Veneta, Oregon, 8/27/72''
at Earvolution. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
Track listing
#"Truck Drivin' Man
"Truck Drivin' Man" is a popular country song written and recorded by Terry Fell in 1954. One of his band members, Buck Owens, sang harmony with him on the recording.
In 1965, Owens recorded the song himself, omitting the fourth verse - "When I ...
" (Terry Fell
Terry Fell (May 13, 1921 – April 4, 2007) was an American country musician.
Biography Childhood and adolescence
Fell was born in Dora, Alabama on May 13, 1921, and got his first guitar at the age of nine. Later, he learned mandolin and too ...
) – 2:56
#"Rainbow" ( John Dawson) – 3:40
#"Lochinvar" (Dawson) – 4:51
#"Groupie" (Dave Torbert
David Edwin Torbert (June 7, 1948 – December 7, 1982) was a Bay Area musician, best known for his associations with the Grateful Dead and the New Riders of the Purple Sage. He played bass for the latter group, replacing Phil Lesh during the ses ...
) – 3:08
#Stage Announcement – White Bird Tent – 2:08
#"Whatcha Gonna Do" (Dawson) – 3:40
#"Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music)
Dim may refer to:
* Dim, a rhinoceros beetle in the 1998 Disney/Pixar animated film ''A Bug's Life''
* ''Dim'' (album), the fourth studio album by Japanese rock band The Gazette
* Dim, Amur Oblast, a rural locality in Amur Oblast, Russia
* Dim, ...
" (Max Fidler, Joe Maphis
Otis Wilson "Joe" Maphis (May 12, 1921 – June 27, 1986), was an American country music guitarist. He married singer Rose Lee Maphis in 1953 and they performed together, later referred to as "Mr & Mrs Country Music".
One of the flashiest co ...
, Rose Lee Maphis) – 3:37
#"Hello Mary Lou
"Hello Mary Lou" is a song written by American singer Gene Pitney first recorded by Johnny Duncan in 1960 and in the following year by Ricky Nelson. The song was recorded by Ricky Nelson at the famous United Western Recorders Studios on 22nd Ma ...
" ( Gene Pitney) – 3:08
#Stage Announcement – Field Tripping – 0:56
#"Whiskey" (Dawson) – 3:52
#Stage Announcement – Salt Tabs & Blue Acid – 1:35
#"Runnin' Back to You" (Dawson) – 4:14
#" I Don't Need No Doctor" (Jo Armstead
Josephine Armstead (born October 8, 1944), also known as "Joshie" Jo Armstead, is an American soul singer and songwriter. Armstead began her career singing backing vocals for blues musician Bobby "Blue" Bland before becoming an Ikette in the Ike ...
, Nick Ashford
Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting-production team and recording duo of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946).
Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina, ...
, Valerie Simpson
Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting-production team and recording duo of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946).
Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina, ...
) – 6:25
#"Linda" (Dawson) – 5:21
#"Louisiana Lady" (Dawson) – 3:56
#"Last Lonely Eagle" (Dawson) – 6:07
#"Willie and the Hand Jive
"Willie and the Hand Jive" is a song written by Johnny Otis and originally released as a single in 1958 by Otis, reaching #9 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and #5 on the Billboard R&B chart. The song has a Bo Diddley beat and was partly in ...
" ( Johnny Otis) – 10:38
Personnel
;New Riders of the Purple Sage
*Buddy Cage
Buddy Cage (February 18, 1946 – February 5, 2020) was an American pedal steel guitarist, best known as a longtime member of the New Riders of the Purple Sage. – pedal steel guitar
* John Dawson – rhythm guitar, vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...
*Spencer Dryden
Spencer Charles Dryden (April 7, 1938 – January 11, 2005) was an American musician best known as the drummer for Jefferson Airplane and New Riders of the Purple Sage. He also played with Dinosaurs, and the Ashes (later known as the Peanut B ...
– drums
* David Nelson – lead guitar
Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featu ...
, vocals
*Dave Torbert
David Edwin Torbert (June 7, 1948 – December 7, 1982) was a Bay Area musician, best known for his associations with the Grateful Dead and the New Riders of the Purple Sage. He played bass for the latter group, replacing Phil Lesh during the ses ...
– bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
, vocals
;Technical personnel
*Produced by Rob Bleetstein
*Mixed and mastered by Stephen Barncard
*16–track transfer by Jeffrey Norman
*Recorded by Bob Matthews and Betty Cantor
*Bus blotter art by Zane Kesey
*Event photos from the film ''Sunshine Daydream'' courtesy of Canis Major / Sam Field
*Stage announcements by Ken Babbs
See also
*'' Sunshine Daydream''
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Veneta, Oregon, 8 27 72
New Riders of the Purple Sage live albums
2004 live albums