State of Our Union

by The Long Ryders

State of Our Union cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 1985
  • Label: Island
  • Country: United States
  • Community rating: 3.69/5 from 3 ratings

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Relocating to a major label, the Los Angeles quartet delivered an energetic, highly politicized fusion of punk rock tempos and classic Byrds-style folk instrumentation. 'State of Our Union' is driven by aggressive, twanging guitars and biting lyricism that heavily critiqued the conservative political landscape of Reagan's America. Buoyed by the UK hit 'Looking for Lewis and Clark,' the album became a foundational touchstone for the burgeoning alternative country movement.

Genres

Descriptors: melodic, history, conscious, jangly, storytelling

Tracklist

  1. Looking For Lewis And Clark
  2. Lights Of Downtown
  3. WDIA
  4. Mason-Dixon Line
  5. Here Comes That Train Again
  6. Years Long Ago
  7. Good Times Tomorrow, Hard Times Today
  8. Two Kinds Of Love
  9. You Just Can't Ride The Boxcars Anymore
  10. Capturing The Flag
  11. State Of My Union

Credits

  • The Long Ryders - primary artist
  • Tom Stevens - bass [electric and acoustic], vocals, written-by
  • Greg Sowders - drums, percussion, keyboards, other [advice], written-by
  • Stephen McCarthy - guitar, banjo, steel guitar [lap], vocals, written-by
  • Sid Griffin - guitar, harmonica, autoharp, vocals, written-by
  • Snake Davis And His Longhorns - featuring
  • Vic Collins - steel guitar [pedal]

More from The Long Ryders: full discography