New Riders Of The Purple Sage - Capitol Theatre, Passaic 1975 (2023)

Essentially, NRPS were initially formed as a vehicle for the Grateful Dead to indulge their tastes for country music beyond the albums Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. Although they never remotely approached the success or longevity of the Dead, they attracted a considerable audience through their association with the band. However, they quickly developed an identity of their own and, after signing with Columbia in 1970, had recorded six studio albums by the time of their appearance at the Capitol Theatre. Here, they casually drop in numbers from their latest work, Oh, What A Mighty Time, but heavily intersperse it with highlights from Brujo, Panama Red and Gypsy Cowboy, even reaching back to their 1971 debut. For lovers of 70s country rock, it needs the signature of NRPS to underline it and this is a perfect way to hear it being written.