(June 2024) Episode 575 is PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS. I had long thought Paul Revere and the Raiders were a plastic contraption trying to ride the wave of the British Invasion, largely due to their Revolutionary War-era costumes. I was very wrong. They had their origins in Boise, Idaho, of all places, as an instrumental rock band, but were able to capitalize on the emerging popularity of guitar rock with a version of “Louie, Louie” as other Pacific Northwest bands were doing the same. This sound, led by the semi-snarling vocals of Mark Lindsay, helped define what we now call American garage rock. Moving to Los Angeles and absorbing its influences, the Raiders’ seven (!) albums recorded between 1966 and 1968 are all really good, with a fair number of original compositions (although their best songs tended to be written by others). They transitioned well into the 1970s with more earthy songs, before fading off into the nostalgia circuit. One knock on their status (for me) was frequent lineup changes, with Lindsay and the eponymous Paul Revere Dick being the only constants.
Favorite album: Midnight Ride
Favorite song: Kicks
Compared to expectations: ↑
Recommendation: A compilation of their hits will be good, but you can dig in further with any of those 1966-68 albums from Just Like Us to Something Happening.
Opus Project 