For the best summation of the early career of the legendary New Riders Of The Purple Sage, look no further than Raven's excellent new Double CD collection 'Instant Armadillo Blues: Best Of 1971-1975'.

The New Riders emerged in 1969 as an offshoot of the Grateful Dead when Jerry Garcia joined forces with core members David Nelson and John "Marmaduke" Dawson. Garcia bowed out in 1972 to concentrate on the Dead.
The band's initial sound was twangy country-styled acid rock, later moving into boot-kickin' country rock. Like the Dead and Commander Cody they became associated with dope-smoking hippiedom, exemplified by their anthemic 'Panama Red'. The Riders were a strong concert attraction and their albums sold well with 'The Adventures of Panama Red' (1973) going gold. 1971-1975 encompasses the height of the band's creativity.

On a great value Double CD, with 42 tracks (over 140 minutes) culled from seven albums recorded for Columbia, 'Instant Armadillo Blues' is a near perfect encapsulation of the band's earthy and free-wheeling sound. Among the highlights are 'Portland Woman' and 'Louisana Lady' (1971), 'Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music)' (1972) and 'Gypsy Cowboy' (1973). With superb quality audio, color booklet and informative liner notes.