Lonesome Strangers - Lonseome Pine (1986, Wrestler)

Here’s one for all you cowpokes out there. The Lonesome Strangers were an early alt-country quartet with a decidedly traditionalist bent, ostensibly hailing from the L.A. area. These boys played it so straight laced, it’s hard to tell if their debut, Lonesome Pine was a sly send-up of their genre of choice or wholly sincere. Founding member Randy Weeks went onto to record several solo albums, and has guested on records by such bona fide country artists as Dwight Yoakam and Chris Gaffney.

It’s Lonesome Pine's livelier offerings that do it for me, namely the introductory dust-up “Don’t Cross the Bad Man,” and “Here Comes the Night,” the latter popularized by Them featuring Van Morrison. Overall, the Strangers were way more Hank and Cash than the Meat Puppets or Tupelo. Finally, word on the net is that the bassist for the Strangers once dated Lucinda Williams. All this dusty, boot-kickin’ cross-pollination, I’m telling ya… Click on the hyperlinks in the first paragraph for more crucial biographical data.

01. Don't Cross the Bad Man

02. Ton of Shame

03. Lonesome Pine

04. Here Comes the Night

05. 8-Ball

06. Hillbilly Music

07. Modern Don Juan

08. The One Who Wore My Ring
09. Walkin' Over Hot Coals

10. Stranger Malone

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