Years before the alt-country scene exploded with the release of
Uncle Tupelo
's first album,
Rank and File
were a band of punk rock veterans who embraced the sound and feel of classic country music, but with a stripped-down sound and a lyrical stance that embraced leftist politics and a jaundiced eye toward the hipster music scene. Led by
Chip
and
Tony Kinman
of the fabled L.A. punk band
the Dils
and featuring
Alejandro Escovedo
before he founded the roots rock band
the True Believers
and went on to a celebrated solo career,
recorded two fine albums for the celebrated Los Angeles indie label
Slash Records
, and
The Slash Years
includes both of them in their entirety: 1982's lean and two-stepping debut
Sundown
and 1984's more polished and atmospheric
Long Gone Dead
-- in addition, the set features four rare non-LP tracks as a bonus. While this features nothing from the band's self-titled 1987 swan song for
Rhino Records
, it's a thorough collection of the group's best and most celebrated work, and three decades later this music is still smart, high-spirited, and thoroughly engaging; fans of classic country or roots rock will eat this up. ~ Mark Deming