Lazy Cowgirls Albums (10)
'I'm Goin' Out and Get Hurt Tonight'
Release Date 1/13/2004
Tracks 13
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
When a band has been around for more than 20 years, it often has to walk a fine line between following the template it's established for itself and figuring out how to not sound like it's worn itself into a rut. Since the Lazy Cowgirls' two most audible musical influences are the Ramones and the Rolling Stones -- groups who didn't always deal with this dilemma very well -- one can be forgiven for fearing that the Cowgirls would be at risk of losing their edge some day, but thankfully that sure hasn't happened yet, and their tenth album, 2003's I'm Goin' Out and Get Hurt Tonight, just so happens to be one of the strongest titles they've released in some time...maybe their best since their unexpected masterpiece Ragged Soul. The Lazy Cowgirls' stock-in-trade is still four-on-the-floor first-generation punk rock, and they still do it with fire, passion, and maximum impact; guitarist Michael Leigh's thick jackhammer leads have finally begun to achieve the same degree of messed-up élan as founding fret master D.D. Weekday, and Leonard Keringer and Roy Morgan drive this band like a Big Block Dodge in fifth gear. But while singer/frontman/vision guy Pat Todd has been throwing a few acoustic honky tonk tunes onto the Cowgirls albums since Rank Outsider, I'm Goin' Out and Get Hurt Tonight is where the C&W-flavored tracks start to really mesh with the rock tunes; the slowed-down version of "Goddamn Bottle" (first recorded on 1987's Tapping the Source) brings the song's harrowing emotional core front and center, and the result is a truly devastating performance, while the pedal steel fuels the high lonesome "Swept Across the Borderline" and "You Might Be Lost Now." And on the amped-up portion of the program, "Burnin' Daylight," "Give It Away," and "Every Time I Come Around Here" prove Todd has only grown with time, both as a vocalist and a songwriter, and he has more to say about the facts of life in blue-collar America than nearly anyone you'll find on the left of the dial. And if you just wanna rock, crank up the title track and your wish is granted. Twenty years on, Pat Todd and his bandmates haven't run out of ideas or desire, and I'm Goin' Out and Get Hurt Tonight proves they're still the greatest untapped natural resource of American rock. Listen to 'em, already! ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Here and Now: (Live!)'
Release Date 6/25/2001
Tracks 13
Label Sympathy For The Record Industry
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The Lazy Cowgirls were extraordinarily prolific at the turn of the century, releasing two full-length albums within six months of each other that both boast songs that rival the quality of anything they've done in their lengthy career. This live-in-studio collection finds the band at a turning point, surveying a healthy portion of recent compositions, covers of favored influences and forgotten Cowgirl classics. While Rank Outsider and Somewhere Down the Line both featured acoustic tracks, the inclusion of non-electric selections on this live document seems to herald a serious interest in pursuing a more rural tone than the no-holds-barred punk rock that the band is known for. It's an appropriate direction, since leader Pat Todd's songs have always been informed as much by Hank Williams as the Ramones, and while the acoustic numbers don't match up to their original sources (two are slowed-down versions of harder-edged songs from earlier albums, plus a reading of Bill Monroe's "Live in the Past"), they do pave the way for future country-flavored material that would serve the band well. "When It Comes to You I've Got No Dreams to Lose" is one of two new songs written for this project, and it's the highlight of the album, a tough-hearted number with a far rootsier approach than the crash-and-burn of Cowgirls past. Even at a slower speed, though, the band expresses all of the reckless sentiment and hoarse honesty that fans have come to expect. The electric set doesn't live up to the Lazy Cowgirls' full potential as a live band; the invited audience politely acknowledges each tune but the vibe is strangely sterile. The band does generate serious heat on their version of Billy Joe Shaver's "Goodbye to Yesterday," and the Todd original "Don't Count Me Out" (previously available only as a vinyl single) rocks with venom. Here and Now (Live!) is best appreciated by longtime fans who will be excited to hear the reworked versions of older tunes and the spirited covers that pepper the set. Anyone else with a passing interest in solid American rock & roll is encouraged to first obtain any of their more assured studio albums or witness firsthand one of the Lazy Cowgirls' incendiary live performances to fully understand this unsung quartet's importance. ~ Fred Beldin, All Music Guide
'Somewhere Down the Line'
Release Date 4/18/2000
Tracks 12
Label Sympathy for the Record Industry
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Something of a companion piece of 1999's Rank Outsider (the band considered releasing them as a double album, but opted for two separate albums released six months apart), Somewhere Down the Line finds the Lazy Cowgirls in a relatively calm and reflective mood. But the operative word is "relatively" -- some numbers feature slower tempos (like the swaggering "Bittersweet Shit"), and the occasional acoustic tunes (such as "Stripper Blues" and "Leap of Faith") show off the band's taste for blues and honky-tonk styles. But if you're looking for the Lazy Cowgirls' traditional flat-out roots-punk wailing, cue up "Another Lost Cause" or "Back Down in the Basement" and you'll hear Pat Todd and the band rocking as hard as ever. One of the band's best albums, which in a burst of renewed activity bodes well for their future. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Rank Outsider'
Release Date 10/26/1999
Tracks 12
Label Sympathy For The Record Industry
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The first of two albums the Lazy Cowgirls would drop within six months, Rank Outsider is a solid slice of meat-and-potatoes punk rock with plenty of rootsy side dishes included for variety. Returning guitarist Michael Leigh isn't quite up to the level of fuzzy genius of founding fret wrestler D.D. Weekday, but he certainly understands what these songs need and lays in plenty of high-impact downstroke with sweat and skill (and his parts feel better in context than what Eric Chandler brought to the picture on A Little Sex and Death). Singer Pat Todd is in superb, revved-up form here -- if anything, the guy's vocals just get better and more confident with the passage of time -- and while the presence of a few acoustic-based cuts is something new for this band, their loose, bluesy feel harkens back to Exile On Main Street-era Rolling Stones more than anyone in the MTV Unplugged crowd. Another great record from a band that knows how. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Following up the Lazy Cowgirls' masterful Ragged Soul was no easy task, especially after longtime guitarist D.D. Weekday hung up his Les Paul, causing A Little Sex and Death to suffer a bit by comparison. New axeman Eric Chandler delivers solid work and suits the band's style quite well, but he lacks Weekday's undertow of sloppy genius, and while the songs on Ragged Soul were pure meat, this disc seems to have a bit of filler here and there. But if Ragged Soul was a great album, A Little Sex and Death is a very good one, and Pat Todd, always one of rock's great bellowers, never sounds less than thoroughly committed throughout. If it isn't quite as good as the album that immediately preceded it, A Little Sex and Death is still a far stronger and more committed work than nearly any other band covering their territory has made in ages -- no small accomplishment after 14 years in the game. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Ragged Soul was the first album in five years from the Lazy Cowgirls, and from the first blast of D.D. Weekday's guitar on "I Can't Be Satisfied" it's obvious that this band was ready to make up for lost time. Against all odds, Ragged Soul sounds like the band's best album ever; the twin-guitar punch of Weekday and Michael Leigh offers plenty of kick with no clutter, the rhythm section (Leonard Keringer on bass and Ed Huerta on drums) drives the songs forward without crowding anyone in the process, and Pat Todd proves he's one of the greatest unsung frontmen in rock, pouring out fire and passion on every cut. The material is top shelf, too, especially the bitterly anthemic "Frustration, Tragedy and Lies" and "Bought Your Lies." Tough, furious, loud and proud -- Ragged Soul is roots-smart old-school punk at its finest. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Radio Cowgirl'
Release Date 10/26/1992
Tracks 19
Label Sympathy for the Record Industry
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The Lazy Cowgirls have made more than their share of brilliant records, but their real strength is as a live act, and this album, which preserves on plastic a typically high-powered live set the band played at KCSB-FM in Santa Barbara, California, offers all the evidence you need to encourage a right-minded rock fan to witness the Cowgirls experience up-close and in-person. A promo spot advertising the broadcast that kicks off this album proclaims that the Lazy Cowgirls will play "loud, fast, hard rock & roll music," and it's hard to disagree. There are a few sloppy moments here and there (be warned: this is real rock & roll, where not everything is supposed to be perfect), and the sound is a bit thin (like the unretouched two-track recording it is), but all four Cowgirls are clearly audible and pouring their heart and soul into every moment of the show (even on the joke cover of the theme from Green Acres). Besides, how many bands can cover the Ramones and the Saints alongside Larry Williams and Jim Reeves and actually do justice to all of 'em? Radio Cowgirl was the first release from Sympathy for the Record Industry, and it's difficult to think of many better ways to get into the music business; the CD edition is even better, tacking on eight hard to find studio tracks as a bonus. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'How It Looks, How It Is'
Release Date 7/10/1992
Tracks 17
Label Sympathy For The Record Industry
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The Lazy Cowgirls' Chris D.-produced debut didn't quite capture what made them the best punk band to come out of L.A. after the SST explosion went bust, but 1987's Tapping the Source (with the band calling the shots alongside engineer Marc Mylar) was a major improvement that got their greasy roar onto plastic with something approaching the power it deserved. Like X and the New Bomb Turks, the Lazy Cowgirls are one of the few punk bands that understand rock & roll had a history prior to 1970, and alongside their top-fuel originals, which mix blamalama thrash with blues and country accents, the Cowgirls also cover two classic early rock sides (the Coasters' "Yakety Yak" and Larry Williams' "Justine") in their own inimitable style, and crank Jim Reeves' "Heartache" up to 90 mph without robbing it of its honky tonk pathos. Among the originals, "Goddamn Bottle" and "Mr. Screwdriver" are two songs about the perils of alcohol that, remarkably enough, don't sound preachy or annoyingly straight-edge, and actually rock hard. And no record collection can be considered complete without Pat Todd's full-bodied wail and D.D. Weekday's brilliantly sloppy guitar leads, and they're both in fine fettle here. Tapping the Source isn't the Lazy Cowgirls' best album, but it was their first great one, and if you've never checked out their road-tested genius, it's not a bad place to start. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Lazy Cowgirls' debut album won't convince the uninitiated of this legendary group's power, and even dedicated fans might find these early recordings lacking. Chris D.'s production is strangely clean and shiny, and the band hasn't quite calcified into the snarling beast that later birthed smoking slabs like Radio Cowgirl and How It Looks, How It Is. Guitarist D.D. Weekday (credited here under his given name of Doug Phillips) jangles more than chugs, frontman Pat Todd seems out of breath at times, and bassist Keith Telligman is nowhere in the mix. The songs are a bit anonymous overall, with tepid roots rock leanings that don't fit with the frenzied pace of Allen Clark's drumming; it's no wonder that a few years of regular gigging with Clark on the skins gradually drove the Cowgirls to wilder heights of buzzsaw rhythm. There are moments on the album when the potential of the Lazy Cowgirls is undeniable. "Drugs," with its two-note riff and defiant, righteous lyric, stands up to anything the band later produced, and their spirited take on Roky Erickson's "You're Gonna Miss Me" proves they had real chemistry (even if their blazing version on the later live Radio Cowgirl LP renders this one obsolete). This formative effort is not worth seeking for anyone but the completist. Despite an inauspicious start, the Lazy Cowgirls never made a bad record again, and those with a taste for intelligent but visceral rock & roll are urged to examine their catalog. ~ Fred Beldin, All Music Guide
