The mid-80's saw the rise of a movement known as "cow punk." Bands like Rank & File and Lone Justice sought to merge punk energy with country traditionalism. In hindsight, it looked better on the drawing board than it sounded on record, but a number of memorable bands emerged from the trend (later known as "roots rock" or "American music"). By the late 90's, the alt.country movement owed quite a debt to such forerunners as the Blasters, the Long Ryders, and, our case in point, the Beat Farmers.

The Beat Farmers' personnel shifted over the years, but the spiritual hub of the band remained drummer Country Dick Montana. His death in 1995 effectively ended the career of a band who, unlike so many, were improving with age. Their fine debut, Tales Of The New West, sounds tentative in retrospect because, by their last two albums (now out-of-print), they had realized their vision of unflinching American rock (together with Country Dick's comic relief). In between, they cut some mediocre records (sampled on the skimpy-but-rockin' Best Of The Beat Farmers), interspersed with Loud and Plowed and... Live!! (top notch) and the Glad 'n' Greasy ep (deleted but worth searching for - great cover of Neil Young's "Powderfinger").