Valley of Rain is tougher and scrappier than much of what Giant Sand would release later on, and it rocks noticeably harder, though Gelb's sense of lyrical wanderlust is very much evident here, and even when the guitars wind up and the drums crack, the melodies drift on and off path with an expressive glee. Apr 25, 2015 - Giant Sand - Beyond The Valley Of Rain / Fire America from. 2LP in wide-spine outer with liner notes by Howe Gelb and download card.
![Valley Valley](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125627660/412380249.jpg)
The dry, dusty, and rambling sound that became Howe Gelb's trademark isn't much in evidence on Giant Sand's debut album, 1985's Valley of Rain. Instead, this early edition of the band recalls the distaff branch of the Paisley Underground scene that was still a big part of the Los Angeles scene when Gelb arrived there from Tuscon, as if Giant Sand were the oddball high desert cousins of Green on Red. Valley of Rain is tougher and scrappier than much of what Giant Sand would release later on, and it rocks noticeably harder, though Gelb's sense of lyrical wanderlust is very much evident here, and even when the guitars wind up and the drums crack, the melodies drift on and off path with an expressive glee.
The band's slightly warped country influences are all but invisible here (perhaps because Gelb and his pals were cutting a Blacky Ranchette album around the same time), and Valley of Rain sounds more sharply focused than the typical Giant Sand album. Gelb and his partners - bassist Scott Garber and drummers Tom Larkins and Winston A.
sound admirably tight and together, considering this lineup fell together at the last minute before these sessions began, and the album was recorded on the fly for a mere four hundred bucks. Valley of Rain isn't classic Giant Sand, but it's a strong and confident starting point and it has weathered the test of time rather well: 'Tumble and Tear,' 'Down on Town,' and 'Death, Dying and Channel 5' are forceful and idiosyncratic rockers, while 'Artists' and 'October, Anywhere' give a clue to where Giant Sand would go in the future.
In a long journey full of fascinating detours along the way, Giant Sand's first album was a rocking pit stop that's lively, smart, and full of nerve. Mark Deming.
Product Details Availability eBay.co.uk Giant Sand:: Returns To Valley Of Rain:: VINYL LP.NEW/SEALED. Condition: New Time left: 13h 16m 12s Ships to: Worldwide £17.00 eBay.co.uk Giant Sand - Returns To Valley Of Rain (Blue Vinyl) FIRELP534X Condition: New Time left: 3d 3h 42m 19s Ships to: Worldwide £19.99 eBay.co.uk Giant Sand-Returns To The Valley Of Rain (US IMPORT) CASS NEW Condition: New Time left: 4d 2h 35m 17s Ships to: Worldwide £6.33 My favourite store: Valley Of Rain is ranked 4th best out of by on BestEverAlbums.com. The best album by Giant Sand is which is ranked number 9031 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 154. Giant Sand album bestography « Higher ranked (25,207th) This album (26,255th) Lower ranked (29,729th) » Valley Of Rain.