Tom Stevens of 'The Long Ryders' passes away at 64; here's a look at the best of his band

Tom Stevens, the bassist of The Long Ryders band, passed away on January 24, 2021. The announcement was made by the band via their social media profile. The cause of Tom Stevens' death was not cited. No news of Stevens being unwell or suffering due to any disease was known. All that was said was the bassist 'passed away suddenly'.

The band asked their fans to keep Stevens and his family in their thoughts and prayers and to respect the privacy of the family at the given time of grieving. Here's remembering the best of the Tom Stevens music and that of the band, and their most memorable music over the years.

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"Looking for Lewis and Clark" (Long Version)

Looking For Lewis and Clark, written by Sid Griffin, was originally released in 1985. It was part of the State of Our Union album. Sid Griffin led the band The Long Ryders in the 1980s. Music critic and AllMusic's Matthew Greenwald called it a wonderful collection by a truly gifted band. He further recognised the band as being remarkable and said that they should be remembered as such.

"Lights of Downtown"

Lights of Downtown belongs to the above-mentioned album, State of Our Union. State of Our Union was the second studio album of the band and was a huge success at college and alternative radio stations. The song was written by Stephen McCarthy. No Depression magazine had written that those who do not know of the band would find in it a new obsession but the real fans would recognise how much the band had grown.

“A Stitch in time”

Written by Tom Stevens and belonging to Two-Fisted Tales, this song created ripples amongst the masses. Two-Fisted Tales, released in 1987 was the third studio album of The Long Ryders. The album had in it two singles, a cover of NRBQ’s I Want You Bad and Gunslinger Man. On Two-Fisted Tales, the Long Ryders shifted further away from their original country-rock origins and moved to a more college rock direction.

"Capturing the Flag" (Live)

The song was a massive hit among the people who loved rock music. The live rendition of the song was widely loved. It was written by Griffin, McCarthy, Stevens, Greg Sowders and Will Birch. It belonged to Three Minute Warnings and was performed at Three Minute Warnings: The Long Ryders Live in New York City, 2003.

"Masters of War”

Written by Bob Dylan in 1998, it belonged to the Looking for Lewis and Clark: the Long Ryders Anthology. The album consisted of 40 tracks spanning the band's career. The song was written as a protest in response to the build-up of arms during the Cold War during the 1960s. The anti-war theme of the song was abundantly clear

Also read: Bob Dylan Sells His Discography To Universal Music; Company Calls It 'a Great Honour'

The fact that Tom Stevens is dead is still a shock to fans all over the world, who are mourning the loss of the bassist. Fans have not gotten closure over his death as he has gone so suddenly. A lot of netizens have taken to Twitter to offer their condolences, calling it 'dreadful news'.

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