The Reivers - "Bidin' Time"

I thought it only appropriate to get this "singles" ball rolling with the song I consider to be my favorite of all time. Or, at least, that's what I tell people when they happen to ask.

The Reivers, for the uninitiated, were a fabulous band from Austin, Texas, extant from the mid 80s to the early 90s. This track found its way to me by way of a compilation put out in 1990 (it was originally scheduled for a 1984 release) by the legendary DB Records. Look for more cuts from the comp in this space in the future. You might glean from the tracklist that there are some real gems.

So: "Bidin' Time." Originally recorded for the group's Saturday LP, the song didn't make the album. This is something I scratch my head over. Maybe the band sensed it would pale all of the other tracks in comparison.

Jangly guitars, possibly the most disciplined use of the pedal steel ever commited to tape, and the ambivalent-yet-determined vocals of Kim Longacre are a few of the things that make this song so endearing to me. Here's another:

if harvests are bare and dust clouds disposition
gods and authors are in vain
but if you know the seed will grow
a lot depends on other things

MP3: The Reivers ~ Bidin' Time
[From 1990's Squares Blot Out The Sun compilation on DB Records (out of print)]

The Reivers (unofficial site)