Pat Todd and the Rankoutsiders
Holdin’ Onto Trouble’s Hand
By Christopher Duda
(SugarBuzz Toronto)
SugarBuzz Magazine
Ghost Riders in the Sky-Stan Jones
An old cowboy went riding out one dark and windy day
Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way
When all at once a mighty herd of red eyed cows he saw
A-plowing through the ragged sky and up the cloudy draw
Their brands were still on fire and their hooves were made of steel
Their horns were black and shiny and their hot breath he could feel
A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky
For he saw the Riders coming hard and he heard their mournful cry
Ever discovered a timeless treasure from your past that suddenly floods the memory senses? What about rediscovering an old well worn LP that you had forgotten you had owned? What about discovering a CD that contains the lead singer from an under rated band called the Lazy Cowgirls? What about discovering discoveries at a place called discovery cove? What about discovering discovery itself. Okay that gives me a word count of 363 up until the word “count”. Since I get paid by the word I figure I will keep this diatribe on the word discovery going for at least another 363 words. Pay up Lucky or you will meet my Canadian Hammerlock!
Now down to the meat and potatoes of why I am here. Not here in this provided space (free of charge I might add!)________ literally or figuratively but here in the sense on this little corner of web space that no one reads anyways!
Pat Todd!!! Got the name lodged in your grey matter??? Now scream the name….Pat Todd!!!!! It is a travesty that American singer songwriters of this magnitude or talent are not recognized for the creativity that exudes from them. In 1981 Pat Todd and the rest of the Lazy Cowgirls left Indiana heading to California thus giving the band the kick start it needed. Once discovered by Chris Desjardins (Flesheaters) and with his influence signed to 
Restless Records; this started the flood of future recordings numbering approximately a dozen. Now the Lazy Cowgirls were a kick your ass, run over your body and back up and do it again type of band. No pretentious Polish kielbasa down the pant leg posing here. Real straight up, big hairy dangling balls out rock and roll. Now you might be asking yourself why is this two-bit geek is giving me a history lesson. Well, for one history repeats itself (actually the expression was Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it- by the great Spanish Philosopher George Santayana-no relation to Santa Claus whose famous quote was “ Rudolph with your nose so bright wont you fucking get your ass in gear”)
So in a sense I guess history repeats itself by taking the same formula and fine turning the original direction or output of the Lazy Cowgirls. Pat Todd with this release shows the world that he is a contemporary singer/songwriter to be reckoned with. Taking classic country, rock and roll and blues and packing it into one fine punch to the pearly whites. This 89 minute release will have you crying in your beer, starting ballroom brawls and telling some poor soul your mistakes in life while perched on top of a well worn barstool.
An essential listen for the connoisseur of real rock and roll!
http://www.pattodd.net/home.html