Although their career came to an abrupt end with the sudden death of drummer/occasional singer Country Dick Montana, The Beat Farmers were one of roots rock's most beloved but unsung combos. Boasting a trademark double-barrel attack, their classic lineup of singer-guitarists Jerry Raney and Buddy Blue, bassist Rolle Dexter and drummer Country Dick Montana delivered a winning mix of earnest roots rock with killer riffs. The San Diego Reader summed up their sound best as being, "like Bo Diddley, CCR, Joe South, and the Yardbirds, ham fisted into a food processor, stuffed into a shotgun shell, and blasted into a beer keg at three in the morning." In December 1985, Buddy Blue left the band after recording second album Van Go but never waited around for its release. Joey Harris, who had worked with Dick in 1983 with Country Dick and the Snuggle Bunnies, replaced Blue. Van Go was issued in June 1986 with the song "Riverside" receiving radio airplay.