Last day of the week and, as has been weekly plan the past while, Friday mornings mean a somewhat steady 25-30 minute progressive run (click HERE) on the ‘ol dreadmill followed-up with some hot “Me-on-Me” action in the gym mirrors with the heavy iron and, this morning, my musical influence is the ‘Weather Diaries‘ album by Ride.
When this album was released a year ago, all my old Alma mater music snob friends went totally ape shit.
I was dubious; hence my only getting around to listening to it 11 months later.
Dealt a cruel hand back in the 90s due to the rise of Oasis and the resulting pie and mash Britpop which followed in their wake, Ride lost their cool factor almost immediately, despite their third album – 1994’s ‘Carnival Of Light’ – not being as bad as you remember.
As musical ambition was replaced by earnest rock – preferably with strings and anthemic choruses – six minute proggy indie featuring keyboard work from ex members of Black Sabbath (Jon Lord) and co-writes from former Beach Boys managers (Jack Rieley) fell off the agenda. What’s particularly harsh is that despite Suede, Pulp, The Auteurs, Blur etc. all benefitting from the Britpop musical umbrella, Ride arguably released two of the very first ‘Britpop’ tracks on their classic second album, 1992’s ‘Going Black Again‘ (‘Twisterella’ and ‘Making Judy Smile’).
Since their messy demise back in ’96 after the release of their underwhelming and unfocussed fourth album, ‘Tarantula’, guitarist/vocalist Mark Gardener hit the solo circuit, while Andy Bell spent a decade being under-utilised on bass in Oasis for a decade, then a following four years in Liam Gallagher’s subsequent band, Beady Eye, while powerhouse drummer Loz Colbert brought percussive steel to a plethora of acts. Ride reformed in 2014 for gigs to celebrate their key shoegaze album, 1990’s ‘Nowhere‘. When it came to discussing their future, talk of new music was vague, but when the first two post-reformation tracks – ‘Charm Assault‘ and ‘Home is a Feeling’ – were unveiled earlier this year, they showed a band revitalised. The former is a sparkling piece of jangle pop with a guitar riff which could only ever be Ride, the latter, a bombastic sliver of shoegaze gold with gorgeous vocal harmonising that encapsulates the key elements of Ride’s sound brilliantly; powerful, fragile, eager, lethargic, familiar, but new.
Known for a bombastic opener to an album (‘Moonlight Medicine‘, ‘Leave Them All Behind‘, ‘Seagull’), the first track on their first release in 21 years follows suit. ‘Lannoy Point‘ combines elements which will immediately resonate with Ride fans; bubbling synths, a nagging but unassuming bassline, shimmering guitars and a Mark Gardener vocal which after all these years continues to be yearning and boyish.
And on it went from there over the 60 minutes of running and hulking out before starting work officially for the day and, hopefully, out on the bike later on.
Music in Motion 