20th Anniversary = Perfect Start to RIDE

Welcome to my first post EVER on ANY blog LMAO.

Ive been trying to think what I could blog about for a long time (Fishie will attest to this LOL). Then I happened to stumble across a release notice of a band that was at the forefront of my Indie journey. The decision was made, and so it is, here we go!!

Firstly let me sort of describe where my journey started.

Im in Australia, it was before the time the internet really existed and you either learned about new music through reading 4 week old NME's or 4 month old Qmag's. I was sitting up late one night watching the acclaimed and highly regarded all night music show Rage (its an instituation in Oz for drunk revellers returning home). They had Triples Js Hottest 100 on, and I sat and watched the whole thing start to finish (videotaping LOL the whole thing). I can't quite remember but it must have been early 1992. I was mesmerized listening to the bands in the 100 - 60 bracket. This was when i decided "There was more to music than what the radio played" I started to research bands and a whole new obbession entered my life. A lot of my posts are going to try and give you a hint of the excitement and joy these bands have given me over many years and maybe (just maybe) introduce you to some long forgetten gems

Anyway, enough of that. Oh one more thing. I get all my stuff from memory, not reading other stuff on Wiki, its in my head, so if anything is incorrect, shoot me LOL

Its the 20th anniversary of Ride releasing "Going Blank Again" What a bloody fantastic album. 'Twas one of the first Indie albums I bought way back then. Artwork is great, Cucumber Face bright and colourful and I remember think WOW look at those lips, must be juicy. This wasnt Rides first album though. Lets regress in the Ride story, just a bit.

Ride, a 4 piece from the art school scene in Oxford. Mark and Andy on guitars, Lawrence (Loz) on drums and Steve on bass. The first Ride track I heard was on the above mentioned Hottest 100, it was a track called Vapour Trial. Im a bit of a Smiths fanatic, so the start of the track got my attention. A jangley guitar riff and a cloudy hazy voice, then it changed, the first bass kick comes in and this wall of sound washed over me. its not a WHACK SLAP YOU wall of sound, i conjure images when i listen to music, it reminds me of a cloudy morning haze lifting, The lyrics are simplistic, the guitars swirl and jangle, the bass rolls along, but the drums are there..in the foreground. Then the track finishes with strings...It had everything I loved. I just had to get more of this band. Easier said than done in early 90s Oz. :o$

A week later, I bumped into an old friend, who told me his band were playing and I should come along. Remembering Id just been introdced to all these new bands, I was hungry to hear more stuff. They were pretty cool. During the interval I asked if they knew any Ride, and i was shocked by his response LOL....The last track was Ride you Tool!! It was completely fooking different..That track was Chelsea Girl. This was a SLAP IN MY FACE wall of sounded and I loved it.
Discovery of Indie record store and thats where my apprentice wages would start to vanish. I bought the Smile EP, the first album Nowhere and obviously Going Blank Again. I slipped this one straight into the open draw and prepared myself for a great afternoon of discovery

From the first notes of Going Blank Again I knew i wasnt going to be disappointed. Im a rhythm section type of guy...Maybe thats from listening to the Smiths a lot LOL..But the sound of Loz (one of my favourite drummers) and Steve on Bass, it was the perfect way to start the album after a few electronic notes. The album has three of my favourite Ride songs on it. Cool Your Boots (opening line comes from the movie Withnail and I) and the final two tracks Time Machine and OX4. it also has the commercially successful Twisterella, which is a poppy track. its a well produced album. When ever I play it, I always play it two or three times because I love it so much.

The Going Blank Again and Nowhere albums contrast each other beautifully, theres a rawness to Nowhere, its darker and brooding, the album artwork depicts the emotion and feeling of the album fantastically. Its a painting of a rolling wave just starting to build in momentum, the tracks take over, and lead you on the story of the wave (in the sound that is) Building to the track Taste, crashing on the waves, then the last two tracks, remind me of the white wash disappearing back in the ocean. Going Blank Again, shows a band maturing its sound, becoming bigger and more confident, and with hindsight now. Maybe to confident to quickly.

I was lucky enough to see Ride tour promoting and its a gig I feel very lucky to see. Lawrence, plays the drums so lazily, but he isnt a lazy drummer. He kept my attention the whole gig.

Ride started to have internal fighting for the start of there third album, and to be quite frank, you can tell. I didnt like it at all. They released a fourth and final album was released and then withdrawen. I wont tell you these albums...Go and discover them for yourself, you might like them.

Theres talk of Ride reforming on the back of this anniversary, and every good band will be mentioned after the Stone Roses anouncement. I dont think it will happen. Andy plays Bass in Oasis now and the others have played minor parts in other bands (from memory I think Mark did something with a member of Primal Scream)

So finally Ill invite you to "Waste no more enegy, waste no more time, step into this time machine, abroad this flight........."

Oh Oh Oh. One final thing. If anyone else does read this, Me and Fishie encourage and would enjoy reading your comments and thoughts on the posts. Even if you think they are crappy LOL. We all learn more about music, from throwing our thoughts and feelings back and forward and bouncing them off others.