Ride in concert from Paris to get this first weekend of May off to a running start.
One of those bands that put the 90s on the map and ushered in new genres that set into motion a change in contemporary music that has had long-lasting affects. Ride came along as the continuation of the breath of fresh air that got started right around the time Madchester was getting people exited about music again.
Ride were all that as well as a reintroduction of the guitar-based group which had been in danger of falling out of favor during the mid-80s.
Ride were a great band to listen to – not do anything else – just sit and allow the wall of sound to sweep over you – vocals like a wordless chorus dotting the soundscape – pulling you right in and sending you on an adventure. It was, if anything else, a continuing of what made music in the 60s so appealing – only this time was able to take advantage of the sonic technology and do what couldn’t be done (at least in the U.S.) in the studio at the time.
There were a lot of great bands in America in the 60’s – 98% of them sounded better live than on record – albums were mostly a pale representation of what the intentions were. It wasn’t anybody’s fault – there were technical and electronic limitations that didn’t allow a whole lot of musical vision to be realized – I am hard-pressed to name an American band whose albums took advantage of the vast sonic landscape that was available when technology allowed that to happen years later. Don’t take into consideration the first MC5 album or the second Blue Cheer album, they were both recorded live – whole different ball game.
So when Ride came along (and a host of others, including what was going on in the Pacific Northwest of America with Grunge) it freed up the soundscape and let explorations happen and not be hampered.
So Ride resonated in a positive way on a lot of levels that were hinted at thirty years prior and made the collective nod and exclamation “that’s what I’m talking about” to be heard all over.
Ride did a lot, probably more than they realized – beyond everything, they were (and still are, don’t forget) a brilliant band and further evidence the 90s were a special decade.
Crank it up and dig through their back catalogue – lots of gems. And don’t mind the chatty French announcer – his heart was in the right place.
Go Saturday!
