Ahhh, Ride. The very peak of early 90s shoegazing. Discovered by Creation Records svengali Alan McGee supporting the Soup Dragons (I'll have to do them as well, I think I've still got a rare early tape somewhere) and famed for their soaring feedback and rhythm guitar.
Despite never really gaining the fame and fortune that they deserved, Ride put out three EPs: "Ride", "Play" and "Fall" in 1990 that set the marker for the swooping indie pop guitar that bands would follow - with varying successes - for the next few years. While Madchester was all electric dance and ecstacy; shoegazing kept the indie kids dancing aimlessy in circles while wearing hoopy jumpers and felling slightly more happy with life than the poor saps who were still in love with Morrissey.
They were great. My mate Si espoused their wonders after a gig at the Duchess of York in Leeds; they made us all want to buy wah-wah pedals and learn to break amps; I went out with a girl who loved them; ahhh, the 90s.
In 1995 Ride departed; Mark Gardener went off to join Oasis and we all got our haircut, Radio 1 destroyed our ears with Celine Dion and Oasis and Blur fought out a number one with two frankly dull records.
So, Taste. Not the earliest of vinyl, probably not their best record either, but one I bought on one-sided 7 inch "radio play" vinyl at a record fair. Hell, I probably thought they'd go on forever and this bit of plastic would make me rich. Like so many others, it never did and never will; unless in the post-oil apocalyptic world people are fighting for old plastic.
Here it is Taste, by Ride, from the Fall EP
Monday, 9 April 2007
Ride
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I was listening to taste today on my mp3 player - but I support I am a 34 year old ex-indie boy
ReplyDeleteAndy Bell went off to join Oasis (after forming and splitting up Hurricane #1). Mark Gardener formed the Animalhouse.
ReplyDeleteI had tickets to see both the Charlatans and Ride at the Daytripper event that took place at Brighton and Blackpool. Three days beforehand, I got suspended from school and a caution from the police for possession. Parents wouldn't let me go. I was gutted. Still, I've seen the Charlies several times since then and they just get better and better.
ReplyDeleteRide were the business. My first festival was the Trip to Tipp (in Tipperary, natch) and Ride the first band I heard when I finally stumbled off a bus-ride which involved poteen & orange,and several right-on socialist punks. I'm 90% sure that taste was the first song I heard (only caught the last 3 or 4 songs) but it totally blew me away.
ReplyDeleteStill got all their stuff :)
Ride were fecking ace! I saw them at the first gig I ever went to, Exeter Uni, they were supported by Mercury Rev, who back then were more of a metal band than they are now..Vapour Trail is still one of my all time favourite tunes
ReplyDeleteFirstly, great site, brings back memories of a misspent youth !! I remember seeing Ride for the first time at Cambridge Corn Exchange, on the "Going Blank Again" tour. They had a huge backdrop covered in fairy lights and came on to "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" fantastic, oh, and the support was some band called "The Verve", wonder what happened to them.....
ReplyDeleteMan I loved Ride... saw them at the Sea Cadet Hall in Cambridge - totally over-sold and crushed full of people. We all had to dance as one and sod the bar as it wasn't really possible to get between anyone.
ReplyDeleteSomewhere in my roof are all three EPs signed :)
Lovely skip in the recording :)
ReplyDelete