This song came out in March 1991, the lead song on a four track EP from Ride called Today Forever. It followed their debut album from the year before, Nowhere. At the time I wasn't too fussed but now, thirty years later and heard on the heels of the Ride re- union and Andy Bell's releases as himself and as Glok, it sounds like a superb blast of early 90s shoegaze/ rock, fading in on a crystal guitar line before the bass and drums punch their way in and pull you in. Then there's walls of fuzz, twin distorted guitars and Byrdsy toplines and those trademark vocals, slightly behind the music.
Here they are on Top Of The Pops looking impossibly young. They were young but they look really young. Long sleeved t- shirts, fringes and avoiding looking down the camera's lens.
Fast forward nearly three decades and they put out Weather Diaries in 2017. This was my highlight, a beautifully, swooning piece of 21st century alt- rock, driving bassline, chiming guitars and lovely twin vox from Mark and Andy, singing about summer love and the beach and in the 'summer is gone' a real sense of loss. There's a soaring, keening guitar line over the chorus and then a dive back in that really hits the spot.
Here they are in session for KEXP, older and wiser.
Apart from the first EP, which included the great Drive Blind, I didn't really think that much of early Ride. But the second album, Going Blank Again, is a really good listen, with plenty of tunes. And they are an example of a band who came back much stronger after a long layoff, which is no mean feat.
ReplyDeleteAgree Nick- but I think Unfamiliar and a couple of others from their first flush have grown over time.
ReplyDeleteNone of the spirit or excitement that you can hear on Unfamiliar is lost after almost 30 years on Cali. Ride coming back together, is one of the best things that happened to music in the last decade. Through all that time they have managed to still have a sound that has a timelessness to me. Those early EPs are so very special to me. They are glimpses of greatness, unassuming greatness.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I winced when I first heard that Ride were reuniting, but that just goes to show what I know. I enjoyed their new music a lot, as well as what I've heard of Bell's Glok project.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't really get into Ride first time around, so the reunion also passed me by somewhat. However, thanks to Bagging Area, I've been enjoying Andy Bell's solo and GLOK music and beginning to dip back into the Ride back catalogue. Great KEXP performance of Cali, too.
ReplyDelete