Ride

Creation band Ride was one of the real driving forces behind the shoegazing movement in the UK. They had a minor hit in the US as well, "Vapour Trail" off their debut LP "Nowhere". You might have heard it on your local alternative station at 3 in the morning.

In retrospect, it's hard to say that Ride were a great band. They had some memorable moments, but there are a lot of songs on their earlier albums that just sort of blend together, while their later efforts are almost entirely piss poor. On the few occasions they really got it right, however, they were a force to be reckoned with.

The "Ride" sound, subsequently copied by countless bands, involved the slightly-off harmonies of Mark Gardener and Andy Bell, the maelstrom their guitars created, and the monstrous drumming of Loz Colbert. With the exception of The Stone Roses' Reni, there was no other British drummer in the 90s that approached the inventiveness of Colbert. A song like "Vapour Trail", for example, would sound entirely limp were it not for Colbert's octopus-like control of his set.

Probably my favorite Ride song, and possibly my favorite song ever, is "Twisterella". On this track, the band puts a Ride stamp on a straight-forward rock song. Whether it's Bell's infectious riff, or Colbert's musical fills in the middle-8, the song is just about perfect.

Later on, Andy Bell got obsessed with Oasis and The Rolling Stones and moved the band in the awful direction represented on "Carnival of Light". Their last album, "Tarantula", was written largely in the studio and is all the worse for it. The lone exception, "Black Nite Crash", at least ends the Ride story on a high note.

Not long ago, a great compilation called "OX4: The Best of Ride" was released. It collects the best moments of each album on one disc. Fans of guitar rock avoid "OX4" at their own peril.

Interview with Loz and Andy and the "Leave Them All Behind" promo: