Let me first explain the original idea and where it came from. After a much too short and slightly useless "official" soundcheck, followed by another one which took place in the dressing room where the band plugged their instruments into Mark's amp, an enthusiastic Ride decided to play 11 new tracks without a single oldie. At first I was pretty much excited at the thought we would hear what might become Ride's third album, but then I could not help worrying about the audience's reaction to so many new titles at the same time.
Indeed the challenge was much tougher than what it might have appeared: two thirds of the audience were Faith no More fans who proudly wore heavy metal t-shirts and who were probably prejudiced against a band such as Ride. As to the Ride fans, most of them had not seen the band since late 1992 and had not even heard the four tracks played at the Daytripper concerts. 11 songs in one go: what a dangerous double or quit. Yet, the feeling backstage is pretty confident and the band patiently waits for its on-stage time.
In pain the minutes go so slowAs 11 pm struck, Ride walk on stage. With the first guitar notes a new adverse element arises: Mike Hornsby, their excellent sound engineer, is not here tonight and is replaced by someone who's doing it for the first time. As a result, the vocals are mixed much too loud compared to the guitars and this is particularly bad on songs such as Let's Get Lost, Birdman or even Walk on Water where Andy's charming riffs are hardly audible. Three months ago, I was pleading for louder vocals but this is the opposite extreme. This all too nude sound is rather upsetting for a band who's always relied on a thick sound wall. Inside this cold exhibition hall it does nothing to help the band create some atmosphere.
However they do try and, what's worse, they're playing well! They're probably concentrating too much on so many new songs and chords to let loose but honestly even from afar, you can tell they're willing to give a faultless set. Better still, each song played is worth praising although when they follow one another so quickly they only succeed in creating confusion. All the Ride fans stuck to the stage listen more than carefully and applaud each and every song, sometimes trying to jump on some of the rockier tracks, but that is not enough to create the feeling we are all waiting for, especially when Faith No More fans do their best to make the situation worse. After the concert some will go out with a proud feeling of having had the unique privilege of hearing the "draft third album", but some others will feel horribly confused and disappointed.
Unfortunately Ride will mainly be aware of the confusion. Used to enthusiast screams and turbulent crowd waves, they will gradually loose their initial faith and end the set with a strong disappointment painted on their faces. I sometimes felt in my body the humiliation that was theirs and I wanted to shout "stop this suicide and just play one all too common 'Taste"'. Yet their courage is much stronger than mine and they follow the set list till the very last song.
After this failure, many fans will come up to me and express their bewilderment. Once back in Brussels, several letters will confirm it: why did Ride do this? What can I say? Ride thought their fans would be happy to hear 11 new tracks instead of being bored with the same songs for the umpteenth time.
The disappointment perceived amongst fans is nothing compared to that which fills the dressing room after the show. Time has come to make the point and, conscious of tonight's failure, Ride try to find solutions. After half an hour, they no longer consider the past but look to the future. After all Angers may have been beneficial if it allowed the band to progress even further before going into the studio to record the album.
When they finally left for Calais, they had regained their good humour, maybe thanks to champagne as well! Projects were planned for the Autumn and they forgot that night which had started so joyfully... Better luck next time!
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So what about these 11 songs which caused so much disarray amongst Ride fans? Well, actually three of them had already been played at the Daytripper week-end: they are Crown of Creation, Birdman and Walk on Water (on that occasion they had also played Since Then). A fourth song was played in Athens: Let's Get Lost. Five others had already been played in Scandinavia and Poland during the month of June and only three were played for the first time in Angers: From Time to Time, Something's Burning and You Give me Sunshine.
From the three Daytripper songs, only the remarkable Birdman sounds more or less the same. Crown of Creation and Walk on Water have been slightly modified: Crown of Creation is cut in the middle by a slightly jerkier passage. On Walk on Water Mark joins Andy in the singing but they sound uncomfortable compared to the superb harmony they both create in, say, Natural Grace.
As to the eight other titles, it is hard to describe them one by one despite the fact that they are all very distinct from one another. At this early stage, I shall only reveal some trends.
I know that angels come from time to timeLet's Get Lost is the happier song: fast and enthusiast, it is built on Andy and Mark's vocals which create a melody that you soon want to sing along. In Angers the guitars were certainly mixed too low to reveal their sheer power but having had the opportunity to hear an earlier version, I can tell you it's there! I mean, even Birdman sounded a bit faded in Angers.
From Time to Time, Something's Burning and 1000 Miles, all mainly composed by Mark, rely on very strong and nuanced vocals tunes which again you find easy and nice to hum. If you feel melancholic, you'll rather go for the first and the last one whereas if you feel in a more romantic mood, you'll find great pleasure in the second one. Some moments in 1000 Miles are so emotionally pure that you get goosebumps from hearing them. One should note as well Steve's excellent bass riff on Natural Grace which has also a very strong rhythm section and an irresistible chorus sung by both Mark and Andy.
In a general way, the new songs are built on several levels: they often start sharply and continue more softly, unless it's the contrary. You give me sunshine starts on drums which make it sound for a second like a Mondays' anthem, but then turns into a sort of happy Vapour Trail. There is one track that definitely stands apart from all the others due to its countless changes in rhythms: At the End of the Universe. As a following to Nowhere, it starts with a longish instrumental intro where somewhat psychedelic guitars produce chords a bit as they choose too. The pace then quickens as Andy sings two verses, then slows down again when Marks starts a very nostalgic chorus: "live just for the day"...or carpe diem straight from Horacius...or the Lost Poets Society. But that's not the end of it as the guitars now come back even noisier and just as reckless. Here is a track which should surprise us as many times as it's going to be played live.
Only one single song sounded a bit weaker than the others: American Spring, as heard in Angers, did not convince me but having had the opportunity to hear a previous version, I know it could be much better. "Poppier" than the rest, it was interrupted in Angers by a vocal part which made me think of Andy and Mark sitting round a fire at night and singing oldies to their friends. Very sixties-like...
As the different versions heard at the Daytripper gigs, in Scandinavia or in Angers show, many tracks still have not reached their definitive forms. Let's Get Lost, Birdman, Crown of Creation, From Time to Time and 1000 Miles seem the most finished ones at the moment. At the End of the Universe will never be finished (for our greatest delight if I may judge from the improvisations it should give rise to). As to the others, they will probably be modified again before they find a place on the album. The caterpillar looked nice, the butterfly should be a wonder...
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This interview with Andy took place in two different locations, at two different times... and was made by two different reporters! Andy was first interviewed in Angers by Catherine and then in Oxford by Chrissie Oakes...
Part One: AngersThe Angers festival did not bring much excitement to Ride fans. Apart from some tracks by local fav band, the Thugs, all bands were pretty painful to listen to. In fact I still wonder what Ride had to do with them...Anyway, I was lucky enough to find a great outlet to these boring hours preceding Ride's coming on stage and joyfully swapped Hole's performance for an interview with Andy Bell accompanied by his wife Idha. The blond guitarist seems in a great mood and excited by the challenge of the day: to play 11 new tracks in one go. Isn't it risky?
Andy: Yes but we've played them in the dressing room this afternoon and it was really good so we've decided to do it. Before we record the album, we want to play all the new songs live. Going Blank Again had not been sufficiently worked on; we recorded the songs as they were originally without much change and it wasn't good enough. When we played the tracks live after the release of the album, they became much better. We don't want this to happen with the new album. We play these new songs here because in England we could never do such a thing. That's also why we've played in Finland or Poland. People didn't know us there and it didn't matter what we played.
Amongst these 11 tracks, those who were lucky to attend the Daytripper concerts or hear the BBC sessions knew already three of them. You might have been surprised to hear Andy sing all three and thus appear as the lead vocalist in the band but this is only temporary. Andy writes most texts and Mark generally only starts singing them when the words reach their definitive version. Which doesn't seem to be the case yet!
Andy: Yes, they tend to change all the time. They've changed a lot in Crown of Creation and they're going to change on Walk on Water. American Spring's changed a lot too but I don't think you've got that one. It changes too fast.
Do you know who will produce your next album? I heard of George Drakoulias?
Andy: Yes, we're going to America in about one week time for two weeks and meet George Drakoulias. Amongst others, he produced the last Black Crowes album. Hopefully we're going to his home studio and just play some guitar to him and play the songs. We'll try to find out if we like him and if he likes us. We're also hoping we can possibly meet Brian Wilson but that will be just for pleasure. If anything comes out musically that's gonna be like a bonus. Then we come back to England, taking a month off and we're hopefully going to the studio after that with George Drakoulias if we get him. So far we've just talked to his agent and have never met him. I like what he's done. But maybe he won't want to work with us, so we'll have to find someone else.
Have you ever thought of self-producing your album?
Andy: We may actually co-produce it but we need someone to give us an external output and say what is good and what is not. We won't let them tell us what to put louder or stuff like that but we still like to work with a producer.
Has your work on Idha's album influenced your work with Ride?
Andy: Yes sure. On Idha's album I've played acoustic guitars, harmonica, piano. I had already played acoustic guitar on some Ride tracks but it was just for overdubs. Now there might be more acoustic songs on the next album because of my work with Idha. Also I've learnt to play fewer chords and to work on melody. Before now, we used to work on the noisy parts and then add some melody; now it's the contrary, we concentrate on the melody and vocal tunes and I guess playing less chords is much better.
Do you sometimes listen to classical music?
Andy: Not really, I've got a Bach album taped. Also the Smiths used to use some classical music that was good, something by Prokofiev and it goes "do do do do do". I guess it is on "Rank". That was quite good but I've never listened to anything just for the sake of listening to it.
Has your marriage changed your attitude in Ride?
Andy: It hasn't really changed anything because me and Idha are always together.
Idha: Yes, it costs a fortune!
Andy: Yes, it seems we don't tour a lot but we've been away every week end but next year there' ll be a much bigger tour.
So what are your projects for the next few months?
Andy: After we've come back from America, we take a month off and then start recording the album. Next year we'll first release two singles, then the album and possibly a third single.We might also release a video for the album, but not with promos: there will be footage from recording sessions, live footage, on and off stage bits. We're going to record the concert tonight and we've already got lots of stuff on video. Then maybe a live album which would be a good recapitulation after three albums. And there's still the idea of the compilation album with demoes and Peel sessions. But I'm going too far here! Who knows what may happen.
Part two: OxfordWell, what happened next was Andy and Mark's trip to Los Angeles where they met producer George Drakoulias. Andy kindly explained what happened there when he returned home at the end of August. This time Chrissie did not forget to use her dictating machine...
Okay, can you start by telling us how you got on in America when you went over to meet George Drakoulias?
Andy: Well, we had a week and we met George for three days and we really got on well with him. He's kinda agreed to produce the album, that's one thing. We don't know exactly when, we're trying to sort that out now, but we have in theory got him in the bag. We spent a couple of days at his house and he's got a tape of all these demos (referring to the tape that's just been played) because we did it for him really so that he could hear what we were doing and how we'd got it ourselves. But we want an arranger, someone who's going to take the songs and take out the bits which just don't work, and someone who's got fresh ears and will say how it should be. We've heard that's how he worked with other people so we played him the songs on acoustic and we actually worked on "Crown Of Creation", "Walk On Water", "Something's Burning" and a couple of the new ones with him and he was... basically he just listened and played along and gave his thoughts on it. So we're now, hopefully, going to start rehearsing with him in Oxford in a few weeks. I'm really looking forward to him putting his thing in because we haven't been produced that way before at all. We've had people that have recorded us and put their interpretation of our sound but we've never had anyone that's changed the arrangements around and been bold enough to say "Well that sounds really boring" or "You can do this and do that" and straight away George was like tearing songs apart and putting them back together again. It's 1ike you don't really notice it I guess. When you hear the song the way it's going to be now, for instance with "Crown Of Creation" he's made the arrangement a lot more snappy and it works a lot better. I think the way he's good is that he puts things together so that they work best with each other, so that you don't get like a really really long verse and a big instrumental bit without having some hook which I think is a good thing. While we were there we did a lot of other stuff, like Primal Scream were there and we were with them a bit... just going out. They were staying at the Chateau Marmont and we had that evening there with Arthur Lee that I told you about earlier (a surprise gig by the edge of the swimming pool) and that was funny.
Was Arthur sober?
Andy: Yeah, he just seemed quite normal. It was a good evening. I think it was extra good for Bobby and Andrew Innes because Arthur Lee is a really big hero to them. I've got some Love albums and I really like some of the tracks but to me Love are not in the first division of Sixties bands because Love didn't really make that many classics in the same way that other bands did.
"Forever Changes" is their best.
Andy: Yeah, that's the one with all the good tracks on it.
So what else did you do while you were in LA?
Andy: We went to Nudie's, the cowboy clothes shop, and Mark got a shirt from there and I got a t-shirt and a Nashville belt buckle. We went record shopping. George took us to these really good record shops and we bought some good stuff. The trip seemed really fast so there wasn't any time to think about anything. It was like straight avay we got off the plane we were taken to this radio station KROQ to do an interview and play some songs to a DJ who's a friend of ours called Rodney Bingenheimer. He's just becare a really good friend over the last couple of times we've been there. The time I went over with Idha to do her session with McLagan, Rodney turned up in the studio and he loved the atmosphere and we ended up going out for a meal. Every time you meet Rodney he's always got about a hundred new stories about all the stars he's met and I really like that. So we went to his radio show and played him four, I think it was, new songs on acoustic and that went down pretty good. It was chaotic because first we went from the airport to the hotel. We got a taxi about half an hour after this really long flight and we were all feeling really tired and the taxi driver took us to totally the wrong area of LA. He took us downtown to this really sort of seedy area because there were two streets with the same name and he took us to the wrong one! So that was when we thought we should have been on the radio but when we got to the hotel... after this fifty dollars cab ride which didn't take us anywhere... we found out that the actual radio show was on a bit later so we could go down and everything worked out alright. By that time we were so tired we had to have a few drinks and... that made it easier.
Where do you think you will he recording the album?
Andy: That's just up for debate, I think we'll probably put down the basic tracks in England and I'd like it if we worked in the Manor because that's a really good studio. I'm not really fussed though but that's near Oxford, it's the other side of Kidlington. That would be nice. We'Il probably do... well, almost definitely we'll do the vocals and the mixing in LA because George is more at home there. He's willing to come to England I think but he'd prefer to be in LA and if it's up to me then I'll go to LA and I think Mark feels the same. So we'll all be jetting out to LA to do the vocals and the mixing of the whole album. George's house is full of amazing gear. He's got Hammond organs, he's got organs which haven't got names, he's got this wild sort of thing which plays preset records where you can isolate the bass, drums or the guitar and it's basicalIy like an early mechanical sampler. You put on your soul or country or rock 'n' roll disc and then you press the bass button and you get the bass lines and you press the right note and you get the bass line in that note. Then you can bring in the drums and there's all sorts of little parts and it just sounds brilliant. That's like a toy he's got. It's really old, they were made in the Seventies. You can speed it up or slow it down and get really mad things on it. I can't remember what it's called!
When do you think you will start recording?
Andy: I'd like to get going on it in October. We're going to be doing some dates, hopefully with George as well so he can see us playing live and get the live feel. That will be the end of September so we'll hopefully get in the studio really soon after that and just plough through it and do it as fast as possible. I think they're just going to be.. .for the audience they're going to be a nightmare because we're going to be playing all these new songs and trying things out.
Are you still planning to put out a single before the album?
Andy: Yeah, definitely. We want to take quite a few singles off the album because I think it is going to be a real singles album... but there's going to be a few tracks on it which can't be singles. I think we've got less songs this time than ever before which is a good thing because when you get too many songs going you just tend to waste time doing songs you're never going to actually release. You also waste time arranging all these songs and they all end up sounding the same but now we've got quite a good variety we'll stick to the songs we've got and if we get new ideas we'll try to put them into the songs as they are now. For the last album we did thirty songs and it ended up being... it goes the opposite way.. .you try and do as many songs as possible to get all the different sounds going but you end up using the songs which sound the same.
Do you think you'll do anything like "Chrome Waves" where the single version was different to the album?
Andy: Well that was an accident. That was because we couldn't decide which version to put out and we ended up putting both out. That's the sort of accident which won't happen because I've been working on the songs that I've written for this album for the last two years and I've written eight songs that I think are really brilliant, and I think the other guys feel the same about the songs they're getting together. They're going to stay how they are and there's not going to be any faffing around at the last minute swopping things over... there's probably not going to be any dance mixes, you can say that definite. But the last album was a case of - what have we got? Let's just bung it all out and not worry about making each song really special. This time it's like... I wish I could just erase the last two albums and feel this would he the debut album because you learn each time and I just find the old Ride stuff really really boring and I never listen to it. I want to make an album that I can listen to, that's got some of the things I really like about music on it which is quite far away from what we've done before. It will still sound like Ride though, I'm not planning to do anything too mad but I think that the songs we're getting together now, especially the songs that I've been doing myself for ages that have had so much care and attention spent on them, they're going to be really great.
When Idha's album comes out at the end of October what sort of prcmotion are Creation expecting?Are there likely to be any concerts?
Idha: No, maybe a few TV things and just interviews I think.
Andy: Video?
Idha: Yeah, video. That's why "Get Undressed" should be the single from the album because we want to see Andy in the video.
Andy: Getting undressed? (Much laughter and Andy pretends to take his clothes off and throw them over his shoulder!) God...the mind boggles!
Idha: That would be brilliant wouldn't it?
Let's Get Lost: Let's Get Lost is based on The Kids are alright and how good it was when we played it on the Daytripper weekend. It was so easy! It's also to prove that we're not the serious young people everyone thinks we are.
From Time to Time: This is one of Mark's new ones. It's actually written by Mark and Steve who's got that really good bass riff.
Birdman: You know that one already. It has been changed a bit since the last time we played it.
At the End of the Universe: At the End of the Universe was written by Loz and I wrote the lyrics. It used to be cut sharp after the lyrics but now we've written the second half of it and demoed a new version. It's our new "Nowhere".
Natural Grace: You could say it is a sort of Byrds-influenced songs. Something's Burning: this is one of Mark's, the latest one. We've just finished that one in the studio. The last time we were in the studio, we demoed Something's Burning, From Time to Time, and new versions of At the End of the Universe, American Spring and Crown of Creation. We've also demoed a new song that I did which is on acoustic guitar but that's not going to be heard live yet. It might not even be heard at all.
1000 Miles: Another one of Mark's.
Walk on Water: it was already written one and a half year ago but I only played it to the others at the beginning of the year. Many songs had already been written a year ago. We now have 17 new songs.
American Spring: It comes from the name of the band of Brian Wilson's wife. They released a couple of albums. It isn't about them though. It was just written while Idha and I were over there earlier this year, when it was spring. Me and Mark are both singing it.
Here's an old article illustrating the early times of Ride. It was published in the Lime Lizard/December 89 issue.
RIDE: The next best thing?Last year they were students, now they're talk ing very excitably about the recording of last night's demo. So far, there's only been two knock ing about London and they've both caused A&R men and journo's to stir from their forgotten slumber. That makes Ride paranoid. Their fear, believe it or not, is of being the 'next best thing'. They waffle like music veterans. Ride, 'the band', whose largest record collection belongs to their oldest member, Steve, at 21. Then Andy, says a classic: "We're ready for the next single, basically." Arrogant phoey! They'm adorable (italics). This is about a healthy kind of arrogance. They all want to give an answer. They all want to air their opinion. Wonderful. One day they'll have lots of them to give. Quite simply. These are four lads who've resigned themselves to being a unit, a band, long before other people acknowledged it. That's what makes them stand 1ike big dudes with baby faces on stage.
Steve: "We all met as friends before we were musicians and that carries on now."
Laurence: "Yeah, three of us used to live together and the other one was there all the time anyway. I think we would like to do that again 'cause that's when all the ideas came out. That's probably why we got started in a way, because of the fact that we were always together and we'd take energy off each other.
Mark: "It started out as a therapeutic thing, amongst ourselves. Talking out things that were pissing us off, like girlfriends.."
Based in Oxford they prefered to play out of the area so that a local gig would be a bit special. They would put on a slide show and afterwards a party when they would entertain everybody with covers of current groups, even Blondie hits! One of these Oxford gigs fell on the same day as their manager's birthday so Ride had special T-shirts made, as a surprise. Afterwards they presented him with his. Then, with lots of smiles on sweaty faces, everybody else took of their jumpers where under, they wore the same T shirt. Under Rides instructions, they had to swelter all night in wait of David, their manager's, moment. Rides music is incredibly catchy and charismatic. The words in the lyrics are few, but Ride are young.
Andy: "You've got to write about what you feel. If it comes across as cliche it doesn't matter. As long as you don't write about things you don't know about.
Mark: "I never understand how you can get an atmosphere in a song if you don't write it. Often, ater we've worked out the music, we are on the same wave length and then we write our stuff collectively."
Andy: "It's not important who writes the lyrics. Nobody admits to writing any particular songs, that's an agreed thing."
The press, other bands: this is where the interview ends and the discussion begins. Amongst others, they especially like at the moment The House Of Love, Lush and Carter. They've gone off the The Pixies, except for "Monkey Gone To Heaven".
"There's too much control. You expect a touch more." Surprise! Andy likes Velvet Underground and SO WHAT, Mudhoney did a cover of a Spaceman 3 song.
Laurence:"There's one really odd thing about The Pixies. I was reading this interview of them and they didn't know anything about eachother. Do you remember that bit? When they were all going off into conversations with each other because of the questions...
Steve: "And my Bloody Valentine when they were being interviewed and Kevin's speaking and Belinda's saying ..."
"How do I play the guitar again Kevin?". Interrupts Andy.
Admist a lot of chuckling: Steve calmly continues (watch him on stage too): "How can he come up with that?" he says. I always forgot to ask whether that was what his own quote, or Belinda's. Ride on.
Ngaire