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therides cantgetenought
Artist: The Rides
Title: Can’t Get Enough
Genre: Blues / Rock
Release Date: 23rd August 2013
Label: Provogue/ Mascot Label Group


Album Review

Blues-Rock super group THE RIDES certainly arrive packed with pedigree. There’s Stephen Stills, of BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD and CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH fame, Barry Goldberg from ELECTRIC FLAG and new blood and relative youngster Kenny Wayne Shepherd, described as “a guitar wizard” by Rolling Stone online. Formed to be “the blues band of my dreams” by Stills, the idea for the project is to span generations, creating classic blues-rock that sounds relevant today. He certainly doesn’t just see this as a one-off. THE RIDES are definitely in it for the duration.

And it certainly takes a no-nonsense approach throughout, the sound of a band having immense fun. Vocal duties are shared, and there’s a good mix of originals and covers to keep this afloat. Opener ‘Mississippi Road House’ sets the tone. Any more gnarled and bluesy and it would be putting down roots in the bayou, as it snarls and stalks along like an alligator with tooth-ache. ‘Don’t Want Lies’ is a complete change of pace, sounding like NEIL YOUNG at times, its understated guitar play is assured, and the finely sung melody always in the foreground. It sounds like a song you’ve always known, without being too derivative. And Mr Young gets a further reference as his classic ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ is plundered, and rather unnecessarily it has to be said. Perhaps they just fancied having a good old-fashioned, muscular rock work-out, but it feels superfluous. Another curious cover is ‘Search And Destroy’, the 1973 classic by IGGY POP AND THE STOOGES.

It’s spirited enough, but manages to reduce all the menace and bile of the original into a rather flabby MOR rock-jam. Like your dad pretending to be in THE SEX PISTOLS in the garden shed. ‘Honey Bee’ will have real blues fans foaming at the mouth, it’s a perfect rendition, beautifully played and spun together. And ‘Only Teardrops Fall’ is similarly excellent, showcasing the full range of talent on offer here, including some wonderful, subtle backing vocals. It’s the song ERIC CLAPTON has been trying to find for all his career.  Such a pity then, that the album ends with ‘Word Game’ instead of one of these two gems. It’s okay but is neither blues nor rock enough, drifting around somewhere in the middle and sounding old and tired. It doesn’t reflect the project on the whole though, and when it’s good, ‘Can’t Get Enough’ is a welcome addition to the genre and a showcase of some prodigious individual musicianship.


Tracklist

01. Mississippi Road House
02. That’s Pretty Good Love
03. Don’t Want Lies
04. Search And Destroy
05. Can’t Get Enough Of Loving You
06. Honey Bee
07. Rockin’ In The Free World
08. Talk To Me Baby
09. Only Teardrops Fall
10. Word Game


Line-up

Stephen Stills, Barry Goldberg, Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
Additional musicians: Kevin McCormick, Chris Layton


Website

http://www.theridesband.com / https://www.facebook.com/theridesmusic


Cover Picture

therides cantgetenought


Rating

Music: 7.5
Sound: 7.5
Total: 7.5 / 10





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