Besides the Beatles, Ride was the band that Oasis always wishes they could have been. Ride was the most dynamic live act of musicians characterized by their tendency to perform with their backs to the audience and staring down at their feet while playing effects-laden electric guitars and dreamy, psychedelic melodies.
The recently released Waves is a collection of live performances Ride recorded for the BBC near the end of their career, and is a testament to the band’s mastery and importance. Unfortunately, it’s also a chronicle of their decline into the bland, uninspired pop that started to sound far too similar to, and occasionally even worse than, their own imitators.
The first two-thirds are true works of genius, capturing Ride’s massive live presence and sound beautifully. Particularly “Dreams Burn Down” is a slowly churning, gorgeously arranged masterpiece that illustrates the classic shoegazer sound perfectly. Songs like “Decay” and “Severance” build up ringing walls of distorted guitar that somehow completely avoid sounding harsh, giving the band’s intricate composition a sense of majesty. Meanwhile, classic tracks like “All That I Can See” and “Like A Daydream” focus more on shiny melodies that call to mind Pink Floyd.
Unfortunately, the quality of the songs sharply declines after the eleventh track, showcasing the band’s aimless drift into boring, ‘60s pop rock cliches that would even embarrass the Gallagher brothers. “1000 Miles” is particularly odious, recalling similar low points for Ride’s influences and followers alike, such as those of The Jesus and Mary Chain and, naturally, Oasis.
As their floundering sense of musical identity is painfully evident, it’s no great surprise that Ride disbanded a few years after the recording sessions of Waves. With Oasis rumored to be coming out with a new album this year, maybe Waves will inspire Ride and the Gallaghers to rediscover the sound that made both bands so beloved.
