Going Blank Again
Encyclopedia
Going Blank Again is the second studio album
by British
alternative rock
band Ride
, released in March 1992 on Creation Records
. It was produced by Alan Moulder
, and peaked at #5 in the UK Albums Chart
. In October 2009 the album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry
for sales of over 100,000 units.
, Ride released Going Blank Again as their second full-length record, accompanied by the singles "Leave Them All Behind" and "Twisterella". The album consists of ten tracks, selected from twenty-five that the band had recorded.
It has been said that Going Blank Again resembles the band's debut album but also has an upbeat, power pop
factor. In this sense the album has been compared to the music of Teenage Fanclub
who were Creation Records labelmates of Ride, although it is pointed out that Ride's vocals
are more layered, and that the guitar
s are not as sharp and cutting as those of similar bands of the same era, whilst retaining the reverberating sound that was typical of the shoegaze sound, which was influenced by Phil Spector
's Wall of Sound
technique. The lyrics
on the album have been criticised, but overall this was not seen as an important factor for the album given the nature of shoegaze.
Reviewing the album at the time, British music weekly NME
noted that they did not have high hopes for Going Blank Again but that Ride "did the business" and restored the magazine's faith in the band, noting particularly that they had taken on board a diverse set of influences and developed their sound:
An academic study on My Bloody Valentine's seminal shoegazing album Loveless
mentions that the tracks of Going Blank Again are "predictive" of later genres of indie rock
, and notes that the seventh track "Cool Your Boots" is a "shoegazing classic".
The band credit Christopher Gunson with creating the cover art for the album.
The album was re-released on 24 September 2001 featuring 4 bonus tracks on the Ignition label in the United Kingdom.
Bonus tracks taken from the "Leave Them All Behind" (track 4) and "Twisterella" (tracks 1-3) singles for the 2001 re-release:
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Ride
Ride (band)
Ride were a British alternative rock band that formed in 1988 in Oxford, England, consisting of Andy Bell, Mark Gardener, Laurence "Loz" Colbert, and Steve Queralt. The band were initially part of the "shoegazing" scene. Following the break-up of the band in 1996, members moved on to various other...
, released in March 1992 on Creation Records
Creation Records
Creation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
. It was produced by Alan Moulder
Alan Moulder
Alan Moulder is one of Britain's premier alternative rock record producers. He has worked with such artists as Depeche Mode, Erasure, Elastica, Gary Numan, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Curve, Ride, Lush and My Bloody Valentine, Lostprophets, Shihad, Ivyrise and Placebo, as well as with many American...
, and peaked at #5 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. In October 2009 the album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
for sales of over 100,000 units.
Album
Following Ride's 1990 debut album NowhereNowhere (album)
Nowhere is the debut album by British shoegazing band Ride. The album was released by Creation Records on 15 October 1990. Allmusic has cited the album as one of the greatest albums of the shoegazing genre, second only to My Bloody Valentine's Loveless...
, Ride released Going Blank Again as their second full-length record, accompanied by the singles "Leave Them All Behind" and "Twisterella". The album consists of ten tracks, selected from twenty-five that the band had recorded.
It has been said that Going Blank Again resembles the band's debut album but also has an upbeat, power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
factor. In this sense the album has been compared to the music of Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub are an alternative rock band from Bellshill, Scotland. The band is composed of Norman Blake , Raymond McGinley , Gerard Love and Francis MacDonald , with songwriting duties shared equally among Blake, McGinley and Love...
who were Creation Records labelmates of Ride, although it is pointed out that Ride's vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
are more layered, and that the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s are not as sharp and cutting as those of similar bands of the same era, whilst retaining the reverberating sound that was typical of the shoegaze sound, which was influenced by Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
's Wall of Sound
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
technique. The lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
on the album have been criticised, but overall this was not seen as an important factor for the album given the nature of shoegaze.
Reviewing the album at the time, British music weekly NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
noted that they did not have high hopes for Going Blank Again but that Ride "did the business" and restored the magazine's faith in the band, noting particularly that they had taken on board a diverse set of influences and developed their sound:
This LP has some top punk rock bass guitar on it! Some new effects pedals! New ideas! It is not Going Nowhere Again which is the album we feared they'd make. Instead, GBA fills in the lines between Ride's beauty with cement and then builds like a demon. There is no stone left unturned, as they open up to new reference points... would you believe King CrimsonKing CrimsonKing Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
? New OrderNew OrderNew Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
? The WhoThe WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
? The Beach BoysThe Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
? Ride have reinvented themselves whilst retaining all the cuteness of Haircut One Hundred.
An academic study on My Bloody Valentine's seminal shoegazing album Loveless
Loveless (album)
Loveless is the second studio album by alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine. Released on 4 November 1991, Loveless was recorded over a two-year period between 1989 and 1991 in nineteen recording studios...
mentions that the tracks of Going Blank Again are "predictive" of later genres of indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
, and notes that the seventh track "Cool Your Boots" is a "shoegazing classic".
The band credit Christopher Gunson with creating the cover art for the album.
The album was re-released on 24 September 2001 featuring 4 bonus tracks on the Ignition label in the United Kingdom.
Track listing
All songs credited to Ride. The liner notes give individual credits for lyrics.- "Leave Them All Behind" (Ride/Gardener) - 8:18
- "Twisterella" (Ride/Gardener) - 3:42
- "Not Fazed" (Ride/Bell) - 4:24
- "Chrome Waves" (Ride/Bell) - 3:53
- "Mouse Trap" (Ride/Gardener) - 5:14
- "Time Of Her Time" (Ride/Bell) - 3:16
- "Cool Your Boots" (Ride/Bell) - 6:01
- "Making Judy Smile" (Ride/Bell) - 2:39
- "Time Machine" (Ride/Gardener) - 5:54
- "OX4" (Ride/Gardener) - 7:03
Bonus tracks taken from the "Leave Them All Behind" (track 4) and "Twisterella" (tracks 1-3) singles for the 2001 re-release:
- "Going Blank Again" - 3:21
- "Howard Hughes" - 4:03
- "Stampede" - 4:16
- "Grasshopper" - 10:56
External links
- Review of the album in NMENMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, from the Creation RecordsCreation RecordsCreation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
website.