The Rides boast a superstar lineup: Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Stephen Stills (of Crosby, Stills & Nash and Buffalo Springfield fame) on dual lead guitar and vocals; and Barry Goldberg, who played keys with Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Bob Dylan, and Mike Bloomfield in his youth. Adding to this triumvirate is Chris Layton on drums, of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, and Kevin McCormick on bass – not to be confused with the upstart presidential candidate. The band formed after an impromptu jam performance at a mutual friend’s Super Bowl party in 2007, enjoying it so much that they made it a yearly performance. This spontaneity shines through on their second album, Pierced Arrow, to be released on 6th May.
The title harks back to the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company of the early 20th century, which made luxury cars, often used by musicians for glamorous transport. Shepherd and Stills are both fanatics of classic cars, but there is greater symbolism to the album title: ‘A pierced arrow is one with a hole in its feathers,’ Stills adds. ‘No telling where it will end up.’ This should not be interpreted, though, as a hint that the album lacks direction – it is a tight set of punchy blues tunes which oozes with energy.
From the Rolling Stones-esque opening track, Kick Out of It, to the harmonically rich, Virtual World, to the bittersweet, There Was a Place, the originals showcase the band’s unity. As Shepherd explains, ‘There are no egos. We’re just in it for the music and we’re having a ball.’
As with their first album, Can’t Get Enough, the covers are well chosen and personalised. A 1973 Goldberg collaboration with Gerry Goffin, I’ve Got to Use My Imagination, is resurrected in the vein of Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland’s version and gives life to a fiery guitar duel. Willie Dixon’s blues standard, My Babe, provides an upbeat close to the album. Shepherd, after having heard it on the radio en route to the studio, was inspired by its distinctive message – ‘It’s the unique blues song that glorifies women rather than talks about bad experiences with them!’
My favourite track is Mr Policeman, a soulful plea to an unreasonable police officer at a roadside pullover, with such brilliantly funny lines as, ‘Don’t bring that dog up, sniffing around – he’ll scratch the paint!’ The album as a whole is well-mixed and offers beautifully rich sonic detail.
Although it does not break the boundaries of what a blues-rock album can do, it is a thoroughly enjoyable and well-developed album which all rock fans should hear.