Carnival of Light

Ride

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 28, 1994)
• Original Release Date: June 28, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Reprise / Wea
• ASIN: B000002MR4
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #70,286 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Track Listings

1. Moonlight Medicine

2. 1000 Miles

3. From Time to Time

4. Natural Grace

5. Only Now

6. Birdman

7. Crown of Creation

8. How Does It Feel to Feel

9. Endless Road

10. Magical Spring

11. Rolling Thunder

12. I Don't Know Where It Comes From

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The fact they wear Buffalo Springfield T-shirts and title-one tune "Crown of Creation" (namely, the Jefferson Airplane) says it all about this English quartet's love of psychedelic-era American rock. On their third album, patchouli-scented, suede-fringed fare like "1000 Miles," "Natural Grace" and "Endless Road" are appealing if a triffle lightweight. --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A shimmering album from a disintegrating band, June 24, 2001

By	M. Campbell "mhfoster" (Hermance, Switzerland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Yes, there does seem to be a "love it"/"hate it" division among Ride fans on this album. Recorded at a tense time in the band's (rapidly ending) history, _CoL_ was, in many ways, a departure from previous efforts such as _Nowhere_ and _Going Blank Again_ (which some critics believe firmly put the band under the early '90s "shoegazer" label). Still, this album has some lush standouts (although apparently divided by Mark's songs on the first part of the album, followed by Andy's contributions). As one reviewer has already mentioned, there are Byrds-esque flavors to some of their songs, particularly "1000 Miles" and "Natural Grace". There is the 'old Ride' wall of swirling guitar on "Moonlight Medicine" and "Birdman" (with Andy's John/Yoko-like reference to his wife, Idha). And there is also the wistfulness of "Only Now" and "From Time to Time" (the latter with its incessant, hypnotic electric and acoustic guitars). A standout is the short yet haunting instrumental "Rolling Thunder". For new Ride listeners, give this one a try as you go to purchase a copy of "Going Blank Again"; it will give you insight into the range of music produced by this highly underrated yet influential (many artists cite Ride as a fave) band.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Retro, yet ahead of its time, and most of all timeless!, May 24, 2001

By	Denmark Jensen (Carson City, NV USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a quick perusal of the reviews here will show, this album really divided Ride fans, and still does. Some found the total change of direction in a much more retro 60's direction too much to handle and dismissed it. However, if you just listen to this album on its own merits, it is a classic, as good as its influences (the most obvious of which to my ears is '65-'66 Byrds). I liked Ride before this album, but this is easily my favorite of all. It seems somewhat ironic that in 1993 so many critized Ride for going retro, rather than forward, while just a year later "Definitely Maybe", chock full of 60's influences, was heralded as a welcome new direction away from "grunge". In retrospect, "Carnival of Light" is a much better, if slightly less obvious, collection of songs. It's failure to win either critial acclaim or commercial success seemed to be a big factor in the eventual demise of the band (after the tour was cancelled, Andy wanted to immediatly make another album before Mark had any songs ready). Its quite a shame, and I do place a lot of blame for that on the UK critics who were so quick to put this down, while embracing a full on 60's revival a couple of years later with bands like Oasis and Kula Shaker. Anyway, all that's in the past, but this album is still here as a lasting reminder of the greatness of Ride at their peak.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Def Retro, February 9, 2001

By	Mark Champion "autumnfair" (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Retro? Yeah, right. As if there were anything but. The titles are amusing enough, but the lyrics to "From Time To Time" are so punningly religious/secular the song practically wears beads. And the aching ballad "Only Now" outdoes even itself when it (look out) comes to the afterglow of seduction ("Crown Of Creation" indeed, and where IS that incense. . .). "I Don't Know Where It Comes From" either but I'll bet it disappears down the ol' "Endless Road" for the next "1000 Miles" or so in search of that elusive "Magical Spring." Or butterfly, or whatever. Yup, a bona fide winner here, even better than the great Going Blank Again only, like, mellower. When the smoke clears this'll still be spinning and so will you.