Customer Reviews

Ride The Blinds

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

These guys have captured something incredible here. The influences are many, but every one makes perfect sense. Ride the Blinds shifts from rollicking rock & roll to blues to soul without blinking an eye. These guys have done some serious homework as well. All of them play like veterans of some long lost scene and none of them could be over 25. I particularly like the blues numbers on here which range from electric delta on "Last Match", hard thumping house boogie "7 Black Cats" to a smoother more laid back instrumental "2 for 9". The latter of the three, blanketed with warm New Orleans second line style horns.
Nothing here is perfect though, or even a touch overproduced. The rock on this album is loose and contains a swagger all it's own. From guitar epics like "shine On" to the slow burning "It's been too Long" to the swirling rave up of "Stood by You" (not in particular order)these guys just plain let it rip!
The only thing obvious about these guys is thier influences. In the guitar I hear Clapton, Page, and some lesser known but still highly regarded players like Mike Bloomfield and Peter Green. There's also some B.B., Albert, and Freddie in there. The rythym section swings from the looseness of Watts/Wyman to the thunder of Moon/Entwistle and Bonham/Jones. High praise indeed. I know. But I've never meant anything more.
Ride the Blinds are what I like to call "nostalgic fresh". Taking everything I (and many, many others I'm sure)love from the past and injecting thier own youthfull insight and energy into it.
If you love, or even just like anything I've written here, DO NOT PASS THIS ALBUM UP! It is swimming in the long lost art of caring about music and where it can take us. These guys must feel like they are alone in that. The proof is in the pudding, so I'll leave you with a line from "Shine On".
I'm a streetlight/on a dead night/such a pitifull sight/but I shine on. Believe me there is nothing pitifull about any of this.

I can't believe that the description of this album makes no reference to the guitar playing!! It's awesome. These guys can just plain play and it's refreshing to hear rock n' roll like this again. I'm just glad I'm catching on early...

This album rocks from start to finish but give me a break, give the obvious influences their due! This album sounds like it was made by the baby brothers of the FACES & the STONES, that could be Ron Wood on guitar and a young Mick on vocals. If you want a recent album to take you back to the rock'n'swagger of "Never a Dull Moment" & "Exile on Main St" you'll certainly appreciate this gem. Sit back, bottoms up & crank it!!!

Love the album! I picked one up and I can't stop listening to it. The only dead spot is "Blow Wind Blow." It's not a bad song just drags a little. I highly recommending picking this up. It's refreshing.

"2 for 9" immediately brought to mind "Season of the Witch" by Steven Stills on the Supersession album of the late '60s, early 70's. Just heard it last night on XM. Just now checking them out for more.

I love this album... It is like classic LYNYRD SKYNYRD, but with more of a blues feel to it.

The first time I saw Ride the Blinds, I was blown away...these guys rock! I had to get the cd after the show & cd is fantastic.

Ride the Blinds is a great 3 piece band from San Francisco.
If you like Led Zeppelin,The Who, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, & more...You should love Ride the Blinds!

Riding the blinds: To hitch a ride on the box car of a train.

Ride the Blinds plays blues and rock 'n' roll. In the spirit of the old, they achieve something new.

I really like this band...I don't see many bands that really impress me...but they do!

[...]

Read Trevor Sticker's review for a great laugh and accurate
description of this great record

I cant even think of an artist of this style of music that has even a tenth of the musical abilty that ride the blinds has, since I got this album it has not left my cd player. all the tracks on this album, seem like a showcase for some of the best musical talent I have ever heard. The song windup clock has a drum solo that is insane, this album is a life saving break from some of the crappy muisc getting made today, and a great example of what a band in this stlye should sound like.

I saw these guys live. They were amazing. I got the cd. It's good to see music "real music" coming back. The Bass line is hard and on point. The guitar is the most soothing and hypnotic sound I have ever heard, the drums are wild and pure. While I listen to this album I wanted to get drunk have sex with a hooker and piss on my bed. Damn I love rock n'roll. Oh see them Live cause as great as the album is there live show is 10 times better. If thats even believable. A must have cd. Maybee the best Rock album of the year.