The Rides
Can’t Get Enough
Reviewed by: Stephen Krock
When reviewing a name such as Stephen Stills, I find it best to take a step back and listen objectively. Fortunately, behind the moniker of The Rides, wherein Stills has joined forces with Electric Flag keyboardist Barry Goldberg and blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd, it’s easy to just hear the music and not the name.
The trio’s debut album, Can’t Get Enough, is rife with the raw, muscly, authentic ’40s and ’50s blues music that we would come to expect from these artists. Amidst the rambunctious guitar solos, classy piano rock, and clear crisp bluesy vocals, lies a smorgasbord of vintage tunes. Muddy Waters’ “Honey Bee,” a pumped-up version of Big Maybelle’s “That’s a Pretty Good Love,” an update of Stills’ own 1971 song “Word Games,” and a respectable cover of “Rockin’ in the Free World.” Respectable would be a key word to describe the album on a whole. As would vintage. The sound is all very organic and there’s no denying the talent and love behind the music. However, none of it feels very fresh. The closest we get to new and exciting is the wild “Search and Destroy.”
Can’t Get Enough is without a doubt very good. If you’re looking for classic blues rock, you need not look further. But what makes The Rides stand above their peers? A name. Perhaps that’s what hurts the album most of all. You always expect more of legends.
Rating: Listenable
