Ride the Tiger (album)

Last updated
Ride the Tiger
Ride the Tiger (album) cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 1986
RecordedDecember 1985 in Boston, United States
Genre
Length38:06
Label Coyote
Producer Clint Conley
Yo La Tengo chronology
Ride the Tiger
(1986)
New Wave Hot Dogs
(1987)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 4/10 [8]

Ride the Tiger is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Yo La Tengo. [1] [9] It was released in 1986 by record label Coyote. [10] [11]

Contents

Production

The album was produced by Mission of Burma's Clint Conley. [4] Dave Schramm plays guitar on the album. [12]

Content

The song "Big Sky" is a cover of The Kinks' song from their album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society . The song "A House Is Not a Motel" is a cover of Love's song from their album Forever Changes .

Critical reception

The Washington Post called the album "unpretentious and emotionally convincing," writing that the band's "chief asset is not [Ira] Kaplan's flat, intimate vocals, but their guitars, which are finely textured and finely tuned to the moody, personal resonances of their songs." [13] Trouser Press wrote that "it’s originals like 'The Cone of Silence' and 'The Forest Green' that make Ride the Tiger such a pleasure." [14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Ira Kaplan, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Cone of Silence" 2:49
2."Big Sky" Ray Davies 2:46
3."The Evil That Men Do" 4:11
4."The Forest Green"Kaplan, Georgia Hubley 3:23
5."The Pain of Pain" 5:35
6."The Way Some People Die" Dave Schramm 3:37
7."The Empty Pool"Dave Weckerman2:21
8."Alrock's Bells" 4:08
9."Five Years"Tony Rubin, Schramm3:45
10."Screaming Dead Balloons" 3:17
11."Living in the Country" Pete Seeger 2:14
CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."The River of Water" 2:30
13."A House Is Not a Motel" Arthur Lee 3:43
14."Crispy Duck" 3:04
15."Closing Time" Sammy Walker 3:45

Personnel

Yo La Tengo

Additional personnel

Technical

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References

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  3. Deming, Mark. "Ride the Tiger – Yo La Tengo | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic . Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 823.
  5. MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1257.
  6. "[Ride the Tiger review]". Q : 131. September 1994.
  7. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. p. 896.
  8. Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 443.
  9. Ankeny, Jason. "Yo La Tengo | Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  10. Pinnock, Tom (August 28, 2020). "Yo La Tengo: "Success gave us the courage to be weirder"". Uncut . Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  11. "SCOUTING; This Name Flies". The New York Times . June 25, 1986. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  12. Taylor, Steve (September 27, 2006). The A to X of Alternative Music. A&C Black. ISBN   9780826482174 via Google Books.
  13. Sasfy, Joe (August 8, 1986). "SOUNDS". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  14. Schinder, Scott; Robbins, Ira; Pattyn, Jay. "Yo La Tengo". Trouser Press . Retrieved March 7, 2021.