Ride the Tiger
Studio album by
Yo La Tengo
ReleasedJanuary 1986
RecordedDecember 1985 in Boston, United States
Genre
Length38:06
LabelCoyote
ProducerClint Conley
Yo La Tengo chronology
Ride the Tiger
(1986)		 New Wave Hot Dogs
(1987)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[5]
Q[6]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide[7]
Spin Alternative Record Guide4/10[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]

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 Davies2:46
3."The Evil That Men Do" 4:11
4."The Forest Green"Kaplan, Georgia Hubley3:23
5."The Pain of Pain" 5:35
6."The Way Some People Die"Dave Schramm3:37
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 Seeger2:14
CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."The River of Water" 2:30
13."A House Is Not a Motel"Arthur Lee3:43
14."Crispy Duck" 3:04
15."Closing Time"Sammy Walker3:45

Personnel

Yo La Tengo

  • Ira Kaplan – vocals, guitar
  • Dave Schramm – guitar, vocals on "The Way Some People Die" and "Five Years"
  • Mike Lewis – bass guitar
  • Georgia Hubley – drums

Additional personnel

  • David Bither – saxophone on "Screaming Dead Balloons"
  • Mike Tchang – saxophone on "The River of Water"
  • Chris Nelson – trombone on "The River of Water"
  • Clint Conley – bass guitar on "The Forest Green," "The Empty Pool," and "Alrock's Bells"
  • Dave Rick – bass guitar on "The River of Water" and "A House Is Not a Motel"

Technical

References

  1. 1 2 The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. March 7, 2003. p. 1203. ISBN 978-1-85828-457-6 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ Nelson, Elizabeth (April 22, 2022). "Yo La Tengo Albums From Worst To Best". Stereogum. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  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.
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