Ride the Tiger (album)

Ride the Tiger is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Yo La Tengo.[7][8] It was released in 1986 by record label Coyote.[9][10]

Ride the Tiger
Studio album by
Yo La Tengo
ReleasedJanuary 1986
RecordedDecember 1985 in Boston, United States
GenreIndie rock, Jangle pop
Length38:06
LabelCoyote
ProducerClint Conley
Yo La Tengo chronology
Ride the Tiger
(1986)		 New Wave Hot Dogs
(1987)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[3]
Q[4]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]
Spin Alternative Record Guide4/10[6]

Production

The album was produced by Mission of Burma's Clint Conley.[2] Dave Schramm plays guitar on the album.[11]

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."[12] Trouser Press wrote that "it’s originals like 'The Cone of Silence' and 'The Forest Green' that make Ride the Tiger such a pleasure."[13]

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. Deming, Mark. "Ride the Tiger – Yo La Tengo | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  2. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 823.
  3. MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1257.
  4. "[Ride the Tiger review]". Q: 131. September 1994.
  5. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. p. 896.
  6. Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 443.
  7. The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. March 7, 2003. ISBN 9781858284576 – via Google Books.
  8. "Yo La Tengo | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  9. "Yo La Tengo: "Success gave us the courage to be weirder"". August 28, 2020.
  10. "SCOUTING; This Name Flies (Published 1986)". June 25, 1986 – via NYTimes.com.
  11. Taylor, Steve (September 27, 2006). The A to X of Alternative Music. A&C Black. ISBN 9780826482174 – via Google Books.
  12. Sasfy, Joe (August 8, 1986). "SOUNDS" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  13. "Yo La Tengo". Trouser Press. Retrieved 7 March 2021.



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