Nowhere (album)

{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox album | name = Nowhere | type = Album | artist = [[Ride (band)|Ride]] | cover = nowhereridecover.jpg | alt = | released = 15 October 1990 | recorded = | venue = | studio = [[Blackwing Studios|Blackwing]], London | genre = {{flatlist| * [[Shoegaze]] * [[neo-psychedelia]]<ref name="PM" /> * [[noise pop]] }} | length = 38:56 (vinyl) 52:12 (CD) | label = [[Creation Records|Creation]] | producer = Marc Waterman | prev_title = [[Fall (Ride EP)|Fall]] | prev_year = 1990 | next_title = [[Today Forever]] | next_year = 1991 | misc = {{Singles | name = Nowhere | type = studio | single1 = [[Vapour Trail (song)|Vapour Trail]] | single1date = 1 April 1991 (U.S. only) | single2 = Kaleidoscope | single2date = 1991 (U.S. only) }} }}

'''''Nowhere''''' is the debut album by British [[shoegaze]] band [[Ride (band)|Ride]], released on 15 October 1990. It has been acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of the [[shoegaze]] genre.

== Background and production == Prior to the release of ''Nowhere'', Ride had previously released three EPs, ''[[Ride (EP)|a self-titled EP]]'', ''[[Play (Ride EP)|Play]]'', and ''[[Fall (Ride EP)|Fall]]''; subsequent reissues of the album have featured songs from these EPs, especially its 20th anniversary edition in 2011.<ref name="PM"/> ''Nowhere'' was recorded with and partially produced by Marc Waterman,<ref name="AVC"/> who backed out of the sessions, resulting in [[Alan Moulder]] mixing the final album.<ref name="AVC"/>

The band members were between 18 and 20 during the recording of ''Nowhere''. Mark Gardener described it as a "nighttime sort of record", and recalled the band working on the album in the studio during late-night hours and long sessions. He said feelings of isolation in the album's music resulted from this work pattern.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-17 |title=The Bandcamp Guide to Ride |url=https://daily.bandcamp.com/lists/ride-album-list |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=Bandcamp Daily}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=The Genius Of... Nowhere by Ride |url=https://guitar.com/reviews/the-genius-of-nowhere-by-ride/ |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=Guitar.com {{!}} All Things Guitar |language=en-GB}}</ref> Gardener said “It all added to that dark, alienated feeling that I think permeated through ''Nowhere''.”<ref name=":0" />

Both Bell and Gardener used the Roland GP-16 [[Effects unit|multi effects unit]] to create various tones on the record, including [[tremolo]] on "Polar Bear", and [[Modulation (music)|modulation]] on "Vapour Trail". According to [[BandLab Technologies|Guitar.com]] the unit helped to create the record's "[[Jangle pop|jangly]] cloud", in conjunction with the use of [[Guitar pedal|pedal]]s that were core to shoegaze as it was developing.<ref name=":0" />

== Music == Samantha Lopez of ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' described ''Ride'' as "a collection of reverberated songs that stand effortlessly posed between digestible [[Pop music|pop]] songs and sonic, intense [[Noise rock|noise-rock]]."<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 25 Best Albums of 1990 |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/best-albums/best-albums-of-1990 |access-date=2025-07-15 |website=Paste Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> Jason Heller of Pitchfork explains: "''Nowhere'' reflects much of the indie environment that reverberated around them, including Sonic Youth’s distorted meltdowns, [[the Stone Roses]]’ [[Jangle|jangly]]-[[Psychedelic music|psychedelia]], and the chiming nightscapes of [[the Cure]]’s ''[[Disintegration (The Cure album)|Disintegration]]''—not to mention a huge dose of inspiration from Ride’s [[Creation Records]] labelmates [[My Bloody Valentine (band)|My Bloody Valentine]]. But unlike MBV, who were in the midst of resequencing the DNA of guitar-centric [[indie rock]], ''Nowhere'' harbors a deep strain of [[classic rock]] reverence, from the [[Paul McCartney]]-esque [[bassline]] of 'Seagull' to the 'When the Levee Breaks'-like stomp of 'Dreams Burn Down.' Mix in '[[Vapour Trail (song)|Vapour Trail]],' the disc’s melancholy, [[violin]]- and [[cello]]-laced anthem to post-adolescent [[romanticism]], and ''Nowhere'' stands elegantly poised between pop traditionalism, gently devastating songwriting, [[choirboy]] harmonies, and the most harrowing sonic overdoses in [[shoegaze]]."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pitchfork |date=2016-10-24 |title=The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9966-the-50-best-shoegaze-albums-of-all-time/ |access-date=2025-06-08 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Artwork == The [[album cover]] features an uncrested wave photographed by [[Warren Bolster]], known more for his work photographing skateboarders and snowboarders.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Nowhere |others=[[Ride (band)|Ride]] |publisher=[[Creation Records]] |year=1990 |id=CRELP074 |type=liner notes}}</ref> The original LP [[cover art]]work had the band name in embossed text centered in the upper half and an embossed album title in the lower right corner. The inner sleeve in the LP, or the liner notes in the CD, featured a text montage of lyrics from each song on the album. The original cassette and CD releases featured no band name or album title on the cover, but sometimes came with an identifying sticker on the outside of the CD or cassette case. For the 2001 CD re-release, the band name and title were printed visibly on the cover in the locations of the LP's embossed text.<ref>[http://www.discogs.com/Ride-Nowhere/release/496347 Ride – Nowhere (CD, Album) at Discogs]</ref> The 2011 Rhino Handmade edition features a [[lenticular printing|lenticular]] design of the wave.<ref name="Rhino"/>

== Release == ''Nowhere'' was released by [[Creation Records]] on 15 October 1990. The album was issued in the United States in December 1990 by [[Sire Records]].<ref name="PM"/>

A 2001 reissue by Ignition Records further added the four songs from the band's ''[[Today Forever]]'' EP as bonus tracks.

In February 2011, [[Rhino Entertainment|Rhino Handmade]] released a special 20th anniversary edition of ''Nowhere'', featuring the remastered original album with seven bonus tracks from the band's previous EPs, plus a bonus disc featuring a previously unreleased live performance at [[Roxy Theatre (West Hollywood)|The Roxy]] in Los Angeles recorded on 10 April 1991. The set also includes a 40-page booklet with exclusive photos and a new essay by music critic [[Jim DeRogatis]], as well as a [[lenticular printing|lenticular]]-covered [[digipak]] book.<ref name="Rhino">{{cite web |url=http://www.rhino.com/shop/product/ride-nowhere-20th-anniversary-edition |title=Nowhere: 20th Anniversary Edition |publisher=[[Rhino Entertainment]] |access-date=20 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101211095319/http://www.rhino.com/shop/product/ride-nowhere-20th-anniversary-edition |archive-date=11 December 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/40656-rides-nowhere-gets-double-disc-reissue/ |title=Ride's Nowhere Gets Double-Disc Reissue |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=11 November 2010 |access-date=4 December 2010 |last=Breihan |first=Tom}}</ref>

In November 2015, the band released a special 25th anniversary edition of ''Nowhere'' across two separate formats: a CD/DVD set, and a coloured-vinyl double LP. The CD features the same audio material as the 2001 and 2011 reissues remastered, with a DVD featuring a previously unreleased live performance at Town and Country Club in London on 7 March 1991. The discs come in a hardback cardboard case with canvas-style cover and a 36-page booklet. The 2LP version features an expanded track listing with 7 bonus tracks from the ''Fall'' and ''Today Forever'' EPs, and was pressed on white and blue marbled colour vinyl. The reissue was released independently.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/61241-ride-announce-nowhere-25th-anniversary-reissue/ |title=Ride Announce Nowhere 25th Anniversary Reissue |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=17 September 2015 |access-date=8 April 2016 |last=Gordon |first=Jeremy}}</ref> In conjunction with the re-release, the band performed the album in its entirety at a series of live shows in October 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/various-artists-1185-1219860 |title=Ride to perform debut album 'Nowhere' in full at 25th anniversary shows |website=[[NME]] |date=2 October 2015 |access-date=10 November 2015 |last=Britton |first=Luke Morgan}}</ref> ''Nowhere'' was re-released again in November 2022 by Wichita Recordings, with the reissue charting at number 62 on the [[UK Albums Chart]].

== Critical reception == {{Music ratings | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="AMG">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/nowhere-mw0000311372 |title=Nowhere – Ride |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=4 December 2010 |last=Kellman |first=Andy}}</ref> | rev2 = ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' | rev2score = A<ref name="AVC">{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/ride-nowhere-two-disc-20th-anniversary-reissue-1798167172 |title=Ride: Nowhere (two-disc 20th-anniversary reissue) |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=8 February 2011 |access-date=2 January 2015 |last=Ryan |first=Kyle}}</ref> | rev3 = ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' | rev3score = {{Rating|3|4}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-01-10-9101030489-story.html |title=Ride: Nowhere (Sire) |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=10 January 1991 |access-date=10 November 2015 |last=Kot |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Kot}}</ref> | rev4 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' | rev4score = B<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/1991/01/25/nowhere-2/ |title=Nowhere |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=25 January 1991 |access-date=10 November 2015 |last=Browne |first=David |author-link=David Browne (journalist)}}</ref> | rev5 = ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' | rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Ride: Nowhere 25 |magazine=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]] |issue=266 |date=January 2016 |last=Harris |first=Sophie |page=104}}</ref> | rev6 = ''[[NME]]'' | rev6score = 7/10<ref name="NME">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101001038reviews.html |title=Joyriding High |magazine=[[NME]] |date=13 October 1990 |access-date=10 November 2015 |last=Williams |first=Simon |page=38 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000817182905/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101001038reviews.html |archive-date=17 August 2000 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | rev7 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' | rev7score = 9.5/10<ref name="PM">{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15069-nowhere-20th-anniversary-edition/ |title=Ride: Nowhere [20th Anniversary Edition] |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=4 February 2011 |access-date=5 February 2011 |last=Bevan |first=David}}</ref> | rev8 = ''[[Record Mirror]]'' | rev8score = 4/5<ref name="RM">{{cite magazine |title=Ride: Nowhere |magazine=[[Record Mirror]] |date=20 October 1990 |last=Sharratt |first=Chris |page=18}}</ref> | rev9 = ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]'' | rev9score = 5/5<ref name="Select">{{cite magazine |title=Riders on the Snowstorm |magazine=[[Select (magazine)|Select]] |issue=5 |date=November 1990 |last=Perry |first=Andrew |page=110}}</ref> | rev10 = ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]'' | rev10score = 8/10<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/ride-reissues-2410/ |title=Ride reissues |website=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]] |date=2 August 2012 |access-date=10 November 2015 |last=Richards |first=Sam}}</ref> }}

Reviewer Chris Roberts of ''[[Melody Maker]]'' hailed it as "breathtaking".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/ride-nowhere-creation |title=Ride ''Nowhere'' review |publisher=[[Melody Maker]] on [[Rock's Backpages]] |date=6 October 1990 |access-date=2025-09-10}}</ref> Noting the "huge burden of expectation" placed on Ride's first full-length album after three acclaimed EPs, ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]'' critic Andrew Perry deemed ''Nowhere'' a "phenomenal" debut and praised the band's "heaven-sent melodic gift" and avoidance of "formularisation".<ref name="Select"/> ''[[Record Mirror]]''{{'}}s Chris Sharratt called Ride "undoubtedly the present day kings of the [[independent music|indie]] guitar empire" and found that the album justified the "media hype" around the band.<ref name="RM"/> In a more ambivalent review for ''[[NME]]'', Simon Williams wrote that only "two-thirds of ''Nowhere'' sublimely reaffirms our faith", and that the album "fails – unluckily – to gel as a Great Album should. It doesn't challenge or thrill unexpectedly."<ref name="NME"/>

Retrospectively, ''Nowhere'' has been acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of the shoegaze genre.<ref name="AMG"/> David Bevan of ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' described ''Nowhere'' as one of shoegaze's "indisputable masterpieces" and "one of shoegazing's enduring moments"<ref name="PM"/> and Andy Kellman of [[AllMusic]] said that the album exemplified the genre at its "most exciting and mastered", while also being "Ride's zenith".<ref name="AMG"/> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' called the album "a masterpiece" while discussing to the band post-reformation.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/shoegaze-band-ride-will-reunite-after-beady-eye-breakup-202503/ |title=Shoegaze Band Ride Will Reunite After Beady Eye Breakup |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=19 November 2014 |access-date=23 February 2016 |last=Kreps |first=Daniel}}</ref>

''Nowhere'' was ranked at number 74 on ''Pitchfork''{{'}}s 2003 list of the top 100 albums of the 1990s,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/5923-top-100-albums-of-the-1990s/?page=3 |title=Top 100 Albums of the 1990s |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=17 November 2003 |access-date=6 August 2015 |page=3}}</ref> and at number 277 on ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''{{'}}s 2015 list of "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.spin.com/2015/05/the-300-best-albums-of-the-past-30-years-1985-2014/ |title=The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985–2014) |website=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |date=11 May 2015 |access-date=6 August 2015 |page=1}}</ref> It is also included in the book ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]''.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Ride: Nowhere |last=Harris |first=Sophie |title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |title-link=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |editor-last=Dimery |editor-first=Robert |publisher=[[Universe Publishing]] |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7893-1371-3 |page=654}}</ref> The track "[[Vapour Trail (song)|Vapour Trail]]" was named the 145th best song of the 1990s by ''Pitchfork'' in 2010,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/7850-the-top-200-tracks-of-the-1990s-150-101/ |title=The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 150–101 |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=31 August 2010 |access-date=6 August 2015 |page=1}}</ref> and the 81st best song of the 1990s by ''NME'' in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/list/100-best-songs-of-the-1990s-1157 |title=100 Best Songs Of The 1990s |website=[[NME]] |date=8 May 2012 |access-date=24 June 2023 |last1=Elan |first1=Priya |last2=Horton |first2=Matthew |last3=Hewitt |first3=Ben}}</ref>

== Track listing == {{track listing | all_writing = Ride | extra_column = Lead vocals | title1 = Seagull | length1 = 6:10 | extra1 = Gardener and Bell | title2 = Kaleidoscope | length2 = 3:00 | extra2 = Gardener with Bell | title3 = In a Different Place | length3 = 5:30 | extra3 = Gardener | title4 = Polar Bear | length4 = 4:45 | extra4 = Gardener | title5 = Dreams Burn Down | length5 = 6:04 | extra5 = Gardener | title6 = Decay | length6 = 3:35 | extra6 = Gardener | note6 = Mark Gardener | title7 = Paralysed | length7 = 5:34 | extra7 = Bell | title8 = [[Vapour Trail (song)|Vapour Trail]] | length8 = 4:18 | extra8 = Bell }}

{{track listing | headline = CD bonus tracks | extra_column = Lead vocals | title9 = Taste | length9 = 3:17 | extra9 = Gardener | note9 = Mark Gardener | title10 = Here and Now | length10 = 4:26 | extra10 = Bell | title11 = Nowhere | length11 = 5:23 | extra11 = Bell | note11 = Loz Colbert }} {{track listing | headline = Reissue bonus tracks (''Today Forever'' EP) | extra_column = Lead vocals | title12 = Unfamiliar | length12 = 5:03 | lyrics12 = Gardener | music12 = | extra12 = Gardener and Bell | title13 = Sennen | length13 = 4:23 | lyrics13 = | music13 = | extra13 = Gardener and Bell | title14 = Beneath | length14 = 4:06 | lyrics14 = | music14 = | extra14 = Gardener and Bell | title15 = Today | length15 = 6:26 | lyrics15 = | music15 = | extra15 = Gardener and Bell }} {{track listing | headline = Bonus disc: Live at the Roxy, 10 April 1991 | title1 = Polar Bear | note1 = Live | length1 = 5:01 | title2 = Seagull | note2 = Live | length2 = 5:51 | title3 = Unfamiliar | note3 = Live | length3 = 4:42 | lyrics3 = Gardener | music3 = | title4 = Dreams Burn Down | note4 = Live | length4 = 5:28 | title5 = Like a Daydream | note5 = Live | length5 = 2:46 | title6 = Vapour Trail | note6 = Live | length6 = 3:36 | title7 = In a Different Place | note7 = Live | length7 = 5:30 | title8 = Perfect Time | note8 = Live | length8 = 3:26 | lyrics8 = Gardener | music8 = | title9 = Taste | note9 = Live | length9 = 3:27 | lyrics9 = Gardener | music9 = | title10 = Nowhere | note10 = Live | length10 = 8:26 | lyrics10 = Colbert | music10 = | title11 = Chelsea Girl | note11 = Live | length11 = 4:34 | lyrics11 = Gardener | music11 = | title12 = Drive Blind | note12 = Live | length12 = 6:59 }}

== Personnel == ;Ride * [[Mark Gardener]] * [[Andy Bell (Welsh musician)|Andy Bell]] * Steve Queralt * [[Loz Colbert]] ;Technical * Marc Waterman – recording *[[Alan Moulder]] – mixing at Swanyard Studios, London *Nick Webb – remastering ([[Abbey Road Studios]]) *[[Joe Dilworth]] – band photography *[[Warren Bolster]] – wave photography

==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (1990–1991) ! scope="col"| Peak position |- ! scope="row"| Australian Albums ([[ARIA]])<ref name="ARIA">{{cite Ryan|page=234}}</ref> | align="center"| 104 |- {{album chart|UK2|11|date=19901021|rowheader=true|accessdate=July 10, 2024}} |}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (2022) ! scope="col"| Peak position |- {{album chart|Scotland|12|date=20221111|rowheader=true|accessdate=July 10, 2024}} |- {{album chart|UKIndependent|6|date=20221111|rowheader=true|accessdate=July 10, 2024}} |}

==Certifications== {{certification Table Top}} {{certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=album|artist=Ride|title=Nowhere|award=Silver|relyear=1990|certyear=1991|id=4772-2205-2}} {{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

== References == {{Reflist|30em}}

'''Sources''' *{{cite web |title=The official Ride website |url=http://www.rideox4.net/ |accessdate=8 December 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009025200/http://www.rideox4.net/ |archive-date=9 October 2011 |url-status=dead }} *{{cite web |title=Ticket To Ride – Oxford's finest band unofficial website |url=http://www.ticket2ride.it/index2.htm |accessdate=26 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216200635/http://www.ticket2ride.it/index2.htm |archivedate=16 February 2012}}

== External links ==  *[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZuHZ7jcVwmcIUpickyjnYJB8IkvZzEv ''Nowhere''] at [[YouTube]] (streamed copy where licensed) *[https://web.archive.org/web/20060511051938/http://www.ticket2ride.it/discog/nowhere.htm Lyrics]

[[Category:Ride (band) albums]] [[Category:Creation Records albums]] [[Category:1990 debut albums]]