R.I.D.E. Explained

R.I.D.E.
Type:studio
Artist:Trick Pony
Cover:Trickponyride.jpg
Recorded:2003–2005[1]
Studio:
Genre:Country
Length:43:38
Label:Asylum-Curb
Producer:[2]
Prev Title:On a Mission
Prev Year:2002
Next Title:The Best of Trick Pony
Next Year:2009

R.I.D.E. (pronounced "ride") is the third and final studio album by American country music group Trick Pony, released on August 23, 2005 via Asylum-Curb Records. The album's name is an abbreviation for "Rebellious Individuals Delivering Entertainment".[3] After the underwhelming success of their previous album On a Mission (2002) and many management changes, the group officially left Warner Bros. Nashville in late 2003 and bought out their masters. Almost immediately, they were signed to Curb Records before being moved to the Asylum-Curb division.

Three official singles were released from the album, with the highest peaking being a cover of Bonnie Tyler's 1977 hit song "It's a Heartache". The album also peaked within the top ten of the Top Country Albums chart. This was the group's last album to feature Heidi Newfield and was actually their last studio album; they did however release an EP in 2016 titled Pony Up sans member Ira Dean.

Songs

R.I.D.E. has been described as Trick Pony's most diverse album.[4] The album opens up with "Ain't Wastin' Good Whiskey on You", which features an all-star chorus featuring Tracy Byrd, Joe Diffie, Mel Tillis, Tanya Tucker, Darryl Worley, and a few of Ira Dean's friends from Cincinnati.[5] The third track, "It's a Heartache" is a cover originally sung by Bonnie Tyler. "When I Fall" was written by member Keith Burns and country artist Billy Dean, who is actually Dean's brother.[6] Burns described the song as a "big, huge ballad."[7] Track six, "The Bride" was the first single from the album and features Heidi Newfield's "throaty vocals turn on a dime."[8] "Sad City" was a song co-written by Burns that was originally recorded by Sammy Kershaw. The song features Hootie & the Blowfish lead singer and eventual country star Darius Rucker; the group originally met Rucker at Farm Aid. Burns began playing the song in Rucker's tour bus which caught Rucker's attention; he stated to the group that if they were to ever cut it, he would want to be featured in it. "Stand in the Middle of Texas" was co-written by famed Nashville songwriter Matraca Berg.[9] "Señorita" was a song originally recorded by rock music group Los Lonely Boys for their self-titled debut album (2004). In this song, Ira Dean and Keith Burns sing lead vocals. "Hillbilly Rich" is a "typical Trick Pony party song" that also features Dean and Burns on lead vocals; lyrically, it is a tale of a redneck who "hit it big on the lottery." This is also the only song on the album that the group's longtime producer Chuck Howard did not produce, instead being produced by co-writer Anthony Smith. "Cry, Cry, Cry" features a big-band inspired horn arrangement written by Branford Marsalis. The closing track, "Maryann's Song" is the only track co-written by Newfield and is a gospel song dedicated to her mother, who passed away in 2004 due to MS. The song features country legend Kris Kristofferson reading a recitation.

Singles

"The Bride" was chosen as the lead single from the record on June 21, 2004, over a year before the album was actually released. It peaked at number 27 on the US Hot Country Songs chart. The group's cover of Bonnie Tyler's 1977 hit song "It's a Heartache" was released on January 31, 2005, as the second single. It was the most successful, hitting number 22 on the Billboard country chart and number 18 on the Radio & Records country chart. "Ain't Wastin' Good Whiskey on You" was the third and final single, released to airplay on September 12, 2005; it was less successful, failing to reach the top forty.

Commercial performance

R.I.D.E. debuted at number four on the Top Country Albums chart with first week sales of 34,000 copies, becoming the highest debut of the week and Trick Pony's only top ten album to date.[10] The album also debuted at number 20 on the Billboard 200. By the next week however, the album had fallen to number 11 on the former and number 85 on the latter. It spent only 10 weeks on the former chart and 4 weeks on the latter.

ChartW1W2W3W4W5W6W7W8W9W10
Billboard 2002085113176
Top Country Albums4111830353746526270

Track listing

All tracks produced by Chuck Howard except "Hillbilly Rich", produced by Anthony Smith.

Personnel

Taken from the R.I.D.E. booklet.

Trick Pony

Additional musicians

Charts

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positions
US Billboard CountryUS Radio & Records Country
2004"The Bride"2727[11]
2005"It's a Heartache"2218[12]
"Ain't Wastin' Good Whiskey on You"4236[13]

Notes and References

  1. Trick Pony trots out something new. Eugene Register-Guard. 4, 5. August 26, 2005. June 28, 2024.
  2. Web site: Trick Pony – R.I.D.E. (Rebellious Individuals Delivering Entertainment. Discogs. June 28, 2024.
  3. Web site: Trick Pony Rides a Bumpy Road to Maturity . 2007-12-18 . Caviness . Crystal . About.com . 2011-07-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110716192717/http://countrymusic.about.com/od/news/a/trickpony_cma.htm . dead .
  4. News: Dugger . Brian . September 29, 2005 . Trick Pony's latest album takes group for an exhilarating ride . June 28, 2024 . . . E5.
  5. Web site: Loy . Robert. Trick Pony pulls off a hat track . November 2005 . June 28, 2024 . Country Standard Time.
  6. News: Blackwall . Sam . September 5, 2001 . Trick Pony: An overnight success after 5 1/2 years . June 28, 2024 . . 10B.
  7. August 26, 2005 . Trick Pony trots out something new . June 28, 2024 . . 4, 5.
  8. Web site: Bell . Rick . Trick Pony - R.I.D.E. (CD Review) . June 28, 2024 . Country Standard Time.
  9. R.I.D.E. (CD booklet). Trick Pony. Asylum-Curb Records. 2005. 78864
  10. News: Jessen . Wade . September 10, 2005 . Two Acts See Fastest Starts . live . June 28, 2024 . . . 84 . 117 . 37 . 0006-2510.
  11. News: September 24, 2004 . R&R Country Top 50 . June 28, 2024 . . 62 . 1574.
  12. News: August 5, 2005 . R&R Country Top 50 . June 28, 2024 . . 44 . 1618.
  13. News: December 9, 2005 . R&R Country Top 50 . June 28, 2024 . . 62 . 1636.