Review: “Joyride” by Roxette (CD, 1991)

Today’s Pop Rescue from an uncertain fate is the 1991 third hit album Joyride by Swedish pop-rock duo, Roxette. Is this album a real joy to listen to, or is it all just crash and burn? Read on…

Roxette - Joyride (1991) album — Roxette’s 1991 album ‘Joyride’

This 15 track album was their third, and it continued their career success, and gave them five singles – the title track Joyride, Fading Like A Flower (Every Time You Leave), The Big L, Church Of Your Heart, and Spending My Time.

Joyride also became what has become their best-selling album – selling more than 11 million copies world-wide.

In theory then, this album should be the best one to introduce me to their work. However, I’m still not particularly convinced that I’m really a Roxette fan.

Roxette are certainly on the rock side of pop – at home playing stadiums tours with a full band.

At times in tracks Hotblooded and Small Talk, you could be listening to something from the tamer part of the Transvision Vamp discography, with the latter musically reminding me of their Baby, I Don’t Care.

Whilst I’m not a massive Roxette fan, I admit that some of their singles have been great. I like How Do You Do and It Must Have Been Love – the latter from the Pretty Woman soundtrack, and the former from the following album.

Aside from most of the singles, tracks I Remember You and Watercolours In The Rain stand out amongst the others. The latter showing off Marie Frederiksson’s voice beautifully.

The up-tempo track Soul Deep carries a September 1986 production note, making this one of their earliest recordings. It also stands out amongst the other tracks, but also doesn’t seem out of place here amongst this later work.

Roxette’s lead single ‘Joyride’

Where are Roxette now?

Both Per and Marie continued recording and releasing material, albeit, as solo artists. Since Joyride, the band continued to have numerous studio and greatest hits albums, and embarked on tours around the world.

More recently, whilst they continued to not rule out a new album, Marie sadly passed away in December 2019 aged 61 after a long battle with cancer.

Verdict

The singles are the strongest tracks here, and they are real belters that under no doubt were perfectly deserving of the success that they found. The rest of the album is a little uninspiring though, and lacking enough to make any of those stand out.

It’s a bumpy ride, but at least it got to the final destination safely.