Not too different, but a nice nuance with more echo. While you might know the remix of Joyride, the Humberto Gatica Mix of Fading Like A Flower is the first version, which is initially released in 2021. From then on, the box heads more or less to the rarities. Gessle wrote the track for the Joyride album, the ballad was finally dropped from the original release and was part of the 2009 Joyride reissue. For many listeners, this box will somehow start with the sixteenth song, The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye. It makes you re-live also the simplicity of tools Roxette needed to do the big songs. It reminds you of the perfection Per Gessle’s work as a lyrics write. The first fifteen songs are the intro to this anniversary box. But even less well-known tracks like the rocker Hotblooded or the beautiful, almost country-alike ballad Watercolours In The Rain – I am sure that many of you agree and simply sing along to the Swedes while listening to these tunes. The world of music simply misses this amazing lady. Whenever I think of her, I get goosebumps. Per and Marie create the same feelings like in 1991. Regardless if I am listening to the opener Joyride or to later songs like Fading Like A Flower (Every Time You Leave), I can sing along. It is a collection of musical memories for a generation. I could make the story of the first fifteen tracks, roughly the first hour, really short. The price for the box is very moderate: at the time of writing, Amazon Germany, for example, had a price of 19.99 EUR* – which is slightly above the normal price of an album in Germany. Thus, I am going for a rather traditional (and this time: also more emotional) review than the normal track-by-track format.
Roxette – Joyride (30th Anniversary Edition) – The ReviewĪs said, the edition comes in three CDs with a total of fifty songs (track list below).
One year later, Pelle Alsing, the long-time Roxette drummer, faded away as well. Already in the shows before, she had to sit due to her serious cancer situation. In the same year, the duo announced not to be able to tour any more. Overall, Roxette released ten studio albums, the last being Good Karma in 2016 (with a hiatus of ten years between 20). The following albums were Tourism (1992) and Crash! Boom! Bang! (1994), which had massive success in Europe, but did not perform too well in the US, for example. The title song was the big seller of the album, but especially their second single Fading Like A Flower (Every Time You Leave) was a global hit as well. The album got a seven time golden record in Germany and was at least double platinum in markets like the UK, Switzerland, Australia, Canada or Spain. Joyride was the best selling Roxette album of all times. In 1991, Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Chipettes covered the song for their album The Chipmunks Rock the House.ĭuring the 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs this became the intro anthem to the Vancouver Canucks as they took the ice before each game.Joyride was the highlight of the iconic Swedish pop-rock career In the opening section of the song, a man is heard saying "Come on, join the joyride everybody, get your tickets here, step right this way", in a possible homage to The Beatles' song "Magical Mystery Tour", where at the opening section, Paul McCartney is heard saying "Roll up, roll up for the Magical Mystery Tour! Step right this way!". In interviews, Gessle states he got the idea for the opening line of this song from his girlfriend (now wife) who left a note on his piano that stated, "Hello, you fool, I love you." The single topped the charts across Europe, and in Australia, Canada and the United States, where it spent one week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, their last to do so, in May 1991. "Joyride", written by Per Gessle, was the first single released from Swedish pop duo Roxette's 1991 album Joyride, the follow-up to the group's highly successful Look Sharp!.