Thomas: Oh dear, 30 years?? I already told you the story of the single, so I won’t bore you with that again. The album then? Well obviously it was released today in 1991. I had the worst job you can imagine with a boss I literally wanted to kill, so no real joyride there. Maybe that’s why I honestly can’t remember where I got the LP and the CD, I do however remember how and where I got the cassette! In August ‘91 I went to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on vacation. We rented a car, a blue Pontiac Sunbird convertible! A V6! I drove directly from the car rentals to the record store in Fort Lauderdale. Ran in and got the cassette “Joyride.” Why not the CD, you wonder? Well, the damn car didn’t have a CD-player… Hot dang, we blasted that album every moment for two weeks! I even sent Per a postcard telling him that Joyride was used in a promo for the Miss America pageant on TV. Kind of cool I thought. He probably didn’t…

So, the album? Still a great one after all these years. I never really liked Soul Deep, while I do understand why they put it on this album as well, and it is a better version (read: mix) which does stand out, but still not in a good enough way. The rest is just heaven. My favorites vary, but usually Hotblooded, I Remember You and Things Will Never be the Same are up there, but also Fading, Spending and Excited. I could go on… This is also the album with the best videos in my not so humble opinion. Too bad that Excited wasn’t released as that planned single. I assume it had something to do with the breakdown of EMI USA. Well, I ramble on, so here’s to you, “Joyride,” have a damn good 30th birthday! I want that box now!

In comparison, when “Joyride” was released it was 21 years after The Beatles’ “Let it Be” was released…

Kai: Oh, this is long, long ago. 1991? I was in school and let me tell you that listening to Roxette was not exactly the ticket to the cool guys’ corner. If I remember right, I did not really notice that the album was out. Internet wasn’t a thing back then for me, I wasn’t in any fanclub but I heard Joyride, the single, on the radio occasionally. There was one radio station that featured an “Album of the Week” and it turned out to be Roxette’s Joyride album one fine day. They played it from start to end one night and it was quite common that you sat there with your finger on the recording button. The result was quite a crappy recording on a cassette but hell, was that great! It was an album that made sense through and through. The circus music and sounds between the tracks, the music itself. Back then you couldn’t skip songs so you had to go through the whole tracklist whenever you listened to the tape. A bit later, when that recorded cassette got its first funny sound effects (SHARP cassette players… I don’t buy them anymore!) I went to the store and got myself the real deal. Yes, an MC. The CD I bought about 2 or 3 years later, when I decided it was time to go with the flow eventually and buy a Sony Discman. Favorite songs? Well, certainly not Hotblooded, sorry. I like Small Talk and Knockin’, these were unusual. The Big L. was on repeat (and that probably killed the cassette tape), and later on, Physical Fascination took over for some time. Things Will Never be the Same was great back then already, and as we speak about this particular song and some people keep asking: The WHOROX project is not exactly dead, it’s more like it comes and goes. Different time zones, different real life priorities, different egos. There were some really nice demos already and I do hope we can finish them one day.

Paul: Yes, here we are. 30 years have passed since the release of this masterpiece. A masterpiece that has it all – bubblegum pop and massive ballads delivered by two people at the top of their game. Standout tracks for me are Excited and Things Will Never be the Same but being asked to pick a favorite song from “Joyride” is like asking to pick your favorite child. It’s impossible! And I agree with Thomas – Excited should’ve been released as a single as planned. What a missed opportunity! My first copy of the album was on cassette which my Mum had purchased from Britannia Music Club (remember that UK readers?) and the first track that stood out for me was Knockin’. That chorus was just so damn catchy! The Join The Joyride tour that took the band round the world was amazing. Unfortunately I wasn’t lucky enough to experience it in person, but we’ve all seen the concerts on YouTube and in the Roxette Boxette. Some of Marie’s vocal performances are just phenomenal. Is it Roxette’s best album? Most likely! Wouldn’t it be fun to be able to experience listening to “Joyride” again for the first time? Bring on the boxset later this year!

1. Tracklist
2. Joyride
3. Hotblooded
4. Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave)
5. Knockin’ on Every Door
6. Spending My Time
7. I Remember You (not on the US edition, sadly for them)
8. Watercolours in the Rain
9. The Big L.
10. Soul Deep
11. (Do You Get) Excited?
12. Church of Your Heart
13. Small Talk
14. Physical Fascination
15. Things Will Never be the Same
16. Perfect Day

Photos: Thomas Evensson