La Ribera

"La Ribera" is the first track on The Light the Dead See.

Lyrics

This song is an instrumental with no lyrics.

Dave's Take

Dave and Rich Machin talk about this song at the 1:00 mark.

My Take

Quite interesting and quite daring it is to begin an album with an instrumental. This is the very first song on the very first Soulsavers album featuring Dave on vocals, and we are not allowed to hear him sing just yet...rather we are teased with an instrumental with a simple harmonica melody (played by Tony "Doggen" Foster, not Dave as I had originally thought, though he does play some harmonica on this album) and a subdued electric guitar arpeggio pattern enhanced by what sounds like a full orchestra with strings and French horns. As Rich said about this song in the video above, it "sets a scene" and sets the stage for everything that comes next. "La ribera" is Spanish for "the riverbank" or "the riverside." It is also the name of a small town in Baja California Sur, Mexico, popular for its secluded white sand beaches. The song does have a nice and relaxing vibe, though instead of a beach along the ocean, this song actually makes me picture myself lazily floating along a shallow river at night, either on an inflatable tube or a small boat, watching a gentle breeze play among green reeds on the nearby riverbank. If this song indeed sets the stage for everything after it, then I can imagine the whole album being like a journey down a river, and each stop along the river represents each track on the album. It's quite a big visual statement to make at the very beginning, but I like picturing it that way.

Music Video

There is no music video for this song.