Barenaked Ladies are back with a brand new…..Children’s album! This new collection of songs called Snacktime probably won’t interest any of you out there unless you have children, and maybe it won’t interest you then. My kids’ one and only uncle dropped by to see them a couple of weeks ago and as he usually does, gives them a little something. This time it was this CD.
On a recent outing we brought this one along in the car and much to the delight of the whole family it was an enjoyable experience. The kids got a kick out of the songs and so did we. Some of the CD’s 24 songs are not that far off a regular Barenaked Ladies lighted hearted tune.
I like Barenaked Ladies for the same reasons I like Great Big Sea, as I mentioned in my previous post. It is pop music they way I think it should be played, by songwriters, using real instruments, with great melodies and vocal harmonies. Barenaked Ladies got their break in Canada when they recorded a version of Bruce Cockburn’s Lovers in a Dangerous Time. At the time, they were not signed to a record label, but the song started to get major airplay across the country. The band toured extensively and quickly gained a reputation for a great live show.
I was still in college at the time and was at the campus bar one Friday afternoon after classes. Waiting for my friends to arrive I decided to have a game of pinball. When I finished the person waiting behind me to play was Tyler Stewart, drummer for the Barenaked Ladies who were in town for a show. I recognized him from the video for the Bruce Cockburn song, which was also getting a lot of play. I struck up a conversation telling him that I really liked their version of the song. He thanked me and asked me if I was going to their show that night to which I replied that I certainly was.
Truth be told, I didn’t even have a ticket and didn’t plan on attending. But when my friends showed up I convinced them that we should check it out and we were lucky enough to get tickets for the second of two shows that weekend for all of nine bucks a piece. We had a great time; the band sounded awesome, were humorous and energetic. I have followed their career ever since.
Of course they went on to a record deal and ten releases later including a Christmas CD, live recordings and the most recent Children’s album. They have been in the news most recently for Steven Paige’s arrest for cocaine possession, ironically on the heels of the Children’s music. I wish Paige all the best and hope the band and gets back with a new recording for us adults and a tour to follow in the future.
Their on stage humor is often reflected in many of their songs, but they do range of music, both serious and funny. Here are my top 10 Barenaked Ladies’ songs:
10. *This is me in Grade Nine. From the album Gordon. A funny little number that takes me back to when I was in grade nine. Especially, the line “I guess I shouldn’t tell them that I like Duran Duran”. At the time a metal head like myself would never admit to liking some of their songs.
9. One Week, Their biggest hit from their biggest selling album, Stunt.
8. Who Needs Sleep? Also from Stunt. Finally, a song about something I have struggled with my whole life - insomnia.
7. Light Up My Room. Although One Week was the huge hit from the album Stunt, there were other great songs on this record, including this one.
6. *Jane. The lead off track from 1994’s Maybe You Should Drive.
5. *The Old Apartment. From 1996’s Born On a Pirate Ship. Moving around from apartment to apartment in my college years, this one was easy to relate to.
4. *What a Good Boy. Another one from Gordon. Barenaked Ladies show off their serious side here with this slow song.
3. *When I Fall. Another great serious slow song. This one from the Born on a Pirate Ship album.
2. Lovers in a Dangerous Time. The Bruce Cockburn cover that really put these guys on the map. It is a great song and one of my favorites to this day.
1. *Brian Wilson, From their first full length recording, Gordon. A great song, but my favorite version is the live version on the album Rock Spectacle.
* More than half of these songs above can all be found on my favorite Barenaked Ladies’ album, a live recording called Rock Spectacle. Although, I’ve indicated This is me in Grade Nine to be there, it is not listed on the track list. They do break into it for a few moments during the song If I Had a Million Dollars. The Rock Spectacle album captures the band at their best and the versions of the songs here are as good or better than the originals.
On a recent outing we brought this one along in the car and much to the delight of the whole family it was an enjoyable experience. The kids got a kick out of the songs and so did we. Some of the CD’s 24 songs are not that far off a regular Barenaked Ladies lighted hearted tune.
I like Barenaked Ladies for the same reasons I like Great Big Sea, as I mentioned in my previous post. It is pop music they way I think it should be played, by songwriters, using real instruments, with great melodies and vocal harmonies. Barenaked Ladies got their break in Canada when they recorded a version of Bruce Cockburn’s Lovers in a Dangerous Time. At the time, they were not signed to a record label, but the song started to get major airplay across the country. The band toured extensively and quickly gained a reputation for a great live show.
I was still in college at the time and was at the campus bar one Friday afternoon after classes. Waiting for my friends to arrive I decided to have a game of pinball. When I finished the person waiting behind me to play was Tyler Stewart, drummer for the Barenaked Ladies who were in town for a show. I recognized him from the video for the Bruce Cockburn song, which was also getting a lot of play. I struck up a conversation telling him that I really liked their version of the song. He thanked me and asked me if I was going to their show that night to which I replied that I certainly was.
Truth be told, I didn’t even have a ticket and didn’t plan on attending. But when my friends showed up I convinced them that we should check it out and we were lucky enough to get tickets for the second of two shows that weekend for all of nine bucks a piece. We had a great time; the band sounded awesome, were humorous and energetic. I have followed their career ever since.
Of course they went on to a record deal and ten releases later including a Christmas CD, live recordings and the most recent Children’s album. They have been in the news most recently for Steven Paige’s arrest for cocaine possession, ironically on the heels of the Children’s music. I wish Paige all the best and hope the band and gets back with a new recording for us adults and a tour to follow in the future.
Their on stage humor is often reflected in many of their songs, but they do range of music, both serious and funny. Here are my top 10 Barenaked Ladies’ songs:
10. *This is me in Grade Nine. From the album Gordon. A funny little number that takes me back to when I was in grade nine. Especially, the line “I guess I shouldn’t tell them that I like Duran Duran”. At the time a metal head like myself would never admit to liking some of their songs.
9. One Week, Their biggest hit from their biggest selling album, Stunt.
8. Who Needs Sleep? Also from Stunt. Finally, a song about something I have struggled with my whole life - insomnia.
7. Light Up My Room. Although One Week was the huge hit from the album Stunt, there were other great songs on this record, including this one.
6. *Jane. The lead off track from 1994’s Maybe You Should Drive.
5. *The Old Apartment. From 1996’s Born On a Pirate Ship. Moving around from apartment to apartment in my college years, this one was easy to relate to.
4. *What a Good Boy. Another one from Gordon. Barenaked Ladies show off their serious side here with this slow song.
3. *When I Fall. Another great serious slow song. This one from the Born on a Pirate Ship album.
2. Lovers in a Dangerous Time. The Bruce Cockburn cover that really put these guys on the map. It is a great song and one of my favorites to this day.
1. *Brian Wilson, From their first full length recording, Gordon. A great song, but my favorite version is the live version on the album Rock Spectacle.
* More than half of these songs above can all be found on my favorite Barenaked Ladies’ album, a live recording called Rock Spectacle. Although, I’ve indicated This is me in Grade Nine to be there, it is not listed on the track list. They do break into it for a few moments during the song If I Had a Million Dollars. The Rock Spectacle album captures the band at their best and the versions of the songs here are as good or better than the originals.
1 comment:
I haven't heard from these guys in a long time. The last song I heard from them was probably when they first got big. I see them on VH1 every now on then on shows like I Love the 80s. I never really liked their music all that much but they seem like good guys.
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