BLUE RODEO – Daze In America (1995 Discovery Records promo CD)
Blue Rodeo have a number of promo-only releases of great value to fans. There’s the The Live CFNY Concert for one. “Diamonds in the Rough” / Demos and Other Stuff….. is another. Perhaps the most superb of them was 1995’s Daze In America CD, including five live songs but never released to retail on any Blue Rodeo album or single.
The sextet were riding high with the triumphant Five Days In July album, a surprise hit recorded spontaneously in…well, five days. An utter masterpiece, Five Days in July produced numerous classics that endured in setlists for decades. “Head Over Heels” was one such track, an upbeat Jim Cuddy stomper with harmonica, mandolin, and the kitchen sink. It’s the kind of Blue Rodeo track that gets people off their seats. The version here is the studio cut, which is logical since it was one of the big singles they were promoting at the time.
“Hasn’t Hit Me Yet” is live in Omaha, and it emanates energy from the crowd. “This ain’t nothing new to me, it’s just like going home,” sings Greg Keelor. “It’s kinda like those sunsets that leave you feeling so stoned…” Crowd roars. Live, Jim Cuddy’s harmony line is more prominent. Blue Rodeo’s best song, hands down. And check out Bazil Donovan’s lyrical walking basslines and tell me he isn’t one of the best bass players in this great nation of ours! Yes, “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet” is a freakin’ gem, where every facet matters, and elevates the song further.
Jim’s bluest ballad, “Bad Timing” is received by quiet punctuated with screams. If you see Blue Rodeo live, then you know this is a common reaction to Cuddy’s crooning, a country heartthrob if there ever was one. “Bad Timing” is sentimental, beautiful, and soothing in its own pain. The ultimate breakup song. It’s just bad timing, that’s all.
Casino‘s “Til I Am Myself Again” brings us back to one of those upbeat Jim songs that people love to dance to. Being seated during this song at a Blue Rodeo concert is not optional. Often a set opener, this one kicks! Laying back a bit, “Rain Down on Me” was another big hit, this time from Lost Together. The size of the chorus, a big huge cumulus, is one reason why it is so beloved. The pedal steel guitar solo by Kim Deschamps is outstanding. Then “Last To Know” is another Jim ballad, but with a monolithic chorus.
Ex-Andy Curran drummer Glenn Milchem is all over “Trust Yourself”, a real bolder-buster of a tune. It was always a bit of a jam, but live it just explodes from all its bounds. Then it descends in a two minute outro of solos and jamming. Blue Rodeo are one of the best live bands you’ll ever see, and this track shows why.
A great promo EP, somewhat rare, but worth the extra few bucks for these rare recordings.
BLUE RODEO – “Day After Day (Rose-Coloured Glasses)” (Remix) (1987 Warner 7″ single)
Blue Rodeo were off to a hell of a start. With a debut LP produced by Terry Brown (Rush), the uncategorizable band eventually went four times platinum in Our Home and Native Land. Their first single, “Outskirts” didn’t do much, but the followup singles sure did. Because of its unforgettable chorus, “Rose-Coloured Glasses” was renamed “Day After Day”, with the original title in parentheses. It was also remixed for the 7″ format. The 7″ remix remains exclusive to the single, despite a massive Blue Rodeo box set released not that long ago.
Purchased for 99 cents by Dr. Kathryn Ladano somewhere out in the boonies (possibly Radio Shack in Port Elgin), this copy looks like it was marked for clearance. There is a telltale burn mark on the inner ring of the record. Anything with non-album tracks or versions was on our radar for collecting and we didn’t care about little burn marks if the record was 99 cents!
The remix isn’t drastically different; some minor changes. The song didn’t need any help. As one of Blue Rodeo’s best from the early days, it’s still pure delight. Greg Keelor’s lyrics are that of a lovestruck poet, something he does very well. He often finds himself entranced by new love. “But there’s something in those eyes that keeps me hanging on, I’m hypnotised.” Still he’s always grounded in his own reality. “See a world that’s tired and scared from living on the edge too long. Where does she get off telling me that love could save us all?” I love everything about it. The music is full of joy and hope just like the object of Greg’s affection.
The B-side, “Floating”, is an unlisted edit version. Cut down from 7:53, this version runs at 7:28. There’s about 7 seconds of noise missing from the opening, and the rest seems to be taken off of the end. That’s means you’re not getting all of Bob Wiseman’s nutty organ soloing, but who are we kidding, you already have the album anyway. In contrast to the A-side, this is one of Greg’s more nocturnal explorations. Are those waves crashing that I hear? Blue Rodeo jam on this long bomber, the title of which is descriptive of the music. “And I feel like William Holden floating in a pool,” goes the line that gives the song its name.
This is a band that has it all: writing, playing, and singing. They don’t use outside writers and their live shows feature jams that go on for days. I’m going to get a little preachy here. If you’re going to jump on the Blue Rodeo train, may as well start at the beginning with songs like “Rebel”, “Try” and of course “Day After Day”…or “Rose-Coloured Glasses”. It doesn’t matter as long as you get it in your ears. Hell, Bob Wiseman on his own is a brilliant and entertaining artist. Throw in the rest of the original lineup and you have a formidable contender for Canada’s greatest band. Greg Keelor’s guitar playing has always been underappreciated, though Jim Cuddy’s golden voice gets all the praise it earns. Basil Donovan’s bass is in-demand due to his innate sense of rhythm and melody. And Cleave Anderson, the former punk drummer who went country, just has a “sound”. It’s simple and it’s his, just like Johnny Fay. Though the band today is larger and more versatile, original Blue Rodeo was a special thing.
GREG KEELOR – “Pine Ridge” (1996, from Pine Ridge: Songs for Leonard Peltier)
Blue Rodeo are taking some heat these days for their stance on indigenous rights. A small group of fans are abandoning the band for (quote-unquote) “going political”, but politics is nothing new for this Canadian institution. In 2015, they recorded “Stealin’ All My Dreams” just in time for the 2015 Canadian election. (The mp3 file had a tag reminding fans to vote!) It was pretty clear from the song where they stood on the issues. Further back, in 1996, they participated in Pine Ridge, a benefit CD for Leonard Peltier. It’s a long story that has resulted in at least three movies, a U2 song, and support from Rage Against the Machine. Greg Keeler’s contribution to the Pine Ridge CD is one of the strongest songs of his entire career.
The track may be credited solely to Greg Keelor, but if you look at the players, it’s actually Blue Rodeo. Jim Cuddy, Bazil Donovan, Glenn Milchem, James Gray, Kim Deschamps…the gang’s all there, the classic Five Days in July lineup. So it’s a Blue Rodeo song in every way but in name. At 10 minutes in length, it is unprecedented in complexity for this great band. And they wore their politics directly on their sleeves.
The government man hate the colour of your skin and your dogshined reservation, No reasons why those two FBI were on Oglala land chasing that red van, And the FBI admit Leonard Peltier did not commit the killings that have Kept him 20 years in prison.
The track runs the gamut from quiet, contemplative picking to soulful and dramatic choruses, to a funky mid-section, and a huge ending. It’s as epic as Blue Rodeo get. It tugs at the soul, and stimulates the mind. It’s a protest song in the grandest tradition, right out of 1969. And nobody can flat-out play like Blue Rodeo. Pedal steel, dobro, organ…it’s all here. And it’s massive.
Stay political, Greg. Regardless of where you fall on the current situation in Canada (it ain’t pretty), we can all agree that the world is richer for all the great protest songs of the past. Here is another one, now an oldie itself.
5/5 stars
The Pine Ridge CD also features performances by The Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy, ex-Blue Rodeo keyboardist Bob Wiseman, Jane Sibbery, Michael Ondaatje, Ashley MacIsaac, Sarah McLachlan, the Skydiggers and many more. Worth the investment.
BLUE RODEO – “Diamonds in the Rough” / Demos and Other Stuff….. (1989 Atlantic promo EP)
Here’s the funny thing about “Holy Grail” records. Most of the time, you don’t even know they exist until you find one!
Blue Rodeo is one of those bands for whom I collect “everything”. Their box set filled a lot of gaps, but I am still missing a few things. To the Discogs!
I was searching for one of the Blue Rodeo Live in Stratford albums. There are two; I only have one, and it’s excellent. While searching for that live album, I found this promo EP instead, at a good price and in great condition. Upon reading the tracklist, it contained four Blue Rodeo tracks I didn’t have and didn’t know existed!
1989’s Diamond Mine is still considered one of the band’s greatest albums today, if not #1. The “God and Country” demo that leads off Diamonds in the Rough is an acoustic rendering of one of its best songs. “How Long” is a fully arranged demo, sounding live off the floor. Since this record was cut for radio stations to play, it’s quite possible that you heard these versions at some point in early 1989. I hadn’t, and neither is included in the box set. Of course they don’t have the production value of the full album, but that’s part of the appeal of collecting rarities like this.
Side one closes with a live version of “Outskirts”, also not on any Blue Rodeo album. However this version of “Outskirts” is from another “Holy Grail” promo, The Live CFNY Concert. That record is a double and still out my reach, so this energetic live cut will have to do for now. (I mean, I could buy it right now…but the copy in the condition I want is almost $100.)
Side two has the single edit of their big hit “Diamond Mine”. The album cut is 8:18, full of psychedelic organ solos and Doors-like jamming. A shorter single edit of this song is always handy, and you can’t get it on their Greatest Hits CD. It’s similar if not identical to the music video version.
As if all of the above wasn’t enough to make this promo a worthy “Holy Grail” item, there are two unreleased demos for songs that never made it onto the Diamond Mine album! “Galveston” is a cover of the Jimmy Webb song made famous by Glen Campbell. Blue Rodeo’s version is manically fast, with Jim Cuddy’s sweet voice maintaining what made the song special. Finally it’s “Jig”, an acoustic instrumental with Bobby Wiseman on concertina. This is little more than an idea of a song rather than something fully written. Regardless, these two unreleased goodies go to prove what a band of musicians Blue Rodeo is, particularly Wiseman and bassist Bazil Donovan, possibly the country’s greatest bass player on this side of Geddy Lee.
If this record only had “Galveston” as its sole rarity, it would be still be a Holy Grail item. As it turns out, none of these tracks can be found on a Blue Rodeo CD today, so it really justifies its own purchase!
It took some searching, but I finally found a copy! This is the first Christmas mix CD I ever made, back in 2006. I didn’t start making these until I had left the Record Store. Nobody who works retail wants to listen to Christmas music outside of work. Once I had been gone a year, my brain and soul were freed!
As discussed in the previous Christmas Mix article, after a few years I was running short on good songs to use, so I had to repeat a few from prior years. Several tracks from the 2006 disc made a return appearance in 2010.
Repeaters included:
1.Hawksley Workman – “3 Generations”. Truly an incredible, family-oriented song that is a highlight of Hawkley’s excellent Christmas album, Almost a Full Moon. The 2006 CD has lots of Hawksley songs.
2. Extreme – “Christmas Time Again”. My sister always liked this one, which sounds like early Extreme – perhaps first album era.
3.The Beatles – “Christmas Time is Here Again”. I leaned heavily on this one, though not a great song, just because it’s the Beatles and it’s a rarity you may not have heard.
4.Jon Bon Jovi – “Please Come Home for Christmas“. Bon Jovi have done several Christmas songs, but Jon’s solo version of “Please Come Home for Christmas” is by far the best. Let’s face it, this is a great tune!
5.Jim Cuddy – “New Year’s Eve”. Another one I lean on because a song about New Year’s Eve is a nice change of pace. Plus, it’s Jim Cuddy!
6.Ted Nugent – “Deck the Halls”. I think every Christmas mix needs a kick in the nuts to keep things interesting. Here’s the kick!
7. Bob & Doug McKenzie – “Twelve Days of Christmas”. It can get a little tedious, as many joke songs are, but people know it and like it.
That’s not bad for repeat. I’m sure Kiss have repeated more than just seven songs on their greatest hits CDs….
For creative types, the first thing you try something is often the best. Maybe that’s the case with my line of Christmas mixes. This first instalment is a great listen, even if you hate Christmas music and everything to do with it. Check out the amazing songs you would have heard in 2006!
“Linus & Lucy” isn’t a Christmas song at all, but it works because Charlie Brown is associated with Christmas. Wynton and Ellis Marsalis did an entire album dedicated to the music of Charlie Brown (Joe Cool’s Blues), but “Linus & Lucy” is the most instantly memorable. And now, all of a sudden, you’re a kid again watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special.
Hawsley Workman’s first appearance here is “First Snow of the Year”, a song that is much too happy for a song about snow! It’s homey, upbeat and jovial. Keeping things upbeat, I went for the Brian Setzer Orchestra next. “Jingle Bells” mixes the big band style with jaw-dropping guitar as only Setzer can do. I then chose to cool things out with “The First Nowell” by the sublime Eric Johnson. His acoustic/electric instrumental contains just as much original music as it does traditional. It’s wonderful.
There was a time when Queen’s “Thank God It’s Christmas” was a rarity. Now you hear it on the radio. When I first had it, it was on a bonus CD within a Queen Classics/Greatest Hits box set. (The “Green Cover”.) Since just about everybody likes Queen (then and now) including it is a slam dunk. It’s 80s Queen but that’s OK, isn’t it?
I used a lot of instrumental music on these Christmas mixes, which tended to come from Merry Axemas 1 and 2. “Joy to the World” by Steve Morse is a beautiful rendition, much like the Eric Johnson track, though Steve’s is entirely electric. Then it’s Joe Perry’s Hawaiian guitar version of Elvis’ “Blue Christmas”. You may recall that I put Elvis’ version on my 2010 CD. Joe’s version is cool because it’s different, though not as popular around our dinner table.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is, honestly, a band I don’t get. Look, I’m a huge Savatage fan. Massive Savatage fan. I’ve been a fan since I was 15. Trans-Siberian began as a spinoff of Savatage, and I was absolutely shocked when little old men and ladies would come in to the Record Store asking for them! Trans-Siberian isn’t as “metal” as Savatage, but the bombast is all there. They’re popular though, so I put as much Trans-Siberian on here as I could handle. “A Star to Follow” is a pretty gothic version of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”. Much better is “A Mad Russian’s Revenge”, an interpretation of Tchaikovsky. I also threw on “The Silent Nutcracker” because it is a simple acoustic guitar instrumental, not at all like the other TSO tracks.
One of Marillion’s very best Christmas tunes is “I Saw Three Ships”, so for my debut Christmas mix, I used nothing but the best Marillion. This is from 2001’s A Very Barry Christmas. There is something special and unique about this band. “I Saw Three Ships” is both true to the song, yet intrinsically Marillion.
Hawksley’s third appearance is a hat trick of perfect celebratory pop. “Claire Fontaine” isn’t particularly seasonal, though it’s from his Christmas CD. It’s about a girl who makes lovely decorative paper. There’s a line about “going home for Christmas” but otherwise there is little connection. Claire could use her paper to wrap gifts, though Hawksley uses it for writing. “Your sheets are very smooth, I like to rub my pen across them.” This was a selfish inclusion. I just love this song.
“Ring Out Solstice Bells” is also a selfish inclusion, because although it is a brilliant track, nobody I knew actually liked Jethro Tull. In fact some, like Mrs. LeBrain, are quite anti-Tull. So who was this song for? Me! And I stand beneath the Christmas tree, doing my best Ian Anderson single-leg stand.
Lo, what is this I hear? More Hawksley? Yes, Hawksley Workman had four tracks on my Christmas CD. That is a full one-half of his original album! I chose “Common Cold” for the last Hawksley. Nobody gets through the holidays without getting sick, not in my family anyway! (Last year I had the flu.) “Nearly OD, on Vitamin C, you’re standing in a lineup with a gift just for me.”
The disc ended with a slew of tracks I’d use again. Cuddy, Nugent, and Bob & Doug closed the CD. A joke song makes a good closer sometimes, so that’s why I re-used Bob & Doug in the exact same position on 2010’s CD!
I like this CD, but I today I would axe the first two Trans-Siberian tracks. I don’t think I’d change anything else. In fact I’m quite thrilled to hear “Linus & Lucy” again for the first time in ages. (I’ll have to give the whole Wynton & Ellis CD a spin again.) Hawksley is always a delight, and I used his very best Christmas songs here. And that Jethro Tull song is brilliant; I don’t care what cynics say.
Making mix CDs was a lot of fun (and work). I used to make custom Christmas discs that didn’t suck, for my family and friends every year. Why did I stop? I ran out of good Christmas songs. Let’s face it: unless you’re one of “those” people, Christmas music is nails on a chalkboard. You can only take so much. If you’ve worked retail in the past (or present), you probably can’t take any at all!
2010’s Christmas CD is a good example of what I used to make. You’ll notice there’s no Trans-Siberian Orchestra on there. I used up all their best stuff on the previous instalments. I tried to avoid duplicating songs from previous years although Hawksley Workman’s Christmas album is so good that I made exceptions for him. Hawkley’s Almost A Full Moon is the best Christmas CD that I own, and probably the best one I’ve heard. I bought it twice. He reissued the album after only a year with two extra songs! I forgave him, because Almost A Full Moon is so warm and perfect.
What do you think of the Christmas 2010 CD? Would you have wanted a copy that year?
1. Bill Ward – “Twas the Night Before Christmas”. Yes, that Bill Ward! The Black Sabbath drummer did a spoken word recording of the classic Christmas poem, and I opened the CD with it. I can tell you that when we played the CD at dinner time, this track was a failure. Nobody paid attention.
2. Kathryn Ladano – “Jingle Bells”. I got their attention back by putting on a track by my sister. This instrumental version on bass clarinet is from her CD The Christmas Album. Of note, her Schnauzer Ali is credited for barks on “Jingle Bells”!
3. Lemmy, Dave Grohl, Billy F. Gibbons – “Run Rudolph Run”. This breakneck Christmas carol is done in the Motorhead style. I played it in the car for sis. “This is shit!” she proclaimed. “Why do these guys get to put out albums and not me?”
4. Marillion – “Let It Snow”. This drunken favourite is from 2007’s Somewhere Elf. The spirit is intoxicating, as I’m sure they were!
Found some booze in a flight case, And I’m afraid that we’re all shit-faced, So I guess that we’ll have to go, Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
5. David Bowie and Bing Crosby – “Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth”. This is the David Bowie song that your grandma likes. It’s just lovely. I didn’t own anything with this song on it, so I had to download. That’s why it didn’t appear until 2010!
6. Helix – “Happy Christmas (War is Over)”. Yes, it rocks, but not too hard! Helix covered Lennon for their Heavy Metal Christmas. Singer Brian Vollmer is trained in the Bel Canto technique and he’s more than capable of singing songs for your Christmas dinner in mind.
7. Extreme – “Christmas Time Again”. My mom always liked Extreme, or “Nick Strean” as she thought they were called. This isn’t the greatest Christmas song in the world, but it doesn’t suck.
8. Hawskley Workman – “3 Generations”. Told you there would be some Hawksley. This touching song is about three generations of women in the kitchen making Christmas dinner together.
9. Elvis Presley – “Blue Christmas”. I must have downloaded this one too. I am a bit of a sucker for Elvis. I included Joe Perry’s instrumental version on a previous CD.
10. The Beatles – “Christmas Time is Here Again”. Not one of their best songs, but it’s the Beatles so it had to be included eventually. This version comes from the 1995 CD single for “Free As a Bird”. Relatively few have heard it, and I thought that would get people’s ears perked up, but by this time, the wine was out….
11. Steve Vai – “Christmas Time is Here”. This is from the first Merry Axemas. It’s a lovely track and not too shreddy. Remember this song from the Charlie Brown Christmas special? Steve does it on guitar, of course!
12. Jethro Tull – “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman”. This funky flute version will get the toes tappin’. Hard to believe that this is from Tull’s final studio album in 2003, The Jethro Tull Christmas Album! It would have been nice to get one more, but Tull’s Christmas Album is a good one to have around. If you need to tolerate Christmas music, you may as well listen to Tull jamming it out.
13. Brian Vollmer – “The First Noel”. Helix’s Vollmer put out a rare charity album in 2005 called Raising the Roof on Mary Immaculate. “The First Noel” is one of the best tracks. Vollmer is the first artist to get two appearances on my CD.
14. Ted Nugent – “Deck the Halls”. Much like “Run Rudolph Run”, this one smokes! It’s a guitar instrumental at full speed. Grandma didn’t like this one.
15. Twisted Sister – “O Come All Ye Faithful”. I really don’t like the Twisted Christmas album. This song was a hit though, and since it’s virtually identical to “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, I can…errr…take it.
16. Cheap Trick – “Come On Christmas”. My sister was a huge Cheap Trick fan at one point. She had this song before I did. Essentially just a Cheap Trick pop rocker with Christmas lyrics. Sounds like classic Cheap Trick to me.
17. AC/DC – “Mistress For Christmas”. I put this song on as the joke it is. I like to remind people that AC/DC did have a Christmas song. “Jingle bells, Jingle bells, jingle all the day. I can’t wait to Christmas time, when I roll you in the hay.” Hey, it counts.
18. The Darkness – “Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)“. In my review, I said, “Even though the guitars are thicker than a good ol’ bowl of Thin Lizzy pudding, there is no mistaking this for anything but a Christmas song. It is a joyous rock re-imagining of a Christmas carol, with the unmistakable Justin Hawkins falsetto.” Plus, sis likes The Darkness.
19. Jon Bon Jovi – “Please Come Home for Christmas”. I like this one. Fuck off.
20. Jimi Hendrix – “Little Drummer Boy/Silent Night/Auld Lang Syne”. From an EP called Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Jimi and band jammed out some impressive licks but the dinner party didn’t enjoy.
21. Jim Cuddy – “New Year’s Eve”. Cuddy’s solo debut All In Time is tremendous CD and comes highly recommended by this guy right here. It’s like listening to a Blue Rodeo album, but only the Jim songs. The sentimental “New Year’s Eve” is a lovely ballad that fits right in with the Christmas theme.
22. Bob & Doug McKenzie – “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. You gotta end with a classic. From 1981’s The Great White North comes the big Christmas hit. We used to hear this every single year on my mom’s old clock radio. We’d squeal with laughter trying to sing along. “A beer…in a tree…”
How would you rate this one? Trying to avoid overlap was previous instalments was my Achilles’ heel. I’d swap out a lot of the lesser songs for better ones, but it’s not bad. It’s listenable. It’ll do.
It’s hard keeping up with Blue Rodeo! They’re always working, either as a band or on their own projects. They’ve released new albums consistently without gaps. That’s 15 studio albums (one of them a double) spanning 30 years. Countless amazing songs…but mathematically their growth have kept me from growing with their new music as much as the old. There are only so many hours in a day, and days in a week, and it’s hard to imagine the day that 1000 Arms will surpass Five Days in July for number of spins. It’s inevitable that when listening to newer Blue Rodeo music, it doesn’t feel as close to you as the early stuff.
Blue Rodeo maintain their knack for incredible songs and playing on 1000 Arms. Greg Keelor conjures up the same old, not-quite-broken spirits as before. “Nothing I ever do is good for you, will I ever realize? You’re never satisfied.” Biting lyrics, chiming mandolin and perfect Cuddy/Keelor harmonies combine to make the opener “Hard to Remember” a future classic. Jim Cuddy takes the wheel next on an upbeat number called “I Can’t Hide My Feelings Anymore”. When has Jim ever hid his feelings? Not the point — another great tune.
The disc is loaded with great tunes. “Jimmy Fall Down” (vocals: Keelor) maintains the bright, upbeat direction. Things don’t slow down until track 4, “Long Hard Life”. It’s quieter but no less enjoyable. It’s only a temporary reprieve, as “Rabbit’s Foot” brings a classic guitar vibe. The title track is old style Cuddy storytelling. Greg’s penchant for slow and dramatic music is carried on by “Dust to Gold”. There is even sly humour on “Superstar”, something you don’t always get with a Blue Rodeo album. “Start a business, organics door to door, ’cause nobody buys records here anymore.”
We could go on and continue to describe this batch of new tunes, but rest assured there are no duds. (Do stay tuned for a heavy exotic turn on closing track “The Flame”.) I hope that, over time, these songs become as much a part of me as the old tunes. There’s little difference in terms of quality, and the musicianship is always tops. Colin Cripps would be responsible for many of the tasteful guitar solos, but 1000 Arms is the last Blue Rodeo album to feature mandolin player (and Kitchener, Ontario resident) Bob Egan. (That’s why he’s front and center of the band photo.) Bob departed after making this one, and he went out in great style.
Things have changed a lot since the last time I saw Blue Rodeo in the mid-2000’s. They have added a few more albums to the oeuvre, and a few more members to the band. The expansion of Blue Rodeo to a seven-piece band has made their live sound smoother, the rough edges sanded off. Due to Greg Keelor’s hearing loss, the singer and author of some of the most gonzo country-rock guitar solos north of the 47th was forced to unplug, and focus on the acoustic guitar instead. Colin Cripps (Crash Vegas), who had filled in before, was drafted full time to fill the guitar sound. With Kitchener resident Bob Egan on slide and various other stringed instruments, there are now four guitar players in Blue Rodeo. The newest member is Michael Boguski on various keyed instruments.
According to the band, one of the solutions to Greg’s hearing issues was changing over to in-ear monitors. There was a rough shake down period to get used to this setup, timid performances during which the band says they failed to take chances live. For Blue Rodeo to issue a new live album, one must assume these issues have been ironed out. Live at Massey Hall is the band’s first live album since 2008’s Blue Road. It is also their shortest live album with only one disc inside (Blue Road was more of a video album, with unique CD and DVD content).
Supporting the studio album In Our Nature, the Massey Hall album has a little bit of newer material, but is dominated by past hits. Most of the new songs are clumped together in the middle of the CD: “New Morning Sun”, “Tara’s Blues”, “Tell Me Again” and “When the Truth Comes Out”. There is no drop of quality during this four-song clump, in fact “New Morning Sun” almost sounds as if lifted from Blue Rodeo’s late-80’s heyday. The last of the new songs, “Paradise”, is left closer to the end, before the rousing finale of “5 Days in May” and “Lost Together”.
Plenty of hits abound, with only “Try” obviously absent. There are also a couple of surprise tracks: the rarely played “Girl of Mine” from Diamond Mine, and “Disappear” from Tremolo. The 8:04 “Disappear” is the album highlight, recalling the mighty feats of Blue Rodeo onstage in the 1990’s. It rivals “Diamond Mine” for drama and instrumental gold, but has a beautiful melancholy power.
Old man time may have taken his toll on Greg’s hearing. Jim’s voice might be a little lower and huskier than it used to be. This band, surely one of the best live acts Canada has produced, survives on. The studio albums may no longer hit the charts like they used to, but Blue Rodeo have always seemed truly at home on the stage. With the addition of Cripps (helping out on backing vocals as well as guitar), the band are still able to do the big bold rock songs like “Lost Together” and “Diamond Mine” at full strength.
There was once a time when the music press questioned if Blue Rodeo could remain a vital force without original member Bobby Wiseman on keyboards. That was 1992. Not only have they remained just as challenging as ever, but they have continued to evolve and grow. Now it feels as if things have come full circle, back to that point in the mid-90’s when we realized the sky was the only limit for this band. We look forward to whatever Blue Rodeo produce next.
Mike andAaron will be doing simultaneous daily reviews of albums these two intrepid music reporters have sent to each other. Buckle up, buttercups, it’s gonna be a blast!
BLUE RODEO – Just Like a Vacation / “Joker’s Wild” bonus track from Stardust Picnic (1999 Warner)
I spent a lot of days in the summer of 1999 working in the Record Store in Cambridge. That was T-Rev’s store, normally, but he was out of town. He was Ajax, I think, helping build our next franchise. T-Rev is handy so his role was, in theory, supposed to transition to building new stores full time. That never fully happened, which in a way was a good thing, because they never had a plan for filling T-Rev’s time slot as store manager in Cambridge! In the interim, they sent me there and I was responsible for managing two stores. Not the first time and certainly not the last time.
’99 was a great summer for double live albums. There were two in particular I played daily: Sloan’s 4 Nights at the Palais Royale, and Blue Rodeo’s Just Like a Vacation. Despite the added stress and mileage on the car, these two double live albums helped ensure that summer was hot and fresh with great music. Blue Rodeo are one of the greatest live bands I’ve seen and I had long been awaiting a full-on double CD set of the live concert experience.
Just Like a Vacation is the absolutely perfect document of the Blue Rodeo experience circa 1999. Hard edged and jamming, Blue Rodeo were at this time a mixture of country crooning and long noisy Neil Young jams. The set is taken from a variety of shows and assembled into a coherent running order. Perhaps the first track, the upbeat country of “Til I am Myself Again” was recorded in Stratford; Jim warns the crowd they may be snowed in that night, a common threat at the Stratford festival during their annual show there!
The first seven Blue Rodeo albums, from Outskirts (1987) to Tremolo (1997) are all essential listening. This live set is loaded heavy with some of the best songs from that era, from the tender Jim Cuddy ballads (“Try”, “After the Rain”, “Bad Timing”) to the more epic Greg Keelor blasts of power: “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet”, “Diamond Mine”, “Girl in Green”. There’s country jazz (“Piranha Pool”), songs for singalongs (“Cynthia”) and even comedic stories of heartbreak (“Florida”). Jaw-dropping musicianship ensures there is never a dull moment. Even the slow dance hit ballad “After the Rain” boasts a long, noisy guitar jam at the end. Blue Rodeo are fearless on stage and this album delivers that.
Some fans noticed that earlier tracks from Outskirts such as “Rebel” and “Joker’s Wild” were seldom played as Blue Rodeo amassed more and more studio albums. Thanks to HMV, one bonus track is available to add to this live collection: “Joker’s Wild”, from their promotional Stardust Picnic Sampler CD. The back cover of the Stardust CD claims there was no room left for “Joker’s Wild” on Just Like a Vacation, but that’s not true. The first disc is under an hour, and the second is 1:07. Lots of room on either disc for a four minute bonus track! Regardless, here is “Joker’s Wild”, a rarity to be sure since it was never available for purchase. “Joker’s Wild” is done acoustically, very different from the original version. It transforms from a spy movie theme to a swampy jam with slide and fiddle.
Sure, you could go and buy a Blue Rodeo Greatest Hits CD with your hard-earned dollars. That’ll get you 14 songs; this’ll get you 22. Blue Rodeo songs are just as great live as they were in the studio, just different. You won’t have to suffer through a too-loud audience track, so get Just Like a Vacation instead and experience Blue Rodeo in the venue they were intended for — the stage. There are even liner notes with a story or two about every song. It’s a package to be enjoyed for a long period of time, and years later you will still smile.
RECORD STORE TALES MkII: Getting More Tale #402: Meeting Blue Rodeo
On June 14 1991, touring to support their third album Casino, Blue Rodeo came around to headline at the COE – Central Ontario Exhibition – in Kitchener. The opening act was Strange Days featuring Shannon Lyon, a local singer-songwriter whose earlier tunes didn’t appeal to the older ladies in the crowd. The younger folks dug Strange Days, but there was clearly another segment of the audience who thought they were too loud and raucious.
When Blue Rodeo took the stage, it was with the near-legendary Bob Wiseman on keyboards. Wiseman departed Blue Rodeo about a year and a half later, so we were lucky to see this unique individual live in concert. Also present were leaders Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, bassist Bazil Donovan, and drummer Mark French. French would be gone soon after, too. It was a very short-lived lineup: one album only.
I had just graduated highschool, and we had four tickets to the show; a great way to kick off the last summer holidays before university. My sister and I attended with my friend Bob and a buddy of his. Blue Rodeo played a generous selection from their first three albums: Outskirts, Diamond Mine, and Casino. In addition Bob Wiseman was given the spotlight for a moment to pick up a guitar and sing a brand new solo song called “We Got Time”.
The big surprise of the night was when a few (probably loaded) guys in their mid-20’s decided to go stage diving at a Blue Rodeo show. The band were noticeably surprised themselves by the stage divers. Not something you’re used to seeing at a country rock show where a percentage of the audience was over retirement age.
When Greg announced this song, both Bob and I asked, “What did he say? Is the song called ‘Piranha Poo’??”
After the big encores, the house lights went on. We were all but ready to leave the COE, when Bob noticed Jim Cuddy and the rest of the band exiting through a side door. “I think I just saw the guy from Blue Rodeo go through that door. Let’s follow him!” he said. There didn’t seem to be any reason not to, so we made our way out the door, down the hallway of that old hockey arena, and followed the band right into the dressing room! I was a bit more nervous than my friends, but nobody tried to stop us or even talk to us. My eyes went wide as I scanned the dressing room. It was filled with food and drink, and fans!
We each made the rounds to ask the band to sign stuff for us. The two we didn’t approach were Bob Wiseman and Mark French who appeared too busy so we didn’t bother them. Bazil Donovan quietly smiled and signed our things. Since I didn’t have much in hand, he signed a photo of my guitar that I kept in my wallet! Greg Keelor signed my ticket stub. While doing so, I expressed amazement at the stage diving! “Yeah, it was fun!” said Greg, who probably hadn’t witnessed it too often in his career! Jim Cuddy signed the other side of my ticket stub. Bob had already chucked his ticket and had nothing to get signed, so he handed Jim Cuddy a $5 bill. “Can you sign it, ‘To Bob, the best $5 I ever had?’ said Bob. Jim chuckled and signed it as requested. Unfortunately, Bob being the cheapskate that he is, spent the $5 bill later! Somewhere out there in circulation was a $5 bill that said, “The best $5 I ever had, Jim Cuddy.”*
I already liked the band’s music, but I became a Blue Rodeo fan for life that night. Not only are they a consistently great live act, but nice guys too. I met Jim a few years ago at one of his solo concerts, and he still treats his fans like gold. That’s the kind of band that has earned my undying support.
* In 2012, Blue Rodeo came out with their box set, 1987-1993, containing their first five albums plus three discs of rarities. Having re-bought the albums, I sent my originals over to Aaron! What I forgot was that I had stored my signed stuff with those CDs! Fortunately Aaron found the autographs inside, and sent them back pronto! Thanks man.
BLUE RODEO – Daze In America (1995 Discovery Records promo CD)
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