Blue Rodeo - Palace of Gold
One of the great pleasures of being a music fan is to watch the growth and developement of bands over the years. Not every album they release will be a master piece, but each new album is a step towards the final product that will be the legacy of that band long years after they are gone. Along the way everybody will have their favorites. Each album will be a time capsule of the band at that point in their carreer, and the world as they saw it at that time in their lives.
Such is the case with a band like Blue Rodeo, and an album like Palace of Gold, Their 10th album of original material. Let's face it, as a Canadian Band, Blue Rodeo have pretty much done everything they can do... or have they? It would be very easy for the boys to catch in the rut of what has sold so well for them over the years. To stay within the carefully prepared box that can be marketed as their 'sound' and flogged for what it is worth, for as long as it lasts... but such is not the case with Palace of Gold.
Upon hearing this album, my first impression was that it is Blue Rodeo outside the box they have rested in for their last few albums. Not a re-invention, as much as a re-examination of what has become their signiature sound. A logical extention of the collected experiences of the individuals that are Blue Rodeo.
If you listen to this album and expect to hear another 'Diamond Mine', 'Casino' or 'Tremolo', then you will be disappointed. If you listen to this album expecting to share in the next step of the evolution of Blue Rodeo, you are in for a treat!
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