Gordon
Maybe You Should Drive
Born On a Pirate Ship
Stunt
Maroon
Everything to Everyone
Anyhoo, I’ve had a hard time finding reviews for Barenaked Ladies, so I thought I’d be the first to chime in. Unfortunately, I was beaten to the punch by Don Ignacio. Even so, I was heavily into BNL my 9th grade year, coming to them from their singles off their American breakthrough Stunt. They most certainly were geeks, but a different kind than the normal kind; they sang more about pop-culture and failed romances than D&D/Star Trek/sci-fi stuff. In that they connected with me more, as they were more sincere and I never got into D&D or anything sci-fi related.
Musically speaking, they probably weren’t as talented as They Might be Giants (whom I’m only vaguely familiar with), but Gordon is a must for anyone into the nerdy-quirky thing like TMBG. Their subsequent albums were much more mature, and the humor was more subtle. But one thing the guys had: consistency. There are only maybe a half-dozen BNL songs I actively dislike. And personal favorites outweigh those bad apples. They’re not the most groundbreaking band out there, but they have a different view of the world and a killer sense of humor. And at least seeing the world through their view will do you good.
Here’s the lineup of the band:
Steven Page - main vocals, guitars. His throaty voice is the trademark of BNL, and most songs are sung by him unless otherwise noted on this page
Ed Robertson - vocals, guitars. His voice is more ‘commercial’ than Steven’s, and is present on their biggest singles “Pinch Me” and “One Week”
Jim Creeggan - bass
Andrew Creeggan - keyboards (1992-94)
Kevin Hearn - keyboards (1996-present)
Tyler Stewart - drums
1992
A damn good debut. Looking back, I can see why it made no impact in America upon its ‘92 release. There was no room for the quirky geeks in the grunge landscape at the time. But in their native Canada, Gordon was the shizzle! After all, doesn’t Rush hail from Canada? And we all know what geeks those fellows are. Of course the Barenaked Ladies would catch on up north! It took a few years before they would cross over to the Great White South, but that’s for further down this page. Anyhoo, Gordon is obviously their best album, their most youthful and fun.
The best songs on Gordon include their funniest/quirkiest ones. Their sing-a-long “If I Had $1,000,000” is a classic and rightfully one of their most well-known tunes, with hi-larious lyrics that I will not type, they must be heard. Any geek entering the scary world of high school can relate to “Grade 9,” even though I certainly can’t. See, I went to a three-year high school, so the disparity isn’t quite as drastic. Plus I have very positive memories of Grade 9, for what it’s worth. “Be My Yoko Ono” is another funny tune about you-know-who. “King of Bedside Manor” is a bit too hyper and therefore weaker, but oh well. I guess Ed’s acoustic “Crazy” also qualifies as quirky.
Besides those, they also do the straight-ahead pop/rock thing. “Enid” is about a failed relationship, and has a funny Depeche Mode-esque parody at the beginning. “Box Set” details probably every one-hit wonder out there who had one big hit and released more than anyone needed from them. “New Kid (On the Block)” concerns, well, Joey Danny Johnny Donny & Janny. They even throw in some mild jazz influences in the opener “Hello City” (where they even quote “Happy Hour” by the Housemartins!) and especially “I Love You” (“so let’s make a family tree”) to sound like a real combo, man.
And yes, even from the start the BNL boys showed their soft side. This is shown in “Brian Wilson,” probably in my Top Three BNL Songs. It’s a pretty serious, probably accurate depiction of the madness of the Beach Boys dude, with a wonderful atmosphere about it. “What a Good Boy,” “The Flag,” and “Blame It On Me” are also pretty good ballads, the latter with one of my all-time favorite BNL lyrics: “they say absence makes the heart grow fungus.” Get it? Like the cliche. Ed’s “Wrap Your Arms Around Me” has a great underlying darkness; it’s either an intimate couple or a vicious stalker.
Now, Gordon isn’t quite a 10 out of 10, as not all the ballads are spot on brilliant and “Bedside Manor” can annoy me sometimes. But it’s certainly a one-of-a-kind album, one that the Ladies have not tried to replicate, as that little thing called maturity has to hit at some point, and it already surfaces on the next album. For now, it’s all a hoot and holler.
1994
As I said before, it didn’t take long for the Barenaked’ers to grow up, so to speak. Which makes sense, since you can’t spend a career releasing Gordon’s, as good as that album is. As a result, Maybe You Should Drive goes for more of a mainstream pop-rock tune and eschews direct humor, though there’s still some subtle humor. Take a look at those photos on the back cover or inside the CD, Steven’s almost got a beard! that’s a sign of maturity if I ever seen one!
The songs themselves? Once you resign yourself to the more restrained sound, you’ll do fine. The lone single (to my knowledge) and my personal favorite “Jane” is another relationship tune a la “Enid,” but is superior and has such a longing chorus. “Alternative Girlfriend” has a rare-for-BNL electric guitar riff and ‘alternative’ in this case means ‘90s alternative, of course. “A” is probably the funniest on here, where they say ‘A is for Anger,’ ‘A is for Argument,’ and ‘A is what Fonzie said cuz he was really cool.’ Ha! It’s that subtle humor I spoke of in the intro! “Life, in a Nutshell” almost harkens back to Gordon and is probably the most lightweight song on here, which is cool.
It’s not only Steven running the show. Ed chimes in with one of his first wordplay tunes in the awesome “These Apples” and the sad-hopeful “Great Provider,” about the father-son stuff that goes on right before son heads for college. Even keyboardist Andrew Creegan contributes the brief piano-and-vocal “Little Tiny Song,” probably a pro-vegetarian piece. But then he left BNL after the album. Swansong, per’aps?
Unfortunately, the ballads are more generic this time around. “You Will be Waiting,” “Everything Old is New Again,” Ed’s “Am I The Only One,” the epic “The Wrong Man Was Convicted” all might be OK, but nothing worth remembering. The more midtempo “Intermittently” has some good parts, er, intermittently, but is kinda clumsy. Drive can’t help but be less enjoyable than Gordon, and is somewhat of a transition album. Thankfully, they got better at ‘straight’ music later.
1996
With Born on a Pirate Ship, the Barenaked Ladies strengthen their songwriting and become more comfortable with writing normal songs. While Drive was very consistent, it is easier to detect high points and much easier to point out low points on Ship. Whether that’s a good thing or not is a matter of opinion. But I think this album is an improvement over Drive, despite the identical grade.
It must be said that two songs on Ship got some attention here in the US of the A. “Shoebox” was on the Friends soundtrack, while “The Old Apartment” may’ve got some airplay or something. “Shoebox” was the first BNL song I ever heard, on The Weird Al Show in ‘97, and it’s a really catchy tune about a shoebox of lie-ee-ii-ii-iies. However, “The Old Apartment” never did nothing for me. They try to go ‘harder’ here, but the melody is too generic to qualify.
Elsewhere, fan-favorite “Straw Hat and Old Dirty Hank” is also one of my favorites, although I don’t know what it is ABOUT exactly. “Stomach Vs. Heart” sports that “London Calling”-esque march beat, “Call Me Calmly” is another one’o those Gordon-esque hyper tracks, but more restrained. Ed’s “I Know” apparently is in the style of XTC, but being unfamiliar with Andy Partridge & co., I only focus on the crazy lyrics. All good stuff. That doesn’t apply to “Just a Toy,” another attempt at sounding hard that falls on its face. Is Steven singing thru a megaphone or something? Scott Weiland used ta do that on a few songs.
The ballads show some improvement over those on Drive, as they aren’t quite as generic. In fact, Ed’s “When I Fall” is one of their best in that department, a chilling depiction of a window-washer, a subject you never hear about in music. His “Same Thing” isn’t quite as memorable. Steve’s “This is Where it Ends” has some nifty wordplay, but “I Live With it Every Day” sounds almost too personal for record. But the torch ballad “Break Your Heart” is probably the worst BNL song of all time, in a catalogue of few low points. The main story here is Steven’s gross misuse of his vocals, especially during ‘stop wasting my TIME/AND/NOW/I’M’ part, that’s beyond awful. Quit gasping and overemoting, man!!!
Rounding things off are two contributions from bassist Jim Creegan. “Spider in My Room” is interesting, copping some rural/native style chants. What is it with lesser band members and songs about spiders? First Entwhistle, now Creegan. “In the Drink” is just dumb, though. And there’s your Pirate Ship. Although the low points (“Just a Toy,” “Break Your Heart”) are lower than those on Drive, I still enjoy Ship more. But those low points are enough to keep the album down at 7, the same as Drive. One of THOSE cases.
1998
Here you go. Here’s where the Barenaked Ladies sold the hell out. Here’s where you find the phenomenon single “One Week.” Here’s where they lost their edge, yadda yadda yadda. Truthfully, I don’t consider Stunt a sell-out. Cuz after reading Prindle’s Metallica page, I’d rather leave the term ‘sell-out’ alone. The production is noticeably different, more mainstream or something. Plus, the dudes’ songwriting was continuing to progress, and their sense of humor is more direct than on Ship or Drive.
That breakout hit “One Week” certainly helped album sales. You heard it, right? From some friends, or that annoying car commercial, trying to keep up with the speedy raps. Oddly enough, “One Week” did hit #1 in the US, for only one week. Not my fave some off the album, but I do still dig it. But the song that sold me on BNL once and for all was the follow-up “It’s All Been Done.” Sure, it’s up-front and loud, but it’s so darn good-timey! Woo-hoo-hoo!
Stunt may be more remembered for the emergence of Ed. He only got a few spotlights in the first three albums, but many of Stunt’s highlights are his! “Never Is Enough” is a cute little ditty about all the crap he’ll never do, and “Who Needs Sleep” is even funnier, as an ode to insomnia, and maybe my favorite off here. The moody “Light Up My Room” and the country-tinged “Leave” and “Told You So” are also his, and are goodie too. In the grand “If I Had a $1,000,000” tradition, Ed shares vocals with Steven on “Some Fantastic,” a sad singalong.
Did I say improved songwriting? Well, maybe that doesn’t quite apply to Steven. I really don’t get off on his frat-boy send-up “Alcohol,” parody as it may be. “In The Car” already doesn’t have a great melody, but adds dumb Meat Loaf-esque lyrics. As in “Paradise By the Crapboard Light.” The bizarre cross-dressing tune “I’ll Be That Girl” at least sounds exotic. “Call and Answer” got some airplay, and it is a really nice ballad, while “When You Dream” is another one of those lullaby-to-my-son songs that are best left within the family.
So yeah, Barenekkid Ladies really broke through with Stunt, though what they broke I don’t know. The sound does sound more mainstream, but certainly not for the worse. The emergence of Ed and the abundance of funnyfunnyfunny songs make Stunt a superior album to Drive and Ship.
2000
Yikes, step back Ladies, you’ve gone too far! I know a lot of people consider this album a high point, but not me. This time Don Was (he of “Walk the Dinosaur” fame) handles the production reins, and renders a good deal of Maroon sterile. Even some of the better songs sound VH-1 ready. Not that I have a problem with VH-1, they show a lotta crap but I still can’t get enough of those I Love the (insert decade and topical sequel if needed). As a whole, Maroon leaves me sort of cold.
Luckily the Hit Single herein happens to be my favorite BNL track ever. That would be “Pinch Me,” which is “One Week” without all the pop-culture references and with a better melody. It should have been the #1 breakthrough, but life sometimes steenks, donut? That was Ed’s tune, and his only other one on Maroon is the decent VH-1 rocker “Falling For the First Time.” Good wordplay there, Eddie. As usual.
The rest is all Steve, baby. “Too Little Too Late” is another one of those good VH-1 rockers, and “Never Do Anything” sounds like Steve’s “Never is Enough.” Not quite as good, but still worth listening. “Go Home” is probably the most entertaining filler out there, as it’s nothing more than a country-style ditty. “Humour of the Situation” also works, and it’s nice that they used the British spelling of humor.
Past that, though, many of the songs just don’t do dilly pickle for me. The jazz-crawl “Conventioneers” puts me to sleep, “Sell, Sell, Sell” is way too overdramatic for my tastes, “Baby Seat” sounds like mild ‘80s corporate rock, “Off The Hook” would have been all right if it didn’t have that dental-room production, and “Helicopters” sounds like a rewrite of some Ship ballad. The dark-humor waltz closer “Tonight Is the Night I Fell Asleep At the Wheel” has grown on me as of late, due in no small part to the ‘slow-motion Walter, fire engine guy’ lyric. Ya get it? Think Deep Purple if you don’t.
Despite the appearance of career high “Pinch Me,” subpar experiments and the aforementioned production sink Maroon for me. It could be worse, at least it wasn’t Mutt Lange doing the producing. In which case, this album wouldn’t be out until 2006! P.S. Some copies have the hidden track “Hidden Sun,” written and sung by keyboardist Kevin Hearn about his recovery from leukemia. Nice piano ballad, but no big deal.
2003
After taking a three-year break, BNL rebounded with this ‘un. At this point in their career, they’ve altogether dropped humor and picked up a bit’o politics in the process. The sound is much more natural, since they ditched Don Was Not a Great Producer. And much like Maybe You Should Drive, it’s very consistent, in fact almost too consistent. I really can’t pick out low points or really high points on Everything.
I mean, there are high points, but they’re not like “Pinch Me” or “Brian Wilson” or “Shoebox.” “Maybe Katie” is a very cool Cars pastiche, and holds up better than the similar Fountains of Wayne hit of a few years ago “Stacy’s Mom.” Similar lyrical content too, both about hot older wimmen. “Second Best” is the best rocker on here, and the most political as well.
Probably the weakest track on Everything, oddly enough, is the single “Another Postcard (Chimps).” It’s in the vein of “One Week,” but it’s just so forced, like one of those tracks they only recorded cuz the label demanded another “One Week.” And Ed’s rapping sounds more like Snow on “Informer (Licky Boom Boom Down).” FYI: Didja know Snow is Steven Page’s second cousin? It’s true! Small world, that Canada. And “Shopping” was apparently a response to Dubya’s encouragement to consume after 9/11, but it sounds more like forced hyperness to me.
Elsewhere, “War on Drugs” is another one of Steven’s heartbreaking ballads. “Celebrity” is a nice sarcastic look at being an idol, and I love Steven’s nonchalant delivery on some of the lyrics. Ed chimes in with the “Never is Enough”-esque “Testing 1, 2, 3,” shows he still into wordgames in “Unfinished,” and has a nice country-meets-John-Lennon’s-”Woman” tune “Take it Outside.”
However, the other five tracks on Everything are. All good when they’re on, but words fail me when having to describe them. See what I mean by too much consistency? Oh well, the Ladies are obviously happy in their niche, so I shouldn’t be too critical. And we all gotta grow up sometimes. Except for those who claim to be kids of Toys’R’Us.