It would seem to me that Adam is making a statement that indicates
a belief (like that of many other Americans) that "mainstream"
is defined as commercial success in the USA ;-) (yes, I have added
the mandatory winky-smiley to indicate that I am making this comment
in fun and as an over-generalized sweeping observation rather than
a statement of truth).
The Barenaked Ladies have been a mainstay of the mainstream Canadian
musical scene for at least five years, if not longer. Can we help it
if Americans take a little longer than their Canadian counterparts to
recognize a talented band with witty lyrics and a good stage act?
MuchMusic (the Canadian equivalent to MTV) has been playing their
music videos since they first came out with "If I had a Million Dollars"
and they have also received much radio play across Canada for
several years.
>Plus, Janie and Lisa have been
>trying to persuade me to buy more Canadian music, and this album counts
>toward that quota. Definitely worth buying
Glad to see that you are listening to our advice Adam :-) Now, if you
want to sample another great Canadian band (and one of my personal
favourites) I suggest you check out the group Spirit of the West,
whom I briefly performed with at one concert during my highland
dancing days.
They are a Vancouver-based band and their albums are pretty hard to
find in certain regions of the USA (ie./ Upstate NY) but you might
have good luck in finding their stuff in Seattle since Vancouver is
nearby. All of their albums are worth listening to, but I personally
like "Go Figure", "Save This House" and "Labour Day". Oh, and
before you listen to Spirit of the West I suggest you read their
lyrics as they tend brilliantly scathing political commentaries
(although perhaps too liberally peppered with Canadian references
for an American to appreciate).
>and if you like this album, I think you might also enjoy their debut
>album from 1992, "Gordon," which has similar tongue-in-cheek lyrics and
>hummable tunes
A minor correction:
I first saw the Barenaked Ladies perform late in 1991 at a bar in
Kingston, Ontario and at that performance I bought a cassette
called "Barenaked Lunch" that could technically be called their
first album. "Barenaked Lunch" contains four songs and is
a very rough recording at best, but it is a great roadtrip tape.
It contains "If I had a million dollars" in its original form
(before it was modified and later recorded on Gordon) as well
as "Be My Yoko Ono" (also later re-recorded) and two others
fun and upbeat songs that have since faded into obscurity.
diva
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000002LU8/forkRecommendedr/
and speaking of tongue-in-cheek lyrics and hummable tunes, I'm looking
forward to the release this Tuesday of They Might Be Giants' first live
album, "Severe Tire Damage," with lots of hidden tracks and several
previously unreleased tunes
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000009NTL/forkRecommendedr/
Geez, I wonder if I'm singlehandedly keeping Amazon in business
sometimes. Then I remember that no, it's you and joebar who keep Amazon
in business. I'm just milk money.
Hey Dan, good luck with your skydive tomorrow. Hopefully you'll survive
to tell us about it.
Meanwhile, enjoy these lyrics I culled off the Web. We'll start with
Barenaked Ladies' "One Week" and then move on to the Verve's
"Bittersweet Symphony". Also, I'm going to annotate it a little.
The lyrics to "One Week" are from
http://www.gate.net/~holden/bnl.htm
and are annotated below.
> One Week - Barenaked Ladies
> From the album "Stunt"
> Words and music by Ed Robertson
>
> It's been one week since you looked at me
> cocked your head to one side and said I'm angry
> Five days since you laughed at me saying
> get that together come back and see me
> Three days since the living room,
> I realized it's my fault, but couldn't tell you
> Yesterday you'd forgiven me,
> but it'll still be two days till I say I'm sorry
>
> Hold it now and watch the hoodwink
> As I make you make you stop, think
> You'll think you're looking at Aquaman
Comic book swimming dude
http://www.eskimo.com/~tegan/ac/index.html
> I summon fish to the dish, although I like the Chalet Suisse
Aruba's Premier Steak and Chop House:
> And I like the sushi cause it's never touched a frying pan
> Hot like wasabe when I bust rhymes
wasabi; wasabe [WAH-sah-bee] This Japanese version of horseradish comes
from the root of an Asian plant. It's used to make into a green-colored
condiment that has a sharp, pungent, fiery flavor. Wasabi, which is also
called Japanese horseradish , is available in specialty and Asian
markets in both paste and powder form. The latter is mixed with water
much like dry mustard. Some specialty produce markets carry fresh
wasabi, which may be grated like horseradish. In Japan, sushi and
sashimi are served with a condiment of wasabi mixed with soy sauce.
> big like Leann Rimes
Teen country star with a recent propensity to reveal her navel
http://www.clipper.net/~richard/lar/
> Because I'm all about value
> Bert Kaempfert's got the mad hits
Swing musician
http://www.cddb.com/xm/cd/jazz/1c0e9813.html
Now, this next part the lead singer of Barenaked ladies sings REALLY
fast:
> You try to match wits, You try to hold me but I bust through
> There'll be a big sound from the pavement
> Gonna make a break and take a fake
> I'd like a stinkin achin shake
> I like vanilla, it's the finest of the flavors
Ice ice baby
http://www.manifest.com/~dopey/LTC/ice.html
> Gotta see the show, cause then you'll know
> The vertigo is gonna grow
> Cause it's dangerous, you'll have to sign a waiver
Vertigo, of course, is a Hitchcock classic even though it was a movie
not released between the magical years of 1980 to 1994
http://cinemania.msn.com/Cinemania/features/Vertigo/VertHome.htm
> How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad
> Trying hard not to smile though I feel bad
> I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral
Do you Yahoo?
http://www.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Death_and_Dying/End_of_Life_Issues/Funeral_Services/
BTW, Yahoo's list of cyberculture communities is pitifully small and
doesn't even include FoRK
http://www.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Cultures_and_Groups/Cyberculture/Mailing_Lists/
I would suggest FoRK, but Yahoo's "suggest a site" feature hasn't worked
for me since 1995. Back to BN...
> Can't understand what I mean? Well, you soon will
> I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve
> I have a history of taking off my shirt
>
> It's been one week since you looked at me
> Threw your arms in the air and said you're crazy
> Five days since you tackled me
> I've still got the rug burns on both my knees
> It's been three days since the afternoon
> You realized it's not my fault not a moment too soon
> Yesterday day you'd forgiven me
> And now I sit back and wait till you say you're sorry
>
> Chickity China the Chinese chicken
> You have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin'
> Watchin X-files with no lights on
For non X Philes
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/8061/xfiles.html
> we're dans la maison
I think this means "in the house."
> I hope the Smoking Man's in this one
Gotta love the Smoking Man
http://thorung.eeng.dcu.ie/~stdcu/x-files/chars/smoking.html
> Like Harrison Ford I'm getting Frantic
Harrison Ford is God's gift to movies
http://www.mcs.net/~court/ford.html
although Frantic isn't even in his top 10 films
http://us.imdb.com/Title?Frantic+(1988)
> Like Sting, I'm tantric
Death, where is thy Sting?
I think Tantric refers to "any of several Hindu books of doctrine
regarding rituals, disciplines, meditation, etc..."
> Like Snickers, guaranteed to satisfy
I still can't believe there's a
> Like Kurosawa I make mad films
> Okay, I don't make films
> But if I did they'd have a Samurai
> Gonna get a set of better clubs
> Gonna find the kind with tiny nubs
> just so my irons aren't always flying off the back-swing
> gotta get in tune with the Sailor Moon
> Cause the cartoon has got the anime babes
> that make me think the wrong thing
Don't ask, don't tell
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/7900/smsmovsp.htm
> How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad
> Trying hard not to feel bad
> I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral
> Can't understand what I mean? Well, you soon will
> I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve
> I have a tendency of taking of my shirt
>
> It's been one week since you looked at me
> dropped your arms to your sides and said "I'm sorry"
> Five days since I laughed at you and said
> "You just did just what I thought you were gonna do"
> Three days since the living room
> We realized we were both to blame, but what could we do?
> yesterday you just smiled at me
> Cause it'll still be two days till we say we're sorry.
> Birchmont Stadium, Home of the Robbie
I give up why they mention a soccer tournament at the end
http://www.metrodiv.com/robbie/sign.html
but there you have the lyrics. Next, I got the Verve's "Bittersweet
Symphony" from
http://gene.wins.uva.nl/~bonsee/lyrics/verve_1.html
and the lyrics we were trying to recite today were "No change, I can't
change, I can't change, I can't change, But I'm here in my mold, I am
here in my mold, But I'm a million different people from one day to the
next, I can't change my mold, No, no, no, no, no." Full lyrix below...
> The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
> From the album "Urban Hymns"
>
> 'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
> Try to make ends meet
> You're a slave to money then you die
> I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
> You know the one that takes you to the places
> where all the things meet yeah
>
> No change, I can't change
> I can't change, I can't change
> But I'm here in my mold
> I am here in my mold
> But I'm a million different people
> from one day to the next
> I can't change my mold
> No, no, no, no, no
>
> Well I never pray
> But tonight I'm on my knees yeah
> I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
> I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
> But the airways are clean and there's nobody singing to me now
>
> No change, I can't change
> I can't change, I can't change
> But I'm here in my mold
> I am here in my mold
> And I'm a million different people
> from one day to the next
> I can't change my mold
> No, no, no, no, no
> I can't change
> I can't change
>
> 'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
> Try to make ends meet
> Try to find some money then you die
> I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
> You know the one that takes you to the places
> where all the things meet yeah
>
> You know I can't change, I can't change
> I can't change, I can't change
> But I'm here in my mold
> I am here in my mold
> And I'm a million different people
> from one day to the next
> I can't change my mold
> No, no, no, no, no
>
> I can't change my mold
> no, no, no, no, no,
> I can't change
> Can't change my body,
> no, no, no
>
> I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
> I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
> Been down
> Ever been down
> Ever been down
> Ever been down
> Ever been down
> That you've ever been down
> That you've ever been down
Okay, that's enough for now. I still need to fix that I-D.
----
adam@cs.caltech.edu
I wish I had your idealism and optimism. I expect to die bitter and
penniless in a gutter, having hocked my last few CDs for a wicked
8ball concoction of heroin, valium, speed, crack, caffeine, nicotine,
percodan, mandrax, NyQuil, marijuana, dilaudid, methadone, blue label,
methamphetamine, tequila, and rum, with a pickax in one hand and a
nuclear warhead in the other. Compared to that, *anything* seems like
the good life.
-- http://xent.ics.uci.edu/FoRK-archive/jan98/0120.html