Have Not Been the Same: The CanRock Renaissance 1985-1995, 10th anniversary edition

769 Pages·2011·10.13 MB·English

by  Michael Barclay

NNOOOMMMMEEEEAANNSSSNNNOO k.d. lang TTTHHHEEE PPPUURRRSSSUUUIIITTT TT HH EE DDDAANNNIIEELLL

AAARRRTTT BBEERRGGGMMMAANNNNN OOFF HHAAPPPPIINNEESSSS TRAGICALLY LLLAAANNOOOIISS
DDDD..OOO..AAA.. SSTTOOMMPPIINN’’ LLLOOOWWWEEESSSTTT OOOFFF HIP MMMAAARRRTTHHHAAA
TTOOMM CCOONNNNOORRSS AANNNDD TTTHHEEE
SSSLLOOWWW TTHHEEE LLOOOWW
MMMUUUFFFFFFIIINNSS
GGRRUUEEESSSOOMMEESS JJRR.. GGOONNEE WWIILLDD
CCRRRRAAASSSHHH
RRAAYY CCOONNDDOO TTRREEBBLLEE CCHHAARRGGEERR
DDDEEEJJAA
HAVE VVEEEGGGAAASSS
VVVOOOOODDOOOO 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION
JJJUUUNNKKHHHOOOUUUSSSEE
JJJEEERRRRRRYY JJEERRRRYY ** CCOONNDDIITTIIOONN NNEEIILL

CCCHHAAAANNNGGEEE
YYOOUUNNGG
OOOFF HHEEEAARRRTTT
NOT
AA NNNEEEOOONN RROOMMMEE SSAARRAAHH HHAARRMMEERR
SHHAAAYYRDDAEEHNN
GGGRROOOOOVVYYY RREELLIIGGIIIOOONN
KKIINNGG CCOOBBBB
SSTTEEEELLIIEE
SSHHAADDOOWWYY MMEENN OONN AA BEEN

SSHHAADDOOWWYY PPLLAANNEETT McLACHLAN
GGRRAAAPPEESSS
BDDIIKK LVVAANNU DDYYKKEEESS
OOFF WWWRRAATTHHH
RODEO CCUUBB
SSMMUUGGGGLLEERRSS ** ZZUUMMPPAANNOO
THE
* * VVOOIIIVVVOODDD
CCCOOOWWWBBOOOYY SAME SSKKIIINNNNYYY
JJUUNNNKKIIEEESS
PPUUPPPPPYYY
HHAAANNDDDSSOOMMEE NNEEDD

JJAANNEE RDDHOOEWWOSNNNTLLAOOTAAICDDDS
SSIIBBEERRRRYY
MMAARRYY MMAARRGGAARREETT 1133 EENNGGIINNEESS
OO’’HHAARRAA CANROCK SLOAN
T HE RENAISSANCE DDIINNNNEERR IISS RRUUIINNEEDD
BBOOBB WWIISSEEMMAANN
NNN III LL SSS
1985 1995
DDDOOOUUUGGGHHBBOOOYYSS *
EERRIICCC’’SS TTRRRIIIPP

BAAASSREEEEXXNUUAAAKLLLESSD SSUUPPEERRR FFRRIIEENNNDDZZ
MEN

MICHAEL BARCLAY IAN A.D. JACK
LADIES * WWIITTHHOOUUTT
HHAATTSS
JASON SCHNEIDER
RRAATTIIOONNAALLL
TTTHHRRUUSSSHH HHHEEERRMMMIITT FOREWORD BY GORDON DOWNIE
YYOOUUTTHHH
JJJAAALLLEEE
54·40 HEADSTONES TTHHEE BBBOOOXX
HHAARRDDSSHHHIIIPPP PPOOSSTT ** RREEBBBEEECCCCCAA WWWEEESSSTT AAANNDDRRREEWW
JJEELLLLYYFFIISSHHBBBAAABBIIEESS PAYOLAS CCCAAASSSHHH BBBOOOUUURRBBOOONN
TTTAAABBBEERRNNNAAACCCLLEEE
BBLLAACCKK PPOOOOLL ** BBUUBBAAIISSSKKKUULLLL SSKKYYDDIIGGGGEERRSS INBREDS
LLAAAAVVVVAA HHHAAAYY SSSPPIIRRIITT OOFF CCCHHHOOOIIRRRR
BBBRRRUUUCCCEEE
MMMOOEEVV *** DDDDEELLIIRRIIIUUUMMM TTTHHHEE WWEESSTT CCGGGRRROOOIIEECCCVVOOOKKKUUUSSBB AAAUUUNNNGGRRREELLNNSS WWEEEEPPIINNGG TTIILLLEEE LLOOOOOKK PPEEOOPPPPLLLEE
Have Not.indd 1 3/17/11 11:55:36 AM
HAVE
NOT
BEEN
THE
SAME

THE CANROCK RENAISSANCE
1985–1995
MICHAEL BARCLAY
IAN A.D. JACK
JASON SCHNEIDER
GORDON DOWNIE
FOREWORD BY
(cid:38)(cid:82)(cid:83)(cid:92)(cid:85)(cid:76)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:134)(cid:3)(cid:48)(cid:76)(cid:70)(cid:75)(cid:68)(cid:72)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:37)(cid:68)(cid:85)(cid:70)(cid:79)(cid:68)(cid:92)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:44)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:36)(cid:17)(cid:39)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:45)(cid:68)(cid:70)(cid:78)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:45)(cid:68)(cid:86)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:54)(cid:70)(cid:75)(cid:81)(cid:72)(cid:76)(cid:71)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:551)(cid:549)(cid:549)(cid:550)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:551)(cid:549)(cid:550)(cid:550)
Published by ECW Press
(cid:551)(cid:550)(cid:551)(cid:549) (cid:52)uee(cid:81) (cid:54)(cid:87)ree(cid:87) E(cid:68)s(cid:87)(cid:15) (cid:54)ui(cid:87)e (cid:551)(cid:549)(cid:549)(cid:15) (cid:55)(cid:82)r(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:15) (cid:50)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:68)ri(cid:82)(cid:15) C(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:68)d(cid:68) (cid:390)(cid:553)(cid:382) (cid:550)(cid:382)(cid:551)
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form by any process — electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise — without the prior written permission of the copyright owners and
ECW Press. (cid:55)he scanning, uploading, and distribution of this boo(cid:78) via the (cid:44)nternet or via any
other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please
purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic
piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the authors’ rights is appreciated.
(cid:41)or lyrics permissions, please see page (cid:556)(cid:549)(cid:558).
(cid:389)(cid:386)(cid:379)(cid:395)(cid:378)(cid:395)(cid:402) (cid:378)(cid:391)(cid:381) (cid:378)(cid:395)(cid:380)(cid:385)(cid:386)(cid:399)(cid:382)(cid:396) (cid:380)(cid:378)(cid:391)(cid:378)(cid:381)(cid:378) (cid:380)(cid:378)(cid:397)(cid:378)(cid:389)(cid:392)(cid:384)(cid:398)(cid:386)(cid:391)(cid:384) (cid:386)(cid:391) (cid:393)(cid:398)(cid:379)(cid:389)(cid:386)(cid:380)(cid:378)(cid:397)(cid:386)(cid:392)(cid:391)
(cid:37)arclay, (cid:48)ichael, (cid:550)(cid:558)(cid:556)(cid:550)(cid:116)
Have not been the same : the CanRock renaissance,
(cid:550)(cid:558)(cid:557)(cid:554)(cid:116)(cid:550)(cid:558)(cid:558)(cid:554) (cid:18) (cid:48)ichael (cid:37)arclay, (cid:45)ason (cid:54)chneider, (cid:44)an
A.D. Jack. — Rev. ed.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
(cid:386)(cid:396)(cid:379)(cid:391) (cid:558)(cid:556)(cid:557)(cid:16)(cid:550)(cid:16)(cid:554)(cid:554)(cid:549)(cid:551)(cid:551)(cid:16)(cid:558)(cid:558)(cid:551)(cid:16)(cid:558) (cid:11)(cid:393)(cid:379)(cid:388).)
Issued also in electronic formats.
(cid:558)(cid:556)(cid:557)(cid:16)(cid:550)(cid:16)(cid:554)(cid:554)(cid:553)(cid:558)(cid:549)(cid:16)(cid:558)(cid:558)(cid:551)(cid:16)(cid:555) (cid:11)(cid:393)(cid:381)(cid:383))(cid:30) (cid:558)(cid:556)(cid:557)(cid:16)(cid:550)(cid:16)(cid:554)(cid:554)(cid:553)(cid:558)(cid:549)(cid:16)(cid:558)(cid:555)(cid:557)(cid:16)(cid:550) (cid:11)(cid:382)(cid:393)(cid:398)(cid:379))
(cid:20). Rock music—Canada—(cid:550)(cid:558)(cid:557)(cid:550)(cid:116)(cid:550)(cid:558)(cid:558)(cid:549)—History and criticism.
(cid:21). Rock music—Canada—(cid:550)(cid:558)(cid:558)(cid:550)(cid:116)(cid:551)(cid:549)(cid:549)(cid:549)—History and criticism.
I. (cid:54)chneider, Jason, (cid:550)(cid:558)(cid:556)(cid:550)(cid:116) II. Jack, Ian Andrew Dylan, (cid:550)(cid:558)(cid:556)(cid:552)(cid:116)
III. (cid:55)itle.
(cid:390)(cid:389)(cid:552)(cid:554)(cid:552)(cid:553) .(cid:555).(cid:380)(cid:551)(cid:379)(cid:551)(cid:553)(cid:553) (cid:551)(cid:549)(cid:550)(cid:550) (cid:556)(cid:557)(cid:550).(cid:555)(cid:555)(cid:10)(cid:549)(cid:558)(cid:556)(cid:550) (cid:380)(cid:551)(cid:549)(cid:550)(cid:550)(cid:16)(cid:558)(cid:549)(cid:549)(cid:557)(cid:557)(cid:556)(cid:16)(cid:553)
Editors: Michael Holmes and Jennifer Hale
Cover and (cid:55)ext: Ingrid Paulson
Production: (cid:55)roy Cunningham
Printing: (cid:55)ranscontinental (cid:550) (cid:551) (cid:552) (cid:553) (cid:554)
(cid:55)he publication of Have Not Been the Same has been generously supported by the Canada Council
for the Arts, which last year invested (cid:7)(cid:551)(cid:549).(cid:550) million in writing and publishing throughout Canada,
by the (cid:50)ntario Arts Council, by the (cid:50)MDC (cid:37)ook (cid:41)und, an initiative of the (cid:50)ntario Media
Development Corporation, and by the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund.
(cid:393)(cid:395)(cid:386)(cid:391)(cid:397)(cid:382)(cid:381) (cid:378)(cid:391)(cid:381) (cid:379)(cid:392)(cid:398)(cid:391)(cid:381) (cid:386)(cid:391) (cid:380)(cid:378)(cid:391)(cid:378)(cid:381)(cid:378)
CONTENTS
IX Disclaimer
XI Foreword
1 OVERTURE: EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS NOWHERE
In (cid:550)(cid:558)(cid:557)(cid:554), tears are not enough to rescue Canadian music . . .
punks and folkies go (cid:381)(cid:386)(cid:402) . . . (cid:54)tompin’ (cid:55)om brings it all back
home . . . r ecording technology breeds indie boom . . .
the children of CanCon come home to roost
25 DID YOU GET MY MESSAGE ON THE PEOPLE’S RADIO?:
CBC, CAMPUS RADIO, MUCHMUSIC
(cid:55)he CBC’s Brave New Waves and Night Lines build new alterna(cid:16)
tive communities . . . the dawn of campus radio . . . MuchMusic’s
videos spawn the radio stars
53 GLITTERING PRIZES AND ENDLESS COMPROMISES
(cid:50)g Records connect the country with It Came From Canada . . .
Barenaked Ladies’ indie cassette changes the rules . . . Lowest
of the Low battle the industry . . . m ajor labels give former indie
stars vanity labels . . . Sonic Unyon builds an empire . . .
the Inbreds reap the rewards of the CanRock Renaissance
76 UNDER THE VOLCANO: THE FALLOUT OF VANCOUVER PUNK
(cid:55)he careening career of Art Bergmann . . . Bob Rock goes
from the Payolas to ushering heavy metal into the main(cid:16)
stream . . . NoMeansNo makes hardcore an artform . . . Slow
spawns grunge then takes on David Ge(cid:629)en as Copyright
114 FOLK OF THE EIGHTIES: MONTREAL
Men Without Hats and Rational Youth capture Cold War nightlife
with the punk underground . . . Gerard (cid:57)an Herk and (cid:55)ony
Dewald go primitive with Deja Voodoo . . . the Asexuals, the Nils
and the Doughboys break out beyond city walls . . . V oivod escape
a Northern (cid:52)uebec factory town and become Montreal metal gods
170 YEAH, IT MATTERS: CHANGE OF HEART AND POST-PUNK TORONTO
Young art school punks form Change of Heart . . . A Neon
Rome dabble in the dark side of rock mythology and nearly
become casualties . . . Elvis Mondays create a community . . .
Bruce McDonald sets out to document A Neon Rome and ends
up with Roadkill
202 NORTHERN WISHES & VISIONARY FLOUNDERS
(cid:55)he Rheostatics take a self(cid:16)conscious Canadiana approach to art
rock . . . Jane Siberry’s technological folk transforms into spiri(cid:16)
tual soul . . . Look People’s Jaymz Bee embodies (cid:55)oronto’s
comedic id . . . the Bourbon (cid:55)abernacle Choir (cid:675)nd soul salva(cid:16)
tion . . . Mary Margaret (cid:50)’Hara labours over a singular
masterpiece and retreats under pressure . . . Dale Morningstar
tosses out the rulebook in Dinner Is Ruined
258 WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR?: THE OUTSIDERS
Andrew Cash gives Canadian punk a social conscience . . .
Skydiggers turn back the clock to help cope with hard times . . .
Bruce Cockburn embraces activism and (cid:675)nds a wider audience
than he has ever known . . . Spirit of the West leads the charge
for Celtic music and topical songwriting . . . t he Pursuit of
Happiness battle political correctness
295 ACADIAN DRIFTWOOD: THE CREATION OF
THE DANIEL LANOIS SOUND
(cid:55)he Lanois brothers open Grant Ave. Studios . . . Daniel meets
Brian Eno and shifts from recording folk artists to new wave
bands . . . Luba, Parachute Club and Martha and the Mu(cid:630)ns are
early clients . . . Lanois indelibly alters modern music production
via his international client base . . . Crash Vegas, Junkhouse and
(cid:396)(cid:386)(cid:378)(cid:391)spheric follow the Lanois example
333 IN THE SPIRIT OF CRAZY HORSE
Neil Young reclaims his rightful place as the father of Canadian
rock . . . (cid:550)(cid:552) Engines borrow the Crazy Horse template to forge
their own powerful sound . . . (cid:554)(cid:553) (cid:148) (cid:553)(cid:549) seek success in America but
instead discover they can’t escape their roots . . . t he songs of
Hayden, Weeping (cid:55)ile and (cid:55)reble Charger echo Young’s painful
honesty, but for a new generation
366 FOLK YOU: ROOTS REVISITED
Handsome Ned tries to bring traditional country to (cid:52)ueen St. . . .
Cowboy Junkies’ mutant (cid:52)ueen St. blues somehow ends up
selling millions . . . k.d. lang tries to subvert the mainstream
with cowpunk and gives up . . . Jr. Gone Wild’s fusion of punk
and country struggles to (cid:675)t into either camp
419 THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING SLOAN
Jay Ferguson and Chris Murphy meet in Kearney Lake Rd. . . .
Sloan create a bidding war and ignite the Halifax Pop Explo(cid:16)
sion . . . battling their major label over Twice Removed becomes
worthy of a Hollywood underdog story . . . S loan decide that
breaking up is hard to do . . . the band takes ownership of their
career and develop Murderecords
456 NEVER MIND THE MOLLUSCS: THE HALIFAX UNDERGROUND
Jelly(cid:675)shbabies show the locals how it’s done . . . t he (cid:50)ctober
Game becomes a launch pad for Sarah McLachlan’s talents . . .
John Chisholm’s Black Pool develops a sense of professionalism
in the independent circuit . . . the search for “the next Nirvana”
brings Sub Pop to Halifax and record deals for Eric’s (cid:55)rip, Jale
and Hardship Post . . . the Super Friendz, Rebecca West and
(cid:55)hrush Hermit sustain the explosion
500 THE PATH OF THORNS: NETTWERK RECORDS
(cid:55)erry McBride’s label grows beyond his one(cid:16)bedroom apartment to
become a multi(cid:16)million(cid:16)dollar international operation . . . Moev
and Skinny Puppy give the label an early electronic credibility . . .
the Grapes of Wrath and Lava Hay present the folk rock side of the
label . . . Sarah McLachlan moves from Halifax to begin her rise as
an international superstar and the label’s epicentre . . . Nettwerk’s
growing pains cause much of its original roster to splinter as
various lawsuits arise
546 TRUST YOURSELF: BLUE RODEO
Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy (cid:676)irt with new wave and New York
City . . . t hey come home to (cid:675)nd a band and a better music scene . . .
“(cid:55)ry” becomes a video hit and prom staple . . . Bob Wiseman’s talent
can no longer be contained in Blue Rodeo . . . happy accidents spawn
Five Days in July . . . not(cid:16)so(cid:16)happy accidents and turmoil spawn
Nowhere to Here . . . solo albums bring the band back together
581 TWO SOLITUDES: THE TRAGICALLY HIP
An unlikely garage band from Kingston, (cid:50)ntario, avoids the
cover(cid:16)band trap . . . early recordings capture the imagination of
young Canadians seeking a band to call their own . . . G ord
Downie develops his poetic talents and becomes the (cid:675)gurehead
of the CanRock Renaissance . . . the (cid:55)ragically Hip parlay their
popularity into a touring festival, curating a de(cid:675)nitive collection
of the country’s top talent
622 EPILOGUE: WHERE THE CHANGE IS
By the late ’(cid:558)(cid:549)s, the scene’s hopes exceed its expectations . . .
delusions of grandeur and a major bankruptcy help sink the
scene . . . creatively adventurous material hits a glass ceiling . . .
even a mainstream songwriter like Ron Sexsmith struggles to have
his voice heard . . . Canada’s live scene evaporates . . . Godspeed
You! Black Emperor, the New Pornographers and the Weakerthans
(cid:675)nd international success on their own terms . . . t he next genera(cid:16)
tion applies lessons learned to an even more productive decade
649 Selected Cast of Characters
656 Selected Critical Discography
695 Sources
711 Thank Yous
715 Index
(cid:2)
X
DISCLAIMER I

|
(cid:2)
WHEN WE FIRST started this project in the late ’(cid:558)(cid:549)s, an older music writer
told us, “It sounds interesting, but are you sure you can (cid:675)ll a whole book(cid:34)
Maybe you want to widen your scope a bit.” (cid:50)f course, our problem was
never a lack of material, but deciding what and who to leave out. And Can(cid:16)
ada being the (cid:675)ercely regional country that it is, every person who reads
this book is bound to ask, “Yeah, but what about . . . (cid:34)”
(cid:55)here may very well be a valid case made for the numerous artists
we’ve omitted or merely skimmed over. But we weren’t writing an encyclo(cid:16)
pedia, we were writing a story and presenting a general thesis. Admittedly,
some of the people absent from this text are missing because they didn’t
move us the way our subjects did. Maybe they didn’t win our entirely sub(cid:16)
jective battle of cool (cid:11) a battle that the three of us waged amongst ourselves,
as well ). Maybe they got pinched for space. Most likely, they probably
didn’t (cid:675)t into the thematic constructs of each chapter and would have dis(cid:16)
tracted from the narrative on the whole. Some of those missing in action
are discussed in the discographies. Some are just missing.
In reviewing this material for the second (cid:11) and (cid:675)nal ) edition in (cid:551)(cid:549)(cid:550)(cid:549), it
was obvious to us that the years between (cid:551)(cid:549)(cid:549)(cid:549) and (cid:551)(cid:549)(cid:550)(cid:549) represented an
entirely di(cid:629)erent explosion of Canadian music, with di(cid:629)erent circum(cid:16)
stances and di(cid:629)erent challenges than the climate explored here between
(cid:550)(cid:558)(cid:557)(cid:554) and (cid:550)(cid:558)(cid:558)(cid:554). Canadian music is no longer an underdog(cid:30) it’s successful on
every level around the world and respected at home as well, whether it’s