All Their Greatest Hits 1991-2001 (©2001 Reprise)

1: The Old Apartment 2: Falling For The First Time 3: Brian Wilson 4: One Week 5: Be My Yoko Ono 6: Alternative Girlfriend 7: It's Only Me (The Wizard Of Magicland) 8: If I Had $1000000 9: Call And Answer 10: Get In Line 11: It's All Been Done 12: Jane 13: Lovers In A Dangerous Time 14: Pinch Me 15: Shoebox 16: What A Good Boy 17: Too Little Too Late 18: Enid 19: Thanks That Was Fun

Like a lot of people I first heard these guys when they burst onto the scene with their cover of Bruce Cockburn's Lovers in a Dangerous Time. I've followed them more or less ever since. There was some BNL backlash at home here in Canada, which is totally hard to understand, but in a strangely demented way very Canadian behaviour. This greatest hits package is a solid overview of the geeky nerds from Canada (notice how many times I was able to refer to Canada in one little paragraph?).

These guys have a deep well of talent to draw upon, and they cover the goofy to the serious with seemly little effort. They can rock too. It's hard to pick out a best moment on this best of collection. The ladies are a big musical parfait. The early layers are fun and folky, but as you go deeper the flavours change.

Who knows, one day these ladies will start to sag, but so far they're still perky.

Reviewed October 27, 2003

A funny thing happened - I reviewed this one twice, a thing I've not done before. So for your viewing pleasure is my second review of Bare Naked Ladies Greatest Hits.

“And nerds shall inherit the earth.” Long live the coolest geeks on the planet. Who’d a thunk a bunch of hyperactive Canadians would take over parts of the free world. Of course to many they’re best known for the silly behaviour and their big “novelty” hits like One Week, and Pinch Me. But to those of us who were first exposed to the guys on MuchMusic (Canada’s MTV) as they took advantage of Speaker’s Corner, or a little later when their video to Bruce Cockburn’s Lovers in a Dangerous Time was every where, these guys were only moments away from being superstars! Of course they attained the success they were due, and for some reason a bunch (at least half the population by last count) decided it was cool to hate the geeks. Of course they came around eventually, but who can figure out Canadians?

Anyway, the title for this disc is lifted from their own tongue in cheek song “Boxed Set.” What’s so cool about these guys is that they are silly, full of energy, but they are completely serious about their music. They write great tunes, and take time with their lyrics and the seriousness with which they approach their art belies their outward attitudes – they are completely serious.

Over a decade (my how time flies) these guys have managed to move themselves from college kids to young adults and they’ve made the transition from nerdy kids, to the cool uncle. This collection of 19 songs is excellent, and oddly enough there are songs I wish were here – which speaks to the strength of their catalog.

Here’s to another decade. I wonder what kind of grandparents they’d make.

Revenge of the nerds indeed.

Reviewed January 13, 2005

Everything To Everyone (©2003 Reprise)

1: Celebrity 2: Maybe Katie 3: Another Postcard 4: Next Time 5: For You 6: Shopping 7: Testing 1, 2, 3 8: Upside Down 9: War on Drugs 10: Aluminum 11: Unfinished 12: Second Best 13: Take It Outside 14: Have You Seen My Love? 15: Another Postcard (Acoustic) 16: Maybe Katie (Acoustic) 17: Second Best (Acoustic)

There’s a saying that you can’t be all things to all people; which flies in the face of Barenaked Ladies latest offering, which as the titles suggests the lads are making a go at making the perfect album.

On the plus side it is a nice sounding record full of very good performances and little nerdy quirky bits that are the trademarks of these adroit musical chameleons. What’s missing is any spark. Another Postcard is fun, but it’s so close to One Week and Pinch Me in its staccato delivery you can almost hear the guys trying desperately to get history to repeat itself. Overall there’s just nothing here to push it over the status of journeyman album. It’s not offensive, or crappy – it just is. It’s not an embarrassment to their catalog, it’s just kind of there. If this album was a cartoon character it would be Charlie Brown (a lot of people liked Charlie Brown).

I’ll keep listening to this one, as no doubt it’ll grow legs and slowly smolder its way under my skin. It’s just that with audiences being what they are, acts don’t get a lot of repeat listens. I’ll listen again and again because I bought it, and dang it, I’m gonna like it (eventually).

The three bonus tracks are interesting takes on the originals, and are worth hearing. See how it’s starting to work its way under my skin already. Give me a few months and it’ll be on the tip of my tongue.

Reviewed October 28, 2003

(a dozen listens later ... )

Okay, I'll admit that someone peed in my cornflakes before I gave this one its inaugural spin. It took a few listens to get under my skin, and it's there now baby. Here's my revisionist take on the album. Notice that there are now more than 3 stars rather than my initial two and a half? That's an improvement of one whole star. I wonder what would happen if I shut myself in a room with no food and water for a week with only this CD to keep me company?

I'm sure the tried and true geek rockers out there were all over this one like flies on stink, but as a casual fan who has a bunch of their records it didn't make a good impression. I still stand by my observation about Ed and his ability to channel Snow on Postcard. I know it sounds cool and all, but it's wearing a little thin, cool once, nifty twice, irritating three times. I can hardly wait to see what they do on their next album. Pinch Me in One Week and I'll see if I got your Postcard (oh that's bad).

If you like the lads you'll like this one too.

Re-viewed October 28, 2003

Barenaked for the Holidays (©2004)

1. Jingle Bells 2. Green Christmas 3. I Saw Three Ships 4. Hanukkah Blessings 5. O Holy Night 6. Elf's Lament 7. Snowmen 8. Do They Know It's Christmas? 9. Hanukkah O Hanukkah 10. God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman/We Three Kings 11. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 12. Carol of the Bells 13. Footprints 14. Deck the Stills 15. Christmastime (Oh Yeah) 16. Sleigh Ride 17. Christmas Pics 18. I Have a Little Dreidel 19. Wonderful Christmastime 20. Auld Lang Syne

I got this a while ago to get "Got Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / We Three Kings" a song featuring Sarah McLachlan - it's a brilliant song. I figured that with another 19 songs cluttering up the disc, there were bound to be a few nuggets here and there. I just wasn't expecting them to be spaced so far apart.

I'll start with my biggest Christmas peeve regarding "Jingle Bells" setting aside that this version is a musical messterpiece let's be clear about the freakin' lyrics: It's "Bells on bobtail ring" not "Bell on bobtails ring" - it drives me nuts, and is just sloppy. I suppose in their defense they would say "Irregardless, it's the spirit of the song! Besides, the horse's tail could be bobbed, and have bells on it." I'm getting sidetracked, and it's not like the Ladies are the only ones to screw up one of the most ubiquitous Christmas songs ever, and the stupid song doesn't even mention Christmas at all - it's just about goofing around in the snow.

To be fair, Barenaked for the Holidays contains a measure of the BNL charm and the guys are trying hard to make an inclusive "holiday" album by throwing in Carols, and Hanukkah songs. Most of the songs are pretty good, but they really aren't anything special and frankly if I was to be a grinch about the whole thing I'd say the guys were trying too hard to clever, and the result is often precocious rather than cute.

I will admit that the first couple of times through the album I got a kick out of the hammond interludes. If Rimmer from Red Dwarf was to compile a Christmas CD "O Holy Night" and "Rudolph" would be on it. While the Ladies are all pretty decent musicians, they are not known for their instrumental work, and I have to give props to their version of "Carol of the Bells". While it may not be everyone's cup of tea I thought it was pretty cool.

The only real WTF moment was the inclusion of "Do They Know It's Christmas" a song they play straight, and it's terrible. It would have been better served as a parody with each member taking a shot at the vocals, and taking the pretentiousness of the original down a peg or two.

While this is not one of my favourite holiday albums (you think?), there are enough moments to make this a mostly enjoyable listen. I suppose I was hoping for an album full of holiday magic, and instead I got the equivalent of the mandarin orange that's stuck in the bottom of the Christmas stocking.

Reviewed December 12, 2008