Influential Albums - Part 4

Welcome to part four. These five albums were the end of university which concluded with a broken engagement the year after. An emotional rollercoaster to say the least.  

TITLE: Yourself or Someone Like You

ARTIST: Matchbox 20
YEAR: 1996

GENRE: Alternative Rock

ALBUM TRACKS: Real World; Long Day; 3AM; Push; Girl Like That; Back 2 Good; Damn; Argue; Kody; Busted; Shame; Hang

FAVOURITE TRACK: Push

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: The lyrics of this song became more meaningful to me when I was struggling with my relationship with my fiancée. Things were falling apart and I was feeling insignificant. Just to be clear, the pushing was never physical, just emotional manipulation from both sides.

ALBUM INFLUENCE: I listened to this album a lot when I was working the desk during graveyard shift at the warehouse. I really just sat around from 11pm to 7am doing logic puzzles and entering some container data from time to time. I pretty much memorized the lyrics as there was nothing much else to do. Nothing seems to go right in the lyrics and as I contemplated my life in those early hours, it really spoke to me. 

TITLE: Third Eye Blind

ARTIST: Third Eye Blind
YEAR: 1997

GENRE: Alternative Rock

ALBUM TRACKS: Losing a Whole Year; Narcolepsy; Semi-Charmed Life; Jumper; Graduate; How’s It Going to Be; Thanks a Lot; Burning Man; Good for You; London; I Want You; The Background; Motorcycle Drive By; God of Wine

FAVOURITE TRACK: Motorcycle Drive By

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: This is the song I continuously blasted in my car on the drive up to Terrace while licking my wounds after my broken engagement. Lyrics like “I've never been so alone, and I’ve never been so alive” and “I’ll get over you, you’ll wonder who I am” hit me like a brick. I was doing the loud singing you see in movies. Lost my voice a few times.

ALBUM INFLUENCE: Other than the ultra-catchy “Semi-Charmed Life”, the rest of the album is quite the downer and was the perfect emo music as my life was getting more reflective with graduating and contemplating an unsure future.

TITLE: Play

ARTIST: Great Big Sea
YEAR: 1997

GENRE: Folk/Celtic Rock

ALBUM TRACKS: Ordinary Day; When I’m Up (I Can’t Get Down); The Night Pat Murphy Died; How Did We Get From Saying ‘I Love You’; Donkey Riding; Haven’t Seen You in a Long Time; End of the World; General Taylor; Seagulls; Recruiting Sargeant; My Apology; Jakey’s Girl; Something I Should Know; Jolly Roving Tar; Jolly Beggar Dude

FAVOURITE TRACK: Ordinary Day

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: I love the morse code opening and the upbeat lyrics. I sometimes need to be reminded that everything’s going to be all right. Just hang in there.  

ALBUM INFLUENCE: The rockin’ folk music would lift my spirits during some of my lower points. This album always reminds me of the fun I’d have at 11:07, doing comedy improv to distract me from other dramatic stuff in my life.

TITLE: Clumsy

ARTIST: Our Lady Peace
YEAR: 1997

GENRE: Grunge / Alternative Rock

ALBUM TRACKS: Superman’s Dead; Automatic Flowers; Carnival; Big Dumb Rocket; 4am; Shaking; Clumsy; Hello Oskar; Let You Down; The Story of 100 Aisles; Car Crash

FAVOURITE TRACK: Automatic Flowers.

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: Love this track from the opening “doo, doo, doo, doo, doo” to Raine Maida’s final vocal inflections which is reminiscent of Eddie Vedder’s work in Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy”. This is a depressing yet rocking song about a lonely woman who has a hard time finding happiness. It reminded me of someone.

ALBUM INFLUENCE: I always felt this band was Canadian’s answer to Seattle’s grunge scene. A little behind the times, but that’s okay. This album helped me out when things were getting more tense in my love life and I needed to vent.

TITLE: So Much for the Afterglow

ARTIST: Everclear
YEAR: 1997

GENRE: Rock

ALBUM TRACKS: So Much for the Afterglow; Everything to Everyone; Ataraxia; Normal Like You; I Will Buy You a New Life; Father of Mine; One Hit Wonder; Distorto de Melodica; Amphetamine; White Men in Black Suits; Sunflowers; Why I Don’t Believe in God; Like a California King

FAVOURITE TRACK: Everything to Everyone

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK:  I felt this song was speaking to me. “I think you love to play the clown; I think you are blind to the fact that the hand you hold is the hand that holds you down”. I was feeling stretched in all directions and had a little pity party for myself. Sometimes you need a song to tell it to your face in order to smarten up. 

ALBUM INFLUENCE: This album was a little harder than the emo-alternative music I was listening to at the time. I don’t have the daddy issues that are found in some of the songs; but I could relate to some of the anger and frustration from failed relationships.

Influential Albums - Part 3

Welcome to part three. These five albums were the first couple years of university. It was full of drama, both on stage and in my love life.

TITLE: August and Everything After

ARTIST: Counting Crows
YEAR: 1993

GENRE: Alternative Rock

ALBUM TRACKS: ‘Round Here; Omaha; Mr. Jones; Perfect Blue Buildings; Anna Begins; Time and Time Again; Rain King; Sullivan Street; Ghost Train; Raining in Baltimore; A Murder of One

FAVOURITE TRACK: Anna Begins

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: The lyrics almost bring a tear to my eye. I think it’s beautifully written with its subtle changes in the choruses. A heartbreaking song of denying true love until it’s too late. I love that this song was not released as a single; a hidden gem just for us.

ALBUM INFLUENCE: This is the album I think of when I think of university. You could hear the passionate lyrics belting out of many a dorm window. Angsty emo music with poetic lyrics is the bread and butter of “higher thinking” university students. I always felt very in tune with this band and album. Unfortunately, my wife gets tired of Adam Duritz’ “whiny” voice pretty quickly and doesn’t appreciate her name being found in a number of songs including the popular “’Round Here”.

TITLE: Bargainville

ARTIST: Moxy Fruvous
YEAR: 1993

GENRE: Pop

ALBUM TRACKS: River Valley; Stuck in the 90’s; BJ Don’t Cry; Video Bargainville; Fell in Love; The Lazy Boy; My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors; The Drinking Song; Morphee; King of Spain; Darlington Darling; Bittersweet; Laika; Spiderman; Gulf War Song

FAVOURITE TRACK: The Drinking Song

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: I love the lyrics and the four part harmonies especially when they break into “Goodnight Irene”. I’m not a drinker at all but I love the story and the sad ending.

ALBUM INFLUENCE: This band has the quirkiness of Barenaked Ladies with some added eco-consciousness. An Ontarian in my dorm introduced me to these guys with a demo tape that included the catchy “King of Spain”. This was the only album I had of theirs. Unfortunately, one of the group members, Jian Ghomeshi, tainted this band with his violent sexual scandal in 2014. It’s sadder when I listen to this now.   

TITLE: Dookie

ARTIST: Green Day
YEAR: 1994

GENRE: Punk Rock

ALBUM TRACKS: Burnout; Having a Blast; Chump; Longview; Welcome to Paradise; Pulling Teeth; Basket Case; She; Sassafras Roots; When I Come Around; Coming Clean; Emenius Sleepus; In the End; FOD; (All by Myself)

FAVOURITE TRACK: In the End

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: This is a good ‘screw you’ breakup song. Love the energy and the bridge. Gets my body moving when I listen to it.

ALBUM INFLUENCE: This album was my introduction to punk. Sure, I had heard songs from Sex Pistols and The Clash but didn’t buy their albums. I enjoy the shorter punk tracks that are bursting with energy. This was a breath of fresh air among the gloom of some of the music I was listening to at the time. I also saw them rock in a couple concerts. I still enjoy their music, even the new stuff.

TITLE: Jars of Clay

ARTIST: Jars of Clay
YEAR: 1995

GENRE: Christian Alternative Rock

ALBUM TRACKS: Liquid; Sinking; Love Song for a Savior; Like a Child; Art in Me; He; Boy on a String; Flood; Worlds Apart; Blind; (Four Seven)

FAVOURITE TRACK: Worlds Apart

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: The lyrics are powerful and relatable. This is my go to song when I hit rock bottom, especially in my faith. I have often used this song as a prayer during troubled times. The drums are cool too. It causes my heart to pound. 

ALBUM INFLUENCE: Being at Trinity Western University, this band and album was in constant rotation in the dorms (along with dcTalk’s Jesus Freak). The thoughtful lyrics and acoustically driven music pulled me in immediately. Their use of strings in many of their songs was also a nice touch. I was proud of them when “Flood” managed to break into the mainstream markets. When people insult the quality of Christian music, this is one of the bands I suggest.

TITLE: Congratulation I’m Sorry

ARTIST: Gin Blossoms
YEAR: 1996

GENRE: Alternative Rock

ALBUM TRACKS: Day Job; Highwire; Follow You Down; Not Only Numb; As Long as it Matters; Perfectly Still; My Car; Virginia; Whitewash; I Can’t Figure You Out; Memphis Time; Competition Smile; ‘Til I Hear It from You

FAVOURITE TRACK: Not Only Numb

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK:  I like the poetry in the lyrics. It’s a song about returning to old haunts and dealing with how things have changed. This song reminds me of times I felt numb and didn’t want to face truths. Someone said that this song reminds them of Zach Braff’s film Garden State. I love that movie. Love this song even more now.

ALBUM INFLUENCE: In my opinion, this is what mid-nineties music sounded like. The acoustic guitars mixed with some emo lyrics and a bit of a raspy voice. This is the album I had in my car for most of the summer of ’96, going from work in the warehouse, to home, then to my fiancée’s house. Not everything was rosy during this time so a nice mix of semi-happy tunes and emotional questioning fit the bill.

Influential Albums - Part 2

Welcome to the second set of albums. These five albums were highlights of my high school years. It was a mixture of fun and angst as I hung out with friends and got a girlfriend. Here we go:

TITLE: Waking Up the Neighbours

ARTIST: Bryan Adams
YEAR: 1991

GENRE: Pop Rock

ALBUM TRACKS: Is Your Mama Gonna Miss Ya?; Hey Honey-I’m Packin’ You In; Can’t Stop This Thing We Started; Thought I Died and Gone to Heaven; Not Guilty; Vanishing; House Arrest; Do I Have to Say the Words?; There Will Be Another Tonight; All I Want Is You; Depend on Me; (Everything I Do) I Do It for You; If You Wanna Leave Me (Can I Come Too?); Touch the Hand; Don’t Drop That Bomb on Me

FAVOURITE TRACK: All I Want Is You

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: The lyrics are simple, like most Bryan Adams songs, but the passion infused in his performance is awesome. I’m also a huge fan of songs where the music drops out for a second and then hits you like a sonic boom. (You’ll see that a lot in these lists.)

ALBUM INFLUENCE: Of course, I loved “Summer of ‘69” off Adam’s Reckless album but Neighbours hooked me a lot more. It also led me to my first concert experience on January 31, 1992. I remember the crowd got silent for a moment and I yelled at the top of my lungs  “69!” (you know how loud I can be), Adams looked up to my nosebleed section, played the first few chords, laughed and then played something else. Though he would eventually get around to “Summer of ’69” at the encore, that concert was full of great songs from Waking Up the Neighbours.

TITLE: Mad Mad World

ARTIST: Tom Cochrane
YEAR: 1991

GENRE: Pop Rock

ALBUM TRACKS: Life is a Highway; Mad Mad World; No Regrets; Sinking Like a Sunset; Washed Away; Everything Come Around; The Secret is to Know When to Stop; Brave and Crazy; Bigger Man; Friendly Advice; Get Back Up; Emotional Truth; All the King’s Men

FAVOURITE TRACK: Life is a Highway

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: This song just gets your toe tapping. Also hearing “Vancouver’s lights” always brought a sense of pride. I often played this song when hosting 11:07 Comedy Improv at TWU – it was a crowd pleaser. I like this version a hundred time more than the Rascal Flatts cover.

ALBUM INFLUENCE: I’m a proud Canadian when it comes to music. I like to support Canadian artists when I can. I always take great pleasure hearing a Canadian artist make it big on the international stage. “Life is a Highway” was just one of those songs. And the album is full of pounding harmonica laced tunes and thoughtful insights on society. Also, saw this guy in a free PNE concert. Good times.

TITLE: Achtung Baby

ARTIST: U2
YEAR: 1991

GENRE: Alternative Rock

ALBUM TRACKS: Zoo Station; Even Better Than the Real Thing; One; Until the End of the World; Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses; So Cruel; The Fly; Mysterious Ways; Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World; Ultraviolet (Light My Way); Acrobat; Love is Blindness

FAVOURITE TRACK: One

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: The lyrics get me every time. A bitter conversation that touches on love and spirituality. Heavy stuff.

ALBUM INFLUENCE: This was my emo music of choice. The album would play on repeat while I pined for the girl who eventually became my first girlfriend. Achtung Baby is full of introspection and angst. It helps having downer songs like “Acrobat” and “Love is Blindness” at times.

TITLE: Gordon

ARTIST: Barenaked Ladies
YEAR: 1992

GENRE: Pop

ALBUM TRACKS: Hello City; Enid; Grade 9; Brian Wilson; Be My Yoko Ono; Wrap Your Arms Around Me; What a Good Boy; The King of Bedside Manor; Box Set; I Love You; New Kid (On the Block); Blame It on Me; The Flag; If I Had $1000000; Crazy

FAVOURITE TRACK: Blame It on Me

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: I like the clever lyrics and laid back rhythm. Also love the “la, la, la, I can’t hear you”. While I like their crazy stuff, I equally like their quieter songs.

ALBUM INFLUENCE: I would have to say that Barenaked Ladies is one my favourite band of all time. I love their zany nature mixed with folksy fun music & lyrics. It helps that they are Canadian as well. These guys have the best concerts. They are lively and improv songs while entertaining the throngs.I think I’ve seen them four or five times. In fact, I took my wife to one of their concerts for our first date (though she was unaware that it was a date and it took an entire year to work up the nerve to come right out and ask her again). As a side note, while I prefer Ed Robertson’s sings, I was sad when Steven Page left and was replaced by the far inferior Kevin Hearn. Oh well. Still enjoy their work.

TITLE: Automatic for the People

ARTIST: R.E.M.
YEAR: 1992

GENRE: Alternative Rock

ALBUM TRACKS: Drive; Try Not to Breathe; The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite; Everybody Hurts; New Orleans Instrumental No. 1; Sweetness Follows; Monty Got a Raw Deal; Ignoreland; Star Me Kitten; Man on the Moon; Nightswimming; Find the River

FAVOURITE TRACK: Try Not to Breathe

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: I love the driving rhythm under this song, it almost makes my body sway with the music. Also love the descant harmonies in the second half of the song. If you want to learn more about this song, I encourage you to check out Song Exploder by clicking here.

ALBUM INFLUENCE: Another round of emo music; perfect for my angsty teen years. I loved Michael’s Stipe’s voice and would often sing along to “Nightswimming”. This album reminds me of driving home from my girlfriend’s house. It’s great late-night driving music.

Influential Albums - Part 1

Welcome to the first set of albums. When it comes to music, I usually would list a large number of songs that meant something to me. I have many lists but those are for another time. This list is focused on albums. The complete album. I would say that I could listen to and enjoy the entire album for most of these selections Today, I am more accustomed to just picking my favourite tracks and moving on. These first five albums were highlights of my elementary school years. I didn’t really start listening to the radio until I was around ten or eleven, so grade five. Please keep that in mind. Here we go.  

TITLE: Polka Party!

ARTIST: “Weird Al” Yankovic
YEAR: 1986

GENRE: Comedy

ALBUM TRACKS: Living with a Hernia; Dog Eat Dog; Addicted to Spuds; One of Those Days; Polka Party!; Here’s Johnny; Don’t Wear Those Shoes; Toothless People; Good Enough for Now; Christmas at Ground Zero

FAVOURITE TRACK: One of Those Days

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: I just love the escalation of horrible incidents mixed with minor annoyances.  It’s one of Weird Al’s original compositions which I sometimes like better than his official parodies, especially on this album that is full of gems.

ALBUM INFLUENCE: Weird Al is hilarious. I thought it back when I was 11 and still believe it to be true today. Not only does he have a way with words when it comes to lyrics but his variety of singing styles is impressive. Weird Al is a huge influence on me as is evident in the musical parodies I have written and produced.

TITLE: Bad

ARTIST: Michael Jackson
YEAR: 1987

GENRE: Pop

ALBUM TRACKS: Bad; The Way You Make Me Feel; Speed Demon; Liberian Girl; Just Good Friends; Another Part of Me; Man in the Mirror; I Just Can’t Stop Loving You; Dirty Diana; Smooth Criminal; Leave Me Alone

FAVOURITE TRACK: Another Part of Me

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: This track works well when imitating dance moves and impassioned Jackson singing. I always get a kick out of how he sings “another pwart of me”.

ALBUM INFLUENCE: I’ll admit this album was a mixture of respect for Jackson’s infectious music/lyrics and ridicule for all the ‘ooo’s and other vocal interjections. At this age, I would do lip-syncs to Michael Jackson songs for friends, family and school projects and this album was rich with content. Still makes me smile to listen to it.  

TITLE: Kick

ARTIST: INXS
YEAR: 1987

GENRE: Pop/Rock

ALBUM TRACKS: Guns in the Sky; New Sensation; Devil Inside; Need You Tonight; Meditate; The Loved One; Wild Life; Never Tear Us Apart; Mystify; Kick; Calling All Nations; Tiny Daggers

FAVOURITE TRACK: New Sensation

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: It’s just a fun track with a great driving beat. It always puts me in a good mood.

ALBUM INFLUENCE: I was not into much hard rock at this time, so this was close enough without worrying the parents. I also lip-synced “The Loved One” for a school video project where my character was trying to woo their love interest (which happened to be my first girlfriend). It’s what I do.

TITLE: Hysteria

ARTIST: Def Leppard
YEAR: 1987

GENRE: Rock

ALBUM TRACKS: Women; Rocket; Animal; Love Bites; Pour Some Sugar on Me; Armageddon It; Gods of War; Don’t Shoot Shotgun; Run Riot; Hysteria; Excitable; Love and Affection

FAVOURITE TRACK: Pour Some Sugar on Me

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: I would play this track over and over in my room. I loved the lyrics and the drum beat. Also enjoyed Joe Elliot hitting the high notes among the tonal yells. Hate how they changed the opening on their greatest hits compilation.

ALBUM INFLUENCE: I felt cool listening to this album. This is the hardest rock I was listening to at the time. Lots of singing in front of the mirror on this one. I was so tough.   

TITLE: He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper

ARTIST: DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince
YEAR: 1988

GENRE: Rap

ALBUM TRACKS: A Nightmare on My Street; Here We Go Again; Brand New Funk; Time to Chill; Charlie Mack (First Out of the Limo); As We Go; Parents Just Don’t Understand; Pump Up the Bass; Let’s Get Busy, Baby; Another Special Announcement; Live at Union Square; DJ on Wheels; My Buddy; Rhythm Trax-House Party Style; He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper; Hip Hop Dancer’s Theme; Jazzy’s in the House; Human Video Game

FAVOURITE TRACK: Charlie Mack (First Out of the Limo)

LISTEN TO THE TRACK: Click here

WHY THIS TRACK: I love the story. A great tribute to their bodyguard.  

ALBUM INFLUENCE: I did listen to Run DMC and Beastie Boys, but I enjoyed the humour found in Will Smith’s lyrics. My other rap consisted of Young MC and Maestro Fresh Wes. My cousins and I would sing “Parents Just Don’t Understand” around the campfire while censoring the ‘hell’s. I still know all the lyrics.     

Film: Onward

GENRE: Animation, Adventure

RATING: PG for thematic elements
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 42 minutes

STARRING: Tom Holland (Spider-Man:Homecoming, Spies in Disguise)

Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy); Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld)

DIRECTOR: Dan Scanlon (Monsters University)

WRITERS: Scanlon (Monsters University), Jason Headley (newcomer),
Keith Bunin (Horns, In Treatment)

PLOT: Through magic, two elf brothers embark on a quest.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: I went in with lower expectations for this Pixar.  

STORY STUFF: It took me a little bit of time to get invested in the story and the characters. Once the quest started, I was totally along for the ride. There’s some great characters, funny lines and well-done action pieces (one is a bit of a rip-off of Indiana Jones though). I might not have found the dialogue as clever as previous Pixar films but the story is solid. Pixar is amazing at story-telling. On the emotional front, there were definite tears. Like, end of Toy Story 3 tears.  I can blame it on the fact that I’m getting older and mushier, but I’ll chalk it up to great writing instead.

ACTING STUFF: Great voice acting all around. I enjoyed the natural chemistry between Pratt and Holland. I had a hard time placing the voice of step dad, Colt Bronco, but seeing Mel Rodriguez’s (Last Man on Earth) name in the end credits made perfect sense. He’s perfect for the role.

ARTISTIC STUFF: Pixar animation is top notch. What else can I say?   

VERDICT: Four stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You like Pixar and a good cry

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Maybe Black Widow if it’s not postponed.