When random selection came out with this CD I thought I knew what I was in for "aah, Irish folk rock, hadn't heard it in a while" - obviously I had them confused with some other band, which goes to show just how useful this blog is in re-acquainting me with my record collection! These guys are Canadian, and although there is a bit of folk rock here, it's not the Celtic kind - more like the Byrds/Feelies one. Actually, the feeling I got on first listen was a welcome return to that old paisley underground sound: melodic, jangly power pop with 60's influences but modern -for the 80's- production values; albeit thankfully without the omnipresent for that period synths. I expected them to be real literary types, but apparently they chose their band name by looking at random entries in a movie encyclopedia; at the time they were neither familiar with the book nor the film. According to allmusic.com the band "formed in Kelowna, British Columbia in 1983 by brothers Chris Hooper (drums) and Tom Hooper (vocals, bass), along with Kevin Kane (vocals, guitar) and the later addition of keyboardist Vincent Jones". During their initial run (1983-1992), they recorded 4 LPs which gained them local hero status in Canada but failed to make waves internationally. This is the period anthologized in this collection. To lure in old fans who already own the original albums, the compilers often choose alternate or live mixes over the album versions. The compilation isn't chronologically arranged, but we will get to the tracks in chronological order. The only song from their debut September Bowl of Green (1985) included here is the opener, "Misunderstanding" - en excellent sample of that period's 60's revival bands, similar to Rain Parade or Three O Clock, if you know what I mean. Most reviewers bypass the debut as nonconsequential, mentioning instead Treehouse (1987) as the band's breakout LP. The hit from that album "Piece Of Mind" is presented here in a live, relatively slower, version. "Run You Down" is more upbeat, with louder drums and the band's trademark harmonies. "O Lucky Man" and "Seems Like Fate" are more reminiscent of British bands of the time (e.g. Housemartins), and "Backward Town" is presented here in a live acoustic version. The 60's influences persist on their 3rd LP Now And Again (1989); "Stay" combines melodic Byrdsian jangle folk with 80's production values, as does the more psychedelic "Do You Want To Tell Me". "What Was Going Through My Head" emulates The Beatles circa 1965, and "All The Things I Wasn't" is the band at their most pastoral. The last album of their first incarnation was These Days (1991), a generally rockier affair, as evidenced by the two biggest hits, included here in alternate versions "You May Be Right" (here in its "AOR mix"), and "I Am Here" (included both in a punchy single edit and an ill-advised "dance-oriented" 12' extended mix). Another single from that LP was the upbeat "A Fishing Tale" - this one reminded me a bit of Hüsker Dü. "I Can't Find My Home" is also from that album, although here we get a different, acoustic, mix. Of the songs that only previously appeared on single B-sides, "Down So Close" is another country-ish ballad, while "All the Time" is more upbeat. Two covers included here reveal a lot about the band's influences, these being "Let Me Roll It" (by Paul McCartney and The Wings) and "See Emily Play" (early Pink Floyd). Last -and probably least- of the tracks included in this comp is "Fid's Theme", a short, previously unreleased, instrumental from 1988. Well, I must admit this was a really good CD. Long, but pleasant listening from start to finish. I know why I had forgotten all about it, though; when I got it, 15 or more years ago, it already sounded like a relic from a bygone era. There are similar records I still love listening to, but with them I have a experiential relation; I bought them when these bands were still young and active. Some of them visited my town where I got to see them perform live, while their songs played on the radio and rock bars of my youth. Canadians of my generation who have a similar relation with Grapes of Wrath will probably rate this CD higher. To me, this is simply a collection of nice songs I won't be listening to very often because I have so much similar music to which I have a stronger personal connection. But, for sure, if you're a fan of the 80's indie/college rock scene, stuff like REM and The Replacements, The Smiths and The Smithereens, this one will not disappoint you.
**** for Misunderstanding, I Am Here (7" Edit), Peace of Mind (Live), You May Be Right (AOR Mix), Do You Want To Tell Me, Stay, All the Things I Wasn't, O Lucky Man
*** for Backward Town (Acoustic), A Fishing Tale (Single Edit), All the Time, Run You Down, Fid's Theme, Was Going Through My Head, Let Me Roll It, See Emily Play, I Can't Find My Home,Down So Close, I Am Here (12" Extended Mix), Seems Like Fate
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