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| Me and Jim Cuddy in Edmonton at his private show |
1. Five Days In July (1993) - 5.00
Every single song is pure gold and the album flows beautifully. Sarah McLaughlin's voice adds an angelic tone. Recorded at Greg's farm with people milling about during recording, the beauty of this album is it's an honest, natural effort--pure, not overproduced. Songs with drums use brushes and no sticks to give it that unplugged feel. I'd need a whole other blog post to talk about this album, which I might do. Note that I've also recorded a few of the songs on my own (Five Days in May, Hasn't Hit Me Yet, and Bad Timing) which in their own right are some of the best songs ever written and recorded. And that says something. This album is one of their few full concept albums and they often play at least half the album at every live show. It has been voted the top Blue Rodeo album by fans year after year.
Notable tracks: all of them
My faves: Five Days In July, Hasn't Hit Me Yet, Bad Timing, Cynthia, What Is This Love, No Where You Go/Tell Me Your Dream
2. The Days In Between (2000) - 4.85
A harder album with mostly electric guitars and full drums, but superb, catchy songwriting. It sucks they don't play any of these songs live anymore for whatever reason, but this album will always be tops for me.
Notable tracks: Somebody Waits, Sad Nights, The Days In Between
My faves: The Seeker, Begging You To Let Me In, Somebody Waits, Andrea, This Road, Rage, Truscott
3. Tremolo (1997) - 4.50
This album just makes me happy overall and is a lot of fun to listen to. As with many of their albums, the last part of the album gets mellow, save of course the very last track Graveyard which comes out of no where and blasts you with a punk rock feel to finish the album. So fun!
Notable tracks: Moon and Tree, Falling Down Blue, Me & Baz, It Could Happen To You
My faves: Moon and Tree, Shed My Skin, No Miracle No Dazzle, Fallen from Grace, Disappear, Dragging On, Frog's Lullaby,
4. Small Miracles (2007) - 4.45
This is probably their boldest album as it crosses so many genres and includes a song that is recorded twice in different styles (3 Hours Away, Where I Was Before). So much so that it took me a few months of listening to this album end-to-end to realize it! There is lots of piano on here, likely because Jim learned to play a lot more of it in his writing during his solo work. The song Together has a sexy Bossanova beat while Beautiful is probably the best song as it divides itself into a two part mellow beginning with a break into a funky modern jazz long outro. Bold and innovative I say!
Notable tracks: It Makes Me Wonder, Summer Girls, Mystic River, C'Mon
My faves: This Town, 3 Hours Away/Where I Was Before, Together, Beautiful
5. Palace Of Gold (2002) - 4.35
This album reminds me sitting in the back of my dad's station wagon driving through the Rocky Mountains to and from Kelowna listening to an AM radio 70's station. There are several songs that have that classic live studio recording feel, reverb, and grandma's church organ on super tremolo, and so it's very appropriate to call this album Gold as it's pure 1970's AM radio gold.
I remember hearing Bulletproof for the first time. We were at Red's in West Edmonton Mall for a Blue Rodeo show and Jim says, "This is a new one." When they finished, I belted from the floor, "That was an awesome song, Jim!" And he said, "Thanks!" That was also the same night I bumped into him upstairs (well me just stopping him as he walked in my direction) and I said, "Jim, I'd just like to tell you that I think you're the greatest song writer of all time." In his humble way he said, "Oh wow, thanks very much."
This album features the huge horn section from the guys from Bushwack Horns. It's also the first album with former Wilco guitarist/dojo player Bob Eagen. The band would move into some amazing territory after that.
Notable tracks: Palace Of Gold, Holding On, Bulletproof, Love Never Lies
My faves: Homeward Bound Angels, Bulletproof, Stage Door, Cause For Sympathy, What A Surprise
6. In Our Nature (2013) - 4.30
Just when you think they couldn't possibly write more amazing songs, they do it--Greg mostly. He's the real driver behind this album. Every song on this album is strong. Powerful lyrics and a great flow. This album has really grown on me and is fantastic to drive down the highway to.
Notable tracks: New Morning Sun, Wondering, Mattawa, Made Your Mind Up
My faves: New Morning Sun, In Our Nature, In The Darkness, You Should Know
7. Casino (1990) - 4.10
Til I Am Myself Again became one of their biggest staple songs. Trust Yourself is absolutely one of their best songs and it's always fantastic live. It gives me the freakin' chills how it builds. Then there's After The Rain--which feels like an arc song with Try from years earlier. But when you have a lyric, "And I will drink to the queen of my soul" well that just does it for me. So heart wrenching. This album is the bridge between their more hillbilly raw past and their more earthy/nature future.
Notable tracks: Til I Am Myself Again, What Am I Doing Here, Montreal, Last Laugh, Trust Yourself, After The Rain, God And Country
My faves: Trust Yourself, Montreal, After The Rain
8. Outskirts (1987) - 3.90
The band's debut album was years in the making. After putting in their 10,000 hours of playing in New York, there were a pile of songs ready to go for an album. There really wasn't a band like Blue Rodeo anywhere. The song Try introduced Jim Cuddy's amazing voice to the world. Everybody knows this song as their flagship track. I just love the wide variety of styles on this album as you are shown why they are called Blue Rodeo--blues, country, jazz, rock, and more. I think Floating is my favourite song here--because well, it feels like I'm floating!
Notable tracks: Try, Rose-Coloured Glasses, Rebel
My faves: Try, Rebel, Floating
9. Are You Ready (2005) - 3.80
When I think of this album, I think of enjoying nature in solitude. Phaedra's Meadow is the defining song of this album. The trumpet on Tired Of Pretending gives such a lonely cry for a man in pain who then laments for a few minutes and then belts out his frustration through Greg's ruspy voice.
Notable tracks: Song, Are You Ready, Rena, Stuck On You, Beverley Street, Don't Get Angry
My faves: Are You Ready, I Will, Phaedra's Meadow, Finger Lakes,
10. The Things We Left Behind (2009) - 3.70
This is Blue Rodeo's only double-album and as a good friend of mine said, this should have been a single album, but I'm not so sure. There's a few filler song, but still, the majority of the songs are very good. The acoustic guitar playing is some of their best. Million Miles is their longest epic at 9 minutes--I saw Jim and Greg play this song and more at a rare private show of just them in Edmonton where I sat on the floor right at the front and enjoyed every minute. The song Gossip is one of Greg's best--so honest, sad, and pure.
Notable tracks: One More Night, Never Look Back, Sheba, Gossip, Don't Let The Darkness In Your Head, Arizona Dust, Candice
My faves: Waiting for the World, Sheba, One Light Left In Heaven, Gossip, In My Bones, You Said, Venus Rising
11. Nowhere To Here (1995) - 2.90
This was a disappointing album after coming off the epic Five Days In July. The drawback to this album is it doesn't start strong for two songs and Girl In Green is very loud but not definitive. It feels like you have to endure and initiate yourself through them until you get to the meat of the album which starts with Jim on What You Want with "Woke up from another dream...". Perhaps intentional! Sarah McLaughlin is on this album but not as strong as Five Days In July. Blew It Again is such a great song and fun video--we still don't know what the hell he was carrying around! Get Through To You feels like it should be at the end as it's very anthemic.
Notable tracks: Side Of The Road, Better Off As We Are, Blew It Again, Get Through To You
My faves: What You Want, Side Of The Road, Sky, Train
12. Diamond Mine (1989) - 2.65
I'm not a big fan of producer Malcom whathisname. There is way too much reverb on this puppy and a lot of the organ is just over the top. There are too many filler typical-BR songs that are easy to pass over. That said, Diamond Mine is absolutely the strong song here and a staple at their live shows.
Notable tracks: God And Country, How Long, Girl Of Mine, Diamond Mine, The Ballad of the Dime Store Greaser
My faves: Diamond Mine, Nice Try
13. Lost Together (1992) - 2.50
Rain Down On Me and Lost Together have great choruses are the band's most memorable and carry this album. Songs like Restless and Willin' Fool are just loud and there are too many other songs that just blend into each other.
Notable tracks: Rain Down On Me, Already Gone, Lost Together
My faves: Rain Down On Me, Already Gone, Lost Together, Is It You
