Between the Bridges

Sloan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 21, 1999)
• Original Release Date: September 10, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Murder Records
• ASIN: B00000K08V
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #264,628 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. The NS

2. So Beyond Me

3. Don't You Believe A Word

4. Friendship

5. Sensory Deprivation

6. All By Ourselves

7. A Long Time Coming

8. Waiting For Slow Songs

9. Losing California

10. The Marquee And The Moon

11. Take God Care Of The Poor Boy

12. Delivering Maybes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Sloan stake out their usual turf--a piece of emotional land somewhere on the border of knowingness and bemusement--on Between the Bridges. Their most ambitious yet, the album cleverly strings one track into the next while marshaling a full complement of early-'70s pop-rock influences (Todd Rundgren, Badfinger). The result is as creamy ("Don't You Believe a Word") and cutting ("Friendship") at times as Rumours; for good measure, there's the tear-away tour de force "Sensory Deprivation" and the echoes of Imagine that open "The N.S." In an age where few bands make it this far--Bridges is their sixth long-player, counting 1998's live 4 Nights at the Palais Royale--Sloan reaffirm their power with each new release. With any luck, this one will make more listeners outside their Canadian homeland aware of that fact. --Rickey Wright

Product Description

1999 release from Canadian power pop act. A typically firstrate Sloan release, well crafted songs, perfect harmonies and clever lyrics. Digipak. (Murder Records)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite simply one of the best albums I own, June 2, 2005

By 

Brian C. Taylor "smug feldspar magnate" (Tallahassee, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Between the Bridges (Audio CD)

I don't know that much about Sloan (other than what can be gleaned at Amazon.com) but this is a stunningly good album. Not a stinker in the dozen songs. Kind of 70s rock with a contemporary sensibility. Good vocals, crunchy guitars, electric pianos, catchy tunes. I have trouble thinking of individual songs on this disc, 'cause they all fit together so well. Seriously, my favorite is probably Marquee and the Moon, or it's Take Good Care of the Poor Boy, or its Delivering Maybes, because the album finishes so strongly, but any one of the tracks could be a favorite. Buy it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More excellent retro-pop from Canada's finest, July 19, 2000

By 

Stan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Between the Bridges (Audio CD)

Sloan is the best kept secret of the Great White North. Though the Toronto-via-Halifax quartet has been the toast of teenagers across Canada for more than half a decade, garnering gold records, tours with Alanis Morrisette and music videos galore, they are virtual unknowns in the United States. It's hard to understand why, because these perfectly adorable geeks have been churning out record after record of the kind of completely accessible retro-pop music Lenny Kravitz and Oasis take all the way to the bank. "Between the Bridges," a refreshingly concise 12-song aperitif, is no exception. If you're looking for musical visionaries, you've come to the wrong place. Sloan's greatest strength is certainly not the originality of their songs; one can easily hear references to classic rock standards throughout all of their records, and the nods to Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, John Lennon, Thin Lizzy, and even .38 Special are particularly evident on this album. Instead, what the lads in Sloan do so well is breathe new life into a classic rock formula made tired by endless, repetitive radio play. The superbly written songs on this and past Sloan albums defy notions of mere recycling by reminding listeners why they like classic rock and pop in the first place. The good cheer, enthusiasm, and efficient, skillful musicianship on "Between the Bridges" makes the album pretty difficult not to like. The band members, all of whom write and sing their own songs, exude charm as they crank out tunes that are imprinted on the listener's brain by the second listen (who can forget a couplet that rhymes "ocean" with "Nova Scotian"?). A couple of rote riff- rockers dampen affairs somewhat, but when you hear the creamy harmonies and funky rhythm guitar on the insanely catchy "Don't You Believe A Word," you may say to yourself: it's the same old song, but it sure sounds good.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sloan prove their longevity and enduring creativity, October 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Between the Bridges (Audio CD)

Sloan prove their longevity and enduring creativity on "Between The Bridges", their fifth studio album and sixth full-length release. Let's start with "Losing California", since it's the first single... my brother thought it sounded like Ace Frehley, an astute observation indeed. (Then again, my brother thought Bonkers was gum. But he knows it's candy now.) Sloan continue their exploration of 70's sounds and arrangements on this track, yet still sound distinctly like Sloan, as we've come to expect based on their exploration of 60's and 70's musical history on their last two studio recordings. "Losing California" is reminiscent of Sloan's pure-pop early days, sort of a sped-up "Sugartune" (from 1993's Smeared). As a single this song admirably fulfils its purpose of stating to the world, "Hey, we're back, and we're still Sloan!" And the rest of the album? From the 1-2-3 no-pauses-between-tracks attack at the beginning of the album, Sloan shows that their main concern is songwriting, as it always has been, and fans will not be disappointed. The opening chords of the first track "The N.S" immediately reveal that they have not abandoned the piano they took to heart on their previous studio release, and that Andrew's knack for writing a subtle epic has not waned. The novel yet eventually tiresome cut-and-paste arrangements of 1998's Navy Blues have been abandoned this time in favour of actually arranging the songs before they're recorded (or did they just hide the edits better?), a welcome return to grace for fans of Sloan's adept arrangement skills. Their trademark shared vocal duties continue on this album; can the Kiss-like solo albums be far behind? From straight-ahead romps like "Delivering Maybes" and "Friendship" to mellower numbers like "The Marquee and the Moon", the album is a varied listen from start to finish. Blending the Sloan sound with influences ranging from Sgt. Pepper to Fleetwood Mac, Frampton to the aforementioned Frehley, "Between the Bridges" is another Sloan blast of fresh air in an often overproduced and overly serious musical landscape, and proves once again that they have earned their coveted place on the Canadian music podium alongside Rush, Trooper and April Wine :-) Ideal Canadian house-party music to get us through the impending winter. (©1999 TuneVault.com, reprinted with permission. Check out TuneVault.com for more reviews, MP3s and cool music!)