Have Not Been the Same: The Canrock Renaissance 1985-1995 [Paperback]

Michael Barclay (Author), Ian Andrew Dylan Jack (Author), Jason Schneider (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2001

Have Not Been The Same captures the spirit of Canadian rock from 1985 to 1995, a time when it became cool to be Canadian. Indie labels flourished, campus radio exploded, MuchMusic changed the way we look at our music, major labels tapped into the underground, and an exciting new generation of artists created a new canon of CanRock that altered the musical landscape for generations to come. Bands like The Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo, and Sloan created a fever pitch for Canadian music, but there were also numerous others in the underground who created equally exciting work. This vital, lively, and entertaining examination of a groundbreaking decade contains vivid original photographs and interviews with all the major players. It's a must-read for any fan of Canadian music.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Barclay, Jack and Schneider are all musicians and write about Canadian music from the inside. They survey the music from the perspective of informed fans, as opposed to dispassionate critics, and they do it with energy, enthusiasm and devotion." —Waterloo Record (June 25, 2011)

"There is, without a doubt, no better book on the rise of popular Canadian music in the 1980s and 90s than Have Not Been The Same. . . . [It] tells the story of a country learning to love the sound of its own voice. Recommended." —Scene (July 14, 2011)

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

An astoundingly comprehensive discussion of the greatest decade of Canadian music. "Have Not Been The Same" captures the spirit of Canadian rock from 1985 to 1995, a time when it became cool to be Canadian. Indie labels flourished, campus radio exploded, MuchMusic changed the way we look at our music, major labels tapped into the underground, and an exciting new generation of artists created a new canon of CanRock that altered the musical landscape for generations to come. Bands like The Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo, and Sloan created a fever pitch for Canadian music, but there were also numerous others in the underground who created equally exciting work. Have Not Been The Same is a vital, lively, and entertaining examination of this groundbreaking decade, with vivid original photographs and interviews with all the major players. It's a must-read for any fan of Canadian music.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 650 pages
• Publisher: E C W Pr (August 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550224751
• ISBN-13: 978-1550224757
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,682,527 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Have for any Canadian Rock Music Fan, June 24, 2003

By 

Sooley (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Have Not Been the Same: The Canrock Renaissance 1985-1995 (Paperback)

This book is quite brilliant, Michael Barclay along with Ian A.D Jack and Jason Schneider have put together an amazing book which looks at various Canadian musicians between 1985-1995. I found this book great because it sort of shined light on a lot of amazing bands and individual musicians throughout this era that didn't have a source detailing their history, influence etc.

Being a big fan of Halifax bands as well (sloan, thrush hermit, etc.) I was very happy when i saw that the halifax scene or "underground" was given a very detailed account.

The histories of several bands were given full chapters such as The tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo and Sloan. The punk music scene in Western Canada was also given a spotlight. All-in-all any music fan would love this! I definetly do!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent compendum, June 13, 2002

By 

Melissa Bratcher (Council Bluffs IA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Have Not Been the Same: The Canrock Renaissance 1985-1995 (Paperback)

The bible on Canadian Rock is reverently written, and interesting through and through, chock full of fascinating information and in depth looks at the finest of the CanRock scene, including the oft-overlooked Sloan. Well worth reading.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No, The Artists Were Not Popular Acts...They Were Underground Musicians, November 19, 2006

By 

Son of Spam "A Man Who Loves His Music" (Earth, Solar System) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Have Not Been the Same: The Canrock Renaissance 1985-1995 (Paperback)

It seems the previous reviewer hasn't even read the book. Or if he has, he's completely misunderstood the premise of it.

Yes, it's true that music from the United States or Britain was more "popular" (and ergo, a bigger part of people's so-called "life changing" experiences). But so much of the music and many of the musicians presented in this book were underground (a claim that even their American or British counterparts would find difficult to make).

And that's actually the beauty of it. As I'm reading this tome, I find myself searching out CD's by the artists (none of whom, or very very few of whom are available via retail stores). It's part of an enjoyable journey: to read about interesting musicians and interesting music, and searching for the very same music via alternative (excuse the pun, lol!) methods, ie: via the Internet. Some of the musicians have moved on to other stages in their lives (some becoming national politicians) and I've even been able to contact them to get a copy of their releases.

So don't buy this book if you have a national chip on your shoulder. If you want to read about popular artists from the 70's/80's/90's, go pick up an unauthorized biography of the Sex Pistols/Duran Duran/Nirvana at your local library. But if you want to delve deeper, into the music that was bubbling just under the surface, buy this book. You will not be disappointed.