Customer Reviews

Whale Music

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

after hearing gord downie lament about the Rheo's on Live Between Us...."thanks to the Rheostatics, we are much richer for having seen them tonite" ...I figured I would give one of their CD'S a shot....tracks 1,2,3,9,13,17 are sublime.... and Shaved Head moved me in a way that only a handful of rock/alternative song have ... I played it seven or eight times before moving on to the rest...agree with the other opine...Guns could have stayed on the cutting room floor...the music gets stronger with each listen

This is probably the best overall Rheostatics album I've heard (2067 won't be out for a few weeks). It is chock full of amazing musicianship and incredible songwriting. Dopefiends and Boozehounds is probably my favorite song, but there are no songs on this album that I don't like. There is an eerie quality to some of these songs, and a quirky sense of humor directed at the almost hopelessness exhibited by many of the characters in the songs, but I wouldn't say the album is negative. I'd say its a discussion of common problems that normal people have... kind of a 'we're in this together' sort of message. The Rheostatics, though, are always about finding happiness, friendships and love. They stand out from the mundane trash that's plagued modern music for far too long.

What first attracted me to "Whale Music" (not the film score) by the Rheostatics was the wonderfully illustrated CD cover respendent in gold, crimson, dark blue---we need an image of that cover here! After an initial, casual playing of the first couple of songs on the CD, I put it aside for week.

Then on a lark, I decided to listen to CD. Three weeks later, it's at the top of my CD rotation. The songs, on the surface, seem like pop, country, rock-nothing too special until one starts noticing all the strange chords and treatments, odd changes in pace, and wonderful, image rich lyrics full of wordplay in tracks like California Dreamline. Add to that they these guys can rock out when they want or hold it down when making a point.

The interplay of guitars on Dope Fiends and Boozehounds is brash and fun; the drum duo on What's Going on Around Here? featuring a cameo by Neil Peart of Rush requires lots of volume; Sickening Song conjures up all kinds of creative imagery.

This rich collection of songs sounds fresh and focused-though it was released back in the early `90s. I'm not up to the task of trying to describe how the band sounds for I suspect this group rarely repeats itself, instead taking the time to craft music instead of spit out disposable pabulum. I'm looking forward to exploring more of the music from the Canadian band; in fact, some argue the best of many great bands from the north.

Forget the Tragically Hip, The Guess Who, and Rush. Whale Music by The Rheostatics was named "The Greatest Canadian Album of All Time" on a CBC radio poll.

Buy this album, and free yourself from the shackles of mainstream pop-rock. This album is brilliant, and is a great introduction to The Rheostatics. This is truly a band of musical geniuses, and anyone that prides themself on being open-minded, and listening to great music simply must buy it.

This is my Can-Rock bible.

Enjoy

This is on my list of best albums of my life.
This is for all the people loving The Flaming Lips, The Eels,
and The Frames, and The Long Winters.
The Rheostatics.
One great band.
One great album.