Small Miracles

Blue Rodeo

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 30, 2007)
• Original Release Date: October 1, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telesoul Records
• ASIN: B000W8FYM4
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #87,867 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
What do you expect from a band that has been together for 20 years and released 11 studio recordings? If you've answered "more of the same," then, in Blue Rodeo's case, you'd be exactly right. Small Miracles is upbeat light-country-meets-soft-rock that oscillates between Greg Keelor's Band-esque style and Jim Cuddy's love-leaning lyrics, just like the bulk of their other ten CDs. "I held you but you held back from me," sings Keelor on the country-meets-bluegrass track, "Blue House," yet another take on love-gone-wrong but especially effective in his well-written wrought style. Keelor's gravelly voice on "It Makes Me Wonder" is so powerful and timeless, it could easily have been written by Dylan or The Band on the grassy hills of Woodstock. That song is one of a number of tracks (along with the aptly titled "Beautiful" and the funky bridge of "So Far Away") that showcases the amazing skills of newest member, keyboardist Bob Packwood, whose bluesy-soulful ivory tickling enhances every track he appears on. Although the group's most famous hit to date, "Try" (from 1987's Outskirts), features Cuddy on vocals, Small Miracles' top moments consistently seem to come from the mouth of Keelor, whose deep emotions and complex songwriting tendencies make for far more memorable lyrics and melodies than Cuddy's lighter and fluffier fare. --Denise Sheppard --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Description
Small Miracles is the 11th studio album for the Canadian country-rock band in a career spanning nearly a quarter-century. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blue Rodeo Sharpens Their Knives & Aims for the Heart on Small Miracles, November 17, 2007

By	Peter Walenta "flying parsons" (Long Island, New York USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

With 10 albums (11 if you count their Greatest Hits) to their name, Canada's Blue Rodeo mines mostly familiar territory on "Small Miracles" (TeleSoul Records, total time 57:17) and the result is their most pleasantly cohesive record since 2000's "The Days in Between". Not that "Small Miracles" has the sustained and furious rock intensity of "The Days in Between", but it does capture the essence of the more moody pop tunes that made "The Days in Between" the first alt.county rock masterpiece of the 21st Century. An overstatement? No, not if you consider that "Days" was released the first week of January 2000 and went on to legendary status in Canada and in alt.country circles. Much time has elapsed since then and Blue Rodeo has gone through some interesting personnel changes. Present on the new record is former Freakwater and Wilco pedal steel guitar wizard, Bob Egan, and the jack of all styles keyboardist, Bob Packwood.

Blue Rodeo is a band that is so accomplished and beloved in Canada that they have nothing more to prove...oh, except that after 22 years they are still virtually unknown in the United States! It's America's loss because "Small Miracles" is a refreshingly good and stylistically diverse pop record that you really don't hear too often these days when so many newer bands vie for whatever niche market they feel they have to cater to. That one hears Beatles, Flying Burrito Brothers and Gordon Lightfoot influences on "Small Miracles" is nice, but what adds to the eclectic musical melange are the interesting pop twists like Odessa-era Bee Gees harmonies and melodies ("This Town") and the easy loping tempos of early 70's Canadian popsters Edward Bear ("Mystic River"). Cuddy and Keelor still handle all the vocals, with Cuddy's smooth soulful baritone trading off against Keelor's more rough hewn and introspective delivery. Highlights on "Small Miracles" include the rollicking country rocker, "Blue House", Cuddy's heartbreaking ballad, "3 Hours Away", and the full out rock anthem, "C'mon". These are most readily identifiable as Blue Rodeo songs. Where "Small Miracles" gets really interesting is with the more experimental songs, like Greg Keelor's weird yet fluid samba jazz lounge tune, "Together". "Black Ribbon" is a standout psychedelic country rocker with some Magical Mystery Tour distorted strings and a classic rock chorus thrown in for good measure. "Black Ribbon" is quite easily the best song on "Small Miracles", as Keelor continues a song writing resurgence that was very evident on his 2006 solo album, "Aphrodite Rose". Small Miracles is the sum of its' parts, well crafted pop and rock songs that taken as a whole create a dreamy and romantic mood that will warm you and your sweetie on those `cold December nights'.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of their best, December 16, 2008

By	Stewart Trickett - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I own most Blue Rodeo albums, and this is one of their best, second only perhaps to "Five Days in July". The songs are highly diverse - country, rock, jazz, waltz, you name it. I think their greatest strength is in country, and I wish they would dedicate an entire albume to this genre.

Half a dozen of these songs should be hits in both Canada and the U.S., but most won't cause it's Blue Rodeo, one of the most under-appreciated bands anywhere.

Love the album. Highly recommended.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More of the same., August 11, 2008

By	Brian Kious (Saint Charles, Missouri United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

So 5 songs into SMALL MIRACLES, I found myself thumbing through a magazine and writing a grocery list and not paying too much attention to what was being played on this album. Suddenly I remembered that I had just shelled out $14 for the new Blue Rodeo. Returning my attention to the album that was playing it dawned on me that SMALL MIRACLES was ARE YOU READY, PART II.... Not that it's a bad thing as ARE YOU READY was a great album. However, the drawback is that you can only write the same songs so many times. Greg Keelor isn't as guilty as he tends to mix it up sonically (check out his solo work!). There are some very nice songs on this album, but it's really difficult to select a standout as they all kind of meld together. It's difficult to really give an honest and descriptive review of this album because it IS more of the same. As the tracks go, Keelor offers up some fine tunes with "Blue House", "Black Ribbon", "So Far Away" and "Beautiful". Cuddy, while still riding the same subject matter as he's been since 1987, has some nice pieces also. Of note: "Mystic River" and "C'mon". All in all, if you have your choice between SMALL MIRACLES ans ARE YOU READY and you can only have one, either choice is a good choice, but you don't need both.