Barenaked Ladies Gordon CD

Barenaked Ladies: Ed Robertson (vocals, guitar, banjo); Steven Page (vocals, guitar); Jim Creeggan (vocals, acoustic bass); Tyler Stewart (vocals, drums); Andy Creeggan (vocals, congas).
Personnel: Ed Robertson (vocals, guitar, synthesizer, cowbells, shaker, sound effects); Steven Page (vocals, guitar, synthesizer, shaker, sound effects); Martin Tielli (vocals, guitar); Lewis Melville (vocals, steel guitar); Dave Allen (vocals, fiddle); Bob Wiseman (vocals, accordion); Gene Hardy (vocals, tenor saxophone); Andy Creeggan (vocals, piano, organ, congas, claves, cuica, finger cymbals, guiro, shaker, tambourine, triangle, sound effects); Chris Brown (vocals, organ); Michael Phillip Wojewoda (vocals, keyboards, keyboard bass, shaker, tambourine, sound effects); Jim Creeggan (vocals, double bass, shaker, sound effects); Tyler Stewart (vocals, drums, shaker, sound effects); Naida Creeggan, Sally Lee, Keith Nakonechy, Dave Clark , Steve Pitkin, Tim Vesley, Jason Walton Plumb, Wayne Stokes, David Matheson, Tannis Slimmon, Gregor Beresford, Kate Fenner, Jian Ghomeshi, Matt DeMatteo, Meryn Cadell, Mike Ford, Murray Foster, Jason Mercer, Arlene Bishop, Blair Packham, Mike Barber (vocals); Tim Wilson (bagpipe); Nic Gotham (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Tom Walsh (trombone).
Audio Remixer: Michael Phillip Wojewoda.
Recording information: Chalet Studio, Claremont, Ontario, Canada; Le Studio Morin Heights, Quebec, Canada; Reaction Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Ed Robertson; Tim Vessely; Gene Hardy; Dave Clark ; Lewis Melville; Dave Allen ; Andy Creeggan; David Matheson; Tannis Slimmon; Jian Ghomeshi; Jim Creeggan; Martin Tielli; Matt DeMatteo; Meryn Cadell; Mike Ford; Murray Foster; Tyler Stewart; Steven Page; Bob Wiseman; Mike Barber.
Gordon picks up where the Barenaked Ladies' famous demo "The Yellow Tape" left off and moves them into majors. Their first for Reprise, this witty songbook finds the Canadian five-piece to be a clever group -- charming, but not childish, yet the Barenaked Ladies are pretty close to overstepping the boundaries of silliness. The thing that keeps them in line is their sharp harmonies. Shared vocals between guitarist Ed Robertson and Steven Page are refreshing and upbeat, especially on reworked versions of "Brian Wilson," "Be My Yoko Ono," and the eternal favorite "If I Had a $1000000 Dollars." "Hello City" and "Box Set" are slick narratives, making for album standouts with its jazz-cool blend. Other shiny moments, such as "Enid" and "Grade 9," are humorous in reflecting upon adolescence, while "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" showcases the Barenaked Ladies' more romantic side. Through all the jokes, these guys are a bunch of suckers for love and such sensitivity is a great match for their quirky musical persona. Gordon is a great introduction to the Barenaked Ladies' sweet comic relief and it's sure to be a college rock mainstay. ~ MacKenzie Wilson
Released at the height of the grunge era, this Canadian group's debut was unlike any other album issued in 1992. While the Barenaked Ladies' cheerful pop tends to focus on exhuberant melody, they rock harder than you would expect for a band whose sound relies so heavily of intricate vocal interplay, snapping acoustic bass and fluid acoustic piano work. Though the band has since released several very successful albums, GORDON remains the definitive Barenaked Ladies disc.
Many of their best-known songs are here: including "Be My Yoko Ono," a good natured tribute to John Lennon's often misunderstood wife, a poignant reflection on the mental illness of the Beach Boy legend called "Brian Wilson" and "If I Had A Million dollars," a fun-filled song that still inspires fans to hurl macaroni and cheese at the band every time the song is performed in concert. Although the Ladies have since tried to tone down the humorous content of their music, the band has yet to surpass GORDON's perfect blend of first-class musicianship, exceQ (11/92, p.99) - 3 Stars - Good - "..[Barenaked Ladies have] a precocious familiarity with sundry pop styles, a reliable ear for a hook and an enviable grasp of harmony.."
Reflex (12/15/92, p.68) - "..packed with peppy pop tunes that your standard Brit-o-phile is gonna dig.."