Barenaked Ladies Rock Spectacle CD

ROCK SPECTACLE is an Enhanced CD containing both computer files and a full audio program.
Barenaked Ladies: Steven Page (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars); Ed Robertson (acoustic & electric guitars, vocals); Kevin Hearn (keyboards, accordion, vocals, electric guitar); Jim Creeggan (acoustic bass, bass, vocals); Tyler Stewart (drums, vocals).
Multimedia producer: Nettmedia.
Recorded live at the Riviera, Chicago, Illinois and at the Olympia, Montreal, Canada in Spring 1996.
This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
Personnel: Ed Robertson, Steven Page (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Kevin Hearn (vocals, electric guitar, accordion, keyboards); Jim Creeggan (vocals, double bass, bass guitar); Tyler Stewart (vocals, drums).
Recording information: Olympia, Montreal, Canada (1996); Rivera, Chicago, IL (1996).
Photographer: Neil Prime.
Unknown Contributor Role: Bernoit Baruvin.
As if to acknowledge that Barenaked Ladies' third album, 1996's Born on a Pirate Ship, was a blunder that wouldn't do much to advance the Canadian group's U.S. image, Reprise Records quickly followed it up with the live set Rock Spectacle. This was a wise move, as years of nearly nonstop touring had helped the group transform from a jokey folk-rock group into a talented pop group with both musical chops and stage presence to burn. Though the album doesn't include much of what makes Barenaked Ladies such a unique live act, singer-guitarists Steven Page and Ed Robertson are masters of improvisational humor, and a good chunk of any Barenaked Ladies show is given to often hilarious extemporaneous bits -- it certainly makes the point that the group is an underrated source of pure pop delights. This album's superior live take of 1992's "Brian Wilson" became Barenaked Ladies' first U.S. radio hit, setting the stage for the across-the-board success of 1998's excellent Stunt. ~ Stewart Mason
Recorded live in Chicago and Montreal, ROCK SPECTACLE captures the infectious, spontaneous energy of a Barenaked Ladies concert. Known as much for their wild shows as for their bright, lively pop music, the Ladies know what the people want. The show allows for plenty of audience participation. "Brian Wilson," for example, features a sing-along cast of thousands, as does the grandiose-but-tender "What A Good Boy." Buoyant acoustic guitars, perfect harmonies and an inspiringly tight rhythm section power through the Barenaked Ladies catalog of friendly, collegiate tunes, from slow, earnest numbers such as "Break Your Heart" to harder-edged cuts like the nostalgic "The Old Apartment." Throughout ROCK SPECTACLE, undertones of ominous, chaotic accordion and keyboards sometimes pull the music in unexpected directions, adding yet another enthralling element to the Barenaked Ladies' winning combination of energy, emotion and intelligence.