Northern Wish

So after 197 tracks over 11 hours and 41 minutes of Rheostatistory where do we find ourselves? Well in 2067 of course. The final stop on a journey which began Dave and Tim deciding on the name Rheostatics in Chemistry class at Kipling Collegiate. I have read that the band decided prior to making this record that they really wanted to go all out and make a record they felt had as much impact and importance as anything they had done previously. It is a funny thing. Many albums which bands make late in their careers that are as definitive as those from the earlier parts of their career always seem to take longer to reach the same heights in the eyes of longtime fans. 2067 is such a record. In hindsight it is a perfect bookend to the band’s recorded output.

It is an album that is as strong in songwriting, playing and production as any album the band produced; one which saw each band member bringing their very best to the table. Dave with Little Bird, Little Bird and Try To Praise This Mutilated World, Martin with Shack In The Cornfields and The Latest Attempt On Your Life. Tim in particular brought some of the strongest songs of his career to the album with Marginalized, Here Comes The Image and Making Progress. It has humour and seriousness in equal measures – for every Latest Attempt On Your Life is a Shack In The Cornfields, for every Ozzy Ozbourne is a Mutilated World, for every Making Progress a Tarlek. Fittingly the album ends with the real career bookend. Where their first really serious album – Melville – began with Record Body Count (not to minimalize Greatest Hits but it is not in the same league as their subsequent albums) – their final album ends with a techno version of the same song. A futuristic, 2067 version of itself.
Here is the original tracklisting for the album prior to it’s release:

Try to Praise this Mutilated World
The Tarleks
Cornfields
The Precious Art
Polar Bears and Trees
Marginalized
Making Progress
Little Bird, Little Bird
Monkeys, Will Come
I Dig Music
Power Ballad for Ozzie Osbourne
Who Is this Man, and Why Is He Laughing?
Hands Off Our Schools
Here Come the Images

The band toured the country a few times after its release and then as chronicled in Dave’s book Around The World In 571/2 Gigs (much like the first breakup was chronicled in On A Cold Road), Tim decided to leave the band. They toyed with the idea of continuing and then a few weeks later Michael Phillip Wojewoda followed suit.

The final show (and events surrounding it which are all archived on my goodgonedead.rheostaticslive.com site) was planned for Friday March 30 2007 at Massey Hall in Toronto. Word started to get out that this might be the last Rheostatics show – The Last Whale as it came to be known to some. By the day of the show, it was a sold out affair filled with many Rheostatic lifer fans, some casual fans and many more lamenting the fact that they were missing it from their corner of the world. From Florida to Victoria and from San Diego to St.John’s the Greensprouts traveled to Shuter Street for one last final bittersweet night. I won’t try to explain what it was exactly because I’m sure it was different for every person who was there. For the devout, however it was the end of something wonderful that most will never likely experience again in their life. The most poignant part of the show, however was the final song. Moving down into the audience as they had done at a hundred other club shows at 3 in the morning, with only a vocal mic and an acoustic guitar the band played Record Body Count for the last time. The audience sang along, many crying as they sang. And a group of unnamed fans created a human pyramid behind the band while they were playing. It really, truly encapsulated in those few minutes what the band were all about. The live connection with the audience. The humour. And everyone feeling like they were witness to something really special that can’t quite be articulated but the feeling would be engrained in them forever. I’m glad I had the privilege of being one of their fans and that I didn’t have my moment of Rheostatics clarity on March 31 2007 or any day thereafter.

They weren’t Good – They were the best.
They aren’t Gone – They are eternal.
They aren’t Dead – They’ve just gone to seed.

In the words of Haddon Strong - “Well, if you don’t break up, then you can’t have a reunion, right?”

Static Journey Volume 9: 2067, Covers and The Last Whale

197. Canada Day Chat - The Horseshoe Tavern Toronto ON – March 25 2000
198. Monkeys Will Come - Toronto Harbourfront Stage – July 1 2000
199. Hands Off Our Schools - 2067 Outtake
200. Stage Banter - The Horseshoe Tavern Toronto ON – November 29 2007
201. Shack In The Cornfields - Upstairs Cabaret Victoria BC – October 26 2004
202. Little Bird, Little Bird - 2067 GSMW Toronto ON – November 8 2001
203. Marginalized - Sugar Victoria BC – November 17 2005
204. Banter Modern Life - The Casbah Hamilton ON – November 12 2005
205. The Tarleks - The Casbah Hamilton ON – November 12 2005
206. I Dig Music - Halifax NS – August 27 2004
207. Power Ballad For Ozzy Ozbourne - The Casbah Hamilton ON – November 12 2005
208. Crazy Talk - The Media Club Vancouver BC – October 22 2004
209. Here Comes The Image - Sugar Victoria BC – November 17 2005
210. Who Is This Man And Why Is He Laughing? - The Horseshoe Tavern Toronto ON GSMW – December 10 2005
211. The Latest Attempt On Your Life - 2067
212. Polar Bears And Trees - The Media Club Vancouver BC – October 21 2004
213. Making Progress - Massey Hall Toronto ON – March 30 2007
214. Try To Praise This Mutilated World - 2067
215. Banter Dancers - The Horseshoe Tavern Toronto ON – November 29 2007
216. Pornography - Boo Radley’s Guelph ON – December 3 1999
217. The List - Boo Radley’s Guelph ON – December 3 1999
218. Last Good Cigarette - Sugar Victoria BC – November 17 2005
219. Radiosonic Interview - Radiosonic In Session
220. Bud The Spud - Club Vertigo Victoria BC – January 21 2000
221. Paul Myers talk - The Media Club Vancouver BC – October 22 2004
222. Radios In Motion - The Media Club Vancouver BC – October 22 2004
223. Sting Sucks talk - The Media Club Vancouver BC – October 22 2004
224. London Calling Reward - The Media Club Vancouver BC – October 22 2004
225. Time Fades Away - Club Vertigo Victoria BC – January 21 2000
226. Life During Wartime - The Media Club Vancouver BC – October 21 2004
227. Takin’ Care Of Business / My Generation - The Media Club Vancouver BC – October 21 2004
228. Stage Banter - Massey Hall Toronto ON – March 30 2007
229. Record Body Count - Massey Hall Toronto ON – March 30 2007
230. Applause - Massey Hall Toronto ON – March 30 2007
231. Don’t Say Goodnight - Hamilton ON – February 21 2001

Download Volume 9
Running time 2:07:25

Thanks again to Noah Campbell for his assistance in refining this volume.

Here is the Video for The Tarleks:

Here is a live video of Power Ballad For Ozzy Ozbourne:

Here is is a live version of Making Progress from Massey Hall:

Here is a live version of Record Body Count from Massey Hall:

Here is another live version of Record Body Count from Massey Hall – Great angle – last word is missing:

Also I put together a giant video montage from the final show. The original post for it is at my GoodGoneDead site. It is 1 hour and 16 minutes long and is about 570MB in size. It can be downloaded directly from this link as well - http://www.goodgonedead.rheostaticslive.com/Video/Rheos-vid.mov

Hope you all enjoyed this project as much as I enjoyed making it.
Leave comments. They prove you were here!

So with 4 left turns we end up at The Night Of The Shooting Stars, the most straightforward album in the entire Rheostatics catalogue. It was in some ways a reaction to the complexity of putting together Harmelodia which took several years to complete. Ironically that album itself was a reaction to the rock showcase of touring with The Tragically Hip which is detailed in Dave’s excellent book On A Cold Road.

The band initially started working with Ian Blurton, formerly of Change Of Heart and Blurtonia, to try to get a straight up rock album sound. After a few weeks of working together the two parties returned to their respective benches. Alun Piggins and Michael Phillip Wojewoda took over and aided in helping the band achieve the sound they were looking for but hadn’t yet achieved with the recordings they had done.

Many of these songs had been played live for several years during the recording and promotion of the Harmelodia album. The album included a rocked up version of Song Of The Garden which originally appeared as the final song on the previous album as well as a new version of Junction Foil Ball which saw first light on The Nightlines Sessions. It also contained one of Martin’s most simple and accessible songs, PIN, which was criminally ignored by radio. The video for the song was an amazing XTC/Beatles technicolour wonder. Mumbletypeg and The Fire are other standout tracks from the album.

This volume features a few live curios including the all acoustic take on Song Of The Garden from the Vickie Gabereau show, a Canada Day version of We Went West with extra verses that would not make the final album, and a somewhat rare live airing of Remain Calm.

In the words of Dave Bidini from a 2001 NOW magazine interview “I think you have to have a record where you throw together a group of songs every now and then. If only so that it will lead you to more complicated or challenging places.
“In a way, this record being a bit more straight-ahead might be a bridge to doing something wilder than Harmelodia.”
Those words would prove to be prophetic with the release of their final studio album 3 years later. In hindsight NOTSS kind of straddles the “simplicity” of Harmelodia and the more diverse aspects of 2067. That being said, however, it could never reach completely normal territory with lines such as “I chipped my eyetooth on the back of a urinal” and “there’s a Lenny in my Kravitz that must be removed”.
This would also turn out to be the final album with Don Kerr who had joined after the departure of Dave Clark following the Introducing Happiness disc. The version of The Fire from The Commodore Ballroom show is a curious foreshaddowing of events which saw both Don and Michael Phillip Wojewoda playing double drums when their schedules happened to cross in Vancouver. Michael had previously played with the band the month before, adding keyboards and effects to their Canada Day 2000 show at The Toronto Harbourfront outdoor stage.
Here is a review from Chart Magazine documenting Don’s final show at Ted’s Wrecking Yard on May 30 2001, nine months after that show.

Static Journey Volume 8: Night Of The Shooting Stars

179. Radiosonic Interview - Radiosonic In Session – November 18 2000
180. CCYPA - Toronto Harbourfront Stage – July 1 2000
181. Song Of The Garden - Vickie Gabereau show – November 18 2000
182. Mumbletypeg - The Horseshoe Tavern GSMW Toronto ON – November 8 2001
183. P.I.N. - Night Of The Shooting Stars
184. Super Difficult - The Horseshoe Tavern GSMW Toronto ON – November 8 2001
185. Banter JFB - Mrs.Robinson’s Kitchener ON – December 20 1997
186. Junction Foil Ball Club Vertigo Victoria BC – January 21 2000
187. GO7 Interview - CBC The National
188. We Went West - Toronto Harbourfront Stage – July 1 2000
189. The Fire - The Commodore Ballroom Vancouver BC – August 17 2000
190. In It Now - Centennial Square Victoria BC – July 18 2001
191. Here To There To You - The Horseshoe Tavern GSMW Toronto ON – November 8 2001
192. The Reward - Boo Radley’s Guelph ON – December 3 1999
193. Radiosonic Interview - Radiosonic In Session – November 18 2000
194. Remain Calm - Centennial Square Victoria BC – July 18 2001
195. Intro To Satan - Call The Office London ON – November 8 2000
196. Satan Is The Whistler - The Horseshoe Tavern GSMW Toronto ON – November 8 2001

Download Volume 8
Running time 1:05:44

Thanks again to Noah Campbell for his assistance in refining this volume.

Here is a the Video for PIN:

Here is the Making of PIN video:

Here is is a live version of PIN from Massey Hall:

Here is a live version of Song Of The Garden:

Next Week - Static Journey Volume 9: 2067, Covers and The Last Whale

Following the two earlier left turns of the Whale Music OST and Music Inspired by The Group of Seven, we arrive at 1997. This set starts off with a Green Xmas which was retooled as The Music Room for The Story of Harmelodia. This is followed by a nod to the Double Live album with a short interview clip and Good Canadian which appeared on the album. It is followed by Record Body Count which is what actually followed it at The Bathurst Street Theatre show. I have included it here as it is the slowed down version which the band played for a few years around this time. Double Live is considered by many (myself included) to be one of the best live albums by any band. I voted it number 3 in my all time Canadian Albums for Bob Mersereau’s Top 100 Canadian Albums book.

Next up is left turn number 3 after Whale Music OST and Music Inspired By The Group of Seven. The Nightlines Session was actually the final Nightlines session and was recorded the night that Princess Diana died. It is a strange assortment of bizarre songs which I can’t really explain. If you ever saw the band open up for themselves at one of the Green Sprout Music Week shows – dressed up like wizards and other crazy characters playing crazy songs – it is kind of like the soundtrack to one of those shows. It starts with This Is Nightlines which features Dave spewing out the obscenities. There are 3 live songs from the album. The gem of the album is Stolen Car. It would become one of the band’s most popular live songs. I have put it at the end as it was often a set closer. Majorca was played quite a bit during this time but seldom after. The Pooby Song, I have never heard live apart from the version included here. Frank from the album is also included as it leads thematically into Harmelodia. If you never noticed, the bridge of the song was reworked into I Am Drumstein. I’m not sure if Baby, I Love You is serious or not but there is an element to it which makes it quite a nice song, while from a different perspective it could by totally corny. Finally is Bees which is a Harmelodia song that didn’t make the album.

The Story Of Harmelodia was created as a reaction to the big rock shows the band were playing, opening up for The Tragically Hip on the Canadian Trouble At The Henhouse Tour in 1996. The Rheos were supporting The Blue Hysteria and they would release Double Live after this tour.

I have bookended Harmelodia with live versions of The Harmelodian Anthem and Song Of The Garden from the band’s performance with the Centennial Secondary School Choir/Band. The Harmelodian Anthem I don’t think I ever heard played live and Song Of The Garden, never using the album arrangement. I think it is important to note that at the request of Dave Reed, the teacher from the school who was putting together a stage production of the album, that the band went to the school and played a full show with the performers. The full show can be heard here. It speaks volumes of the bands ethos.

They really were the most approachable group of professional musicians I have ever met. Often they could be found wandering in the crowd before shows, they would invite people up on stage during shows (as can be heard on the version of Home Again included here with Julia Pietrus who I believe was also the girl who would always show up to shows with a stuffed, mounted chicken) and play from the audience at the end. It always seemed that the audience, for the band, was as important to the performance as the band were. That in itself is a big part of why they were loved by so many. When you went to a Rheos show you were a participant, not just an observer. You felt like you were at an event, not just a rock show. They were masters of breaking through the fourth wall.

Apart from the live versions of the album cuts, there are also a few Harmelodia demos provided by Rob Pingle, including the Drumstein Speaks track which was cut from the final album.

Lastly, there are three criminal aspects to The Story Of Harmelodia. First is the fact that the album was not nominated for Best Children’s Album at the 2001 Juno Awards. Second is that the album lost the Juno for Best Album Design to The Tea Party’s Tangents album. The artwork/presentation of the album is one of the best I have ever seen for any album with its painted book format. The third most criminal aspect of the album is that as of right now it is not available for purchase – it is $99.57 from Amazon.com …. Used!

This fourth “left turn” for the band would lead them back into rock ‘n’ roll territory with their next album Night Of The Shooting Stars.

Static Journey Volume 7: One Night Only, Nightlines and The Stories Of Harmelodia

149. Green XMas - Greensprouts Meet Delilah
150. CFNY Intro - Edge 102 Double Live Launch Interview with Dave Bookman
151. Good Canadian/Record Body Count - Bathurst Street Theatre Toronto ON – April 5 1997
152. This Is Nightlines - The Nightlines Session
153. The Pooby Song - The Icehouse Victoria BC – July 18 2001
154. Frank - The Nightlines Session
155. Majorca - Club Vertigo Victoria BC – January 22 2000
156. Baby, I Love You - The Nightlines Session
157. Bees - The Music Hall Toronto ON – May 2 1998
158. Edge 102 Interview - Harmelodia Launch Interview with George Strombolopolis
159. The Harmelodia Anthem - Centennial Secondary School – November 30 2000
160. I Fab Thee Intro - Ted’s Wrecking Yard GSMW Toronto ON – March 25 2000
161. I Fab Thee - Club Vertigo Victoria BC – January 22 2000
162. Easy To Be With You Radiosonic In Session – November 18 2000
163. Monkeybird - Ted’s Wrecking Yard GSMW Toronto ON – March 25 2000
164. Radiosonic Interview - Radiosonic In Session – November 18 2000
165. Invisible Stairs - Boo Radley’s Guelph ON – December 3 1999
166. I Am Drumstein - Call The Office London ON – November 8 2000
167. Drumstein Speaks - Harmelodia Demo
168. The Music Room - Harmelodia Demo
169. Edge 102 Interview - Harmelodia Launch Interview with George Strombolopolis
170. Wingophone - Ted’s Wrecking Yard GSMW Toronto ON – March 25 2000
171. The Sky Dreamed - Club Vertigo Victoria BC – January 22 2000
172. Loving Arms - The Horseshoe Tavern GSMW Toronto ON – November 8 2001
173. The Bee Sky Opus In Magenta - The Story Of Harmelodia
174. Father’s Sad Song - Harmelodia Demo
175. Home Again (w/ Julia Pietrus) - Ted’s Wrecking Yard GSMW Toronto ON – March 25 2000
176. Song Of The Garden - Centennial Secondary School – November 30 2000
177. Edge 102 Interview - Harmelodia Launch Interview with George Strombolopolis
178. Stolen Car - Ted’s Wrecking Yard GSMW Toronto ON – March 25 2000

Download Volume 7
Running time 1:37:32

Thanks again to Noah Campbell for critical evaluation.

Here is a live version of Song Of The Garden:

Here is is a live version of Easy To Be With You:

Here is the video for Stolen Car:

Here is a live version of Stolen Car:

Here is another live version of Stolen Car:

Next Week - Static Journey Volume 8: Night Of The Shooting Stars

The Sevens. There are two of them here. Perhaps this should be two volumes but the title works so one volume it is. It is 2 and a quarter hours long, though.

The first is the Group of Seven. While the first three studio albums (Whale Music OST excluded here), solidified the band’s status as harbourers of the Canadian experience, it was The Music Inspired by The Group Of Seven which put the nail in the beaver dam. In 1995 the band was commissioned by The National Gallery in Ottawa to create music to accompany the Group Of Seven exhibit celebrating the 75th anniversary of the GO7. The band, in their own unique way managed to fashion an album seeped in Maple Syrup, from the clanging Railway sounds of Weiners and Beans to the cool cello of the revamped Northern Wish. This was the first album to feature Don Kerr on Drums, replacing Dave Clark earlier that year. It really is an amazing musical suite. Due to the fantastic recordings of the National Gallery performance and Radiosonic in Session, I have used mainly selections from those shows. The exception is Yellow Days from Calling Out The Chords which is for Noah Campbell who also helped with critical evaluation of this volume.

The second Seven refers to The Blue Hysteria which was the band’s 7th album. It is an album which divides some fans. Some have criticized it for its production and sometimes for not being quite the album that Melville, Whale Music and Introducing Happiness were. Whatever your opinion, I defy 99% of any musician to come up with an album even close to The Blue Hysteria. Fat, Sweet Rich Beautiful Mine, All The Same Eyes, Bad Time To Be Poor, Feed Yourself, A Midwinter Night’s Dream. Every one is better than any song I’ll ever write. I remember talking with Gord Downie at one of the post Harmelodia Green Sprouts Music Week shows at Ted’s Wrecking Yard on College Street in about 2001. He was blown away by that anyone could write a song like Four Little Songs. I gave him my band’s CD. I doubt he listened to it.

Also included in this edition are Secret Red Canoe from the Truck Songs compilation and a live version of Bread, Meat, Peas and Rice which was written around this time (according to Dave). They provide a nice transition from GO7 to The Blue Hysteria. There are some fantastic live versions of epics like Fat, SWBM, Four Little Songs, A Midwinter Nights Dream, and First Rock Show as well as some seldom played selections such as An Offer, The Idiot and Connecting Flights. I must say, on a personal note that when I think of Rheos live, the first song that comes into my head is Fat opening the show at The Horseshoe Tavern in Feb 2001 with Don on drums. Must have been something in the beer.

Here is an extra special treat courtesy of Noah (who I believe got it from the infamous Mayor Perry). A 2.5 hour live video from The Horseshoe Tavern - February 16 2001. I was at the show and it was filmed for a webcast. It is well shot, multi angle and sounds great. It is, however, only in Real Media format. I’ve tried to convert it to other formats but without success, to date. Download the video here or your can just try to load it directly by clicking here. If you can help with the conversion to other formats let me know at info@rheostaticslive.com

Static Journey Volume 6: The Sevens

119. Group Of Seven Interview1 - CBC Video
120. Kevin’s Waltz - The National Gallery Ottawa ON - Group Of Seven Live
121. Earth - The National Gallery Ottawa ON - Group Of Seven Live
122. Weiners and Beans part 1 - The National Gallery Ottawa ON - Group Of Seven Live
123. Weiners and Beans part 2 - Radiosonic In Session – November 18 2000
124. Blue Hysteria - Radiosonic In Session – November 18 2000
125. Cello For A Winter’s Day - The National Gallery Ottawa ON - Group Of Seven Live
126. Snow - The National Gallery Ottawa ON - Group Of Seven Live
127. Northern Wish - The National Gallery Ottawa ON - Group Of Seven Live
128. Biplanes And Bombs - The National Gallery Ottawa ON - Group Of Seven Live
129. Lightning - The National Gallery Ottawa ON - Group Of Seven Live
130. Yellow Days Under A Lemon Sun - The Horseshoe Tavern 2004 – Calling Out The Chords Volume 1
131. Group Of Seven Interview 2 - CBC Video
132. Secret Red Canoe - Truck Songs Volume 1
133. Bread, Meat, Peas and Rice - Vertigo Victoria BC – January 22 2000
134. All The Same Eyes - The Music Hall Toronto ON – May 2 1998
135. Motorino - Barrymore’s Ottawa ON – January 17 1997
136. Fat - Barrymore’s Ottawa ON – May 23 1996
137. Banter – Alan Thicke - Mrs.Robinson’s Kitchener ON – December 20 1997
138. Bad Time To Be Poor - Massey Hall Toronto ON – March 30 2007
139. Sweet, Rich, Beautiful, Mine (with Tamara Williamson) - Ted’s Wrecking Yard GSMW Toronto ON – March 25 2000
140. Four Little Songs - Ted’s Wrecking Yard GSMW Toronto ON – March 25 2000
141. An Offer - Bathurst Street Theatre Toronto ON – April 4 1997
142. Banter – Song Requests - Spiral Club Guelph ON – December 18 1997
143. The Idiot - The Horseshoe Tavern Toronto ON – February 16 2001
144. Connecting Flights - Barrymore’s Ottawa ON – May 23 1996
145. Feed Yourself - Call The Office London ON – November 8 2000
146. The “You Are Very Star” Journey - The Blue Hysteria
147. A Midwinter Nights Dream - Ted’s Wrecking Yard GSMW Toronto ON – March 25 2000
148. First Rock Show - Ted’s Wrecking Yard GSMW Toronto ON – March 25 2000

Download Volume 6
Running time 2:14:41

Here is the a CBC The National documentary on the Rheos work on the Group Of Seven project:

Here is the a Radiosonic In Session version of Weiners And Beans:

Here is the a Radiosonic In Session version of Martin’s Waltz:

Here is a Live Clip of Bread, Meat, Peas and Rice from The Horseshoe Tavern

Here is the video for All The Same Eyes:

Here is the video for Bad Time To Be Poor

Here is a live version of Four Little Songs

Here is an E! Now interview with Liz West from 1997

Next Week - Static Journey Volume 7: The Stories Of Harmelodia