Static Journey Volume 3: Whale Music
February 17th, 2008 at 1:22 pm (Rheostatics)
For many Rheostatics fans Whale Music is the top album in their catalogue. For most it is probably in their top 3 (for many along with Melville and Introducing Happiness). Kind of their middle child in the Trifecta of Canadian music at its pinnacle. If you are reading this at all, then there is no need to explain what Whale Music is. I’m sure it is different for every fan. For me it was the first album of theirs I heard back in 1992. It didn’t sink in until years later after I had my live epiphany moment during Saskatchewan opening a show at The Horseshoe in 1997. I had seen them before this, but I’m sure every fan has their moment where you suddenly “get it”. From there, there is no turning back – you’re a lifer from that point on, regardless of the fact that the audience was always made up of mutant giants who seemed to congregate at their shows. I’m not kidding, I have never seen a band with more people over 6 1/2 feet tall! They all must be relatives of Don and Martin.
Anyway part 3 of 9 (which I could really make 10 parts at this point) is all about Whale Music. It is comprised of live shows from Fredericton NB to Victoria BC and includes demos, interviews, and Radio shows along the way. There are also a couple of album cuts. I’m sure not everyone will be happy with the studio cut of Self Serve Gas Station but for me it is a spectacular studio cut and sets the tone for the whole album.
Static Journey Volume 3: Whale Music
41. Whale Music Promo -1992
42. Self Serve Gas Station - Whale Music
43. California Dreamline - Guelph ON - Hillside 2003
43a. Rain, Rain, Rain - Toronto ON – Bathurst Street Theatre – November 14 1992
44. Queer Interview - Green Sprouts Tape #4 1994
45. Queer - Spiral Club - Guelph ON - The Spiral Club December 18 1997
46. First Rock Show - Guelph ON - The Spiral Club December 18 1997
47. Queer Reprise - Toronto ON - The Horseshoe Tavern March 29 2007
48. King Of The Past - Whale Music
49. RDA - Fredericton NB - April 8 2005
50. Blitzkrieg Bop - Fredericton NB - April 8 2005
51. Song Of The Garden - Fredericton NB - April 8 2005
52. RDA cont’d - Fredericton NB - April 8 2005
53. The Headless One - Greensprouts Demo
54. The Beat Interview - Greensprouts
55. Legal Age Life - Vancouver BC - The Media Club October 22 2004 - Night 4 of the West Coast Green Sprouts Tour
56. What’s Going On Around Here? - Greensprouts Demo
57. Shaved Head - Video Version
58. Whale Music Stage Banter - Victoria BC - Club Vertigo January 21 2000
59. Palomar - Victoria BC - Club Vertigo January 21 2000
60. Soul Glue - Whale Music
61. Beerbash - Greensprouts Meed Xmas Brown
62. Who? - Greensprouts Tape
63. Interview - CBC Brave New Waves - February 1987
64. Dope Fiends and Boozehounds - Toronto ON - The Horseshoe Tavern GSMW March 25 2000
In voting on the top 100 Canadian Albums for Bob Merserau’s book, I ranked Whale Music at number 1.
Here is the promo video for Shaved Head
Here is the promo for King Of The Past
Here is the band live at Much Music playing Soul Glue
Next Week Static Journey Volume 4: Whale Music OST and Greensprouttakes
Rob MacIsaac said,
February 19, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Wow … this project is friggin’ amazing. Thanks for sharing the fruits of your labour … I know these albums pretty much note for note, and you’ve recast them, reshaped them, represented them in a way that’s really well-considered and broadly representative of the Rheos experience … a mix of live and studio and interview and whatever else is out there … truly, a cornucopia over filled with good things.
I eagerly await the last six volumes!
Alex Sahounov said,
February 23, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Wow, this is an amazing project. Keep up the exceptional work!
» New Rheostatics Material Heroes in Rehab: the blog: Trying to measure a moment. said,
February 24, 2008 at 3:55 pm
[...] (he’s up to Disc 4 of a 9 CD set) here. Volumes 1, 2 and 3 can be found here, here and here. The price is certainly within the range of affordability - all downloads are free of [...]
admin said,
February 26, 2008 at 11:50 am
OK here is Rain, Rain, Rain by popular demand - song 43a - download it at http://www.thecanadianmusicforum.com/Blogsongs/43a-RainRainRain.zip
It has also been added to the completed download.
Bruce said,
June 25, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I’m from Texas… and THIS cd was the first one I found from the band. I had a late night music show on the public radio station KPFT 90.1 FM in Houston. I would play a cut from this recording EVERY week. I know I played the entire thing at least a few times. This recording along with Introducing Happiness are my favorite Rheo recordings. …Something is about to happen , the leaves are still, two shores away, a man hammering in the sky…