Afterglow34's Full Review: Maroon by Barenaked Ladies
In these days, I find myself unable to stomach most of the drivel on commercial radio. Like our little pink friend, the Energizer bunny, the "tunes" (qualifying as such because most of them ARE actually in tune) just seem to keep going and going and going... But then a song like "Pinch Me" emerges from the slop; simple, understated, and yet meaningful, I can do nothing but kick back and appreciate the pop institution that is Barenaked Ladies. But yet, the song seems out of place...that is, until you hear Maroon.
After Barenaked Ladies returned in the summer of 1997 from almost two years straight of touring, they were sniffing the success south of the border that had always eluded them. But the one thing that Steve Page, co-founder of the Ladies, realized was that he hadn't written any new songs. So Steve and Ed Robertson, the Ladies other co-founder, locked themselves away for almost a month and a half just to write songs. The last song written for the album was written completely by Ed; based on their tour experience, it was a result of a three-minute whirlwind of thoughts in which Ed hammered out the lines that put them over the top. The name of that particular song was "One Week," and it was just dessert for the Ladies that a three-minute brainstorm gave them the break that they needed in the Land of Opportunity. After Stunt proceeded to go quadruple platinum in the U.S., fans were left hungry for more. The first single to come off of Maroon, "Pinch Me," was just the appetizer; the album itself serves as more than enough of an answer to that hunger.
Now that I've danced around the album I'm supposed to review, here goes nothing. Maroon is a well-crafted, musically strong, lyrically rich delight, for anyone that appreciates good music with some lyrical punch. It has been all but glued to the inside of my CD player since I purchased it. Of course, that wouldn't be too good, but that's besides the point...
Maroon's opener, "Too Little Too Late," is a rousing but humble rocker, saying "I could be good - and I would - If I knew I was understood," indicative, to me, at least, of the Ladies acknowledging their breakthrough success in America. "Never Do Anything" sounds a great deal like Ed's "Never Is Enough" On Stunt, with a different message however. "Pinch Me," the first single, is a simple tale of mediocrity and how it plagues many of us; its lazy, timed drum beats evoke somewhat of a simple front, but if one reads into it, one knows its true meaning. One of my favorite tracks on the album, "Falling For the First Time," is a speedy, piano-backed number; it speaks of how our image-crazed society forgets what really makes a person. "I'm so cool - too bad I'm a loser..."
The second half of the album does well in keeping up with our expectations after the first. It features possibly the only misstep on the album, "Sell Sell Sell;" but even so, I find it to be indicative of the Ladies music, because I realize that it sounds misplaced on the album, but, based on its lyrics, it still outdistances most songs out there anyway. The strong tunes keep flowing, "Humour of the Situation," "Baby Seat," "Off The Hook," and "Helicopters" being more prime examples of significant lyrics being hidden behind catchy fronts. And the hidden track on the L.E., "Hidden Sun," is keyboardist/versatile dude Kevin Hearn's first solo track with the Ladies; it almost brought me to tears the first time I heard it. A solemn, moving tale of his thoughts during his battle with Leukemia, it is a fitting closer for the Ladies' most introspective work to date.
In early 1996, the Barenaked Ladies nearly broke up as a result of dissension and turmoil within the band; they were further apart than they had ever been since they formed in 1990. But, much to our delight, and theirs I'm sure, they pulled themselves together, and let the whole world know what the Barenaked Ladies are all about. Maroon only further engrains what I already know; behind that geeky, comedic front are five of the most talented guys I've ever heard in my life.
Luke's Meteorological Music Mood Meter for Maroon: Some lazy, partly sunny Thursday afternoon. Gives you enough time to rethink your plans for the weekend.
1998 s quadruple-platinum smash Stunt catapulted Barenaked Ladies from alternative favorite to major pop stardom. The colorful Maroon, produced by Don...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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