26 — Friday, June 25, 1999 — North Shore News CANADA DAY SOUNDTRACK Got live, if you want it Bob Mackin News Reporter CANADA. The true north, strong and free. And home of some of the best five acts in papular music. There's no better time of vear to salute vour favourite Cantick miusic-maker than on Canada Dav. If vou're Jooking for the ideal soundtrack to your holiday barbecue on Thursday, may we suguest the following recorded versions of live concerts released this decade: & Blue Rodeo — Just Like A Vacation (Warner, 1999, 2 CDs) Fans of the rockin’ country and jazzy folk combo from ‘Foronto must be jubilant that Jini Cuddy and Greg Keelor final ly paused to release a live album. Recorded over 60 shows dur- ing a 1997-98 tour, it’s largely the reason whe the band is lead- ing the Stardust Picnic fesiwal across Canada isce story on parte 24). Itwould’ve been a better package had it been a true career retrospective with highlights of carly concerts when wild man Bob Wiseman tickled the kevs. § Leonard Cohen — Cohen Live (Columbia, 1994) Tf anyone deserves the double dise reatment, it’s the con- summiate ladies’ man, But the humble Judeo- Buddhist baritone poet setded for one, which includes eight tracks from 1993 and five from 1988. Cofen Lire concludes with a rendition of “Suzanne” from a show at the Orpheum Theatre. Sadk, none of Cohen's entertaining between-song, banter was included. It could occupy an album on its own! @ Cowboy Junkies — 200 More Miles: Live Performances 1985-1994 (BMG,1995, 2 CDs) The title isn’t “metrically” correct, but who cares? Margo Timmins’ haunting voice will seduce you, though 200 More Miles also empha- sizes the gentle bass and guitar of Alan Anton and Michael Timmins, respectively. Sound quali- ty varies with age of live tape and venue. Contains a hilarious intro to “Cause Cheap Is How I Feel” with Margo Timmins telling a Denver crowd about a pre- ee pigeon “bomb” in a “Mile High Ci & D.0.A. — Talk Minus Action ‘Equals 2 Z¢TO (Restless Records, 1991) Taped December 1989 at Club Soda (now the Starfish Room), but not released until 1991]. D.O.A.’s one and only live album of its 2 f-year career is a rare made-in- Vancouver concert record. It features whar may be D.O.A.’s best lineup with Brian “Wimpy Rov” Goble (bass), Jon Card (drums) and Chis Prohom (guitar) backing Jocy “Shithead” Keithley on classics like “Lumberjack City", “General Strike” and the Subhumans’ “F**k You.” Live sound engineer Patrick “Hutch” Hutchinson later toured with Hole, Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age and Taj Mahal. @ Sarah McLachlan — Mirrorball (Nettwerk, 1999) Who cares if the tithe was already used by Neil Young and Pearl Jam, this is Sarah McLachlan’s finest 65 minutes and 58 Despite its obvious tie-in with Lilith F. begin July 8 in Vancouver, the 14 s songs were recorded during 1998's spring tour. It’s a real treat because McLachlan took the opportunity to improve upon the studio version of each song. It could very well be the first live CD in rock history with a multimedia merchandise cat- alogue. Savvy Sarah! @ Rheostatics — Double Live (DROG, 1997, 2 CDs) A generic tide contrasts with the masterful performances delivered by the country’s unsung rock heroes. Only one band would open a live album with “Saskatchewan” — a song about the Prairies recorded in Quebce City with Foster Hewitr’s Canada vs. U.S.S.R. play-by-play in the background. The Rheostatics wear their hearts on their sleeves and maple leaves on their gui- tars. The ultimate in Canada Day listening plea- sure. @ Rush — Different Stages/Live (Anthem, 1998, 3 CDs) The nuniber three is significant tor Geddy Lee, Alex Liteson and Neil Peart, who may never welcome a fourth member on stage. So it’s not surprising that the official live album of the band’s third decade ts a three-disc set. Two discs feature songs trom the 1994 and 1997 tours. The trio is completed by a bonus recording of 2 1978 show at England's Hammersmith © GROWING UP SMUGGLER 6 1. nut emvinases maton! NEWS photo Mike Wakefield THE Smusgglers, circa 1992: Beez (left), Nick Thomas, Bryce Dunn, Grant Lawrence and David Carswell (back). The West Vancouver band celebrated its first decade with a 1998 live album recorded in Madrid, Spain. the bonus Clusterworks software program ereated by Japanese artic Hisashi Hoda. @ The Shuffle Demons — Alive in Europe (Stubby/1-800- JOE-RADIO,1992, 2 CDs) The Rheostaties recorded their live album across Canada. Fellow Torontonians the Shuttle Demons took their DAT- recorder along to Europe during six tours of the continent. The bop-rap group, once mainstays on MuchMusic, offers its own originals along with standards by Mingus, Monk and Rollins. The only ching missing is the group’s cover of the Hockey Night In Canada theme. Then again, the Europeans wouldn’r have understood. B Sloan — 4 Nights At The Palais Royale (murderecords, 1999, 2 CDs) Halitax’s Sloan rolled the tape for four nights in its adopted hame of Toronto. The end-prod- uct is a doubie-disc, 28-song epic which closely tollows the set list trom last fall's tour. Many bands’ live albums downplay audience participa- tion, except for the obligatory end-of-song applause. Bur not Sloan, which implored its fans =] tochant and sing along. * 1) The Smugglers — Growing Up Smuggler (Mint/Lookout, 1998) West Vancouver's gift to rock and roll, com: plete with gumboots, went all the way to club Et Sol in Madrid, Spain to record a 20-song platter celebrating a decade in business. Grant Lawrence’s witty liner notes document the band's history with archival photos and gi posters. Fastback/Young Fresh Fellow Kurt Bloch produced this dise and has been tabbed to record the “Schmugs” next studio platter, out this fall. H The Tragically Hip — Live Between Us (Universal, 1997) Should’ve been called live in the U.S (Detroit, to be exact). Singer Gord Downie exhibits the ultimate in Canadian modesty as he prefaces the opener “Grace, Too” with a dedics- tion to the Rheostatics, the warm-up act on the fall 1996 tour: “We're all richer for having scen them tonight”. Sadly, the Hip’s tribute to Toronto Maple Leaf Bill Barilko “50 Mission Cap” is missing. Neil Young and Crazy Horse — Weld (Reprise, 1991, 2 CDs) Concerts by Canada’s rock and roll icon have been bootlegged hundreds of times. Neil Young has three official live releases this decade, the besr of which is a double CD from the 1991 reunion tour with Crazy Horse. It’s the ideal sequel to 1979's Live Rust. Young and “the Horse” are a little older and grever, but not quieter. A must- have for any hardcore Young fan is the limited edition companion Are — a 35-minute audio collage of concert outtakes obviously inspired by the tour's opening act, Sonic Youth.