Everything To Everyone
Artist: Barenaked Ladies
Producer: Ron Aniello
Label: Reprise
My Thoughts
I am the biggest BNL fan. I have been since their first album, Gordon, way back in 1992. Now, 11 years and 6 albums later, they have kept me a loyal fan. I was pretty excited for this album, since their last release was their first greatest hits collection. The first single, which I bopped to for weeks before the album was released, was one of those catchy nonsense dittys that they seem to be most famous for. "Another Postcard" is done in the same vein as "Grade 9", "These Apples", & their biggest hit to date, "One Week". However, anyone thinking that this would be an album full of radio friendly, mildly annoying novelty tunes, is very much mistaken.
For the most part, the album is a darker affair, more in the vein of Born On A Pirate Ship. They comment on being famous, drugs, and love. These are all things that this band has touched on in the last ten years, and they bring it all together on this well-constructed album. They seem to have taken the best of their music, revamped it all, and displayed it here.
Their music, I have found, moves in cycles. Gordon was a catchy, nonsensical album. Maybe You Should Drive (1994) moved into the darker areas, but still had that fun edge. Born On A Pirate Ship (1996) was a dark journey into unfinished business. Rock Spectacle (1996) was a live album, which technically could be their first greatest hits package. It mixed everything. Stunt (1998) went back to the mixture of Gordon, only there was a little more social comment. Maroon (2000) was a lot like Maybe You Should Drive, with the whimsy tainted a little further. If you don't count Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits (2001), then this disc pretty much fits into the pattern. It is a dark journey, but it satisfies just as much as anything they've released.
And, after that long and winding road, I'm giving it a 4. Its a pretty good listen.
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