The
      Cadre
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      6
      April
      1999
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ARTS
      AND
      ENTERTAINMENT
      13
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sloan
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Four
      Nights
      at
      the
      Palais
      Royale
     
     
      (Murderecords/Universal)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I’ve
      heard
      some
      mixed
     
     
      reviews
      on
      this
      new
      28-song,
     
     
      2-CD
      set;
      people
      who’
      ve
      said
     
     
      they
      loved
      it,
      and
      people
     
     
      who’ve
      said
      they’re
      disap-
     
     
      pointed.
      Myself,
      I’m
      pretty
     
     
      happy
      with
      it.
      The
      packaging
     
     
      and
      look
      of
      it
      are
      great.
      It’s
      a
     
     
      live
      compilation
      from
      one
      of
     
     
      Canada’s
      best-ever
      bands.
     
     
      So,
      you
      can’t
      really
      go
      wrong
     
     
      with
      it.
      However,
      some
      tracks
     
     
      can
      come
      off
      a
      little
      forced,
     
     
      where
      it’s
      obvious
      they’re
      re-
     
     
      cording
      this
      for
      the
      CDs,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Jim
      Cuddy
     
     
      All
      In
      Time
     
     
      (Warner)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Jim
      Cuddy
      won
      best
     
     
      male
      vocalist
      at
      this
      year’s
     
     
      Juno
      Awards
      —
      and
      it’s
      not
     
     
      because
      Leonard
      Cohen
     
     
      wasn’t
      nominated
      this
      year.
     
     
      The
      man
      can
      sing,
      as
      we
     
     
      should
      all
      know,
      from
      his
     
     
      years
      in
      Blue
      Rodeo
      (No,
     
     
      they
      haven’t
      broken
      up
      —
      yet)
     
     
      This
      CD
      is
      a
      mix
      of
      rockin’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Wilco
     
     
      Summerteeth
     
     
      (Reprise/Warner)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Never
      have
      |
      ever
     
     
      heard
      synthesizers
      sound
      so
     
     
      good.
      Well,
      Ok,
      maybe
      Frank
     
     
      Zappa,
      but
      that’s
      different
     
     
      Refreshing
      is
      a
      good
      way
      to
     
     
      explain
      this
      album.
      Or
      per-
     
     
      haps,
      very
      easily
      enjoyable
     
     
      Any
      way
      you
      look
      at
      it,
      it’s
     
     
      pretty
      darned
      good.
      It’s
      one
     
     
      of
      the
      better
      and
      unique
     
     
      things
      I’ve
      heard
      in
      a
      long
     
     
      time.
      Their
      sound
      is
      sort
      of
     
     
      folk-based,
      with
      bits
      of
      rock,
     
     
      synthesizers
      and
      electronic
     
     
      tones,
      and
      more
      instruments
     
    
   
   
    
     
      pumping
      up
      the
      crowd
      and
     
     
      whatnot.
      They
      also
      get
      the
     
     
      crowd
      to
      sing
      too
      much,
      like
     
     
      in
      the
      song
      “Deeper
      Than
     
     
      Beauty.”
      They
      stop
      the
      whole
     
     
      song
      to
      just
      let
      the
      crowd
      do
     
     
      a
      long
      vocal
      solo,
      essentially
     
     
      ruining
      the
      track,
      in
      my
      opin-
     
     
      ion.
      While
      some
      folks
      may
     
     
      wonder
      where
      their
      favourite
     
     
      tune
      is,
      like
      “Sugartune,”
     
     
      they
      still
      includes
      songs
      like
     
     
      “Torn”
      and
      “Marcus
      Said”.
      |
     
     
      think
      we
      should
      all
      be
      happy
     
    
   
   
    
     
      folk
      tunes
      and
      soulful
      ballads
     
     
      with
      a
      bit
      of
      a
      country
      (don’t
     
     
      be
      scared)
      tinge.
      I’m
      sure
     
     
      most
      folks
      are
      familiar
      with
     
     
      the
      songs
      “Disappointment”
     
     
      and
      “Too
      Many
      Hands,”
      but
     
     
      the
      remaining
      nine
      tracks
      are
     
     
      good
      as
      well,
      like
      the
      tunes
     
     
      “Whistler”
      and
      the
      tear-jerk-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      than
      you
      could
      shake
      a
      stick
     
     
      at.
      The
      bells
      and
      timpanis
      add
     
     
      a
      tremendous
      strength
      and
     
     
      power
      to
      the
      songs
      they
      are
     
     
      included
      on,
      making
      it
      a
      sort
     
     
      of
      “grandiose
      folk”
      sound
     
     
      (lite/folk
      Radiohead?)
     
     
      Sometimes
      it
      sounds
      a
      bit
     
     
      like
      Paul
      McCartney
      stuff
     
     
      It’s
      pretty
      hard
      to
      desribe,
     
     
      which
      is
      good,
      though,
      be
     
     
      cause
      that
      means
      it’s
      original
     
     
      The
      music
      is
      great
      on
      all
      16
     
     
      tracks,
      as
      well
      as
      the
      lyrics,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      with
      what
      we
      got.
      Most
      of
      the
     
     
      best
      stuff
      is
      here.
      It
      sounds
     
     
      great,
      has
      the
      realness
      of
      live
     
     
      flaws,
      and
      although
      they've
     
     
      pieced
      it
      together
      so
      that
      it
     
     
      sounds
      like
      one
      big
      perform-
     
     
      ance,
      I
      still
      like
      it.
      It's
      not
     
     
      perfect,
      but
      what
      is?
      I'd
      give
     
     
      it
      an
      appropriate
      “4”
      out
      of
     
     
      five,
      keeping
      in
      mind
      that
      it
     
     
      may
      become
      a
      classic
      some
     
     
      day
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -Stephen
      McQuaid
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing
      “Everybody
      Cries.”
     
     
      Many
      people
      also
      guest
      on
     
     
      this
      CD,
      such
      as
      Melanie
     
     
      Doane,
      Bazil
      of
      Blue
      Rodeo,
     
     
      Gavin
      Brown
      (Danko
      Jones,
     
     
      ex-Big
      Sugar),
      and
      Jeff
      &
      Jay
     
     
      of
      Wilco,
      to
      name
      a
      few
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Stephen
      McQuaid
     
    
   
   
    
     
      whether
      they
      be
      happy
      (“My
     
     
      Darling”)
      or
      disturbing,
      like
     
     
      in
      the
      song
      “Via
      Chicago”
      (“I
     
     
      dreamed
      about
      killing
      you
     
     
      last
      night
      /
      Andit
      felt
      alright
     
     
      to
      me...”).
      Ouch.
      This
      is
      re-
     
     
      ally
      great
      sounding
      stuff,
      and
     
     
      it's
      nice
      to
      see
      Wilco
      come
     
     
      out
      with
      something
      new.
      It
     
     
      shouldn't
      be
      hard
      for
      this
      one
     
     
      to
      stick
      around
      and
      make
      it
     
     
      to
      many
      1999
      top-ten
      lists
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -Stephen
      McQuaid
     
    
   
   
    
     
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