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15 Songs: 1990: Part Four

Posted by Andrew Kurjata Posted Friday, February 06, 2009

 May 12, 1990: The Bloc Quebecois is formed

So in case this is your first day here, all this week I'm embarking on a quest. A mild quest, mind you, but a quest nonetheless. And that quest is to post three Canadian songs a day from the year 1990. Part one is here, part two is here, part three is here, and this is part four. Read on!




The Northern Pikes- "She Ain't Pretty" from Snow in June.


I didn't even know this song was Canadian before doing this project, so now it's fun AND educational. After Colin James' "I Just Came Back to Say Goodbye," on Tuesday, I think it's safe to say 1990 was the year of using extended sentences to create an idea in the listener's mind, pause, and then completely flip those ideas around. "I just came back--" (YAY!) "...to say goodbye" (sadness). This song does much the same in the chorus. "Oh, hey, this song is about someone who isn't pretty-- wait, what? She just looks that way? But that means she.... oh, geez, he's talking about INTERNAL prettiness." Not only does this song challenge us to address our preconceived, skin-deep notions about beauty, it anticipated the 90s elementary school trend of using "NOT!" at the end of sentences to completely reverse the meaning of everything you just said. Well done, Northern Pikes. Well done.

The Dream Warriors- "My Definition (of a Boombastic Jazz Style)" from And Now, the Legacy Begins


I feel kind of bad including this song, because it's pretty much all anyone knows the Warriors for anymore, despite the high quality of their other work (see "Ludi" or "Wash Your Face in My Sink" from the same album, just for a start). Yet at the same time it's just so undeniable-- the riff, recycled from the Definition game show and later incorporated into Canadian comedian Mike Myers' Austin Powers vehicle is undeniably part of the Canadian landscape (even if it is by Quincy Jones). And you have to love Capital Q's vocals at the 2:38 mark. (Fun fact: L.A. Luv from Tuesday's 1990 post (part one) was the Warrior's DJ and would officially join the group in 1993.

The Jeff Healey Band- "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," from Hell to Pay




You hear that guitar? You feel the emotion? This is what a proper cover sounds like.

Last post in this series comes tomorrow, so if you're wanting to get a word in, now's the time.

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