Music Inspired by the Group of Seven
Encyclopedia
Music Inspired by the Group of Seven is a 1995 album by Rheostatics
.
The album was commissioned by the National Gallery of Canada
to accompany its Group of Seven
retrospective show. The album has twelve pieces, most of which are instrumental music. However, snippets of recorded dialogue from the Group of Seven artists, and other contemporaneous figures such as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
, Mackenzie King and John Diefenbaker
, are mixed in.
None of the twelve pieces are titled on the album cover. However, track 7 is a reworking of "Northern Wish", from the band's 1991 album Melville
, and a Rheostatics fansite has compiled a set of unofficial titles for the other tracks which is commonly accepted by the band's fans. Whenever possible, these alternate titles were taken from the band's actual announcements of the song titles when they were performed in concert.
It is also the band's first album to feature Don Kerr
. Kerr replaced Dave Clark
on drums. In this album, Kerr interviews Victoria BC's Winchell Price, a fine painter of landscapes and skies, and as you learn by listening, a masterful storyteller.
. None of the songs are officially titled; the names given below are unofficial titles from rustyspell.com.
Rheostatics
Rheostatics was a Genie Award-winning Canadian indie rock band, active from 1980 to 2007.Although they had only one Top 40 hit, "Claire" in 1995, they were simultaneously one of Canada's most influential and unconventional rock bands, a band whose eclectic take on pop and rock music has been...
.
The album was commissioned by the National Gallery of Canada
National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada , located in the capital city Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries.The Gallery is now housed in a glass and granite building on Sussex Drive with a notable view of the Canadian Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill. The acclaimed structure was...
to accompany its Group of Seven
Group of Seven (artists)
The Group of Seven, sometimes known as the Algonquin school, were a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920-1933, originally consisting of Franklin Carmichael , Lawren Harris , A. Y. Jackson , Franz Johnston , Arthur Lismer , J. E. H. MacDonald , and Frederick Varley...
retrospective show. The album has twelve pieces, most of which are instrumental music. However, snippets of recorded dialogue from the Group of Seven artists, and other contemporaneous figures such as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
, Mackenzie King and John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...
, are mixed in.
None of the twelve pieces are titled on the album cover. However, track 7 is a reworking of "Northern Wish", from the band's 1991 album Melville
Melville (album)
Melville is the 1991 second album by the Canadian rock band Rheostatics. This album garnered wide airplay across Canada. The single "Record Body Count" was a significant hit for the band on Canadian alternative rock stations and MuchMusic in 1991....
, and a Rheostatics fansite has compiled a set of unofficial titles for the other tracks which is commonly accepted by the band's fans. Whenever possible, these alternate titles were taken from the band's actual announcements of the song titles when they were performed in concert.
It is also the band's first album to feature Don Kerr
Don Kerr
Don Kerr is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist and record producer.He was a member of Rheostatics from 1995 to May 2001. He plays in Ron Sexsmith's band, and sometimes with The Kelele Brothers. He and Sexsmith released an album together, Destination Unknown, in 2005...
. Kerr replaced Dave Clark
Dave Clark (Canadian musician)
-Biography:Clark is a respected studio musician and live performer, and has collaborated with such artists as Charles Spearin, Gord Downie, The Inbreds, Jane Siberry, Julie Doiron, and the Sun Ra Arkestra. He is perhaps best known for playing drums in the indie rock band Rheostatics from 1980–1995...
on drums. In this album, Kerr interviews Victoria BC's Winchell Price, a fine painter of landscapes and skies, and as you learn by listening, a masterful storyteller.
Track listing
All tracks credited to Rheostatics and Kevin HearnKevin Hearn
Kevin Neil Hearn is a Canadian musician who is currently the keyboardist of Barenaked Ladies and his own group, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. He is also a former member of Rheostatics.-Early life:...
. None of the songs are officially titled; the names given below are unofficial titles from rustyspell.com.
- "Kevin's Waltz" – 1:45
- "Earth (Almost)" – 7:36
- "Boxcar Song (Weiners and Beans)" – 6:35
- "Landscape and Sky" – 0:40
- "Blue Hysteria" – 3:29
- "Cello for a Winter's Day" – 6:24
- "Northern Wish" – 4:04
- "Snow" – 1:12
- "Biplanes and Bombs" – 5:09
- "Lightning" – 5:40
- "Yellow Days Under a Lemon Sun (Kevin's Waltz Reprise)" – 4:05
- "Bye, Bye" – 0:55
Personnel
- Dave BidiniDave BidiniDave Bidini is a Canadian musician, journalist and author originating from Etobicoke, Ontario. He is a founding member of the acclaimed rock band Rheostatics, and has published several books about music and sports. He currently performs with his band, aptly named BidiniBand. The group's first...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals - Kevin Hearn – organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, guitar, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, vocals, samplingSampling (music)In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically... - Don Kerr – celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, drums, vocals, noiseNoiseIn common use, the word noise means any unwanted sound. In both analog and digital electronics, noise is random unwanted perturbation to a wanted signal; it is called noise as a generalisation of the acoustic noise heard when listening to a weak radio transmission with significant electrical noise...
, double bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Dan Kurtz – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- The Snowflakes – vocals
- The Subliminal KidDJ SpookyPaul D. Miller , known by his stage name DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid, is a Washington DC-born electronic and experimental hip hop musician whose work is often called by critics or his fans as "illbient" or "trip hop". He is a turntablist, a producer, a philosopher, and an author...
– tree trembler - Douglas Tielli – hornsBrass instrumentA brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
- Martin TielliMartin TielliMartin Tielli is a Canadian singer-songwriter. He was a member of the Rheostatics, and has also released material as a solo artist and with the side project Nick Buzz. As well, he has appeared as a guest musician on albums by Barenaked Ladies, Kevin Hearn, The Waltons, Jane Siberry, Ashley...
– guitar, vocals - Tim VeselyTim VeselyTim Vesely is a Canadian musician and songwriter. He is best known as the bassist for the indie rock band Rheostatics, in which he shared lead vocal duties with bandmates Dave Bidini and Martin Tielli...
– guitar, vocals, double bass