Whale Music (album)
Encyclopedia
Whale Music is a 1992 album by Canadian
rock band
Rheostatics
. It should not be confused with the soundtrack
to the film Whale Music, which was also composed by the band and released in 1994.
A performance from their concert tour to support this album was released in 2005 as The Whale Music Concert, 1992
, a download-only album from Zunior Records
.
The album cover is part of a painting by guitarist Martin Tielli
.
conducted a reader poll to determine the greatest Canadian albums of all time. Whale Music placed fifth in that poll (behind only Sloan
, Joni Mitchell
, Neil Young
and The Tragically Hip
.) When the magazine conducted a follow-up poll in 2000, Whale Music placed fourth (behind Mitchell, Young and Sloan), and was followed in fifth by the band's 1991 album Melville
. In the magazine's third poll in 2005, Whale Music placed tenth. It is one of six albums to have ranked in the top ten in all three polls.
It was ranked 19th in Bob Mersereau
's 2007 book The Top 100 Canadian Albums
.
, who had been guest musicians on the album, also covered "Legal Age Life at Variety Store" on the 2007 Rheostatics tribute album The Secret Sessions
. Their version also included guest performers Jason Plumb
and Tim Mech
. On the same album, The Inbreds
covered "Dope Fiends and Boozehounds" and By Divine Right
covered "Shaved Head".
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Rheostatics
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...
. It should not be confused with the soundtrack
Music from the Motion Picture Whale Music
Music from The Motion Picture Whale Music is a 1994 album by Rheostatics. It is the soundtrack to the film version of Paul Quarrington's novel Whale Music, and should not be confused with the band's 1992 album Whale Music....
to the film Whale Music, which was also composed by the band and released in 1994.
A performance from their concert tour to support this album was released in 2005 as The Whale Music Concert, 1992
The Whale Music Concert, 1992
The Whale Music Concert, 1992 is a live album by Rheostatics, released on Zunior Records in 2005.The concert was recorded at Toronto, Ontario's Bathurst Street Theatre in 1992, as part of their promotional tour for the Whale Music album...
, a download-only album from Zunior Records
Zunior Records
Zunior.com is a Canadian online independent record label and music store, started by Dave Ullrich, formerly of The Inbreds, in 2004.The store primarily sells digital music from independent artists, in MP3 format without digital rights management protection. Most albums are sold at a price of $8.88...
.
The album cover is part of a painting by guitarist Martin Tielli
Martin Tielli
Martin 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...
.
Honours
In 1996, the Canadian music magazine ChartChart (magazine)
ChartAttack is a Canadian online music publication. Formerly a monthly print magazine called Chart, which was published from 1991 to 2009, the web version continues operation....
conducted a reader poll to determine the greatest Canadian albums of all time. Whale Music placed fifth in that poll (behind only Sloan
Sloan (band)
Sloan is a Toronto-based alternative rock quartet from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Throughout their 20-year tenure Sloan has released 10 LPs , two EPs, a live album, a "best of" collection and no less than thirty singles...
, Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
, Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
and The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, is a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie , Paul Langlois , Rob Baker , Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay . Since their formation in 1983 they have released 12 studio albums, two live albums, and 46 singles...
.) When the magazine conducted a follow-up poll in 2000, Whale Music placed fourth (behind Mitchell, Young and Sloan), and was followed in fifth by 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....
. In the magazine's third poll in 2005, Whale Music placed tenth. It is one of six albums to have ranked in the top ten in all three polls.
It was ranked 19th in Bob Mersereau
Bob Mersereau
Bob Mersereau is a Canadian arts journalist.Mersereau is a music columnist and longtime arts reporter for CBC Television in New Brunswick. Since 1982, he has been a reporter on the East Coast music scene for CBC Radio, CBC Television, and the Telegraph-Journal...
's 2007 book The Top 100 Canadian Albums
The Top 100 Canadian Albums
The Top 100 Canadian Albums is a book by Bob Mersereau, published in 2007 by Goose Lane Editions.Mersereau acknowledged that the list will cause heated debate among music fans across the country. "The important part is to talk about Canadian music and enjoy it", he said...
.
Covers
Barenaked LadiesBarenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
, who had been guest musicians on the album, also covered "Legal Age Life at Variety Store" on the 2007 Rheostatics tribute album The Secret Sessions
The Secret Sessions
The Secret Sessions is a tribute album to Canadian indie rock band Rheostatics, released March 16, 2007 through the web label Zunior. The album was released to coincide with the band's farewell show scheduled for March 30, and features Canadian indie rock artists performing Rheostatics songs...
. Their version also included guest performers Jason Plumb
Jason Plumb
Jason Plumb is a Canadian singer-songwriter who was the lead singer and front man of The Waltons. He currently performs as a solo singer-songwriter with a backing band called The Willing....
and Tim Mech
Tim Mech
Tim Mech is a Canadian rock guitarist. He is best known as a sometime collaborator with Rheostatics, for whom he was also a guitar tech for many years, starting around 1988...
. On the same album, The Inbreds
The Inbreds
The Inbreds were a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1992. Originally from Kingston, Ontario, Canada the band relocated to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1996. Three of the four albums released during the band's existence reached number one on the Canadian national university charts, and the band...
covered "Dope Fiends and Boozehounds" and By Divine Right
By Divine Right
By Divine Right is a Canadian indie rock band, led by guitarist and vocalist José Miguel Contreras.-History:The band was formed in 1989 by high school friends Contreras, drummer Mark Goldstein, bassist Liz Teear and guitarist Steve Berman. They put out a number of independent releases before...
covered "Shaved Head".
Track listing
- "Self Serve Gas Station" (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...
) – 4:51 - "California Dreamline" (Tielli) – 4:21
- "Rain, Rain, Rain" (Tielli) – 4:20
- "Queer" (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...
, Dave ClarkDave 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...
) – 5:30 - "King of the Past" (Bidini, 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...
) – 4:51 - "R.D.A. (Rock Death America)" (Bidini, Clark) – 2:32
- "The Headless One" (Vesely) – 3:27
- "Legal Age Life at Variety Store" (Bidini) – 2:33
- "What's Going on Around Here?" (Tielli) – 4:13
- "Shaved Head" (Tielli, Bidini) – 5:06
- "Palomar" (Vesely) – 4:20
- "Guns" (Clark) – 1:49
- "Sickening Song" (Tielli) – 2:54
- "Soul Glue" (Vesely) – 3:44
- "Beerbash" (Bidini) – 3:50
- "Who?" (Vesely) – 3:02
- "Dope Fiends and Boozehounds" (Tielli, Bidini, Janet Morassutti) – 6:33
Personnel
- Dave Allen (credited on some tracks as "De Vallion String Quartet") – stringsString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
, 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....
, backing vocals - Barenaked LadiesBarenaked LadiesBarenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
(credited as "ScarboroughScarborough, OntarioScarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
Naked Youth Choir") – chorus - Joey Bechta – tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
, backing vocals - Dave Bidini – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, 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...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, vocals - Chris Brown – 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...
, 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...
, tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate... - Richard Burgmann – power toolPower toolA power tool is a tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than the solely manual labour used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric motors. Internal combustion engines and compressed air are also commonly used...
s - Dave Clark – percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, 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, power tools, alarm clockAlarm clockAn alarm clock is a clock that is designed to make a loud sound at a specific time. The primary use of these clocks is to awaken people from their night's sleep or short naps; they are sometimes used for other reminders as well. To stop the sound, a button or handle on the clock is pressed; but... - Matt DeMatteo – producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineer, power tools - Kevin Gould – arrangerArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
- Gene HardyGene HardyGene Hardy is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. He performs on saxophone, violin, musical saw and theremin.-Career:Hardy's early music training began in Victoria, British Columbia—first on violin at age 9, then on saxophone a year later. After studies at the Victoria Conservatory of...
– saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846... - Ormond Jobin – producer, engineer
- Tim Martin – accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, vocals - Tim MechTim MechTim Mech is a Canadian rock guitarist. He is best known as a sometime collaborator with Rheostatics, for whom he was also a guitar tech for many years, starting around 1988...
– electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Lewis Melville – banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, pedal steel, electric guitar, steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use... - Peter Moore – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Michael Phillip WojewodaMichael Phillip Wojewoda-External links:*...
– guitar, tambourine, backing vocals, Egg shakerEgg shakerAn egg shaker is a hand percussion instrument, in the idiophone category, that makes a noise when shaken, usually by hand. Functionally it is similar to a maraca. Typically the outer casing or container is oval or egg-shaped...
, Moog synthesizerMoog synthesizerMoog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled... - Neil PeartNeil PeartNeil Ellwood Peart , OC, is a Canadian musician and author. He is the drummer for the rock band Rush.Peart grew up in Port Dalhousie, Ontario . During adolescence, he floated from regional band to regional band in pursuit of a career as a full-time drummer...
– percussion, arranger, drums - Pyramid of Stupidity Singers – vocals
- The Raindrops – backing vocals
- Tannis Slimmon – backing vocals
- James Stewart – producer, engineer
- Martin Tielli – guitar, vocals
- Dutch Toko – classical guitarClassical guitarThe classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
- Tim Vesely – acoustic guitar, bass, guitar, percussion, piano, accordion, vocals, string arrangements, power tools, mini moog