Those sources were seen on
stage at the Buddha, played on crappy cassettes
between sets there, and dragged home on vinyl
from import record stores so many years ago. The
latest 54•40 songs hearkened back to those
earliest days of the band, more in spirit than
in sound and the acquisition of the neon sign
pointed clearly to yet another "reinvention" of
the band. The new album was titled
Smilin' Buddha Cabaret,
and both the spirit and the sound were more raw
and shambolic than any previous 54•40 outing.
For the first time, 54•40's sense of humor was
played out on an album, placed right next to
dark angry songs like Assoholic and Blame Your
Parents.
The band was unafraid to offer listeners a true
variety of songs and styles. Drummer Matt
Johnson calls it "Our K-Tel Album - no two songs
are alike." In this day of mass media
consumerism, where every expression must be
reduced to a soundbite, every film to a rock
video, and every album to a hit single, Smilin
Buddha Cabaret was a refreshing, entertaining
refusal to capitulate to the trend. |
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As 54•40 prepared to
re-invent themselves yet again for a 7th
album, there was plenty of electricity
coursing through their veins, and the end
result can only be described as an
unexpected, but beautiful work of art.
Trusted By Millions
is the 1996 version of 54•40. After several
months of recording and mixing in Vancouver,
the album emerged, with its tongue in cheek
title and graphics, and made an immediate
impact at radio and retail in Canada. The
album quickly went platinum in Canada.
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Neil and the rest of the band have not allowed
themselves to be pigeonholed. Their music has evolved,
then devolved, stretched into areas none could have
predicted, without being arty or pretentious. In 1995,
almost 15 years after they started their long trip, they
are still capable of surprising and entertaining,
proving that longevity and relevance to contemporary
music are not mutually exclusive.
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Since When,
the eighth 54•40 album is a welcome return
to form and was a step into the future by
one of Canada's most important bands. This
record sounds old and new and real. From the
melodious country rock of Lost & Lazy to the
apocalyptic campfire song Last People On
Earth this is the most spontaneous 54•40 has
sounded since their early efforts. The music
is diverse but interconnected. Soaring
strings meet loose rock and roll in a
melange of the sort that hearkens back to
the days of Nell Young's Harvest. From the
stunning classic epic Stormy to R&B groove
of title track Since When to the haunting
ballad Playground to the simply beautiful I
Could Give You More this is a 54-40 that
seems unaffected and confident. The
spaciousness of the production (Garth
Richardson) shows a maturity that lets the
songs speak for themselves.
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Heavy Mellow is a two CD collection of
hits which were recorded live during their 1998
Canadian tour, giving fans an opportunity to
hear and feel what 54·40 are really about -
making records that feel natural in relationship
to their time, their place and their mood and
being able to translate all this emotion into a
great live show.
"Heavy Mellow, live double CD, was released
Sept. 7th, 1999. "Heavy Mellow" is a tribute to
20 years of successful song writing. During the
"Since When" tour each venue on the cross-Canada
tour was recorded. The music and moments they
captured became Heavy Mellow, a two-disc live
document of a band on a creative high." --
Read this great review
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Casual Viewin'
"Marshall Mcluhan casual viewin' head buried
in the sand". The lyric is from the 1974
Genesis album 'Lamb Lies Down on Broadway'
and the vibe of this sentiment was taken as
inspiration on Casual Viewin'. The album
draws from 60's soul and hip hop grooves and
in the words of Neil Osborne is a "feel good
groove record'.
"This ninth disc from Vancouver rockers
54•40
is a decidedly
relaxed, loose affair -- a set of easygoing
pop numbers whose light touch and breezy
style suggest a band playing for the sheer
enjoyment of it and taking a holiday from
the the rigours of trying to pen hit
singles." -- DARRYL STERDAN Winnipeg Sun
READ MORE HERE
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54•40 Casual Viewin' USA CD
Released only in the USA this album features
tracks from the album Casual Viewin' mixed with
13 cuts which include singles, fan favorites and
album tracks from the platinum-plus albums Dear
Dear, Smilin' Buddha Cabaret, Trusted By
Millions and Since When. A must have for
collectors! |
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Radio Love Songs - The Singles Collection CD
- 54•40's
body of work is impressive. Until now
however, it's been easy to take for granted
that this band has been generating hits for
over twenty years. One listen to Radio Love
Songs - The Singles Collection, reminds us
that 54•40 is deeply rooted in the fabric of
Canadian music.
On Radio Love Songs - The Singles
Collection, the listener is treated to
chart-toppers spanning their careers on both
Columbia Records/Sony Music and from Warner
Music. Throughout their journey, 54•40 has
remained creative and fresh, growing
musically and lyrically with each project.
Neil Osborne told Canadian Musician: "It's
weird every once in a while, I'll look back
and think, wow. You kind of forget where
you've been and everything you've done, and
how long you've been doing it. But then once
in a while you just realize what a wealth of
experience as a band together we have."
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54•40 is a rock band. With all that this term
implies. The kind of rock music 54•40 plays may now
be, and most likely and more acutely will be in the
future, open to debate. It is an interesting study
to look at a band with such rich tradition and
review historically within its own time the aspects
that have kept the group vital for close to two
decades. The conclusion you come to is in the core
of the song writing, in particular the pop songs, or
the softer side of their brand of rock. With their
fabulous signature songs I Go Blind, One Gun, Ocean
Pearl, Casual Viewin', and many more, they have
crossed from the realm of rock to a broader base. It
is with these songs that one remembers 54•40.
"Come on come on get up I wanna take you, Away from
all of this and what has got you, Lost and feeling
down, You just get it off your back, let it fly
away" -- Neil Osborne (CASUAL VIEWIN' From the
album: Casual Viewin')
To be continued...
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