Top Ten Canadian Albums From The 90s (worth revisiting)
I think everyone think their teen years was the “golden age” of music, and in many ways, I’m no exception. When I hit high school, there were many tour festivals, “alternative” music was hitting a high point and Canadian music especially was starting to break through.
For me, it was the first time I remember Canadian music having cool bands for my age group and not just for my parents (I would learn later on that there has always been cool Canadian made music, just had to dig a little). With that in mind, let’s revisit the 90’s and Canadian albums worth taking another look at. Some of these you might know, others you should definitely hear. Top Ten Canadian Albums From The 90’s (worth revisiting).
10) Front Line Assembly – Millennium
Millennium was the album that FLA got a little harder and a little more popular. I remember having to order this album in because at the time, no one else wanted it in my neighborhood. A little bit more on the techno side then their peers of the day, this album has a great flow and if you want something a little different to listen to, this is it. They also had a ton of side projects such as
9) Delerium – Semantic Spaces
As chilled out as Millennium was heavy, Delerium (the same two guys from FLA) brought a calmness to their music that’s just really cool. It embraces you almost like the cool side of the pillow… I find it hard to describe other then great.
8) The Lowest of the Low – Shakespeare My Butt…
A great rock album that was also independent upon it’s release. Smart, rockin, awesome.
7) Rusty – Fluke
The weird part about Rusty and the Fluke album in particular is that I wasn’t a huge fan of it… until it went away. A few years ago I found myself wishing that rock radio would play Groovy Dead or Misogyny. It’s still an album that stands up and rocks fairly well. Interesting note both this and the Art Bergmann album were produced by Chris Wardman, formerly of Blue Peter.
6) Art Bergmann – Art Bergmann
Not exactly a household name but man, what a solid album this is. Faithlessly Yours is probably one of my favourite songs of all time and Bergmann’s lyrics were always sharp with the right amount of wit. Unfortunately this album is currently deleted but you may be able to find it through other sources. And when you do, share this with friends.
5) Pure – Generation Six-Pack
A great alt rock band out of Vancouver, their tunes still hold up well with the passing years. I saw them open up for a band (I think it was IME) and just proceeded to kick ass up and down the arena. If you like Sugar or Treble Charger, this is right up your alley.
4) Hayden – Everything I Long For
And incredible debut for Hayden whose poetic lyrics just outshone most other albums that came out in the same time period. At the time, Hayden was 25 but you would have thought he was much older to the sound he was generating.
3) Robbie Robertson – Contact From The Underworld of Redboy
An album that is criminally underrated and forgotten, Robbie Robertson took traditional Native music, mixed it with rock, a little bit of electonica and dance beats and made not just a great album but something really special and different.
2) Blue Rodeo – Five Days In July
In a long career with some great albums, Five Days In July is hands down one of the best. From the singles of Five Days In May and Hasn’t Hit Me Yet to album tracks like Dark Angel and Photograph, this album sounds like sitting by the fire at the farm. It’s comfortable and incredibly good.
1) I Mother Earth – Dig
Often overlooked for Scenery and Fish, 1994’s Dig is quite honestly a rock work of art. It hit hard but knew when to be quiet. Full of musicianship and energy, there hadn’t been anything like it out of Canada at the time and not really anything since. And let’s face it Rain Will Fall and Not Quite Sonic just kick serious ass.
Okay dear readers, what did we miss? What were some of the Canadian albums from the 90’s that deserve another look? Please leave your ideas below and maybe we’ll revisit this list again.
I'm with you 100% on the FLA. Their entire body of work is highly under rated.
I remember seeing Art Bergman on tour with Bootsauce and Sons Of Freedom. He was great, but an odd fit for that show!
I agree with your I Mother Earth thoughts, I much prefer Dig to Scenery & Fish, but I think a bigger oversight on most people's part are their non-Edwin albums. Blue Green Orange and The Quicksilver Meat Dream were fantastic albums.
As for who else you forgot?
Sons of Freedom. Their Gump album was a staple for me back in the early-mid 90s.
I really like your list and totally agree with you about Rusty… not a fan at all "in the day" but now its always on my car playlist. And Dig from IME is amazing!
Here are a few other great forgotten Canadian acts to check out from the 90s:
Age of Electric – loved this band right from the first time I saw the video for Ugly on MuchMusic.
Limlifter – great songs with fun videos, one half of Age of Electric's brothers side project.
Rhymes With Orange – great alt. cover of Itchycoo Park and Toy Train rocked.
Moist – debut album was solid from start to finish.
See Spot Run – Au Naturel still holds up, so does Weightless and Terrified… great songs.
And if you like Pure, make sure you listen to Pureafunalia, their first album. The song Greedy was featured on the Cool World soundtrack.
Just a quick list
Moist – Silver
Moxy Früvous – Bargainville
Barenaked Ladies – Maybe You Should Drive (while Gordon is a great album, I think Maybe You Should Drive is a better examples of the 90s)
The Tea Party – Splendor Solis
The Arrogant Worms – Russell's Shorts
Ashley MacIsaac – Hi™ How Are You Today?
3D Electric Jesus – Anonymous (Calgary local)
"Crush" by the Doughboys. "Shine" was the theme song for The Wedge on Much Music for years. Personally for me the Doughboys represent Canadian 90's atlernative music.
I am surprised that nothing from Halifax is on your list – Sloan, Thrush Hermit, Hardship Post, Jale, Superfriendz. "Twice Removed" or "Smeared" at the very least…
Some others:
Gandharvas – A Soap Bubble and Inertia
The Watchmen – In the Trees
The Killjoys – Starry
Age of Electric – Make a Pest a Pet (or Limblifter)
Odds – Neapolitan
Odds – Bedbugs
Odds – Good Weird Feeling
Odds – Nest
Sloan – Smeared
Sloan – Twice Removed
Sloan – One Chord to Another
Sloan – Navy Blues
Sloan – Between the Bridges
oh, and Bloody Chicletts – Presenting….
Not a classic, but wow what a great overlooked pop/new wave album that was out about 6 years before the Killers hit big with the exact same thing.
Eric's Trip – Love Tara will forever be an essential Canadian 90s cut for me.
Five Days in July I think is also notable for pre-massive fame Sarah McLachlan singing backing vocals on it. Also completely agree with the FLA & Delerium.
My favourite "forgotten" album is The Downward Road by The Pursuit of Happiness. I think it's just fantastic and solid throughout.
Sandbox's two albums are criminally overlooked.
Treble Charger – NC17
that's all. LOL I could sit here all day pulling now obscure, but at one time great Canadian LPs from the 90's.
Inbreds – Kombinator
King Cobb Steelie – Junior Relaxer
JUNKHOUSE – STRAYS
JUNKHOUSE – FUZZ
I couldn't tell you how many times I've listened Rusty's Fluke, Pure's Generation Six Pack and Hayden Everything I long for. I have to agree with iamsuperdan, Sons of Freedom's Gump album is amazing.
I'd take 1992's Whale Music by The Rheostatics as my #1.
Also Sloan's Twice Removed, and Day for Night by the Hip.
fleShpaiNt – Ottawa, Canada https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3KRfbo6Ne0
Sven Gali – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeS90enTx_o
Slik Toxik – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzi4sQcdZNQ
As a former resident of Halifax and a friend of the guys in the band, I'm continually disappointed that Sloan gets almost zero recognition to this day.
I can get over them not breaking big in the U.S., but the fact that there are so many derivative post-grunge bands in Canada that can fill stadiums while Sloan plays smaller and smaller clubs every year fills me with an incredible feeling that there is a great injustice being done.
That being said: " Twice Removed", "One Chord To Another" and "Navy Blues".
And the Rheostatics had a great trifecta of "Melville", "Whale Music" and "Introducing Happiness".
Rats – Sass Jordan
Ain't Life Strange – Barney Bentall
Both still making great music–Sass in new band called S.U.N. Barney recently released "Flesh and Bone"
I would go with Smilin Buddha Cabaret by 54-40.
Have to admit this list is mainstream and so very painful. What is worse than I Mother Earth? Don't think I've ever heard anything.
Hey Keith Parry? I find it hilarious that you're the only one to post something maligning. And about IME of all bands? Contribute some band from your super-cool non-mainstream ways that you think is better. Put up their three best tracks against just about anything in I Mother Earth's catalog. I near enough to guarantee that if you put it to a vote, I Mother Earth will win.
Now to add to the list of stuff that was missed. How.. HOW is there no Tragically Hip on this list of amazing Canadian albums of the 90s? Road Apples and Fully Completely were both awesome albums.
Mark A, you're so right! I totally forgot about Pursuit of Happiness!
So many great additions to this list in the comments section (except the Tragically Hip, naturally – what an overrated band). Speaking of bands that became overrated, I think Our Lady Peace's debut "Naveed" was really excellent (almost exclusively for Jeremy Taggert's drumming), and while I agree with the addition of the Tea Party, I think "Edges of Twilight" is a far better album than "Splendor Solis". But the one band I'm really bummed didn't make the main list was the Odds – oh, and the Headstones for "Smile and Wave".
And Keith Parry: the line was "worth revisiting" not "worth discovering for the first time because nobody heard of them when they were around". I'd argue that calling any Canadian music truly "mainstream" is a stretch at best.
Many thanks Brent for your Top Ten Canadian Albums from the '90s. I'm from an older generation who were probably not paying enough attention to music in the 1990s. I liked most of the music you selected and will now explore further some of the bands / singers. Once the culture turns its interest away from the 1980s to the '90s we will start to see a real examination of that decade. The generation of the 1990s needs to start making more effort to bring allot of this great music up front. Just because this music is on the internet doesn't mean people are taking notice. It's one big ocean of music out there and too easy to get sidetracked into a jungle of " cat videos ". If the generation of the 1990s does not care about the music of their lives then nobody else will.
Headstones, Gandharvas, Slowburn, pluto, our lady peace-naveed, tea party-splendor solace and the edges of twilight, rainbow butt monkeys-letters from chutney, finger eleven-tip, copyright, king cobb steelie, rusty-fluke, Econoline Crush, Treble Charger(90's only), Change of Heart, Pure, The Watchmen, Zuckerbaby-1st album, AOE, Limblifter, IME-All albums, Big Wreck – In loving memory of…, Sloan – one chord to another…..I could go on and on. 90's Canadian music was, and still is close to my heart!
And keith knows nothing lol……
Good list:) but WHY does nobody recognize NoMeansNo as one of Canada's greatest bands?! NoMeansNo album 'Wrong' was a masterpiece
I agree with IME Dig, I would revisit Beautiful Midnight by Matthew Good Band! This album changed me for the better.
This reminds me of going up and down Queen West and going to all the used CD/cassette stores.
Moist – Silver
So much great music listed here. I wouldn''t have thought of Blue Rodeo, only because I still currently listen to their 90s albums fairly often, so those feel current, to me. Also a big fan of Sloan. I find Blake's comment interesting. I agree that they should be bigger than they are, but in a way, I almost feel glad that they aren't, because they feel more like a uniquely Canadian band who are "mine."
Wholeheartedly agree with Pursuit of Hapiness's The Downward Road. An amazing album that has held up over the years. Moe Berg's lyrical turn of phrase is unparalleled.
A couple others I'd throw out for consideration are The Philosopher King's Famous, Rich and Beautiful and Sass Jordan's Racine, the latter of which is far superior to Rats, IMO.
Although they were more locally known in Toronto in the 80's What about the group "Goddo"? A trio of rockers headed by Greg Godovitz. I love their on-stage presence, and their studio work was fine. I agree about The Pursuit of Happiness as well, fine Canadian musicians in their own right.
As far as Bare Naked Ladies goes however, gag me with a pitchfork! They were way over-rated, and of low talent. They are one band I was happy to see break up…
Fast forward 10 years (and if I had seen this back in 2013 my comment would be the exact same): According to me (*g*), no list of this kind is complete without The Waltons – ANY release by them.