What sophomore slump?

When an artist has a huge successful album right out the gate, there is always a lot of expectations for the second album. No artist wants to have the "sophomore slump" album, it seems to be through out musical history that the success of your second album distinguishes you from one hit wonder or viable artist. This was the dilemma that faced Sam Roberts.

The first album for the Sam Roberts Band(as they came to be known)was "We were born of a flame". This was a huge album, that came out of nowhere to be embraced by fans and critics alike, it yielded many top hits like "Hard Road", "Brother down" and "Where have all the good people gone?". So when they started to record the new album,"Chemical City", some people and probably thought they had an upward climb...Which I guess they did, but they did deliver a good album.

In trying to tell you what this album is...It would make more sense to tell you what it isn't. What it is not is a rehashing sequel to try and cash in on the success of the first album. It is one of those rare second discs that shows both the grow and promise of an artist that is here to stay. The huge success of "We were born in a flame" has afforded the band the luxury basically doing what they want, and it seems that is not to make the guitar based rock with pop hooks that was the bread and butter of the first album. For those looking for another "Hard Road" or "Brother Down", you won't find it here. This is an album of growth. When I picked it up(yesterday)it seemed different even on the shelf and now after listening to it 4 times right through, from the album art to the execution of the music, this is a different band ,a band that has the new found freedom to make the music they want, and in a way not care about any one else. Oh sure they still rock but there is something different here.


The best way I can describe the change is this way. It's like the difference between the "I wanna hold your hand" Beatles and the "A day in the life" Beatles (and look how that band turned out)same band but they grew up and that's what Chemical City ,is a growth spurt in a bands life. This band has grown up a little and from the sounds coming from my media player right now...That aint to bad a thing....

Part 4...this should be it...

This and the following pictures are what I see when I drive out of my apartment everyday for work.....





and this is home...









It's to bad it wasn't a nicer day the mountains look amazing on a nice day. The great thing about living here is the life style that it affords you. It's one of the only places that you can fish in the morning , hit the slopes for lunch and play a round of golf on the way home...hope you enjoyed the photo tour...Next stop the Vic town...

Part #3...yup more pictures

an over view look of town...


The now defunct west coast field office of the Home office...


The 90 turn from the first picture

Thought i would share a little of the business community of the town..

It has been said that this is where hopes and dreams go to die..."Clown Country"

The "field office in the heart of Downtown crack-lton...


what we are paying this week for the "Go juice"


This is the out side of the "420 gift and ovelty store...come on we live in B.C. for Christ's sake


The home of the Grand Forks Breakfast...

Pictures instead of words...part 2

Back again this is some random pictures of the "historic'main drag. The oldest part of downtown called "Shopper's row".
Probably the busiest intersection in town. It's kinda in the heart of town and the start of "Shopper's row", though I just realized the picture doesn't really show it as busy but you have to trust me on this...


A 90 degree turn from the picture above..the forshore park..kinda where alll community out door events take place...
Ahh the Qudara Iland ferry. Quadra really is like a suburd to town It's a 15 minute ferry ride and probably 95% of the residence that live there work in town.



This is right in the middle of the main drag. what you can't see is Sidekick in my car showing his "westside" roots...


again a 90 degree turn from the above picture...

Pictures instead of words is the order of the day(part 1)

So what's with the pictures you ask?...What are they of/..well most of the regular readers will instantly know that these are in fact pictures of the home town. I always thought we were kinda lucky to live where we do. It wasn't the nicest day to take pictures but oh well. there is alot of them (about 40). A special shout out to the home office......

The first batch were all taken from the fishing pier located downtown.For those who don't know what a fishing peir is..basically it's a big wharf for they built for poeple to fish of. Being as we are located right on the pacific coast, with the pacific ocean at our door step and the distinction of being(arguably)the Salmon capital of the world this seemed like a good idea.

This and the photo below are just of the harbour at the center of town

the new Maritime heritage center. A nice looking building and a "center of pride) for the community..it will always be to me the old site of the Shit Plant..
..
Behind those buildings and boats is the start of the downtown core. we really are a coastal town
Living on an inside passage of water..the channel that we sit on, The Discovery Passage is a major shipping line and in summer is filled with fishing boats,cruise ships going to Alaska and other craft..

Why is it that British people don't seem to have taste?

As you regular readers(all 5 of you) of this thing may have noticed..It's been awhile since I have posted, for some reason I have not been able to get past writing two sentences before my idea escapes me.... All this changed with the morning trip to the local Tim Horton's for the morning coffee and bagel with the Heterolife mate.

While standing inline waiting for to order the morning cup of steaming caffeine filled goodness, resigned to the fact that I will once again be invited to 'Play again" I happened to pick up the arts & Life section of the National Post...This is when I saw it...fuckin Bono on the front page..This alone would be enough to renew my plight in trying to have Bono disappear from the face of the earth.... With the tag line"U.K loves Bono's lyrics like a fat kid loves cake.

Well now this was worth my time to read, let's see how silly those rascally Britains are, I thought to myself. So I open up the section to page B6 as directed, but even through the news print I could smell the Bono-badness so I really didn't need the directions anyway. Upon opening to pg B6 I find that this weekend in Britain U.K VH1 ran a poll as to what there favorite song lyrics are. Not songs, bands or albums but lyrics interesting I thought.

So Bono and his followers came in first with -"One life, With Each Other, Sisters and Brothers" my first question was why? Then I looked at the rest of the list 100 lyrics and I instantly questioned the taste and in some cases intelligence of the British people. The Beatles don't show up till # 25..This is the Beatles we are talking about here plus it was from one of the best Beatles songs ever.. The opening lyric from "A Day in The Life"..I couldn't believe it. To give you an idea of what was on the list before this I'll give you a sampling

"Look at the Stars.Look at how they shine for you"- Coldplay, Yellow

"Life is a minestrone,Served up with Parmesan cheese"-10cc, Life is a minestrone

"I love you like a fat kid love cake"-50cent, 21 questions

"Now let me welcome you to the wild, Wild west, A state that's untouchable Like Elliot ness"-Tupac Sakur feat Dr.Dre

Sure there were great artist on the list before the Beatles(Pink floyd. Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Nirvana) but the Beatles are a bench mark in song writing. aside form the fact that they were so far down on the list and the quality of lyrics before them was clearly lacking, another glaring quality of the list was who wasn't on the list..No RollingStones, Led Zepplin,Neil Young, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Cash(come on.. "I shot a man in Reno Just to watch Him Die.. genius) but plenty of Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs, Abba, and Robbie Williams...god help us if Robbie Williams in on the list...If you know someone in Britain slap them for me... there that's my music snob rant for the day...
if so inclined leave a sample of a lyric that you should think should be on the list.....fucking Bono...just can't escape the bastard..

Just the right mix of stupidity....

Finally I feel like I can put more than a couple of sentences together into some sort of cohesive thought, well as cohesive as things get in this corner of cyber space anyway. Sometimes all it takes is the right playlist(which today consists of "The Flaming Lips , Phish, Ray Charles , The Band and The Tragically Hip) and a coffee, or spending a day in "Clown country" under the waning rule of not everybody's favorite "Uncle", but that is soon to change as "The winds of change" are sweeping through. More on that topic at another time however.

Today the topic is frustration. Now I generally don't go of about things that piss me of around there but today is different. It may be the little things that mean alot but it's also mindless little things that can piss a guy of to no end. They may sound petty and dumb but to fuckin bad. So here it is a list of things that are bugging me today.

1.People who take up two parking spaces-- Hey you, yeah you in the 1986 Honda civic with the stereo that costs-more-than-your-car-but-you need-something-to-play-whatever-popular-Hip-hop-music-that-is-popular-that-day-on, You are NOT in case you noticed it in the Fast and the furious. Don't park like a fucking retard because you don't want someone to scratch your paint...Idiot.

2.The Arrow clearly isn't pointing that way- Why is it in a parking lot especially a busy one people can't follow a directional sighn. Hey mental midget your the one going the wrong way, don't glare at me..fuck tards.

3.The music snob in me can let this go- If your are going to wear the shirt of a band then don't you think you should know something about the band? Who's in it? Something. Especially when that band is one of the BIGGEST in history. A true fan could tell you something about the band aside from they 'Love Stairway dude...And as a side note to ignorance no one's favorite Zepplin song is Stairway to Heaven..fucking no imagination hearded fucking sheep....

4.Ok so you only get your Government check once a month- The last Wednesday of every month..fucking Welfare day...Don't you think you should maybe buy some food for home. $40 in real food goes alot farther than going to visit those of us in "Clown Country"...Get your damn priorities straight...or better yet a job...

5.Let's Rename the game- What game you ask?...I\ll give you a hint. Let's call it "Roll up the Rim to Fucking lose as we watch you and laugh that you think you were actually going to win!!...I think Bono is behind this...Fucker...


That's it petty damn arguments, and I know there are more important things to gripe about...but today thats my list....god I need some sleep.....