Rock Spectacle

Infobox Album |
Name = Rock Spectacle
Type = Live album
Artist = Barenaked Ladies


Released = November 19, 1996
Recorded = Spring 1996
Genre = Alternative Rock
Length = 49:09
Label = Reprise
Producer = Michael Phillip Wojewoda
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:86n20rnat48c~T1 link]
Last album = "Born on a Pirate Ship"
(1996)
This album = "Rock Spectacle"
(1996)
Next album = "Stunt"
(1998)

"Rock Spectacle" (1996) is the fourth full-length album by Barenaked Ladies and their first live release. This was the album that finally broke the American market for BNL, with the live version of "Brian Wilson" and a release of "The Old Apartment" from "Born on a Pirate Ship" featuring this live version becoming hits, and "Rock Spectacle" selling over a million copies there alone. The record was recorded at two concerts at the Riviera in Chicago and at The Olympia in Montreal during the "Born on a Pirate Ship" tour.

A live version of "Shoe Box" was on promotional and advance copies of this record, but was left off at the last second. This particular recording of "Shoe Box" appears on the "One Week" CD single. At the very end of the "$1000000" track, there are two bonus tracks. One is a banter about an elderly woman Ed ran into in Chicago. Part of this story is referenced in the "$1000000" song, which must have originally occurred "after" this banter at the Chicago concert. The second is an improvised song/rap about Ed Robertson's (the band's vocalist/guitarist) Uncle Elwyn. There is some question as to whether this "Uncle Elwyn" is a real person.

This disc is an enhanced CD, which means it will display special multimedia features when played on a computer. It includes a program called "BNLTV", a faux collection of various-themed TV programming.

Track listing

#"Brian Wilson" (Page) – 4:46
#"Straw Hat and Old Dirty Hank" (Page, Robertson) – 3:33
#"Break Your Heart" (Page) – 5:06
#"Jane" (Duffy, Page) – 3:58
#"When I Fall" (Page, Robertson) – 4:23
#"Hello City" (Page, Robertson) – 3:13
#"What a Good Boy" (Page, Robertson) – 4:47
#"The Old Apartment" (Page, Robertson) – 3:21
#"Life, in a Nutshell" (Page, Robertson) – 2:40
#"These Apples" (Robertson) – 3:59
#"If I Had $1000000" (Page, Robertson) – 11:48
#* Contains a hidden track with some anecdotes and a song "Uncle Elwyn".

Personnel

*Jim Creeggan - bass guitar, singing, double bass
*Kevin Hearn - accordion, electric guitar, keyboards, singing
*Steven Page - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, singing
*Ed Robertson - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, singing
*Tyler Stewart - drums, singing

Production

*Engineers: Marcel Gounin, Michael Phillip Wojewoda
*Assistant engineers: Bernoit Baruvin, Dan Glomski, Mycle Konopka, Timothy R. Powell
*Mixing assistants: Jeff Elliot, Tom Heron
*Mastering: Don C. Tyler
*Digital editing: Jeff Elliot
*Design: Neil Prime
*Photography: Neil Prime

Charts

Album

Singles