The curiosity of a friend of mine this week thrust me headlong into an obsessive listening stint, this time focused on one of my favorite roots rock bands, Canada's Blue Rodeo. I'm appreciative of the push his interest provided for me, if for no other reason because I enjoyed a particularly pleasant car audio experience yesterday during my commute. Even better, I realized that although I have featured this band on this site a couple of times, I have yet to celebrate its quality output in this space, which is a crime against a group puzzlingly underrated in America.
Although I tend to favor the melodic balladry of Jim Cuddy's songwriting and lead vocals when I peruse the Blue Rodeo canon, this album track from 1989's Diamond Mine is a more than effective showpiece for the band's other leader, lead guitarist Greg Keelor. This guy is a tasteful, deliberate electric guitarist of the highest order, whose contributions to the Blue Rodeo sound cannot be overstated. However, as a lead singer Keelor navigates a chameleonic path often as challenging as his expansive songwriting, and on "Love and Understanding" his laid-back delivery works wonders. Other personal favorites of mine with Keelor on lead vocals include the mesmerizing "Side of the Road," from 1995's brilliant Nowhere to Here.
- Sample or download "Love and Understanding" here.
- Compare prices on Blue Rodeo CDs here.
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Album Cover Image Courtesy of BlueRodeo.com
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