Rock Spectacle - Definition and Overview

Rock Spectacle (1996) is the fourth full-length album by Barenaked Ladies and their first live album.

The album does not contain any new songs, but instead has live versions of old favorites such as "Brian Wilson" and "If I Had $1000000." "Brian Wilson" was a big hit for BNL on this record, but, interestingly enough, not on its original record, Gordon.

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 is an improvised song 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 record was recorded at two concerts in Chicago and Montreal during the Born on a Pirate Ship tour.

Track listing

1. "Brian Wilson" (Page) - 4:46
2. "Straw Hat and Old Dirty Hank" (Page, Robertson) - 3:33
3. "Break Your Heart" (Page) - 5:06
4. "Jane" (Duffy, Page) - 3:58
5. "When I Fall" (Page, Robertson) - 4:23
6. "Hello City" (Page, Robertson) - 3:13
7. "What a Good Boy" (Page, Robertson) - 4:47
8. "The Old Apartment" (Page, Robertson) - 3:21
9. "Life, in a Nutshell" (Page, Robertson) - 2:40
10. "These Apples" (Robertson) - 3:59
11. "If I Had $1000000" (Page, Robertson) - 11:48

Personnel

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

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