Disc #26: Blue Rodeo (Five Days in July)

Artist: Blue Rodeo
Album: Five Days in July
Released by Blue Rodeo Productions in 1993

This is one of those sleeper albums that I wasn't introduced to until long after it was released. In my defense, I was ten years old when it came out, but I still never really had much interest in Blue Rodeo for about another decade. This was definitely an album that was listened to a lot in the summers picking corn. I owe much of my music listening experience to my buddies from the corn field. Thanks guys. I think it was either Jeff or Dustin who had this one. Perhaps it was both. I remember for sure listening to it in Dustin's old powder blue Pontiac 3000. That was one heck of a corn car. Right up there with the Cutlass Classic (AHEM).

There's something so relaxing about the music on this album. The song writing is great, and the instruments they use compliment the songs so well. I've never been a big country music fan, especially at the time I was introduced to this album, but I love their use of instruments that are typically classified as "country". The pedal steel, when you take it out of its country context, is a gorgeous sounding instrument. This album is the perfect blend of folk, rock, and country. I think that anyone who likes rock, but not country, would still love this music.

I always have a hard time deciding which song is my favourite on this album. I usually flip flop back and forth between "5 Days in May" and "Hasn't Hit Me Yet". That being said, there are so many other tunes that I love on this album, such as "Bad Timing", "English Bay" and "Head Over Heels". I also love the addition of Sarah McLachlan's backing vocals on "What is This Love", "Dark Angel" and "Know Where You Go/ Tell Me Your Dream". She fits in perfectly on this album.

Outside of this album, which unfortunately is the only one that I have from these guys, they have a whole load of hits. I highly recommend checking them out. I have been told by a number of people, and I agree with them, that this disc is a great place to start. As far as I'm concerned, this album is very deserving of a score of:

8

It's full of great music that inspires me, it brings back lots of memories and is great fun to sing along to, alone or with old friends. I'm offering a free barbecue for the first person who tells me they want to come and hang with me to sing this album together. That's how much I like it. Plus, I love barbecue, so it's really a win-win-win situation for me.

Join me next time as the experiment continues with Disc #27: Bryan Adams(MTV Unplugged).