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The Top 100 Canadian Albums

by Bob Mersereau

The message of this book, by CBC New Brunswick arts reporter Bob Mersereau, is that Canada loves rock to the point of genre exclusivity. Quoth Neil Young – who has eight albums on the list – “we’re prisoners of rock ’n’ roll.” The question is, did we turn ourselves in?

A word of advice, however, for fans of Canadian jazz, hip-hop, classical, electronica – actually, fans of any Canadian music that is not rock: don’t shoot the messenger. Mersereau does not act as judge, jury, and executioner here. Almost 600 Canadian musicians, critics, broadcasters, managers, and salespeople submitted top-10 lists that Mersereau tabulated using the Borda count (10 points for number one, nine points for number two, etc.).

The book shoots for (very Canadian) all-inclusiveness and ends up highlighting its own shortcomings with off-genre acknowledgements that feel token. Overall, it’s an eminently respectable list. But just one classical entry (from Glenn Gould, of course)? One hip-hop entry (from k-os)? As well, it’s strange to see some best-of compilations make the list: The Best of The Guess Who gets on there, along with three other “legitimate” Guess Who albums. Ditto Gordon Lightfoot.

Mersereau “reviews” all 100 entries, but he’s more into context than assessment, and he tends to keep things light. Hats off to Goose Lane for the art direction – there are great typeface choices, beautiful archival artist photos, and a perfect balance of white space to text. The flow is properly breezy, making the book, despite its October release date, an excellent beach read. The only visual flaws are the full-page album-cover reproductions, which could have been sharper, and the cover of the book, which looks like an iPod ad crossed with one for du Maurier cigarettes.

Personal surprises will abound for each reader. My own came with the sighting of obscure Hamilton band Simply Saucer at #36: like The X-Files’ Agent Mulder, I want to believe, but….

 

Reviewer: Gary Butler

Publisher: Goose Lane Editions

DETAILS

Price: $35

Page Count: 212 pp

Format: Cloth

ISBN: 978-0-86492-500-8

Released: October

Issue Date: 2007-12

Categories: Art, Music & Pop Culture

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