Have Not Been the Same: The CanRock Renaissance 1985-1995

by Michael Barclay, Ian A.D. Jack, Jason Schneider

?Published in autumn 2001, Have Not Been the Same became the first book to comprehensively document the rise of Canadian underground rock between the years 1985 and 1995. It was a tumultuous decade that saw the arrival of Blue Rodeo, The Tragically Hip, Sarah McLachlan, Sloan, Barenaked Ladies, Daniel Lanois, and many others who made an indelible mark not only on Canadian culture, but on the global stage as well. Have Not Been the Same tells all of their stories in rich detail through extensive first-person interviews, while at the same time capturing the spirit of Canada’s homegrown music industry on the cusp of the digital age. Ten years on, the 780-page book is still regarded by critics and musicians as the definitive history of the era. To mark this milestone, the authors have updated many key areas of the book through new interviews, further illuminating the ongoing influence of this generation of artists. And with its treasure trove of rare photos intact, this revised edition of Have Not Been the Same is sure to maintain the book’s status as one of the seminal works in the field of Canadian music writing, and a must-read for any Canadian music fan.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Canada, History, Reference, Pop Culture

752 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2001

Reviews

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a whole year of stop start reading, finally I've come to the end of this massive tome. I don't intend for this to sound like it wasn't a great book. If you are a fan of music, especially Canadian music this is the ultimate resource. I considered myself very knowledgeable about CanCon and there were still countless bands and records that I barely heard of. If anything the book is worth it for the indexes alone, as it's a great guide to searching out new music (if people are still into that sort of thing).

Writing wise it's a straight forward style. Hundreds of interview subjects, recollections of local music scenes and bands recounting their lives through the golden years of Canadian music. It can feel textbookish at times, which I think contributed to my slow pace. I could read one section and feel like that was sufficient for the next couple of weeks.

[Mr. J Robson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first discovered and devoured this book 10 years ago, when it was first released. This year, the authors updated and re-released the book, so I'm reading it all over again.

The book is a thorough look at the explosion of popular Canadian musicians between 1985 to 1995. It was a very fertile and creative time for Canadian music, and many of the artists that we still revere today got their start during the period, including The Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo, Sloan, Barenaked Ladies, etc. Those bigger names are important to mention, but so are the bands that inspired them and so many others, but never broke as big into mainstream culture. Bands like Rheostatics, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, and Slow (whose song gives the book its name) influenced a generation of musicians and fans.

The book includes detailed information, tales from the road, and interviews with bands, industry folk, and fans who were so inspired by the music.

[Derek Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a great resource for anyone looking into this era of Canadian music. It is, if anything, almost too exhaustive. At its best it gives some great insight into the broad trends and scenes of Canadian music in this era, and gives you a better understanding of some of the lesser known but more influential bands. It is occasionally guilty of name dropping and exploring arcane details that are probably only of interest to the most rabid fans of a particular band.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Currently editing the updated edition of this completely absorbing history of a decade of Canadian music! Books like this one make me love my job.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who is a serious fan of Canadian music (mostly Canadian independent music) this is a must-read. The opposite is also true- if you're not really that interested in Canada's musical contributions then don't read it.
This book is a mammoth- over 600 pages of material on numerous Canadian singer-songwriters and bands who got their start between 1985 and 1995, including big names like Blue Rodeo, Sloan and The Tragically Hip among slightly lesser-known acts like 13 Engines and Jr. Gone Wild. This new addition provides a lot of great new information, such as the decline in relevancy of MuchMusic (thought it could be argued that it was irrelevant before that, but who am I to judge?)
For me, I truly appreciated finding out the origin stories of musicians who are still very relevant today, such as Julie Doiron, Joel Plaskett and Chris Murphy, among others.
As a final note, this is not a book that you can read quickly. As can be seen by how long ago I started this book, it takes a long time to absorb everything. For any Canadian wanting to find out more about their musical roots or for non-Canadians who want to know what the fuss is about, this could be the book for you.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book on music and business of music. And of Canada too

I worked in the US music business for years, mostly with independents , and also helped out my company's Canadian operations (which were much better than the American) side, so I am familiar with and love most of the music written about in this book. Plus I still don't understand why many of the great Canadian artists here could not make it bigger in the US. But this is an incredible music book that not only is a wonderful document of an incredible time not just for Canadian music but for music too, but is also one of the best books that I have read that looks at the business side of things along with the music. Extremely well written filled with so many great details that lets you know that it was a labor of love for the authors. If you are a fan of rock/alternative and don't know much about this tremendous music scene then read this book.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this at a time when I was absolutely OBSESSED with the Canadian rock music scene and well, everything else Canada for that matter. I had heard about this book after a profile on a MuchMusic show and decided that I needed own it once I found out there was a whole section about the band Sloan (and the Halifax music scene at that time). I really enjoyed this book and learned more than I ever thought I wanted to know about the music scene there, and also got introduced to some other bands I would have never heard of otherwise. Though I own it, I'm not sure if I'll end up reading it again anytime soon.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I turned 12 in 1985 so the time period covered in this book is pretty much exactly when I was discovering music I liked, not what the radio and my parents forced me to listen to. It was super interesting for me to read all about the origins and careers of bands I grew up with. Some I loved; some not so much but they were all important in some way or another. There is a LOT of information in this book. I feel like I could now kick serious ass at a trivia night related to Canadian indie music if such a trivia night existed.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took my time with this because I didn't want it to end! I initially picked up this book because it was the only thing out there that had any history on Alex Soria and the Nils. I never realized though, how much Canadian music I loved and have in my collection. The Modernettes, No Means No, New Pornographers, were just bands I liked regardless of their location. I've always had a love for Canada that I can't explain. This book is the best trip you can take across Canada and back whether you are a music addict or not. Canada you are my spirit country!

[Amanda Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Canadian indie rock, and this book was like visiting with old friends. From the opening comments about how fabulous the Rheostatics are (which is so true) to stories behind the role of CanCon rules, CFNY and college radio at shaping the scene, to the rise of all the Canadian bands I love, it was a joy to read. One of those books I couldn't stop talking about. Now I want to read a sequel to this story.

[Jamison Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This is a massive book, covering ten years (85-95) in Canadian rick. I LOVED it. I read so many rock books and watch so many rock documentaries that it often feels like I've heard all the stories, but I had never even heard of 75% of the bands in this book. Hundreds of great little stories, and lots of new bands cds for me to hunt down.

[Jessrawk · Rating 3 out of 5]

To begin, I certainly do not regret reading this tome. It had a lot going for it, in particular for me, an avid (to say the least) fan of Canadian music. However, it got a lot of shit wrong. I know it’s a massive book, and I know fact-checkers are expensive, but spelling people’s names wrong? In this day & age, when google is literally right there? Kind of lazy, I must say. I even had random bits of information confirmed as incorrect by the people in question, which is also just weird.

Still, it was a fun read for the most part. I took issue with an entire chapter dedicated to Neil Young and another to Dan Lanois. Hold on before you get upset—only given the supposed timeline of this text. I mean, what was Lanois doing at that time, producing U2 records? Okay, sure. In any case, they really stuck out like a sore thumb. Ditto the diatribe (though not the entire chapter) on Sarah McLachlan’s legal troubles. Like, was that really necessary, dear editor?

Finally, the epilogue aka the conclusion? Wow. Proclaiming everything in canindierawk deceased for the later half of the nineties? Wow. What a fucking slap in the face and wildly untrue. I mean, this comes on the heels of discussing both Phantom Power and Trouble at the Henhouse, so... how?

There were noticeable omissions, too, of course, which was to be expected. However, they hurt a little more alongside those massive aforementioned chapters on Neil Young & Daniel Lanois. Thrush Hermit’s presence was cursory at best, and the Super Friendz and Local Rabbits also fairly invisible.

In any case, worth it for the history lesson (but be sure to double-check your facts!).

[Tim Mcgurrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow - a wonderful and detailed view of the Canadian music scene during this incredibly fertile period. The authors focus on specific cities and weave the histories of several seminal bands through individual chapters. I’m a huge music nerd but they go deep in tracing band members as they form, separate and reform as new entities. A great read, even if you are unfamiliar with most of the bands. And hey: I built a Spotify playlist to listen to while reading, roughly in the order the bands and their songs are mentioned.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/25v...

[I. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really exhaustive and excellent look at Canadian music with loads of band stories. A few notable names missing but lots of obscure ones present. There are a couple of minor issues: a hipster attitude about music and how good indie rock is, a focus mainly on specific cities: Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, Halifax. Anyone else gets the short straw. BUT this is a tremendous resource and will give you plenty of listening material.

[Ellen Worling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up to read as it was mentioned in many of the recent articles on Gord Downie. Parts of it were really interesting, the background on several of my fav bands was great. Other parts were virtually unreadable and I skipped huge parts.

[Julia Zingel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I now know so much more about CanCon rock. This book has opened my eyes to many bands I had not heard of. Also I listened to some Blue Rodeo, and I enjoyed it! Plan on reading more CanCon in the future!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kind of funny to discover this book as Slow is preparing their comeback. Great read especially if you were into Canadian indie rock in the 80s and 90s.

[Sadie Ruin · Rating 4 out of 5]

While there were several bands I would have liked to read more about and some I could have lived with less of, it ended up being a really good book dedicated to Canadian music of the time.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

CanCon essential.

[Matthew Beverley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential

[janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to any music fan, not specifically Canadian music fans, but growing up in Canada, and knowing a lot of the music was an added bonus while reading. My favourite part is still in the Blue Rodeo chapter, when Cleave Anderson decided he was going to leave the band to keep his job as a postal carrier. . .

[Brad Abraham · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of Canadian alternative and indie rock bands circa 1985-1995 this book is essential reading. Lots of information about the bands, the personalities, and even loads of detail on the origins of Much Music. Even if you weren't "there" like I was, you'll still find lots to like. But be sure to get the updated and expanded edition published in 2010.

[Dan Awesome · Rating 5 out of 5]

So great, especially as a fan of the music from that time and having grown up in southern Ontario. This book reflects the scene and the importance of various players (Change of Heart especially) in a way that most reports do not.

[rabbitprincess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have to reread this one.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads like a collection of "the true story of..." articles in free alt-weeklies funded by x-rated ads; regardless, it is still the only account of a fascinating time of cultural change in Canada