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Barenaked Ladies: Public Stunts, Private Stories
From geeks in short pants to multiplatinum artists, Barenaked Ladies are nothing less than a phenomenon. Now, for the first time in the United States, we can read their astonishing story.
Steven, Ed, Jim, Tyler, and Kevin have two Grammy nominations under their belts, they've appeared on The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live, and their music is featured in commercials. They've even preempted the Olympics and rocked the vote on The West Wing. Their quirky, bizarre lyrics and unforgettable live performances have secured a rabidly loyal fan base across North America. They are Barenaked Ladies.
Want to know more about this Canadian quintet? It's all here, from the births of five Barenaked babies to the triumph of band member Kevin over leukemia.
Steven, Ed, Jim, Tyler, and Kevin have two Grammy nominations under their belts, they've appeared on The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live, and their music is featured in commercials. They've even preempted the Olympics and rocked the vote on The West Wing. Their quirky, bizarre lyrics and unforgettable live performances have secured a rabidly loyal fan base across North America. They are Barenaked Ladies.
Want to know more about this Canadian quintet? It's all here, from the births of five Barenaked babies to the triumph of band member Kevin over leukemia.
- GenresNonfictionMusicBiography
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 5, 2017
I adore the BNLs and have followed their career since the early days in Toronto. I think they are fascinating guys (and deceptively great musicians) and their story warrants attention and an in-depth look. Unfortunately, this book does them a great disservice and the fault lies entirely with the author.
Myers clearly knows the band and his affection for them and their music is evident. Sadly, Myers is not a writer. His attempts at humour fall painfully flat, his continuous use of the same tropes - "Enter (insert name)" for each new character introduced; "and so it was that..." as a segue to introduce a shift in the narrative) - gets tired very fast and his childish (not child-like, childish) attempts at word play and cleverness make you want to gauge out your eyes. The "background" stories are frankly boring - I love Steve Page but even I don't want to hear about that time in grade school when.... - and many of the pictures included are more of the holiday snaps with the family variety, rather than anything informative or illustrative. Anything approximating controversy is sidestepped for heartwarming stories of how the band plays pranks. Myers is also far too willing to make himself the focus of the narrative (how many times do we need to hear about you wearing your all-access credentials backstage at the concerts?)
It is my very sincere hope that someone, someday writes the seminal book on the BNLs. This ain't it.
Myers clearly knows the band and his affection for them and their music is evident. Sadly, Myers is not a writer. His attempts at humour fall painfully flat, his continuous use of the same tropes - "Enter (insert name)" for each new character introduced; "and so it was that..." as a segue to introduce a shift in the narrative) - gets tired very fast and his childish (not child-like, childish) attempts at word play and cleverness make you want to gauge out your eyes. The "background" stories are frankly boring - I love Steve Page but even I don't want to hear about that time in grade school when.... - and many of the pictures included are more of the holiday snaps with the family variety, rather than anything informative or illustrative. Anything approximating controversy is sidestepped for heartwarming stories of how the band plays pranks. Myers is also far too willing to make himself the focus of the narrative (how many times do we need to hear about you wearing your all-access credentials backstage at the concerts?)
It is my very sincere hope that someone, someday writes the seminal book on the BNLs. This ain't it.
November 21, 2018
Myers has done a decent job with this book in giving a basic outline of Barenaked Ladies’ history up to the early 2000’s.
For any BNL fan it’s an easy, enjoyable read with some genuinely great moments. I just can’t help but think some even deeper information and more personal stories would have added another level to the book. It feel slightly thin on “insights” when all is said and done and feels a bit...safe.
I would also have loved even more details about the thought/writing process behind the lyrics to most, if not all the songs up to this point. Exploring more of what a lot of them are really about would have been very interesting. This is explored a little with the “Stunt” running order but I just wanted a lot more of it. The lyrics of BNL songs are the real reason I love this band so much, so that would have been appreciated.
It has to be said, most of this book is quite forgettable but long term fans like me will pick a few great stories out to remember.
Overall, a solid if not slightly played safe biography which is both funny and sad in places and gives a good insight into the history of Barenaked Ladies.
Looking back as we can now in 2018 it’s clear in my opinion that the ladies’ more interesting days were ahead of them at the time this was written.
Let’s hope a BNL biography about 2002 to recent days is on the horizon soon!
For any BNL fan it’s an easy, enjoyable read with some genuinely great moments. I just can’t help but think some even deeper information and more personal stories would have added another level to the book. It feel slightly thin on “insights” when all is said and done and feels a bit...safe.
I would also have loved even more details about the thought/writing process behind the lyrics to most, if not all the songs up to this point. Exploring more of what a lot of them are really about would have been very interesting. This is explored a little with the “Stunt” running order but I just wanted a lot more of it. The lyrics of BNL songs are the real reason I love this band so much, so that would have been appreciated.
It has to be said, most of this book is quite forgettable but long term fans like me will pick a few great stories out to remember.
Overall, a solid if not slightly played safe biography which is both funny and sad in places and gives a good insight into the history of Barenaked Ladies.
Looking back as we can now in 2018 it’s clear in my opinion that the ladies’ more interesting days were ahead of them at the time this was written.
Let’s hope a BNL biography about 2002 to recent days is on the horizon soon!
April 21, 2021
As a fan of the band, I was very happy to learn that an early biography had been written. The book provided a lot of information about their early history and the climb to success which I found interesting. However, I would have greatly appreciated a lot more information about the story behind some of their greatest hits. What inspired them and why did they write the songs that have done so well? There are tantalising tidbits, but not really what a serious fan would consider enough. As well, I would have been interested to learn more about the members. I know, they have private lives, too, but there is a lot that I think could have been covered that wasn't. Really, I learned more from Wikipedia than the book. I would be very interested if there is a more up to date version that tells the full story behind Steven Page leaving the band as I'm sure that there is much left unsaid. Overall, I liked the book, but was left wanting to know more.
A recent re-read has me liking the book a bit more, but I stand by my original comment that I would have loved to seen more of the info behind some of their best songs, such as "Call and Answer" and alternative verses for "If I Had a Million Dollars."
A recent re-read has me liking the book a bit more, but I stand by my original comment that I would have loved to seen more of the info behind some of their best songs, such as "Call and Answer" and alternative verses for "If I Had a Million Dollars."
January 14, 2023
I haven't read many band biographies - not even any of the various available books about my favorite band, Rush, except those written by Neil Peart himself. But I'm also a fan of BNL, and had to pick this up when I came across it at a used book sale. It was written in 2002, so only covers the band's history up through the Maroon album, with most of the emphasis on the earlier years.
I definitely learned some things about the band - although much of this info is available online, I hadn't made the effort to seek it out, so this was an informative and fairly enjoyable read. I even learned something about Rush - although I knew that some of the BNL members were Rush fans (Ed Robertson says that when he bought "his very first rock album, Exit... Stage Left", they became at the time, "the only band that mattered to me" (p. 19)), I was not aware that Neil Peart made a guest appearance on the Rheostatics' Whale Music album, as did BNL. Anyway, there’s a lot of fun background info about many of BNL’s songs, the songwriting process, and the band's approach to live performance.
The writing, however, is a bit loose, with Myers sometimes seeming like he wanted to write himself into the story - rather than a straight reporting job, we get numerous asides, jokes, and opinions from the author - which is understandable, except some of these asides are not even related to the band. There are also a few awkward turns of phrase, in particular where Myers seems unsure how strongly to assert his first person narrative voice. But BNL is an idiosyncratic band, after all, so maybe some of this awkwardness is appropriate.
This book reveals quite a bit of interpersonal conflict, with members coming and going, tension with managers, and that sort of thing, which I suppose is typical for bands, and would seem more familiar to me if I'd read more of this genre. We hear about the "pushiness" of Tyler Stewart to join the band, and that the departure of Andy Creeggan was largely due to Stewart joining (p. 105 - 107). And in a possibly prophetic comment, we learn from Steven Page's wife Carolyn that "no one would have guessed that Steven and Ed would even get along" (p. 25) - they did until long after this book was written, but only so long (2015). And then there was the period leading up to the production of Stunt, the success of which was apparently accomplished by the business-like management style of Terry McBride - I'd have expected to hear about some rebellion from the bandmembers in the face of McBride's severe direction, but it seems they went along with it, and it's presumably just as well, since that album became - and remains - their most successful. It's interesting to see the references to other bands and music industry figures, including Ben Mink, Susan Rogers, Sarah McLachlan, Brian Wilson, and of course Rush.
So as band bios go, this one isn't bad, but not as good as one of the few others I've read, about Semisonic (who also get a mention here as an opening band for BNL): So You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star, written by the band's drummer Jacob Slichter.
For the record, I first saw BNL during a brief visit to Toronto in the fall of 1990 - once in a basement bar for an intimate performance that couldn't have had more than 20 people in attendance, and again the next night (since they were so obviously brilliant) in a somewhat larger venue (maybe the Horseshoe Tavern?). This book is a bit sketchy about the timelines, and of course I wasn't familiar with the band members at the time, but this was before they'd released any albums, and was presumably in the period when the band included Stewart and both Creeggans, as well as Page and Robertson. The next time they came to my attention was when I recognized "Be My Yoko Ono" playing in a store in a Colorodo ski resort town. I've since seen them twice more, once on the Stunt tour in Ft. Lauderdale in '98, and then in West Palm Beach in 2012.
Great band, decent book. Recommended for fans interested in the early history and trivia about the group.
I definitely learned some things about the band - although much of this info is available online, I hadn't made the effort to seek it out, so this was an informative and fairly enjoyable read. I even learned something about Rush - although I knew that some of the BNL members were Rush fans (Ed Robertson says that when he bought "his very first rock album, Exit... Stage Left", they became at the time, "the only band that mattered to me" (p. 19)), I was not aware that Neil Peart made a guest appearance on the Rheostatics' Whale Music album, as did BNL. Anyway, there’s a lot of fun background info about many of BNL’s songs, the songwriting process, and the band's approach to live performance.
The writing, however, is a bit loose, with Myers sometimes seeming like he wanted to write himself into the story - rather than a straight reporting job, we get numerous asides, jokes, and opinions from the author - which is understandable, except some of these asides are not even related to the band. There are also a few awkward turns of phrase, in particular where Myers seems unsure how strongly to assert his first person narrative voice. But BNL is an idiosyncratic band, after all, so maybe some of this awkwardness is appropriate.
This book reveals quite a bit of interpersonal conflict, with members coming and going, tension with managers, and that sort of thing, which I suppose is typical for bands, and would seem more familiar to me if I'd read more of this genre. We hear about the "pushiness" of Tyler Stewart to join the band, and that the departure of Andy Creeggan was largely due to Stewart joining (p. 105 - 107). And in a possibly prophetic comment, we learn from Steven Page's wife Carolyn that "no one would have guessed that Steven and Ed would even get along" (p. 25) - they did until long after this book was written, but only so long (2015). And then there was the period leading up to the production of Stunt, the success of which was apparently accomplished by the business-like management style of Terry McBride - I'd have expected to hear about some rebellion from the bandmembers in the face of McBride's severe direction, but it seems they went along with it, and it's presumably just as well, since that album became - and remains - their most successful. It's interesting to see the references to other bands and music industry figures, including Ben Mink, Susan Rogers, Sarah McLachlan, Brian Wilson, and of course Rush.
So as band bios go, this one isn't bad, but not as good as one of the few others I've read, about Semisonic (who also get a mention here as an opening band for BNL): So You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star, written by the band's drummer Jacob Slichter.
For the record, I first saw BNL during a brief visit to Toronto in the fall of 1990 - once in a basement bar for an intimate performance that couldn't have had more than 20 people in attendance, and again the next night (since they were so obviously brilliant) in a somewhat larger venue (maybe the Horseshoe Tavern?). This book is a bit sketchy about the timelines, and of course I wasn't familiar with the band members at the time, but this was before they'd released any albums, and was presumably in the period when the band included Stewart and both Creeggans, as well as Page and Robertson. The next time they came to my attention was when I recognized "Be My Yoko Ono" playing in a store in a Colorodo ski resort town. I've since seen them twice more, once on the Stunt tour in Ft. Lauderdale in '98, and then in West Palm Beach in 2012.
Great band, decent book. Recommended for fans interested in the early history and trivia about the group.
September 13, 2021
5 stars for subject matter & a few tidbits here & there.
1 star for the excruciating attempts at humour from Myers. Seriously, he should leave comedy & wordplay to his brother. His attempts at puns are painful & insulting.
1 star for the excruciating attempts at humour from Myers. Seriously, he should leave comedy & wordplay to his brother. His attempts at puns are painful & insulting.
January 24, 2024
I loved this book but I consider myself a super fan of BNL. My inner 12 year old self enjoyed getting to learn the ins and outs of the band members. I teared up when I saw the photos. Such a great underdog story and such an underrated band.
January 1, 2018
Enjoyed this although it does make me sad somewhat since it's the Steve days.
December 18, 2018
Poorly written and without nearly as much depth as I had hoped; however, any fan of the band (especially prior to Steven Page’s departure) will still find value here.
December 31, 2018
Disappointingly forgettable, unlike their music.
August 13, 2010
I liked this book. I'm not a HUGE, DIEHARD Barenaked Ladies fan, so I'm not an expert on whether anything was left out of the book, or written in such a way that made the author sound like he didn't know what he was talking about, but the book seemed like a good enough history of the band. There were a few times when it seemed like Myers had skipped over stuff or made jumps from one event to another that should have been more logically connected, but it was still good. Unlike many of the other reviewers, I actually liked Myers' witty writing -- it seemed to fit in with the style of BNL.
One thing I really liked in the band members' interviews that Myers included in his book was that they mentioned a lot of people's names -- mentors, teachers, people from back in the day. The little people who contributed in one way or another, even just introducing an elementary-aged Lady to a certain instrument. It was very sweet.
One thing I didn't like was that Myers, at times, makes it sound like the U.S. hadn't really heard of Barenaked Ladies until 1998, when "One Week" came out. Later he kind of makes up for it, touching on how well "Brian Wilson" did in the States and some shows BNL did, but it still feels like his overall generalization was that BNL were never heard of in the U.S. until 1998.
The book also includes some interesting thoughts and ideas from Terry McBride about marketing a band.
One thing I really liked in the band members' interviews that Myers included in his book was that they mentioned a lot of people's names -- mentors, teachers, people from back in the day. The little people who contributed in one way or another, even just introducing an elementary-aged Lady to a certain instrument. It was very sweet.
One thing I didn't like was that Myers, at times, makes it sound like the U.S. hadn't really heard of Barenaked Ladies until 1998, when "One Week" came out. Later he kind of makes up for it, touching on how well "Brian Wilson" did in the States and some shows BNL did, but it still feels like his overall generalization was that BNL were never heard of in the U.S. until 1998.
The book also includes some interesting thoughts and ideas from Terry McBride about marketing a band.
January 4, 2012
Many other reviews here on goodreads refer to the author "trying to hard to be funny." While a slight shave in the editing process might have increased readability, I found the author's wordplay fitting because it was interspersed with the Ladies brainy lyrics and intense inter-band, brain-teasing, vocabulary games. I got the sense that living with the Ladies meant being on your verbal toes; a gang of cerebral songwriters don't make for the most straight forward narrative.
Where the biography succeeds, IMO, is in painting a picture of the band's early years and the formative influences on the band: Rush, Corky and the Juice Pigs, CFNY, Smiths, Stephen Duffy, Lyle Lovett's Joshua Judges Ruth etc. Even Canadian children's icon Eric Nagler makes a significant appearance. While lacking a certain depth (certain songs off Gordon don't get mentioned, Maybe You Should Drive is relegated to obscurity) I was left with a sense of understanding where the energy and focus for the Ladies' noteworthy albums came from.
It's easy to say that the biography is slightly hagiographic, especially given that the band sort-of imploded. Still, for an easy read (excepting the wordplay I mentioned at the top), this book will fill you in on the ups and downs of the Ladies' career to 2001. The earlier the subject the less ass-kissing the author sounds, but he doesn't miss the mark as far as explaining where the music comes from.
Where the biography succeeds, IMO, is in painting a picture of the band's early years and the formative influences on the band: Rush, Corky and the Juice Pigs, CFNY, Smiths, Stephen Duffy, Lyle Lovett's Joshua Judges Ruth etc. Even Canadian children's icon Eric Nagler makes a significant appearance. While lacking a certain depth (certain songs off Gordon don't get mentioned, Maybe You Should Drive is relegated to obscurity) I was left with a sense of understanding where the energy and focus for the Ladies' noteworthy albums came from.
It's easy to say that the biography is slightly hagiographic, especially given that the band sort-of imploded. Still, for an easy read (excepting the wordplay I mentioned at the top), this book will fill you in on the ups and downs of the Ladies' career to 2001. The earlier the subject the less ass-kissing the author sounds, but he doesn't miss the mark as far as explaining where the music comes from.
September 11, 2013
This here is a great insight into one of my favorite bands. It takes you from the start up until about 2002, and it really is fun to see how the band took shape. This book was written before the big shake up, and so I was left feeling nostalgic, and wondering how a book covering that time period would go, but I definitely enjoyed reading this book and learning some things I wouldn't have otherwise known.
This book is written in a manner that entertains while it informs, and it doesn't shy away from some of the tougher topics, and that is always welcome. Obviously it can't cover everything about the band, as they will always have some stories they don't want all of us to know, but it does have many stories that are more than worth reading.
If you like the band, or just like reading how a group of Canadians can get together and make sounds, this book is for you.
This book is written in a manner that entertains while it informs, and it doesn't shy away from some of the tougher topics, and that is always welcome. Obviously it can't cover everything about the band, as they will always have some stories they don't want all of us to know, but it does have many stories that are more than worth reading.
If you like the band, or just like reading how a group of Canadians can get together and make sounds, this book is for you.
January 20, 2008
Myers tries way too hard to be funny. I read the "Canadian" edition, so hopefully the "American" one (pictured) has had some of the glaring grammatical errors corrected.
July 19, 2009
Huge fan of the band and finally got around to reading the book. The author is too concerned about making himself seem witty than just talking about the bank.
January 7, 2010
Author tries way too hard to be funny/witty. Pretty agonizing to read.
January 29, 2024
I was a relatively "late" fan of BNL so this was a nice way to learn more about the history behind the band. A good read; would have loved more pictures though!
July 27, 2012
A band that is still going so its hard to get al the facts down pat but Paul Myers has seemed to have done the trick.
August 24, 2015
This is a very disappointing band biography that amounts to little more than a puff piece and that was edited with a spatula. Completed May 16, 2005.
January 7, 2016
Good for the history, the writing style was a bit choppy and it jumped around a bit...but overall insightful.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews