BARENAKED LADIES - DISC ONE: ALL THEIR GREATEST HITS (1991-2001)

Barenaked Ladies are one of those bands everyone kinda knows to one degree or another.  They've had a string of hits that filter through the music scene and wind up on soundtracks, mix tapes, compilation discs or you have that one friend who really digs the group and plays them all the time.

They have a few songs I really love and when I found this disc for a reasonable price, I picked it up.  I was really excited about it because it has all the songs I like and I expected to discover even more tunes by the group to fall in love with.  But I was in for a shock!  I very quickly discovered my interest in the group was fairly skin deep.

This is an interesting group because it features two lead singers.  And one of them I like and one I don't.  It's not because I wanna be a jerk, I just don't like his voice.  He sounds like he's trying to be a male version of Ani DiFranco.  And I'm talking about Steven Page.  On the other hand, I'm completely head over heels for Ed Robertson's vocals.  What sucks is that Steven Page sings lead on a rather hugely unfair majority of tracks on this record and I actually find the disc rather hard to listen to.  I skip to the tracks I like and just avoid the rest.

Robertson sings lead or co-lead on the following numbers and frankly, they're the only songs I can handle: 'Falling For The First Time', 'One Week', 'Get In Line', 'Pinch Me' and 'Thanks That Was Fun'...  So on a disc with 19 songs, I only listen to 5.  And one of them is questionable.

I recently read Page left the group which means, Robertson becomes the new lead singer by default and I'm interested in hearing more of their stuff with him on the mic.  But this compilation won't inspire me to buy anymore of their music.  Sadly.

I guess if you're a casual observer of the group and you like some of their stuff, this is the way to go.  Buy this collection and listen to the tracks you love the most.  Skip the rest.

I feel awful that I'm not a fan of Steven Page's voice.  I really wanted to like what they were doing.  I'm disappointed I couldn't.  But oh well.  My final words:  A DEFINITE UNPLEASANT SHOCK, BUT WORTH THE SONGS I LIKE!

BARENAKED LADIES - DISC ONE: ALL THEIR GREATEST HITS (1991-2001)
01. The Old Apartment
02. Falling For The First Time
03. Brian Wilson
04. One Week
05. By My Yoko Ono
06. Alternative Girlfriend
07. It's Only Me (The Wizard Of Magicland)
08. If I Had $1000000
09. Call And Answer
10. Get In Line
11. It's All Been Done
12. Jane
13. Lovers In A Dangerous Time
14. Pinch Me
15. Shoebox
16. What A Good Boy
17. Too Little Too Late
18. Enid
19. Thanks That Was Fun