MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: THE JERRY CANS - INUUSIQ/LIFE

Despite the fact that it's a huge part of our country, most of us don't have clue about the Arctic, me included. I know it's cold and all that, but imagine if 95 per cent of Americans had never been to, say, Texas. There's lots to discover, and we're on a pretty steep learning curve.


Thankfully, we have Iqaluit-based folk-rockers The Jerry Cans to guide us along. But the award-winning group isn't going to spoon-feed us, the majority of their singing is in Inuktitut, something lead vocalist Andrew Morrison learned as an adult, by the way. There's throat singing from Nancy Mike, traditional but fit into the context of the group's lively tunes, heavily influenced by Celtic folk sounds, which it turns out have been popular in that area as well. So basically you get the band Great Big North.


I joke, but The Jerry Cans have built an exciting live reputation, largely because these are upbeat, energetic and entertaining songs, and while the words may be different to our ears, the music is that to which Canadians coast to coast (to coast) always respond with vigor. Inuktitut is a rhythmic language that's interesting to follow, and the band even provides some basic words to listen for in the liner notes to pick up a lesson or two. It's fun! But mostly, you have fiddle tunes, accordion numbers, thumping, bass-heavy rabble-rousing songs that fit in any concert hall or folk club. Fit? No, more like take over. Then there's Mike's throat singing, which is more like another instrument taking solos in the band's context. All those hot-shot producers looking for ambiance and different sounds to dazzle, well here's one of the world's all-natural and unique forms of communication, adding so much more than some concocted layer of beats.


Just when I thought I was starting to learn some words, I realized Morrison had switched to English for the first time. The song Ukiuq has been translated into Northern Lights, and included twice on the disc, but not to push their way onto radio or because of any pressure to sell out. After all, the band now owns their own label, Nunavut's very first, so they are the boss. It's to give a little more sense of what Iqaluit is like, as it includes lyrics about the area's beauty and ability to lure a certain kind of person. The Jerry Cans are making the Arctic hot.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: PRINCE - 4EVER

This is what has been missing for the Prince fan since his death, especially the ones who want to get a lot of hits, more than the basics. It's a 40-track collection from his Warner Bros. years (or "Slave" time, and he once famously wrote on his forehead), from the start of his career as a wonderboy, until '93, when he went on his own, and not coincidentally, pretty much stopped having hits. Then there was that whole symbol-for-a-name thing, but that was later. This is the 1999-Purple Rain-Kiss years.


Oh, and so much more than that. Hopefully you'll stick around for a few more tracks, since he had a glorious run of singles, and shouldn't be remembered for just a handful. As this set shows, Prince had a great way to mix heavy grooves and solid rock, impossible to resist dance floor tracks, and hooks on top of all that. Pretty naughty too; he made Madonna look like a, ahem, virgin.


Amazingly, 40 tracks doesn't even cover all the singles he released although all the big hits are here. I'm a bit miffed that they chose to release the single edits for several cuts, as we miss lots of the best parts of songs. Plus, we all knew the long versions anyway, from the videos, not the radio. Nobody wants a shorter version of Little Red Corvette, that thing can play all night for my money. There will be lots of songs you'll either have forgotten, or not even noticed over the years, especially the pre-1999 (the song, not the year) material, back when he really displayed that dirty mind -- his first single was called Soft and Wet, for goodness sake. Then there are the later tracks you never hear anymore, such as 87's fabulous I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man, from the mostly-amazing Sign O' The Times album. Unfortunately it also included the annoying Sheena Easton duet U Got The Look, also included on this.


Prince made a major misstep in 1986, trying to do another movie to follow Purple Rain's massive success, the dire Under The Cherry Moon. At least the music from it was tremendous, including Kiss. But he jumped the shark with the Batman soundtrack, and the public started to smell weirdness, never a good thing. He had more moments of glory along the way, and I'll argue that his last studio album, Hit n Run Phase Two was one of his very best ever, back to glory years. There's apparently a vault of gold waiting to be shared, and we do get one previously-unreleased cut here, a very interesting 1982 song called Moonbeam Levels, which certainly doesn't sound like the 1999 album stuff made at the same time. It's more like Diamonds and Pearls, which is sequenced next to it on this set. I'm looking forward to more discoveries, but in the meantime, let's enjoy Raspberry Beret again. It's my fave.

JETHRO TULL - STAND UP THE ELEVATED EDITION

Pop quiz! Quick now, what kind of music does Jethro Tull play? If you said hard rock/metal, then you're a Grammy Awards voter, who infamously gave Tull that award over Metallica the first time it was a category. If you said prog, then you face the wrath of Ian Anderson, who still flinches when the P-word is thrown at him to describe early 70's albums Aqualung and Thick As A Brick. If you said folk-flavoured flute, that was the late 70's. If you said blues, then you're ... ah, old. You remember what Tull was at the start, the late 60's when blues was the thing in England, and everybody wanted to be Fleetwood Mac. When they were old, before the pop hits, and Stevie Nicks and ... oh, never mind. This is kind of a blues album.


Stand Up was the second LP for the group, from 1969, and already the group was changing from the successful debut, This Was of 1968. First off, their blues guitar player, Mick Abrahams, was gone, as Anderson wanted to broaden their sound. That first album had several instrumentals on it, and Anderson wanted to get into a broader sound, so in came the more malleable Martin Barre. While it wasn't a complete retreat from blues, it was a lot more diverse, it's most famous song the flute-jazz rave up on Bach, Bouree. Cuts such as We Used To Know were more hybrids, an electric blues track fused with Anderson's acoustic and introspective lyrics. Meanwhile Anderson and Barre actually played a double-flute part in Reasons For Waiting, a cut Cat Stevens could have performed. With its variety, and other stand-out cuts such as Fat Man and A New Day Yesterday, and a lack of the concept pieces that filled later albums, this is still the favourite Tull album for many, including Anderson himself.


This has been reissued before in 2010 with bonus cuts, a live disc and surround sound DVD even, but what's happened now is that it's joined the hugely popular current reissue series Tull has done since, featuring a six-inch tall hardcover package, huge liner notes, and the marvelous remastering job done by whiz Steven Wilson. The bonus stuff is very different as well; the live show from the first version was Carnegie Hall, but now we get one from Stockholm, as well as some excellent film from that stuff also on the DVD. There's also a previously-unreleased, and very different version of Bouree. In other words, if you own the first reissue, you pretty much have to keep that, and get the new one. Oh well, the more the merrier, and these boxes have been pretty decently priced, so fans will no doubt be happy with the upgrades. Oh, and it's a pop-up book too! Well, just one of the band, but still, that's fun for the kids.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: GILLIAN WELCH - THE OFFICIAL REVIVAL BOOTLEG

The first place I heard of Gillian Welch, or at least saw her name, wasn't on her own release, but rather on Emmylou Harris's landmark Wrecking Ball. the song Orphan Girl. The old-time sound of that track fit in some nowhere place, ancient yet alive, the way music should be, of the moment but of none as well. On this new set, we get to hear what Harris first heard, passed to her on a home-recorded cassette. Eight months later, it was the lead track on Welch's debut, Revival.


Usually on these anniversary deluxe sets, we get the original album, perhaps with a minor sonic upgrade, and then if we're lucky, another disc of out-takes, b-sides and live tracks, or maybe just a live concert from the time. I love this way: Welch and co. assume, quite correctly, that anyone interested would already own the original, so why make us buy twice? I don't expect major corporate labels to follow suit on eliminating that tried-and-true profit-maker, but cheers to Welch for being generous. Instead, we get a two-CD set of completely new tracks from the Revival sessions, and a promise of more to come, as this is called Boots 1. In total, there are 21 tracks, including eight songs that have never appeared elsewhere.


Welch's name and fame were quick to spread just before Revival came out. Performers were clamouring for her demos, and hotshot producer T Bone Burnett was on board. 455 Rocket became a hit for Kathy Mattea, and the outtake unused for Revival is heard here. It's pretty shocking just how good the songs that weren't used are, not even picked up for her second album. Wichita is another, an uptempo acoustic number with Welch (and of course, partner David Rawlings) picking some fun bluegrass. Some songs were saved, such as Red Clay Halo, which made it on Time (The Revelator), and here we get the version squeezed off the first album for the crime of having too many good songs.


There are some significant differences among the alternate and demo versions from what came out on Revival, including the more rocking take on Pass You By, and certainly no-one's going to say it's too similar. It's a whole new way to hear the songs. Certainly the dreamy version of Paper Wings will be more than enough, with very prominent pedal steel, Welch repurposed as Patsy Cline. She even does a Johnny Cash-inspired cut, Dry Town, another vault gem. This is right up there with the best reissues I know.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: SIMPLE MINDS - ACOUSTIC

There are two ways to look at this. While it hints at a sense of desperation, trying to sell the old hits in a different way, you can also argue the band are giving fans exactly what they want. Here's the classic set list, the one that still sees fans by the thousands (mostly in far-flung spots in Europe or Australia, etc.) greet them wildly, like 1985 never ended. Acoustic is, as usual, a dubious way to describe what's happening. Let's say they've toned down the synth approach, replaced electric guitar with acoustic, and the booming drum sound is now a lighter, woodier one.


Still, the music is big and grandiose, There's nothing intimate about anthems such as Alive And Kicking and Waterfront. These are songs that all lead to the big, raise your lighter in the air moment (I guess it's cell phones now), and the stripped-down versions still deliver that oomph. Don't You (Forget About Me) still has its slow-burn, big finish format. Promised You A Miracle features a guest vocal from KT Tunstall, another bigger-in-Europe star, and North Americans would probably be pretty shocked to find out just how huge the band still is on their home side of the ocean. They have no problem playing major tours, especially now that they can do one leg in band format, another in acoustic, then switch them around on the next tour. Oh, and the current tour? It's a whole month in Germany, playing with an orchestra. Same songs, different presentation.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: ERIKA KULNYS - RISE UP

Erike Kulnys is playing launch shows for her latest album around her Nova Scotia home over the next month, including gigs this weekend, tonight in Liverpool and tomorrow in Lunenburg.  The folk performer has never been shy about speaking up for her beliefs, standing up for causes and concerns, those old-fashioned values such as social justice, freedom, humanity, all that stuff that seems shockingly out of favour all of a sudden in certain circles.  So what better time to pay attention to a little music from the left of the spectrum, to get us galvanized on some core values again?  Kulnys' music has taken her from the North Sea to South America, from the Andes to India, in developing countries and remote villages, working for change, for audiences at the World Social Forum, Pride festivals, and the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.  And it's extra nice that she always brings it back home to Nova Scotia.

Kulnys' messages go down with a spoonful of sugar, thanks to her gorgeous voice with a big range and a great delivery, lots of character.  Her music is easy-going acoustic, with plenty of help from pedal steel, keys, and uptempo rhythm sections.  Plus, she mixes up the material, so for every message song, we got one from the personal side, such as the sexy I'm On Fire, and another that's positive and life-affirming.  And this isn't bang-you-over-the-head socialism, it's thoughtful and inspirational, such as Roaring For A Revolution, about awaking the lion within us all, when the chips get down:  "Rustling in the night/something alive and with a will to fight."

Kulnys plays album launch shows at the Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool tonight, Nov. 25, and then Saturday, Nov. 26 at Saint John's Anglican Church in Lunenburg, Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Music Room in Halifax, and then she's doing a Rise up residency at The Company House in Halifax, playing each Wednesday in December.

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: CROWDED HOUSE DELUXE EDITION REISSUES

Here's a wealth of Crowded House material that is going to keep fans busy until well past Christmas at least, and probably much longer as they take in all the new musical information included here. This is one of the most impressive reissue campaigns ever seen, and I'm not being hyperbolic. Every one of the band's studio collections has been reissued with an additional disc of mostly unreleased material, and in each case, that second disc is much longer than the original album it matches.


Then there's the look of them. Instead of throwing the sets out in regular jewel cases, each has been packaged in an enlarged box, with a hard cover, and a bigger picture than ever of the unique artwork created by band bassist Nick Seymour. The visual side of Crowded House was always a delight for fans, a bonus that reflected the group's sense of humour and whimsy. Also included is a full-sized book that features a new essay, info on all the bonus tracks, and lots and lots of pictures of original singles, posters and such, again a visual treat.

Taking a quick look at the original albums, debut Crowded House from 1986 was full of fun, witty tracks that showcased the group's charm, plus the breakthrough, world-wide smash, Don't Dream It's Over, the hugely melodic ballad that remains their best-known track. After some initial trouble, after a few months the album broke through in North America, especially Canada, where the group became huge MuchMusic favourites. 1988's Temple Of Low Men was darker, with infidelity and jealousy on the table. Songs such as I Feel Possessed, Into Temptation and Better Be Home Soon were no laughing matter, but still featured the best melodies in the game.

Third album Woodface had a troubled beginning. Neil Finn was working on two projects, the new album, and a set of originals written with his brother Tim (ex-Split Enz) that was going to be released as a side project. But when their record company rejected the new Crowded House album over weak songs, Neil asked his brother if he could pillage the work they'd done. Tim agreed, and also came along in the bargain, joining the band. It is arguably the strongest House album, with such gems as It's Only Natural, Fall At Your Feet, Weather With You and She Goes On, all featuring the brothers in harmony. That didn't last though, as Tim quit the act mid-way through the tour, one of a long series of break-ups afflicting the group.

The final proper album is Together Alone, a 1993 effort that saw touring keyboard player Mark Hart join full-time, and producer Youth brought in, with the record made in a remote setting in New Zealand. It is the more experimental, and louder of the band's discs, and highly enjoyable for it, with standouts Distant Sun and Locked Out filled with gutsy guitar. In 1999, after the band's initial split, a compilation of previously unreleased songs called Afterglow was assembled, many of them outtakes from the initial third album, before brother Tim's joining.

With a set of outtakes already having come out, you'd think the well might not be that deep for more bonus cuts, but it turns out, Afterglow was really just the tip of the iceberg. Neil Finn was a passionate demo-maker, and for much of the time, very prolific as well. Finn made available his great stash of home tapes, studio masters, everything in the vault, to be considered, allowing himself final approval over the tracks selected, but it was certainly a gold mine. There are heretofore unknown gems even he admits really should have been released, passed over for some imagined flaws. We hear full songs that were scavenged for others, a line, a chorus, a hook, anything could be transplanted to serve the greater good. The best example of this is found with a track called Dream On, which had a middle eight he liked, which was then matched to a chorus from another called Never Been Born, and all added to verses from a third song, thereby creating Into Temptation. We get to hear the whole evolving process. Then there's the earlier version of the debut album's Hole In The River, which featured a rap in the middle by drummer Paul Hester (quite good, too) which was soon dropped. It all depended on whether somebody had a stronger opinion about a song. Producer Mitchell Froom liked the chorus of Now We're Getting Somewhere, but not the verses, so Finn simply took the verses, melody and all, from another cut, Stranger Underneath Your Skin, and grafted them in.


For bonus cuts, there's precious little filler, no extended versions or remixes, none needed, and very little live material, only cuts that were out there but very hard to collect now, on fan club issues or long-out-of-print CD singles. There are still many, many live shows in the vault, and the idea of a concert box set is still under serious consideration, the compilers have said. This only covers the initial releases of the band, and in the 2000s the group was reformed, after Hester's sad suicide, releasing two more albums, Time On Earth and Intriguer. Those two have been reissued in this same manor, and hopefully I'll get to those soon. Meanwhile, the band has been on hiatus since the Intriguer tour ended, except that this very evening, they take the stage once more, again at the Sydney Opera House, scene of their greatest concert triumph, for a special two nights honouring the group's 30th anniversary. I'd go, but I gotta work.