[.ca] Everything to Everyone

From Amazon.com:
From its tongue-in-cheek cover art on down, Barenaked Ladies's Everything to Everyone is a surprisingly tough-minded survey of early 21st-century culture. Often accused of being too clever for their own good, Toronto's Ladies here provide a good deal of subtlety along with the expected tunefulness and genre-hopping. "Testing 1,2,3" is a complex song about nostalgia, singing in a rock & roll band that's loved for perhaps narrow reasons, and watching one's ex-girlfriend find a new lover. "Maybe Katie" presents two different views of the male fear of commitment before dropping a key bit of information about its title subject. And "Shopping" is a fist-in-velvet-glove tune in the tradition of the Housemartins's "Happy Hour;" could its happy-go-lucky chorus be a skewering of George W. Bush's pro-commerce response to Sept. 11? At the very least, it demonstrates that these guys fully understand the art and the implications of being all things to all people. --Rickey Wright

One of the best releases BNL has done yet!:
This is one of those cd's that can be easily overlooked and dismissed. I honestly didnt give it much of a chance at first but I just saw them with Alanis Morrisette and Nellie McKay in columbus Ohio and was blown away by some of these new songs. My wife still says she wasnt as impressed with the newer songs and they werent as good as the older ones that she knew more of. I felt the opposite. I loved the music , the wit, sarcasm and lyrics of this new cd are often as good and sometimes better then earlier releases. The cd's opening track Celebrity is slower then im used to them opening a disc with but it works. Maybe Katie is a catchy 3 minute song that I could see bieng a single. Another Postcard has that BNL sound that really draws people in,It took a while to grow on me though. When I first heard it on the radio I didnt like it that much at all. The band also left it off their setlist at the show we saw. I expected them to possibly do it during the encore but that didnt happen either. We were all shocked. Next time slows the cd down a little bit but it isnt a bad song. Not one of the best on the cd but I didnt feel like skipping it like a few past reviews had stated. For You is an acoustic song that really worked well live during a small acoustic set they did with the entire band singing. Its alot differant sound for them. Almost has a country feel to it but it shows a new range for the band to expand into. Shopping for me was the highlight of the concert and the cd for me and my wife both! They did synchronized swimming with shopping carts (that was viewed from above on cameras) This just needed to be seen to be believed. This also is my favorite song on the Everything for Everyone cd. testing 1,2,3 just seems like something that would have been on one of their older releases. its just has that sound that they used on Stunt or Maroon. For fans of those 2 releases,this song is for you! Upside Down was another highlight of the cd for me. this also was one of those great songs that sounded even better live. This should not be one of those songs that you should be skipping. War on drugs I dont care for as much , it hits a bit too serious of note for me but on almost every release they do something that isnt as light hearted. My favorite of the bands serious songs still lie with When you dream. After becoming a parent this song strikes a more emotional stance... but thats a differant cd and left for a differant review. Aluminum is another song that reminded me of the Maroon release with the sound and way it is sung. Great lyrics and the song just makes me smile. It was also another highlight of the tour. Unfinished isnt bad but doesnt stand out like other songs did. Second best is an upbeat rocking song with a great guitar line that is just so catchy. It is a great way to start winding the cd down towards the end. Take it outside slows it down even further to an almost Eagles'esqe guitar/vocal style. Its a great song with some of the bands best harmonies. Have you seen my love is a nice slow way to round out the disc. It can be skipped if you dont care for the bands slower material but I wouldnt. Its a great song. Also for those interested having some of the bands live shows, they are offering the bands shows for sale on https://www.werkshop.com/bnllive/index.jsp The band highlighted the Everything for Everyone cd nicely. As far as some of the slightly negative reviews from people on this cd , I am a little shocked because it is a good solid release from start to finish. Now if I can just convince my wife of the same.

Underrated release from underappreciated band:
A mellow, somewhat low key release by BNL with plenty of gems. That's the brief run down on the disc. To be more specific, while it's no "Gordon" (BNL's masterpiece a la Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" or Michael Jacksons' "Thriller" for example) if you buy it realizing that fact you'll find an enjoyable experience. "Another Postcard" is one of the oddest hits (but it just burrows its weirdness into your head and stays put). "Maybe Katie" is a prime BNL single candidate. I like BNL when they illuminate a real life find of experience or mentality ("When I Fall" is a great example from Pirate Ship) and in this case they do so very well with "Take It Outside", one of the best cuts. The lukewarm response to this record is unfortunate since the band always releases thoughtful, enjoyable pop. In a fair world some of the pop shlock that rises to the top would be gone and room would be made for better, consistent bands like BNL.

Not Great, But Still Pretty Good:
I'm a big fan of Barenaked Ladies, but I have to admit that "Everything to Everyone" threw me for a loop. I resisted buying it based on negative word of mouth reviews (i.e., it sucks; you won't like it; it's not your "typical" Bnl CD). I wasn't knocked over when I first heard it, but neither was I disappointed. Although I think "Another Postcard" is an irritiatingly silly ditty and a poor choice for the album's first single, it has this knack for getting into your head like an earwig. After one or two listenings you'll be singing along with it, at least the chorus line. In my view, "Maybe Katie", a catchy pop tune about the ambivalence some guys go through in dating older women (with kids) would have made a much better first single and I imagine when "Postcard" starts slipping that the label will release it. Other tracks worthy of note are "Next Time", which shows a heavy XTC influence, the bluegrass tinged "For You", which sounds like it belongs on the soundtrack album to Cold Mountain, and the breezy, light "Shopping", a lighthearted blast at commercialism that has turned out to be one of my favorite tracks. As with "Next Time", it sounds very much like XTC, but it has a unique 60s downtown influence to it. One previous reviewer referred to "War on Drugs" as boring and pretentious, a characterization with which I disagree. I think it has great lyrics but a melody that I almost think is predictable for a song about suicide. The main problem I have with this song lies in Steven Page's vocal, which to me sounds strained and off key. Nevertheless, it sends a message to the listener about the futility and uselessness of suicide almost as strong as R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" and deserves a listen. The bottom line is this...although "Everything to Everyone" isn't as slick as "Stunt" and will probably never enjoy the critical or commercial success of "Maroon", it's still an excellent CD from the best Canadian band this side of Rush.

GREAT!! As usaul.:
I didn't buy this album yet, but I know the songs; "Testing 1 2 3" and "Another Postcard." There both great songs!! "Testing 1 2 3" is my FAVORITE one out of all the songs they ever made! Did you know...I've loved the BNLs literally all my life?!? And the video for; "Falling for the First Time" is hilarious! As saying...there GREAT as usaul!

E2E:
Everything to Everyone by Barenaked Ladies is a very good yet underrated CD. The fifth studio release from the band, it is well-worth checking out. For BNL fans, it will provide more of the great music expected from BNL. For the uninitiated, it's a good showcase of what the band can do. The CD ranges from pop sounding to country-esque to other indescribable sounds. The songs on this CD are diverse in feel and topic. The CD ranges from the bubble-gum pop satire, "Shopping," to the dark ballad about suicide, "War on Drugs." The lyrics are entertaining as always, yet touch on several serious topics. I don't think I can do Everything to Everyone justice, so I just recommend you give it a try.

• Celebrity
• Maybe Katie
• Another Postcard
• Next Time
• For You
• Shopping
• Testing 1,2,3
• Upside Down
• War On Drugs
• Aluminum
• Unfinished
• Second Best
• Take It Outside
• Have You Seen My Love?