The Bonaduces' (see here) 1998 album The Democracy of Sleep remains their only work still in print. It is also their crowning achievement. Calling it a concept album, a meditation on living with death, may sound pretentious but it's all true plus it still rocks like crazy.
The Bonaduces - Bomb Threat at Montgomery High
The Bonaduces rock Canada Day 2006 (photo courtesy of merr.)The album can be downloaded from Zunior or purchased the old-fashioned way from the original label, endearing records. Support the damn band!
The Bonaduces splintered sometime after this album's release and each band that rose up from the fall-out has its own virtues. Singer-guitarist Doug McLean continued the evolution of his song-writing in the Paperbacks, guitarist Mike Koop brought the Rock with his band Kicker, bassist Bob Sommers carried on the proud legacy of Can-Con (that's domestic pop that Canadian radio must play by law, for all you non-Northerners) with the now-defunct Red-Eye Morning and drummer Chris Hiebert anchored the lush pop extravaganza known as Paper Moon.
Since I can't have a post without a proper download, here's Super Secret Songs a mammoth CD benefit compilation (these things were endemic to the nineties) that includes an unreleased ballad ("Salt Lake City") by the Bonaduces, plus the rockin' "Allison the Queen" by Koop's Other Band Cheerleader and lotsa forgotten nineties indie-pop hardly-rans.
"I was behind the Super Secret Songs comp, many years ago. For what it's worth, you have my complete and utter blessing to distribute it free, for the rest of time. I'll admit there's some crap on there, but looking back on it there's some nice music that exemplifies that particular slice of Canadian music history. Long forgotten maybe, but not entirely without merit. If anyone's looking for an actual copy let me know, I may have a few in the basement."
Patrick from Kitchener
Download Super Secret Songs CD
(Say Goodnight, Doug...)
The Bonaduces splintered sometime after this album's release and each band that rose up from the fall-out has its own virtues. Singer-guitarist Doug McLean continued the evolution of his song-writing in the Paperbacks, guitarist Mike Koop brought the Rock with his band Kicker, bassist Bob Sommers carried on the proud legacy of Can-Con (that's domestic pop that Canadian radio must play by law, for all you non-Northerners) with the now-defunct Red-Eye Morning and drummer Chris Hiebert anchored the lush pop extravaganza known as Paper Moon.
Since I can't have a post without a proper download, here's Super Secret Songs a mammoth CD benefit compilation (these things were endemic to the nineties) that includes an unreleased ballad ("Salt Lake City") by the Bonaduces, plus the rockin' "Allison the Queen" by Koop's Other Band Cheerleader and lotsa forgotten nineties indie-pop hardly-rans.
"I was behind the Super Secret Songs comp, many years ago. For what it's worth, you have my complete and utter blessing to distribute it free, for the rest of time. I'll admit there's some crap on there, but looking back on it there's some nice music that exemplifies that particular slice of Canadian music history. Long forgotten maybe, but not entirely without merit. If anyone's looking for an actual copy let me know, I may have a few in the basement."
Patrick from Kitchener
Download Super Secret Songs CD
(Say Goodnight, Doug...)
Thanks so much for posting all of this. The whole time I'm like, Doug McLean, where do I know that name... DUH, I spent a stupid amount of time tracking down the Paperbacks CD. and I got it (an ACTUAL cd). And I love it.
ReplyDeleteSo yes. Thanks.
For those who may be curious here's a link to Red Eyed Morning's myspace.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.myspace.com/redeyedmorningx
bibliogirl
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the early Doug work and, as you may or may not already know, there are two Paperbacks album with a new double album almost ready to go!
CPB
Hyperlink added.
Thanks for posting Super Secret Songs... I've been looking for it (mostly for the Plumtree track) forever. <3
ReplyDeleteThis whole thing was a brilliant trip down memory lane. I'll be bopping my head from way at the back of the Albert/Junkyard/basement/Ozzy's/Pyramid... and by way at the back I mean cowtown.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the show tonight. I hope it is brilliant.
Socilogian
ReplyDeleteGlad to meet the need. Sorry if i disparaged the other bands here, there's some excellent stuff but damn if it isn't a very long CD.
Clay
A per the post, everything went down like a house afire.
Happy to have dragged you back in time.
Hey,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the appreciation of the Bonaduces and making the mp3s available. They're one of my favourite bands of all time; sometimes I wonder if they'd been around a little later, when the internet really started to democratize music, they could have reached a bigger audience.
I was behind the Super Secret Songs comp, many years ago. For what it's worth, you have my complete and utter blessing to distribute it free, for the rest of time. I'll admit there's some crap on there, but looking back on it there's some nice music that exemplifies that particular slice of Canadian music history. Long forgotten maybe, but not entirely without merit. If anyone's looking for an actual copy let me know, I may have a few in the basement.
Patrick from Kitchener
Patrick
ReplyDeleteNice to hear from you again. (I thought I remembered meeting you back at the McMillan house and Doug, after I read him this, drew me a drawing of you - a charming one - and I was like "Yeah, I remember him!)
Thanks for your blessing and your clear-eyed assessment of that fine compilation.
SUPER SECRET SONGS. Oh my god, that's a disturbing slice of the '90s.
ReplyDeleteI'd happily buy it off someone if Jeff doesn't want to re-upload.
I agree with the above comment. As a huge Bonaduces fan in America for more than a decade, I've been trying to track down their b-side and compilation tracks, especially this one as I live in Salt Lake City. Many have unfortunately expired, (this, the Everything's Rachel 7" come to mind) but I do hope to get my hands on them.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi EM & Jeff - I ripped another copy of the Super Secret Songs and posted it here: http://rapidshare.com/files/435095939/super_secret_songs.zip. If I find any actual CDs I'll get in touch with you and send off a copy, but I may have lost them all in various moves over the years.
ReplyDeleteOMG! rapidshare!!! y u doing this 2 me?? T_T
ReplyDelete