Have Not Been the Same: The CanRock Renaissance 1985-1995

Published in autumn 2001, Have Not Been the Same became the first book to comprehensively document the rise of Canadian underground rock between the years 1985 and 1995. It was a tumultuous decade that saw the arrival of Blue Rodeo, The Tragically Hip, Sarah McLachlan, Sloan, Barenaked Ladies, Daniel Lanois, and many others who made an indelible mark not only on Canadian culture, but on the global stage as well. Have Not Been the Same tells all of their stories in rich detail through extensive first-person interviews, while at the same time capturing the spirit of Canada’s homegrown music industry on the cusp of the digital age.

Ten years on, the 780-page book is still regarded by critics and musicians as the definitive history of the era. To mark this milestone, the authors have updated many key areas of the book through new interviews, further illuminating the ongoing influence of this generation of artists. And with its treasure trove of rare photos intact, this revised edition of Have Not Been the Same is sure to maintain the book’s status as one of the seminal works in the field of Canadian music writing, and a must-read for any Canadian music fan.

Table of Contents:
Disclaimer

Foreword

Overture: Everybody Knows This is Nowhere

Did You Get My Message on the People's Radio?: CBC, Campus Radio, MuchMusic

Glittering Prizes and Endless Compromises

Under the Volcano: The Fallout of Vancouver Punk

Folk of the Eighties: Montreal

Yeah, it Matters: Change of Heart and Post-Punk Toronto

Northern Wishes & Visionary Flounders

What Are We Fighting For?: The Outsiders

Acadian Driftwood: The Creation of The Daniel Lanois Sound

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse

Folk You: Roots Revisited

Te Importance of Being Sloan

Never Mind the Molluscs: The Halifax Underground

The Path of Thorns: Nettwerk Records

Trust Yourself: Blue Rodeo

Two Solitudes: The Tragically Hip

Epilogue: Where the Change Is

Selected Cast of Characters

Selected Critical Discography

Sources

Thank Yous

Index

About the Author :
Michael Barclay works at Maclean’s and blogs at Radio Free Canuckistan. He has written for the CBC, Exclaim!, Eye Weekly, and Magnet; has been a musician his whole life; and sings on Arcade Fire's Funeral album. He lives in Toronto, Ontario. Ian A.D. Jack is a teacher and songwriter. He is a former freelance writer who now spends his time recording and performing with The Loft Party and Headpets. He lives in Port Hope, Ontario, with his wife, Cara, and their two spirited sons. Jason Schneider’s work can regularly be read in Exclaim!. He has also been a contributor to the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, and many other publications. He is the author of Whispering Pines: The Northern Roots of American Music, From Hank Snow to The Band, and the novel 3,000 Miles. He lives in Waterloo, Ontario. Gordon Downie, author of the foreword, is the lead singer and lyricist for the rock band The Tragically Hip.

Review :
“There is, without a doubt, no better book on the rise of popular Canadian music in the 1980s and 90s than Have Not Been The Same.… The exhaustively researched and referenced text gives readers a front-row seat to the spectacle of the burgeoning Canadian rock and pop music scene as it began to exert significant influence internationally for the first time ever.” — Scene Magazine “[A]n insightful and penetrating look at the roots of the Canadian underground rock scene … anyone with a curious interest in Canadian music will appreciate this well-researched book, which is largely culled from players in the scene at the time, and it’s a credit that the authors were able to gain access to so many people in compiling the book.” — Pop Matters “Barclay, Jack and Schneider are all musicians and write about Canadian music from the inside. They survey the music from the perspective of informed fans, as opposed to dispassionate critics, and they do it with energy, enthusiasm and devotion.” — Waterloo Region Record