I can still remember the first time that I heard Blue Rodeo. It was about 1988, I was practicing bass on a Peavey Patriot bass guitar that I just purchased, and I had a Canadian radio station on. I believe that it was CJOM, a CBC public radio station “left of the dial.” The band was being interviewed, then one of their cuts from their first album Outskirts came on. BAM! I was knocked off of my feet, and found a sound that I was looking for in a band!
Since they were out of Toronto, it was hard to find any of their music in a record store here around Detroit, even in the indie stores. I finally secured a cassette of that album, and I pretty much played it until it self-destructed. I soon snagged the second album, Diamond Mine, and kept up with any news that I could about the band. Fortunately, Detroit is just across the river from Windsor, so Canadian rock and country stations, with their 30% Canadian content rule, would often play Blue Rodeo. I couldn’t understand why this band was not getting any attention here in the US. They had that spirit that The Band had – equal servings of rock, country, blues, and folk. They defined the Americana sound!
They got some stateside recognition with their third album, Casino, due to production by Pete Anderson (guitarist for Dwight Yoakam). The band kicked out amazing stuff, to say the least. Two cuts from that album were getting extensive airplay from to Windsor station The River 93.9 FM. The charm came from the songwriting and excellent harmony work of the guitarists Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy. They seemed to keep coming up with amazing songs that I couldn’t help but keep singing to myself.
Because of their lack of US promotion, they rarely toured here, but would do a few shows along the northern border, including here in Detroit. I can remember them doing a show at the Majestic Theatre and spending the evening chatting with a woman who flew up from Atlanta to see them because it was the closest US show to her. They had that Grateful Dead magnetism with their audience. Everyone there knew all of the words to all of their songs.
This leads me to this installment of the Perfect Song. Blue Rodeo’s fifth album, Five Days in July, had a number of those sing-alongs. However, the most powerful of these, and perhaps the bands most recognized and powerful song, was the second track on the disc, “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet.” Starting off with just acoustic guitar and a mandolin riff, Keelor comes in with his gritty vocals singing about a woman leaving him, and he still hasn’t figured out how to react. Keelor’s and Cuddy’s beautiful harmonies take over during the chorus (Cuddy going from low harmony to high harmony is amazing), then the band comes in like a hurricane for the second verse.
The song continues to chug along like a strong steam locomotive, then comes a fantastic pedal steel solo by Kim Deschamps. This, to me, was when the band sounded its absolute best. Unfortunately, Kim and the band had a falling out shortly thereafter. Anyway, after the solo comes another chorus, then that powerful ending. Keelor really hits it vocally, and Cuddy’s answering to him is just too beautiful.
This song has had such an impact with the fans that, during shows, Keelor lets the audience sing the first verse on its own without his help. I actually have a karaoke CD that a friend gave me with Blue Rodeo songs, and I remember putting this song on repeat and singing Keelor’s part constantly. The song would have fit in to The Band’s catalog easily. To be honest, every time I hear this song, I get choked up, holding back a tear. It just induces vivid memories to me, of lost loves, times when I was enjoying playing in a band, and just appreciating those precious moments in my life.
When reading posts on YouTube of the video for this song, so many people feel the same way. Blue Rodeo will always remain one of my all-time favorite bands. I still cannot understand why the band never got the recognition it deserved here in the US (when I worked with the Americana
Music Association, I begged and pleaded to get the band a showcase, but to no avail), but then again, I think of how perhaps God was giving a few of us a precious gift that others would not receive.
I won’t go into more description of the song or band, just listen and experience it for yourself. Read some of those comments and see how the song has impacted people.
Chew on it and comment.
Luegra 