Rock Spectacle is the first live album by Barenaked Ladies. It was also the first major success for the band in the United States, selling over one million copies and producing a hit single in the country in its version of "Brian Wilson." The album was recorded at two concerts: at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago and at The Olympia in Montreal during the Born on a Pirate Ship tour.
| Rock Spectacle | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | November 19, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | April 17, 1996 May 23, 1996 | |||
| Venue | Riviera Theatre, Chicago Olympia, Montreal | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 47:45 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Producer | Michael Phillip Wojewoda | |||
| Barenaked Ladies chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [4] |
A live version of "Shoe Box" was on promotional and advance copies of this record, but was ultimately deleted. The recording would eventually be released on the "One Week" CD single. The album contains two bonus tracks. The first is a banter about an elderly woman Ed Robertson ran into in Chicago. The story is later referenced in "If I Had $1000000". The second is improvised banter about Robertson's Uncle Elwyn.
This disc is an enhanced CD, which means it will display special multimedia features when played on a computer. It includes a program called "BNLTV", a faux collection of various-themed TV programming.
Commercial performance
By July 1998, Rock Spectacle had sold 775,000 copies in the United States and 80,000 copies in Canada.[5] In September 1998, the album was certified Platinum in the United States.[6]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Steven Page and Ed Robertson, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Brian Wilson" | Steven Page | Steven Page | 4:46 |
| 2. | "Straw Hat and Old Dirty Hank" | Steven Page | 3:38 | |
| 3. | "Break Your Heart" | Steven Page | Steven Page | 5:06 |
| 4. | "Jane" |
| Steven Page | 3:58 |
| 5. | "When I Fall" | Ed Robertson | 4:23 | |
| 6. | "Hello City" | Steven Page | 3:13 | |
| 7. | "What a Good Boy" | Steven Page | 4:47 | |
| 8. | "The Old Apartment" | Steven Page | 3:21 | |
| 9. | "Life, in a Nutshell" | Steven Page | 2:40 | |
| 10. | "These Apples" | Ed Robertson | Ed Robertson | 3:59 |
| 11. | "Grade 9"/"If I Had $1000000" |
|
| 6:08 |
| 12. | "The Sweetest Woman (banter)" (hidden track) |
| 1:09 | |
| 13. | "Uncle Elwyn (banter)" (hidden track) |
| 2:37 |
Personnel
- Barenaked Ladies
- Steven Page – vocals, acoustic guitar (1, 4, 7), electric guitar (8, 10)
- Ed Robertson – vocals, acoustic guitar (all except 3 and 8), electric guitar (3, 8)
- Jim Creeggan – double bass (all but 4), electric bass (4), backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11)
- Tyler Stewart – drums, backing vocals (8, 9, 11)
- Kevin Hearn – keyboards (all but 6), accordion (2, 6), electric guitar (on "Uncle Elwyn" adlib), backing vocals (4, 5, 6, 9, 11)
- Production
- Engineers: Marcel Gounin, Michael Phillip Wojewoda
- Assistant engineers: Bernoit Baruvin, Dan Glomski, Mycle Konopka, Timothy R. Powell
- Mixing assistants: Jeff Elliot, Tom Heron
- Mastering: Don C. Tyler
- Digital editing: Jeff Elliot
- Design: Neil Prime
- Photography: Neil Prime
Charts
Year-end charts
| Chart (1998) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[9] | 132 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "Brian Wilson" | Billboard Hot 100 | 68[citation needed] |
| 1998 | "Brian Wilson" | Adult Top 40 | 37[citation needed] |
| 1998 | "Brian Wilson" | Modern Rock | 23[citation needed] |
| 2000 | "If I Had $1000000" | Adult Top 40 | 37[citation needed] |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[10] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||