Murray McLaughlin and the Silver Tractors - Hard Rock Town

Name: Murray McLaughlin and the Silver Tractors
Album: Hard Rock Town
Year: 1977
Style: Bluesy Pub Rock, Country
Similar Bands: Neil Young, Poco, Pure Prairie League
"One-Word" Review: Sleepy Country Pubs
Based Out Of: Toronto, Canada
Label: True North, Island Records

Cover & Back, Record

Gatefold & Record

Hard Rock Town (1977)

1. Love Comes and Goes 4:20 (single)
2. Poor Boys 3:46
3. The Man Who Can Sing the Blues 3:05
4. Love Can Make Ya 4:23
5. Well, Well, Well 4:14 (single B-side) /
6. Hard Rock Town 4:10
7. Immigrant 3:00
8. Sweet Song of Asia 3:10
9. When The Taxman Comes 3:12
10. Straight Outa Midnight 3:41 (single)

Album Rating (1-10): 6.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Murray McLaughlin - Guitar, Piano, Harmonica, Vox, Writing, Producer (Lunch at Allen's, Northern Lights)
• Jorn Andersen - Drums, Percussion, Vox (Brian Plummer & the Suspects, First Fire, Fludd, Rough Trade, The Lincolns, Totonto Rhythm Section, Ian Thomas, Rob Piltch, Allanah Myles, Patricia Dahlquist, Joe Mendelson, Jackson Hawke, Crack of Dawn, Dan Hill, Bruce Cockburn, Tom Middleton, Bryan Way, Ronney Abramson, John Mills, Brent Titcomb, McLuskey, Sylvia Tyson, Jack Tobi, Anne Murray, Eddie Schwartz, Vezi, Joe Wood, Keith McKie, Garnett Ford, Harlow, Extras, Tim Ryan, Dr. Music, Doug Casmeron, Veronique Beliveau, Hugh Marsh, Tom Cochrane, Christopher Wand, Harlequin, John James, Terry Kelly, David Gogo, Virginia Storey, Philip Sayce, Aidan Mason, David Wilcox, Jack Semple, Michael Kaeshammer, Kevin Breit, Henrys, Don Rookie, Kevin Breit, Andrea Koziol, Carlos del Junco, Folkalarm, Justin Hines, Anjulie, Harry Manx, Fefe Dobson, Russell DeCarle)
• Dennis Pendrith - Bass, Vox (Bruce Cockburn, Dan Hill, 3s A Crowd, Rise and Shine Band, Bachelor Farmers, Raffi, Fred Penner, Simone Caine, Pierre Lalonde, Dee Higgins, Luke Gibson, Aarons & Ackley, Fraser & deBolt, Dave Essig, David Wiffen, Peter Donato, Willie P Bennett, Bryan Way, Len udow, Time Twins, Rosenshontz, Jerry Brodey, Dwayne Ford, Available Space, Mose Scarlett, Gordon Lightfoot, Leroy Sibbles, Brent Titcomb, Fred Penner, Ken Whiteley, Sylvia Tyson, Vance Gilbert, Tim harrison, Fred Eaglesmith, April Verch, Jim Layeux, Dan Whiteley, Ken Whiteley, Lunch at Allens, Kathy Reid Naiman, Lenore, Danny Michael, John P Allen, Cris Cuddy, Matt Andersen, Men Without Hairs)
• Ben Mink - Fiddle, Mandolin, Backing Vox, String Arrangement (Cano, FM, Stringband, k.d. lang, Geddy Lee, Rush, Heart, American Flyer, more) 
• Gene Martynec - Guitar, String Arrangement (Bobby Kris & The Imperials, Kensington Market, London Improvisers Orch, Bruce Cockburn, Luke Gibson, Edward Bear, Lou Reed, Gordon Lightfoot, Ray Materick, Paul Stoddart, Jeff White, Len Udow, John Mills-Cockell, BB Gator, Eric Robertson, Brian Plummer, Rob Clutton)
• Ronney Abramson - Vox (Bruce Cockburn)
• Kathryn Moses - Flute (Ted Moses Quintet, Syncona, Bruce Cockburn, Ann Mortifee, Ken Whiteley, Tommy Graham, Tom Rush, Joe Probst, Chuck Mangione, Hagood Hardy, Jose Munoz Coca, Leroy Sibbles, Raffi, Hugh Marsh, Ann Reed, Tony Guerrero, Ann Mortifee, Grit Laskin, Ricky Gianco, Fred Stone)
• Ken Friesen - Engineer
• Doug Neil - Asst Engineer
• Bart Schoales - Art Direction, Design, Photos
• Ray Simpson - Retouching & Special Photography
• Bernie Finkelstein - Producer

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, but it looks and the name / album title sounds like a blue-collar Bruce Cougar Springsteen Mellencamp sorta act.

Album Review: Althogh this album is mostly southern bluesy pub rock, it definitely leans toward country, although  the song "Straight Outa Midnight" sounds a little like The Who. McLaughlin has won numerous Juno awards and is in the Canadian Country Music HoF. He has a commercial pilots license as well, and has been flying personal and commercial aircrafts for many years. And he is still performing as of 2020.

Stand Out Track: Straight Outa Midnight

Links:

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(the) Golden Dogs - Everything In 3 Parts

Name: (the) Golden Dogs
Album: Everything In 3 Parts
Year: 2006
Style: Alternative Rock/Pop
Similar Bands: Soul Asylum, Gin Blossoms, Tripping Daisy, Ass Ponies, Sub-Par New Pornographers
"One-Word" Review: Sparkling Clean Alternative
Based Out Of: Toronto, Ontario
Label: Funzalo Records, True North

Everything In 3 Parts - Cover & Back
Everything In 3 Parts - Liner Notes, CD Tray & CD

Everything In 3 Parts (2006)

1. Birdsong 2:30
2. Faster 4:47
3. Can't Get your Face Out Of My Head 2:55
4. Don't Make A Sound 4:28
5. I Don't Sleep 3:44
6. Elevator Man 3:27 /
7. Bastards 3:58
8. Yeah! 3:43
9. Anniversary Waltz 4:08
10. Balloons 3:10
11. Driving in the Rain 3:12
12. Big Boy & The Masters of the Universe 4:17

Album Rating (1-10): 7.5

Members & Other Bands:

Dave Azzolini - Vox, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Producer

Jessica Grassia - Vox, Keys, Piano, Percussion, Producer

Michael Chambers - Guitar, Vox, Rhodes, Bass, Producer, Recording (Cambridge Singers, Phoids)

Adam Warner - Drums

Alfons Fear - Trumpet

Micha Goldstein - Bass, Vox

Beau Stocker - Drums

Rudy Rempel - Recording, Mixing

Jacob King - Mixing, Vox

Joao Carvalho - Mastering

Bill Chambers - Vox

Guinness the Dog - Vox

Big I little eye - artwork/collage

A Man Called Wrycraft - Design & Layout

Marco Buonocore - Photography

Bouke Salverda - Photography

Andrew Adams - Photography

Steve Jordan - A&R / Food Tasting

Rob Zifarelli - Booking

Unknown-ness: I’ve never heard of this band. Based on the artwork and name, I can’t see much to judge the band by. So just by that, and because I got this from my friend’s cast-off CD’s, I’d say this is going to be generic alt rock. The CD came with 2 videos and the music is split into two parts, like movements, so perhaps that gives insight that it will be overly complicated music.

Album Review: “Birdsong” is a Beatles inspired vocally distorted pop song. It starts with a backwards tracked piano section and explodes into an overly sunny melody. It is very positive, if only a little repetitive toward the end.
“Faster” does not live up to its title right away, as it is a slow alternative groove. It is a bit like Soul Asylum played by the Gin Blossoms. The vocals remind me of Tripping Daisy. It never becomes faster, but it gets a little heavier, janglier and ends up sounding like a southern jam.
“Can't Get your Face Out Of My Head” is politely nervous, and has tendencies that lean toward ska-pop/punk of the most non threatening kind. This is the kind of band that 12 yr olds can feel comfortable listening to in the car with their parents. I would not be surprised if they turned out to be religious affiliated, the sound is so clean.
“Don't Make A Sound” continues with the wining smile production in the twinkling guitar, but has a darker stomp bass line and distorted vocals that clear up when it gets to the chorus. They sound are like a naïve 311 on this song.
“I Don't Sleep” feels like it could launch into an Oasis single if the vocals were a more accenty. It has a drowsy, bluesy feel to it perpetuated by the lazy vocals, echo-liquid guitars and floating melody.
“Elevator Man” starts as a tropical guitar based jangely number. I usually compare this type of guitar playing to Ween’s “Dasies” song. The chorus blasts off with pop punk energy, but the verse returns to the original style. Horns accent the instrumental bridge, and give the song a weird reggae vibe that really is not like reggae at all. The song ends 30 seconds early, with haunting howls to finish out the rest of the track.

“Bastards” features rattling guitars and a nice harmonized guy/girl vocals in the chorus that reminds me of a lazy New Pornographers song. Or maybe more like Zoloft the Rock N’ Roll Destroyer. The song ends with a very uncreative fade out.
“Yeah!” goes something like this. Damon Albarn forgets how to sing, and decides to front Weezer post green album. And this is the single they come up with: fuzzed guitars, a repetitive two note hook, slightly distorted vocals, and a chorus of “ba-ba-ba’s” & “Yeahs.”
“Anniversary Waltz” is, in fact, a sleepy time waltz. It has country slide guitar sound mixed with a ball park organ. And the vocals are somehow reminiscent of Blur’s Damon Albarn again.
“Balloons” picks up with a psychedelic humming that halts at the feet of a catchy pop song. This song reminds me of the Ass Ponies, especially in the catchy up tempo chorus. The carousel is an obvious yet underused aspect of the song, where it briefly comes up in an instrumental section, but is quickly dashed. The end gets a little repetitive, and finally at the very end, brings back carnival music but is covered with a quick fade out.
“Driving in the Rain” is a steady paced driving song, with nasally high pitch vocals. It naturally builds through to the chorus and has a nice let down release in the chorus, which again, thanks to the female backing vocals, feels like another sub par New Pornographers song.
“Big Boy & The Masters of the Universe” has a fun, bouncy/carnival-like melody/hook, but is completely ruined by the dual distorted vocals over layed. The chorus is bold but it stumbles over its clumsy chanting weight. For a brief section, the vocals clean up and the bridge is really bouncy and fun. We are treated to an instrumental section of the verse, and the chorus returns. The song could end at 3 minutes as the music quiets down, but ethereal vocals humming “Big Boy” over the slow music until the end of the song.

Stand Out Tracks: Balloons & Birdsong

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