The Illustrated Canadian Songbook
Bowser and Blue
George Bowser, Ricky Blue
If you are Canadian you have to love Bowser and Blue: It says so in the constitution somewhere -well, in the English version. George Bowser and Rick Blue have been together for more than a quarter of a century and have mastered the art of the really funny song. What makes them a cut above in this genre is they are great musicians, singers, composers, impersonators, and, most important lyricists. They prove it again on The Illustrated Canadian Songbook.
This is a 19 track comedy CD of purely Canadian material available separately from the similarly titled book featuring illustrations by famed political and editorial cartoonist Aislin. The tracks on this CD are basically Bowser and Blue’s Canadian comedy song hits of the past ten years or so recorded live over two or three shows.
Listening to The Illustrated Canadian Songbook is something you never tire of (unlike many other funny song CDs) and sometimes notice something new in one of the songs. Many tracks have echoes of the Beatles (as in The Canadian Psychedelic Snowboarding Team), Elvis (Heartbreak Nortel), Eric Idle (of Monty Python fame), and the Australian Guy who wrote “Tie Me Kangaroo Down”, Rolf Harris.
No doubt Canadians will enjoy this particular comedy album more than non-Canadians because you definitely need to know your local politics and characters to fully get all of the jokes and references. If you know an ex-pat who has the jones for poutine, Labatt’s Blue, real bagels, Crispy Crunch ,and Old Dutch chips or if you ever hear someone saying English Canadians do no have a sense of humor, this great Bowser and Blue release will be a very appreciated gift.
1. WE’RE ALL HERE
2. THE KEY OF ‘EH’
3. I WANT THAT STICK
4. DRIVING IN QUEBEC
5. HEARTBREAK NORTEL
6. THE LOONY
7. A SCRUM WITH MR. CHRETIEN
8. THE CURLING SONG
9. THE OLD TEN DOLLAR BILL
10. ‘TWAS THE SCOTS
11. LOUISE, LOUISE
12. MONEY AND THE ETHNIC VOTE
13. CANADIANS IN SPACE
14. THE CANADIAN PSYCHEDELIC SNOWBOARDING TEAM
15. BUSTING THE BREAST
16. CLINTON’S THING
17. THE NIGHT THEY INVENTED POUTINE
18. OH, ALBERTA
19. O CANADA