Thread by @barenakedladies

@Tim_Burgess @LlSTENlNG_PARTY Ready to press PLAY?

@Tim_Burgess @LlSTENlNG_PARTY Flip was a song I had written early on with @kevinmgriffin . I really had forgotten about it. Maybe I wasn’t sure about it?! I don’t know. Perhaps I thought it was a little TOO Pop?? For whatever reason, I never presented it to the guys until we were deciding what to record. ER

@Tim_Burgess @LlSTENlNG_PARTY It has one of my fav Bridges ever. ER

@Tim_Burgess @LlSTENlNG_PARTY Classic Ed Robertson song. He brought it to the table at the last second, saying he forgot about it. I don’t believe him for a second. lol KH

@Tim_Burgess @LlSTENlNG_PARTY Ed sent the Flip demo night before we headed up to his cottage to record. “Here’s one more I forgot about.” WHAT!? Kev and I were like “Yeah right, you forgot about this absolute fucking banger? It just slipped through the cracks between all the other gems?” TS

@Tim_Burgess @LlSTENlNG_PARTY I wish I’d written so many killer jams that I just can’t keep track of all the gold. TS

@Tim_Burgess @LlSTENlNG_PARTY Good Life is such a blast for me. When I first sent it to the guys, Tyler responded “Barenaked Ladies Documentary Channel BANGER”. I love how specifically referential the song is. I had a ton of fun writing it. ER

@Tim_Burgess @LlSTENlNG_PARTY The chorus refrain “Oh it’s a GOOD LIFE” is a vocal blend of co-writer Kevin Griffin and our friend, drummer Tony Thunder Smith, who I played with in Lou Reed’s band. I recorded that part with him in Boston at his home studio, adding to what Kevin G had already sung. KH

@Tim_Burgess @LlSTENlNG_PARTY Has anyone ever laid out your professional life in song such that it feels like you’re watching yourself on the Documentary Channel? Ed did it, and co-writer Kevin Griffin shines bright on the chorus hook. They’re both right: being in a rock band is indeed a Good Life. TS

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess This song is so fun to play live! Super Phat Beatz. TS

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess We lined the chorus vocal with single note BG’s. One single note BG on the top of the lead and one on the bottom, like a railroad track that the lead can bounce between. It gave the chorus’ this cruising quality that I love. JC

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess New Disaster is the song that has finally unseated “How Long” as my son Lyle’s fav BNL Song. I LOVE this track. The energy is so slammin’. It took us MANY cracks at the vibe to get it right. Kev’s guitar melodies in the chorus really brought it to life. ER

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess Here is glorious example of Eric Ratz’s magnificent ears. We struggled to nail this song & Eric really made it happen. Salient lyrics by Ed and a truly rocking performance from the band. TS

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess Kev’s guitar riff and Jimmy’s lock-step with my kick-drum really drive this tune into the new wave stratosphere. TS

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess On some of the songs, we had to try them again and again in different ways to try and find the right vibe. This was one of them. I was trying ideas on different keyboards until I finally moved to the guitar. i admit i was channeling Bernard Sumner from Joy Division. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess I always love his simple yet inventive and catchy guitar parts. The song began to evolve beyond the demo. It’s fun to play. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess New Disaster gave me a chance to be Peter Hook for a song. I’ve always loved his bass melodies, they have a melancholy feeling to them. I did it in 2 two tracks. One track high melody, and the second track on the roots. Thanks Peter! JC

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess I was turning the boathouse at my cottage into a music/writing space. At the time it was just an empty concrete room with a disassembled drum kit in it. One night, i was playing a snare drum with brushes and singing. I started singing what would become Big Back Yard. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess I was missing my brothers and our jam sessions. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess A few years ago, a neighbourhood cat named Rudy started coming to my house every day. I would wake up to him meowing at my door. Soon, he had me well trained and we had a great friendship. He’s gone now, but he will always have a place in my Big Back Yard. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess “A Cue that Barbs”? C’mon. Do lyrics get better than that?! Not in my experience. Kev knocked it out of the park with this one. The trick was to subtly develop the verses to carry the listener all the way along the journey. ER

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess Ok, imagine Geddy from RUSH lent you his Taurus Pedals for a record. And you got to play them while you play your bass, just like Geddy does on stage. Well happened to me on this song! It doesn’t get better! JC

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess I find myself delightfully singing this song out loud on a regular basis. “Eighteen chickens and a Saint Bernard….”   Beautiful imagery from Kev and a I love the Big Bass Drum, courtesy of Mr. Howard. TS

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess Producer Eric Ratz wanted to go for a “Dusty Springfield“ vibe on this one. Co- producer Mark suggested the group vocal at the end, which i love. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess Live Well. This one leaves a mark. Not an easy song to write, but very cathartic, and ultimately a healing journey. The way the guys embraced it, and championed it made all the vulnerability worth it. ER

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess To me, this is the definitive example of what BNL sounds like in a small room, recorded with nice mics by someone who really cares about what they’re doing. Mark Howard captured the band at its most raw & intimate. Everything about this take bleeds emotion.  I love this song. TS

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess I was really going for a Tim Drummond approach on Live Well. His playing on Harvest Moon has always brought me in. I wanted to be there for Ed, the same way Tim is there for Neil. JC

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess One of my favourite Ed songs of all time. I remember we tried to reinvent this one until we realized it was already perfect. We just had to play it. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess Flat Earth. This is a TRUE STORY. This actually happened to me at a Barber Shop in Toronto… I felt like I was meeting a Sasquatch! I still find it perplexing that these seemingly CRAZY conspiracy theories are on the rise. ER

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess We need to find a way to help people who are falling down these rabbit holes of misinformation. ER

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess We carved out the riff for Flat Earth one chisel tap at a time. I like the way it morphs as the story in the song progresses. JC

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess i always thought this one had a @Squeezeofficial vibe. Such a great band. Fun song. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial Here Together. I love Jim’s instincts when it comes to a simple song like this. He’s really thoughtful about arrangement and melodic development. I learn a ton from Jim’s songs. Usually the chords to Kev’s and Jim’s songs are WAY more complicated than mine! ER

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial My daughter said ”Don’t miss me much” before heading off on a school trip. And I realized I would, a whole lot. This one is a reminder for me to appreciate the time I have with my loved ones. JC

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial I love this song of Jim’s. I dug out my old brown T-WAH pedal for the guitar. It got muted for one mix, but then was brought back cos we missed it. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial I had the instrumental melody cooking forever. My friend James Bryan came over for to play one day, and bam, we grilled it up. The band guys took it to another level with the energy. And yes I love Kev’s T-Wah. JC

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial It took a while but Jimmy C has entered his Yacht Rock years. Pure aural pleasure from Mr Smooth, like silk, like a glass of Milk, he’s smooth, How you doin'? TS

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial We wanted to make a record that captured the band playing together, with contemporary production strokes where it felt appropriate. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial Recording at Ed’s cottage was really nice and relaxing. We had nature all around us, good food, good songs, and most importantly a hot tub. we worked from about ten to ten every day for a few weeks. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial We hung out together in the hot tub at the end of the day, in the middle of the Canadian winter! KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial Roll Out. Yes there is a definite nod to one of my fav writers Mike Doughty on this one. I had a ton of fun writing this with Kevin Griffin and Craig Wiseman. We changed the chorus about 20 times before getting it right. ER

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial It was a challenge to marry the driving bass line with all the interwoven parts. But I love it. The line nods to different melodies as it moves along. Oh yeah, and we did railroad track BG’s in the Chorus on this on too. JC

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial It was so fun playing CLAV on this. This was one of the songs we re-cut the bed track on. I remember writing the guitar solo in record mode. With each pass I’d get one phrase further. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial I’m glad I brought my cross country skis to the recording at Ed’s cottage. After a bunch of takes I’d just glide out onto the frozen lake. The song would still be ringing in my head. JC

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial It was @Baldy67 's idea to work at my Cottage. Actually, he offered up my cottage as the location of the recording before asking ME if we could work there! HA. It was a fun start to the record. ER

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial @Baldy67 Bylaw is a true story. I was half asleep. After the altercation with the contractor, I decided to just let off some steam. I sat at my piano and wrote the first verse and chorus. My frustration was transformed into laughter, and gratitude. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial @Baldy67 Bylaw was a lot of fun even in its demo state. We sort of tried to reinvent it as a way more sparse presentation… It was pretty cool actually, but it ended up coming back closer to the demo. WAY more expansive, but similar approach. ER

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial @Baldy67 A few weeks later I got a ticket for a rolling stop at the end of my street. The officer’s name was Yoko. She explained that she was “in training” and just couldn’t let anything go. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial @Baldy67 I love where we got the rhythm section feel on Bylaw. It had to be wispy, with a little drive, yet don’t forget to swing it. The vocal layering at the end took it off into the sunset. JC

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial @Baldy67 I improvised the outro while i was recording the lead vocal. By that time we were in full pandemic lockdown, and i needed badly to feel some joy. It felt both rebellious and cathartic. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial @Baldy67 The first time I played God Forbid for my family, my daughter asked what it was about, and I said, “You!”. It’s about the fact that as parents, you are never out of the woods with your kids. Even an atheist like myself has to resort to phrases like “God Forbid”. ER

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial @Baldy67 This may seem overly technical, but on God Forbid I put a ton of effort into connecting the bass notes so there would be a continued flow under the song. Ed was giving a lot on this one, and I wanted there to be full support. JC

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial @Baldy67 I used the accordion more on this record. I really love the warm sound through the old tube mic. it was nice to reconnect with the instrument. Another beautiful song. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial @Baldy67 I started writing earlier than usual for this project. I didn’t want to finish all the touring on Fake Nudes, and then be staring at an empty songbook. ER

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial @Baldy67 There were a few trips to Nashville to work with my Good Pal, @kevinmgriffin . I visited my friend, @dannymichel for a day of writing, and spent 2 days in Toronto with @DonovanWoods. ER

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial @Baldy67 @kevinmgriffin @dannymichel @DonovanWoods We began sending our demos to each other as 2019 wound down. We got together to run through all the songs in my living room, which is always an exciting part of the process. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial @Baldy67 @kevinmgriffin @dannymichel @DonovanWoods Hearing what musical ideas the individual band members bring to each song is always exciting: to hear the song evolve from a demo into a BNL song. We run through all the songs. KH

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial @Baldy67 @kevinmgriffin @dannymichel @DonovanWoods Over the past year I’ve been listening to any vinyl that Paul Chambers plays on. His sound breathes from the grooves. I started thinking about how much life he gave to all those Miles records. I want to be able to give that much to my band, my family. JC

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial @Baldy67 @kevinmgriffin @dannymichel @DonovanWoods Paul Chambers should have had a bass solo! It’s a song about a Bass Player, BY the Bass Player!! Jimmy C is such a great singer, and this ditty that name drops one of his fav players of all time has a ton of emotion, and personality. ER

@LlSTENlNG_PARTY @Tim_Burgess @Squeezeofficial @Baldy67 @kevinmgriffin @dannymichel @DonovanWoods I will forever need a chart for this song. Beautiful changes from Jim Creeggan. It’s nice to have his brother Andy’s contributions as well; an amazing musician. KH