FACT Magazine article: The Essential… Boards Of Canada

nsputnik · Post by **nsputnik** » Sun May 20, 2012 6:53 pm

http://www.factmag.com/2012/05/20/the-e ... of-canada/

On first glance, the name ‘Boards Of Canada’ is a wonderful non sequitur, a riddle ripe for the cracking. Its provenance, however, isn’t difficult to unpick. The phrase is plucked wholesale from The National Filmboard Of Canada, whose po-faced educational films provided a template for the duo’s distinctive aesthetic sensibilities.

bluesky · Post by **Fredd-E** » Sun May 20, 2012 9:29 pm

Thanks for sharing!

Numerator · Post by **Numerator** » Sun May 20, 2012 9:46 pm

this list is actually pretty groovy

Distant Nebulus · Post by **Distant Nebulus** » Sun May 20, 2012 11:29 pm

great read....this is great for anyone curious about boc...great song list too.

Ender · Post by **Ender** » Sun May 20, 2012 11:40 pm

It was a good article. A bit disappointing that he says that their stuff after Geogaddi is uninteresting, and barely mentions The Campfire Headphase (and doesn't mention Trans-Canada Highway at all). A few tracks on The Campfire Headphase are what got me into BoC. Oh well.

fujee · Post by **fujee** » Mon May 21, 2012 12:07 am

IMO some of their most brilliant work is on Campfire Headphase, Tears from the Compound Eye and Oscar See Through Red Eye in particular, Dayvan too of course..

Guess it sometimes gets overlooked because it's probably their weakest album overall - still easily an 8/9 out of 10 which speaks volumes about the quality of their catalogue.

The Telepathic Kid · Post by **The Telepathic Kid** » Mon May 21, 2012 1:13 am

fujee wrote:Guess it sometimes gets overlooked because it's probably their weakest album overall - still easily an 8/9 out of 10 which speaks volumes about the quality of their catalogue.

this in ten folds.

It annoys me when people listen to Campfire and refuse to acknowledge the previous records because they're too weird or difficult.

But it pisses me off more when "I knew them before you" elitists dismiss TCH as weaker. It's definitely a step down, but it's not all that much weaker, it's just different.

Distant Nebulus · Post by **Distant Nebulus** » Mon May 21, 2012 2:19 am

if anything The Campfire Headphase shows that boc can successfully create a record that is more approachable to the mainstream crowd while still maintaining that nostalgic base...I just hope that the next album goes back to a more intense-experimental approach as heard on Geogaddi.

mechanismj · Post by **mechanismj** » Mon May 21, 2012 5:25 am

I liked the list. Further pumped for the next album, now!

rolypablo · Post by **rolypablo** » Mon May 21, 2012 10:46 am

Yes, it was a great read and I agree with the above comments that TCH is not a step back. it was also the record that helped me discover BoC so means a lot to me personally. The Zero7 comment was harsh, there's no way you'd hear songs like 84 Pontiac Dream, Chromakey Dreamcoat or Tears from the Compound Eye on a daft Zero7 record.

23degreesdream · Post by **23degreesdream** » Mon May 21, 2012 12:38 pm

The Telepathic Kid wrote:
fujee wrote:Guess it sometimes gets overlooked because it's probably their weakest album overall - still easily an 8/9 out of 10 which speaks volumes about the quality of their catalogue.
this in ten folds.

It annoys me when people listen to Campfire and refuse to acknowledge the previous records because they're too weird or difficult.

But it pisses me off more when "I knew them before you" elitists dismiss TCH as weaker. It's definitely a step down, but it's not all that much weaker, it's just different.

I totally agree with both these sentiments. I love it and while i don't think it's their best I find TCH among the most listenable of BoC releases - it's also one which my wife will tolerate being on in the house whereas some of their other stuff gets complaints ("not that wierd band you like again.."). The problem with the hipster type fans is that they expect every record to sound like a bands first record.

Jobey · Post by **Jobey** » Mon May 21, 2012 1:02 pm

fujee wrote:IMO some of their most brilliant work is on Campfire Headphase, Tears from the Compound Eye and Oscar See Through Red Eye in particular, Dayvan too of course..

Guess it sometimes gets overlooked because it's probably their weakest album overall - still easily an 8/9 out of 10 which speaks volumes about the quality of their catalogue.

This. I actually seem to revisit it the most. It is the epitome of easy listening. A truly wonderful record.

warphead · Post by **warphead** » Mon May 21, 2012 1:52 pm

Jobey wrote:
fujee wrote:IMO some of their most brilliant work is on Campfire Headphase, Tears from the Compound Eye and Oscar See Through Red Eye in particular, Dayvan too of course..

Guess it sometimes gets overlooked because it's probably their weakest album overall - still easily an 8/9 out of 10 which speaks volumes about the quality of their catalogue.
It is the epitome of easy listening.

That is it's problem imo. True, Tears from the Compound Eye, Oscar See Through Red Eye and Dayvan Cowboys are simply majestic and amoungst their best tracks, but a lot of Campfire Headphase is simply too middle-of-the-road for me. It's easy listening is far too easy for my likes. I could play it too my grandmother and she would say how nice it is.

By the way a great article and well worth reading.

Jonse · Post by **Jonse** » Mon May 21, 2012 2:05 pm

Terrible list, IMO. Not that any of these songs are bad, but for the "Essential BoC" this is just disappointing. No EYDIAB? No Nlogax? No Julie and Candy? No Music is Math? No 1969? No Dayvan Cowboy? No Chromakey Dreamcoat? No Eagle In Your Mind? No Sixtyniner?

Seems a tad bit incomplete for "essential".

Jonse · Post by **Jonse** » Mon May 21, 2012 2:11 pm

The Telepathic Kid wrote:
fujee wrote:Guess it sometimes gets overlooked because it's probably their weakest album overall - still easily an 8/9 out of 10 which speaks volumes about the quality of their catalogue.
this in ten folds.

It annoys me when people listen to Campfire and refuse to acknowledge the previous records because they're too weird or difficult.

But it pisses me off more when "I knew them before you" elitists dismiss TCH as weaker. It's definitely a step down, but it's not all that much weaker, it's just different.

Well what about people who got into BoC from TCH (myself included), then heard the other stuff and then considered TCH to be weaker based on their subjective opinion as opposed to the aforementioned elitist attitude?

nordheim · Post by **nordheim** » Mon May 21, 2012 2:32 pm

regardless of the musical choices in the article, this comment made me grin.
"I'm 55 years old, and this is my favorite band of all time.
We need some new!"

yeah, i love whoever this dood is.

Kathleen · Post by **Kathleen** » Mon May 21, 2012 10:24 pm

I have never, ever understood the crap TCH has gotten for being the "bad album". I loved that album when it came out and I still do. I find it to be more cohesive overall than MCTRTC or Geogaddi and very different in tone and intent.

<blah> TCH is much softer, dreamier and personal than Geogaddi. Geogaddi really seems to be about the experiences of other people, but TCH seems very personal. I read somewhere TCH is supposed to be about summer road trips, and of all the albums BOC has done, to me it really does sound the most like an album that could have been filtered through the haze of childhood memories. </blah>

Anyhow, I don't like it when bands re-hash or retread the same ground over and over again. I want to hear new stuff, not Geogaddi 2, as much as I love that album.

Also Satellite Anthem Icarus --> Peacock Tail --> Dayvan Cowboy = one of my favourite three song segments ever.

Mexicola · Post by **Mexicola** » Mon May 21, 2012 11:01 pm

Slow This Bird Down is possibly the best thing they've ever done. It gives me goosebumps.

That's right, I went there.

Ender · Post by **Ender** » Mon May 21, 2012 11:50 pm

Mexicola wrote:Slow This Bird Down is possibly the best thing they've ever done. It gives me goosebumps.

That's right, I went there.

Definitely

That's one of the aforementioned tracks.

The Telepathic Kid · Post by **The Telepathic Kid** » Tue May 22, 2012 12:39 am

no love for '84 Pontiac Dream? One of my fave BoC tunes ever.