This was indeed a New Day, as right out of the gate the Stampeders were plugged in, turned up, and ready to rock. From the first track the guys were killing it. "Ramona" is a great song, and one I always liked as a kid. Ronnie, Rich and Kim were by this time a well-oiled machine, with New Day being their fifth release in a few short years.
There were a few power trios in the '70s worth noting, Grand Funk being one, ZZ Top another. Some of the others that pop to mind, like Triumph and Rush, were later, and Cream was earlier. Stampeders were good, really good, and by any yardstick (this was before metric) should be considered one of the best of their era. Kim Berly was a master on a small kit, Ronnie looked a little like Elvis mixed with Dan Blocker and even had the jumpsuit, and Rich played a wicked double-necked FrankenFender. I mean these guys were cool. The cherry on top was all the guys could sing and write - seriously, how cool is that?
New Day, as with all of their releases, was produced by Mel Shaw, who also served as the band's manager. Even the weirdly indescribable "Marigold" works because it's woven into the experience. They were a band who didn't limit themselves to a particular style. They were adept at changing lanes between rock, country, and even the burgeoning glam scene with "Wild Eyes," a song so good it is mind-boggling. The addition of the string arrangement puts it over the top. I mean, I'd have bought the album for this song alone ... honestly, I sort of did. Strange that when I bought a Best Of collection a while back, the version included did not have the strings - for shame. SHAME!
The second side opens with Rich Dodson's "In the Shadows," and the boys are keeping up the heat. The closing track "Brothers of the Universe" is a song that could have only been written in the early '70s, and the sci-fi lyrics and spacey Moog effects only enhance the song. It's hard to categorize these guys because I was just an eleven-year-old kid at the time, and all I knew about the band were the songs on the radio, so sitting here listening to this new after almost fifty years is a little weird. I've already skipped ahead to the end of their career and know how things worked out and what was successful, and what wasn't. Still, when they were good, they were absolutely amazing, and the depth of their catalogue is pretty impressive.
It's strange the band isn't as well respected as I thought they were. These guys should be Canadian rock royalty. Through the '70s they were a big deal, and if you listed off the big Canadian bands, you'd end up with a list like B.T.O., the Guess Who, April Wine and Stampeders. Heck, there's a great clip of Mike Meyers in character as Wayne where Terry David Mulligan (he of the caterpillar eyebrows) asks him to name the top three Canadian rock bands. Anne Murray gets an honorary spot, with the other two going to B.T.O. and Stampeders.
Mic drop.
While their albums may have had one or two killer songs (or as I remember them, the singles on the radio), there weren't really any shitty songs that made you want to skip them either. Their output was prodigious, and the guys amassed a pretty impressive list of hit songs in less than a decade if you go as far as Ballsy. However, for the classic lineup it was eight albums between 1971-1975.
Maybe it was because they were too diverse and crossed too many lanes musically and people couldn't easily fit them into a box. I don't know. Heck, I'm as guilty as anyone in overlooking these guys, and only in the last year or three have I picked up a few of their albums, and although I have a decent retrospective anthology I really only listened to get to the big songs from my youth, and I didn't actually take the time to listen. I'm trying to make amends.
The fact these guys aren't in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame is a mystery and kind of a kick below the belt to a band who paved the way for so many Canadian acts. I mean, I like Nickelback, I'll admit it, but what the actual heck (spell that with an F and sort of rhymes with gesundheit), the Stampeders aren't in and Nickelback got there first? Good lord, this is a travesty that needs to be addressed. It's not like the guys are getting any younger. The fact they're still out on the road having fun and packing the big rooms should be an indication these guys were the real deal. They're out there treating every day like it's a New Day (okay, I know it was cheesy, but dagnabbit it was there, and sometimes you just have to do it. I don't want to live with regrets - even small ones).
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