As if to acknowledge that
Barenaked Ladies
' third album, 1996's
Born on a Pirate Ship
, was a blunder that wouldn't do much to advance the Canadian group's U.S. image,
Reprise Records
quickly followed it up with the live set
Rock Spectacle
. This was a wise move, as years of nearly nonstop touring had helped the group transform from a jokey
folk-rock
group into a talented
pop
group with both musical chops and stage presence to burn. Though the album doesn't include much of what makes
such a unique live act, singer-guitarists
Steven Page
and
Ed Robertson
are masters of improvisational humor, and a good chunk of any
show is given to often hilarious extemporaneous bits -- it certainly makes the point that the group is an underrated source of pure
delights. This album's superior live take of 1992's
"Brian Wilson"
became
' first U.S. radio hit, setting the stage for the across-the-board success of 1998's excellent
Stunt
. ~ Stewart Mason