BNLUK reader Karen Graves has sent in this excellent post, describing her feelings on 1994′s Maybe You Should Drive (which recently turned 18), and the first time she saw the band live.

Maybe You Should Drive. Lemme see…. oh yes! The album I got BEFORE it was ‘technically’ released.

I became introduced to BNL in 1992 via the Toronto based AM station CFTR. The songs I heard from Gordon eventually hooked me and I bought the album. I became soooo enthralled with it and the band. At the time I was engaged to a guy who worked at a record store. When MYSD was scheduled for release, I couldn’t wait to get it. It came in on the shipment Saturday to the store where he worked. He asked his boss if he could get it. He said no. However, Monday night when the store closed at 9, before they shut down the registers, his boss let him buy it. He even snagged me the promo poster and two flats.  It was so odd because he had called me about 7:30 and asked where I had been (which was at church – playing for a feast day service) and said he’d be over when he got off. Very curt. He shows up about 9:40, hands me the CD, says “it’s too mellow, I don’t like it.” and left.

MYSD producer Ben Mink

I stayed up, as tired as I was, and listened to it. I completely disagreed. I found the album just as humourous as Gordon – but instead of it being the ‘blunt-in-your-face-you-have-to-be-from-another-planet-to-not-get-the-joke’ humour (i.e.- “they say that absence makes the heart grow fungus”) of Gordon, it was a different type of humour – intellectual humour – you actually had to think to get the joke (i.e.-” A is arousal, you are giving me an arection”. Grab an unabridged dictionary and look that one up if you don’t get it).  I was even able to find (purchase) the press kit for the album.

Maybe You Should Drive is one album I can consistently listen to. I love every song. How can you argue with a rock song that uses a hammered dulcimer? Or two entirely seperate instrumental ensembles for the chorus to a song? And it would be another 12 years before Jim would finally get around to recording a song where he plays violin, viola, cello and bass all for the string parts. He and producer Ben Mink were the only string players on the entire album. I even love all the alternate versions (arrangements and lyrics) of the songs.

Andy Creeggan, 2009

The first BNL concert I ever went to was 09-28-94. The first time they ever played Cleveland, OH. I had front row right on the edge of the stage closest to Andy. It was overwhelming. I was able to see them one more time before Andy left the group and it was one AMAZING experience. I have never gotten to meet them, but I am holding out.. and keeping my fingers crossed.

Karen Graves

What’s your favourite track from Maybe You Should Drive? What are your thoughts on the album as a whole? Leave your comments below!