Diamond Mine is the second album by Blue Rodeo, released in 1989. It was recorded in 1989 at the Donlands Theatre in Toronto and mixed at the Kingsway Studio in New Orleans.[2]: 13 [3]: 560 It is the last Blue Rodeo album to feature original drummer Cleave Anderson and includes several instrumental interludes by Bob Wiseman on the majority of versions. Diamond Mine was the second best-selling Cancon album in Canada in 1989.[4]
| Diamond Mine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 20, 1989 | |||
| Recorded | 1989 | |||
| Studio | Donlands Theatre Kingsway Studio | |||
| Genre | Country rock | |||
| Length | 60:35 | |||
| Label | Risque Disque | |||
| Producer | Malcolm Burn and Blue Rodeo | |||
| Blue Rodeo chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
| Hi-Fi News & Record Review | A:1/1*[1] |
The band had decided to work with Malcolm Burn on the album after hearing the album Red Earth by Crash Vegas, which had been formed a year earlier by singer-songwriter Michelle McAdorey and Blue Rodeo member Greg Keelor.[3]: 326, 558 They hired Burn in December 1988, and set up a temporary recording studio at the abandoned Donlands Theatre in the east end of Toronto for its "roomy acoustics", in part inspired by the acoustics of The Trinity Session by the Cowboy Junkies.[3]: 558–559 The recording was then mixed at the New Orleans studio of Daniel Lanois.[3]: 560
While touring to support the album in 1989, the band's manager John Caton quit abruptly as a result of a heart condition, effectively ending the label Risque Disque as well.[3]: 560 The band hired Danny Goldberg as their new manager.[3]: 561
Jim Cuddy states that of all the Blue Rodeo albums, Diamond Mine has the "most honest expression of musical interest".[3]: 559 Keelor has stated that in retrospect, the album has a "muddy, confused" sound.[3]: 559
Track listing edit
All tracks are written by Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Swells" | Bob Wiseman | 0:49 |
| 2. | "God and Country" | 3:32 | |
| 3. | "How Long" | 3:59 | |
| 4. | "Blues Piano" | Bob Wiseman | 0:43 |
| 5. | "Love and Understanding" | 4:46 | |
| 6. | "Girl of Mine" | 4:34 | |
| 7. | "Diamond Mine" | 8:18 | |
| 8. | "Now and Forever" | 3:04 | |
| 9. | "Percussive Piano" | Bob Wiseman | 1:07 |
| 10. | "House of dreams" | 4:39 | |
| 11. | "Nice Try" | 6:51 | |
| 12. | "Fall in Line" | 3:21 | |
| 13. | "One Day" | 3:17 | |
| 14. | "Florida" | 3:40 | |
| 15. | "Fuse" | 3:40 | |
| 16. | "The Ballad of the Dime Store Greaser and the Blonde Mona Lisa" | 3:24 | |
| Total length: | 60:35 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "God and Country" | 3:32 |
| 2. | "How Long" | 3:59 |
| 3. | "Love and Understanding" | 4:46 |
| 4. | "Girl of Mine" | 4:34 |
| 5. | "Diamond Mine" | 8:18 |
| 6. | "Now and Forever" | 3:04 |
| 7. | "House of dreams" | 4:39 |
| 8. | "Nice Try" | 6:51 |
| 9. | "Fall in Line" | 3:21 |
| 10. | "One Day" | 3:17 |
| 11. | "Florida" | 3:40 |
| 12. | "Fuse" | 3:40 |
| 13. | "The Ballad of the Dime Store Greaser and the Blonde Mona Lisa" | 3:24 |
| Total length: | 57:56 | |
Some editions of the album feature the truncated tracklist on the back, but are the full version.[5]
Chart performance edit
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Country Albums | 2 |
| Canadian RPM Top Albums | 4 |
Awards edit
Blue Rodeo won the Juno Award for Group of the Year in 1990 despite neither the album or any song from it being nominated for an award.[6]
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[7] | 3× Platinum |
References edit
- ^ "Review: Blue Rodeo — Diamond Mine" (PDF). Hi-Fi News & Record Review (magazine). Vol. 34, no. 8. Croydon: Link House Magazines Ltd. August 1989. p. 113. ISSN 0142-6230. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021 – via World Radio History.
- ^ Bessman, Jim (9 December 2000). "Canada's Blue Rodeo is self-releasing latest set stateside". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 50. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Barclay, Michael; Jack, Ian A. D.; Schneider, Jason (2011). Have Not Been the Same: The CanRock Renaissance 1985-1995. Gordon Downie (revised ed.). ECW Press. ISBN 9781550229929.
- ^ "Top 50 Cancon Albums of '89". bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved May 15, 2021 – via RPM.
- ^ "Release "Diamond Mine" by Blue Rodeo - Cover Art - MusicBrainz". musicbrainz.org. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
- ^ "Diamond Mine by Blue Rodeo –". Vancouver Pop Music Signature Sounds. 2016-11-03. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Blue Rodeo – Diamond Mine". Music Canada.
