Well it looks like one of my all-time favourite bands has decided to call it quits after 37 years. Without hesitation I’d definitely consider NoMeansNo one of the best Canadian bands of all time. Between Rob and John Wright’s amazing bass and drum playing, their brutally intelligent, yet cheeky lyrics, and sheer creativity, they’re one of the few bands out there who changed how I think about music.
I can still vaguely remember being at a show at the Sweatlodge house in about 2007/2008 and Sam Gaudet (I think, though I might be wrong) telling me “I have a record for you. It’s weird. You’ll like it.” The record in question turned out to be Small Parts Isolated and Destroyed, NoMeansNo’s third album.
I remember listening to it for the first time and not really understanding what I was hearing, but finding it appealing on some strange level. I quickly tracked down their albums All Roads Lead To Ausfahrt and Wrong and was completely hooked.
To make things even better, their joke band Hanson Brothers is probably one of the best joke bands in punk history, both in their composure and songwriting.
I listened to, examined, studied their albums, and tried to learn as much as I could from them. I can fully credit Rob Wright for just about every bass line I’ve ever written, and their music was the best kind of intellectual fuel for nearly every paper I wrote during my time at U Waterloo.
As sad as I am to hear that they’ve called this one off, I hope the best for them and whatever they’re working on now. At least I have that Compressorhead album John’s been talking up to look forward to!
No Productivity 