The Northern Pikes: Secrets of the Alibi

Sweet September rain
Coming down hard on the roof of the car
Familiar terrain
I'm in a daydream, and the thoughts keep on coming
Nineteen-eighty-two
Was the year I fell head over heels with you
I was only twenty-one
What can I do now and what have I done?
You've thrown it all away
Six years go by, and they seem like a day

Allmusic awards only three stars to Big Blue Sky, with no companion review, and the site gives this one 4.5, also without offering a review of any kind. I don't see much difference in quality between the two, but I have to say that Wait for Me, from this record, might be the band's best track.

About one year after recording their successful debut album, the Northern Pikes returned to the studio in the Spring of 1988 to record the follow-up. The resulting production had a more serious tone than their first, no longer talking about "Teenland" but themes of growing up and a political awareness of the world at large. [source]

It's a good, and underrated record, from an underrated band.

The Northern Pikes: Danicng in a Dance Club (1988)

This 12 inch single had two releases. The official, commercial release had an extended version of the title track, plus Love Will Break You and Heartaches Heartbreaks (Open Up). The promo copy, which I have, contains the title track in an edited form (shortened from 4:46 to 3:32) and live versions of the title track and the Things I Do For Money. Happily, the jacket is not blemished with a promo stamp. Rather, "FOR PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY - NOT FOR SALE" is printed on the label. In all my years of buying vinyl, I have seen this 12 inch single once, and I bought it for a couple of bucks.

The Northern Pikes: Big Blue Sky (1987)

And the best band from Saskatoon is ... The Northern Pikes. I saw the band in concert once, a long time ago. Big Blue Sky was the full-length debut, which I own on blue vinyl, and not on CD. I suppose the blue matches the title. Some CD versions have a couple of extra tracks.

The Northern Pikes were a good pop band -- one of the best ever from Canada -- and I enjoy their music, but I have to say that I have always hated She Ain't Pretty, from Snow in June.