Saturday, February 5, 2011

Artist: 13 Engines, Album: Perpetual Motion Machine, Song: What If We Don't Get What We Want

"And we're cracking codes and combinations but we're thinking.  What if we don't get what we want?"  13 Engines were a rock band from Toronto that starting gigging in the eighties as university students.  They were signed to Capitol records and released their major label debut in 1991.  They had some great singles off that first album like the song, King Of Saturday Night.  The band was generating momentum which led to this release in 1993 entitled, Perpetual Motion Machine.  This album was so unique to me at the time that it remains one of my all time favourites.  It was jammed with songs that you could listen to a hundred times like More, Smoke & Ashes, Bred In The Bone and this baby, What If We Don't Get What We Want.  They toured Canada in support of this album and in 1995, released their final album.  Then things just dissolved.  The band broke up in 1997 and lead singer John Critchley hooked up with Brendan Canning (Broken Social Scene) to release a solo album in 2000.  Since then, John has opened a studio in Toronto called Green Door and he's worked with artists like The Hidden Cameras, Dan Mangan and Elliot Brood.  At least he's still making a living doing music but you can't help but yearn for more of this.  Maybe we'll see a reunion one day!  You can purchase all of their releases on Itunes now.  You can hear the song, What If We Don't Get What We Want, on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_5OVdx4-0I).  Thanks for reading and enjoy!