Making Music: Profiles from a Century of Canadian Music. By Alex Banis and Ted Barris. First ed.; Toronto: Harper Collins Publishers, 2001. 498 p., ill. ISBN 0-00- 200056-3. $39.95

Over the last century, Canada has had its to folk, country and rock artists. Nothing share of musical superstars. Yet, despite more than an encyclopedm, Making the success of homegrown musicians Music purports to be "anecdotal and like Bryan Adams or expatriate insightful" (inside cover leaf), providing performers such as Ronnie Hawkins, a wealth of information that any fan of there is still a stigma attached to Canadian music would find useful. Canadian music that obscures and Unfortunately, the Barrises fall short of diminishes the accomplishments of these their intended goal. While many artists and other artists by refusing to accept are represented, the attempt to be an all- them on their own terms. Canadian encompassing volume about Canadian music is often "othered" against the popular music constrains the information yardstick established by American provided. productions and, even though millions of albums are sold each year by Canadian artists, international success is equated The entries, while containing some with "selling out" or the abandonment of useful information, are largely vacuous a Canadian identity. But hypocritically, and provide nothing more than a re- when an artist does become popular presenting of facts available fi-om any south of the border, like the Barenaked number of other sources. Along with Ladies for example, it is viewed as the black-and-white photographs that are of Americans "catching on'' to something average quality, there is a regional Canadians already know. aspect to the book that is unnecessary. Notwithstanding this ambivalence Jazz musicians like Archie Alleyne and toward Canadian performers, there is conductor Howard Cable are included still a rich and interesting history of over R. Murray Schafer or Randy Canadian music. Bachman. Granted, Bachman is mentioned in the Guess Who entry, but Father-and-son authors Alex and Ted only in a paragraph mentioning the Barris have attempted to document success of his other group, Bachrnan- Canadian music history. Journalists and Turner Overdrive. Schafer, on the other part-time CBC announcers, the duo has hand, is missing entirely. Also, some chronicled a century of Canadian artists are included in group entries that musicians in one book, Making Music: would be better served as individual Profiles from a Century of Canadian ones. The entry for UHF includes Music. Tackling a century's worth of information about the folk trio and music is a daunting task, and the mentions the past accomplishments of Barrises try their best to provide as its members Shari Ulrich, Bill much information about as many artists Henderson, and Roy Forbes. Arguably, and genres as possible. The book ranges Henderson's achievements with fi-om classical and dance-band musicians Chilliwack and Ulrich's tenure with the Hometown Band merit more than just a alphabetical order. This section becomes few sentences that attempt to distill their redundant because the main entries all careers into an addendum to the present. have birth and death facts; more useh1 would be a select discography and a The book claims to be "profiles fiom bibliography, both of which are missing. a century of Canadian music" but, As well, the journalistic style of the problematically, French artists are authors contributes to the lightness of limited to those that made some impact information and the questionable manner on English Canada-albeit in the view in which the book is arranged, although of the authors. Robert Charlebois, Ckline the Barrises do manage to include some Dion, and Gino Vannelli are included musicians who would otherwise be but Pagliaro, Rhk Simard, and Cano are neglected or forgotten. not. The danger here of course is that Canadian music is perceived as being The authors should be applauded for largely English Canadian, while the attempting to negotiate such a large Qukbkcois music scene becomes non- topic as Canadian music history. But existent or at the very least relegated to a given the wide range of genres, it would footnote in English Canadian music have served a better purpose to have a history. Unfortunately, Canadian popular multi-volume set rather than this single music history is often imagined in that "quick and dirty" edition. In spite of the way. attempt to make the book accessible and readable for the die-hard music fan, To supplement the entries the anyone looking for substantive authors offer ancillary information. In information will find it lacking. addition to a comprehensive index, a section is included featuring artists' Gordon Ross birthdays that are, curiously, not listed in York University