Spirit of the West

Signing to a major label prior to releasing Save This House did little to dampen the politically charged music Spirit of the West had built their early career on. The signing only meant that more Canadians than ever would be exposed to their Celtic-tinged rock. Indeed, with Save This House, the band scored their biggest success to date. However, it was not the environmental message of the title track or the anti-capitalist sentiments of "Putting Up with the Joneses" that struck a chord with Canadian audiences, but rather the raucous, heavily Pogues influenced "Home for a Rest." Written while the band was touring England, the song, with its singalong chorus (which included the lines "I've been gone for a week/I've been drunk since I left/These so called vacations will soon be my death/I'm so sick from the drink/I need home for a rest") soon became a college radio hit. Other strong tracks include "Roadside Attraction," "Water in the Well," and "The Old Sod." ~ Robert Kaups, All Music Guide