Typically, when someone thinks about Canadian music from the 1970s the first names to appear are Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, or Stompin’ Tom Connors. While all these artists deserve the glory they so often receive (well at least in Canada, I doubt Connor’s ‘Bud the Spud from P.E.I.’ gets much recognition outside the frozen north), one group that too often is over-looked is Hamilton, Ontario’s Simply Saucer. With their pre-punk tendencies coupled with a Velvet Underground inspired desire for experimentation, Simply Saucer offer a captivating group of songs that at all times demand attention.

Which, in many ways, is kind of funny since Simply Saucer has been one of the more overlooked groups of the last 30 years. They existed from about 1972 to 1978 and were hardly even noticed at the time. This might’ve been due to the fact that they were only able to produce a few basement recordings (produced by Bob and Daniel Lanois in their mothers house), some live recordings, and a haphazardly recorded 78 I Can Change My Mind. By the late 70s after receiving little-to-no recognition, they decided to call it quits.

Over a decade later, in 1989, after Hamilton music pioneer Bruce ‘Mole’ Mowat discovered their recordings, Simply Saucer had their first full-length LP released Cyborgs Revisited. The album consists of their early basement recordings along with a few live songs as well. Often considered to be Canada’s answer to the likes of The Velvet Underground, Syd Barrett, early Pere Ubu or Can, Cyborgs Revisited is best described by Edgar Breau (lead singer and guitarist) on the album itself as ‘heavy metalloid music.’ There is no album like Cyborgs. Whether it’s the punk-infused “Instant Pleasures,” the almost radio-friendly “>Bullet Proof Nothing” or the broken-blues of “Nazi Apocalypse”, Cyborgs is a futuristic group of songs that hasn’t broken completely free of its 1970s setting.

The highlight of the album, and of their career for that matter, is the 10 minute epic “Illegal Bodies.” Recorded on the rooftop of a local strip-mall, “Illegal Bodies” is a jam session trying to encapsulate what a world run by robots might be like. The result is a captivating song that drives and irritates the whole way through. Probably the most fascinating aspect of the song is the guitar work of Breau. The solos on “Illegal Bodies” give new meaning of the word ‘shredding’, as Breau focuses on trying to get the most disjointing and piercing noise possible. As a result, by the end of “Illegal Bodies” you feel like you have been overtaken by, and liberated from a massive army of Robots.

So, at a time where the Canadian music scene was dominated by the folk genius of Mitchell and Lightfoot, the roots-rock of Young and the pounding country of Connors, the most interesting option seemed to slip through the cracks. Maybe their obscurity is what makes them more intriguing or maybe they just simply were happier to be unknown. I don’t really know. What I do know is that with Cyborgs Simply Saucer make it that much easier to not cringe when hearing the term Can-rock.

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