Born on a Pirate Ship by Barenaked Ladies

Born on a Pirate Ship, the third full-length from Scarborough, Ontario's Barenaked Ladies, came out on Reprise in March 1996, with Michael Phillip Wojewoda producing. Kevin Hearn, who had replaced Andy Creeggan in 1995, was now in the lineup alongside singer-guitarists Ed Robertson and Steven Page, bassist Jim Creeggan and drummer Tyler Stewart.

The formula is all their own: folk-rooted acoustic arrangements, tight harmonies, and lyrics that flip between wisecracks and something much sadder. "The Old Apartment" is the standout, a punchy, restless rocker that became the band's first US hit in 1997, and "Shoe Box", "When I Fall" and "Break Your Heart" fill out a strong set. It was a modest seller at first, No. 12 in Canada and No. 111 in the States, but it went gold in the US in 2000, after Stunt had broken them wide open.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.