For their first release, the Lowest of the Low recorded and released every song in their repertoire. The resulting disc, Shakespeare My Butt, became one of the biggest-selling independent albums ever released in Canada. The disc was especially popular among the university crowd in Toronto -- not surprising, given that the lyrics, mostly written by band member Ron Hawkins, mix melancholy sentimentality, sly humor, and leftist politics, often within the same song. The strength of Hawkins' lyrics is most evident on the song "Rosy and Grey," with its opening lines "I want to take a streetcar downtown/read Henry Miller and wander around/and drink some Guinness from a tin/'cause my U.I. cheque has just come in." Other standout tracks include "Salesmen, Cheats and Liars," "Eternal Fatalist," "Bleed a Little While Tonight," and "Henry Needs a New Pair of Shoes." ~ Robert Kaups

Rovi