Stay ConnectedJoin jD beginning Monday, January 6th, 2025 while he counts down the top 40 songs by The Tragically Hip as voted by you!
Every week jD welcomes a new guest to discuss their TTH origin story (hipstory) and dissect, discuss, and debate the featured song on the countdown.
The Road to the Top 40 - Episode 1
Welcome to the first episode of The Road to the Top 40! I’m jD, your host, and I couldn’t be more excited to take you along as we kick off the countdown of the Tragically Hip’s top songs, leading up to the ultimate Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown.
In this episode, we start with songs 169 through 165, including rare and beloved tracks from Phantom Power and We Are the Same. Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we’ll be releasing five new songs, moving closer to the top of this iconic list of Top TTH songs that fans like you helped create.
This podcast is for fans of The Tragically Hip and anyone who loves Canadian rock music. Dive into Canadian music history with us, hear the stories behind the songs, and celebrate the 40-year legacy of one of Canada’s most influential bands.
Be sure to subscribe so you’re ready for January 6th, 2025, when we’ll start counting down the Top 40, one song per week. Each episode will feature a superfan sharing their TTH origin story and helping break down the song of the week. We’re also looking forward to wrapping up the countdown with a fundraising event for the ALS Society of Canada in October 2025.
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• Instagram, Twitter: @tthtop40
• Website: dewvre.com/tthtop40
• Email: tthtop40@gmail.com
• Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40
Thanks for joining us on The Road to the Top 40 – let’s keep flying the flag!
jD is back with an announcement you won't want to miss!
Looking for a Place to Happen, look no further!
RIP Gord.
The boys are back together, this time it's to discuss the new docuseries on The Hip.
jD is back with some updates and a favour to ask.
Discovering Downie has come to an end and the boys are here to discuss their journey.
The gang is back for a Friday bonus episode, this time out featuring the musical guru Alan Cross
This week on the Friday bonus episode Craig sits down with two different lead singers from a couple of different tribute bands.
This week we're back with a Friday bonus episode featuring Justin having a conversation with his pal in Hipdom, Nathan Astin.
This week on the bonus episode the boys talk about the recent announcements made by The Tragically Hip!
This week's bonus episode features Craig testing Kirk, Justin, and jD on their knowledge of Canada.
The boys meet up with Gord's oldest Toronto friend Josh Finlayson!
Today Craig sits down with Dale Robertson to learn about his TTH origin story.
This week on the pod we wrap up Gord's discography with the Bob Rock collaboration, Lustre Parfait.
Transcript:
[0:00] Long Slice Brewery presents a live event celebration of Gord Downie, July 19th, at the Rec Room in Toronto. Join the hosts of the podcast, Discovering Downie, as they record their finale with special guest, Patrick Downie. A silent auction with items from the hip and many others will take place, along with live entertainment from the almost hip. All proceeds will benefit the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research. For more information and tickets, please visit discoveringdowney.com. Clutched clipboard and staring out past the end of her first day into tonight and all the way across oceans of August to September. It makes for a beautifully vacant gaze.
[1:08] Music.
[1:42] Hey, it's J.D. here and welcome to Discovering Downey, an 11-part project with a focus on the music and poetry of Mr. Gord Downey. The enigmatic frontman of the Tragically Hip, Gord gave to the world an extensive solo discography on top of the vocal acrobatics in the hip that awed us for years. Gord released five albums while he was alive and three more posthumously.
[2:09] Now listen, you might think you're the biggest fan of the Tragically Hip out there. However, why is it that so few of us have experience with this solo catalog? Have you really listened to those solo records? My friends Craig, Justin, and Kirk, giant fans of the hip in their own right, fell into that camp. So I invited them to Discover Downey with me, JD, as their host. Every week, we get together and listen to one of Gord's records, working in chronological order. We discuss and dissect the album, the production, the lyrics, and we break it down song by fucking song. This week, we wrap up Gord's discography with an album attributed to both Bob Rock and Gord, Luster Parfait. Craig, how goes it this week? week things are okay a bit of a break tomorrow going off on a little family trip for a couple days meeting my parents and sisters uh you've never met your parents before this is big news dude yeah yeah i think they're gonna like you man congratulations and then yeah and then shortly after that head off to toronto for for an event with you guys whoop whoop yeah How are you doing, Kirk?
[3:30] You know, guys, I'm doing pretty good. It was 107 out here in Boise, Idaho, where I'm on show site. As we mentioned, I was in Europe last week, so I'm not quite sure time zone, temperate zone, what zone I'm in. I just – somebody point me in the right direction and I go. So I'm doing good, though. We had such a great time. But more importantly, I'm just really excited about next week and just hanging with you, you lads and checking out all the stuff that we have planned and, and, you know, especially that the event. So I'm that energy will get me through whatever jet lag, whatever heat stroke, whatever heck I encounter over the next seven days. So, and what about that new item? The hip gave us today to go towards our silent auction. Someone's going to get some major bragging rights. Man, we can't say what it is, but-
[4:27] We might be fighting internally for this. We'll be revealing what it is, I guess, Friday. And some other great prize stuff, too. JD, you just told me and Kirk about this ridiculous prize that we got. Craig's got it memorized. Yeah. Two tickets to the Toronto Raptors. $500 in arena gift cards. and two customized or personalized jerseys and a shoot around. Man. Are you ready for this? Come on. That's great. Jadon. Yeah. You're in, you're not in Kansas. Tornado Alley. Tornado Alley. But there's twisters about. Yeah, we just had a...
[5:51] And then 20 minutes later, there's a video on Facebook of a frigging tornado a half a mile up the street. What the hell? So we're fine. Yeah, that is freaky. If you look out your window and you see somebody riding a bike in the air, you're in big trouble. With a dog in the basket. That's right. Cow. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, but dude, I'm, I'm good. Otherwise without the weather or with the weather, I'm good. And I'm psyched for next week, man. Ooh. Yeah. Let's go. Justin. I tasted the podcast. Pilsner officially tasted it now. I had four of them at home. I gave two of them to my father-in-law and I drank two of them and they were very crisp. Delicious. Yeah. So it's going to be a lot of fun. Yeah. Awesome.
[6:47] When word broke that we'd be getting a third posthumous record from Gord, there was a hush and a wait and see approach. You see, Gord had partnered with Bob Rock back in the 2010s, shortly after Rock had produced probably two of the most divisive records in the Hips catalog. I enjoy both these records a lot, but your mileage may vary. In any case, it was an uneasy feeling for fans. What would this album be? As it turns out, it's a whole lot of everything. There are songs that are reminiscent of the hip, like North Shore. There are horns on the title track, which we got to sample about six months before Lester Parfait dropped. And it relieved us.
[7:41] There's even something resembling rack time? Suffice to say, as we've gotten used to saying around these parts, this album is altogether, folks, unlike anything Gord has produced before. It's been said that Bob Rock has a tendency to overstuff the records he produces. It's as though he's just been given access to a 48-track board and he feels compelled to use every last fucking track. rack. On this record, however, his hand seems firmly on the rudder. The songs come across as overly polished, of course, but never too indulgent. If there's one complaint I have, it's that there's too many goddamn songs. On a record as varied as Luster Parfait, you're almost overstimulated by the end. You've been through so many different styles and sounds. If I had it my way, this would be a tight 10-song record, and with the right tracks removed, I dare say this is a collection of songs I would put head-to-head against virtually any other record in Gord's oeuvre.
[8:59] Yeah, I think it's that good. There are highs and there are lows on this record, as there have been on each of the albums, but on Luster Parfait, the highs seem higher to me. Have we ever heard Gord sing like he does on The Moment is a Wild Place? Or something more? Have we ever heard a chorus as striking as Is There Nowhere? By the way, big hat tip to Shea Dorval for providing those gorgeous backing vocals. At the end of the day, has Bob Rock redeemed himself with this effort to the haters out there? I would offer a resounding yes. Yes, this is a record that should be listened to loud and on a good pair of headphones. There is so much going on, but it all seems to have a purpose. That's what I think of Lester Parfait.
[9:52] Tell me what your experience with the record is, Kirk. Yeah. So the first real listen I had to this album, because I'd been pretty busy with travel and whatnot, we were on our family vacation in Madrid. And beautiful little up on the top of the hotel looking over the city and just enjoying the wonderful atmosphere. And, um, I was actually listening to that kind of rough cut of our, um, rough cut of our interview with, uh, Niles and Kevin. And he had referenced like that. He thought that, you know, the, the, the moment is a wild places is, was his favorite song. And I'm just like, I can't hold off anymore. I need to jump in. So that was my first experience was listening to it, um, on, on the roof in Spain. And since then, it's just been a pretty incredible journey. I spent a lot of time like listening to Bob Rock interviews and, you know, just really understanding where it's coming from. And as you mentioned, JD, like, you know, I understand the divisiveness and whatnot, but oh my gosh, I, I was already in love when I listened to it the first couple of times at this point, you know, I'm, I'm firm in my, my commitment to, to in Gord, we trust, you know, And to see that...
[11:17] That friendship. I mean, he, he, he makes the statement. We were like two teenagers that were in the studio, just making music together. And, um, you know, to hear how the whole process went and I know we'll get into it and everybody, you know, obviously we'll provide their input. Um, I fell in love with it even more, you know, and, and the variety on this, this album i mean guys we got reggae we got we got west coast punk we got 70s glam we got 80s synth pop we've got you know it it just every even within certain songs you'll have a jump from one friggin genre to another and then you you know you start looking at all the studios they recorded in, the process that it took, the number of years, the people that are involved.
[12:13] And especially after we've discussed with the last three albums, like it was just fun to, I felt like, I felt like I got a warm hug from Gord. I really did. Just like, I just was all that, that we went through. It was like, Hey, this is just when it's fun. And this is, this This is for you, music lovers. That's what I felt. That's what I felt. I love that. I haven't watched much with Bob Rock, but I did read that one of the reasons why it took until 2023 to rear its head was because it was too painful for him to, like, he was really emotional following the death of Gordani in 2017. Absolutely. Because they had gotten lungs. Yeah. They had become such close friends and, you know, they reference, you know.
[13:09] Uh, Gord flew out to talk about world container and they'd figured that out in 15 minutes. And then they spent the rest, the rest of the conversation talking about being dads, being Canadians, being hockey lovers. And, and then that just continued. And I think those guys, you know, with the level that they were at, I think they kind of found it was a peer to peer relationship.
[13:32] And I really felt like they found refuge in each other. And then I think they sought it out because it was a long relationship. I mean, was it 06 when World Container was being made or coming out? Up until the very end. And that's when they first met is when he came out, or at least per what I had listened to. You know, they flew out to Maui, to his studio in Maui, Gord did, and then, you know, like I said, Discuss World Container. And then they didn't really do much as it was described until after the second album, We Are The Same, that they did. And then that's when the, you know, that relationship in the music for Luster Parfait started. So yeah, I mean, I recommend everyone to check into this. And Bob rock doesn't seem like, you know, like you.
[14:25] You just, he didn't, didn't do a lot of, I mean, of course he gets on the documentaries, he gets a lot of airtime and whatnot, but beyond that, you know, there's not a ton, I guess, but the stuff specific to this is well worth, you can just hear the genuineness all these years after, like last year was a lot of the interviews that were going on and he's still breaking up. Like you're still oh yeah um and he's just he's like you go bob rock and you like you think the guy's flying you know coming in on the learjet all the time and he's like most of these interviews he's like just got done feeding his horses craig what was your first experience like i was also traveling uh down to seattle for a ball game and i was on on the amtrak train taking my notes and i I actually wrote, I'm going to read this and don't get mad at me. But I said, hate to be negative on this last album, but there's a lot to pick apart.
[15:25] Two days ago, we were supposed to record this episode, and we had to postpone. And that evening, at 10.30 at night, I texted you guys a photo. A package arrived, and the CD was dropped off by Amazon. So I got the CD, and I started looking at the lyrics. And then the next day, I popped it in the car. And it's been in there for a couple days now, and I've been listening to it quite a lot. And my opinion has totally changed. Changed it's like some of this and i think it's what you said jd it's it's a very long album and so some of my favorite songs come at the end and what i what i've been doing is hitting shuffle and that's when it really started to um pick up for me is when i started listening on shuffle before getting the cd that i liked hearing just random songs come on and then and i thought it it was a problem with the sequencing at first but then i realized it's probably more because when the album came out i did listen a couple times when it first came out but i think i only got through the first four songs and so now i'm getting to know and love these later songs and then when i got the cd it just all kind of started working for me and i'm like wow some of the things that i was going to be nitpicking on today's episode i think i've I've grown to appreciate Justin, my man. Yeah.
[16:51] Talk to me about your relationship with this release and has it changed since your first listen? So I pre-ordered this last year and yeah, this, this CD was in heavy rotation for me until, um, until you asked us to be part of the podcast. So I've been cold Turkey since January or whenever it was and waiting for for this week to get back into it. Yeah. I love this album, and I wish that Gord had done a Broadway show.
[17:27] Um, could you imagine after hearing how strong his vocal is? Um, and especially during this time period. And it's funny, Craig, that you mentioned that you did not like this album. And then today you changed your mind. I took a break from this cause I've been over listening and I went back to the grand bounce and I love that freaking album as of today. And everybody knows I did not love that album when we were doing the podcast. Yay!
[18:00] Yeah. I love this news. It grew on me big time today. And Justin, one of the interviews that I watched, they actually said that the lyrics were almost like a screenplay on Luster Parfait and that there is a movie inside this album. It's just no one has brought it forth. So I like that. Broadway play. Movie i think i saw some of the same interviews you did um the one with uh terry mulligan was i actually listened to it a few times um to pick that apart but um yeah it would be it would be fantastic if that film was to get made or some sort of video component to this um but you know this was at gourd's you got to remember this the vocals recorded a decade ago and this was at gourd's busiest period and i would say his strongest period um vocally um and seems that way but you know bob also said in the in the interviews that he intentionally um potted gourd's mic up so that it was more on the forefront you know with the hip gourd's voice was an instrument um with this album it is the show and that absolutely rings true and you know jd the the songs that you mentioned just...
[19:24] Kick my ass every time i hear it and i've heard them i've heard them 50 times at this point you know without exaggerating um yeah it's it's a very cool album a very confusing album uh stylistically um and it's very long but i can palette that um and i had the same issues craig um with stopping and starting and you hear you've you know you've heard the first six songs on this album probably twice as many times as the final seven or eight um and it's just it takes a commitment to get through it um and every song is long in addition to them there being so many of them um you know there's several songs that are five or six minutes um yeah seven and a half right it's for the moment is a wild place and i'm really interested in in your guys's uh mvp, yeah tracks for this like more than any other album we've done yeah because i think it's going to be all over the place i i've got mine and i i think this was like the easiest choice i've had to make and this is the first time i don't i quite literally don't have an mvp i'm i'm pulling the trigger when we talk every other album first three listens i had it down i mean i'm usually the first one to chime up i i can't i i just haven't been able to pick one it's strange that that it's It's opposite.
[20:48] Should we try and untangle this web that Justin just spoke of, this mystery of a record, and go track by track? We start with, Greyboy says.
[20:59] Music.
[24:42] I mean, from the first note, it's like, what the hell are we listening to? And in the best way, you know, I just had no idea that this is where we were going. You know, and I love World Container and I love We Are The Same. And we all know everything else that Bob Rock has done. And this is not any of those things. It's bizarrely different. Um, and who the hell is gray boy, right? Like I've spent a year now trying to figure that out. And I thought I'd read something that it was a DJ. Um, yeah, I read that too. I'm not sure if it's true or not, but there's a DJ out of San Diego, uh, named gray boy. Um, sort of like an acid jazz DJ I read and it could be him he's referencing, but I'm not sure if that's no idea. Yeah. Um, but yeah, it's just a, a total, it's a mind fuck right from the beginning. And, and I was really like, okay, I'm turning this up. Um, you know, I remember listening to it in my car, um, the first time that I, that I put it on. However, I wanted to ask, um, JD and Craig, if, if you guys had any of this, um, on air in Canada, did, were any of these songs played on terrestrial radio? Yeah.
[26:05] I don't recall hearing it on the radio i don't listen to a lot of uh local radio i'm usually, you know serious yeah xm listener but um but no i didn't hear it i did see the video though and so this song is a song i heard right away when it came out because of the the video which uh if you've seen it it has um some of the guys from offspring dexter nude and yeah and And when I look at the track listing, they don't actually, they don't play on the track. So they were just kind of there for the video and having fun filming the video. And Bob Rock's got James Hetfield's ESP that he's playing in it. And so it's a pretty cool video.
[26:49] Did you guys recognize the drummer? I did, yeah. So Abe- Abe Laborio Jr. That's Paul McCartney's drummer. Yeah, really quick connection. When I was in my original band back in the 90s, we had a drummer who filled in for us fairly often when we were down a drummer. And he was roommates at Berklee with Abe. Really? And I didn't meet Abe, But one time he was in town for either sting or McCartney and our singer slash, you know, front front man got to jam with Abe and he came back and told me that he has never felt anything like it being in the room with him. He said when the, when the kick drum hit one, it was unlike anything he's ever experienced as a musician. So it was just that tight. And you can hear that tightness in his playing. Yeah. I mean, you don't get picked up as Paul McCartney's drummer, unless you know what the F you're doing. 20 years.
[28:17] Video and, and, And he even plays and he's like, he's a beast of a man, right? He's, he's, he's, he's a big guy, but he's just sweet. I've had opportunity. There's a show called ma'am national associate music merchants. If you're a musician, you should know about it. It's every year in Anaheim. So it's pretty close. So I've been going for years and years and he's there quite a bit. And so, you know, had few little interactions and he's just, yeah, he's a, he's a sweetheart just, and, and an incredible musician. Oh, wow. Incredible musician. Well, they did it weird, right? Because they released Lester Parfait, and then they released a three-song EP, or maybe that was the time they released Lester Parfait. And then they released a six-song EP. And it had The Moment is a Wild Place, Camaro, Lester Parfait, Grey Boy Says, I think. So they did that But I'm not sure about, I'm not sure whether Lester Parfait Was considered the lead single or not Hold on I have it open here So that's why I asked you guys If you'd heard it on the air because Again the station that I talk about all the time Here WBQX played Lester Parfait Over and over last year Wow And I think that I heard Grey Boy Says as well On the radio.
[29:45] Damn So we were talking earlier about sequencing. I believe it was Craig that was talking about it. So we'll start with him here because when I first heard the next track, which is the Raven and the Red-Tailed Hawk, I remember thinking, what the fuck kind of sequencing is this? We go from, you know, this crazy rock song to like a kid's song. And then all of a sudden that chorus hits and you're just like, wow. I would love to be next to a fucking stack listening to that, feeling my pant legs whistle in the wind. Fucking right. That would be just fantastic. Craig, what do you think of The Raven and the Red-Tailed Hawk? I really love this song. I think there's a lot of things that really stuck out. The lyrics were great. The chorus, like you mentioned, is powerful. There's the nod to the east wind, I think, in the lyrics of the chorus.
[30:47] And it's just a strongly written song. There's a very unique melody. And there's a really cool descending tremolo guitar that I thought was effective. And some nice piano. piano there's a really wild synth solo which was really cool followed by an acoustic guitar solo which you know to to the opposite of what i said last song i loved i thought bob rock killed that solo an acoustic guitar solo is very hard to pull yes agreed to make it sound you have to be spot on and not only does the tone of the guitar have to be good but you have to have the feel.
[31:28] And because you hear every slide you hear every nuance you're every bend you hear every chord configuration if you're if you're throwing that in so i agree 100 craig yeah you have to be kyle gas and when you're playing a playing an acoustic soloing you don't have that sustain when you're bending a note so it's just a so someone who tries to play you know just take electric solo and played on acoustic it's not going to sound the same so i thought he did a great job of crafting a solo that worked um there was some really cool like compositional tricks with you know like you know leading tones passing tones and just lots of lots of things to love in this um and also one quick thing at the end the vocal jumps up an octave going into that last chorus just a great great trick yeah and yeah the lyrics i just you know pulled out the lyric booklet two days ago and really wild stuff what do you think justin yeah it's the same exactly the same it's a kid's song and then it's not right um and it's the the storytelling and the.
[32:40] You know i can see that helmet the imagery that he tells the story um and one of these interviews um um, that Gord had done, um, which nobody knew it at the time, but it was during these sessions.
[32:58] Um, he had mentioned that Bob had asked him to speak more clearly. Don't be so vague with your lyrics. Tell, tell a story that people can understand without having to pull out an encyclopedia and boy, you got it right in this one. Um, you know, this is, it's very cut and dried. Um, it's, it's nothing to figure out. I, I just love how, how clear and concise it is. And some days I just can't do it, you know? Um.
[33:28] I think we've all had that. Fuck yeah. Kirk, what do you think? Well, being the elder of the group and someone who really grew up in the 80s, I heard this song. I was joking before when we first started talking on, you can't see me, folks, but I'm doing the 80s dance. When I heard that song the first time, I got that new wave post. I just felt like a kid again in high school. And when you'd hear those, we were in the heart of new wave. It was like true post-punk, like Sex Pistols, late 70s, early 80s, punk, post-punk, where it's now you're getting the precursors to, you know, what becomes Green Day and Blink-182 and everything. But there's, I mean, fuck, there's five keyboards parts on this song, five separate keyboard, you know, credits listed and you can hear it. Um, so, you know, I would say, I know I'd mentioned at the beginning, like I couldn't pick an MVP. This was one that just always stood out. I wouldn't again say MVP, but loved it. It made me feel good every time I listened to it. And then Kirk's going to roll into his second criticism of the entire, uh, series. And I believe it was, is it Tim? I was just going to say, who are you, Tim?
[34:47] Like i don't necessarily have an issue with fade outs but i struggled with the fade out on this one i really did i i was like i don't come on just like end it it's a long fade out too it's a long very long fade out very long fade out so um so you know i uh i i again if you guys know i really don't care but odds it's it's all good matthew good he was also strippers union so you know yeah he did the drums on that he was also like the house drummer for the kids in the hall so oh yeah yeah so like how cool is that that you got you go from paul mccartney's drummer to you know brian adams matthew good all the stuff that that pat did so um yeah uh great song uh just uh really helping the love affair uh with the album and uh you know outside of the i could have done without the fade out um friggin loved.
[35:56] It friggin loved it it's a 20 second fade out though like it's it's long it's much sort of it's much i'm usually okay with it but this was you know the one thing though the reason why i brought it up is because i kept having to look at my phone going did my phone die um because i'm like the song was the next song wasn't coming he's got late and i couldn't tell if it was going out or if it was the intro but it's yeah it's a 20 second long outro insane justin how about you buddy yeah i i knew somebody was going to mention the fade out. I didn't hate it because the song is kind of long and it's like, alright, it kind of feels appropriate.
[36:38] But yeah, no, I just love the song and I don't know, how many times are you going to say the sonic sounds like nothing else you know and i i understand you know he really wasn't necessarily involved in much of the the writing of the parts, um but i don't know it's just so freaking cool yeah it is it's very cool, so luster parfait what do you think of that track that's the one song that my daughter has grabbed a hold of because of the hey hey hey um you know i don't i don't know what the song is about but i picture it as gourd's love letter to music um and you know performing live we gather in the dark um you know we can only connect um that's that may be the only way that some people connect that's how we all connected right is through music and specifically gourd's music um i just this this uh this song you can't help but feel good listening to um it's such a fun freaking song and there's horns and there's that little you know half step.
[37:58] Kind of thing in the chorus and it's it's really really interesting and it's very fun and it's funny almost um just the the energy that that gourd has and that the entire i want to say band but you know the people playing in the song it just sounds like every i can picture every single person in there playing with a smile on their face you know and and just enjoying the shit out of this whole process it's a luster parfait baby would you dig into the yeah because it starts off with horns and you we haven't had horns per se um on i mean i guess is this what it sounded with davis manning like i i i'll put my cards out there and i haven't heard a lot of it so i don't really know what the hip sounded like with him, but like you've got a full on sack. So what's that, Justin? Not like this. Davis Manning did not sound like this.
[39:02] Ah no he sounded like uh and i he sounded like an 80s you know bar band saxophonist that's because that's exactly what it was who can it be now i'm in at work right but the horns just hit you right up front um and uh the the sax solo like in the middle and then And, you know, a really cool, as we talked about, you know, it's got a hard ending, which is great. But in the end, that little vamp with the B3 and the piano, like Justin said, the music all around, you just, you can't listen to it and not smile and not feel like that was the energy when it was being recorded.
[39:51] So the one note that I wrote here too that I think is really cool. Um and it kind of speaks to what you guys were saying is like a like a a letter to music but he described the bridge bob did uh as being essentially the sensational alex harvey band and if you don't know anything about the sensational alex harvey band just look it up just youtube it and i'll leave that there um you know i guess i'll call it like the canadian david Bowie during the Ziggy Stardust years is, is probably a good way to describe it. So, um, but how cool is that? That like throwing that right in, right in after you get these two rockers and now he's going glam and, um, yeah, this just brilliant, uh, brilliant, brilliant, uh, title track song.
[40:47] I really liked the, speaking of the bridge, the sort of chromatics and the bridge. And then at the very end, it blends into the final chorus.
[40:59] So, you know, luster parfait, hey, hey, which I thought was very cool. Um yeah and speaking of the lyrics at the at the start it says isn't it funny how little we can do how much we are like a scene from the deluge and i looked up a scene from the deluge because it was capitalized and i found a painting called scene from a deluge from 1806, and it's a pretty wild painting i'll just read the description really quickly the man perched on a rock hangs from a from a tree that is beginning to break he tries to pull up his wife and two children all while supporting on his back an old man who carries a purse in his hand the sky is streaked with lightning like justin right now and a cadaver floats in the agitated water it's a pretty i'll just hold my screen it's pretty wild um anyways uh pretty wild so i'm not sure what he's getting at but uh but yeah definitely what's the lyric yeah it's the it's the intro isn't it funny how little we can do how much we are like a scene from the deluge, which as you describe it, it was pretty, uh, pretty stark. Yeah. Like, yeah.
[42:26] Yeah. Like he's hanging on to like his wife and two kids with one arm, like by her one arm. So I guess there's not too much he can do.
[42:35] Other quick notes. I just want to mention the horns. So the horns, the saxophone is played by Tom Keenleyside, who is a local Vancouver-based saxophone flautist. And he has been all over. He has played with so many different artists. and actually the very first cassette i ever bought back in grade seven i think i just finished grade seven and i was in the kitchen i can still i remember exactly where i was and on the radio came, rag doll by aerosmith 1987 and i was drawn in by the horns because i i'm i started playing saxophone in grade six so i was drawn in by that and steve tyler's voice and that song grabbed me right away I took my money from my piggy bank and I bought a Walkman and a cassette tape you know the next day and that's really where my journey with rock music started and so Bob Rock was the engineer on that album Permanent Vacation and Tom Cunley side played the saxophone so I thought there's a cool kind of full circle for for me personally um you know seeing that he was the one And because as soon as I heard horns, I knew it was him. Listen, I don't know where you would put a showcase track on a record from a sequencing standpoint.
[44:02] Music.
[50:44] The vocals uh that are going on in this um you got and then going back to bob and all the guitars like you've got acoustic guitars you got two lead guitars you've got what sounds almost like what i know as like a slack hawaiian slack guitar it sounds like a pedal steel but there's nothing in the liner the the the pedal steel song is not this song um it's got that kind of a you know of acoustic and slide in the beginning and and then you've got this the chorus that just uh you know it's uh it it it's like a dump truck of love coming down with this massive gourd here i am and and you understand why many people call it their favorite and uh a song that is seven minutes in 26 seconds and sounds like it's maybe a couple minutes so when you know that a song that's that long can just like you get lost in and you don't even think that it's that long you know you know it's it's obviously very very well written craig what were your thoughts i thought the.
[52:02] Yeah the chorus was was what made it and the moment is a wild place reminded me of you know like a theme throughout his work about living in the moment where whether it's the dance and its disappearance or never ending ending present and i'm sure there are many others i know we've discussed them on this podcast so that was really really a great tie-in um the hawaiian guitar i loved as well at the start and you know you have to think that it is bob rock playing that so it you know he lives in maui much of you know much of the year from what i've heard and And, you know, he's soaking up all that Island music and, and yeah, my only other real note was, um, like a couple of quick things. Sean Nelson is the drummer on this track and the last one who I had to look up and he's actually, um.
[52:54] Not someone who's played on a ton of high profile albums or anything. He's a drum instructor out of, I believe, San Francisco, I read. And, you know, very cool that he had that opportunity to work on this album. And one last thing, the piano flourishes at the end, reminded me of Dr. P from the country of miracles, which was very cool. Nice callback. Wow. Yeah. That's a great. Yeah. Justin, how about you? The moment is a wild place. Well, you know, I keep referencing my love of Prague and this sounds like a pink board. I can see that.
[53:38] I love that it's long. I love that it's got, they use all 88 keys. You know, from low to high, it's It's really just a beautiful song, and the lyrics remind me of Secret Path. Heal. I don't know. There's definitely some tie-ins in my brain to Channing and his story. I don't believe that. Wow. Because this was probably written before secret path was even in chords around the same time around the same time it was birthed.
[54:24] Yeah. But you know, I just, yeah, I think this is one of the songs that Bob said that Gordon heard completed before he passed.
[54:36] Oh, that's nice to hear. Yeah. Uh, and, but Jesus Christ, the range that this guy has, right? Like, uh, I don't know. It, it, I fall apart whenever I hear the song. It's it's in in the best of ways you hear this song and it's almost like has he not been trying all these years you know because he's like he's got this in his fucking back pocket holy shit you have this in your back pocket and you're 50 years old time gourd god the other thing that i think is is uh something i just want to comment on really quickly is somebody who deals with mental wellness and is uh working on his mental health i look at this song almost the same way i look at the darkest one in that it's got this sort of clever twist right it's like the wild are strong, and the strong are the darkest ones and you're the darkest one so it's like starts out as almost this great compliment but it turns into something else and in this song it's like hey everybody you got to be in the moment you got to be in the moment but sometimes the moment is a wild fucking place that you don't want to be in so i'm going to put a bow in this jd and you guys.
[56:04] So yeah i had mentioned earlier i was you know on the rooftop in madrid and i'm listening to the I'm listening to the Kevin Drew Niles interview, and you'd put this song in, sorry, Inside Baseball.
[56:23] This song comes on, and it turns midnight in Madrid, and frigging fireworks start going off everywhere around the city. And I don't know if it was the transition from June to July. I don't know if it was the Spain had just won their Euro cup game earlier in the day, or if it was just, you know.
[56:52] Tuesday in Spain at midnight, we like to put off fireworks, but I'm, I'm, you know, up there. Like I said, I've had a few glasses. I'm feeling wonderful. I'm jet lagged. I'm listening to that brilliant, brilliant, brilliant interview. The song comes on and fireworks start shooting off quite literally in the middle of it. So the moment is a wild place. Yeah, sure fucking is. Boy. Well, let's move to track five and something more. Craig, how do you feel something more lives up to its role as a follow-up song for The Moment is a Wild Place? This is a tour de force song and a showcase piece. Is this the right sequencing order? I'm just curious what you think. Yeah, that's a good question. I'll need to think about that some more, but I do think the song was quite good. It reminded me, vocally reminded me of like earlier Gord.
[57:58] And it's the first song on Lester Parfait that did sound like a previous version of Gord. The horns are great, which is what makes it sound so it doesn't just sound like a copy of something that he did earlier. There were some great dissonant guitar shots that were very cool and a little horn part. And of course, we have to shout out the drummer on this song because it is none other than Johnny Faye, who makes an appearance a number of times on this album. And you can tell. He just has such a great... He's playing on an album with Pat Stewart, with Abe, and he fits right in there because he's just such a musical player.
[58:46] He has such a great tone to his drums always, and it was just a treat to hear him again. He's also listed as backing vocals. I think that's on a later track. I think track number 11, I think, for some reason. Oh, okay. All right. Right. But speaking of vocals, I have in my notes that Johnny Faye said this was Gord's best vocal ever recorded, hip or otherwise. I've never heard – I've been listening to him since 1989, and I've never heard anything like this. Right, right. There's a lot of strong, strong Gord vocals. And he's also got a very powerful voice. We know that because watching a special video of his later performances where he's more guttural and screaming but holding the microphone down at his belly button. And you can still hear just how powerful his voice is. That's really wild that Johnny Faye would say that. This is the first one that, at least for the album version.
[59:58] This song is actually towards the end. So kind of wild. Or at least from a lyrical standpoint, it goes something more in the field, and then there goes the sun. So it's one of the last three songs on the album. you've got an error your album's on that skirt my album is a wild place i'm not i'm not even lying guys i'm not lying look at it right there it's third from the end odd odd that that you know as we talk about the sequencing that's the listed you know outside of the comment from johnny i just you know gothic synths driving drums bright horns really amazing solo um uh just I like it actually in the spot that we're talking about it from a sequencing standpoint, as opposed to towards the end. Because it is one of those that, I guess they're all in the MVP category opportunity, but this to me might have been in the upper quarter of MVP opportunities.
[1:01:04] What do you think, Justin? um i spent a fair amount of time on the lyrics on this one and trying to there's a lot of stuff that's in quotes um and i tried to figure out what he was referencing by a lot of stuff and the only thing this is the silliest thing that i think could have come out of this was the cool hand of a girl all i found for that was a mexican restaurant in toronto jd have you been there it's It's called The Cool Hand of a Girl.
[1:01:39] Hand of a Girl. That's the only thing that I found on the internet with those words in hand. No, I've not heard of that restaurant. No. And I did some research on the restaurant, and it's been open since before this was recorded. So was he talking about a Mexican restaurant? It's an MO, man.
[1:01:59] Yeah um i i did love the uh the line i legalize criminality and criminalize dissent i love that because i american who is fucking terrified right now and um that's where i live is where criminality is legal and dissent is criminal uh quite fucking literally, um i don't know the um you know you guys had referenced that this is this is sort of old gourd and the thing that really stuck out for me because i felt the same way it was yeah he said fuck you in this song and this album to that point feels too clean to have those lyrics, to have him say that. And the way that he says it is really live-gored, you know, the ranting voice, almost. He drags the F out in that word.
[1:03:09] I like this song. It's not my favorite. I don't know why it's not my favorite i don't know why it's not not my favorite but um yeah this song is is fine and it the the as far as the sequencing goes you know the moment is a wild place is such a deep valley um that this just gets us right back up in the air and and we're on to our next stop and And, um, I, I liked the energy of it, um, to follow, um, yeah, in a wild place. But, um, other than that, I don't know. I think it's got another showcase vocal, uh, toward the end, the latter third of the song when he goes up high. Yeah, for sure. I don't know if you guys, uh, like, I'm not going to try and sing it, but do you know the part I'm talking about where he goes up very high? Yeah. Again, that's not something we've heard from him before. Him going into a place like that.
[1:04:15] I could see the classic Gord sweat in this song. He worked hard in this one. And you know what? Moving on to Camaro, I sort of get a sweaty kind of vibe from this one, too. What do you think about this one, Justin? My first thought was, is Gord a secret car guy? like that would be amazing for you oh, No, I mean, this, this is, uh, this is, you know, you're in high school and this is the first car you can afford. Um, this is not a nice Camaro, by the way, the, I had, this is a, this is a 72 that nobody wanted and I found it for 400 bucks in the classifieds and let's go, you know, um, uh, I don't know. It's got no floor on the passenger side but everything else is cool you can see the lines on the road through the friggin' drin you can Barney Rubble it, it's a piece of shit but it's my car, it's my wheels and I love it, I actually went back and listened to other Camaro related songs.
[1:05:33] Kings of Leon and Dead Milkmen Bitchin' Camaro You know, just, just, I went back to that for some reason. I don't know. It was, it was cool to just kind of revisit that. Bitching Camaro. Did you see Justin on this particular song and this actually brings up a question for me. The song is Bob said was written because that's his wife's favorite car was a Camaro and then he gave it to Gord and Gord was like, I don't want to write about a Camaro. I'm going to write about a girl named Camaro. So the lyrics are about a girl named Camaro but the title Camaro came from bob's um and this is again this is just what bob mentioned about it um his wife's favorite car so apologies yeah and isn't that crazy isn't that totally crazy and and.
[1:06:36] Yeah. You know, a great song. Um, I have, uh, I have like talking heads listed as kind of a vibe in, in, in a lot of them actually have a real, you know, kind of eccentric talking heads, kind of odd jazzed influence horns, um, as well. So, yeah, but anyway, love that. It's a girl named Camaro. Great. I love the line of the chorus, Camaro, the name means just what you think the car can do, go. Just the way he phrases it is just very odd. Until I read it, I didn't realize what he was trying to say at the end.
[1:07:16] And yeah, just very cool phrasing. it reminded me of um i couldn't get the simpsons out of my head the canyonero canyonero, but that's just where my mind went but my also my dad had he's currently rebuilding a uh a 1980 camaro in silver so i'm uh i actually just texted him to see if he could text me a picture of it but he's uh he's a car guy and yeah he's working on one as we speak so So it did bring back a memory that I had repressed from high school where I got a ride with a buddy's sister's boyfriend who had a Trans Am, you know, like a Burt Reynolds Smokey and the Bandit vintage. And we went 140 miles an hour on the way home. That's the only time I was certain that I was going to die was in the backseat of that car. And it's a Trans Am, not a Camaro, but same thing. Yeah. Yeah. Night.
[1:08:15] Music.
[1:12:50] The North Shore is the first track on the record to me that sounds like vintage hip. It could be at home on Day for Night, a different production version of it could have been on Fully Completely, maybe even Hen House. It's of that sort of vintage. Am I totally crazy, or am I barking up the right tree, Kurt? Yeah i mean i have i have written uh alt rock style um kind of ballad so you know that's i think that hip would fall into that that uh realm but the song sounded big to me it got big you know it starts off with that kind of acoustic piano in intro and um and and the cool thing like most scored lyrics is like is he talking about the north shore of maui is he talking about the north shore of you know lake ontario everyone because like everyone kind of has a north shore, and um i i uh i i i just appreciate again the his ability to um.
[1:14:05] Keep you guessing and keep us talking for many more episodes of podcasts to dissect Accord's lyrics. Yeah. And I recall seeing an interview with Bob Rock where he kind of mentioned the same thing. He talked about the North shore in Maui. There's a North shore in Vancouver where, you know, Bob Rock would, would know about the North shore that I actually spent the first four years of my life on the North shore in North Vancouver. And, um, I'm I'm thinking he's probably talking about the lake only because he mentions, I think it swallows, which there wouldn't be, I don't think in Maui on the North shore there. It's much too windy. There's little sparrows, I think, but I could be wrong.
[1:14:46] But, but yeah, it's meant to be for wherever your North shore is. And it really is a great song. It could be, could have been a radio hit is that, that type of song I did. This is one of those songs that earlier on I had a critique about the chorus being too generic. So the chord structure is one we've heard a million times. But then the more I listened to it, I started thinking, well, there's a reason this chord structure has been used a million times. It's powerful. And when Gord is added to this mix, it does sound original. And it sounds great. I really love the harmonies at the end in the guitar. There's some sort of like Boston seventies via seventies, like guitar rock vibe on the, on the harmonies, which I dug or like, or like almost like a thin Lizzie or something. So yeah, solid song all around.
[1:15:39] Justin, your thoughts. Yeah. I actually, um, view this as a followup to the last recluse. Um, like, yep. That's all that to me lyrically. Um, I also went back to Summer's Killing Us from In Between Evolution, because I really do love the lyrics about one more breeze and summer's complete. And then at the end, he goes back to summer lowers its flag now. And obviously the word is summer. And so that is my tie in. But, you know, the the uptempo of summer is killing us and summer exists at the fair. Right you know like this is yeah summer kicks ass and then this is the end of it like we're going back to school now and uh the leaves are falling off of the trees and you know it just um i also really loved the line we occurred to each other 48 hours a day how fucking amazing is that line um when you're in love holy hell that's that's all you think about and um.
[1:16:52] Fingers and toes 40 things we share you know uh yeah or fireworks um yeah believing in the country of me and you that's what it was yeah yeah yeah i agree with the last recluse reference though and the way he sings it is actually very similar to we held hands between our bikes it's very and if you've seen the video for the last recluse as well they actually show that with you know these two kids with their yeah well um track number eight is this nowhere kirk this song like i even have i told you about my nights at the ihop i would go after work here over the last couple days and and it's the right next to the hotel and it's simple and so i wrote this on a little napkin holder and my note says it's the same phrasing as one from.
[1:17:42] You too i'm sure you guys all that's right yes yeah so and then all of a sudden what's that justin reference to it too midway through the song oh yeah it it's not getting better like he's bull right he is ripping this song he's admitting yep that's a great pick up justin yeah good friend right and then you have one more coffee in the bill which is gonna come up later as one of the lyrics and the backing that the chorus just boom shade shade of all now is that someone that you guys were familiar with ahead of this because I didn't know anything about her until I did the research Justin yeah No, Craig has a story. So Che, Amy Dorval is someone I had to look up because I heard the vocals on this song and I was so blown away by the backing vocals that I had to look her up. And she's from here. She's from Vancouver.
[1:18:49] And I think she may be based out of Toronto now. I'm not quite sure. She has a couple of dates coming up in Portland and Seattle, I believe, but nothing here. So I was hoping to go check her out. But yeah, it turns out she worked with Devin Townsend on a project called Casualties of Cool. And so I went onto YouTube and looked that up. And it's very, very cool. Kind of like ambient stuff with just beautiful vocals. And yeah, Devin Townsend is a local musician who, yeah, I remember playing back in 95, sharing a bill with him when he played in a band called Strapping Young Lad. And now he's like a, you know, worldwide world, you know, renowned, uh, musician. And, uh, yeah, we have a, yeah, we have a bit of a band connection with him too. That I won't get into on, on air, but yeah. I want to love you.
[1:19:45] That's so cool and then just my last two things on this song um, bob wrote five songs on her solo album and i don't know that he helped with the production he may have been the producer on it but he he wrote five songs with her very in a similar style that um he did with gourd but this is the part that gutted me gourd didn't hear the vocal, It was added after he passed.
[1:20:43] I mean you know there's so many haters out there you know he the guy produced the the biggest album of the 90s like the the biggest decade for music um you know i'm pretty sure sales wise yeah i'm pretty sure the 90s as far as like you know you know actual physical product i gotta say this about bob he gives two fucks yep and it's just good for good for him to work with two he just he's living in maui with his wife and his horses and spending time with his kids and you know try you know yeah oh yeah i got to deal with this bon jovi album or this you know offspring album whatever else and then i'm gonna go and wake up and pick one of my 700 guitars and he's got he's got like just he's got he's got music for days but he doesn't sing so i mean he does a little backup vocals or whatever else but i love that about because you know i'm kind of teetering on this i love the bob rock hip albums and of course i am loving this album and and i appreciate the other stuff that i mean metallica that you know that i think that especially if you're a musician like i think i know every main riff from the black album i can't play it all but i know all the riffs of you know sandman and and um and i loved watching that documentary you know almost swore out the VHS. So I'm telling you how old I am again.
[1:22:08] Yeah. Another thing about that song, I love the part after the chorus. There's that melody, the da-na, da-na, just at first it kind of throws you, but it's a really great choice.
[1:22:20] And I'm going to give a little critique here. This guitar solo kind of kills me. It, it, it's just so generic and kind of boring. And actually now that you bring up the videotape of the, the Metallica, I think it's called day in the life of, I used to have a video VHS copy of that too. And there's a, there's a time on that when he's giving Kirk Hammett such a hard time about the solo. I think it was the unforgiven maybe. And he's just like, no, do it again. Do it. Gotta do your homework. Gotta do your homework. You don't do your fucking homework. So I was picturing like Kirk Hammett being in there, like giving him a hard, like hard time. And, you know, he needed, he needed Bob rock and needed a Bob rock on this song. I think.
[1:23:07] Well, again, I think it comes, it comes from the fact though, too, that we've been listening to, you know, these bands and, and these records that have such a feel to them, you know, a cohesive feel. Feel and this record doesn't have that same sort of cohesive feel it's it's all over the place right 14 songs 14 songs that's in in in all the things you read he he gave him 14 songs and he got 14 songs back there was no added there was no cut it was 14 14 straight across and and at no point did i see anything that said like okay this this track was written in 1985 this track was It was written in 2010. It just was part of his cadre of music that he's had lying around. And again, I'd really be interested to know if the titles are Bob's or Gord's. I'd be really interested to know. I guess ultimately it would have come down to Bob in the end. But I'm sure he would have respected it. I think Gord, in their discussions, they would have had. I'm sure. But you're right. I mean, they are co-producers.
[1:24:23] Co-writers of the of the record yeah craig i'll put a bow on your statement this was sorry i'm i'm getting a little too flowery with the bob rock quotes and everything else but his statement was budget wise i was the only guitar player available, so there's your answer to the solo okay okay sorry bob i i really i should say i i'm a bob rock fan i love both of the hip albums he did and and like i already mentioned my permanent vacation story and also sonic temple was a big one for me when i was young and that was his yeah me and my buddy found that cassette tape on the side of the road by my dad's work someone had thrown it out the window or something and we found it no no case just the tape and took that home and And yeah, so I'm a big, big Bob rock fan. So sorry, Justin. Yeah. I mean, apart from the backing vocals, I don't love this song. Um, and I think it's kind of the reasons why you guys said it's just not something musically doesn't do it for me. Um, and that's no disrespect to anybody, but the, you know, the background vocals are just so freaking stellar that it's it props the song up probably higher than it should rank for me.
[1:25:48] Um yeah and i really you know i didn't care for the youtube the youtube riff and and it just it's just strange right it pulls you out it almost pulls you out of the song because you're like thrust into another song but like i said i do i do appreciate that gourd references the u2 song yes and says it's not getting better that's very cool okay all right well then we know what we're doing at least yeah good on him for for recognizing that and i'm guessing it was just an accident then he he either he noticed it or someone else pointed it out and then yeah know, I'll just add a lyric in here and it's all good. I think it's better than one personally. The next song is To Catch the Truth. Kurt, we'll start with you. Yeah, man. So here we go. We got a ska song, a frigging ska song, in my opinion. No doubt, Mighty Mighty Boston's, whatever your flavor is. But.
[1:26:51] I love ska. I love ska. My wife loves ska and we grew up in Orange County. I used to go see No Doubt, play at colleges and play at local bars and crap like that.
[1:27:07] And Mighty Mighty Boston is probably the – not even probably, by far the loudest concert I've ever been to, leaps and bounds. But gorge's doing a ska tune um west coast punk was uh was mentioned in a couple of the reviews that i saw vancouver's scene dug in the slugs um it's just a fun great song you know the beauty of ska at least from my standpoint so um loved it absolutely loved the tune jay dog yeah i uh remember very fondly uh watching real big fish in a very small room and um river city rebels were a big ska band horn band here in burlington and i used to you know sneak into shows underage and and love it um it's a fun song it's just fun and um gourd packs a lot into this song um it's i don't really have any any critiques yay or nay other than man i remember being 15 16 years old and going to these shows and having a hell of a good time when i first heard this song the the amount of compression bothered me it's just like.
[1:28:31] You know squished and also i found it strange i was thinking in the realm of like goldfinger or something like that and in what in one channel you've got the guitar the other side you've got the piano and i found the way the piano was so clean was a bit bothers bothersome at first, and i had a note i wish it was almost like rag timed up a bit like or you know a bit like maybe even a bit out of tune or just something to give it a little bit of personality that would be my one see this is the song that i felt was like the the mouth i did yeah i think it was the piano a melody but what i mean is is the actual sound yeah no but not the sound i i hear what you're saying craig it was too clean it needed to be like someone had a mic in the room of a saloon with some out of tune piano and then that would have been the that would have been the flavor that would have been the added that well because i like my note west coast punk like you don't tune up when you're playing punk songs you play what's on the friggin guitar that's exactly what So I hear that. I think that's a very fair, very fair criticism.
[1:29:37] After listening to it on the CD last night, though, I found that it wouldn't have worked if it was done as a more sort of raw punk or like, if it wasn't compressed in that way, the vocals would not have popped in the same way. And so I think it was probably the right choice in hindsight. But like I said, if it could be just dirtied up a bit in some way, I think I would have enjoyed it a little bit more. I did like the beginning. It's kind of like a strange introduction. There's also those hard stops at the end. What's real? What's fake? There's not a dirty song on this record. You know, this record is not, it's not got, it is like that Camaro. Somebody's out polishing it with a shammy. It's pristine and clean. Let me howl.
[1:30:29] Music.
[1:36:30] This was one of my favorites. Really enjoyed this song. Really strong melodies. It's unlike any other song in style. And again, we keep coming back to this, but it does not sound like any other Gord song. Doesn't sound like any other song on this album. Very much like an 80s vibe musically. There's a, you know, because I've criticized some solos, I will say I did enjoy the clean guitar solo on this song. And then there's a sax solo that comes in over top of that and i like how that how the tempo goes into halftime and then it kicks back in at the end yeah solid song so i got i got big money from rush in the intro that's what it felt like to me okay so just think of that synth you know.
[1:37:21] Big money when before it comes in so but you're right man that that breakdown with the guitar and the sax i just kept repeating that i freaking loved that like and you know you guys you know i i'm i like the dead and and one of the reasons why i think i like the tragically hit because they are jam band no matter what you say they are jam band and they're not going to go off into crazy solos well they did go off into crazy gourd vocal solos you could say right but you know rob's not ripping it for 25 minutes and and you know breaking out the wall and making sure you're you know timing your dose just right but um it it i i love that part to this is that um that that that breakdown. Cause you just, and again, and I'm also a big rush fan. So that intro, so yeah, yeah, this is one of those, like I said, I didn't have my MVP, but this was definitely like a strong, strong candidate. And then my final note on this, this was the last vocal recorded before he was diagnosed is some research that I did. So this was the last vocal was let me before, before he was diagnosed entirely for me.
[1:38:41] Not necessarily the meaning, but just context. Wow. Been hitting the head with the shovel here. Who else needs to talk about Let Me Howl? I think it's just Justin, right? Who, me? Yeah. Yeah, the sax makes me feel like I'm driving a cab in Manhattan in 1986.
[1:39:06] And it's raining out. you know uh it's so freaking cool and it's a long song and it does weird things i remember the first time that i heard it i thought that we were going to have a fade out on the on that half you know the the slower beat um or the half time whatever you want to call it and, and then out of nowhere this massive film and and we're back and we're faster than we were before, right like it there there's a sense of urgency at the end of the song like let me howl here like i'm i gotta get this out and um it's really really fun like again it's, you can slow dance to this song and you can boogie to this song and you can, i don't know it's it's really really fun and um it's up there for mvp for me it's not my mvp but it's top three or four. I also like how the chorus, let me howl. And on the word howl, he has this like glissando up, like a slow glissando up along with the harmony, which is what a wolf does. Like, um, he's not going clean from one note to another. He's got, he's, he's like slurring up to it. Okay. And like, like a wolf would do when they howl.
[1:40:30] And also there's some very slight changes to the way he sings it, I believe, if I'm remembering, if this is the song I'm thinking of, where the chorus slightly changes like the notes he's singing different times or the harmony changes. Something changes a little bit that I thought was really cool. I didn't listen to it today, so.
[1:40:52] Justin, hell breaks loose. What do you think? I immediately, before I knew it, I knew that this was Johnny Faye playing drums. Um yeah and uh it's it's a it's a really cool again and like i just referenced new york city um and it's in the first line of this song like and he paints the picture of walking into a bar and it's kirk watching a soccer game right uh fireworks on the roof elbow one of the very first dates with, with my, with my wife, we watched a world cup game in a, in a bar that was shoulder to shoulder and it was two teams I didn't give a shit about and everybody was cheering and everybody was drinking and it was, you know, and then one guy got pissed off, bigger screens, bigger feelings. Right. And it's, it's cool. It was a, it's a great song.
[1:41:48] Yeah. I love this song. And right away, the bigger screens, bigger feelings, of course, took me back to pill form on battle of the nudes which was my or almost my mvp track of that one, and yeah i just love the story of him yeah he's following this you know girl maybe into into the bar that he thinks he sees someone he recognizes and then and then he's trying to track her down and can't and he's sitting on the side of the road after and they're like oh don't worry man that you know they'll get it next time thinking that he's upset from the soccer game and he's upset because you can't find the girl. And yeah, just that change in the chorus from like the first chorus, this is not where all hell breaks loose. And then, yeah, I have so much to say about this song, but the chorus just is amazing. And the vocal delivery, the way the intensity builds each, like throughout the song, each time the chorus comes on, it builds a little bit. And then he nails that high note at the end. And yeah, just great, great performance overall, simple, but effective guitar hook.
[1:42:57] Yeah. And, and I agree about Johnny Faye. I knew it was, it was like, before I even knew that he even played on this album, I knew something sounded familiar about this. That's so cool. Yeah. And this is also the one that he does backup vocals on that I left it up. This is the track. Yeah. Okay. Right. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You got, you got, from a musical standpoint, you got a little bit of a synth wash going on and, um, you know, I, I, I'd heard and also saw on, on some, another review that it almost sounds like the strings on it, but it's, it's synth, but it, it gives it kind of a string sound, uh, mid tempo groove builds up. Yeah i don't have much else to add it's a story it's it's a great tune um and uh good placement if we go to sequencing and this one is where it is on the album so yay the uh exchange with the angry guy the exchange where he says fucking guinea bastard talking about the italian player screwing up whatever and then he's told in french to fucking cool it love that delivery so good top yeah great tan all right go ahead.
[1:44:18] I was just going to say, oh, there's the Camaro. There's the Camaro. I was going to say, one of the cool things about this record is there are long songs. And when you get a long song and it kicks ass, like Kirk said earlier, it feels like two minutes. But when you get one that maybe isn't as great, it feels a little longer. And to me, this is the first track on the record that feels a little longer than the 455 that it was listed at. And that's the safest day of the year.
[1:44:46] Craig, where are you? Yeah, it was a bit odd. first and i had wondered if maybe this was like a leftover paola song or something from the 80s the offbeat guitar shots it reminded me of something they might have done he referenced that craig oh bob referenced that really he he says yeah this is just kind of a leftover no way so you hit it yeah no you hit it spot on because yeah it was in one of because i only know a couple of palest interviews i watched okay wow okay uh catchy chorus i thought very very cool like horn shots again tom keenly side and and one lyric that stuck out to me i sell the eggs i don't sit on them yeah that's all about it that's what i had for this one yeah this is a reggae tune you know but reggae a la clash not bob marley if that if that makes sense you know because clash is pretty unique band and they you know of course they did punk they did pop they They did rock and they did reggae. They, you know, they're another band that, that I really appreciate.
[1:45:51] And, and that's, I got that feel, you know, um, but a reggae tune, like we haven't really ever had a reggae tune before from, um, from, from, from Gord. And of course, Ska is, is kind of derivative of elements of reggae in it. So, um, and then this is the song that has the one more coffee and the beer throwback to the, is this nowhere. wear. So Justin, do you have any idea what day is the safest day of the year?
[1:46:21] Do you think he's talking about a specific day or just? I don't know. I would guess that it's a new year's day when everybody's hammered and waking up. I have no idea. Um, musically, this is my least favorite song on the album. Lyrically. It's one of the top selections. Interesting. Uh, the, uh, explain that. Okay. So I'm going to read a few lines here. One more coffee in the bill. Afternoon's white as smoke and zebra wound red. And worn out tradition yellow i hear a garbage truck outside the seal art of its brakes holy fuck the seal art of a garbage truck's brakes and you know exactly what that sounds like yeah it's so cool and and it made me think of you know um i think it was grand bounce there there's lots of references the color craig brought that up and you know right in there you've got white, red, and yellow in a line and a half. Great. Maybe that would have been better with Kirk's folio work. Yeah, but I...
[1:47:32] I didn't need all five minutes of the song. That's for sure. I don't know. It's just repetitive or something. I'm not sure. Yeah. How about you? Yeah, that kind of offbeat guitar shot just goes for the whole song, I think. So it makes it sound a little repetitive. So the next track on the checklist here is In the Field. And this is a different one, I think, again. Something different again. Kirk? West Coast Punk again. Got some jazz, got some soul, got some swing. Jeez. It's a contender for me. It's a contender for me. Again, the variety that you get out of all this.
[1:48:25] It's a solid tune. Solid tune. How about you? Craig? Yeah, this one was similar to, what was it? To Catch the Truth in Feel, I thought. And same thing where it had the guitar and the piano. I liked in the last verse, the guitar drops out and there's a really kind of strange sounding keyboard that replaces it. And I thought that was just a cool little effect. effect um i didn't have too much too much to say about it i like the descending vocal harmonies like in in the field of the background vocals when they're saying in the field and, yeah i wondered if if in the field was referencing maybe like the career of of music but yeah really sure yeah i don't know either i i think you're right on onto something there because he says everyone I love is still alive or not alive yet. I don't have the lyrics right in front of me or I can't find it, but yeah, You know, he does mention rock and roll several times before we rock and roll and start to die. Look at that.
[1:49:39] It's the background vocals where it says, where they go in the field, in the field. The rhythm of that messes me up every time I try to sing it because it changes two or three times. And it's not even the same line to line. Um and at first i thought it was uh triplets or something it's just not it's really not um it changes within the measure it changes within the measure um yeah like it changes where like the entrance point yeah right yeah i noticed that last night too very cool yeah um yeah it's it's definitely a punk song um it starts off and it's you know where you are immediately that's fun This one sounds, the next one, the title sounds like a Beatles track, just the title, but it's called There Goes the Sun. Here Comes the Sun, There Goes the Sun. It might be a direct reference, actually. Yeah, but it also feels like you walked into the bar, it's late at night, got a piano player with a cigarette hanging out. It's just that chill piano vocal.
[1:50:53] I have a note written from a review from someone called it Light Country Fair. And I kind of was like, I guess I could get there. But yeah, last note was Wilco. Oh, I like that comparison. Just um i i kind of love that this is the last song that we'll hear from gord as far as we know.
[1:51:23] Um i wish or i wish i could hear an isolated vocal um you know there's there's times throughout his career where he's talked about using his hotel voice, this is that i mean he is barely singing at some points and um and it really, It gets me in the feels a few times when I've listened to it. I'm just like, ah, shit, he's gone now. There goes the sun being gored. But it's just so wonderfully done. It's sort of minimalist musically. Um it's i think probably the least amount of um instrumentalist credits of any of the songs, um it's just a nice piano it's probably you know brushes on drums um and it's just a nice way to go out we start with brushes on drums and we finish our brushes on drums.
[1:52:30] Oh that was brilliant that is brilliant nice you've been waiting a whole season to say that, and i didn't even know until justin said it yeah right he does play way to hand off the baton there justin stick, And another thing Justin said at the start of this episode was about him wishing Gord could do like a Broadway musical. And this would be the song that would make me think that he could pull it off. Now, I have to say, I feel the same way about this song that Justin felt about Safest Day of the Year. This is musically my least favorite song, but lyrically, I really love it. Vocally, I really love it. Like Gord nails this song that I think if any other artist, If you put any other singer on this song, I don't think I would even play it. That's fair. Because we have learned in Gord we trust. He hasn't steered us wrong yet. And I really do love the lyrics and his performance. But there's something too perfect about the piano.
[1:53:38] And you can tell it was played by, I think I read the person who played piano in this. Is like a composer like i think he maybe was involved in the olympics or something, and he you can tell he's a professional composer in the way that his chords run together and i it's just not my it's just not a style that i enjoy to listen to i found it a little, too much like a yeah i don't know like a broadway i totally know exactly what you're talking about And it's such a juxtaposition from the way that Gord sings this song, because there's almost no rhythm with Gord on a few points where he just kind of blurs words together. You know, he jumps ahead one and a half beats on a couple of words just because he's feeling it. But the piano is so staccato in some points, you know, or it feels like every note's a clean break from the last note.
[1:54:39] Which is not what going and a couple of other things the uh the line the dream cannot be done, reminded me of secret path the wilderness can't be done from don't let this touch you i don't know if it's a direct reference but just reminded me of that and i did like how even though the piano i found to be a little like i said a little clean or a little yeah just not quite to my taste i i like the pedal steel mixed in with that so it just was a nice you know juxtaposition i think that was probably done purposefully and one last note that i i noticed the name chris wise on bass and he's a name that i know from he played he has played in the cult for a number of years now.
[1:55:23] And that you know that bob rock has recorded a number of yeah i did not know that yeah i just picture bob pulling in people over the years just oh hey do you want to play on this track and even probably before he knew it was going to be for gourd because like like we said earlier these were songs that you know gourd asked bob if he had any songs and so a lot of these would have been written prior to them even knowing this was going to be a project, so i just did a quick little search he's played with the cult ozzy osbourne ace freely from kiss fame and the Hollywood vampires. You guys know who they are? Yeah.
[1:56:02] Joe Perry and- Yeah, it's like a super group with, yeah, exactly. Johnny Depp, Joe Perry- Oh, and Alice Cooper, right? Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Buck Johnson, Chris Wise. That brings us to the end of Lust for Fanny. So the question that I tend to ask at the end of a track by track breakdown is, do you intend to keep this? And Justin, you're disqualified from this question because you've been sitting on this for the last six months. But do you keep this in your rotation, Kirk? I do.
[1:56:44] I mean, I think I mentioned it on a prior episode, like I can't wait to not have the pressure of this podcast and doing research and taking notes. And I mean, I loved it and I do it all over again in a heartbeat, but I also can't wait for, I mean, maybe organic is a bit of a stretch because we've already done like deep, deep, deep listening. But like, I'm ready for it to just be some good background music. Like when you'd grow up and you get an album and you didn't have to sit there and listen to it intently. And, but then you'd hear it so many times that it just becomes part of your DNA.
[1:57:25] And I, I, I'm so excited about that opportunity because we had such a great foundation with all of these albums. albums, but this one, you know, outside of the music by itself, it's going to be one just because I love the story around it. And I love the relationship, you know, cause I can hear the love in all of the tracks. I can hear the friendship between Gord and, um, and, and Bob Rock and all the various musicians. And, and the fact that this, you know, this was over a decade, essentially that, you know, this took place and just knowing some of the roots of, of some of the music and some of the lyrics. And, um, so, uh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Where it falls in the, you know, uh, Pantheon of all the Gord albums. I'm not quite sure yet. That's going to take me a bit, but, um, it's, I, I, I'm excited about listening to this, uh, not under pressure.
[1:58:26] Craig? I will definitely keep listening to this album. In fact, I'm going to keep it in the car stereo for a little while still. I'm going to see if the sequencing is an issue or if it's just what I thought earlier, that I just kind of had heard the first few songs more times than the others. I just enjoy hearing these songs. They're just starting to catch my ear. So i feel like if i'm listening on on my apple music it'll be on shuffle and if not i'll, yeah i'm definitely going to come back to this album i think it's there are things that i could nitpick but this isn't meant to be necessarily a cohesive album that was all you know this wasn't written all in one session this wasn't something that happened over a year or two this is like Kirk said, like 10 years. And even at the end, he came back and redid the first song.
[1:59:24] We can't expect it to be a perfectly cohesive album. And I think that it can almost be seen as a strength of the album, the fact that it's not. Because it does go into different places that are interesting, that Gord's Never Gone. Even the last song that I didn't love, of i appreciate it because he was doing something different i don't want to hear, back in black you know 13 times i want to hear a band and you know i love acdc but i want to hear a band progress over time not be stuck in one you know sound for their entire career and and gourd you know as well or better than anyone i can think of has done that and it's just been awesome god Absolutely.
[2:00:10] So Justin, are you coming back to this one? I'm actually going to put it down for a while because I've listened to it so many times in the last couple of weeks because I love it, but I think I've overdone it. But yes, this will definitely stay in my rotation. And I loved it before, before I knew that I was going to be talking about it. Yeah, no, it's, it's definitely, you know, like I said, my daughter listens to a few songs. Of gourd's songs or hip songs or whatever and luster parfait the the song is one that she really likes and i'm so i have to listen to it whether i want to or not, Well, we're going to stick with you, and we're going to get your MVP track. I don't know if it's the moment or let me howl. I think if I was pushed, I would say the moment is a wild place as my MVP. Can't go wrong with that, Justin. Cannot go wrong with that. Craig, we're going to keep Kurt to the end. And give him more time to think of it.
[2:01:24] Yeah, mine, I would say this was probably the easiest choice of any album that we've done. And my pick is Hell Breaks Loose. As soon as that, maybe the second or third time I heard this song, I just, I couldn't help but just like rock. I just want to rock out. that is just so there's something about it just gets me like in a good mood it it like i i was honestly thinking i can't wait to listen to this song with you guys on a road trip you know either to or from kingston i think it's just to be a blast to hear so we got to throw it on a playlist, it's gonna be great kirk the moment of truth the raven and the red tail hawk wow Oh, hop, hop, hop.
[2:02:15] Well, that brings us to the end of this episode, but there's one thing that I want to challenge you on before I see you next. And that is so that, you know, you are going to be required at the final episode to reveal your MVP track of all your MVP tracks. We'll have it. We'll have it chart. Sadly, I think I probably could tell you. I think I probably know them all. Thank you for, yeah, if someone has them compiled and has sent them to us, please. I have them compiled in my brain, I think. DiscoveringDowny at gmail.com. Craig, that means you too. We really had a pleasure joining you today, talking about Lustre Parfait. It was wonderful. And when we next see each other, it will be here in Toronto at the Rec Room on Friday, July 19th. Tickets are on sale at DiscoveringDowny.com. And grab a friend. You know somebody who likes the hip? Bring them along. We got a ton of great silent auction prizes, one of which we alluded to off the top from the Tragically Hip. You're going to have to come to the show to see this one. So there's that.
[2:03:29] On behalf of Craig, Justin, and Kirk, this is JD signing off. Pack up your shit thanks for listening to Discovering Downy to find out more about the show and its host visit DiscoveringDowny.com you can email us at DiscoveringDowny at gmail.com and hey, we're social.
[2:03:50] Music.
Today on the podcast the boys tackle Away is Mine, Gord's seventh LP and his second posthumous release.
This week the gang gets together to discuss the rest of Inroduce Yerself.
Transcript:
Track 1:
[0:00] Hey, it's Justin. You know and love us on the Discovering Downey podcast, right? So come hang out with us in person for the finale. Join us for Long Slice Brewing presents a celebration of Gord Downey at The Rec Room in downtown Toronto on Friday, July 19th. Craig is coming from Vancouver, Kirk is coming from LA, I'm driving from Vermont, and JD's like walking down the street or wherever he lives in Toronto. Tickets are available now on our website at discovererndowney.com, and when you get your tickets, that means you can come Come hang out with us and our very special guest, Patrick Downey, and you can bid on some incredibly cool silent auction items, all while jamming along with tragically hip cover band The Almost Hip, and most importantly, helping us raise money for the Gord Downey Fund for Brain Cancer Research. Crack open a long slice, put on some Gord tunes, take a journey with us on discovering Downey, and then crack open another long slice on July 19th and hang out with us in the six. I always wanted to sound cool and say that. For more information, follow us on all the socials and visit DiscoveringDowny.com. Christmas Day for Edgar. My dad always used to say just after the presents, well, it's as far away now as it will ever be. I'm thinking about that as the stewardess cracks the public address system. For those sitting in economy, there's no music for you today.
Track 1:
[1:21] Welcome, music lovers. Long Slice Brewery presents. Discovering Downey.
Track 2:
[1:31] Hey, it's JD here and welcome to Discovering Downey, an 11-part project with a focus on the music and poetry of Mr. Gord Downey. The late frontman of the Tragically Hip gave to the world an extensive solo discography on top of the hip's vocal local acrobats that wowed us for years. So far, he's released eight records in total, three of them posthumously. Now listen, you might be the biggest fan of the hip out there, but have you really listened to these solo records? Because I'm an inquisitive podcaster, I enlisted my friends, Craig, Justin, and Kirk, giant fans of the hip in their own right, to discover Downey with me, JD, as their host. Every week, we're going to get together and listen to one of Gord's records, working in chronological order. We discuss and dissect the album, the production, the lyrics, and we break it down song by song. This week we're going to be talking about the back half well plus two songs from the front half of introduce yourself justin my friend how are you doing on this gray fucking oh is it gray there toronto oh oh it's terrible all day maybe because i was wearing sunglasses wait a minute.
Track 4:
[2:55] It is it was the opposite of that here in in beautiful vermont today it's it was a beautiful day i I think it's going to be great for the rest of the week, though. So whatever you're getting today, we'll get tomorrow.
Track 1:
[3:05] Oh, that's weather with Justin. We'll be back with Craig and Traffic. Remember, news on the fives.
Track 2:
[3:12] Where in the world is Kirk from Fuckachino? How's it going, man?
Track 5:
[3:22] I am in Washington, D.C. Right now for work in a hotel room. so having some technical difficulties so my apologies but things are good and uh excited to continue the conversation greg.
Track 2:
[3:41] What say you things.
Track 3:
[3:44] Are going well a little uh a little tired after a night out uh watching the sadies last night so they played a small venue downtown and got to see the boys rock out and um yeah it was it was a pretty awesome show a big banner of Dallas in the background and yeah, some touching moments, but mostly they, they just rocked.
Track 2:
[4:03] I haven't been to a live show in a little while now.
Track 4:
[4:06] Super cool.
Track 2:
[4:12] All right, fellas, before we get into the music, I want to talk to you about an email that I got from an organization called Lake Fever Wilderness Company. Basically, the gist of this email is that the Lake Fever Wilderness Company has submitted all the paperwork required to City Hall to get At Riverdale Park East, here in Toronto, mere footsteps from my home, renamed Gord Downie Park. I saw an article on BlogTO, and then they also gave us a couple other links to stories. But I'm hoping that our little podcast here, that people who listen to it will hear this, and you know we can build some awareness around this somehow anything you want to say about this or comment about this are you jealous and ate in your town yes.
Track 4:
[5:17] That sounds like a great cause and um for what it's worth i love the song lake fever so.
Track 2:
[5:25] Right Right?
Track 4:
[5:26] Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that's a, that's whatever we can do to help, man. That sounds great.
Track 5:
[5:31] Sounds very cool.
Track 3:
[5:32] I'm jealous. We, who do we get? Brian Adams Avenue.
Track 2:
[5:39] Probably already have it. Don't you?
Track 3:
[5:41] I don't know. I don't know. Maybe in England.
Track 2:
[5:45] Really? There's not a. Right mind-blowing to me one of the top songs of all time in terms of played, everything i do i do for you right, yeah but this is not a brian adams podcast this is a podcast called discovering downy and let's pick it up where we left off last time that puts us on side two of the first record With the very candid, my first self.
Track 5:
[6:47] I mean, just explains it like I remember it. And yeah. could feel all of those crazy, stupid emotions and, uh, could just totally wrap my head around and embrace, you know, the message that he was writing, you know, a piano forward tune again. You know, I think we talked about that the last one, uh, I love the vocal and the background that starts coming in uh you know echoing essentially the line um and then the last line is just classic so yeah uh it's a it's a brilliant tune in my assessment.
Track 3:
[7:28] Yeah, what I liked about it is that it really instantly just takes you to a place in your own life, whether the story is one you connect with or not, it takes you back to, you know, when you were in your teens or whatever. And that's what I appreciated about this song. Another thing before the echoing vocal you're talking about there's i just noticed today for the first time very very faintly in the opposite channel is something that sounds like a, a meowing cat i think it's a person but it's almost this little it's so subtle it's almost like one of those hearing tests you get where there's a little beep and you're like did i hear that but i listened a second time and there's something that comes in about 30 seconds before for the more noticeable vocal on the other side so i.
Track 4:
[8:19] Did not on that view yeah i listened to it today too actually and.
Track 3:
[8:24] Um i.
Track 4:
[8:26] Mean this this girl sounds cool as hell you know like he says in the song six years older so it's definitely you know she's his girlfriend but he may not be her boyfriend from what i'm picking up on you know like and and i certainly related to the you.
Track 3:
[8:41] Told me off and could she be responsible for uh hooking gourd on reading because he wanted to be like her.
Track 4:
[8:50] Oh yeah yeah yeah yeah interesting thought yeah yeah yeah i don't know again like i did feel a little awkward listening to this song let's.
Track 2:
[9:02] Move to the next track on the record you're ashore.
Track 3:
[9:05] Well this is probably the song i have the least to say about it's maybe the least memorable for me I think probably it's the type of song that if it's about you it's probably a maybe a bit of an inside joke or I'm not really sure what the you know what it's about who it's about, I appreciated the gentleness in his voice. I was glad that it was the length that it was because it was not my favorite. What did you guys think?
Track 5:
[9:38] I loved it me too i uh i i uh i mean it's the shortest song on the album it's a minute 30 you know the lyrics are simple it's you know essentially you're sure you're sure repeated and a few little straight lines but the brilliant in the very beginning is you know he's strumming and then it's the let flow it down i believe is what he says and uh yeah it's um Um, I think especially amongst this body of work amongst this album, like, you know, there's a lot of, there's a lot of piano, there's a lot of synths, there's even some beats and things of that nature. And it was kind of nice to just get a little short acoustic ditty in my opinion. But, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm a sucker for that. That's, uh, just like, just like back in the eighties, right? Every metal band had its little ballad. so uh i i love the ballads so.
Track 4:
[10:38] Yeah i don't know who it's about but it's an earworm i find myself humming the tune uh quite often and there's only a few words in the song so it's not like, you know like you said craig the lyrics aren't nothing about it is really memorable but it is it does get into your brain and it's an easy little like you could just walk through the the park and just sing that all day. But yeah, I mean, it's a minute 30 and that's about right.
Track 2:
[11:07] Yeah, that's about right. It's interesting you say that you couldn't determine who that's about, because I, so far, have really sucked at that game, listening to the first record. So, as we go into the second record, Gord lobs a softball at me, and even I know that this next track, Love Over Money, is about the fucking Tragically Hip.
Track 4:
[11:37] Damn right it is.
Track 2:
[11:39] Yeah who wants to go first here kirk.
Track 5:
[11:42] Yeah i'll go first um yeah i i you know uh i would say jd i've had a similar you know a similar experience in in trying i have little parentheses in my notes of who i think the note might be or the song might be too and i you know i can't even get specifics i just write like brother you know question mark things of that nature so this one was obvious what i loved about it as well and and i think i might have mentioned it on on the last of the first the first album it's such a pop it's like a synth pop tune is what i have and this is gonna sound weird but for whatever reason when i hear the song i think of that snl skit where you've You've got like Jimmy Fallon and they're all playing like they're doing that little, you know, they do the little dance.
Track 2:
[12:36] Oh, right, right, right.
Track 5:
[12:37] You know, when I heard this song, I, by the second time, I just, I couldn't get that shit out of my brain. So, but just beautiful lyrics talking about the band. So direct and so loving and so to the point. To me, an absolute, brilliant Gord Downie song. I mean, you know, just wonderful, wonderful song.
Track 3:
[13:06] The moment he said the line, we played to no one, and then no one plus one, I knew it was about the hip. Because I remember in 1996, a band I played in, we went across Canada two times that year, self-booked tours. And we ended up in Thunder Bay on one of the tours.
Track 3:
[13:24] And we played in a tiny club called crocs and rolls which is sort of like a legendary club in in thunder bay a guy named frank lefredo was the booker there who was kind of like a legend, in uh in music across canada and anyway frank um the first night we we played and we didn't draw much of a crowd and he said you know don't worry guys the you know first time the tragedy hit played here they played to to no one and then they played a second night and they got a couple more and the next night and you know they played i think three nights in a row on an early tour, and so that made us feel a little better and he and he um he felt bad about the the draw so when we came back um he found us a gig at another venue um for the for the drive back so that's the the memory that that comes up for me um and also the other thing the queen's jubilee uh so the reference to the um to the playing to the the deafening the husband of the queen um that would be that that show which i looked up and uh and yeah they played poets and interesting enough in that version of poets he changes the lyrics he censors himself a little bit i noticed so for the queen he he He changed bare-breasted to bare-chested, and there was one other change I can't recall.
Track 4:
[14:44] Yeah, it was a great performance. I remember seeing that. I wish that I had looked it up just to bring the memory of it back, but that line stuck out to me. I remember seeing that performance.
Track 3:
[14:57] And he used the laminar flow line as well in that version of Poets.
Track 4:
[15:01] Oh, that I didn't remember.
Track 2:
[15:04] Wow.
Track 3:
[15:05] Which ended up in Coke Machine Glow on Every Irrelevance.
Track 4:
[15:11] Yeah. Obviously, the bond between those five guys is unbreakable, and this song is funny, too. I laughed at this song the first time that I heard it and heard the lyrics. We missed death and marriage and a birth. I did notice the words hotel worth, which is kind of a preview to an upcoming thing. There's a song that actually got a lot of airplay here locally a few years ago. But yeah, yep, it did. Yep, it was on the radio two or three times a day for a couple months here.
Track 3:
[15:47] The love over money line um made me also think about the way that they split their royalties and i'm not sure if if it was like a 20 all the way around that would be my guess but but often the the lyricist will take 50 and then the people who wrote the music take the other 50 so you know maybe it's not that simple but the fact that all five of them were as far as i know listed on all all the all the credits sort of um you know over their career that's something that drives so many bands apart is that fight over you know well i wrote this i wrote this and like even in the band i spoke about a while ago like we had some really crazy discussions around royalties and who should get what and you know in my mind i've always been a equal share guy i don't care if you're the drummer if you're you know you wrote your part that's just you know then again i've not not like i'm making a ton of a ton of money in music or anything but but um it was nice to to see them stick together so long and the same five guys like what other band can you think of that released that many albums with the same lineup it's got to be a very very.
Track 2:
[17:02] Very short list.
Track 3:
[17:03] Like there may be some three pieces i mean but a five piece band think of all the potential for conflict and for you know one guy leaving it like no one there's some sleuthing.
Track 2:
[17:17] Some sonic sleuthing for you listeners out there send us an email at discovering downy at gmail.com with bands that have a lineup up that was consistent with at least 15 records released? Are there any? Is there a database that you could just plug that into and get it from?
Track 3:
[17:40] No idea. I mean, Aerosmith would be close, but they had that lineup change in the mid-career.
Track 2:
[17:49] Right.
Track 3:
[17:51] For one album anyways.
Track 2:
[17:53] Joe Perry left, right? Joe Perry and Brad Whitford.
Track 3:
[17:55] Yeah.
Track 2:
[17:57] Yeah, yeah. Okay, so the next track is You, Me, and the Bees. Do I go two for two here when I say this is an ode to the Boston Bruins? Yeah. And its ability to connect with your family, particularly in this case to Gord's brother, Patrick.
Track 3:
[21:03] That sounds about right to me.
Track 2:
[21:04] Take us away.
Track 3:
[21:06] Took me right to my childhood as well. And a good friend of mine, so my friend Blair and I, we played a game called hall hockey. Hockey's in my parents basement with you know those fisher price um bowling sets we take take one of the pins and a ball and we would just hit the ball back and forth and if you hit the wall you score and we had this ongoing game every time he came over and we would you know do the play by play and we were both oilers fans so you weren't allowed to be the oilers you had to choose another team and i'll never forget the quebec nordique if you were the nordique and you you know you'd be Stastny and then you pass over to to you know Michelle Goulet and as soon as Michelle Goulet, got the puck you know you're getting a shot in the balls every single time I don't know what it was but and um yeah and then Blair became a little bigger than me and started winning every single game and then we yeah we aged out of that game but anyways that's where it took me yeah what What about you guys?
Track 4:
[22:06] Oh man, this was me and my old man playing pond hockey. Yeah, I loved the song and I loved I could tell right away that the percussion was a hockey stick scraping on the ground. I loved it. And you know, again, I laughed in this song several times and the line about the trading of George Thornton and you know, it's, I don't know, like Like, I'm so excited to get to meet Patrick Downey because it sounds like these guys just had fun the whole time. This song is that relationship. And, you know, and as a Habs fan, I freaking hate the Bruins, but I get it. You know, I totally get it. And, yeah, this is just a really cool song about your brother. You know, it's fun.
Track 5:
[22:57] Yeah, I loved the song. And I loved, I could tell right away that the percussion was a hockey stick scraping on the ground. I loved it. You know, again, I laughed in this song several times and the line about the trading of George Thornton. And, you know, it's, I don't know, like, I'm so excited to get to meet Patrick Downey because it sounds like these guys just had fun the whole time, you know, and the song is that.
Track 4:
[23:30] I, um, I really liked how Gord's voice was very staccato and this, um, he was really kind of a minimalist with, you know, he didn't drag any of the, any of the, the lines out the Bruins. You know, like just very on the beat and kind of not screwing around. Or maybe this is screwing around for him, I guess. But, you know, he turned the word Bruins into Bruins, just one syllable. And I don't know, it felt like a different approach lyrically or sonically, I guess.
Track 3:
[24:02] Yeah, that phrasing really matched the style of the song too. That sort of, like the percussion that Kirk was talking about. It just, yeah, had that staccato feel.
Track 5:
[24:11] The phrasing, thanks for bringing that up, Craig. I had just recently watched the Juno Award tribute, Dallas Green and Sarah Harmer and Kevin Hearn, I believe it was, and I believe it was the Junos. And gore you guys both talked mentioned like the way he phrases like the way he takes his lyrics and will you know enunciate them to fit into the line it is like no one else right and then when you watch this tribute and you see her singing introduce yourself and trying to you know keep the cadence that that that gourd has i guess that's a good way to describe it there's a uh, a unique cadence to it so i i was blown away by that if you guys haven't seen it you you must watch it and then when they go into bob cajun and the harmonies are just incredible but like goosebumps you know it's so incredible and then especially when she comes in with that harmony But to hear her do the phrasing was wonderful as well, because that has to be difficult.
Track 2:
[25:25] Yeah, it's what we love about him, right? His ability to twist and turn and put round pegs into square holes or square pegs into round holes probably is more difficult, in fact. Snowflake has a haunting piano line that works well with Gord's almost pastime. What do you think of Snowflakes.
Track 5:
[25:46] Kirk? Yeah, Melancholy was my note. Again, the piano is used heavily throughout this whole album, but on this song in particular. My guess at who it is to is just a girlfriend is all I wrote. Um but uh the the other note that i wrote was the the woman leaned in to say goodbye but i don't remember his name and uh just the um where is gourd going with that you know i i uh i i wondered i wrote that down as a note so um but just again uh fully emotional song.
Track 3:
[26:34] Yeah i wondered if that was almost like a reference to maybe his fading memory yeah the oh yeah i was a bit puzzled by that too craig yeah it was a very eerie song and i really loved it i love the um the jangling sounds gave it like a really eerie feeling like you're in a i don't know like a haunted ballroom of some ancient house like i just picture this as a movie when I'm listening to it the the, vocal delivery makes me wonder if it was one of the later tracks that he he did and i really love the chorus and the the reverb they put on like just like in a natural there is a ton of reverb, like way too much reverb but it works really well it's so powerful when they do it on this album not something i would normally like um yeah his voice is is gorgeous in the song um a lot of feeling to the piano playing as well by by kevin um yeah and again i had a note about phrasing when he says my name and when he says goodbye it's kind of rushed and it made me wonder if it was just a lack of time just you know doing it in one take and not worrying too much about yeah about how it came off um but again that's what we love about you too yeah yeah.
Track 5:
[27:58] You i mean craig you sing when you play takes a lot of energy um so that's that's one thing that i wondered throughout this this album in particular when like if you just say you're looking at it on your phone and you're listening and you bring up the lyrics and you're you're you're questioning some of the enunciations i guess of some of the words but it's that's gourd and that's uh you know Him making it work for that particular song. And sometimes different than what the lyrics are written as. I don't know if that's just typo type stuff or if that's on purpose. this.
Track 4:
[28:37] So I actually, I don't know, my, my thought on this was that maybe this was, um, something that he was remembering from his childhood and maybe, um, with a, an older sibling or, a relative or somebody, you know, that he knew well. And, um, the thing that stood out to me.
Track 4:
[29:00] More was the, his recollection of the lake and, um, of the house and describing everything about the scene and that this woman is somebody, an acquaintance of whoever he's walking down the road with, and they're going to see her. Um, cause there's the line, she told me to go explore the quiet rooms. Uh, it like, so this is all right, kid, go check out the house. We got stuff to talk about you know um and i actually um somehow connected this to the you know affluent woman in the video for it's a good life if you don't weaken um my my head kind of went to that music video and i don't don't know why or where that happened but um it just felt to me like it that type of house and that type of, of meeting. And, you know, and then at the end of that video, Gord leans down and whisper something into her ear and, and then, then they walk out. I don't, I don't really know why that's where I went, but, um, it's sort of a mishmash of two different things. Yeah.
Track 4:
[30:13] So like there's the song that we'll get to called the lake. When I first heard that, I thought that was about the lake, But now I think this song might be about the lake. I don't know.
Track 5:
[30:23] Just the fact that when he writes his lyrics, like, yeah, he, it's inspired by something, but it may even have a different meaning than what it was inspired by for him. And I don't think he really intends for the listening audience to do anything other than interpret it for their own selves or application. So, um, you know, I, you just, I never got the feeling like he'd be offended by that.
Track 2:
[30:49] Yeah, I can't agree with you more. Again, that's one of these great things about this performer that we all love. We can get behind that. The next song is called A Better End, and it makes me sad. Lonesome for Gord, I suppose. How does it make you feel, Justin?
Track 4:
[31:17] Yeah, the same. I mean, it sounds a lot like the Man Machine Poem album. There's some melancholy in a lot of those songs. And this album came together in a different context, but it's musically a lot similar to or very similar to a lot of the songs on there. And there are connections with the lyrics, the line, for treasure or worse. That's in, is that in Man? or machine, one of the others. You know, where God walks with persons, even the may be doomed, that line crushes me every time I hear it.
Track 2:
[32:00] Repeat it?
Track 4:
[32:02] Where God walks with persons, even the may be doomed. And, you know, there's an end to that sentence, right? There's a finality in that one. And I don't know. I don't know who it's about. The song is called A Better End, but he says bitter. Um you know and that only at the very end of the song does it say the better end um so maybe there's some letting go you know i i i don't know yeah.
Track 5:
[32:37] I i uh i have a description written as dark melancholy but then my final note was a plea and that to me as i think you had mentioned, Craig, you know, maybe it was to a family member. And I kind of felt like it was to all family members and all of his like close friends, like, this is the letter, like, this is it. And so I just wrote a plea, question mark. And the beat, I think we talked about this before, you know it's it had the clock feeling to me throughout um and then like you had mentioned justin uh you know you you the title's a better end the the lyric that he uses is stay to the bitter end but it stayed in the bitter end and uh uh just uh, He's put out so much energy at this point, you know, because it is when they've recorded this, you know, it's 20, 2017. They've done the they've done the. The tours, he's done the secret path stuff like he knows what's coming, he knows the bitter end and he gave everything he could. And this is like his like, hey, somebody give me some energy for, you know, here for a better end.
Track 3:
[34:04] Yeah, I wondered if this was a close family member maybe saying to stay with me until the bitter end. Really, yeah, this was an emotional song, but it's also the type of song that's going to keep bringing me back to this album. I love this song. i found that again another powerful chorus with that big reverb sound and the way he belts out songs like this and snowflake and uh in the choruses is a real strength of this album nancy and yeah just a very powerful um i i had a note i would be interested to hear a heavy version of the song like a full band version um yeah but yeah haunting piano it gave me um secret path vibes it felt very much like musically could have been on secret path he.
Track 4:
[35:02] He hits a lot of different spots um um in his range too he sings very deeply and then he sings very high um there's There's a lot of, you know, he's probably in three octaves or maybe four during the song. Probably three.
Track 2:
[35:22] Yeah. So when I hear this song, I think of it, I think of an LP, like an old LP, like a 72, you know, RPM record. And I picture it being played on my grandparents' couch-sized hi-fi. It just sounds, it sounds old. It sounds authentic.
Track 5:
[35:50] Authentic it sounds like a needle you know the indie rock on the vinyl right it.
Track 2:
[35:56] Sounds like which sorry.
Track 5:
[35:57] It sounds like the needle on the vinyl it's just yeah it's you you and then you got that the dining you know the the dining room or whatever recording that's going on in the background and then and then it just sounds like they have the actual, you know the the needle and the vinyl that that that that static sound going it's it's brilliant it's a little soft guitar it's it's a sweet song it really is it's a sweet song yeah.
Track 3:
[36:28] And the way he sings it too it's almost like a bit of a like a shaky vocal like a bit of a warble to his voice which maybe it was actually maybe they added an effect to make to give it that vinyl quality to it. But I think maybe it's just his, I think it's just his performance. And when I say shaky, I mean, in a deliberate way, I talked last week about how I can't think of any singer who has as many qualities to his voice as Gord and he does it better than anyone. Yeah. Yeah.
Track 2:
[37:09] But then it did go away. You know, sort of, right? Yeah.
Track 3:
[37:17] When he wanted it to, yeah. He just gained so much control over his voice. He had power from early on, but then he developed different subtleties. And when he gets into an album like Secret Path, and he's singing sort of in character, he can just go into all these different places depending on the emotion of the song. And another note about Nancy is, first of all, I'm guessing it's about a sister. I didn't actually look up the names of his sisters, but that's just my guess. I liked how it talked about the beginning, the middle, and the end. And Gord forever being the storyteller. He's always thinking in terms of story. Just a little nugget I picked up. And the conversation at the beginning too when they're just starting to hit record he's talking about his cuff link.
Track 4:
[38:16] It's a good one.
Track 2:
[38:17] It is. It's really good. And I think on first listen, it would have been bottom third for me. And now it's firmly somewhere in the middle third. Like, it has a crack top third for me. But, you know, it's moved up for sure.
Track 4:
[38:36] Yeah.
Track 3:
[38:37] I feel like this album gets better as it goes on. I actually prefer the second half.
Track 5:
[38:42] That's fair.
Track 3:
[38:43] Um i think at first i really enjoyed the first half more maybe because i was really preparing for that first half um for our pod but i i love the the second half yeah i.
Track 4:
[38:57] Actually very much agree with that i think for me it starts to really get good at you're ashore and like i said it's it's a kind of a forgettable song but the the tone sort of changes isn't that wild yeah well.
Track 2:
[39:11] We are at the last song of the first side the remarkably upbeat think my about us.
Track 5:
[41:21] This is brilliant. This song is brilliant for me from the first listen to the critical listens in the middle to listening again just recently before this. And just the way it made me feel, the swagger it had, the message it had, um that just incredible descending piano line um it it was uh it it it's up there for me it's really really really up there i love love this tune i.
Track 3:
[42:03] Agree this is a masterful song really it's just it comes at a place on the album.
Track 3:
[42:11] Where you really need something that's a little, kind of cute is the word i'll use and you've got that little piano melody that almost just sounds like a finger exercise you would do if you're learning how to play piano and some really cool sounds on the synth or maybe it's a theremin but i'm pretty sure it's a synth, and i also had a note that the the drums enter in an interesting way the bass and drums come in and just maybe a spot you're not quite ready for and yeah just just like a playful song that i really enjoy just super catchy i i wish the world could hear this music like i wish more people, would give this a chance because it should be words were i mean maybe this is my thesis for the end of this whole thing but gourd's work should be appreciated like like josh even said like they're both up they're both equal they're both amazing yeah.
Track 4:
[43:09] I had the word super catchy exactly the same in my in my notes and i really don't have a lot of other notes about this song but i i can't stop listening to it i know that um it's a yeah it's a it's a and you're right craig it came at the right time um in the sequencing um it was needed in this spot.
Track 3:
[43:31] It's a little heavy before that.
Track 2:
[43:32] Right?
Track 3:
[43:33] Yeah, and it's going to get heavy again. Yep, that's right. Really heavy.
Track 2:
[43:37] I learned a really valuable... I gained access to some valuable experience today, when I was preparing for this recording, because it's the first time that I've flipped the record over, and had to tackle the final five songs that we ever get to hear from Gord Downie, or so we thought at the time. You know, like, we didn't know there was going to be posthumous releases.
Track 5:
[44:17] Right.
Track 2:
[44:19] We knew he wrote this right before he passed, So either way, you know, it's fucking heavy. Craig, when you think of The Road, do you think of that as heavy?
Track 5:
[44:35] Yes.
Track 3:
[44:36] Wow, The Road, this song destroys me. Again, there's a bit of a theme on the album in a few songs about The Road, about missing out on life events. Yes. On, you know, the sacrifice. Of you know being a touring musician um you know a dream that i had when i was young and it didn't work out and you know i'm you know thankful for the life i have um and you know i'm sure gourd was as well but man like it had to be there had to be some really tough times being out away from your family all the time and missing things and um anyways this song is so good and the um the thing i want to say about this is when the drums come in there's no hi-hat it's just sort of kick and snare and that space really sets the the mood for this song um you know along with you know the piano of course um and there's one line i want to point out the machines are somewhat suitable now um you know is that is that the hospital machines is it is it a reference to man machine poem um i'm not sure but but this song like.
Track 3:
[46:06] Depresses me almost as much as the the book the road which destroyed me when i was um a young parent uh you know or not you know i wasn't young but my my son was young and if you you know um cormac mccarthy's the road it is absolutely devastating it is the a book that took me well i've never gotten over it really and the movie as well i watched the movie and it took me about six months to watch the movie i had to watch it like a little bit at a time when i was in the right headspace and it just it is if you haven't read it's maybe don't but it's incredible um but this this yeah if you name something the road it's probably going to destroy me well.
Track 4:
[46:51] So I had a bit of an awakening about three years ago when in May of 2021, my wife had something that she had to do at work late at night or 8 o'clock, 9 o'clock, whatever. And she couldn't be home to make dinner. And it was like a Tuesday or something. I don't know. And she messaged me during the day and said, you need to be home and make Evelyn dinner tonight. night. Evelyn's our daughter. And at the time she was, uh, almost four and I got home and I realized, holy shit, I've never made dinner for my daughter before. Um, I was working 80 hours a week and I was missing everything. And my wife had an Instagram account for our daughter. And that was the only way that I was keeping up. I lived in the same house, but I wasn't in the same family. You know what I mean? And yeah, the song brings all that back and made a big life change that very night. I sent a long message to my boss and said, we got to talk tomorrow, but I'm going to get it all out right now. Cause if I didn't say it now, I'm not going to say it. And I told him I'm done at the end of the year. I've I'll stick with you for my commitment through this year, but but I'd put 10 years into my job and missed everything in that 10 years. And, um.
Track 4:
[48:16] Give Gord another three decades on top of that. Um, I don't know who the song's about and I guess it doesn't matter, but, um, but obviously it matters, but, um, yeah, I, I really identified with the missing everything and even going back to the song about, um, uh, what is it? Love over money, um, about the band, you know, we missed funerals and births and all this stuff. And yeah, that's me. I've been there, man. I've, I still, to some degree, I'm there a little bit, but, um, yeah, I missed my daughter's first four years of her life.
Track 5:
[48:54] Everyone knows in this group here, I'm on the road all the time. I'm talking to you from a hotel room in, in Washington, DC. And, um, and so, I mean, Justin, I think this is actually a letter to the road and a letter to everyone that he's been on the road with, including his wife, his part, you know, his, his kids, his bandmates. It's, it's that, you know, that's that life you choose, you know, whether it's a traveling musician, whether it's a a traveling salesman, whether it's a, you know, a producer. Um, and, and, and it's, uh, it's tough, but when you're not on the road, if you are a road person, it's your, your, you know, jittery, you're nervous, but how do you, how do you give to your family and to yourself and to your job and to your art? And, uh, he wouldn't have been able to do that without the road. So but you know it's a blessing and a curse um i we mentioned this about another song here and this one i wrote was also a song that could have been on secret path was the note for me.
Track 4:
[50:17] Yeah yeah but musically yeah again.
Track 5:
[50:19] We there's not enough hours in the day right lads to uh just talk about the amazing insight and that we have it here you know to listen to to watch to read to just just beautiful.
Track 4:
[50:36] Well there's there's that point where you know you're you're young and and full of energy and you've got these huge goals and then you start to achieve them and then at the same time you have this other life going on behind the scenes that has always played second fiddle to that and then you realize at some point you're too deep into the pursuit to stop now but that this other life that was didn't even exist when you started uh has now taken the spot you know is number one on your on your pecking order and how the hell do you make that change without destroying everything that you've created you know yep.
Track 5:
[51:14] Oh you are the bird.
Track 2:
[51:18] Yeah it's uh it's a slow and lovely song right what do you think about it kirk to.
Track 5:
[51:28] Me this this was uh uh, uh, just a letter. It seemed like a letter to a sibling, right? You, you became the bird you, uh, and then it just, it made sense. And, uh, um, um.
Track 5:
[51:44] I, it, it starts getting heavy after a while, right? When you, when we break, I mean, we talked about it with the last week when we talked about the first one and how emotional it was and, you know, here we are, you know, however many songs in and you just, you stop. And like you said, you know, JD, it was like, these are the last five tunes and it's, it's, it's almost hard to embrace, um, and think about without just getting, you know, overwhelmed. I, I think it is, I think largely because of the love we have for, uh, you know, what, what, what Gord Downie has done solo and with the hip and, and in jazz as a human. So, um, but, uh, yeah, just, uh, you know, Another note was, again, I think I mentioned it earlier, just lyrics that are written different than what is being sung. And I didn't know if that was on purpose. I think I mentioned that. And I didn't know if it was something Gord was trying to do on purpose. Or it's probably nothing. It's probably just what was written and what was sung.
Track 5:
[53:04] You know, he probably had it written down as such and just like we do when you have a script in front of you, your brain has already chosen what the next word is going to be. So, anyway.
Track 4:
[53:15] I noticed that this shared a lot of similarities with Spoon from the first half where he talks about help being the only reason why we're here. You help others and the child in the song Spoon is, I guess, tasked with the same thing. I don't know if task is the right word, but this is a common thread throughout the album. And this lyrically shares a lot with that song.
Track 3:
[53:48] Yeah. I agree, Justin. That was my real only, my only real note on this song was that, that, you know, it's the only reason we're here. And that seems to be like, yeah, like if I had to break down this album into one message, that would be, I mean, other than like a goodbye and, uh, you know, uh, a lot, you know, a love letter to his close ones. Um, that is like the, yeah, the summation of this album. I also thought probably about A Child, the song, and also there's the line about he was the bird, he passed it down, you want to help people out. So, you know, he's referencing not only the person he's talking to, but someone, maybe another family member, a grandfather or someone who's passed down that quality that, he respects.
Track 4:
[54:35] There's one of my mentors. I kind of think of him as a father figure. His name is John Adams and he was a very bottom level race car driver around these parts. And, he and my father were about the same age and they were friends. And I started hanging out with John when I was 13 or 14 years old, trying to learn how to work on race cars. And there was one night he went off, he got pushed off the racetrack and he's, you know, this massive six foot six, 300 pound guy. And he comes barreling out of the car and climbs up to the top of the racetrack and gives a, gives the driver that, that wronged him the double bird. So he became the bird man that night. Um, that was his, that was his nickname. And so everybody calls him bird. And, you know, I thought, wouldn't that be silly if he passed his nickname down to me somehow, how you know because he doesn't all of his all of his kids are girls and i'm kind of like his sort of son um i don't think that's going to happen but i i know the song isn't made to laugh, but i laughed thinking about that that's.
Track 2:
[55:42] A nice memory though yeah.
Track 4:
[55:44] He's still with us he's still with us flipping people off all the time, yeah i.
Track 5:
[55:51] Love that the lake.
Track 2:
[58:56] Yeah, this one's a fucking tearjerker to me. So proceed with caution on this one. Justin?
Track 4:
[59:04] Yeah. I kind of mentioned it before that I thought that this song was about Lake Ontario, which has been such a constant theme throughout Gord's entire career with the hip and with the solo stuff. And there's so many references to the lake. Um but this song is not about the lake this song is is about his daughter willow i mean that's right at the end of the song uh i realized today you are lake ontario the love of my life you are willow and then he does this fantastic call and answer thing with his own you know backup vocals um saying willow over and over again and it's like wow this one this one is something um it's a it's a beautiful song um it's just gorgeous um and yes he does describe the lake or a lake um but all these same qualities could be about your child and man it's uh it's a crusher very.
Track 5:
[1:00:09] Astute observation mr justin that's uh i i think spot on um and as you mentioned you know it's obviously and and to compare the two is is that there's no disservice in that he loves them both dearly so um i loved how the keys on this made it feel like you were on the lake like you listen to the.
Track 4:
[1:00:37] Song and you feel like.
Track 5:
[1:00:39] You're floating in you know in a boat a canoe whatever on the lake and you hear the lake in that song. Um, absolutely amazing. Absolutely amazing.
Track 4:
[1:00:55] You know, I, I grew up on the water. Um, Lake Champlain is, they call it the sixth great lake. Um, and that's, I can see it out the window. Um, and my family had a camp on a little lake, uh, Hall's lake. And my wife grew up on a lake in Ohio, Guilford lake. And we go there They're three, four, five times a year. We're headed there next week. And she also came to Vermont working at a summer camp for, I think, seven summers on Lake Fairley, which is a gorgeous resort area. And so on first hearing this song, The Lake, and probably the first 10 times I heard it, I was like, man, I can see it. And then I picked up on the willow thing after, you know, 11th on my 11th listen, I guess. And I was like, Oh no, it's just something completely different. But if it is just about the lake, Oof, that's just as devastating and lovely.
Track 3:
[1:01:57] Yeah, I also grew up near a lake. Our house in Peachland, which my parents still live in, overlooks Okanagan Lake, which is a very large lake. And yeah, it just brings back memories. And it is maybe my favorite spot on earth. Right across the lake from where we live is a small island. There's no roads. There's no power. There's no development on the other side of the lake. And it's just a place that we would boat to when I was a kid and try to get over there every summer. And it's just, you know, this song takes me there. And also, you know, with the mention of his daughter at the end and, you know, the, you're the love of my life and it, yeah, it's just a beautiful song.
Track 2:
[1:02:46] It's gorgeous. Kirk?
Track 5:
[1:02:49] Again, we've said it already. you know these last five songs are they're crushers it's like it it was really hard to listen to them in succession like i really needed to stop you know this these last two far far away and blurred i you know my my my space that i left for what is supposed to be my guess of who it is who the song is to the letters to, is blank. And it is blank because to me it could be anyone. Maybe it was obvious to one of you guys, but I really felt like it was almost like a letter to everyone.
Track 5:
[1:03:34] We smile. All that we've been through, up and down for sure, onwards and upwards, up close, far away, and blurred. Um, the tempo changes in this song are amazing. It goes into a, a swing almost during the chorus. Um, and, uh, I, I, again, just the instrumentation and the, the combination of what, you know, uh, you know, obviously not just, um, Gordon, Kevin, but, you know, the others that contributed as well. So just add, I think, to each one of these letters, as it were, you know, as they started out. What'd you think about Far Away and Blurred, Craig?
Track 3:
[1:04:25] I really love this song. Another strong song on the second half of this album. And I almost wondered if maybe it could be another touring song, or maybe he's talking about traveling with his family. Great melody. And I agree with what you said, Kirk, when it changes tempo halfway through the song, and the drums come in with that slow beat, and the echo the the vocals are echoing and i i found that part very powerful and it's like, again i just can't, get over the the brilliance of his work it is like so emotional um and there's this like guitar pattern going on that's really really cool in the background as well and yeah and justin you yeah.
Track 4:
[1:05:20] I i guess i'm echoing what you guys have said um it's just a if i mean it's a little bit upbeat um for a hot minute there and again comes at a at a place where you need it um Um, yeah, it's, it's lovely. It's how it's a guy who's frigging dying, um, and telling everybody how much he loves them and that he always has, whether, whether you're in view or not. Right. Um, yeah, the.
Track 5:
[1:05:53] Passion in his voice in the vocal, um, is just so palpable. And so it just, I mean, wrenching, but almost in a, just again, another reminder of just how amazing, how amazing every part and ounce of the art that comes out of this guy is just incredible, incredible.
Track 3:
[1:06:23] Yeah, JD, did you have anything to add for this one?
Track 2:
[1:06:26] I don't know if I could get anything out right now if I tried. it's.
Track 3:
[1:06:30] A tough one I.
Track 2:
[1:06:32] Think you know his voice in the verses I've got written down that it's playful and painful at the same time, and you know it builds the chorus is obviously as powerful a gourd voice as we've heard in almost any song on this record, We'll get more of that in later records that we'll discuss in future episodes, but yeah, it's a great song, but it's the second-to-last song, and the North is a really powerful way to end. A callback to Secret Path and The Bridge. But overall, it's an interesting tracking decision. It can't be a coincidence. Right, Justin?
Track 4:
[1:11:07] No, of course it's not. It's a reminder. It's like he spent a good portion of that final show in Kingston reminding everybody to pay attention and to keep paying attention. And that's exactly what this song is. is it's it's uh yeah i did secret path but keep going forward keep talking about it keep moving keep changing um keep trying to figure this out um you know i don't know if we i don't think we've said this on air but when we first started talking about this album there i i mentioned to you guys in our in our group chat that i thought this was some of the songs on this album were like a stream of consciousness and i think i know that there's the video of of them recording this song and i know that it's not a stream of consciousness but i think when he was writing this song, what he wrote down is whatever came to his head first and i'm going to find a song to to put it to and i got to get this message out i don't care if it's rhymes or makes sense musically or what This has to be said again and again and again and again. And good on him, you know. Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:12:22] Yeah. So he makes the reference to, um, you know, a place West of, of James Bay, which would be Ottawa, Piscat, which of course the hip have, have the song about. And, um, I, I, I'm wondering if this song is either about or to Joseph Boyden, the author who, at the same time secret path was released, released a book called when Jack, um, I didn't mention him on the secret path episode only because there is some controversy you can look it up if you're interested but calling his um his roots into you know question um you know people questioning that he may not be in fact indigenous so you know that's definitely something you can kind of look into yourself but um joseph boyden is famous for a book called three day road and And just an interesting little thing that I came across about a week ago was a story related to this. So this story, Three Day Road, is about from just, I haven't read the book, but I've read a different story about a sniper in World War I named Francis Paganagabo. And he was nicknamed Peggy. And he has more kills than any sniper in North America.
Track 3:
[1:13:44] And his story is relatively unknown. And it's a really fascinating story. And anyways, I was reading a short story about that last week and then made this discovery about the connection to Joseph Boyden. Anyways, I highly encourage you to check out a story called Peggy. There's actually a podcast too by CBC called This Place. which is 150 years of Canadian history told by indigenous voices. And the episode on Peggy is incredible.
Track 5:
[1:14:19] The line Canada, we should have never called Canada. Um, I thought was pretty bold as well to put out there as you guys all had been mentioning, you know, obviously when he had addressed the crowd, you know, at several of the shows and, and several of his interviews. So I think that's, uh, bold, but expected. So I, I, uh, I think we all appreciate that. He would, would, go out there to this level.
Track 3:
[1:14:51] Yeah there's definitely a call back to that that statement in the last show that he made to the prime minister and i always um really admired that and, i always wondered what it would be like if an american artist did the same thing, you know like a high profile of bruce springsteen or someone went out and said something like that just the absolute division that would that would ensue um yeah yeah oh.
Track 5:
[1:15:18] Yeah I was going to say the dick and chicks are a good example.
Track 3:
[1:15:22] Of it.
Track 4:
[1:15:22] Happening.
Track 5:
[1:15:23] So but yeah.
Track 4:
[1:15:27] Or the opposite of that lady antebellum who's then sued the person that they stole their name from well fellas.
Track 2:
[1:15:36] It's time to ask the question will you be keeping this record in your rotation.
Track 4:
[1:15:44] I'm going to say not all the time And it's got nothing to do with the music. It's the subject. It's the heaviness of it. It's I don't want to, I don't want to be down. Um, there are some songs on this, on this record that are frigging awesome. They're all, they're all very good, but you know, there's some songs that certainly fit into the hip like catalog.
Track 2:
[1:16:07] Sure. And you can add them to your mixtape, right?
Track 4:
[1:16:10] Exactly. And that's probably how I'll consume them. Um, but this is going to be something that I listened to once every couple of years, maybe.
Track 5:
[1:16:19] Yeah, it's a commitment. I was just going to say it's a commitment. So I would answer very similarly to what Justin said. Even for this particular purpose of this podcast, it was heavy listening every time, every time you went through it. And so definitely some tunes I want to keep hearing regularly, but it's not something that I would. All i have on regular rotation like like i would would some of the others that that have definitely been fantastic in my opinion i.
Track 3:
[1:16:58] Agree with you guys i i definitely will come back to this album, um considering i gave it you know it took me six and a half years just to give it a first listen i'm definitely not going to wait that long um but i think i'll just have to be in the right frame of mind to put it on but i absolutely will i really do love it in fact coming up with an mvp track for this is definitely the hardest decision i've had to make i was hoping we were going to do one last week and one this week but so i'm it's going to be a last uh last second decision i was.
Track 4:
[1:17:31] Hoping jd would forget the question this time.
Track 2:
[1:17:33] I've got it written down so i don't forget my My memory is so piss poor.
Track 3:
[1:17:39] Right in on your hand.
Track 2:
[1:17:40] I call it a format sheet, but for real, it's cheating. Craig, we're going to stick with you. And we're going to go to MVP track.
Track 3:
[1:17:48] I want to know what they say first. So to clarify, is this my absolute favorite track or is this the track that I want to put onto a mixtape?
Track 2:
[1:18:00] It can be, that can be your interpretation. It can, it's the most valuable player. It's the, you know.
Track 3:
[1:18:07] So I had so many I mean my first instinct was a natural but I think I'm going to have to go with Snowflake it's.
Track 2:
[1:18:17] So good it.
Track 3:
[1:18:18] Is such a powerful song to me and I love the chorus I love the way again that big reverb sound and it's just a really gorgeous song and takes me you know visually takes me somewhere.
Track 2:
[1:18:36] We could definitely overuse the word gorgeous on this record because there's so much gorgeosity on it, you know?
Track 4:
[1:18:45] Nice.
Track 5:
[1:18:46] There is that.
Track 2:
[1:18:48] Right?
Track 5:
[1:18:49] There is that.
Track 2:
[1:18:50] Kirk.
Track 5:
[1:18:51] Yeah. MVP? Thinking about us, man.
Track 3:
[1:18:54] Good call.
Track 5:
[1:18:55] That tune, just thinking about us. It's thinking about us. That's all I need to say.
Track 2:
[1:19:01] You didn't have to hesitate at all. Wow.
Track 5:
[1:19:04] No.
Track 2:
[1:19:06] Justin, how are you going to react to the question? Craig was very concerned and didn't want to say anything. Kirk was very resolute and just put a flag in her. And Justin, where are you on this one? I'm giving you some time to think, so it's not really fair.
Track 4:
[1:19:25] Well, I don't need time to think. I just don't have an answer. I've been thinking about this since the first listen because I knew that this was coming. Um i will i i do have an answer um but i'll tell you the pics that i had wolf's home because it makes me think of my dad bedtime because of just the connection with my daughter and when this song or when this record came out um i love introduce yourself for the reasons that we talked about it's it's a great song about your buddy and and you know get me out of another jam please you know There was some interview that Gord did that he told Billy Ray. He goes, something happened with a guitar. And he goes, I will literally blow you if you fix this. I love Spoon, that song Spoon, because I really like the band. But I also like the story of going to the show with a kid. um but i'm gonna go with love over money because that's why we're all here in the first place yeah right good job justin yeah thank.
Track 2:
[1:20:37] You what bow you put in it love.
Track 4:
[1:20:39] It yeah yeah.
Track 2:
[1:20:42] And that brings us to the end of Introduce Yourself. Just a, you know, what a, I'm going to use the word again, what a gorgeous piece of work. And so memorable and so thoughtful. And, you know, this is the last stuff he recorded. It's really, really quite heavy. And we're sorry if we brought you down a little bit with these last two episodes, um but trust us we're celebrating this music we're not mourning we are celebrating and.
Track 3:
[1:21:23] Jd i want to thank you one more time for bringing me on board for this project because this is the album that i told you right from the start has been sitting on my shelf and i needed i wanted to listen to it. It's been staring at me for years and I just couldn't do it. And I think maybe just having, you know, you guys along with the ride makes it, you know, easier to do.
Track 2:
[1:21:50] Thank you very much. Thank you for doing it.
Track 4:
[1:21:53] Yeah. I a hundred percent. Thank you. I, I didn't know about any other records, um, um that gourd had done um but i knew about this one and i was choosing to not listen to it you know i i wanted nothing to do with it um and i gotta be honest with you i'm glad it's over i'm glad it's behind us um i listened to this this album in its entirety probably 25 to 30 times um it's.
Track 2:
[1:22:22] A lot yeah.
Track 4:
[1:22:23] It's a lot and the last week or so um leading up to recording this i stopped listening completely um i had to stop it was just killing me and i started listening to um some of the older hip stuff and i started listening to some sadie stuff and i listened to conquering sun quite a bit um but i had to get away from the heaviness and go back to being a fan, because this was a hard one.
Track 2:
[1:22:57] Completely agree well on behalf of uh craig and justin and kirk it's me jd and we're saying goodbye for another week we'll be back we've just got a couple episodes left fellas we've got away is mine and we've got luster parfait and then we've got the finale and i'm getting excited about yeah.
Track 4:
[1:23:21] Hell yeah oh yeah yeah and you know it's gonna.
Track 2:
[1:23:26] Be a good time.
Track 4:
[1:23:27] I got it you know we got to give a shout out to our our social media following you guys are really starting to step up and kick ass lately and it's really re-energized all of us a lot um we're our group chat has been on fire the last several days as we record this because we're just like did you see this one did you see the message there did you see the email oh my god you know it's yeah we're obsessing over the rankings and it's it's great it's fun it's a lot of fun well.
Track 5:
[1:23:52] So it was so crazy too to get some like some you know some of the official accounts of these people that we were talking about are.
Track 4:
[1:24:01] Right are.
Track 5:
[1:24:02] Sharing some of the you know the links and stuff to some of these episodes and and uh we're getting just some great amazing comments you know through the right you guys mentioned social media you know instagram facebook and uh just i don't think any of us had that on our bingo cards when we woke up in the morning, you know?
Track 2:
[1:24:22] I didn't.
Track 4:
[1:24:27] Right. And the Sadies messaged you back today, Craig. That's cool.
Track 2:
[1:24:33] Holy shit.
Track 4:
[1:24:34] And JD's putting in the legwork tenfold over what we're doing.
Track 2:
[1:24:38] Stop.
Track 4:
[1:24:39] He's listening. He's throwing everything together and doing interviews and making all this happen. I mean, I don't know if any of us are getting rich off this.
Track 2:
[1:24:48] Oh, not fucking me.
Track 4:
[1:24:50] You know, JD is certainly reaping the benefits of, I think a lot of people are appreciating what you're doing and I know we are.
Track 5:
[1:24:57] Yeah, absolutely.
Track 2:
[1:24:59] It's a group effort, guys. It's a group effort, man. All right, folks. Pick up your shit.
Track 1:
[1:25:07] Thanks for listening to Discovering Downey. To find out more about the show and its host, visit DiscoveringDowney.com. You can email us at discoveringdowney at gmail.com. And hey, we're social. Check us out.
Buckle in because this is a personal album we're discussing on today's episode of Discovering Downie. A mere 10 days following Gord's death fans were gifted the posthumous diary, Introduce Yerself.
Craig, Justin, and Kirk have little experience with this record. Things get raw!
Thanks for clicking.
Follow us on social media @gorddowniepod
Transcript:
Track 6:
[0:00] One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10. Long Slice Brewery presents a live event celebration of Gord Downie July 19th at The Rec Room in Toronto. Join the hosts of the podcast Discovering Downie as they record their finale with special guest Patrick Downie. A silent auction with items from the hip and many others will take place along with live entertainment from the almost hip. All proceeds will benefit the Gord Downie Fund for brain cancer research. For more information and tickets, please visit discoveringdowney.com. How it all works. Welcome, music lovers. Long Slice Brewery presents Discovering Downey.
Track 1:
[1:15] Hey, it's JD here. Welcome to Discovering Downey, an 11-part project with a focus on the music and poetry of Mr. Gord Downey. The late frontman of the Tragically Hip gave to the world an extensive solo discography on top of the hip's vocal acrobatics that awed us for years. So far, he's released eight records in total, three of them posthumously. You might be the biggest fan of the hip out there, but have you heard these records? Because I'm an inquisitive podcaster, I enlisted my friends Craig, Justin, and Kirk, giant fans in their own right to discover downy with me jd as their host every week we get together and listen to one of gourd's records starting with coke machine glow and working from there in chronological order we discuss and dissect the album the production the lyrics and we break it down song by fucking song this week we're dealing with the challenging introduce Introduce yourself. Craig, how are you doing this week, my friend?
Track 2:
[2:20] I'm doing well.
Track 1:
[2:21] That's good to hear.
Track 2:
[2:22] Can't complain.
Track 1:
[2:23] Gigging?
Track 2:
[2:24] Yeah, I had a big show on the weekend and it was sold out and we had played about 30 tunes and it was a great time.
Track 1:
[2:32] Oh man, I wish I had a teleport device. Yeah. So I could go to your gigs. You too, Kirk. How are you doing, man?
Track 4:
[2:40] I'm doing well. Thank you. Yeah. Had a gig last week and got some travel coming up. So just been kind of finishing up on some graduation things with the kids. And, you know, like I said, some work stuff, obviously spending lots of time with this, this little project we got going on, but yeah, doing well.
Track 1:
[2:59] It's a lot. It's a lot, but it's been a lot of fun so far. And part of the fun is Mr. Justin St. Louis. How are you doing, sir?
Track 3:
[3:08] I'm good, dude. It's hardcore, hardcore here in this house right now, but things are good, man. Things are good.
Track 1:
[3:16] Well, that's great. Just off the top, I want to say that we're starting to get some items rolling in for the silent auction for the fundraising event that we're hosting in July. We've got the PWHL Toronto franchise has given us a really cool donation that we'll be sharing online in the days and weeks to come. We also got a donation from the Toronto Blue Jays, the Tragically Hip themselves have donated something. We've got a great restaurant, Mighty Bird, that is donating. And there's lots of other stuff as well, like lots of great artwork and shit. So get your tickets.
Track 4:
[3:56] Hey, we have some beers too, right?
Track 1:
[3:58] We do have some beers. Yeah, Podcast Pilsner. It's got our logo on the can.
Track 3:
[4:03] Let's go.
Track 1:
[4:04] That right? Yeah. And it should be a decent price. It's made by our title sponsor, Long Slice, of course. So go to discoveringdowney.com and click on fundraising tickets. Bob's your uncle. So there's that.
Track 4:
[4:17] Bob's your uncle. Love it. I love it. That's like six one way, half a dozen the other. I tell that to anyone that's under 40 and they look at me like, what are you talking about? Like, just figure it out. ticks one way, half a dozen the other. That's very confusing.
Track 1:
[4:35] Yeah. It is.
Track 3:
[4:39] Every time I hear Bob's your uncle, I think of 101 Dalmatians. When the bad guys break in and steal the pups from the nanny, he says, well, be out faster than you can say Bob's your uncle. And that was the first time I ever heard it. Anyway.
Track 1:
[4:54] I found out it's not an American phrase. It's a Canadian and UK phrase. So I told a bunch of people this and they were like, I've never heard of this in my life.
Track 3:
[5:03] What do you mean? No. Yeah. Right.
Track 1:
[5:06] All right, time to get a bit heavy here, because on October 17th, 2017, we said goodbye to the man who walks among the stars. This was truly one of the more emotional days in my nearly 50 years on this plane. Only losing family and close friends has ever cut as deeply as sending Gord off to the abyss. Less than two weeks later though on october 27th 2017, gourd released a posthumous effort called introduce yourself, where do you start with this one in my mind there are elements from each of the previous five albums on display here i hear secret path on coco chanel number five to name one off the top of my head the sparse production handled deftly by kevin drew gourd's partner in creating this double record. I have to imagine the production and limited instrumentation could have been a result of Gord's condition at the time of recording. However, as sick as he was, he persevered through two sessions in putting this album together.
Track 1:
[6:15] The liner notes indicate that Gord took on the bulk of the guitar work while handling vocals, some synth, and a bit of percussion to boot. Mr. Drew handled piano, bass, organs, keyboard, and percussion. This album does also feature some great guest performers, notably Dave Hamelin, with some work on the drums, as well as synth, and finally, on Nancy, he plays a frickin' B-3. David Billy Ray Koster offered some additional drum work and background vocals, while Patrick Downey contributed background vocals and percussion on Safe is Dead. Jillian Weiss also added vocals to that track. Lastly, engineer and bathhouse resident Niles Spencer has his fingerprints on several songs, playing keys, creating beats, samples, and a Morse code sound on the 19th track, The Road. From the get-go, this album has been scoured by fans to try and determine who each song is about. You see, this album has a premise. Each of the 23 songs is about someone from Gord's life. This is clearly the most personal record Gord, or the hip for that matter, has ever released. I'm going to leave you with one more date that is significant to me with regards to Introduce Yourself. May 30th, 2024.
Track 1:
[7:35] This was the day I peeled the cellophane off my copy of the vinyl and finally listened to the album in its entirety. Prior to that Thursday in May, I just didn't have the stamina or emotional wherewithal to make a dent in what I now know is a celebration of the music, the man, and the legend, Gord Downie. Justin, what are your initial thoughts on this one?
Track 3:
[8:00] I could not handle this album when it came out. I tried it and I had to abort after five songs maybe. And I'll tell you, and maybe I should save it for the song, but there was one, this all happened when, when my daughter was a newborn, there was, there's one song that just wrecks me and, uh, still does. Um, there's several that do, but one particular, and I just had to put it away until this, this project came around. So, you know, I sat on it for seven years. I had tried it and I wasn't ready.
Track 1:
[8:31] Me too, man. Me too. I'm either going to apologize for this project or be thanked for this project to find out what Justin's thoughts were on some of these songs. Kirk, I want to hear from you.
Track 4:
[8:44] Yeah. Well, for me, this came after us doing Secret Path, and that was such an emotional...
Track 4:
[8:56] Couple of weeks. I mean, it really was because we'd already become so close to Gord before we even started this project. Then when we started this project, you just became intimately familiar and then secret path happens and you're just, and I needed a break. I needed a break from, I'll say Gord Downie solo and I needed to fall in love with the hip again. I think I got that record store day hip album and i put that on and then i just went on a journey and just kind of fell in love with the hip again but i took a long break to prepare myself for this and there's no amount to break or anything that could really prepare you for it and every listen no matter what the device was whether it was on my record whether it was in the car whether it was out walking the dog. It was just obviously beautiful when you think about these letters and that he had the opportunity to do it, but also just so extremely heartbreaking at the same time, right? And then one final thing for me, my wife and I had also just recently watched the new documentary that came out on Jim Henson, right? And we're big Muppets fans. And of course they had a little bit on, you know, on Craig and I's favorite Emmett Otter.
Track 4:
[10:20] But yeah, it's just real quick, you know, but the point I wanted to make was.
Track 4:
[10:27] The Muppets, Sesame Street, everything that Jim Henson created, right? And he passed when he was 53. And Gord passed when he's 53. And I'm 53.
Track 4:
[10:39] And I'll be honest with you, gents, I have been on this. I'm 53. And these two gentlemen created this body of artwork that has been so incredibly moving for so many people for so many generations. And it just really stopped me in my tracks and went, wow, I'm 53. If I went right now, what would my story be and what impact would I have? And how thankful, even though it was, and I say this because I'm 53, that we lost those two gentlemen so young. Thank goodness we have this to go back and listen and watch and read and discuss and record podcasts. And I'm just so thankful. So sorry, a very long-winded answer, but I needed to share that with you because I think all of us are gonna have these emotional moments throughout this recording today. And just thinking about like, if I had a chance to write letters to everyone before I went, like, I don't know that I could do that. So um so that every listen has just been that thought wow can you imagine you had to write a letter to all the people that you know you cared for just.
Track 1:
[12:02] Take a moment brother we appreciate you man hell yeah best 53 year old on this podcast by by a country mile i.
Track 4:
[12:13] Will i will accept that sorry i'll accept that thank you as i cry thank you all right.
Track 1:
[12:22] Craig no i always i always start my questions with like for some reason i'm like mclaughlin of the mclaughlin group uh i don't know if you remember that sketch on snl but i feel like what justin you know and it's like this episode is a lot more stark and i don't want to be like scaring the shit out of you as i'm asking you a question but craig i want i'm curious about your experience now yeah.
Track 2:
[12:51] Well really quickly just before we um get into that uh kirk um not sure if you knew this this will probably just make things worse but um jim henson at his funeral they actually used a song from emmett otter as the um as the song that played during his um ceremony so yeah So you know how much it meant to him? Yeah.
Track 3:
[13:11] He also wrote his own goodbye letter and just stored it away.
Track 2:
[13:15] Oh, wow.
Track 3:
[13:15] In case of emergency, right? Yeah.
Track 2:
[13:19] It's crazy. Yeah. So, J.D., much like yourself –, I bought this album when it came out, and it remained unopened. And I actually remember watching a video that was like a promotional video that came out around the time the album was released. And it was a black and white. I put it on for about 30 seconds, and I just, I had to turn it off. And I actually just, for the first time since then, watched it last night. And it made sense why it hit me that hard it was the north the very last song which we'll get to at the very very end of i guess next week's podcast and that is a heavy tune and gourd was, not looking his best during the recording of that and it was just sort of like a rehearsal take they were showing it was just heartbreaking to watch and it was such a sad song i didn't know what it was about at the time, but I just knew I could not listen to this album. And yeah, so when this podcast opportunity came up, that was my first thought was like, I've had, I've been waiting to crack this open and I was looking for the opportunity to, you know, the right time. And that time is here. And to build off what Kirk was saying, like this, this album is a gift.
Track 3:
[14:46] Yeah.
Track 2:
[14:49] To his loved ones who were the subjects of the songs, to his bandmates, to his fans. And it's beautiful. The fact that he got this out there, like Kirk said so well, how many people get, number one, the opportunity to do something like this, and number two, can bring themselves to write those hard words.
Track 1:
[15:15] Absolutely. Yeah.
Track 2:
[15:16] Yeah.
Track 6:
[15:17] And, and when you consider the condition that he was in when he recorded these things, it's absolutely mind blowing for heaven's sake.
Track 1:
[15:26] This isn't somebody who was fully operational. And there's songs that are just so well thought out and gorgeous and, and so gored, you know?
Track 3:
[15:38] Well, and he wrote it in two stages too. And, you know, I would say that the second stage was probably in worse condition, right?
Track 1:
[15:47] You're likely right.
Track 3:
[15:49] He was gone six months after, you know, wild.
Track 4:
[15:55] One thing, because this is a blanket statement for all of it, is in any of the, you know, quick research that you do, like most of these songs were recorded in one to two takes. You know, for multiple reasons, one, they didn't have the time and neither did he or the energy. And so when you, you know, when you thought about when I went through and listened to every song and just went like, you got this amount of time, you're going to do this. And, you know, and they end up, I mean, one to two takes on some of these albums, just some of these songs. Sorry.
Track 3:
[16:34] And that's all they needed to.
Track 1:
[16:37] Yeah, I think that rawness really adds another layer to the context in a certain way, doesn't it? Because it is raw emotionally, and then it's raw musically as well.
Track 4:
[16:48] Yeah, very much so, but still incredible. Like on a majority of those songs, you wouldn't know. I mean, the one thing I read, and I would agree, is it's a piano forward album. There's very much a piano keys. There's some great guitar lines, but, um, so that helps obviously from a production standpoint in, in getting your, your tone tonality and, but I also think that it just really added to the, the, the emotion that the points, I'm sorry, I'm, no.
Track 3:
[17:30] But you're right.
Track 4:
[17:31] It's just incredible that they were able to get some of this production down in the manner that they did. And as a whole, going back to 53, I could hear so many decades in the songs, in the musicality that he was trying to experience. There's literal 80s synth pop songs on this. There's ballads. And there's all of these. You know, for me, I reflected born in the seventies, you know, really experienced that music eighties, nineties, two thousands. And then obviously the stuff you were influenced before that. And that instrumentation, in my opinion, came through in a lot of these songs. And again, one in two takes blows me away. Yeah.
Track 1:
[18:18] Yeah. Yeah. Drew, Kevin drew deserves, uh, a heap of, uh, of credit for pulling this together. And Niles Spencer was the engineer on the project. So hopefully later this summer, you guys get to meet Niles and we get to look around the bathhouse. That would be tremendous.
Track 2:
[18:40] Yeah. That would be amazing.
Track 3:
[18:41] Yeah.
Track 1:
[18:42] So we'll see what we can do there. Should we get into this song by song?
Track 2:
[18:45] Yeah.
Track 3:
[18:45] Let's do it.
Track 1:
[18:46] Okay. Craig, we're going to start with you in first person.
Track 2:
[18:51] So i decided early on when i started listening to this album i i felt like i didn't want to dig too deeply into what you know who each song was about right but some are just so obvious so first person you know it's a song to his mother you know the first person that you know he sees the first person to bring him to life just a really great song to start the album with very emotional um, Yeah. And I don't know, I didn't look up if his mother is still alive or was alive when this was released. So, you know, at the end he's saying goodbye.
Track 3:
[19:30] He addressed her in the final Kingston concert.
Track 2:
[19:34] Okay.
Track 3:
[19:34] Yeah. And she was there for that. I mean, they were only a year apart, so I don't know this, but I would assume she was still alive at that point. And I don't know if she's now or not.
Track 2:
[19:44] Yeah just the you know again the chance to say goodbye to his mom and yeah it's not really, how things are supposed to go i guess but um not at all yeah and that yeah the last thing i'll say is just there's that you know the vocalizations after the word goodbye i talked about them last week on secret path but there's these like raw just emotional you know screams and like emotes that he makes um in in the secret path concert and on the album and on this album as well that you know just that i don't know guttural just raw human emotion that it's really cool, what'd you guys think yeah.
Track 1:
[20:25] We saw a lot of that on the final tour for sure that raw guttural emotion.
Track 2:
[20:29] And uh.
Track 1:
[20:31] It's mirrored on this record absolutely crystallized uh on vinyl and cd cassette i don't know if it's on cassette justin um where do you stand on first person.
Track 3:
[20:43] Can't add a whole lot more but there's one thing that is very consistent in this song and the second song and it's that quarter note bass drum heartbeat boom boom boom boom to the whole thing and it's, not by accident for sure yeah yeah.
Track 2:
[21:01] And that was a feature of secret path to a lot of other songs without heartbeat.
Track 4:
[21:06] And a clock too is what I heard. Yes. I heard it as an underlying heartbeat, but it was also- click it was also time moving yeah oh that's good yeah it it really hit me in.
Track 4:
[21:22] Fact i think it was last night on one of the one of the tunes i don't remember exactly which one it was but it was fitting and it was very much a clock and a heartbeat again love love the opportunity that we had the chance to to to listen to this and to listen to those thoughts you know that was one One of the things I was thinking of, and we can say this about all of them is sometimes it's hard to really express your feelings at any moment, face-to-face writing it down, you know, after the fact. And so often it's after the fact, you know, this entire album, but of course this song right away, acknowledging his mom, but just that I'm going to go through and I'm going to give everyone that I've been in touch with or that I've loved, you know, I'm going to express some feelings to them. And a lot of the times those things sometimes people feel might be appropriate to be private, but for me, I love that Gord was very open about those feelings and emotions. So just incredible. Absolutely incredible.
Track 1:
[22:28] Incredible yeah i couldn't agree with you more it's so heartbreaking and i don't know whether we should have put a trigger warning at the top of this episode uh as we did with secret path this is some heavy shit so let's move on to wolf's home, All I want is you, All I want is you.
Track 3:
[26:05] And the heartbeat, you know, it really just, that's the other half, right? This is a decidedly more upbeat tune. It's really catchy. It's kind of fun. And it really, you know, the track that follows this is heavy too, but it does set the tone for kind of the rest of the album. The context of this whole thing, like we talked about over and over, is heavy, but the songs are kind of fun, you know? And Wolf's home is, all right, kids, stop the nonsense and the bullshit. Dad's home. Everybody cut it out. There's two lines that really stuck out to me. One was, I don't do what I hate, which is a spin on I do what I hate from Man, from the Man Machine poem album, which is the first track on that. And then at the very end is, all I want is you. you know and you know all the all the references to to edgar downey throughout the the hips catalog and and everything that gore did and you know lonely end of the rank and all those things it's um yeah i just these first two songs really kind of wrap your arms around the entire album with with what you're going to get out of this and um it's nice that it was his parents that, were the the opening numbers you know it was really a touching couple of tracks there.
Track 4:
[27:25] Yeah absolutely it's a tribute really it is and a tribute to obviously what an upbringing to, be able to you know have this individual that again has left us with such amazing art but yeah mom and dad right off the the bat i don't know if you guys noticed this or not and i think craig was trying to show it i have lucky enough to have the vinyl of this but on all the it's all handwritten the lyrics that are in here but in each one i'm fairly certain it's the who the song's about but it's it's covered up and it's a different color and it's on every single song in both you know close the first and the second album craig.
Track 3:
[28:04] You referenced that black and white video and in that video the only bits of color are where they overlay they kind of superimpose gray uh, gourd's handwriting in red and blue and he's got that four color pen that he's always using on.
Track 4:
[28:20] All the interviews. Yep.
Track 3:
[28:21] And I also was super happy to figure out that he's a lefty in that video because they show him making a note. And I'm like, all right.
Track 4:
[28:30] Right on, left-handers.
Track 2:
[28:31] My daughter is going to love that. Yeah, so this song, Wolf's Home, again, yeah, definitely about his father. And it's such a catchy song. The melody in the chorus, the ascending melody and the way the timbre of his voice just, changes as he's going up to those high notes and just such a nice quality like, he's such a versatile vocalist i don't think he gets enough credit for the just the different voices he uses on on different styles of tracks.
Track 3:
[29:03] There was something that i read a few years ago about how gourd just stayed in the pocket with the hip and i'm like what the frig are you talking about like the guy will go until he doesn't have a voice on the low end and then he blows it out on the top, Mariah Carey style. Like, it's unbelievable, his range.
Track 1:
[29:21] Ha ha ha ha ha ha.
Track 2:
[29:23] Some interest interesting percussion sounds almost like on on the two and four there's some kind of a where the snare would be there's some kind of i don't know what it is almost sounds like toy drums or something or just something random in the studio they were hitting but, but yeah i have nothing really more to add just just a great song.
Track 4:
[29:40] Yeah and i'll pick up on bedtime the next one which is to one of the kids i'm not sure if it's specific or if it's just to his children in general or you know again just going through that the theme that we've been talking about is knowing you know and it really doesn't matter who it's to that does add to obviously the level of seriousness but for me it was I think Craig mentioned this as well it's like yeah there was something you could pick out right away but it really didn't matter at some points again just breaking down that these were the very personal letters that were going out and doing it in a manner of he gets to add the instrumentation to it and as as we've talked about on several of the different albums and different tunes then again this one is more of the piano ford as they had mentioned the emotion that can be evoked from from that backing music to it and and knowing looking at very few i think there was only like four or five of these tunes that were solely gourd so you had some of the other you know drew that was involved, and niles and some of the other that helped i think a little bit with some of the i mean i don't know what their breakdown was if they were more instrumentation if they were more the uh um the lyric side of it but but just uh again i think a masterpiece put considering everything and having kids we all went through this or i went through this with all my kids.
Track 4:
[31:06] Multiple times in a different manner and and but how important that was and how with each of my kids, I have those memories of that connection, right? And that was a way that you could help your spouse was putting the help and putting the kids to bed. So it evokes some, some, very direct and deep memories and then saddens you when you know that these are memories that his children are going to read and hopefully appreciate.
Track 1:
[31:36] Oh, I can't imagine. I can't imagine. I just can't imagine.
Track 2:
[31:41] Yeah. Definitely brought back memories for me of, of those early years with kids and the, the struggle of bedtime and just the, the passage of time, you know, the way that those nights would just seem to last forever. And you were just, Then you wake up the next day and do it all over again. And then yet the years just start flying by. And that's what struck me during this song is that just the passage of time and how strange the days are so long and the years are so short. So, Justin, what do you think?
Track 3:
[32:18] Like I said, this album was released, Gord Died, and this album was released when my daughter was four months old. and we still have her gray rocking chair upstairs that, um, why would I would rock her to sleep in? And when this album came out, I think I listened on the first day, this song came on as I was rocking her to sleep and I bawled like a frigging toddler. And, uh you know the the line um as if from a bomb backing up like whoa and the floor with the creaks of time and we're living in this old apartment above a barn you know that's you can't breathe without the floor creaking and then you get to the door and she wakes up like are you really like leaving like what do you get back here you know and like so this song i it totally destroyed me and as I'm trying to get her calm I'm losing it and so I had this is this was it I heard three songs on this album and I stopped for seven years until we started this project I do love this song very much but man did it hit home and I was already raw from from having lost Gord you know my musical hero ten days before and then shit this happens come on yeah.
Track 4:
[33:40] I wanted to speak about JD when you were talking in the intro. When Gord passed, it was as deep as any friend or family member that I can recall. I mean, it was a deep fetal position kind of cry. And especially having seen and just a break, we've already talked about it before in a prior episode, but on the long time running when on the last tour, when he would kiss everyone on the lips before they went out on stage, you just were overwhelmed by the amount of love this one individual had. And that, you know, to this day, it's still permeates in this discussion. So amazing.
Track 1:
[34:29] Well, let's stick with you, Kirk. Let's talk a bit about introduce yourself.
Track 4:
[34:33] Introduce yourself. Well, title track to the album. I'm sorry. I got to get this out of the way. I need to know so much more, or I need to visit the Danforth because some of my favorite songs always mentioned the Danforth. And I just have to imagine it's some beautiful place near Toronto because it's in like old apartment from bare naked lady, which is a song that I love. Several other Canadian bands mentioned the Danforth. So that was the thing that snuck that stuck out right because everything had been so emotional i needed some sort of brevity and so when i got to danforth the line danforth so i need to ask jd give me info on the danforth so the danforth is the.
Track 1:
[35:18] Other side of bluer street the eastbound corridor of the street we call bluer street in midtown yeah it's not down it's the roof of downtown is bluer street and it cuts across the Bloor Viaduct, the Prince Edward Viaduct, which has the luminous veil on it that we spoke.
Track 2:
[35:36] Of in another episode.
Track 1:
[35:38] Then the Danforth was traditionally Greek town. It had oodles of Greek restaurants. There was lots of Greek variety stores and that sort of thing. And in the early nineties, it became a very popular place to start a family. You buy a house pretty reasonably. Now it's, you know, just as it's, as is want to happen. And it's pushing further and further and further East because the original Danforth area is now, you know, like $3 million homes, $4 million homes. Uh, and then there's some areas that there are way more than that. And I'd be glad to take you on a mini tour when I'm here because that's where I live. You know, maybe a soda pop at my local. We'll see.
Track 3:
[36:23] Yeah. Love it. Let's do that.
Track 4:
[36:25] Yeah. So that was my, that was my takeaway on this, this particular one. And again, that just overwhelmed my thought process was needing to know more about the Danforth. So I appreciate you helping, helping me with that. So, yeah.
Track 2:
[36:41] So this song was, um, was written about Billy Ray, Billy Ray Koster, the longtime hip roadie. And so, um, it's really just a thank you. And at the end of the song, just, you know, I thank you for your help. Help. Such a simple line, but such a beautiful goodbye to this lifelong friend who, from what I remember reading years ago, is that Billy Ray just as a young man or someone in his late teens just wrote the hip saying, I want a job, I'll do anything, and just worked his way up. And he really became almost like a member of the band by the end. And just the story of of this song is hilarious. Like it's a, it's a emotional song, but it's also so funny. Like the, you know, the not it isn't, it isn't because, you know, maybe some of the reason he, he, you know, the story being that he needs to write, introduce yourself on his hand to show to Billy Ray. So he'll introduce himself to the driver of the car that he, that Gord should know the name of, but has forgotten. So, you know, was that because of, you know, the cancer maybe? And I think I know what Justin's going to talk about here. What was your first thought?
Track 3:
[37:56] I can picture them in the back of a car or the cab or whatever. And Gord's like, oh shit, you know, like, what do I do here? Yeah. I mean, there's not much more that I could peel back on this, but I do remember in the interim of deciding to put the album down when it came out. And now I do remember watching the live performance that Sarah Harmer, Kevin Hearn, right, did it. And it was awesome. It was really, really, really good. And I was like, oh, okay, that's, and I had no idea what it was about at that time. So I was like, oh, this is a really sweet song.
Track 2:
[38:29] The Junos.
Track 3:
[38:30] Obviously emotional, but, um, you know, hearing the, hearing the lyrics, I was like, Oh, okay. And I've referenced it a few times here, the interview, the sit down with Peter Mansbridge and yeah. And he's like, well, I've got your name here, so I don't call you Doug or whatever, you know? Um, yeah. So, uh, yeah.
Track 1:
[38:57] Right.
Track 2:
[38:59] That's what I was going for. Yeah.
Track 4:
[39:02] Hey, I got to say with Billy Ray, because most of the shows that I saw were in small clubs, he was just as much a member of the band as anyone else for all of my crew. We almost enjoyed seeing him more, right? He always had that kind of crooked cowboy hat. And he always had like either a roll of duct tape or a wrench or there was art, you know, there was always something that says I'm the tech guy like reminded you of Tom Hanks when he did that Saturday Night Live skit when he was a roadie for Aerosmith or whatever, but he was so much he was the flavor of it. It was like he had to come out and put the mic stand back up because Gord knocked it down, you know. And then I love the fact as well that on this album, as well as I think the last or a couple of the others, he plays drums on a few of them. So how fantastic is that from Craig, as you mentioned, like a letter, just this, hey, I want to do something for you. And then he becomes this lifelong friend. And now he's part of, you know, part of introduce yourself in the title track song and, uh, just such a character.
Track 3:
[40:11] So it also, uh, it reminded me of the roadie by tenacious D. Sebastian bringing this, you know, 55 year old groupie into the dressing room.
Track 4:
[40:23] Love it.
Track 3:
[40:25] Love it.
Track 4:
[40:25] Love it. Love it.
Track 2:
[40:28] As someone who is terrible with names, definitely made, made me laugh. And if I ever get a tattoo, maybe that's what it'll have to be. Cause man, I'm in my job. It's not the best quality.
Track 3:
[40:39] It's a good story though.
Track 1:
[40:41] Coco Chanel five. That's what I think, yeah.
Track 3:
[43:49] So this, I mean, it's got to be about Laura, right? And yeah, and the thing that made me doubt that was that there's a song later in the album about his first girlfriend. So maybe he's singing about all of them. But the thing that drove it home for me was the line when I was recording in Memphis, which is the Up To Here album. That would put the timeline about right. I, I feel awkward listening to the song, the song and the one about the girlfriend. Like I shouldn't, I shouldn't be in this room right now, you know? Yeah.
Track 2:
[44:20] That, that, that was my thing off the top was like, I didn't want to dive too deep into who these songs are about, but sometimes it's, yeah, that this, that's what I thought about this one. And, but you know, Gord put this out in the world, so we, it is okay for us to do this. It is, is um yeah.
Track 4:
[44:37] And i agree that it definitely could have been on secret path like it has very much that same feel musically right instrumentation musically that was very much and there was even a moment on this particular song where it it was an mvp for for me for a while oh interesting yeah i just i think because again secret path was so impactful and for me after like the great build buildup from Coke machine glow, you know, just that amazing buildup and you hit secret path and you're just, it was hard to go on. So it was, I, you know, I was glad to hear something to kind of wake me up out of that funk. So, uh, but just a great song, but yes, difficult to listen to at times that the line was very uncomfortable for me. It really was. It's so good.
Track 3:
[45:27] Don't even say it.
Track 4:
[45:28] I'm not, but it's very uncomfortable for me. And that's That's probably the reason why I didn't end up as my MVP. I'll be honest.
Track 1:
[45:38] Just a little too inside baseball, Gord. Let's go with Ricky, please. And we'll start with Craig this time.
Track 2:
[45:47] This is a song I don't have a lot of notes about. It's just a nice upbeat song that was needed at this point. And it's nice and short. Gave me, I've said this a number of times on this pod, but Ben Folds kind of vibes you know and I have no idea who Ricky is I really didn't look at the lyrics too closely in this one so.
Track 1:
[46:13] Okay. Anybody else got anything?
Track 3:
[46:15] So I had asked in the group chat if this was about Patrick, his brother Patrick. And I know that You, Me, and the Bees is about him too, but I was thinking Ricky might be a nickname for Patrick. But the reason why I asked that was one of the lines is, you got me to the only door I've got. And Gord references the door in interviews and at the end of his life. And I know that Patrick was very close to him and was kind of his caretaker at the end. Um, so that's where I was thinking that maybe this is maybe Patrick got two songs. I don't know. I really don't know, but it's obviously somebody who's been very close with him forever and, you know, dating back before the illness, of course, too. But yeah, I don't know who it's about, but that was my initial thought. And I, I don't know. I have no idea, but it is a very fun listen.
Track 1:
[47:06] Well, if you out there listening, no, send us an email, discovering downy at gmail.com. we'd love to hear from you kirk what do you got.
Track 4:
[47:15] This one it gets a little more upbeat and so the clock is going a little faster i i agree with you justin that there definitely has a a feel to this sounds like a brother at least from that that standpoint i love i love the instrumentation the repetitiveness the i i i did that was something that i have in my memory as far as a note for this so this.
Track 3:
[47:40] Song and and a few others sound like a marriage between now for plan a and man machine poem like they could be hip songs 100 from those two.
Track 4:
[47:49] Great agreed i would wild okay.
Track 1:
[47:51] I gotta think about this in a different way safe is dead is our next track and i think we'll start with justin this time yeah.
Track 3:
[48:01] So i guess i'm gonna say it again this sounds like it could be from Not For Plan A or Man Machine Poem. And I don't know... It's probably more like man-machine poem, I think, but I couldn't even tell you who this is about. But, you know, it's certainly previewing death or reliving somebody else's. I don't know. But the dark preview, who'd miss this fear, a damn silence, exiles meet. And then the dark brochure, full dark soon, and then the rise of a scarred moon. So, like, I wonder if the brochure is a literal brochure. Like, here's what to expect in your next year and a half with glioblastoma, you know? Like, good luck, read this, and you've got information.
Track 1:
[48:42] God.
Track 4:
[48:43] That's, I mean, honestly, that's very much the way I took it. Safe is dead. Like, there's no good information on here. So it was stark to me, even in the music. And then if you read in some of the liner notes, this was one of the only ones with some backing vocals, and I think Patrick was one of them. And I think Billy Ray was another one. I have to look that up. But so interesting when you think about who was involved in this song. And then, again, just that premise or thought, like whether it's a pamphlet or like his doctor saying, hey, this is what's up. So you're just like safe as dead. Yeah. That was my uh.
Track 2:
[49:31] Yeah justin you mentioned man machine poem and i have a note right here that says remind the vocals remind me of insarnia from that album and musically i was really drawn to this song it reminds me so much of a band called future islands and specifically there's a song called fall from grace on the singles album which was the album that broke them and i heard that.
Track 3:
[49:56] Song today on the drive home.
Track 2:
[49:57] Really yeah.
Track 3:
[49:58] It's funny it.
Track 2:
[49:59] Is so similar yeah and i love i love that's my one of my very favorite songs by future islands so this one really stuck with me just the the drum beat the repetitive notes in the piano if it was future islands it would be more of a synth sound but it's a very similar idea just this repetitive groove that just goes for the entire song the nice echoing at the end the vocals that you mentioned and the way the beat drops out there's like a single hand clap to end the song it's one of my favorites i think on the album tremendous and sorry and last thing what wait what like what such a gourd thing to say what what wait what like just awkward and but not from him when he says it it's just when you when.
Track 4:
[50:49] You hear it for the first time it doesn't sound like he's saying that i had a completely different phrase.
Track 2:
[50:54] In my brain.
Track 4:
[50:55] You know when you hear something you're rocket man burning up his when you hear that that's what i heard was.
Track 2:
[51:01] Something completely.
Track 4:
[51:02] Different until i read it and i.
Track 2:
[51:03] Went excuse me while i kiss this guy wait.
Track 4:
[51:05] What what yeah exactly there's a bathroom on the right on the right.
Track 2:
[51:10] Do we.
Track 3:
[51:15] Have to pay rights fees for these now jay no.
Track 1:
[51:17] No we're fine we're fine we got big podcast lawyers yeah well we go upbeat again with the next song uh in a celebratory sort of way kirk what do you think is spoon.
Track 4:
[54:10] I'm just going to ask this question up front. In the band Spoon, we had had some discussions about them on our exchange, and I didn't look deep enough. Are they a Canadian band? They're not, no. No? But popular up there, obviously, and is that who he's referring to when you go down to the bottom?
Track 1:
[54:32] It definitely is that band. in terms of popularity middling you know they're not a superstar band by any stretch but they sell you know they sell they sell records similar to what they are in the u.s they're still sort of underground you know to a lot of people even though they've had at least three breakout albums great indie band yes but.
Track 3:
[54:52] They're only an indie band you know they're.
Track 1:
[54:53] Not mainstream yeah.
Track 2:
[54:56] Yeah relating to the story i just told actually it was driving me nuts i i knew i had a ticket to spoon but i have no memory of the concert and it was just driving me nuts i actually pulled up my concert tickets yesterday and went through them all until i finally finally figured out what it was was that i just mentioned future islands they were playing a show at stanley park in downtown vancouver the you know the park and um spoon was headlining future islands was opening so i went for future islands they sold out of beer like in the opening band they may and not Not that I was there for beer, but the timing worked out perfectly though, because I actually had a second concert ticket that same night to see War on Drugs in downtown Vancouver. So we had to like run down the street, catch a bus down to downtown Vancouver and made it to the Vogue to see War on Drugs. This is, I don't know, nine years ago, I think. And so I missed Spoon. So I didn't even get to see five songs.
Track 4:
[55:54] You missed Spoon. I was going to ask if you had both. No. Okay. You missed Spoon.
Track 3:
[55:58] I haven't seen them, but I love them. And in particular, the album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga that is referenced on here. You don't even have to know that it's Spoon to know Don't You Ever or The Underdog or Cherry Bomb from that album. I know that if you heard them, you would recognize them instantly. They're radio hits. But Spoon's a freaking great band. And I'm jealous of the five-year-old kid who's in this song, which has got to be his youngest son, right? I would imagine.
Track 1:
[56:27] Well, he talks about recording in Maui with Bob.
Track 3:
[56:29] In Maui with Bob, yeah.
Track 1:
[56:31] So that would be what? That would be 2011?
Track 2:
[56:34] I think so.
Track 3:
[56:35] That would be the luster part of it, wouldn't it?
Track 1:
[56:37] That's what I've, that's what I've thought.
Track 2:
[56:38] I assume it's talking about either We Are The Same or World Container because he talks about we. He says we as in the band, like we were recording with Bob. Job so yeah and Maui is a place that um you know it's it's it's the destination for people in in Vancouver for vacation it's you know five hours away and so I've been there multiple times and so when he when I first heard the song and he starts dropping you know Haleakala the volcano Baby Beach is a place where when my son was just just a baby we took him to Baby Beach which is a a place where there's a like a natural barrier i believe it's natural there's no waves so you can actually take your toddler into the water they can just kind of play around in six inches of water and it goes out for for many meters and and i have these distinct memories and a great set of photos of my son on that beach talks about anthony's which is a little restaurant up in the in paella I believe, which is on the, if you're taking the road to Hana, very famous drive around the east side of the island, which I recommend to anyone who goes there. Brought back all these memories of my trips out there. And he even talks about his, I think his leg was broken or something. And one of my early trips to Maui, I was there on crutches. I had a hockey injury.
Track 2:
[58:03] So I had to cancel a bunch of my plans for that trip. And my son was very young. I think it was seven, eight months. And I remember the first day just taking the stroller for a walk and I'd go, you know, to the cinnamon roll place. And then I'd go back to the condo. And then the next day I'd go a bit further by the end. Within a week, I was walking for hours every morning. Like, you know, with the time change, I was up at 5.30 a.m. And taking him for just the longest walk. And just such a great memory. And I was fully healed by the end of that trip. That's great.
Track 3:
[58:35] There is the opening lines I just wanted to mention. You're transcendent. You taught me so many things. You taught me that help is all we to this dumb planet bring. What a nice compliment to give somebody.
Track 2:
[58:45] Right? And don't read the Apple Music translation because it says hell instead of help.
Track 3:
[58:51] That would change the song.
Track 2:
[58:52] You know, I've noticed on some of my listens.
Track 4:
[58:56] I'll look up a lyric because you can look on Spotify or whatever. And what you're hearing or what he's saying does not correlate with what the lyrics are so i noticed that on a few tunes i didn't write the specific ones down but uh that's interesting that you know it it translates it however it wants so i'm like he didn't just say what.
Track 3:
[59:17] It's for what it's worth i've had good luck on the website genius um when i when i can't find yeah and there's usually some notes some reference notes but they'll also capitalize words like like the album, the liner notes would have, as opposed to if you're listening to Spotify or YouTube or something that just doesn't take, you know, have that nuance. Right. Um, and I can add a lot of meaning.
Track 2:
[59:43] Yeah, and Kirk, you asked about Spoon being Canadian. While they're not, the band Deer Hunter, who Gord mentions in the song as the opener, they are from out east, I believe, Montreal maybe?
Track 1:
[59:55] Do you know, JD? I think it's in Quebec. Yeah, I think so.
Track 3:
[59:59] I think they are.
Track 2:
[1:00:00] I feel like I've seen them.
Track 4:
[1:00:01] Are they still active? Because I feel like I've just seen them recently, like opening up for Barenaked Ladies, which would make sense if they're Canadian.
Track 3:
[1:00:08] They have, they have a little bit of a following around where I live. Um, I haven't, I haven't seen them and I don't know much about them, but I know that the local station out of Albany, New York mentions deer hunter often. So yeah, there's still, I think there's still around.
Track 4:
[1:00:23] And I feel like I just saw them with bare naked ladies and, uh, what's the band that does closing time? Semi Sonic.
Track 1:
[1:00:30] Yeah.
Track 4:
[1:00:31] They were on the same, same bell.
Track 1:
[1:00:33] I went on a scavenger hunt in setlist.fm trying to find a show in Toronto that Deer Hunter opened for Spoon, and I couldn't track it down. That would definitely help us with the date in terms of figuring it out. I'm pretty sure they even say the venue in the song, don't they? In the lyric?
Track 4:
[1:00:58] Deer Hunter opened the show. The headliner was introduced. We did our best. We'd have to go soon. We got a t-shirt and we cut five tunes. Just enough to say that the first show for us, too, was Spoon. So anything else on Spoon?
Track 3:
[1:01:15] I listened to Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga several times because of this song. Yeah.
Track 1:
[1:01:24] Next up, Craig, is A Natural.
Track 2:
[1:01:29] Yeah, this song is the... Okay, so I'm in Seattle. This is... What year was this album? 2017? And this would have been, I'm guessing, a couple of weeks after gourd passed and i was in a 10 days i was in a clothing store or something i think a vintage clothing store in seattle and my wife was shopping and i was just sort of hanging out and i heard this song i was it was kind of like lightly in the background i couldn't i wasn't paying attention to who it was but they always play great music in seattle on in these types of stories i find and then the chorus came on and that powerful voice of his with all that reverb and it hit me like like a ton of bricks like i was like yeah it was like gourd from beyond the grave um and i was just i was in the u.s i was i was just it was amazing and i remember thinking like what is this is this like a hip song that i somehow don't know is this a you know some other artist where he just sings the chorus and i you know tracked it down when i got home and realized it was on the album that i had unopened um and so this was one song that i did listen to over the years, yeah what'd you guys think of this one.
Track 4:
[1:02:54] Just this was one of those that was the kind of the synth pop you know feel behind it which i loved again because again correlating back to the ages is like, gord probably had an affinity for the 80s and certain aspects of it in certain songs and whether you like it or not you're still influenced by it because you get that kind of that's again the the keyboard the synth sent the type music there but yeah again as craig mentioned the um powerfulness in the voice during the chorus is it creates goosebumps it just fills you up and and again makes you thankful that you have a variety of different you know opportunities to listen to the voice you know whether it's a solo stuff for the hip and so you were you just you were thankful for it and just the imagery in this song you know just sitting there and it's soaking and wet you know bathing suit with a bb gun and just kind of iron you know you you've experienced that or you've seen it and so you just felt connected to the song right away but it was so intense and then just the song the course itself is just a praise you are a natural if you say that about someone they're just you know they're beyond special so very much a song that made an impression, especially with his vocal abilities, as we've all mentioned and commented on how phenomenal it is and how varied, which I think Craig mentioned as well, or Justin as well.
Track 3:
[1:04:23] I wondered if this was about his sister or one of his daughters. I don't know why, but just the scene, the way that it's set, it seems like he's singing about a female.
Track 4:
[1:04:35] I would not disagree with that.
Track 3:
[1:04:36] Yeah, I don't know. Yeah. Well, and I was thinking that as they were kids, he's telling this story from his own childhood. Yeah. Don't know.
Track 2:
[1:04:47] That was my first thought too, but yeah, it could be. I feel like it is probably a child with one of his children.
Track 3:
[1:04:53] It also sounds a lot like a couple of songs in Secret Path.
Track 2:
[1:04:57] Yeah. The way he sings at the end though, I am the lucky one. That made me think I think maybe it was him as a father saying that line. And also to add to the 80s vibe, the bass, it really takes a lead in this song, very much like a Peter Hook style New Order.
Track 4:
[1:05:17] Yeah, great observation, Greg. I don't disagree with that at all.
Track 1:
[1:05:22] Well, let's wrap things up for this week with faith, faith. And we'll start with you, Mr. St. Louis.
Track 3:
[1:05:31] This one got me. Jesus, about the dog. I mean, I assume it's a dog. What else would be getting scratched under the chin? But, oh, my gosh, my puppy is just, well, the puppy is two years old. But, you know, I mean, what's nicer than the love that you get from your dog? and um very.
Track 1:
[1:05:54] Little in this world.
Track 3:
[1:05:55] Faith yeah but i mean just this song too is crushing take this take the dog out of it this is this is a masterpiece of a song and you can get emotional without lyrics with a song it's pretty damn amazing um so a couple of a couple of weeks ago, my mentor ken squire and you can google him he he's the one that got nascar on tv he's he's from around the way here and i worked for him for 20 years and he kind of took me up under his wing as the annoying kid who wouldn't stop asking for a job you know he's he's a legendary figure in the world of motorsport around the world so he he passed back in november and a few weeks ago they had his memorial service at his racetrack here in Vermont. And the most poignant part of the whole thing was they read a poem called The Sweetness of Dogs. This song brought me back to that moment where I welled up at his service and how the person and the dog are sitting under the moonlight. The person looks up at the moon and thinks, what could be more beautiful? And And the dog looks up to the person and thinks the same thing. And I'm just like, whoa. And the song just drains me. Yeah. Yeah. Ferguson, Ferguson's going to get this song the rest of his life.
Track 4:
[1:07:22] Yeah. It's, uh, it's, it's overwhelming. The, the passion that you feel when he screams the faith, faith, your faith, your faith, your faith. I think it's the Y-E-R, touching the nose every morning, one, two, three times, dark unwavering eyes. And if you have an animal, you know, especially if you have a dog for me, you know, I have my, my little guy, Andy, and we take our walks every day. And I do a lot of my gourd listening when I'm on a walk with my dog, you know, and it's, The dog has an attitude, and it's a great personality. And yeah, there's a love there that I think he captures, obviously, amazingly in the lyrics there.
Track 2:
[1:08:15] Yeah, I just have a note about the piano playing. So Kevin Drew on the piano, as we learned on the Secret Path album, he plays with a lot of feeling. And he's definitely got like a style to his playing. And I love how at the end he goes up the octave. And it's just, there's a lot of emotion in his playing, which really matches the lyrics. Now, unlike you guys, I'm not a pet person. I'm allergic to dogs. So it's not really my fault. Um so i've never had a dog i did have a cat growing up and i i do have a really great story but i'm gonna i'm gonna save it for when we have more time it feels.
Track 4:
[1:08:54] Like loving emmett otter craig that's what it feels like.
Track 2:
[1:08:57] Okay that's what it feels.
Track 1:
[1:08:59] Like well fellas uh it's been an absolute, pleasure to listen to your thoughts on the first half sort of i know it's not divisible the way the records are, but that's what we're going to cover this week. Let's bid adieu to our listeners and encourage you out there to shoot us an email, discoverydowney at gmail.com if you're enjoying what you're here. We'd love for you to join our community on Facebook, and of course we want to see you on July 19th at the Rec Room here in toronto tickets are available now at discovering downy.com.
Track 4:
[1:09:47] That's going to be a fun night i.
Track 1:
[1:09:51] Think so right.
Track 4:
[1:09:52] Really fun and do.
Track 2:
[1:09:55] People know like we've never actually met no i don't i guess i guess they.
Track 1:
[1:09:59] Wouldn't know that yeah.
Track 2:
[1:10:00] I mean i've i've met jd and kirk i guess in person very briefly yes uh kirk um a couple times and justin yeah yeah not not yet i haven't met you yet but But yeah.
Track 4:
[1:10:09] It'll be the first time for all four of us. Yeah.
Track 1:
[1:10:12] But we're all going to see each other on the night.
Track 2:
[1:10:15] It's going to be awesome.
Track 3:
[1:10:16] Yeah. Actually, we're going to see each other on the 18th too, aren't we?
Track 2:
[1:10:20] Road trip.
Track 3:
[1:10:21] Yeah.
Track 1:
[1:10:21] Yeah. Yeah. If you're out there and you're.
Track 4:
[1:10:24] We got to go to the.
Track 1:
[1:10:25] If you're out there, we got to see the dance tonight and you feel like meeting up with four dudes and you want to give us a tragically hip tour. That's a perfect opportunity. You guys are discovering Downey at gmail.com email. We would love that we would love nothing more than that so we'll have a film crew with us we can shoot some cool stuff and it'll be a lot of fun, pick up your shit.
Here it is, the annual PodList. This year we are featuring 10 artists covering 10 Gord songs.
Track Listing:
The Stranger - Maria King
Lofty Pines - Tragically Al
Trick Rider - Darrin Cappe
Vancouver Divorce - Craig/ jD
Yer Ashore - Kirk Lane
Crater - Craig/Justin
Canada Geese - Lifte
Gone - Gerald McGrath
SF Song - Aye Karou
The Stranger - The Strictly Hip
Today the gang gets together to discuss the fifth album in Gord's discography, the haunting, Secret Path
This week in the pod, the gang is up to their neck in the fantastic effort by Gord and the Sadies. You're gonna want to check this one out!
Transcript:
Track 1:
[0:00] Hey, it's Craig here, and I just wanted to let you know that Christmastime in.
Track 1:
[0:03] Toronto is coming early this year. Join me and the Discovering Downey crew for the recording of our podcast finale, live at The Rec Room in downtown Toronto on Friday, July 19th. Long Slice Brewing presents A Celebration of Gord Downey, which will include a special in-person interview with Gord's brother, Patrick Downey. Spend the evening listening to your favorite hip tunes provided by the almost hip and help us raise money for the gourd downy fund for brain cancer research with a silent auction featuring incredible items up for grabs visit discoveringdowny.com for tickets or for more information about the event, let's have a toast for charity wickedness and most importantly hope.
Track 2:
[1:04] DOS Beauty I name my guitar My Beautiful Behor Everybody's coughing here And music's infiltrating work In the most pleasant way It's a system based on silverware Listening's an extrasensory Perception And talking the only psychic thing and I can dress you in my thoughts until you wear them. I've been taking care of my clothes like they're cattle. Try this shirt. It would look so good on you.
Track 1:
[1:42] Welcome, music lovers. Long Slice Brewery presents Discovering Downy. Hey, it's J.D.
Track 2:
[1:52] Here, and welcome to Discovering Downey, an 11-part project with a focus on the music and poetry of Mr. Gord Downey. The late frontman of the Tragically Hip gave to the world an extensive solo discography on top of the hip's vocal acrobatics that awed us for years. So far, he's released eight records in total, three of them posthumously. Now listen, you might be the biggest fan of The Hip out there, but have you heard these records? Because I'm an inquisitive podcaster, I enlisted my friends Craig, Justin, and Kirk, giant fans in their own right, to discover Downey with me, JD, as their host. Every week we'll get together and listen to one of Gord's records. We're starting with Coke Machine Glow and working from there in chronological order. We discuss and dissect the album, the production, the lyrics, and we break it down song by song. This week we're going to be talking about Gord's fourth record, and his first and only with the Sadies.
Track 3:
[2:58] Occurring son kirk from chino how the fuck are things with you buddy jd.
Track 6:
[3:04] I'm uh i'm back home after a little bit of travel it's been good travel um it's allowed me to really kind of soak this album in so i'm excited talking about it with you boys.
Track 3:
[3:15] Can you confirm this craig i'm kidding yeah how's it going pretty.
Track 4:
[3:20] Good yeah also looking forward to talking about this album them and it this one took me a little bit of time to get into but we'll talk about that i have been a little under the weather since the last recording it was about halfway through the last podcast i started feeling something coming on and just won't go away just a cold thankfully but yeah other than that things are well.
Track 3:
[3:41] Well that's good justin you've been a podcasting machine today are you spent or are you ready to talk shop with me i'm.
Track 5:
[3:49] Just getting started buddy.
Track 3:
[3:50] Yeah well let's get into it then and the conquering sun is the album we are discussing this week after three consecutive solo outings with some form of the country of miracles gourd wrote and produced this one with the sadies who had just come from supporting the hip on their world container tour Like so many, this marriage was consummated by the CBC, when the Sadies chose Mr. Downey to collaborate with, as was the program's premise. The Sadies are a Toronto-based and road-tested throughout Canada and beyond, with an original lineup consisting of Travis Goode, Sean Dean, Mike Belotiski, and Dallas Goode, who sadly passed away in 2022. This band, as I mentioned, is road-tested with buckets of swagger and chops for days. But how do you talk about The Conquering Sun? After the loose and improvised feeling of the last three records, this record is tight and economical. With a 30-minute runtime, I had to listen twice to get my walk in.
Track 3:
[4:55] Of the four records we've listened to so far, this one makes my Olympic podium for rock and roll with a hard-fought bronze medal, which is nothing to shake a stick at unless, of course, you're shaking the stick in a complimentary fashion. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this album. In fact, in my opinion, this record is the closest we get to a sound that is reminiscent of the hip, up and down on this record. The songs are screaming for radio play if only radio had been a factor upon its release in 2014. From the rip of Crater right through Saved, there isn't a missed opportunity on this record. I could go on about how much I like this record, na-na-na-na, blah-blah-blah, etc. You might be curious how I'm literally singing this album's praises, yet I've only ranked it third of four. I promise I'm not damning with faint praise. It's more that I loved the ceiling of the country of miracles, particles and the idea that we don't get a fourth effort from that entity bums me out a little bit so it's hard to go into this one with that ripple of bummed outness influencing me a little more than frankly i'd like but who cares what i think let's check in with the crew craig we'll start with you this week.
Track 4:
[6:04] Yeah this album like i i mentioned took took a few listens to get into um it's definitely not in you know it's not my favorite of the four we've heard so far but it's really just it's drastically different it just has a different vibe and there are a lot of things I really like about it and I think that my biggest realization is this this is a summer album this is a a nice weather taking a drive in the car putting the windows down this it's that kind of album and for the first couple weeks I didn't have that weather but but just past in the past few days we have and it's just it totally changed my outlook of this this album.
Track 3:
[6:45] I was on mute. Justin, what are your thoughts overall?
Track 5:
[6:49] Oh, I needed this one. I needed this album to get my headspace back into this. And I think I'm going to rank this number two so far out of the four. I actually really love this album a lot. And like Craig, it took me a minute to get into it, but something clicked and I have been listening to it at least two or three times a day every day since. And in the car, on my phone, with or without earbuds trying to get the different parts of the sound, and it kicks my ass every time. I really just like this album from start to finish. Every song kind of sounds the same, which makes it sound like one big long song, and I really kind of love that.
Track 3:
[7:28] Interesting. I can't wait till we break it down. What say you, Kirk from Chino?
Track 6:
[7:32] Like my brethren here, it took me a while. In fact, it took me a while because it almost felt like a divorce and maybe a bit of an affair Was going on with with our buddy Gord. I was so I.
Track 6:
[7:48] Immersed into what was happening with the country miracles and like you said in the beginning like the ceiling like i wanted more and i was so ready for more i had the vinyl of this one the last ground bounce i didn't and i listened to it and i knew there was something there but i was angry honestly i was angry because i wanted more as we had mentioned but man did it grow and grow row. I'm not going to rank it right now because every time I rank something, a day or two goes by and something happens. And I realized, oh man, that was, you know, the grand bounce. That was Coke machine glow that, and you know, every album that we've had a chance to listen to has been, I think in every slot, if that makes sense, depending on the time of day or what's going on. And and so again it just brings you back to joy because i didn't dive in when it was happening which of course i'm a little sad about but i'm so excited now that i'm like i'm really loving music discovery again i'm really loving listening to albums i'm really loving i don't care if it's in the car if i'm walking the dog if i'm sitting at work if i'm you know working on something on on the computer and I've got the music going.
Track 6:
[9:11] Like I have not spent this much time with new music. I say that in quotes because it's obviously not new, but it's new to me, new to us.
Track 6:
[9:23] And I'm just, I'm loving the ride. That's all I got to say. This one is the last two, I mean, like I'm going to be listening to these forever. And I'm going to try and preach the word and get some people to jump on board because it makes me sad when I look at Spotify or something and I see the honestly and don't jump on me. It's like the limited number of listens to the Gord stuff. I have friends that have put stuff out that have more downloads than that. I'm not saying that in a negative, I'm saying that in a like, that shouldn't be. That shouldn't be, so. Right. My diatribe's over, sorry.
Track 3:
[10:03] No, no. Well, that's why I was mentioning off the top too too, that it screams for radio play to me. It's very radio-friendly. There's nothing over four minutes. And fucking radio just didn't matter in 2014. So of course we were never going to hear this. Unless we were paying very close attention.
Track 6:
[10:26] Absolutely.
Track 3:
[10:27] Clearly we were not.
Track 6:
[10:28] Absolutely. Radio.
Track 5:
[10:29] Radio still matters to me. I'm a radio guy. I'm going to tell you that right now. Yeah. Love radio.
Track 3:
[10:34] Radio doesn't love you back though. That's the problem. Like it's getting stripped down and worn down and these formats, you know, like if you've got a, if you've got a local that you love, then by going to stand with it, right?
Track 5:
[10:47] Yeah, you're right. We have, we have a, I'm going to sidebar here for just a second. We have a great station here in Southern Vermont, WEQX, which is one of the last great independent alternative rock stations in North America. And they discovered No Rain by Blind Melon. They were the first one to play it. And they just got this great pedigree, and they love to play Gord's solo stuff. From 2020 on, there's been a lot of new Gord solo stuff that's really been great.
Track 3:
[11:19] Get up. Right.
Track 5:
[11:20] And it's kind of been hard to not listen ahead during this project. Wow. I don't know if they played any of the stuff from this album, but this would totally fit.
Track 4:
[11:28] Yeah, we once had a really awesome independent radio station down in Bellingham, Washington, which we could pick up in Vancouver. And they actually, their tagline was something like, we don't play Canadian music because we have to. We play it because it rocks or something along those lines. And they would play The Hip and Rush. and yeah that's the only american station i've heard that that played a ton of the hip and yeah of course about 15 years ago they got whatever bought out by chorus or someone and it's now just yeah yeah your standard rock radio well.
Track 3:
[12:02] Should we eradicate this problem and educate people on this record go through it track by track are we ready let's.
Track 5:
[12:10] Go sure yeah.
Track 3:
[12:12] All right we start with track one side a it's the classic rock tinged crater what did you think of this one mr greg.
Track 4:
[12:25] My dad uh came to vancouver from new zealand in 1965 to to buy a 65 chevy impala and this song crater is a 1965 chevy impala cruising down the road it's just a great rock and roll track yeah um man that snare drum is yes snare snare yeah it is it is there in the mix yeah definitely i didn't dive into the lyrics at all especially um the songs that were more kind of rocking i i just i was just enjoying them and the only thought i had lyric wise was um almost like an idea of like either you're you're the crater or you're the meter meteor And I was kind of thinking along the lines of there's that not so great Dire Straits song, Heavy Fuel, where he says, you know, sometimes you're the windshield and sometimes you're the bug. And that was kind of the... What i got out of the lyrics on this song.
Track 6:
[13:25] I i wonder in the lyrics and maybe you guys did further research that i didn't see like how much of it was gord how much of it was the gents from the sadies because i i knew the name the sadies but i honestly until this i had not really you know dove into some of their music and i think in one of our you know communications justin had mentioned that as well like he's doing a lot of listening to the sadies and and i try i you know my listening at first it's this is it's going to sound weird um i did a lot of listening at first obviously like through spotify or whatever else but it wasn't until youtube and i got to see these guys and they're wearing like their nudie suits is what it looks like you know and i just i just saw a bunch of them they had a big exhibit at the you know country music uh hall of fame and they were We're talking about that LA country and, you know, very much a country tinge, but, you know, they're using those hollow body guitars. And anyway, so back to lyrics, like what's the balance between Gord and the Sadie's? Did anyone find anything on that?
Track 4:
[14:30] My understanding is that they, that the Sadie's wrote the songs and Gord wrote the lyrics that, yeah. And it was recorded apparently over a number of years. This wasn't like an album that was done in one session, which I find surprising because like someone said earlier, it's, it sounds just like a, it's a great album. It, it really sounds like it was just tracked in one day or something. It's yeah, there's a.
Track 6:
[14:53] There's YouTube has a, uh, interview of, I think the Sadie's had just put an album out. It was like 2010 and Gord was with them and they, you know, obviously had some discussions about their, their time together. And in some of the research it talks about, this has definitely been a long-term type of thing. Great song.
Track 5:
[15:10] Yeah, there was a CBC fuse in 2007 is what put them together. So it took seven years for this album to come out from that first collaboration. Collaboration I really like the sound.
Track 6:
[15:21] From a musicianship standpoint ethereal is really the kind of the adjective that came to mind on a lot of the the guitar parts that the Sadie's had you know very much a hollow body type guitar going through either a Fender a lot of reverb I really liked that driving sound I really really liked it it was it was pretty prevalent throughout in my opinion anything.
Track 3:
[15:43] Else on crater i.
Track 5:
[15:46] Just yeah i mean this is gourd this is like this is a live show on a record um this one song particularly and he is giving it all he has what at the end of the second verse and if we record any of these songs this is the one i'm doing because this is a this is a screamer and it's so much fun to be it you know we don't want to we don't want to do it we want to be it this song is fun to sing, Yeah. So I also, I downloaded an app because I noticed my foot was tapping a lot faster at the end of the song than the beginning. And I, so I, I downloaded an app and it picks up 13 beats per minute from the start to the finish.
Track 4:
[16:29] Oh yeah. That's something I'm going to be talking about later. Cause I, it was driving me nuts. One of the songs I was trying to actually figure out what was happening mathematically and yeah. Okay. I'm glad I'm not the only one noticed.
Track 6:
[16:43] I love that. I love the time changes in a variety of different songs. I put them down in a few notes. But the one thing I really want to say before we dive into any more, long live the guitar solo. And there's quite a few guitar solos on this album, specifically Crater. And they're just, they're solos. They're good solos. And on the other albums, we'll call lead lines, but there's not a lot of solos. And I'm digging that, getting that back, because we haven't had that in the first three.
Track 5:
[17:15] Oh, yes.
Track 3:
[17:16] Nice. Well, the next one is sort of the titular track, but not quite. The Conquering Sun does what for you, Justin?
Track 5:
[17:27] When I look out the window and see Audette's Blue Spruce Farm across the street, That's kind of what I think about. I mean, it's getting on time to plant. And here it is as we record this. It's planting season and working the fugitive dust. Nature, please be good to us. You know, we just had this massively wet spring that wiped out a shit ton of the farms around here. That's, you know, before they even got started. For me, that's part of what this song is. There's also the line, she is more than a conqueror. And I wonder if that's a reference to Gord's wife, Laura, with her recent cancer battle. I don't know when this song was recorded in the timeline of all that, like what year this happened. But I interpreted it as possibly something that could be a reference to defeating the cancer. And the other thing that I really, it was a callback to We Are The Same is when Gord's, his vocal run during hearing, ooh, day is your word, night is the glue. He does that exact same thing in The Depression Suite. That very same run, the change, the pitch, the length, I love it.
Track 4:
[18:41] Yeah, I caught that too. That's great.
Track 6:
[18:43] Great song. It was one of those. I think I mentioned on the last time we spoke, there was not a definitive MVP for me. This one has fallen in and out of MVP, and it may fall back in at the end of this recording. morning. But that's one of the things that really showed me this was a great album, but specifically this song. I just felt immersed in it. And like I said earlier, Ethereal, again, another great solo, another great, that sound that the Sadies have. They have, these guys, what are they like six, five, six, six, they look like trees and they might be a buck or five soaking wet and the suits are barely hanging on them and he's just playing this you know telecaster like it's a little tiny you know a small ukulele and they just have this they they just have this presence and like i said it really wasn't until i i started seeing them that i i got the sadie's because when i was listening it didn't hit me as much and i was kind of hoping i don't know if i mentioned this earlier because they were on the world container tour and i was wondering if they were the opening band I didn't find anything that showed them specifically, but when I watch the videos, it doesn't bring a memory or recollection that I saw. I think it was Sam Roberts that opened for a lot of the shows that I saw here in California.
Track 5:
[20:06] I saw Joel Plaskett as the opener on that tour.
Track 6:
[20:11] Got it. Got it. Yeah. So I was kind of hoping that they were one of the openers. But you know now i'm really excited that you know just in the last couple of days i would say is really when my attention has gone towards them and when you start hearing and seeing how they crafted these songs together and how they worked so well with gourd and his phrasing and and so yeah love this love this yeah.
Track 4:
[20:38] The the sadies are actually on tour as we record this and i'm hoping to pick to go down to the the vancouver show uh so you might you might want to look at dates they They might be coming down your way.
Track 6:
[20:48] I hope so.
Track 4:
[20:48] Yeah, this song, to me, as soon as I heard it, it reminded me of Nico Case. And Nico Case is someone who's worked with the Sadies. And so it is very much that sort of alt-country vibe on this song. And this was probably the song that drew me in right away. Again, like Kirk said, it was in the contention for my MVP track for sure, which, like you, keeps changing. and yeah it's just just a great feel to this song.
Track 3:
[21:18] Yeah i couldn't agree more i think we're two for two so far on this record and we're gonna find out that let's go pretty even record it's a pretty even fucking record los angeles times has the aforementioned swagger dripping from it, Kirk, did you like this one as much as I did?
Track 6:
[25:07] I'm going to say yes, absolutely. But it didn't start out that way. This actually was one of my least favorite tunes after the first couple of passes. I just didn't quite get it. It was just kind of like, it was almost too much swagger at first for me. Because remember, I think we're in a divorce right now. I think this is an affair that's going on. So I'm a little adverse to the song and the album and almost everything because I still have his last, you know, that last record that just moved us all. It was still here. So there was this almost a betrayal, swagger, distaste that I had in the beginning. But listening to it, re-listening to it, listening to it in headphones, listening to it on vinyl, listening to it in the car, listening to it in the plane, listening to it in the hotel. The key changes, like we'd mentioned earlier, just another great solo, just great rock. And, hey, I'm an LA guy. So this one definitely turned and has also filtered through multiple times sometimes on the mvp track side so yeah to me it's three for three and i'm just gonna pre-call it for y'all.
Track 4:
[26:22] Yeah yeah i found this song to be um i was the same way i found the the progression to be a bit generic at first and so i didn't really love it right away but yeah it really grew and i think what makes it work is that this band is just so tight they're so i mean loose but Yeah, the tempo, you know, picks up and, you know, there's the push and push and pull, but they are such a great band that they can pull off anything. Just a simple strumming pattern and make it sound pro. And there's that thing you mentioned off the top, JD, the blah, blah, blah, et cetera, which I was wondering if, I'm sure you guys were thinking the music at work, live, Gord would do the et cetera thing. Did you find anything lyrically, Justin?
Track 5:
[27:10] Yeah. So there's a dedication at the end of the lyrics for Walter Van Tilburg Clark, who wrote The Oxbow Incident, among many other works. And that became kind of one of the great Western movies of all time. And it's about, the subject is these cowboys thought that one of their buddies got murdered and that somebody stole their cows. And then they found this group of three people that they thought did it and they hanged them. And then they found out that the guy survived and it wasn't them and you know it was just a big mess so it was it was the oxbow incident and uh yeah so it was a complicated story and but this isn't about the story it's about the author there are a lot of references to lines in the book or the movie but it's you know there's a line he was born and raised and moved away and that's about i think walter van tillberg clark who was born in maine but then his parents moved him to nevada and then he moved to in New York and then he went he was kind of all over the place beyond that I don't know it's, There's one thing that is a bit of a departure, I think, on this album is that the lyrics aren't too deep. There's not a lot of mystery in this album with Gord's lyrics. And I was hoping for more of that, but the research was a little easier than I wanted it to be on this.
Track 4:
[28:26] That was something I noticed too, is like there didn't seem to be as much to dig into.
Track 4:
[28:31] And once I kind of got past that and just started enjoying it, I really did grow to appreciate the album a lot more. It's funny that you mentioned the Oxbow incident because number one, a couple of weeks ago i was in la and we did did a couple studio tours and this is one of the movies they actually mentioned i forget if it was warner brothers or universal but it was shot at one of those two places in the next song so one good fast job one of my notes here is oxbow incident because of the line it says art shot said wellman to fonda so wellman the director and uh fonda the the star of the show so um nice kind of a neat little tie and i had no idea that the previous song had that reference so i'm glad you caught that this song i really love and this was the one i was um i found really interesting the the progression you've got like almost like a eight bar blues but then they throw in an extra bar so it's like this nine bar which just throws you off off balance a little bit once you once you hear it a few times it makes perfect sense but there's the lyric about drop you know planes dropping paper and dropping scissors and the chimps becoming regular wizards i think it is. And so that made me think of, there's a couple of Simpsons episode that reference like the infinite monkey theorem.
Track 4:
[29:46] What is it? Infinite monkeys, or give a monkey a typewriter and let it type for infinity. It would create, you know, Shakespeare. And you know, it would just some ridiculous theory that has, you know, been, you know, criticized heavily, but I wonder if there's something to that.
Track 6:
[30:03] Sorely discredited.
Track 4:
[30:05] And I really like, there's the line too about something about forget the commas. This is one good fast job. And it almost made me think of this album that they just like banged off this out. Like, let's not, let's just have fun. Let's just write some songs and let's not take ourselves too seriously. So those are my thoughts.
Track 5:
[30:23] Well, I think there was some controversy over the name of the band. And there are commas in that band name. And I think that they're just saying, you know, screw it. And like, nobody asked for this. We're just doing it. let us enjoy it. I did see a couple of interviews where Gord and members of the band were like, can we not dissect this? This is just rock and roll.
Track 4:
[30:44] Yeah.
Track 6:
[30:46] One thing in watching some of those videos that I had mentioned, the last two songs that we discussed that they had played, it was a Greenbelt Harvest Festival thing show that was on. They had almost every song on there and he was playing with the Sadie's and watching the crowd to me was actually quite entertaining because they just sat there and looked in bewilderment right because I don't know they obviously have probably some relationship with with the hip and who knows if they're early hit people or later hit people or die hard all the way but when Gord does the solo stuff and then if they're not familiar with the Sadie's they just sat there and looked like yeah why don't what are we experiencing here what what's what's going on and bewilderment was the note note that i wrote right.
Track 3:
[31:34] Right i mean this makes no sense to me fuck okay sorry uh continue.
Track 6:
[31:42] It man one good fast job and almost back to kind of those punk type roots and that driving rocking it it's uh who i jd like this album has everything and, Also, one thing I wanted to mention, I know we're not through it all, but I think they did a great job of tracking. I really felt good about where all the songs were. I needed Crater to get me going, even though I was still mad and angry, like we mentioned, and then Saved at the end that we'll talk about. It just was like, okay, I got a good, nice, warm hug. Thank you. you um which.
Track 5:
[32:26] You know what's amazing is there were so many reviews about this album that said it was not cohesive and inconsistent and like what the hell are you talking about and.
Track 3:
[32:36] Uneven and blah blah.
Track 4:
[32:37] Blah yeah what.
Track 3:
[32:38] The hell man agree.
Track 4:
[32:39] Yeah no that's a reviewer who read that it was you know recorded over many years yeah that's ridiculous like maybe if you gave it one or two listens but even then even the first listen i didn't love it but it sounded like an album yeah Yeah. One more thing about this song though, before, before we move on, I love the middle section. There's like a bridge or maybe even call it a chorus. It only goes to it once the, I had to look, I had to go, I had to laugh. And it's really interesting how they go through it once, then there's that extra bar, like they keep doing, and then they change the chord progression and back off a bit. Like if you listen to the way the, you know, they're the same instruments, but they just back off and the feel changes totally. And it's such a great effect. Rather than ramping up a bridge, they almost like pull back a bit. And that really was unique. And it only happens once. It feels like a chorus to me, but it's right smack dab in the middle of the song. And I think it's two minutes and like 23 seconds or something. And this is definitely one of my favorites.
Track 3:
[33:43] Yeah, it's a good one. And the next one is a good one as well. It's got to hold the record for the longest title in Gord's solo oeuvre. Kirk mentioned a moment ago that there's a bit of everything on this record. And to me, the beginning of this song, just the very beginning, is shoegazy.
Track 5:
[34:00] Yes.
Track 3:
[34:00] Or it goes into a real punk sort of vibe. And it didn't start to break my heart until this afternoon. Justin, what have you got for us?
Track 5:
[34:09] So the line, we fought like two Irons, really stuck out to me. and it goes with Kirk. I don't know that this was the middle of a divorce. I think Gord is just polyamorous at this point because this project took seven years and in the middle of it, he released the third album, Grand Bounce. So he is just sleeping around. I love the punk, the hard driving, just we're going to beat the fuck out of this song.
Track 4:
[34:38] My first real positive experience with this song was driving to my show last weekend and it was like i said a nice day i was driving along and to me like i said it's a real good driving album and i was coming up to this i guess it was a school zone but it was a weekend so there's no school and there was a uh a flashing like speed limit sign it was like a happy face and as i'm driving by it's like it turns to a sad face because i guess i was a little bit above the limit i'm not a huge speeder but i found that kind of quite funny especially after the i just just listen to the line what is it um something about driving fast oh yeah drive drive it like we stole it yeah it's a great great line that's right and then later on there's the dishwasher loaded which i love because i i wish i could say that most of my music listening was in the car but i only have about a five minute commute to work so most of my listening is actually doing the dishes and so this is just a great song when you're doing the dishes and and dishwasher loaded it and it really really kind of got you know i.
Track 5:
[35:40] Had the same experience man that's.
Track 4:
[35:41] Found it pretty funny and i actually the first time i noticed that lyric i was actually had just put this open i was closing the door of the dishwasher and so it was just it was just perfect it's so funny yeah.
Track 5:
[35:51] That's amazing oh.
Track 4:
[35:53] And great harmonies too on the chorus like love those harmonies yeah.
Track 6:
[35:57] That's one thing you'll notice too when you watch those or or you see them like the the harmony part especially especially after what we had just experienced for the last three albums, you know, with the female voice going back to a male voice backing. I love that element that it brought to it. And I'm just gonna jump into the next song, Budget Shoes. This is one that I think has probably held the number one spot for me. I would say it's not necessarily still there, but it's been there more often than not. And maybe I'm far off on this, but being the American, one of the two Americans that really likes Canadian culture, it brought me back to Kids in the Hall for some reason. In fact, so much so, if you think of the Kids in the Hall intro, I actually looked it up to go hoping it was the sadies like that really would have made my day if it was the sadies that had done that song that's the intro to kids in the hall.
Track 4:
[39:34] There is there is a connection there and i hope i'm correct here but i believe i read that the dallas good the the younger brother who you know passed away recently who.
Track 3:
[39:44] Was the drummer.
Track 4:
[39:44] He he played so so the good family was a was a country family like they had like a family band and and the older brother travis actually played with his band and Dallas being younger he he went more towards punk and I believe it said that his first or one of his first bands was with one of the members of uh Shadowy Men is that the name of the band that does the theme yeah yeah.
Track 3:
[40:11] Shadowy Men oh.
Track 6:
[40:12] Wow nice it definitely was reminiscent of that uh the entire song to me is just brilliant and it it gives you I mean it It really just digs deep inside my soul going back to the ethereal. When Gord hits those moments of the desperation vocal that we heard a lot, not only in recording, but live when he was with the hip, that brought such a comfort to me, right? Knowing where the hip is at, knowing where Gord is at, knowing what's coming. Like this is three years prior to his passing. And just so thankful that we get another version of Gord. And that's really what it was to me is we got, we have the hip and we love that. We have these first three albums, but now we have another one. And it was, Justin, you mentioned it in his lyrics. It's like, I'm not trying to confuse anyone here. I got this great band. They've given me this good music and I'm just gonna give it, I'm gonna give it what's coming to me at the moment. so when he does his and i call it a desperation vocal i know exactly what.
Track 5:
[41:22] You mean when you say it though.
Track 3:
[41:26] Yeah.
Track 5:
[41:26] Yep. Yep. So I'm going to ask the Canadians in the room here about budget shoes because I did some research on this as well. And apparently there's a tradition in Canada that finance ministers buy a new pair of shoes before presenting the budget and they wear them on the floor. Or if they're pissed off about it, they don't.
Track 4:
[41:48] Oh, wow.
Track 5:
[41:48] And it's this thing that has happened since the 1860s.
Track 3:
[41:53] Jesus. Do they go bare feet? I mean, listen, I was a political science major, and I've never heard of it before, but that doesn't really mean anything.
Track 6:
[42:01] As the other American, I agree with what you say full-heartedly. Love it. Love that connection.
Track 3:
[42:10] Yeah, I think it's great.
Track 5:
[42:11] It was strange, but interesting. And I don't know if this song is a commentary on politics and that, or if it just works well with... I mean, this song sounds like, you know, we're sleeping in a tent in a winter storm unexpectedly in the middle of the desert, you know, and I've got nice shoes and you don't, you know, and I'm going to keep my feet and you're going to lose them to frostbite. I don't know.
Track 4:
[42:37] What I was thinking was I was imagining almost like an old Western movie. It's like sweltering hot in the desert. And yeah, they're camping overnight. Night and you know the most iconic thing you'll see in a western is that you know the shot of the cowboy boots and the pan up and and i'm just picturing this you know guy sleeping in his budget you know there's cheap shoes and that's kind of what i do balances on yeah yeah.
Track 6:
[43:04] Ouch shots fired they're.
Track 5:
[43:05] A great company and they.
Track 6:
[43:06] Make a fine shoe thank you we're not sponsored by any of these particular shoe brands yeah i mean budget shoes you talk about the westerns it's almost like a spaghetti western type feel just in that uh the guitar riff as well so.
Track 3:
[43:26] Oh, that's cool. I felt that, too. I wouldn't have put that together. All right, let's move on. Demand Destruction. Is it just me, Justin, or does this song feel very much like the Tragically Hip? Am I crazy?
Track 5:
[43:38] No, I don't think you're crazy about that at all. And this song is, I think, Gord kind of putting out his own views. Again, there's a notation at the bottom. The last one, Budget Shoes, was dedicated to Evan S. Connell, who was the author of the book about Custer where the title of The Grand Bounce came from. So that's a continuation. And then this one is dedicated to Dr. Helen Caldicott, who was an Australian physicist and anti-nuclear war advocate. And it just feels like a protest song to me. I really don't have a lot of notes about it. It's just a nice, fun tune. But there's definitely a message in there. And I think it's Gord speaking about, let's not fuck this up. and maybe some reverence for Dr. Caldecott. It says, I'm not a fan, I just like what you do. I don't know. I don't have a whole lot to unpack on this one.
Track 3:
[44:30] Right. Well, no, I think you unpacked quite a bit. Craig, what have you got for us?
Track 4:
[44:36] One thing I'll say about this song is I found maybe the snare was a little too biting for me. I found that if you if you were listening quietly it it just jumped right out of the mix to the point where you almost couldn't hear anything else and when you turned it up it just had just a little a tinge too much oh yeah you guys know who who mixed the album yeah so bob rock and i think he did a great job overall but it definitely you know he's known for those big huge drums and i just would have liked a little more balance i thought the snare was just a little peeking out a little bit too much the rest of the album i think it it works but maybe the song is the poppiest.
Track 5:
[45:17] I think of the of the songs on the album it's certainly.
Track 4:
[45:20] Radio friendly fairly typical like blues rock sort of yeah um riff at the start yeah.
Track 3:
[45:25] That's what reminds me it reminds me of something off of road apples you know oh yeah yeah that era.
Track 4:
[45:31] Yeah great great harmonies again especially in the chorus all.
Track 3:
[45:34] Right from there we get a change of pace with mandolin and organ off the top of devil enough. Am I right? Was it mandolin Craig?
Track 4:
[45:44] Um, yeah, I believe so. I need to go back and listen again. Um, yeah, this is the song I referenced earlier that was driving me nuts. Even today I was sitting there tapping my toes, like trying to figure out the time change. And I actually had this like theory about what they were doing with it, you know, how they're getting from one tempo to the next. And then I just realized after a while it's just feel it's all feel. And I won't even get into it, because there are some weird things that happen. And I think it is what Justin mentioned earlier, I think it's just that flexibility of, of like, you know, they're really pushing the tempo, bringing it back quite frequently. And so.
Track 4:
[46:25] Yeah, if anyone wants to transcribe this drum part for me and send it to me, I would love to see that because I would love to know mathematically how it works, but I'm pretty sure it is just like a feel thing. This was a song that really stuck out to me. I love that time change. Having said all that, it really, the first few times just really struck me. The guitar playing at the end, the sort of Nashville picking at the end is just amazing. There's a few songs that have those great guitar solos. I think often it's Travis, according to the videos I watched, although I believe Dallas will trade off solo sometimes too. There's the line, Streets Ahead, which of course is a song name from Now For Plan A. And I had just actually recently been watching Community. And I'm not sure if you guys know that reference, but there's a, you know, it's like a catchphrase of Chevy Chase's character. And I actually found a, I wondered if it was related and I found an interview where someone asked Gord that question and he's just like, what? He was so like, no, like what are you talking about? Which of course makes sense. I mean, you don't write books. All these songs you're not a prolific writer like gourd if you're if you're.
Track 6:
[47:36] Spending countless hours.
Track 4:
[47:39] Binging you know sitcoms with 120 episodes.
Track 5:
[47:44] Well and gourd gourd's a dan akroyd guy not a chevy chase guy.
Track 6:
[47:48] Yeah true hey going back to that the ending part craig yes uh you know they almost have a bluegrass feel in some of these instrumental type solos there's There's rock going on against a different instrumentation, which I absolutely love the devil enough to me almost was reminiscent of like your seventies kind of, you know, Barracuda and like the big songs that would have a slow intro and then rock out or go to another slow, but very seventies rock and kind of anthemic type of we're going to switch keys. We're going to switch tempos i very much got that but again going back to the swagger you feel the swagger in in the presentation of the lyrics at least from my perspective with gourd on this loved it loved it.
Track 4:
[48:43] Yeah there are some um really great songwriting techniques on this album that you can tell you know the sadies are just a pro band i think is it uh one of the guys from blue rodeo i believe was was quoted in the in the barclay book about saying that you know they're the world's greatest rock band and there's the little things like in this song they use the little bars of two to set up you know those changes and just lots of little things like that like an extra bar here an extra bar there it's just some really great little songwriting tricks what did you think justin i.
Track 5:
[49:14] Just this song you know growing up we only had like 10 or 12 channels on on tv and one of them was tnn the nashville network and so the grand ole opry was was on all the time, because we didn't have a choice. If it wasn't Hockey Night in Canada, it was TNN. And just this song, that run with the picking is really cool. It brought me back to late 80s, early 90s, just watching the hoedown.
Track 4:
[49:42] Not a country fan, but when I hear a great guitar player like that, though, like a great Nashville player, it really is great. This whole album isn't the type of music I would typically listen to. And I think that's why I gravitate more towards an indie rock feel, like the Battle of the Nudes. But man, this album is really, really solid.
Track 6:
[50:06] Yeah, it has a good... I mean, I know you guys say you don't like country, and I say it too. But I bet you you'd be surprised about what you do like that's country-esque. And so for me, when I think of country, I get turned away by some of the modern country. although I'm really digging some Chris Stapleton and some of these other guys I'm really digging. But like when I hear country, I think Kenny Rogers, Merle Haggard, I think Willie Nelson, I think, and I think we really do dig, even going back Hank Williams and even a little further, like when the, as you listen to, I love this that we're talking like, oh, we only had 10 channels and whatever else. And I'm going hockey night in Canada and the nashville network you know and throw in a little emma daughter's jug band christmas and that's my childhood and i'm happy and i love all that so i i i get what you're saying but this i mean the sadie's i think alt country i heard earlier from one of you guys that's very much the feel from devil enough you roll into i'm free disarray me justin you you inspired me because i I have the vinyl here with me. And so I quick looked at the bottom and I'm like, okay, I gotta catch this one cause I've missed all the other references that you mentioned. So you got Virginia Woolf, who's listed at the bottom of I'm Free Disarray Me. And when you do your research, you think about stream of consciousness.
Track 6:
[51:31] And that really, I think, kind of sums up your lyrics in this particular song.
Track 6:
[51:37] Swagger again it's it's it's it's it's the same but it's not i heard us all say that it's the same but it's not i i i loved where it went with this and it's bringing us down now right because we only have one more song we talked about the track listings and the order and now it's given us getting us i think this is kind of setting us up for saved at least me personally uh what you think craig.
Track 4:
[52:03] This was the first song that actually popped into my head just out of the blue one morning when i woke up because it took quite a long time for that to happen with this album i was still singing grand bounce songs you know every morning waking up and then one day it was that i was like wow okay and and same one thing i want to mention this is kind of, going off of what you're talking about with vinyl i was listening to this you know doing dishes.
Track 4:
[52:29] With you know on apple and the amount of times in the last few months of doing this you know this show with you guys listening to music and it glitches for just a second when i'm streaming and it just drives me nuts and so just that was one thing that i just had a note note about that that this album needs to be listened to on cd on on on vinyl anyways that was just a little pet peeve of mine and also the the snare again in this song was just a little a little much for me it was it was it was really up front and i i like loud drums typically in a mix but i just I don't know there there was it's almost like with the snare being that loud I'm missing a bit of the kick drum and speaking of which you guys must have noticed that the the bass players you know playing stand-up I had the thought a few times like I wonder and this is not to take away from what he's doing but I just wonder what it would have sounded like if they if they used an electric bass on this album because I found the bass to be not as prominent as on the last three albums you know there it wasn't sticking i don't think that's just part of the style of this band.
Track 6:
[53:38] Great i have a question though craig in when i look at the watch the videos oh yeah he has an he has an ampeg like he has a bass amp so he's taking a stand-up bass which traditionally you just mic or go straight into the board and he's he's running it through a traditional rock bass you know pickup bass right in through like the standard road hard ampeg so um so it gives it that good gritty sound but i will agree 100 it's not as prominent and i would like it to be a little bit more only just being a musician but it didn't didn't didn't dissuade me from my love for this album yeah.
Track 4:
[54:21] Not at all and i think it were like sometimes the best bass players are the ones you don't notice like they're just tight to the to the drummer and that's really all that matters but there was really only a couple times on this album where i where i noticed.
Track 6:
[54:34] Very accurate Accurate statement.
Track 5:
[54:36] This, I think, is my MVP. As a kid who was raised on prog, you fall into the song and just let it kind of take over. I don't know. I actually found, weirdly, a karaoke version of this on YouTube.
Track 3:
[54:52] Really?
Track 5:
[54:53] An instrumental version of this. No way. And I played the piss out of it just today driving. Driving and uh yeah it's it's really odd that this is the one that's an instrumental track for, yeah but just the phrasing of things lyrically and musically like he's it this doesn't sound like any other song that gourd has has put together as far as i'm concerned i.
Track 6:
[55:17] Love i love that connection with prog rock justin because you've mentioned that multiple times that that's something you love. And when you said it, I had not placed it until you said it. And I agree with you on that's a great, great, great description of it.
Track 5:
[55:31] There was a lot of references to the Sadie's covering Pink Floyd in live shows. And I'm like, oh, there it is right there. The song is that.
Track 6:
[55:42] The next one to the next one to could be, you know, Jim Ladd headset session, listening like with Pink Floyd.
Track 3:
[55:50] Oh, the next one is gorgeous, I think. It's the first slower tempo song that we have on the record called Saved.
Track 5:
[58:56] Again, I can't believe that the reviews said this album doesn't make sense because about halfway down, the plane starts to land, right? And every song from halfway on is just you're descending and you land perfectly softly unsaved. And this song also sounds a lot like Coke Machine Glow. And it's just really mellow and it's Gord doing his thing. and i i don't know i love it.
Track 6:
[59:26] Almost every album i feel like has had a an extended version of coke machine glow track to it i i i love that i i hadn't placed it until you just said that because i felt the same way about some of the other the other albums is there that could be on coke machine glow but you're exactly right and then he continues that theme as it goes almost like the uh like his is the poetry book.
Track 3:
[59:53] Craig is holding up his notes.
Track 4:
[59:55] Nobody else can see it. I said the exact same thing. Pattern of Ending solo albums and some hip albums with a track with a much different feel is what I had written.
Track 5:
[1:00:07] Which goes back to Road Apples.
Track 4:
[1:00:12] I really love the line the music is so loud that it flaps your pant leg. It reminded me a little bit of Yawning or Snarling. Just the line in that.
Track 5:
[1:00:23] Thank you. I would hold up my notebook if it wasn't typed out. Because that's exactly what I have to.
Track 4:
[1:00:30] We are, let's see, as of recording this episode, we are, what time is it there? We're about two and a half hours away from the 10 year anniversary of this album. Of the release of this album.
Track 3:
[1:00:41] Oh, get the fuck out.
Track 4:
[1:00:42] Yeah. Wow.
Track 3:
[1:00:44] Oh, wow.
Track 4:
[1:00:46] I just had to look it up yesterday. I was like, wow, that's pretty cool.
Track 5:
[1:00:48] Oh, shit.
Track 3:
[1:00:48] That is cool. Huh. I normally have them all in my calendar, and I don't have that in my calendar. Huh. Good find. Yeah, it's going to be, yeah.
Track 6:
[1:01:00] Good find, Craig. Great find.
Track 5:
[1:01:02] J.D., you have about two and a half hours to make a post.
Track 3:
[1:01:06] Any more unsaved?
Track 5:
[1:01:09] I don't know. I didn't pick it apart too much. I loved that imagery of the line, Craig, that you just mentioned. The music is so loud, it flaps your pant leg. And there's a really strange, it's almost not, rhythm to the way that he sings it. It would be really hard to transcribe that onto a, onto a sheet of music.
Track 4:
[1:01:29] I also enjoyed the, um, the, the, the, they finally played a bit without the drums, you know, like this whole album has been very much like a full band. And I mentioned last week, I believe that one of the strengths of, of country of miracles was that they had so many members that they could all just take a break every once in a while. They didn't feel the need to always fill up every space. This band's the opposite because they're, you know, there's just four of them and they, they, you know, they're very much a typical rock band where everyone's playing all the time and so i actually enjoyed that there was a bit of time at the start of the song without drums no no offense to the drummer um but sometimes you just need a break this.
Track 6:
[1:02:07] Song to me was the you know that that cup of coffee after dessert or you know the cigarette after sex it was that finisher it was uh it was that we're all in good, good, good company. I love the connection back with Coke Machine Glow. I love the connection back with that changing that ending song. But to me, it was, all right, more so than the others. It was like, okay, here's your big warm hug before whatever comes up next.
Track 3:
[1:02:39] Oh, I like it. It does feel like a warm hug. It's a very comforting song for me. I don't know why, but it chills me right out. It's a great cigarette after sex. Kirk, I love that. It's really tremendous.
Track 5:
[1:02:55] It sucks that this album was only a half hour long.
Track 3:
[1:02:58] I know. It's so strange after The Grand Bounce, which was nearly an hour. But again, these guys are just so efficient and economical.
Track 5:
[1:03:10] It's one good fast job, baby.
Track 3:
[1:03:12] That's right.
Track 6:
[1:03:14] So does- Hey, did you know that that is his second highest played single, or at least versus Spotify when I last checked? Does that not totally blow you away? Like at least if you just look in his Spotify category, I believe it's number two behind like the Chancellor, I think is probably the most sense. But now i'm now i'm gonna look sorry i'm gonna i'm gonna see if i can back my own research.
Track 5:
[1:03:43] So interestingly i i don't have hard copies of any of these albums so i'm i'm strictly listening on streaming i use the youtube music app i don't really care for the interface on spotify and there is zero existence of this album in that in that space so i had to download band camp and buy the album that way which i was happy to do yeah i love band camp but yeah i had to uh that's the only way I could find this lyrics.
Track 6:
[1:04:07] All right, gents. I did the research. I was incorrect by two. It's Chancellor, the East wind. Oh, I am lost.
Track 4:
[1:04:15] That's then one good. Mind blowing.
Track 5:
[1:04:17] No shit.
Track 6:
[1:04:18] Number four.
Track 4:
[1:04:19] Yeah.
Track 6:
[1:04:20] Like that. It's even in the top five to me over like.
Track 4:
[1:04:23] You know, it's a great song. These songs that I thought were more well-known. Wow.
Track 6:
[1:04:29] Thank you.
Track 4:
[1:04:29] Yeah.
Track 6:
[1:04:30] It's surprising to me that.
Track 3:
[1:04:32] Yeah.
Track 5:
[1:04:33] Well, even, Even the opener on this one, Crater, I mean, it has a great video too.
Track 6:
[1:04:39] Oh, that's right. That's right. It is a really cool video.
Track 4:
[1:04:43] So the album art's interesting too. Did you catch that there's the different members of the band on the album? There's probably about these portraits of like, I don't know, 50 people. And if you look carefully, you can find all of the members of the band. I did.
Track 6:
[1:05:01] I did, absolutely. It's, yeah, on the album.
Track 5:
[1:05:04] And the artwork and the sound and all that, it kind of reminded me of the Beatles. I don't know why. But there was something about it that was familiar.
Track 3:
[1:05:16] Beatles-esque.
Track 5:
[1:05:17] Yeah. Yeah.
Track 6:
[1:05:20] I could see that. I mean, especially from an artistic standpoint. Yeah. Very much can see that.
Track 3:
[1:05:26] Yeah.
Track 5:
[1:05:27] Overall, I was super happy that this was the next thing. And I wish that there had been another one to follow it.
Track 3:
[1:05:33] So does it stay in your rotation then, Justin?
Track 5:
[1:05:36] Mm-hmm.
Track 3:
[1:05:37] Yeah, it does. Craig, how about you?
Track 4:
[1:05:40] A couple of days ago, I probably would have said maybe not. It's an album I'll definitely pull out here and there. But no, I do think I really am enjoying it lately. And like I said, the turn of the weather really helped. This is, to me, a summer album, not a, I think, come winter, I'll put it away again.
Track 5:
[1:05:59] End but the i'm sorry but i got it before i forget it right we just had the eclipse as we're recording this and i was stuck in traffic it's a 17 minute commute to get home and it took me 90 minutes so i listened to this album three times on the ride home and it's a great even if you're stopped it's a great album to be in the car.
Track 6:
[1:06:20] It's going to hit the turntable for me on a fairly regular basis for a while. Like I said, Grand Bounce, I couldn't get it out of my head. And finally, it might even have been an I'm Free Disarray Me, just that very methodical line that came through that turned it for me. Me but i love i i love it absolutely love it in fact i'm i'm probably more excited about digging deeper into the sadies once this whole project is done the sadies and several other canadian bands that i'm not as familiar with that you guys have introduced me to and i'm very thankful for but uh yeah this this one's staying in the rotation if you've got any.
Track 3:
[1:07:02] Bands that are gore adjacent or canadian indie adjacent uh send them our way discovering downy at gmail.com And we'll be sure to read that email on the air.
Track 5:
[1:07:18] I will say that as much as I've enjoyed this album, I've also really enjoyed the songs that are not on the album that Gordon and Sadie have played together. The cover of Search and Destroy. Holy shit.
Track 3:
[1:07:32] Right, you sent that to us a few days ago.
Track 5:
[1:07:35] That song melted my goddamn face off. It was so good. So good. And it was like 7, 12 in the morning or something. I was like, all right, I'm out of bed now. This is awesome.
Track 4:
[1:07:45] One of the shows I found online was here in Vancouver at the media club. And I actually remember hearing about it. And I'm just kicking myself that I didn't get to that show. This is like a tiny, tiny, like this is where my original band a number of years ago did our CD release party. And yeah, there's maybe room for 80 to 100 people in there. would have been amazing.
Track 3:
[1:08:10] Oh damn that.
Track 6:
[1:08:14] Is definitely i don't have a lot of regrets gentlemen but not seeing any iteration of gourd solo is very much i'm glad video was around because but i would have really really really enjoyed.
Track 3:
[1:08:28] Seeing that feeling thousand percent live yeah.
Track 5:
[1:08:32] I go back to that sweaty basement uh in me in massachusetts and like dude i went to those shows all the time and I wasn't there.
Track 3:
[1:08:39] That's crazy so Justin you've already sort of given this away even though we we you know we tease it throughout the show and typically give it away at the end but we'll start with you and your MVP track.
Track 5:
[1:08:56] Yeah, it's totally I'm free, disarray me, which took me by surprise, but then it didn't totally. You know, after the way that by, you know, the music that my parents played when I was a kid, this song is just cosmic cowboy, trippy shit.
Track 3:
[1:09:14] Kirk, how about you?
Track 6:
[1:09:15] All right. Los Angeles Times.
Track 3:
[1:09:21] Excellent. I love that pick. I liked your pick too, Justin.
Track 5:
[1:09:25] That's the hometown.
Track 6:
[1:09:26] Oh, yeah.
Track 5:
[1:09:27] That's okay.
Track 6:
[1:09:28] And it definitely is not one that I would have really settled in on had it not been for our discussion today, honestly. Because almost every song on the album has really fallen into near the top. You know, Conquering Sun, Budget Shoes, I would say, of everything, those definitely hit that number one spot for me multiple times. But Los Angeles Times is the one that just kept coming back, and I just kept feeling, and I kept growing further, enamored with on all fronts. So that's my pick, and I'm sticking to it.
Track 3:
[1:10:03] Very cool. Craig, you?
Track 4:
[1:10:06] Yeah, I had a hard time picking a song. And I found, kind of like what Kirk said, there was almost less of a range between the songs I enjoyed and the songs I enjoyed less. They were all in roughly the same region, whereas the other albums, there was some tracks that right away really, really got to another level with me. I think this album maybe doesn't quite have quite the emotion that the first three did, which is usually what hits me when I really love a song. Usually it just grabs me emotionally. And this album didn't have that in the same way. my my go-to song here is is going to be uh it didn't start to break my heart until this afternoon, just just a good good punk rock song yeah just nice just a great yeah great driving tune and.
Track 3:
[1:11:00] Gets the blood flowing, right? And I agree with you about the previous three records. They're just sort of more raw and improvised feeling.
Track 4:
[1:11:08] And more range to them, right? This just feels... There was more... Yeah, just... More variety. Yeah, more...
Track 3:
[1:11:15] Dynamics. Yeah. Yeah.
Track 5:
[1:11:20] There was a point where critics were really starting to tear Gord and the hip down. Yeah. When this album was coming out. And they were like, all right, we get it. The soup's getting cold. It's the same shit over and over, year after year. The performances are boring. It's not great. And I think, I don't know, but I'm thinking that this album was Gord's big middle finger to those guys. I'm still doing this. He's 50 years old.
Track 4:
[1:11:49] Can you think of another artist that has done what Gord has done? He's now got three bands that are all so amazing. Yeah, that's right.
Track 5:
[1:12:01] At the same time.
Track 3:
[1:12:01] At the same time, yeah, you're right.
Track 4:
[1:12:03] Yeah, mind-blowing how much high-quality work he put out through his whole career, but especially in this middle chunk here.
Track 3:
[1:12:12] Well, and if you think about it, this is a perfect segue because beginning in 2012, he started work on the record we're going to talk about next week, which is Secret Path. And that record didn't see the light of day until 2016. 16. So even then with that record, he's assembled the band again, and it's a great band as well. So this guy is just producing at a level presumably around the same time he's doing Luster Parfait. Because he's working with Bob Rock pretty exclusively, right?
Track 5:
[1:12:49] Right.
Track 3:
[1:12:50] So, God, just fascinating what we're what we've gotten up to so far i can't wait we are halfway done his records we've got one more studio record and then god damn it three posthumous records uh it's going to be tough to get through those ones guys i know it yep anything else you want to say before we wrap things up i.
Track 5:
[1:13:15] Don't know i love it man i i love this project i feel like we're a broken record because we're all going to say the same thing and we'd say it every episode But this project has gotten me back into, just like you said, Kirk, discovering new music. Or it's new to me. Right. And I am finding so many new things that I didn't know I didn't know.
Track 3:
[1:13:35] Right.
Track 6:
[1:13:37] I'm i have been frightened from the beginning because you know you listen because it's your first time listening to a solo stuff for you know i was frightened every single album that, yeah i was going to be disappointed yeah yep and i just keep finding a new way to be enamored and i don't mind being that easy when it comes to gourd and what's going on uh you know i i we talked about, you know, my, my experience with the hip, you know, having to hear about it from friends and not having that, you know, immediate access to everything. So I'm thoroughly loving the fact that the emotion and the feeling that Gord and the hip, all the musicians he's been involved with on the solo, just keep raising the level. So I'm now just like, I'm, I'm, you know, what I like about this, you guys is you're nervous and worried. Now I'm not nervous and worried. I'm I'm just, I'm excited about listening to what's coming up and I'm so excited.
Track 5:
[1:14:37] If you, if you enter the, if you enter the room knowing it's going to be a mindfuck when you get there, it's perfect.
Track 4:
[1:14:42] Yeah. I think I'm learning just to just trust, trust, trust in God. I used to have a, when I used to post on Twitter a little more often, my, my hashtag, if I was, even when it wasn't hip related, I would hashtag, you know, in Gord we trust or, or one nation under Gord. And yeah we we really do need to trust gourd because he yeah he hasn't steered us wrong yet doesn't disappoint not at all.
Track 5:
[1:15:10] That does not disappoint.
Track 3:
[1:15:10] Well gentlemen are.
Track 5:
[1:15:13] We in a.
Track 3:
[1:15:14] Cult it was around this time getting hip.
Track 4:
[1:15:17] To the.
Track 3:
[1:15:17] Hip too that i thought.
Track 4:
[1:15:18] What has.
Track 3:
[1:15:19] Jd fucking done is he brainwashing us i don't understand we're being musically waterboarded i don't know no jesus christ well i.
Track 4:
[1:15:28] Mean it's one thing to put out one or two good albums but when you're putting out consistently solid material over and over again it's just you can't help but just be enamored with the guy yeah.
Track 3:
[1:15:40] Great yeah totally well on behalf of kirk lane craig rogers justice and St. Louis. Repping the Oilers there is Craig. Repping Letterkenny is Kirk. And representing I can't see what it says.
Track 5:
[1:15:57] It's Callahan Autoparts Tommy Lee.
Track 6:
[1:16:01] Pick up your shit!
Track 2:
[1:16:04] Thanks for listening to Discovering Downey. To find out more about the show and its host, visit DiscoveringDowney.com You can email us at DiscoveringDowney at gmail.com And hey, we're social. Check us out.
This week on the podcast, jD is joined, as always by the fearless crew, Craig, Justin, and Kirk to discuss the third record in Gord's ouevre, a magnificent effort, The Grand Bounce.
This week on the podcast Craig, Justin, and Kirk experience Gord's second record, the blistering, Battle of the Nudes.
This week on the show, jD, Craig, Justin, and Kirk wrap up Coke Machine Glow and pick their MVP tracks. Join us won't you?
Transcript:
Track 1:
[0:56] Minneapolis hotel room. Here I sit, cool as a garage, writing by lightning. I don't mean lightning as a metaphor for inspiration. I mean lighting. Intermittent lightning. By lightning really turning it on. A lightning-powered hotel room. It's the most lightning I've ever seen in one room.
Track 2:
[1:19] Welcome, music lovers. Long Slice Brewery presents Discovering Downey.
Track 3:
[1:28] Hey, it's J.D. here, and I'm joined, as I am every week, by my pals Craig, Justin, and Kirk from Chino. While our love for the hip unites us, it's Gord's solo ventures that remain uncharted for our trio. Hence, I've gathered this team of enthusiasts to delve into the musical repertoire of the enigmatic frontman of the tragically hip, the late Gord Downie. Come along with us on this exploration as we navigate through his albums one by one in chronological order, embarking on our quest of discovering Downey. This is the second of two parts of our gang covering Gord's first solo record, Coke Machine Glow. If you listened to part one, we discussed the album as a whole and then got into a song by song breakdown. Down on this episode we'll pick up where we left off with a song that has to be about cottage country doesn't it well in my head it is craig why don't you kick things off with your thoughts on black flies right.
Track 4:
[2:31] Away what hit me was the laminar flow line because i was at that show and i'm not sure if this was something that he did all through the the roadside attraction the first tour that I saw. But the Vancouver show or the Seabird Island show in 1993, I believe.
Track 4:
[2:50] Um maybe 94 93 um he goes off on this rant about the laminar flow and you can actually find it online too and uh and he's talking about you know it's the flow of liquid and he's sort of talking about the crowd and the movement of the crowd and this was my first hip show we're talking i'm not sure how many thousands of people there are 20 000 this wave of people and this is like the early hip fans right this is this is roadside a partying crowd yep and it was this it was in the In the middle of nowhere. That's your first hip show? Huge. Wow. Yeah, huge. Yeah, just in the middle of a forest, really. And, you know, just like you see on the videos with, like, Canadian flags and drunk, you know, jock types. And I was quite young. I think I was 18 at the time. And not really knowing how to take gourd. Like, I loved the hip at the time. Like, I think fully completely. I'd either just come out or was about to. Loved that album. Loved, you know, the band since up to here. And at one point, and you can actually see it in this video, he starts getting angry with someone in the crowd saying, don't look at them, look at me. Like, you know, referencing, you know, the other band members. And he was obviously joking, but at the time I had no clue. He just looked, I was like, this guy really is starved for attention because not only does he sing all the songs and he's talking in between all the songs, he's talking over top of the guitar solos. And at first I didn't know how to take that. I thought it was really...
Track 4:
[4:15] It was really jarring for me being a musician and, and I was kind of thinking, what are the other bandmates think of this? Like he's, um, of course over the years you get to, you come to appreciate that and, and know it's just a part of the act. Right. But, but yeah, that, um, don't look at, don't look at them. Look at me.
Track 4:
[4:32] You have to find the clip. It's so good. It's called laminar flow. Find it on YouTube. It's so funny. My friend, I went to the show with who I still am in contact with. He would always talk about the laminar flow and I didn't remember it really. And then he, He, a few years ago, pointed out the video to me and I'm like, oh yeah, I do remember that trim. Gord had the big beard at the time. He had the almost like pajamas on. And when the pajama top came off, he had the Save the Human shirt on, which I actually saw in one of the videos for this album. So he brought the shirt back out for Coke Machine Glow. And the timing of that wouldn't have been too far removed from the Killer Whale time. Probably not, yeah. I don't remember him doing that. But again, I was young and it was craziness. It was it was a fun fun time see the bull moose checking out another drac, like sorry that was the highlight i made from from a lyrical standpoint and then you know from a musical standpoint and i think i also read about this um it's pretty prevalent where they're strumming the piano strings and they brought a mic and recorded it and just love that love that like what's that and uh they decide to bring bring bring in the bring in the mic and record the track so on to lofty pines all right let's go to lofty pines where paul langlois shows up and makes uh an appearance one of two appearances.
Track 4:
[5:59] On this record to provide his sublime backing vocals god damn is this guy good.
Track 4:
[10:46] I think it was a week or so ago, I took a trip up north. I think you guys know about. And I was driving back and it was, it was raining and which we don't get a lot of rain. We don't get a lot of anything in California other than the sun. So, you know, when it's raining out, it's a big deal. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember listening as I was driving and buddy I was with was, you know, was, I think he was taking a nap or working on something. And I remember going, the mood, you know, my mood was, okay, I got a long drive. And, uh, there was kind of like a monotonous monotony that had been coming from song after song after song, because this is typically slower than that hip stuff, um, that, that I was used to. Um and and i know that they made a conscious effort or at least gordon made a conscious effort to keep the hip away from this right like i read as well like they didn't they didn't want to record anywhere that the hip had recorded they didn't want to use any of the gear but then paul who's right his that's his long longest friend or buddy for sure yeah yeah and then he comes in and and And he's on another tune as well, I believe, on this album.
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[12:06] But you hear that, and for me, driving, I was just, I got that like, okay, thank you. Thank you for giving me a little just reconnection. I know this is Gord, but I also know that Gord is that kind of heartbeat and pulse and provides the lyrics to. And I liked having that friend along, me personally. Um and uh and i couldn't you know i couldn't get the you know twin peaks type lofty pine uh connection correlation uh going there not not that i was you know fully into the twin peaks world or whatnot but yeah so uh that's what i had for my some of my notes the the lines that are in french i was hoping for something revealing and it's literally just i was born for the heat we can't, I was hoping one of you guys would research that. I was too lazy. They, my only note for this song. Yeah. If you could see my notebooks, just better call Paul. Cause he's, um, he just is so effortless. I just picture Gord being in the studio. Like, ah, yeah, I can't quite get the sound I'm going for here. And.
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[13:16] Calls up Paul and he just comes in and, you know, smoke hanging out of his mouth. He just rips off one take and that's how I, it's just so effortless. You can just tell by the, you know, he's just sang with Gord for so long, sung, sang with Gord for so long that he, he just knows what to do. I guarantee it was one take and he was done. Yeah. Again, it gave me that, uh, just, uh, the combination is something that, that, That definitely fills you up.
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[13:42] When I was doing the research as well on the French part, the first thing that came up was, I want to say a province in Quebec, but it was like a lake chalet.
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[13:53] So that's where I was going at first and then obviously did a little deeper and found out. No, not quite, but thought we were referencing something there at one point. Well, I mean, that could be. There's a lot of lofty pines in Quebec and a lot of lakes. So you never know. The Lofty Pine Hotel was in cottage country in Ontario until I don't even know when. Like, not that, like, pretty recently. So, to me, I hear this song and...
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[14:26] It's like one of those, it sounds sticky. It sounds muggy. It's like one of those August nights in the city where, you know, it's extra hot because air conditioners are spitting out hot heat. Like the city's just got this almost dense air that you're walking through. The cool side of your pillow is sweating, you know? That's the kind of heat.
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[14:50] And they're just daydreaming about getting up to the cottage. Just getting the fuck out of dodge and going to the cottage dreaming of those lofty pines i don't know that's that's sort of what i get from it so just a real quick note building on what you just said about it's so freaking hot and the spectacular part in the lyrics and there's a matchbook or whatever that falls like we needed something hotter right yes you know and here's matches you know i didn't get that but yeah totally what do you believe he's referring to in the uh i give the editor my pitch a series on the cultural wealth uh about the era of catalogs and lists i just think he's good at creating protagonists uh i think it's like a protagonist of this song um like but i but i guess i'm very literal yeah don't don't make me say hitler again no i don't i think this is i don't know literal more literal you know but he's proven to not do that so often that it seems like not likely but that's how like he's answering a question that we haven't asked you know let's go to the next track which is boy bruised by butterfly shake I really didn't have anything to say about the song for a while.
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[16:14] And then I listened to it, um, actually just today. And it kind of came to me that this is.
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[16:21] Somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness or life and death somewhere in the middle um you know he he references someone was crying i as i lay in the dirt i could hear their hearts breaking but i wasn't even hurt so that's kind of like i'm slipping away and i don't feel anything sort of thing that's just how i interpreted the line i came across um something just by chance glancing through the cd booklet last night um and there's a little article it says bruised by a butterfly chase and it looks like um it's actually photocopied from a newspaper it says four-year-old andrew herrit holds his winnie the pooh blanket at a hospital in halifax the kentville boy survived a 20 meter fall from a cliff at blommadon provincial park while chasing butterflies during a family outing so it could be very literally about a boy down down down falling yeah exactly yeah it made so much sense when i read that so yeah there's an extra song and i didn't get to listen to it yet but is it this it's it is down down down yeah it's the same lyrics yeah yeah and i guess that makes sense the grass felt so good and there's they're talking about he didn't have shoes so that makes sense that it's a four-year-old um the day was so blue i must have tripped i don't know do i remember falling away nothing that i hold on to and not being afraid so that's when you're that young you probably don't have much.
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[17:46] Memory of it as an adult and especially i would assume there's some trauma there and justin though i i.
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[17:53] Mean just your your first explanation that that in between um before we.
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[18:00] Heard the story like you took me there and i think musically it does as well like my notes are the guitar like you know guitar is prevalent in some of these other songs but you don't hear.
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[18:12] Guitar lines and guitar melodies as much and there's some very clear guitar work going on here both acoustic and electric which you also don't really get a lot of in in these songs or you know the song is almost poppy yeah it's super radio absolutely and i thought it could be a hip song yeah yeah you know those and i guess obviously see that could be true to anything, but change up some of the instrumentation, change up some of the tempo and, and, uh, yeah, yeah, you're definitely in hip territory. Definitely hip territory. Let's go to mystery, a sonic soundscape. Yeah. And, and it really is, it starts off in, in that sonic soundscape world and then goes to the spoken word. Sorry, a bit of humor. You know, one of my favorite flicks is, so I married an ax murderer and turn off the base. It's your rollers. The soccer game is on somewhere.
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[19:13] There's a soccer game. and uh being being you know the background with that i i at a loss in the sense of that that journey that gourd's going through and and doing some research and finding you know with with the book of poetry that came out uh that he was you know it was not received from the poetry world as it were um and yeah it was yeah they they it was not received from a it's like oh this is just you know and they made the joke of oh yeah what what are you going to do give bob dylan a a pulitzer or uh you know uh it it's just it's that being someone that's written songs before and and And I can't say that I've written poetry, but it's very much frowned upon to have, you know, they said, you know, Jim Morrison killed that. So why is anybody else doing it? And so then the counter argument goes.
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[20:17] Well, yeah, it sells well because of who Gord is and what he does and how he moves people. And then what came afterwards was, yeah, in the libraries and in the bookstores, there was a lot more people in the poetry section than had ever been there before. So what are you trying to do? Are you trying to be completely inclusive or exclusive? And does the inclusivity then start damaging the art? I'm of the belief and the ilk that you need people to dive into both lyrics, dive into poetry, dive into the spoken word side. So, yeah, sorry, I digress. And this is just coming off the song Poets on Phantom Power, which in live shows, he's sort of, don't tell me what the poets are doing. I don't want to know. I don't care about the poets. Or it could be perceived that way, whether he meant that or not.
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[21:21] I know from a musical standpoint, this song gave me vibes of, of the rain song by Led Zeppelin. And I know it sounds nothing like it, but if you listen, and it took me a while to figure out what it was, but if you listen to the bass notes, he's playing really high in the register and it just gives that cascading feel of, of the rain song. And, um, yeah. And, and near the end too, he's playing up the neck on the bass and it's just some really nice playing. Yeah, I have avant-garde. I would imagine that the Dinner is Ruined gang had a heavy influence on this. Yeah, and this is the other Adam McGaughan track as well. So that guitar you hear, the little classical guitar, that's McGaughan. Ah, cool. Sorry, help me understand, not being as familiar outside of in the research, does he hold a special place in a Canadian heart?
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[22:14] Um adam mcgoyne he was a filmmaker i i can't say i'm an expert on him but he's um he had a movie called the sweet hereafter which was very well received i believe it won awards and actually i believe uh didn't sarah harmer sing i think a version of courage on the soundtrack sarah polly sarah polly right right yes yeah well i'll have to do a little more research and check some of that that out justin were you familiar at all only from reading the never-ending present book had i had i heard the name no anything else on mystery uh only that the the phantom power outtake version is so drastically different and also equally amazing it is so yes the one on phantom power is so dark and so so moody and i have here a note that it's almost like a more depressing version of landslide by fleetwood mac it's just haunting oh yeah yeah yes like i mean they're wildly different but so funny they share the same dna ultimately what's i think what's funny is that the version that's on the phantom power re-release would have been recorded two years before this so this is reimagining this is part two yeah it makes you wonder is it just that he really loved the words and he you know the track got cut for whatever reason just didn't fit in maybe with the album and he it was something he really wanted to put out there and And, you know, I'm glad he did. I love both versions.
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[23:43] Okay, next up, we get a song of 3-4. It's got a country-ish little tinge to it.
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[23:50] And that's Elaborate. Elaborate.
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[29:10] I imagine cowboys after having driven cattle across the plains, just sitting around a fire, drinking a beer, you know, and somebody's got a guitar and then somebody works out a mandolin three minutes into the song, you know, but it's about, it's about death. It's about somebody's sick, somebody's dying, has cancer. And in the poem version in the book, the title also has a parenthetical Toronto No. 2, which Music at Work has the song Toronto No. 4, which is about Gord's grandmother dying. So there's a common thread there. I don't know. It is very much a end of the day.
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[29:51] Things are happening and they may not be coming to us. Yeah, I have a tough time hearing this, knowing what we know about what happened to Gord. Like, I can't help but hear it through that filter, and it makes it difficult to listen to for me. Yeah, I had the same thing, JD. It felt to me like a song that was meant to have a little bit of, I don't want to say humor, but a bit of lightheartedness to it in a way. But then knowing what we know... What happened with Gord, it definitely changes the way you hear it. Interestingly, my head went to Now for Plan A instead of Gord's own diagnosis. And also, I'm not sure if you guys heard this at all, but again, I'm less of a lyric guy, more of a music guy. The mandolin solo comes in, a little mandolin melody, and it reminds me so much of Neil Diamond's Play Me. And I swear, if you listen to it, you'll know what I mean. It's so funny. It doesn't quite go in the same place, but it's very close. Yeah. Great tune. And at the end, they're kind of going on for a while. And then Gord kind of clears his throat, like as if to say, come on, wrap it up, boys. I have that in my notes. So JD, if we're going on too long, just clear your throat and we'll know it's time to wrap up. No, not at all.
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[31:11] One thing that I picked up on, which is a timestamp on this album, is Gord mentions cell phone. And a lot of bands in the late 90s, early 2000s for just like a three or four year period mentioned cell phones because that's when they came out. We didn't have cell phones before 98, 99. And if we did, they were in a bag that weighed 30 pounds. So I thought it was interesting that cell phone was topical for their 2000s. It's a country song. You said it. It's a country tune. That's my first note is country tune. And then you hear the guitar tremolo, that ringing, that just doing single notes and it's just ringing. And then the mandolin. But yeah, you're talking about modern topics on a cowboy song, on a country tune. There's also a great live version of this I found. It's the black and white. It's like a full concert that someone's put on YouTube. There's this pretty epic Gord rant on it. And he's talking about stem cell research and the Pope. And it's worth a watch for sure.
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[32:18] And he actually, and he dedicates the song to Dave Bedini, which I found interesting from Reostatics. He's still alive. So I don't, I don't know why he just says, you know, the songs for, for Dave. I wonder if he went through a battle with a family member. Yeah. Possibly maybe, maybe a mutual acquaintance or yeah. Who knows? The beauty of the beauty of where, where we're being taken on this, this particular album is, is pretty incredible yeah and then you go into frigging a polka right with you're possessed.
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[32:52] Yeah yeah i did not expect that coming i'm just like you're hearing all these songs that are very kind of melancholy yeah you know outside of canada geese that that that has a little bit of drive to it yeah you're another two man yeah and then now for two but if you guys know um have you.
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[33:11] You guys seen spinal tap i'm guessing oh of course okay so my mind went right to you know yeah yeah the the nigel and david uh st hubbins their first song the you know the dune duga dune dune dune walking down the railroad track to get dune dune dune dune wait for my babe to bring me back um that's where my mind went but um funnily enough my my daughter picked this song out uh we were in the car listening to the cd and she wanted to pick a song so she went through the the track listing and she picked you're possessed because uh her favorite hip song is you're not the ocean this is my 11 year old daughter and so she loved the spelling of of year and uh she put this song on and her reading of it like the i told her what what i was thinking and she said this sounds to me like emmett otter, and i'm not sure if there's a ref i can see kirk knows what i'm talking about so here's a quick Oh my gosh. We could just be finished right now.
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[34:09] I grew up in a small town called Peachland in the Okanagan in BC. A small town. We had maybe, I don't know, a couple thousand people when I lived there. And we had two channels. We had channel four, CBC, and channel nine, CTV. And there was no cable company in town. But on the outskirts of town was a large satellite dish, like a huge satellite dish that someone put there and uh and so the whole town got free hbo for years like pirated stolen hbo i'm talking like five six seven years and uh let's go every you know three months you'd come home turn on hbo and it'd be scrambled and so that it would be all down for a couple days until they repositioned the satellite and so every christmas time and you know this is early 80s Emma Daughter's Jug Band Christmas would come on HBO.
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[34:59] And to me, I just thought this was a thing that everyone knew. And as I got older and I found a DVD copy in a bargain bin at Zeller's or something, I started talking about this show to people and no one...
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[35:14] Except for the people i know from peachland know this show and it is it's a jim henson production from about 1977 it's and it's like it's a cult classic it's just paul williams yeah, and to me yeah that's what my daughter said and i was like yeah that's that's it this is this is a jug band you know with a tuba instead of a jug t-shirts i have stickers i um am on the verge of learning river bottom nightmare band to cover with our band um right christmas does not happen in the Lane household. I'm the same way. Emmett Otter's plays. We have, you know, obviously the DVD copy. And in fact, it's a running joke. Sorry, JD and Justin, if you haven't seen it, but like anything that's $50, Craig, $50, that's a lot of money. So my whole family, anything that's 50 bucks, the first response is $50. Yeah, yeah. Or yeah, anytime we have mashed potatoes, just mashed potatoes i love mashed potatoes hey yeah man how are you doing catching anything good today sorry guys so jd and justin you haven't seen that christmas your life will will begin begin to exist afterwards so let's let's change the focus for episode two please the music is so good and it's this christmas story doesn't once mention you know religion jesus it doesn't once Once mentioned Santa.
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[36:44] And it's the best Christmas show you'll ever see. It's so sweet. Huh. The music. Yeah, it's just, it's amazing. It tears me up every time. And I love that connection that your daughter has to this song, Craig. I mean, that's, I really did start welling up. Not only finding someone that loves him and Otter, but that she made that connection. Yeah, it's really cool. That's fantastic. Yeah. Fantastic. And of course, Paul's back singing the backups here. And I have to ask, have you guys been to Boston? They mentioned Lansdowne Street, Fenway Park. I'm guessing Lansdowne is. So that's where Fenway Park is. And that's my only note on this song was just after that, he says, no one's going to hurt me like you did. Well, he's talking about the Red Sox. He's totally talking about Bill Buckner missing the catch or the grounder in 1986 to throw it away. Maybe, or I watched a live version of this as well. And he tells a story and I don't remember all the details, but he tells a story about a fight with his brother, Patrick. So yeah, I'm not, I'm not sure if it could be, you know, a brotherly story. Well, and Patrick was the sound guy for the garden where the Bruins play and the Celtics play.
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[37:57] Um, and of course the, um, Harry Sinden, the Bruins coach was the godfather. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. yeah sure he wore the sweater in um courage in the video for wow yeah this is a great great tune i mean just in all of it you know you've got the spoken word stuff you've got uh some of the melancholy stuff and and and then boom you know you get this boom boom and and the solos uh.
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[38:28] Yeah we're at a pool party in 1946 and uh and also quick canadian tie-in um another i know j uh jd you know the other canadian classic with a tuba can you you know what i'm talking about i don't off the top we talked about this spirit of the west and if venice is sinking oh my god like tuba part yeah yeah so the only two songs i can think of featuring a tuba i'm sure there are others but it last i checked there weren't that many bands featuring a tuba not enough every irrelevance i spoke a lot already on this last one but i can i just share my experience with this one because so i'm doing doing dishes i'm often listening to um music or podcasts when i'm doing dishes and and uh i'm listening to this song and i'm just getting into it's just this beautiful like instrumental sounding song. I love the tremolo guitar.
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[39:22] And I was just thinking, okay, this is probably, maybe there's no words on here. And I was really digging it and thinking, okay, I like this. I like this choice of an instrumental near the end of the album. And then all of a sudden Gord starts singing and just this beautiful melody. And then the snare comes in halfway through the verse and I'm just like elevating. I'm just like my mood. And what I thought of later when I was thinking of how to explain this was the Vince McMahon meme, you know, the levels of Vince McMahon's like elation. And so I'm like- Which doesn't play so well now.
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[40:01] And level one, that's the instrumental. Level two, Vince is the singing. And then all of a sudden he hits me with, catharsis my arses is capable of more flesh and i'm like oh it's the line from from the from the live album and you know um and then i'm just like loving this song and all of a sudden the there's the piano and so i'm all of a sudden on fourth level vince and just when i think i can't love the song anymore that trumpet comes in at the end and it is so tasty just the the muted trumpet tasteful perfect like the both the piano and the trumpet play just enough they don't overplay and i just love this song who did the horns it wasn't this from another can't think of his name though is it andy mays i'd have to look at that i i don't that sounds familiar yeah yeah well i'm pretty sure that's who he's talking about an emperor penguin as well right like the first two lines yeah yeah tony or trump that was my other thought yeah i like the tony yeah there's There's another line that I can't remember which live show it's in. It might even be from the live between this album, but it's leading into a head by a century. He talks about adolescence in essence is all about trust. And that, that line pops up in here.
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[41:20] Um, I don't think he mentions adolescence in this song, but yeah, I'm looking at the credit. So does Andy Mays, is it? That's what I thought. Yeah. Yeah. Nice job, JD. And one thing, um, did you guys notice in the, uh, in the credits to this album it's very specific it mentions the type of guitar being played by each member the type you know the types of drums and um and it very clearly says that gourd was playing on a gut string guitar which is you know the old old style string made of you know, animal guts basically yeah and it just gives a way different um you know timbre.
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[41:57] I like the echo on the snare on this particular and, and it sounded like a standup bass. I'm not sure if it was a standup bass. It was just the way the notes were played. Um, but you know, I, I have a jazz reference obviously in my notes. So yeah, I agree. Craig musically, it was phenomenal. And then, then again, you're not quite sure we're going to get a spoken word or, and then you get the, you know, the beautiful, the beautiful voice and the beautiful, uh, song. Hmm.
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[42:28] It's it's definitely one of the best ones on the on the record i think i i love the song i'm i'm a big fan as well i i love when he leaves little breadcrumbs in in a what seems to be like an improv rant or a throwaway rant not that any of them are throwaway but you you turn it turns out that it's been a line in his notebook for five years prior and it's got six underlines under it you know like god damn it i'm going to use this line somewhere down the line yeah when it presents i'm going to rhyme catharsis that's right i've got this great lyric i'm gonna use it sometime you know and uh i think that's so cool he's so talented let's just go right now to insomniacs of the world, good night.
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[43:56] Thank you. I can see the line of your reserve, I can contemplate it from here, there's no need for breathlessness when we're so far apart. I can see us writhing in a phone booth or laid back in the dewy grass of our youth and gathering our sweetnesses and wishing on the never-ending sun.
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[48:05] So, the research that I saw, this was supposed to be the name of the album? Does that jive with what anyone else saw? Yeah, that checks out. Yeah, that's what I heard. And then um again capping it off with you know more of a spoken word and just straight up i can see the line of your brassiere i can contemplate it from here there's no need for breathlessness when we're so far apart i know um one thing i noticed was um.
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[48:42] What I picture here is, is there's a point where he starts recapping some lyrics from some other songs. I know he brings up the Fenway park again. And what I think this is, is, is recordings of Gord in the middle of the night, grabbing his tape recorder when he's got a melody going through his head. And he's kind of singing because it almost sounds like he trails off. Sometimes he doesn't always have the full melody melody developed. And I think this might be his like audio journal, like little excerpts.
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[49:09] Wow. listen to it again i i swear i'm i'm very quite confident in this that's amazing that and a perfect bookend as well to to star star painters just um bookends the album the spoken word on both sides the sort of um i don't know that's i think it's an organ this time not an accordion but a similar sound and oh and julie uh dwaron is pocketed or is credited with with playing the a pocket trumpet so just a just basically a tiny trumpet shakespeare pops up in in some of the hip works and there's that um if i could sleep there's a chance i could dream which is from hamlet um he changes it a bit because it's perchance and shakespeare right so it's it's interesting yeah right this line yes arguably the most notable line that shakespeare ever wrote and changes it and keeps it the same but just that little word change like what what does that mean what is that all about and more to the point and it's the elephant in the room, is the version from phantom power.
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[50:20] Where do you guys stand on those two versions? Can you enjoy them both? Can they both be your children? Or if I asked you to make a selfish choice, which one would you choose as a preference? I can't answer it because I don't know the one from Phantom Power as well. That's cheating, but okay. But I do remember. It sure is. That means I just don't love one of my children, right? Right. Um, I do remember him screaming the line at live shows and in some performances. I had heard that reference and, and heard a scene that reference for in some. Yeah. My preference is, is this one. I, I, I really like this, this version of it. One thing that I really is so amazing about this song is it lulls you like you're ready to until the crash. Yeah. That's the same thing. Massive cymbal crash. Yes. Oh God, I love it. I love that so much.
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[51:25] And fast forward to the final album that the hit put out, Man Machine Poem, and there's the song Insomnia. Insomnia. Which was supposed to be Insomnia. Yep. And if you read the liner notes in that, Insomnia is scratched out in every line. And I don't know what that means, but interesting.
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[51:44] Well, I think the whole record is interesting. what did you guys think overall is an experience with the record and uh after you tell me that what is your mvp track and you have to pick one this time justin i'm gonna go first i'll make it easy because i think i've already referenced it and and and it it's you know probably unlikely but But Star Painters was my, and again, it's the lyric. It's that line. Like anytime I hear that line, whether I'm walking the dog and I listen to it or if I'm driving and I hear it, you know, the scaffolding. Scaffolding.
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[52:29] The scaffolding is in its place. The Star Painters are taking over now. And then your anesthesiologist tonight is washing up and on her way. So for me, it was that line. And I think it's because, again, I wanted to separate and I'm glad that I had the wherewithal to be able to go. I wasn't looking for hip light. I was looking for Gore Downey. And, and you didn't, I, it's me personally. And I think we even mentioned it with, with the book ending with the spoken word, you were going to get Gord Downie and you were in a, not just, you're not just going to get the energy that we know and from the hip, but you know, that he's going to take all these, these amazing musicians that were part of obviously his career.
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[53:20] His musical background that, that, that created the hip and that he's going to give them that opportunity for them to get together. And then just when you hear the story about how they recorded it and where they recorded it and, uh, you know, meshing that together at the same time, he's, he's, he's, he's writing, you know, he's putting out the book along with it. So I'm, I mean, yeah, a little bit of criticisms on some of the recording maybe techniques and could have used a few more mics here and there. But that's just, I guess, the musician in me. But overall, I can understand why it was what I would assume mostly fairly well received. And again, I know there's a lot of hip fans that weren't even going to give it a chance. And then the song that I chose as my MVP kind of pushed him away from the get-go, at least for me. So, yeah, I'm...
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[54:22] I'm glad I found the hip or maybe I should say the hip found me and I'm glad I didn't give up on them. And, uh, you know, the energy and, and the feeling that Gord always gave me when I, uh, had the great chance to see, uh, see the band and see him. And even when I met him, I actually, I wore this shirt on purpose. This is the shirt that I was wearing when I met Gord backstage house of blues Anaheim. It's a harley davidson shirt with big letters hd and the ac are masked with a canadian flag, yeah and this i got this up in vancouver on a trip when i went up there i fancied myself i was going to be a harley rider one of these days and and still don't have a bike um but went through that phase and uh i wore this shirt because i felt like i needed to because i'm you know go see the hip. And, uh, and this is the first thing he said, he just goes, that's a really nice shirt, man.
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[55:23] And he shook my hand and, and, uh, and there was just this gentleness about him. And, uh, you know, I was starstruck and I don't typically get that. I mean, I'm, I'm in a business where I meet people all the time and I'm in LA and Hollywood and, and, and done all that, but this guy is different. And it was a moment where I definitely paused and couldn't put together a whole lot of words. I didn't know that I was necessarily going to meet him. I wore this in honor of that moment and taking this journey with you guys. So I am so excited because I think this was a great start.
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[56:07] Outside, I've heard a little bit of some Secret Path. I absolutely had not heard anything from any of the other albums outside of Coke Machine Glow, and again, a little bit from Secret Path. So I'm just, I'm really jazzed, right? Because I get to dig, you know, we get to dig deeper into this individual that's just, wow, he's pretty special. And you could see, you know, the impact that he's had on so many. So I'm excited about this journey and I'm picking that song and I'm sticking to it. Nice. Craig, how about you?
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[56:45] Well, being one of those hip fans who took a bit of a break around this time, and not that I completely abandoned them, I think for me, I was just at an age where I was just exploring so much music. I was in school for music, so I was being bombarded by classical music and music from all through the ages. And on top of that, I was getting into a lot of more experimental music. And I just started drifting away from not just the hip, but all the bands I had been listening to in the 90s. And, you know, a lot of those bands I did come back to, some I didn't, but I came back to the hip big time, kind of the mid 2000s or, you know, yeah, around 2006, probably. And um and so for me i this is an album i never gave a chance i'd heard you know a couple songs here and there chancellor and vancouver divorce i think but um i'd never listened to the whole thing and wow i'm i'm so grateful for this opportunity to do this it's just i love this album i i put it up there with with you know some of those great hip albums and um my my um mvp track is every irrelevance i again i explained already the vince mcmahon meme um that that was me during this song just i by the end i was just you know spent lying down with the smoke.
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[58:14] Justin uh it's sentimental for me with it's trick rider um because my daughter is six um and And I build bike ramps for her, you know, and, and then tell her don't ride so fast off that bike ramp. I just built you, you know, and, um, don't ask me to explain. Um, and, Yeah, I just, that's, it drives, you know, it really, yeah, I don't know. I love that song for different reasons. I also really love Canada Geese just because it's a sweet rock song. And I know, I just like what I like. I grew up on Yes and listening to 22-minute opuses that were way beyond what a 13-year-old kid should be listening to. So, I get weird stuff and I get out there stuff, but I also just love rock and roll.
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[59:06] And, uh, you know, that's a, that's a pretty good rock and roll song. I, and I'm going to echo you guys that I'm super excited for this platform. Um, because as a kid in the States who had the secret about the hip, you know, my last name is St. Louis. So everybody thought I was Canadian and I was a Montreal Canadians fan. So everybody, you know, they'd pick on me. And then I talk about the tragically hip, which was in the periphery, you know, nobody, nobody listened to it, but they'd at least heard of them. And then be like, Oh, that's who the hell is that? Why are you listening to that? And it's stupid. Well, now I can finally celebrate it and talk about it, you know, and, and I'm Canadian for the next eight weeks. Oh, that's great. Eh? Yeah.
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[59:49] Well, this has been a great deal of fun.
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[59:55] This Saturday afternoon. You'll be listening to this on a Monday, of course. If you have anything you want to shout out to us, please send us an email. We would love to hear from you. The email is discoveringdowney at gmail.com. That's discoveringdowney at gmail.com. You can also find a link on our website, discoveringdowney.com, and there's a link to email us right from there, which makes it easy peasy. So it's been a blast doing this with you guys this week. I'm really looking forward to where we go and learning more. I am a somebody who has listened to all the records, and I've listened to them on a number of occasions, but I have a very poor short-term memory, and it's tough to recall them sometimes. Times so it's been really fun going through this and listening the shit out of this record and then getting to talk about it with somebody it's like a book club so i had a lot of fun and if you like what you heard send us an email discovering downy at gmail.com we'd love to hear from you, and on behalf of kirk craig and justin pick up your shit.
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[1:01:13] Thanks for listening to Discovering Downey. To find out more about the show and its host, visit DiscoveringDowney.com. You can email us at DiscoveringDowney at gmail.com. And hey, we're social.
Welcome to Discovering Downie. I'll be your host, jD as we listen in on the experiences and analysis from three huge fans of The Hip who have a blind spot for Gord's solo works. Meet Craig, Justin, and Kirk as they part in this epic 11-part podcast.
We kick the show off by starting at the start with Coke Machine Glow part 1.
Transcript:
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[1:26] Welcome, music lovers. Long Slice Brewery presents Discovering Downy.
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[1:34] Hey, it's JD here, and I'm joined by my pals Craig, Justin, and Kirk from Chino. While our love for the hip unites us, Gord's solo ventures remain uncharted territory for our trio.
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[1:47] Hence, I've gathered this team of enthusiasts to delve into the musical repertoire of the enigmatic frontman of the tragically hip, the late gourd downey so come along with us on this exploration as we navigate through his albums one by one in chronological order embarking on our quest of discovering downey we've assembled quite the motley crew here to talk uh to talk about gourd's oeuvre and we're excited to do that we're going to do this all summer long so buckle up fellas how are you doing not too bad living the a dream amazing excited excited to go on this jaunt with you you gents for sure yeah it should be pretty fun i agree i agree completely i i am i am from a hip starved uh area of the world which you know i guess most of the u.s unfortunately was hip starved for a long time but specifically down here uh in the la market i got to see some amazing shows in really small places but like to, to like find a hip album in a record store or, you know, like anything that comes close to hip preference for me, I just like, I get all giddy. So when we, you know, we connected to talk with other hip fans, um, was pretty exciting, but then just to learn more about Gord, um, yeah, this is, this is going to be quite the adventure, my friends, quite the adventure.
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[3:17] Yeah, I think so. What do you think, Craig?
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[3:20] Yeah, I've been sitting in this room, my office slash music room, with a couple of unopened Gord CDs that I have collected over the years and just looking for the right moment, I guess. And along came that moment, and thanks to you, JD, to make this happen and to bring me on board. Ah, but I am but one hand on the rudder. The other three hands you see belong to Kirk, Justin, and Craig. Egg so there's that justin tell us about your experience with the hip so uh the u.s is hip starved for the most part but uh growing up in vermont we are just quebec junior and uh we get a lot of uh tv and radio stations uh down here in the greater burlington area so i i grew up with hip on the radio and um i didn't really know anything about him but in high school i discovered phantom power on my own.
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[4:19] And, uh, that was it. I've been hopelessly blissfully lost ever since. And, um, my dad was kind of a hip fan, but you know, I think he was from like the old, you know, the, the hip crowd that they were trying to get rid of in the nineties, you know? And, uh, and so when I, when I came along, it was music at work and, you know, kind of the newer stuff that, that the old man probably wouldn't have liked too much, but, um, yeah, it's been a lot of fun. I got to see three hip shows and I was at the show in Ottawa two nights before the finale, uh, which was really amazing. Um, I got to see him in a basketball gym in Burlington and I got to see him in a bar in Albany, New York. And, uh, I feel like I got the, a pretty good sample size. Uh, I love them. I love them. Yeah. How about you, Craig? You have a unique role in this trio as well with your Tragically Hip experience. Share some of that with us.
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[5:19] Um, yeah, I've, I've been a big hip fan way back going to probably grade eight when I, when I first heard, I think New Orleans on the radio and, uh, you know, I liked it and I, um, I didn't buy the album right away. I was into heavier stuff at the time. I was a big GNR fan and I was kind of a metal guy. And, uh, then I heard 38 years old and funnily enough, I thought it was, um, uh, Tracy Chapman at first, when I first heard the voice, the vibrato and, you know, it's just on faintly in the background. And then I kind of turned it up and this is a good tune. And then, you know, they, they announced it was the hip. And so I went out and got the CD. I think I maybe ordered on Columbia house through my, uh, through my parents or, you know, five CDs for, for a penny or whatever. And, uh, 12 here in the U S yeah.
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[6:09] And yeah, I've been a huge hip fan ever since. And, and, um, yeah, I've been to, I think maybe 15, 16 concerts and, um, yeah, about a year ago, year and a half ago, I started playing in a hip tribute and it's just been a blast to sharing the music with, you know, the fans who don't get to see them anymore. And, you know, I wish I could, I wish they were still around and I could quit my job as a hip tribute guitar player, but unfortunately they're not playing anymore. I wonder if there's a Tracy Chapman angle, I wonder if we can get Luke Combs to cover some hip stuff and get them on the mainstream radio. you. It's a great idea. It's actually not. I don't think I want to hear that. No, but definitely giving them the credit they deserve. And man, Craig, like I seriously got goosebumps when you'd mentioned Tracy Chapman, like, you know, if you guys saw the Grammys, you know, that was performed and Tracy just sounded amazing. And, uh, I hadn't thought of it from that perspective. And, and yeah, I think you hit that spot on that. I haven't looked it up, But I'm guessing if you look up the release date of Fast Car and up to here, I'm going to guess they're within a year. Yeah, that's probably very true.
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[7:27] So let's start at the start here with Coke Machine Glow. Kirk, any nuggets that you gleaned from production notes, anything like that, that you gathered on your fact-finding mission? Yeah, absolutely. Um, you know, I, I actually did because I'm a musician as well and, and, and do appreciate, uh, what goes into making an album. Um, uh, there, there was some pretty good information out there and, you know, especially knowing the hips catalog and, you know, they've had, they've had some different experiences from different producers and engineers and, and different recording experiences. And, um, so, you know, of course you're going, well, I'm going to get a lot of that. And, and then boom, you get hit right upside the head with, you know, But in the research that I did, I mean, they basically just, you know, had a couple, I think they had a kick mic and an overhead mic and just kind of a room mic. They played everything acoustic because they wanted to hear Gord's vocals.
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[8:30] They were in, I believe, in the studio that is no longer there. It was like a loft in Toronto that was owned by a couple of musicians that were a part of, you know, the band that was there and part of the recording team. Um and obviously getting all their you know getting all their schedules together and and you know various musicians from from various different bands within the area and uh and they just wanted this to be uh just kind of that raw essence right that it you know for us as hit fans at least for me like that's where i fell in love is like whether you listen to the music or see them live, like the energy that comes out of every song is, is palpable on so many different levels. And, and, you know, I think those that, that have had the experience to enjoy their music and especially live, like there's such an energy to it and whether it's, uh.
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[9:29] You know, whether it's one of their upbeat, you know, just rocking tunes or, or, you know, a simple acoustic there, they really know how to capture the emotion. And this album, Coke Machine Glow, I mean, yeah, wow. I mean, it was, again, it just felt like maybe one mic in the room and they just were circled around each other and they went for it. And one of the other notes that I heard that I thought was pretty surprising is they got a lot out of what was actually recorded and it sounded a lot bigger than what took place. I can get that. You could get a small little eight-inch speaker and, uh, put a mic on it and it could sound like you've got, you know, four Marshall, you know, full stacks grinding in front of you. So, you know, there's definitely some magic that can happen in the studio, but, um, uh, yeah, I, I think, uh, you know, I do a lot of stuff in theater and we always talk about how the set or the lights or the sound can become a character. And I think for me, the production elements of Coke Machine Glow became a part of the album.
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[10:37] It had to be done that way, in my opinion, to be able to capture the energy that it did. Yeah it's very sparse sounding production wise like obviously there's songs and we'll get into them really rich and really lush and uh you know have a lot going on but predominantly this record like you said is pretty sparse craig i wonder what you learned um in your research about the album proper.
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[11:09] Well, I went into this with a different approach where I purposely didn't look at any info for the first couple of weeks. And then I actually planned on recording this without having looked it up, but I decided I couldn't not. And the reason I had to look at the liner notes is because I was hearing all these voices that I recognized from Canadian bands. And what I was really thinking about was um what was can con and and the uh you know all the if you don't know the the story of can con basically it's the canadian content rules that um you know radio stations in canada have to play a certain amount of you know canadian written produced um music and the variety of musicians playing on this album we've got you know sky diggers we've got eric's trip we've got the hip We've got Dinner Is Ruined, who wasn't a band I had heard of out West, but looked them up today and quite interesting. And just this all-star cast of musicians from all these really cool indie bands. And that's what really struck me. Yeah, I couldn't put it better. An all-star group. And I should have mentioned, I guess, The Odds, of course, with Stephen Drake. He was so heavily involved with engineering and playing bass on it. And, and, uh, that was the voice that actually I was referencing. And I'll talk about that on the track when it comes up. Oh, cool. Okay.
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[12:36] Justin, I'm wondering for you what the title means to you. What does it evoke? Um, I kind of, my brain goes to the golden rim motor in right. And late at night in a hotel, just kind of looking out the window and there's that freaking coke machine that's probably buzzing and nothing's cold in it and there's that glow lighting up a couple of cars outside the hotel room um it seems like a pretty good time to write an album or a book of poetry yeah just in my my mind went the same place yeah the lofty pines motel the the golden rim motor in.
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[13:19] Yeah. There's a couple other hotels mentioned on this record as well. There's the Phoenix. Um, I'm trying to think, is there another one? Hmm. There's a poem, uh, in the book, Minneapolis hotel room. Oh, wow. Yeah. So definitely a road record, huh? Yeah, for sure. Yeah. And the other thing I think that, um, I didn't know going into this, that it was so closely connected to the phantom power album with a lot of songs that now with the re-release of phantom power we're we're seeing alternate versions of you know mystery and some of these other songs which is really really neat to discover at the same time yeah i agree with that i i delved pretty deeply into the the poetry book and it was amazing how many references to hip songs especially of that era um but even dating back to the early nineties with some live shows and how long this material had incubated. I bought, I don't know which album, but it came with a recording of a concert in 94. And there are several references that made their way into the poetry or into the lyrics of some of the songs.
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[14:31] It's not on the music album, but it's in the, I think it's the first poem in the book was was bumblebee what is now bumblebee as the bonus track from phantom power right um the usa today bit was in this concert in 94 and it took you know years for that to come out and and there are other references from that show that are that are in coke machine globe of the album and the book it's it's really interesting how long it took for all this stuff to, surface. You have to imagine though, that as, as a writer, you know, you're going to go into recording an album and, and, you know, Gord being primary, you know, after a time writer, you can end up with some stuff that just doesn't make it. And, you know, it's hard to let go of stuff. You know, if you've, if you've done any type of creation, I don't care if it's video creation or writing or poetry or songs or whatever, like it's hard to just let that stuff go. Cause it's, It's whether you're telling a story about yourself or something you experienced or, you know, you want to get it out there, especially if you're a creative person. So I imagine Gord had, you know, and you read all the time and you hear on the interviews and he carries around a notebook and is basically writing every day.
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[15:47] So uh but it is it is amazing and especially being a hip fan to see you know i noticed that as well when i was listening to some of the bonus stuff like hey wait that's a hit song why is that on here yeah you know and then you got to go back and you got to find the album that it's on because i was like justin i i wasn't introduced until the hip you know until i think 2000 uh with a canadian friend that i worked with and then i actually took a trip up to vancouver and it was like there's hip everywhere and i was like this is what's this all about how come i don't know about these you know this this band so yeah you know that i i really kind of came into play during that time and and beyond so of course i love the stuff that that came before it but for me there's something about being a part of what gets released when you're you know i'm i'm buying the albums or cds as they're coming out and then i'm seeing the tour so you know of course that heavy content with with, with those particular albums. So yeah, I have to imagine a lot of that, uh, came back in, into this particular one. And I mean, how long was the band together before this came out? 12 years, something. Almost, almost 15 or 20, maybe.
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[16:57] Yeah, well, yeah, from the very beginning, but since the recording stuff started, so, you know. 87, the first one came out in 87. Yeah. This, to me, it felt like a release valve for everything that Gord couldn't or wouldn't put on Hips. It wasn't polished, you know what I mean?
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[17:18] And he had all, I mean, there's a hundred pages of poetry and all these songs that are, you know, objectively strange.
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[17:27] Um, and I, I think it just stuff that he knew wouldn't fly on a hip album that he had carried with him for years. And like I said, that show in 94 that he was work workshopping this stuff and it didn't make the cut with the band. So let's use it up now. Now, I'm very curious, as we get into the songs, to hear what you guys are thinking about some of these songs in their objective strangeness, as you put it, Justin. Or, you know, are some of them hip-adjacent? Are there any on here that you think, you know, the band could have put together? Obviously, other than the last track, which they did, and we can compare and contrast that when we get there. But are we ready to go into this record track by track? Let's do it. All right, we start with Star Painters. Who wants to kick this one off?
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[18:29] Well, I'll take it. Yeah, Star Painters to me was like a palate cleanser. This was like Gord saying, this is not a hip album. And right off the bat, it's, it's a little strange. Uh, you got the accordion and, um, you know, the almost like a spoken word type thing. And yeah, it's just very obviously not the hip. So the first line, um, is, uh, ended up in music at work with freak turbulence. The myth is neither here nor there. So there are definitely, you know, there's some continuity there. And I think those two albums came out the same year. Didn't they? 2000. Coke Machine Glow was 2001 Okay well But Very close Very close They were likely recorded Right around the same time Yeah Yeah.
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[19:19] There are themes that do persist for sure. But yes, this is not a hip song to be clear. I agree. And Craig, yeah, I think you hit it right on the head. You know, Gord was like, hey, come along for the ride, but this is going to be something different.
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[19:40] And I really appreciate it. I mean, and I've heard that this song actually turned people away, right? Right. Like they didn't want to give it any more of a listen because of it. And, you know, I can say, yeah, I can say that, you know, for me again, I'm hip starved. So I'm actually really surprised at myself that I didn't dive in at the time and that that it really took this project to, you know, get me to start paying attention. Attention and at first it was difficult you know obviously this song but the entire album was like you're like you wanted a little more hip but then you had to understand you know what he needed to get out this song honestly for me is is one of my favorites off of the album and i'll tell you why it's the line the star painters are taking over now the scaffolding is in place your anesthesiologist tonight is washing up and on her way like i heard that and i just stopped and smoking your joint.
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[20:50] Packing it up yeah getting the next one it it it it's it's it's gordon it's it's it's the, this is this song this album is not going to be for the faint of heart and uh and you know strap in like you said buckle up so i i had never heard anything by the dinner is ruined but you know trying to dive into to see what these guys are about the avant-garde and very strange ambient sounds and there's uh accordion and all kinds of weird stuff and that's very much dinner is ruined i i did listen to them um during this process and with that in mind on On the rest of the album, they feel pretty restrained compared to what they would normally have written or put out. But I think on this first one, they're just kind of like, to hell with this. We're going to do what we're doing. Yeah, sequencing is so important. You know, when you make a record, there's no accident that this song is first, like Greg said. You know, that sort of palate cleanser, introducing what the concept of this record is going to be. And you're right like if you came here expecting fully completely part two you know you're barking up the wrong fucking tree so there's that yeah vancouver divorce.
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[26:08] Yeah, definitely a departure from the first track from Star Painters, right? This is a, I mean, almost written for radio hit. It's so easy to listen to and it's so addicting. The thing that really struck me, and it took me a couple of listens to hear it, but the bass is just one note over and over like a heartbeat, just a rhythm. And it's just the same note for 20, 25 seconds. And then, you know, it, it moves on from there, but, um, it was really, it was lovely. Um, but I, uh, one of the things that, that started to strike me and I don't know if it was Vancouver divorce or, or something else, but I think there's two schools of thought about this album. And again, this is a common theme with Gord Downie is it's either a little bit about Adolf Hitler or it's really a lot a bit about Adolf Hitler.
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[27:13] There are so many ties to World War II throughout this album and the book and everything that Gord kind of does. Um, and I, I, I tried not to think about that going into all this, but it does, it does kind of get there, um, pretty quickly. I think, I don't know. I don't know if Vancouver has anything to do with the song or it's just, it fits well, you know, like the way that he explained writing Bob Cajun, it just, it rhymes. Right that's the town we're using you know i know in one of the live clips i saw before this song he said something about you know if if this couple can't make it in in paradise which in this case paradise is vancouver um debatable debatable maybe but um he um yeah then then i guess they can't make it anywhere yeah and i i didn't get any world war ii from it but i i didn't dive into lyrics quite as heavily i'm more of a music guy the lyrics are the last thing i digest when i listen to music so it takes me multiple listens um i don't typically read lyrics i like them to sort of hit me you know over the years um yeah did you guys get the uh the hortons reference.
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[28:27] That one made me chuckle so the thing that i that i picked up on the hortons thing is he says sitting here at the hortons so you know this is important nobody sits at a tim hortons well they used to it used to be it used to be like a bar yeah oh yeah and it had lots of tables and chairs Yeah. And that's, that's far different from our experience with, with any Hortons chain down here. Yeah. Well, the thing that I think is interesting is that syllabically he could have said Tim Hortons, but instead he says the Hortons. The Hortons. I wonder if that's like to avoid the.
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[28:57] Commercialism of saying Tim Hortons or like, it's just an interesting choice when it's the same number of syllables. Yeah. And I also think just, um, a lot of times Gord will choose a word that is almost unrhymable on purpose. And I think this is one of those cases Hortons. So it must be important and important. Yeah. It's, it's just, I love that. I love that. How about you, Kirk?
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[29:21] What do you think? From a music standpoint? Cause like Craig, I, I, I do, do i i enjoy both and and and i'll end up reading lyrics as i go and and in this particular thing it was hard not to read uh a lyrics just to understand the connection as you're listening but this is one of those songs as well when when you think about it here you know how they recorded like holy crap how did they get that big of a sound out of what you you know at least in the the research that i did was very minimalist type of recording you know this kind of a squarish box and and and not really acoustically treated and you know in in you know you know in in the heart of toronto and all kinds of other stuff going on like i heard as well like they were being evicted and so they only had a certain time schedule to be able to get this recorded and then you hear the story about how like they're having a party downstairs and they're throwing couches around and gourd shows up and in his cowboy hat and goes uh hey would you guys mind you know being quiet for a little bit i'm i've tried to record i just can't imagine you're in that room and gourd down he walks in and says hey i'm recording tracks upstairs i think he was with kevin hearn from uh.
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[30:36] You know uh bare naked ladies and and and uh and then they go back up and they record but just the fullness of this, this album. Um, and to me, I, you know, that's the thing I wanted to mention. Uh, uh, I believe it was this tune when you hear the keys, I don't know that Kevin got a credit on it, but I know he recorded a couple of tunes here. And so for me, I'm actually a pretty big BNL fan and I've seen them 20 times, something like that. But Kevin Hearns keys was very kind of prevalent. Um, and even if it wasn't him, you could, you could definitely hear the influence of it. So the powerfulness of this song is, is, is palpable for sure. Yeah. Yeah, looking it up, I think it was, sorry, it was, yeah, Jose Contreras played the organ on this tune. So he's the leader of By Divine Right, which is another very cool Canadian band that I remember listening to. I had their first album. But yeah, Kevin Hearn is definitely all over this album. Them yeah i gotta say as well from a lyrics perspective my money there's a phrase in this song that belongs on the podium along with you know it could have been the willow nelson could have been the wine you know taking advice from a prost or taking a compliment from a prostitute the line which by the way i play that song every night for my daughter at bedtime and my wife still Still haven't caught on yet.
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[32:00] That's a good line. What the hell is this? You said it's art. Just fucking mirror it. Mirror. Yeah. Like you hang up your hat when you write a line like that. You just, you're done for the day. Put your briefcase together and you walk out the door, punch out, you know, that's a fucking great lyric. So I think, I think if, if I may, the, the person being divorced is an artist in this story. Right. right? And there are many references to art. There's the line, when the stampede's an optical course, when ancient train has hit old transient horse. And ancient train and old transient horse were capitalized. And I said, what the hell is that? So I deep dove that. And it is in reference to horse and train, which is a Canadian painting, which is based on a poem written by a South African anti-apartheid poet with the line and against a regiment. I oppose a brain and a dark horse against an armored train, which is just spectacular imagery.
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[33:03] But again, tying in the art theme to the first line is such classic Gord Downie writing. Jesus Christ. Yeah. You've just blown my mind. Blown my mind. Like for real. This is track two. So get me. Yeah. Yeah. And I have to say too, the noise guitar at the end by I'm assuming Dale Morningstar is just amazing. I have a thing for loud, screechy feedback guitars. It just puts me in this state of zen for some reason. Like if you know the song Drown by Smashing Pumpkins, there's like four minutes of feedback at the end. And to me, that is so relaxing.
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[33:45] I have that same thing written down, Craig. I have excellent screeching guitar going into and continuing through the third verse and out. One of the other things I have written down, though, I just want to share with you guys quickly. This is just sort of funny. When he says he's sitting at the Tim Hortons, or he's sitting at the Hortons, I know that's not true because on two occasions, I was walking down the Danforth and saw him sitting in the front bench of Timothy's Coffee, coffee, which is like a, like a Starbucks adjacent brand that doesn't exist anymore, but it used to. And it was minutes from his house. I didn't know where his house was, nor did I stalk him, but I knew it was in the area, like minutes away. And he would just sit there and he was sitting there with a, with a fucking notebook the one time and another time he was on a Mac book. But to me, it was, you know, one of those cool moments that I was like, I live in the same neighborhood. It's Gord Downie. This is so cool.
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[34:41] Man, I wish that the Tim Hortons here in the States had a place to sit because mostly you just find them at a rest stop on the highway or you go in and you order a donut and you leave kind of establishment. No Hortons down here in California. I have to travel. Thankfully, I get to travel a lot for work. And if I see a Hortons, it's like, it's immediate picture and text to my family because we did a road trip and, you know, we went through Detroit and we went through Niagara and went through Toronto. And so my family fell in love with Tim Hortons. So is there a sponsor, right? JD? Oh yeah. The big sponsor. I'm eating Timbits right now.
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[35:22] Mmm. Delicious Timbits. Thanks Tim Hortons. Um next up is uh sf song and to me this is like observational songwriting 101 to me i can just picture him under the covers of his hotel room with a pillow over his head trying to drown out the sound of this chambermaid tap tap tapping and knock knock knocking on the door it sounds as though and then him walking through the lobby and out into the front area of the phoenix hotel and he just describes everything he sees now i'm sure there's more to it than that but to me that's just beautiful.
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[36:03] Yeah. Yeah. For me, one of my first shows was actually in San Francisco at the Fillmore West. And, um, you know, there's been some, you know, or so I've, so I've researched, there's been some pretty classic, uh, um, shows that have happened there. And, you know, I, I had a pretty, pretty amazing experience as well. I was with, with the Canadian friend that had, um, you know, introduced me to them and, and, uh, uh, but you, when I heard that song at first, I just immediately thought, you know, I'm like, hmm, I wonder if he was writing the song when he was there, when I saw him in 2000. And, uh, you know, whether he is or not, that's what I'm going to go, go to, go to bed with and stick to. I also noticed and really appreciated, um, uh, the breathing in the beginning of the song. Um, and then the reference towards the end, uh, about it, uh, uh, I miss my lung, Bob.
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[37:04] That we talked about and, and, and, and then remembering the ads, remembering the ads that were going around at the time on the sides of buses and on, um, on, on billboards and, uh, you know, growing up in, in, in Southern California and, and, uh, seeing smoking ads. And then all of a sudden smoking ads start going away. And then you see the ad of, I miss my lung, Bob, or Bob, I miss my lung. I like to paraphrase. Yeah. I, uh, that's one of the lyrics I had to look up. I had no clue that was an actual thing. So that was pretty neat to, to come across those posters. I remember them from when I was a kid, of course, I'm East Coast, so it's not like they were around here, but I do remember seeing it on the news or something like that, the campaign.
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[37:52] The other thing that struck me was Chambermaid and the references to Chambermaid, which are a continuation of Phantom Power, right? With vapor trails and escape as a hand. Right. Right. I also picked up on the click, click, click. You mentioned J.D. Off the top and those sounds. And he later on experimented with those types of things like drip, drip, drip and We Want to Be It and the chick, chick, chick of the matches in Seven Matches.
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[38:24] Oh, wow. Yeah, it's just a little thing I picked up on. And also, I have a note here about just the low register, like just him singing in that beautiful low voice. And he, on this album, covers so many different subtleties in the way he uses his voice. Like a song like Coming Up Canada Geese, all of a sudden he's just a totally different singer, singing very um yeah almost like an indie indie rock singer yeah totally get that um you know also i think there's many examples of him singing in alter egos on on this record really expanding his repertoire you know as it were right like we start to hear him singing like this on the post phantom power records uh on occasion and um it's not startling because we're sort of used to it should we move on to trick rider only if you want me to cry right like this okay so this song says it's it's dedicated to c it's i believe it's his daughter I don't know. On the album that comes along with the new release, his daughter, I'm blanking on the name, starts with a C, reads this poem.
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[39:53] So I'm guessing she was the girl on the horse.
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[39:56] So I can't remember the name, Claire maybe or Chloe or I forget. Makes complete sense.
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[40:04] I don't know this, so I'll ask it. How many kids does Gord have and are they spread out in age quite a bit? I don't know the second part of the question, but I know he's got four. There's Lou and Willow, who both played on his former partner's record, played keyboard and drums, respectively. And then there's Willow, who is an artist, like painter and jewelry artist, and she's very talented. She did the away as mind cover as well I did know that I think I think I asked that question because at the end you know of Gordon's life he did that interview with Peter Mansbridge, and talked about his son and got very emotional and his son was young he referenced his age and said he was quite young and this was 2016 or 17 whenever the interview was, and which would have been 15 years after this album came out.
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[41:03] So, that's where my head went with how many, how old, just trying to put the puzzle pieces together. I was going to make mention when I was doing a little bit of research, there was a, uh, uh, you know, a fan video, uh, when, when I guess they toured this album and I believe they were actually in, uh, it might've been in Vancouver when they're playing it, but he was, you know, having an exchange with, with someone in the audience about, you know, uh, your nightlights on going to bed. And uh i think the fan might have been thinking that the song was about something else and and he referenced that right back to her very quickly in kind of a snide mark saying i don't think it means what you think it means about going to bed and and uh that stuck out to me it was you know one that he had no problems interacting with the fan and and kind of correcting them on on their interpretation uh of the song but it the song is is is beautiful and in so many different ways and you know all of us being fathers and and and having you know those experiences and and then obviously having the emotional tie-in with with gordon and what he's done with the band you know in the tragically hip and and and then with his solo stuff and and uh it it's it's gorgeous it's beautiful whatever adjective you can come up with that that uh you know brings that feeling to you.
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[42:31] As a father in those moments when you're just you can't even can't even process i did this i had a hand in this and this human is is going to grow out into the world and And I'm a better human because of it. And to be able to, you know, put that, um, you know, in lyrics and in a song, uh, again, just adds to the, uh, adds to the amazement, uh, that that gentleman was able to give us.
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[43:04] Yeah. And the vocal performance by both Gord and, uh, Julie Dwaran is, is so full that they have such control of their voices. Pitch perfect, emotional, just such a song. Her soft awe in the background puts this song over the top. It wouldn't be the song without her contribution to it. That's no disrespect to Gord, but the song isn't the same without Julie Dwaran. And I thought that my favorite father-daughter song was Thrown Off Glass from In Violet Light, But this one, my daughter is the one jumping off shit. She is trick riding 24 hours a day and I'm like, oh my God, kill me. Yeah. So I looked it up. It is Claire Downey who reads the poem on the new edition. So I'm guessing that's who C could be. Got to be.
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[44:05] The song is way too personal for it not to be. is is julie did i understand that she's she did some stuff with the hip as well yeah, yeah she sang um in some live shows with them and i think was part of some tribute stuff at the end too i may be wrong um i know i know kate fenner was um on one tour as a backup music Music at work. But I feel like, I'm pretty sure I've read, yeah, that Julie was on, doing some backups on one of the albums. I could be wrong. Yeah, I remember that too. I feel like, maybe now for Plan A, possibly. That sounds right. I know, although I know... Oh, yeah. Oh, that's her name. Yeah.
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[44:52] Also from Kingston. There's another woman who does now for planning the title track. Yeah, Sarah Harmer. She's the vocal on... Anyways, that's a different album, different band. Different podcast. Different podcast, yeah. Oh, and I have to... Last thing about Trick Rider for me is that slide guitar that just doesn't quite hit the note. I just love it. It's kind of that quarter tone or something. It reminds me of, if you know the Faith No More cover of Easy, right before the solo when Mike Patton goes up to the, ew, and almost like purposely is in between notes. I just think it's so neat. I was going to say both vocally and musically with a variety of instruments throughout several songs, obviously this one as well, is there's just that, it's not quite there, but it's also, it adds again to that character of the song. I heard something or read something about one of the musicians, I believe the guitar player that, that was part of this, like he hit a note and he, he would just beat the shit out of it until it became the note that was right for the song, whether it started off right or not, he, it, it was going to become that.
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[46:03] And, and I love that thought or that prospect, right? We get so, we get so caught up in, Oh, everything's got to be perfect. I got to tune my guitar up exactly right. I've got to have the mic place perfectly. And I've got to have, you know this tonality and and sometimes it's just good to just just let it go and let that emotion come through more so than you know the technical note of itself yeah yeah there's no such thing as a wrong note if it's you know played with with with confidence and intention and yeah yeah so next we go to a song that i think could totally be a hip jam to me this song he's singing It's the first song on the record where he's singing in a tone in a register that we recognize.
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[49:09] So Craig, you said it, um, this is punk rock and Gord loved punk rock, right? Yeah. Yeah. Um, but it's old guy punk rock. Like it's, it's, this is guys who are not punk rockers anymore trying to, to do punk or at least the story, right.
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[49:26] Um, within the song. And, and I'm not saying that about the musicians that played the song. I'm saying that about the story Gord tells here that, you know, they're, they're, they're buying weed from each other in a cornfield, right? In the dark you know um like i can picture my old man and his uncles or and his brothers my uncles just you know hiding from the cops at age 50 55 years old just feeling like be cool man shut up uh i love this song yeah great song i i gotta say i'll take the bullet guys here's my first criticism even though as much as i love um how they recorded it my goodness gracious i needed the drummer to use some sticks and not brushes like i needed to feel that those drums coming through in this song and and to make it punk rock like it was like they they you know hey let's find the jazz drummer to do the punk song um and not that it didn't serve it well and it's a in fact probably what i would have liked was that drum track with the brushes and another drum track on.
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[50:35] Top of it with sticks and then also maybe adding the mics to get more of the tonality of the drums but again now that's just the music guy and me going i wanted to hear that i needed to hear that snap i needed to hear that crack i needed to hear the pop right sorry gonna use a uh a breakfast cereal reference but um i i i i wanted that for this song still love it it's It's funny because it opens on snare hits. Right.
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[51:08] Yeah. But if I'm not mistaken and I'll, I'll completely eat my words, I believe they use brushes throughout Craig. Do you, did you go that deep or what did you think? I didn't, but I know for me, I definitely noticed that it, it, it felt like it should be heavier but i think that's part of what gave the song character was those heavy guitars that almost sounded like they were played at a low volume in a room jamming and i i thought it just gave it a unique character and and i have to say though my favorite part is actually at the end when when all of a sudden i actually picked up a guitar today just to see what was going on with this and and they go up from you know they're playing and you know you're one four five e e b and a and then um they go right up they just go up to that f and i know the first time i heard it it's just just so striking it just sounds so out of place and then after you've heard the song a couple times just so perfect such a such a great dissonance and.
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[52:05] Really really um almost like a two you know 2000s indie rock feel almost like an arcade fire kind of three years before arcade fire was doing it kind of thing so wow it felt like a one take demo to me and they said fuck it it's good like run it i like that we'll do it live yeah me too do it we'll do it keep it but kirk yeah i think um it would be really interesting to see what the hip would have done with with that song like a fully polished yeah you know but but i felt the same about the next song chandler um you're listening to it again today in fact and again was like man with some different instrumentation you know change changing the tempo a bit on this is this is absolutely the uh potentially a hip song uh for me you know uh and uh yeah hard hard not to uh go into you know as he speaks about letting the opening the window inviting the vampires in and if i'm not mistaken this this song did pretty well was it a single.
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[53:15] I don't think any of the solo stuff did particularly well. It was sort of under the radar, especially after this record came out. This record was highly anticipated, but I think early on the word got out that it wasn't hip, and so there were a lot of hip people that jumped up. A lot of people stayed on board, don't get me wrong. but um there was a good cohort that sort of veered away and it's interesting that the sum of the parts you know um the hip are it just goes to show you how magical they are as a as a fivesome because you take one component away you know and it's just not the same like gort sinclair's solo record is dynamite so are you know paul's three records they're really really good but they're not the hip yeah you know so i'm just and i think this is where i got it from i'm just you know looking looking up on spotify and if you go to gordonie this song has the most downloads of all the solo stuff oh okay so that that makes a lot of sense yeah i know there's a there's definitely a video for this yeah yeah but i i don't recall ever hearing.
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[54:31] This song anything from this album on the radio i i had i did hear some later songs um but definitely not that you know that i heard so this is where hitler comes in big time um the.
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[54:47] Hitler had a very odd sleeping pattern. He stayed up very late and would go to bed at like 6, 6.30 in the morning and then get up at noon and just spend his whole day working out maps and plans and this is where the advancement is and all this stuff. And there are so many, if you read between the lines references about the night of a thousand missteps, the loss that made him dogged, or it could have been the doggedness that caused the loss in the first place.
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[55:18] And Chancellor, I mean, that was Hitler's position, you know? Wow. Marching armies in the night, smiling strangers riding by on bikes. That would be, you know, when the allies come into Paris or something, you know? Children's smoking, which there was a huge anti-smoking campaign in Germany during World War II, sloganeers. And he mentions in one of the first lines, invite the vampire in, open the windows before we go to bed to get the coldest air in the room, which is just before the sun comes up. And then at the end, talking about a few things that vampires don't like, all the things referenced between the vampire references are Hitler-ish things. So I don't know it that's that's where my head went and then um before you are wow i know that but but damn it i'm following gordon's path you know and he like i said he references justin you're taking us into dark places my friend and the word chancellor for me it was like hmm and then i started to kind of read into it and i was like yikes and by the way guys spoiler alert this won't be the last time i talk about hitler during this thing not that i love him let's put that out there but there are There are some real references to the war throughout this album. Yeah, that's really interesting.
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[56:41] My mind went a completely different direction. I was thinking like a chancellor of a university. And again, I didn't read the lyrics. I didn't dig that deeply in. But it was funny because my daughter really likes this song. We kept playing in the car and I was explaining what a chancellor of a university was. And she said, oh, I thought it was like Chancellor Palpatine. Wow. and it turns out she was she was the right one yeah i guess she was she was closer than i was yeah wow look at that cross my read is so completely vastly different again my read is like bittersweet and romantic uh the chorus yeah i couldn't be a chancellor without you on my mind if i wasn't if i wasn't obsessed with you or thinking about you all the time time. Um, you know, who knows what I could have become. And on the, and in the video, isn't he riding around? He's on the swan boats. It's just, it does not make me. Swans. Yeah. Yeah. He does not make me, uh, feel like, like, uh, like he's referenced, referencing world war two, but that's fascinating. I can't wait to hear it again now.
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[57:49] But at the end of that video, if you watch the full video at the very end, he's, it's revealed that he is the guy working the dock at the, at the swan boats and he takes off his coat and underneath it is a uniform that says guy. And he's the one taking the coins or the tokens or whatever for the people to ride the swan boats. So it's kind of like, uh.
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[58:13] You know, when Hitler was a struggling artist before he became this global force and kind of took control, you know, he was romanticizing the idea of, of being chancellor of Germany. Wow yeah wow and i don't know wow reference to it or yes it's dark man because and again think of think of uh the song scared every hip show you go to everybody's everybody's slow dancing that's not a slow dance it's like we talked about in the other podcast it's like yeah that's the hips trick right or it's gorge yeah yeah 38 years old same thing long running same thing fiddler's green you know and and on and on and on these slow slow songs are are yeah miserable yeah and i have to say good yeah yeah yeah yeah and and the the vocal phrasing that the gourd uses on this just that, laid back where he just sort of hesitates on certain words i just just love it he's so unique that way. I think that's what separates him as a singer, is that phrasing.
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[59:22] Oh, yeah. This is a really hard album to sing. And you guys are musicians and you play guitar and other instruments. I've always been a singer. And I cannot keep up with Gord on this album. I just can't. Like the chorus of this song, like, I'm discovering uses for you. But the way he throws uses for you together, it's like, it's almost like one overlaps the other. And it's like, that's impossible. And then on the more quaint side, I love that he rhymes pajamas by mispronouncing in a gourd-like way windows to rhyme with pajamas, right? Instead of windows. Oh, so great. By the way, that uses line, again, going back to Hitler's underlings, you know, doing experiments on twins and stuff like that. Like, this is, I think this is a dark one. I'm going to listen to it again tonight. And I can't wait to hear it. No.
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[1:00:19] I hope I'm wrong. I think you're right. No, we know he likes the Second World War.
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[1:00:26] And, you know, we've heard references to, you know, Nazis moving works of art or Russians moving works of art, you know, to stave off the Nazi army. And really quick, sorry, really quick shout out for the piano player. I'm guessing it was um hern but but man that piano is is really nice improvised piano solo yeah yeah it's a very sweet sounding song yeah bait and switch man yeah he got us the never ending present i was listening and and if you're a you know canadian of my age you knew right away who was singing backup so that was Stephen Drake because my mind went right to Wendy under the stars and um and you know right back to my you know my first car and being you know 16 years old and listening to the radio and and hearing the odds for the first time and and yeah just an unmistakable voice the harmonies are very distinct you know distinctly the odds and distinctly The one thing that I picked up was he mentioned his shoes were polished, which as we learned in the longtime running doc that he polished his shoes before every show.
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[1:01:46] So I think he's talking about himself and it's kind of an introspective – I mean, he says I in every song, but I think this one might actually be about himself personally.
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[1:02:00] I picture him standing on Broadview Avenue waiting for the streetcar. He says bus, but in my head it's a streetcar. And all the rest of the lyrics are the stuff that happens until the bus crashes the hill. Him dropping money inside the little money grabber on a bus. There's talk of that um but what i really what i really love about this song is how ahead of his time he is because this is like living in the present like being in the moment is so important and i've learned like through my mental wellness journey like how important it is to live in the moment and the idea that the moment can be never ending if you come about it with the right frame in my mind is so refreshing to hear. Amen. And of course they named the, um, uh, Michael Barclay wrote the book with using the title of the song.
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[1:03:05] Sorry, I'm going to take a little detour off of this that I just have to bring up being, being the, uh, for the South American and someone that, uh, uh, you know, again, was always starving for hip. I've loved in this journey, discovering other Canadian bands. You guys were mentioning the odds. And, you know, I did the research a little bit on the dinner's ruined. And of course, you know, of the real statics from, you know, grace too. And we're all richer for having heard them. And, um, uh, I'm, I'm very excited, you know, during this to be able to take a dive into that music that I never got. Right. Cause I like Justin, you were lucky because you get a lot of that music, uh, in the Northeast.
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[1:03:49] Um, no, no, no, we only get the hip and rush. Rush. There's no Canadian music except for the hip and Rush. I will say that. And Alanis, of course. but to do as a you know as a musician and and and being a big fan of many canadian bands you know rush is up there for me bare naked ladies is up there for me um obviously the tragic the hip is up there for me um but these other bands uh blue rodeo that has i think a little bit of a a um you know it did well here in the states um of course alanis and some of the others you know i want to I know more about the, uh, the ones that didn't get, uh, similar, similar stories to the tragically happened. And I'm really excited about taking that journey as well. And I love that, you know, that's one of the things that I've heard about in different, uh, uh, reading and, and interviews is Gord was such a proponent of getting, I mean, music out there, but, but specifically, obviously Canadian music and, and giving, you know, these, these not as well-known bands an opportunity.
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[1:04:56] So, um, sorry, I just needed to take that little side journey there and, and, and share that with you guys. I'm with you. I'm with you a hundred percent. Just going off what you were saying, yeah, apparently Gord would actually stand side stage and watch a lot of these bands. Like he would just stay there for the whole set. And all these bands, you know, Eric's Trip and The Odds, they were all change of heart. They all played with the hip.
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[1:05:23] And for me, it's been fun because I've been doing the same thing. I was listening to The Odds last night and I couldn't believe how many hit songs they had. You know they're a band i enjoyed but never really really got into i think i've seen them live a couple times but man they had their pop song they were yeah that's exactly it they were they're you know pop writing you know machines but yeah i'm excited i'm excited about the journey for sure and and especially getting connected with you guys and having the experience you know know, uh, um, uh, being from Canada and, and, and really experiencing that not only on the radio, but, but live as well, that, uh, that's going to be a great journey. Cause isn't it great when you go to see, you know, you go to see one of your favorite bands and the opener shows up, you never heard of them. And, and all of a sudden they become, you know, one of your favorites and you're, you're falling around and, you know, and then it's always hard if they do make it, you're kind of like, man, that was my band, but I liked it when they were small, you know, I want them to be big, but not that big. I, that's, I mean, I mentioned it with, with the hip, you know, like all my experiences and I got to see them, I don't know, seven, seven, eight times, something like that.
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[1:06:36] Like the biggest venue I saw them in was, was probably 1200 people. And, um, you know, the Troubadour, I got to see them in and, and, and up in San Francisco, the Fillmore's, you know, it's, it's over a thousand, uh, might be closer to actually, I'm not sure. I'll have to look that up. But the thing that I loved about it is, you know, I'm a hockey guy. And I think I mentioned the story to, to you, JD, like we're close to the ducks and the Kings and, and most hockey teams are, you know, 50 plus percent, if not close to 70% Canadians. And so I'd go to a show, I'd be in Hollywood and I'd look over and be like, Oh, Hey, look, there's Luke Robitaille or, you know, Oh, there's Chris Pronger. There's, you know, Scott Niedermeyer, you know, I'm hanging it out and oh oh hey paul korea how's it going you like the hip too you know and um what an experience and then canadian actors as well i got to meet dan akroyd at at the house of blues hollywood and he introduced the hip on stage and then you know he's rat so uh you know for me it's so weird um when you talk of this band they were a club band to me you know i i've seen what they've done and where they've played. And so anyway, I I'm, I'm taking us off the, the album, but just wanted to share that with, with you gents. No, that's cool.
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[1:08:04] So now we take a hard, right. And, um, we get the track, the soundscape, uh, nothing but heartache in your social life.
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[1:11:14] Did you say a hard right or a hard Reich? Because again, the Hitler.
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[1:11:20] I'm serious. So again, this goes back to the poetry and there's a poem called Toiletten in the book and it is about Hitler's, I'm not even inferring this, this is about Hitler's podium at Zeppelin Field in Nuremberg and it now has signs pointing tourists to the toilet. Um, and the, uh, similarities between that poem and this song or spoken word, whatever, um, it's a hundred percent about that. And Gord even stumbles on a lyric that they, that they leave in the song, um, when the podium sprouting weeds and he stumbles on rendered ridiculous by the time. So the podium is this massive concrete structure that when you see film of Hitler speaking to 150,000, 200,000 Germans during wartime, that's where this is. But it's still there, and it's sprouting weeds, and the podium and its purpose have been rendered ridiculous by the times. When are you thinking of disappearing? I mean, when are you falling off the map when the unknown that you're fearing is in the clearing? That's totally about surrendering in the war and the allied forces moving across the field to wipe out the Nazis.
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[1:12:46] When you're getting king-size satisfaction in the turnstiles of the night from all the shaky pill transactions, if that's not Jewish prisoners going to a concentration camp running down the train tracks in the middle of the night. I don't know what it is. It's, again, a very dark thing, and I think it leads to Hitler's suicide. That's when are you thinking of disappearing? Yeah.
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[1:13:16] And it is interesting to note that the asterisk that comes with the title in the lyrics, it says Dale Morningstar provided echoing screams at the end of the song. It doesn't just say backing vocals or call and answer. It's echoing screams. I was wondering who was calling back and forth with them. They kind of sound like, even though the topic sounds quite serious, they're having some fun with it. At the end kind of yelling back and forth with each other and um and also of note um adam agoyan the filmmaker plays plays uh the classical guitar on this track and and one other track and so he's uh i think i read that that maybe this song was sort of based off some some things he brought in, came into the studio one day and they they sort of riffed off what he was doing and put this sort of spoken word. I also got, I don't know if you guys got this, but I almost got like an M&M vibe, like just like attitude wise. And of course I believe this would have been before M&M anyways, but, but just that, that sort of attitude and way he was rattling off these lines.
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[1:14:29] Yeah, I get it. Absolutely. So the other me, you know, I was trying to get my, my head out of World War II with this, and it was easy to see in 2024 that Gord predicted the future of social media, right? This is before Facebook and MySpace and all this stuff, but this is 100% in line with everybody's mental health problems stemming from not having enough likes on their posts, right? This could absolutely be interpreted 20 plus years later in that way, if you were to look at it from that angle. Yeah, I...
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[1:15:13] Obviously still like absorbing everything in the referencing that you're speaking of, uh, Hitler and world war two and, and how, you know, JD and Craig were like, didn't necessarily get that right away. I, I definitely, you know, heard the references. I, I knew of the references from some of the hip tunes. Um and uh and then just seeing this whole journey that he's taking with just coming out there with a solo album in the first place and then you hear about how um and again it's it's you know i don't know the exact i haven't spoken with the other members but some of the solo stuff really caused a bit of a rift within the band and then if you start thinking about the product of the hip you You know, this is where a big portion of their fan base starts turning away.
Track 3:
[1:16:04] And I wonder if that tension came through in some of the music. For me and you, Justin, we discovered them during this time. And like most bands, you don't become close to them. And, you know, I'll take a few exceptions. You know, Led Zeppelin. I wasn't there when the albums came out. But the band meant a lot to me later in life. But nothing like, I'll give an example of other bands, Rush and Barenaked Ladies. I went to those shows when those albums came out, same thing with The Hip, as it relates to 2000 and beyond. And so my reference point is there. Um, and then Gord goes off and decides to, to do this solo work. And, um, and not only does he does the solo work, but he starts taking that poetry side in the book that comes out along with it. He starts throwing in spoken word and we could spend a lot of time with the discussion about poetry versus spoken word versus lyrics versus, um, uh, you know, the, the, the written prose and, and, and where it all comes together and the different attitudes towards it. Um, but I, I'm, I'm honestly kind of shaking inside just thinking about the, the ability that, that Gord has to take a historical perspective.
Track 3:
[1:17:23] Area and put it into a spoken word and or song. But then in the same breath, depending on how you come at it, you get something completely different. If you don't know those references specifically, you're going to find something from a meaningful standpoint. So sorry. I mean, you really got me goosebumps in there, Justin. Well, I think that if I had never read lyrics from the hip, I would never have approached it from this angle.
Track 3:
[1:17:51] But it's kind of hard to not look at some of that stuff. He did an interview in the early 90s with some TV, whatever, and they said, what are your songs about? And he said, all of our songs are about war. And I remember seeing that on YouTube about 10 or a dozen years ago and thinking, oh, okay. Now, whether he was speaking Speaking of literal war or a relationship or conflict within the band or whatever, family, something, but there's a struggle or something that needs to be resolved in each one of these songs. And so I've, for better or worse, looked at a lot of hip stuff from that point forward, whatever year it was, as is Gord talking about literal war here. And that's just where I picked up on. Was he a history-type major? Did he have family that maybe participated in the war? There is a short poem in the book that is about his grandfather serving in World War II.
Track 3:
[1:18:56] Yeah, I could see that. Both my grandparents served in World War II, and I was a history major, and so I can see where that tie comes from.
Track 3:
[1:19:08] I hope we can move past the war stuff soon. Thanks justin yeah anything else from you craig well yeah i know i have nothing to add other than i love the little bait like bass kind of jazz odyssey thing that steven drake goes off on at the end if you if you notice the last like five seconds he just does this little improvised producer as well noodle it's pretty right bass player yes yes yeah engineering okay engineer anyways yeah Yeah, engineer. Well, that's what we got for you for this first episode. We're going to take a break and recuperate and recalibrate and take some electrolytes and we'll be back. Now, pick up your shit.
Welcome to Discovering Downie! Each week, Craig Rogers, Justin St. Louis and Kirk Lane are joined by jD to experience one of Gord Downie's solo outings.
jD makes a call for submissions
Dewvre podcasts & such has several new podcasts in the pipeline we think you're gonna love. Here is the first one. It drops on February 19th. You can subscribe at linktr.ee/rembreakdown
jD is back with a holiday greeting.
jD shares his version of the song Montreal to shine a spotlight on the atrocity that was the École Polytechnique massacre on December 6th, 1989 where 15 lives were lost and 14 more were injured.
jD, Dan from London, Pete and Tim are joined by a very special guest on this episode that is dedicated to the new reissue of Phantom Power for its 25th anniversary.
And make sure to listen to the VERY END!
Transcript:
[0:05] On August 31st, 2023, The Tragically Hip dropped the first track from the Phantom.
[0:12] Power 25th Anniversary box set, a song called Bumblebee.
I will always remember this day because my friends Dan from London, Pete and Tim were in Toronto for our big live finale and the four of us were off to Kingston to visit the Bad Houseand sightsee the tragically hip scenes in Kingston.
The first thing we did inside the car was fire up Bumblebee.
It was so odd to hear something so familiar but so new to my ears.
I hadn't heard this melody or these bending guitar licks before and I wanted more.
[0:53] Lucky for us there are several other tracks included on this box set.
Songs we either hadn't heard, or maybe we've heard snips and pieces of in live performances, or maybe on a bootleg.
And of course there are complete song ideas that wound up on Gord's first solo record, Coke Machine Glow.
There is also a fantastic live show from Pittsburgh, demos, and alternate versions of songs that did make the final cut.
In essence, this is an exciting time to be a hip fan.
Although we are all collectively gutted that we'll never see our boys on stage again, as long as I've been a hip fan, I've clamored for these songs that somehow wound up on the cuttingroom floor.
And I'm sure you have too.
[1:41] Today we'll get a sense of what Dan, Pete, and Tim think of the Reissue and we'll speak with a very special guest about the making of this spectacular box set and so much more.
So sit back, relax, and let's start getting hip to the hip.
Track 4:
[2:23] Hey, it's Shadeen here and welcome back to Getting Hip to the Hip.
This is an out-of-sequence bonus, episode for everyone.
We are going to be talking today about the box set of Phantom Power, and I am joined as always by my friends Pete and Tim, and today's special guest again, Dan from London. How's itgoing, everybody?
Well, Dan got his ears lowered, looks like Dan got his ears lowered.
Yeah, I lost some hair over the course of the last thing, yeah.
He was shorn. Maybe it was his younger brother stepping in. Yeah.
[3:07] So fellas, when we last left off and we talked about Phantom Power, I recall the conversation really revolving around fireworks.
You guys both really loved that song.
Something On was a little underwhelming for you.
You got into Poets, you thought that was a good kickoff and here we are just like six months after, not even six months, like four months after releasing that episode and The TragicallyHip goes out and releases a 25th anniversary box set of Phantom Power.
So we thought it would be cool to get the band back together and talk about that for a little bit.
And we'll be joined by a very special guest who we won't reveal quite yet.
Is there anything that in particular, Pete or Tim, you remember about your experience with the record, thinking back, and Dan, for you following one of them, what was your experiencewith the record in general?
[4:24] Um, it's funny because I went back and I found my notes from the original and it's it's just crazy to look at.
It's like it's a it's a time it's a time capsule because, yeah, there were certain songs that was like, this is good.
And like and now I look at, like, some of the songs that I was.
[4:44] You know, Gugu and Gaga over and I love fireworks, but I mean, by by and far, you know, Bob Cajun is probably one of the most just, I mean, it's on loop in my home.
So many, so many days. She also listens to it as well, right?
Oh, yeah, she absolutely loves that song. We're listening to the live version today, we went for a hike.
[5:07] And Cherrigan Falls. Poets is like, I think didn't, didn't, goodness, 50 Mission, didn't they?
They came out with Poets when they played the live event.
That song just, I had like one line written for that song. And this is the line, this is how sad it is. Dig it.
Verse phrasing is key to the song. Lines go to the next measure.
Layers and guitars. Nice. Now I'm just like, I hear that song.
And I just fucking stop what I'm doing. And I just like, I fucking love that song.
It's crazy how this album grew on me like a fucking virus. It's amazing.
Timmy? Great. Yeah. Great, great question, JD, for sure.
I mean, there's still a few on it that I'm not a super fan of, just to start off being negative here.
Like, the rules to me is still a yawner, you know, but like, I kind of dig Chagrin Falls more than I did last time.
I don't think I was anti, but in Emperor Penguin, I've read so many times across platforms that people love Emperor Penguin, and that song's slowly growing on me too. It's one of myfaves.
There's still some really good ones in there.
[6:31] Thompson Girl I could still live without. That's another one that grew on me, Timmy. I feel you, but I grew on it.
With the new songs, and this is a question for a few minutes ahead, but somebody asked with the new songs, are any of those potential replacements for what's on the original?
Oof. So yeah, that got me thinking a little bit.
Tim, why do you always have to embroil things in controversy?
I mean, that just is a controversial question.
I mean, probably because of aliens, I guess. Oh, stop it.
[7:15] Dan, what did you think of Phantom Power? I mean, Phantom Power is an absolute solid album.
It's just a kicker, isn't it? I mean, I always love something on, I think it was the first track I got into off the album and I still absolutely love it. I think that song kicks ass.
Something about the bass drum and the bass just driving it and the timing is just fantastic.
Obviously, yeah, Bob Cajun.
That always used to come on at a certain point on my commute when I was arriving at a certain station and I now still have overwhelming feelings when I pull into that station.
[8:02] I can't believe how big a song can be, how overwhelmingly amazing a song can be.
But yeah, I mean, the other stuff, I mean, Escape is at hand, I think, is just my favorite track on the album.
You know, again, it's a whole other different story and different sentiment that it carries.
And I don't know, I think that is a Bob Cajun and Escape is at hand, I think that just works a genius.
And I can't say much more than that.
Yeah. You know, the loss related with Escape Is At Hand is so relatable for me. And probably everybody.
But I tend to live with you, Dan.
I think Escape At Hand is... There's something about that song that just hits home, I think, probably for most people.
[8:58] Maybe not sociopaths. I don't know. Maybe not.
I think, Dan, you hit on the point. It's crazy how songs, even if you listen to them and enjoy them, it's like they get to a point where you've listened to them so many times, and perhaps thesame situation, like you said, pulling into that particular tube station or whatever it is, that maybe you don't hear it for a while, but then you hear it again, And, and just like a flood ofmemories and images come back.
Just weird how the human brain works, man. I mean, this summer, we were go, go ahead.
I mean, I just, I was just gonna say also in terms of that as well, it's the same station that I come into, I used to come into every time Fiddler's Green came on as well.
So there's a time in all the albums where some of this stuff happens.
[9:49] That's cool. That's cool. So have any of you guys had a chance to listen to the bonus tracks or the outtakes or the live show or any of it?
And if you haven't, that's cool.
All of it. All of it? Yeah. Yeah.
I'm just happy to have more live music from these guys.
For the obvious reason. It's a nice sounding show. So I read some kind of critique, so it's not the best sounding live show they played. I mean, who cares?
I'm just happy to have more live music. That's an easy go-to wherever I am, in the car, on a plane, whatever.
So as far as the new songs go? Yeah, back to your question.
Yeah, I dig most of them. What's the best of the bunch? Eh, I don't know, I'm not there yet, I wouldn't say I'm there yet, I kinda like them all for different reasons.
[10:52] Vegas Strip may be the least, but I like all these songs. I haven't gotten to it yet.
It's my least favorite, but I still really like it.
Yeah, like Songwriters Cabal isn't my favorite, but I love that song.
Mystery, just lastly. Mystery is kind of a phenomenal ending to this group of songs.
It's just this somber kind of tearjerker.
Yeah, that was that was a happy listen. Joy meant either you fellas dabble.
[11:31] I dabbled today and a couple of days last week, not yesterday, but I think Thursday and Friday in the fly stuff, which I concur with Timmy, I just love the live shit and I don't give afuck If it was a, you know, if it was a tape recorder jammed behind a, you know, bathroom stall and you got it picked it up in the background.
It's just cool to hear this band live, but I loved it. Um, of the new tunes.
I agree. I'm not there yet, but I, I got, um, I did hear bumblebee a lot when that came out, cause that dropped first, if I'm not mistaken, right. It dropped the day we went to Kingston.Kingston.
So we got to it on the way to Kingston. That was fun. That's right.
But I would say of the new tracks, I think the strongest one is Insomniacs. Me too.
I just think it's very brawling, fucking harking back, just cool, fucking, just has that cool, easy, fucking hip, early shit to it.
Early feels to it. Yeah, you know, has the road apples feel to it or something.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I agree with that. I like that too. I could be swayed.
[12:50] Okay. Dan? Yeah, and I mean for me, I've listened to the extra tracks.
I mean, I still love Bumblebee.
[13:04] There's something about that with the guitar bends, that like, I mean, I think we next sort of hear those kind of guitar bends on my music at work.
Something very similar happens towards the end of that, doesn't it?
But in terms of the live stuff, there's a few little things going on in there.
I mean, obviously, when you get down to 100th Meridian, there's a kind of improvised extract of Bumblebee in there, which is fantastic.
And also, in the Chagrin Falls live version, he breaks into Born Free, but in the alternate version of Chagrin Falls, he's singing Chagrin Falls with a Born Free kind of lilt to it.
So there's these kind of little parallels between some of the stuff that's been chosen, I think.
Yeah, so maybe that's the reasons for some of those selections.
Yeah. To you for choosing this live this light those like cuts you mean I Think so. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, there's definitely some some thread woven throughout.
Yeah Too bad. We don't have anybody to ask We might get some insight from our special guest Yeah, we should kick to him right now.
We'll go to a song and then we'll come in with our special guest Johnny fucking thing.
Track 6:
[17:35] Hello, hello, hello, hello, I hear you guys now. There we go. Oh good. Am I good?
Am I good? Yeah Hello Hi johnny Good doing well Sorry about that Hi, that's my fault. Not yours.
I'll take full credit for that We're just waiting for one more to join Okay, he's uh in the waiting room now.
Oh, there he is amazing how everything just Clicked and then johnny came on because we were having some severe problems, Dan, can you hear us? Yeah, absolutely. Awesome. Can youhear me? Yeah. Grant.
[18:18] How you doing technically there, Danny? Good. Can you hear me?
I can hear you. I can see you.
Perfect. So then are you done? Are you done taking the McDonald's in London?
London? London. Yeah. Yeah. My dad, my dad's hometown. He's from Woolwich.
Woolwich, really? Yes. Oh yeah. South of the river. And we got to Canada and some friends would say, are you from London, Ontario or London, England?
And my dad would just shoot back, he'd go, there's only one, London.
Ooh. Although they have a Thames where the Canadian one. Ooh. Anyway.
[18:59] That's beautiful. Isn't there in London, Missouri or something, too? There's a London... Oh, they're all over the place.
Yeah. What's the deal with that? What's the deal?
I think there's one in India also. You can't throw a shoe without hitting a London, is basically what you're saying. Yeah.
All right. Well, let's get things on the road here.
Johnny, just a brief introduction. We've ran a podcast from May 2, 4 to Labor Day this summer, where I took my friends that have never heard of the hit before. One is in Spain, Malaga.
One is in Portland, Oregon. That's Tim and that's Pete, who is from Spain.
And then Dan is from London.
And we took them through a record a week, starting with the Baby Blue record and working up to Man-Machine Poem and just.
[19:54] Inculcated them into the world of Tragically Hip.
We ended up with a big party at the end downtown at the Rec Room.
We raised like almost four grand for Donnie Wenjack.
Oh that's amazing. Incredible.
Yeah, so that's our story. I'm sorry I had to get the The music stuffed down your throat like that.
[20:19] Can you imagine doing it, Johnny, like of a band that you've never heard of, right?
And I've heard of you guys, but like never heard of you guys. I mean, I never heard it.
But it's crazy how we did get it literally shoved down our throats.
And now we were going back today talking about Band and Power, about what our first reactions were for it.
And even compared to now, how much everything's just grown on us.
It's just like, and we're diehard fans now, but go back a year from today, we didn't know. That's incredible.
Wow. It's crazy, man. Thanks for sticking with it. It's not always easy.
My Spotify algorithm is still totally convoluted, but a lot of a lot of hit playing in there.
So Johnny, let's start at the start and get to know a little bit about you as the drummer of The Tragically Hap.
And youngest member of The Tragically Hap. That's right, that's right. It's a dig.
[21:27] It's Gord Sinclair's birthday today, right? It is indeed.
Yes. Yes. I had dinner with him and Paul the other night in Toronto, and we had a nice evening.
And, you know, we're 40 years young next year.
I was in high school when we started, and I guess here we are.
Wow. Wow. Who, before you got into the band and as you guys were forming, um, you know, your sound and your, you know, cadence, who were your big influences?
I've, I know Stuart Copeland came up at one point. Oh, without a doubt.
Yeah. I've heard a story about an exam or something like that, that you missed.
That's correct. Yeah, that's correct. Uh, and we later ended up working with Hugh Padgham, the great British producer. and Synchronously was coming out and it came out on the daybefore my.
[22:29] My math exam for Mrs.
Griffordy and Lynn got this record and I listened to it.
I'd heard Every Breath You Take on the radio, but then when I heard Synchronicity II and just the blistering drumming of Stuart, I just had to drink it all in.
I remember making the decision. I was like, I can listen to this record, I can study for the exam.
If I don't study for the exam, I'm going to summer school, which I did.
And then I took one day off to go see them at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, but it was worth it because that was, that was really my education was living, eating and breathing.
And if you were a drummer in the eighties, who, uh, the guy, he was instantly identifiable by a snare drum.
Um, just the hit one snare drum, there was Stuart Copeland.
So, And this was an era of drum machines, don't forget, this was Len drums and sequencers, and I loved all that stuff too, absolutely did, but to be on the radio, and Stuart was it, he was,and I'm still finding things out about him, that he held the drumstick between two fingers, he didn't hold it, he held it up here.
[23:48] Instead of the two fingers, which is the traditional way to hold the drumsticks.
But he invented a way to play and invented a kit, which was a sound, you know.
And he really, I can't say enough things about Stuart Copeland.
Yeah, he's amazing. But I'll also listen to Alan White of Yes, who was fantastic. and of course, you know, Neil Peart, Bob Rush.
That's a pretty good pedigree.
Well, you try and take a little bit from each guy, you know, you don't want to be a lab rat. You don't want to copy them.
You want to just take all the little things you like the right hand from this guy, this snare drum from that guy, the bass drum.
And of course, the great I saw him the other day, the Manu Katché, Peter Gabriel's drummer, who is the Picasso on the drums. He has hands down, Art Picasso on drums.
High praise. Dan?
Yeah, so yeah, those are your sort of past influences. But who do you enjoy listening to now? Who does it for you now?
Well, it's really funny because what's on my turntable right now is Heavy Weather by.
[25:12] Weather Report and I'm listening to Jaco Pastorius.
I'm trying to get as much of him into me because he was the guy really, you know. You hear Geddy Lee talk about him, you hear.
So I'm listening to a lot of bass players these days and loving it.
So that's what's going on.
[25:36] I gotta I gotta ask you, just because you mentioned synchronicity, this is just a this is just a note.
And if you didn't know it, then I think we brought it up with Paul.
But do you know that that record had 33 different covers?
[25:53] I did, yes I did. I didn't know that I thought it had.
I thought it had. Well, I guess it would because each guy was sort of on one of the strips and it changed.
But I didn't know there were 33. 32 or 33. But yeah, it was when I found and some some versions are rarer than others. But that record is.
And that song Mother is just nuts. And isn't Stewart Copeland singing that song?
No, that song is Andy Summers, and I heard a story, they did part of it in the Moran Heights in Montreal and the engineer asked Hugh if he could bump himself off a cassette in the day.
In those days there was no internet so it was cool. The engineers usually got to be able to do that.
Here's a record I'm working on, just happens to be with the police.
And he asked Hugh Padgham if he could leave that song off.
A lot of people hated it. It's a hard song to listen to if you're not into the record. You know, what went into the trash bin was I Burned For You, that was slated to go on that record.
And think about how that would have, you know, from Sting's soundtrack work, would have changed that record. Totally.
[27:22] I'm a little curious of then and now also, when you first started playing drums, I raised a drummer.
I have a 21 year old who plays drums.
Awesome. Actually, yeah, the past year or so he's been out of the country and he's been more focused on DJing, techno of all things.
But he's, you know, can hear kind of a drummer influence. But anyways, you know, we got him on hand drums early and drum lessons early.
And I lived through, you know, a drum set in the basement.
Just anywhere you went in my house, you had to go outside or take a call.
It was just, you know, what was it like for you in your early years playing drums? Like what pushed you over to the drum set or being interested in it? And...
Conversely, do you still play now? Do you still have access to a drum set or a drum set at home?
[28:13] Great questions. Number one, my brothers had a friend who had a drum set and they said to me, they went and got the snare drum and they said, we'll get you the snare drum.
And after a year, if you're still playing, we'll go get the rest of the drum kit.
And I'm still playing. And so they Then I had an eye injury, which for three weeks I had both eyes sort of closed off with cotton batting.
And it was a really weird, weird accident.
I still, when I'm explaining it to people, my dad was on the phone.
He was a pediatric cardiologist and he was talking to the hospital and we were at a friend's house.
And it had this jar of erasers and pens and pencils and elastics and he was talking and I remember he had his hand on my head like that and I grabbed an elastic band and a pen, and I shotthe pen into my eye and yeah it was very bizarre I thought it was shooting at the other end so it went right in and I remember my dad saying to my mom don't touch it leave it leave it andshe was trying to pull it out and so I went in and my sense of hearing was heightened.
[29:33] I could hear my dad walk down the hall after he had his morning rounds.
I could hear the cadence of his footstep and so you know for that three weeks where I was unable to see, it just kicked that.
At about seven years old into a different gear for me. I started hearing rhythm everywhere.
As you do with your indicator of your car, to industrial sounds, trucks backing up. I can put a rhythm into it.
Like your son, his, like you're saying about drumming, and now he's DJing, his internal clock is always going as a drummer because that's where it started. Absolutely.
Yeah. So it's the same. Drummers are that way. You just pick those things up.
And then second question. No, I'm not playing. I'm kind of doing what your son is doing with drum machines.
But I have two drummers in the house, two nine-year-old boys.
[30:29] And one is a lefty. And I would set a kit up for him and then my other son, Finn, and then I would forget about Willie.
And then, so I just said, well, I'm going to set it up on the left for you because he has a great acoustic kit, a set of Gretsch 1960s.
And now I play left because I'm not the drummer that I'm not, you know, I'm not that drummer anymore. So now I'm discovering all kinds of new things about playing on the left side, andleft-handed drummers I find are way more creative.
It's funny you mentioned that because we often notice when I've gone to shows with my son, we'll just say immediately that guy's left-handed.
You just see it like that. That's very cool.
Ringo was left-handed, they say, and that's why no one could ever duplicate the way he got around the kit.
Yeah. His left hand pushed his right hand, I think.
Phil Collins, Ian Pace, they're not good drummers.
They're incredible drummers. Those two guys for me, Ian Pace and Phil Collins.
Phil Collins, the stuff that I listened to today, and I'm like, how is he doing that?
How is he doing that? He was incredible.
He really was. He is incredible.
[31:48] Johnny, you've been hard at work on the Phantom Power reissue, the box set, the amazing box set.
I got it last week, and it was so fun to open and just touch the vinyl, and the book that's inside is really wonderful.
I'm just, I'm so curious what a project like that.
[32:17] Entails like from a from a time perspective. And I know you guys are hard at work on another one for next year.
Like, when does that begin? And what does that process even look like?
Like, is it just climbing Everest or what?
It's really fun. It's really great therapy for us.
You know, we get to talk about the past and if one guy doesn't remember it, someone else will.
We have weekly calls and it's fun.
We didn't do any therapy after Gord passed away and we really should have.
We have just all kind of dealt with things and I think really right now that this is our therapy.
I'm in Toronto, so that's where the tapes are. I'm very happy to do it and we're digitizing things and Phantom Power was a different one because it was in different formats.
It was on D88, little digital tapes.
[33:11] DAT machines were around and kicking at that time.
We also had our 2-inch machine and then Pro Tools, the dreaded Pro Tools was coming in.
Well, you didn't have to make a decision and you could have a hundred tracks on something and and I was like the you know There was such economy when we were going to tape andAnd I really liked that.
So, you know, if you look at the early records, we're still I, Think there's the most that we used was 18 tracks You know Don Smith would consolidate things and that was really a goldenperiod So, it's not as daunting as you think, it's been fun, it's been fun, it's been a discovery.
[34:00] You know, to listen to some of those tracks and hear Gord Downie speaking in between takes is really these beautiful moments.
So yeah, it's been a lot of fun.
Robbie is in charge of the box set, putting it all together.
So he's doing all of that stuff.
And you know, Gord and Paul are very involved in it. But they have solo careers too.
So, um, you know, uh, but we are, we're all together on this.
Uh, it's not me, uh, just doing, um, the tape stuff there. They're involved in it too. Very cool.
Yeah. I mean, I was going to ask in terms of the project from the offset, uh, you know, when you're going through the tapes and covering all of these tracks and these, these different takesof the tracks that you have, what, what shape, you know, with those tracks in, did they require a lot of work to get them up to spec, or was there anything that was kind of left off that was,you regard as pretty good, but it was still a bit too rough around the edges to include?
[35:04] Well, if we did any editing back in the day, if it was tape, we would do chunk editing.
We would take the ending of one, with the hip, we would play a tune, it'd be great, be great and we would get close to the end and then we'd anticipate the ending and I'd make the otherguy speed up so we get to it and then our producer would say well the ending of this one's good so let's take the last four bars so there we go there's the track.
So they were in pretty good shape you know the tape that we got was really forgiving.
The crazy thing is I heard about the Rolling Stones going back and doing stuff that they did in the early 60s.
And the early 60s tape actually lasted better than the stuff they made in the 80s.
They had to do very little to get them back into shape, which is cool.
You got to bake them in what essentially is an easy bake oven for tapes at a low temperature and it just sucks all the humidity out.
And so record companies are obviously very well prepared to do all that sort of stuff and then it's just digitizing them.
But when you first have a go through the tape after it's been baked and it's coming off the head and going through a board at the studio, it never sounds better.
You know and they shoot it over to Pro Tools and they say now we have it We've have it and I always say well it sounded better a few minutes ago when it was going through the machineand so, Yeah Tape is king.
We lived in the Golden Age. We really did in the in the 80s and 90s When you when you still were spinning tape.
[40:59] So I imagined with coming across tapes, you guys did so much work, you know, in the recording process that I imagined it was just so fun to go through. It has been.
It was, you know, but, you know, talk about Bob Cajun being an example.
We only really have two versions of that.
[41:23] And Gord Sinclair and I had a conference and we were like, well, we can play that again and we can play it better. And we were like, yeah, let's do it.
And so the version you hear is the demo version, really.
It's just we said we would go back and address it later. I think we went on tour and then it was Steve Berlin listening to it, which was really cool because he he recognized you can't beatyour demo.
And that's what bands try and do.
And he was so smart with it. And he said, I'll let you play it again.
But you're not going to beat this. It's just there's a vibe there.
And Gordon and I were like, we're going to beat it. We're going to do it. And we never did.
And so I always loved that, that he did that because as a producer, I wouldn't have done that.
And I would have screwed it up if I was producing that record.
And he had the brainpower and the knowledge and he'd made so many great records before that he just, he let us play it, but we never beat it.
It's our biggest song, too. Well, we were talking before, I absolutely love that song.
That song is the soundtrack of this past summer for my wife and I.
You jammed it down her throat. Oh, yeah. She drank the Kool-Aid, man.
Let me tell you. She sure did.
I've tried. We're getting there.
[42:46] That's the pocket of that song, in my opinion, and this is my opinion, and if Robbie was here, I'd maybe change it just to be sweet to him, but it's you and Gord.
It's just that the pocket's so tight with that.
But you said something earlier about tape, and I want to just touch on it real quick because you were talking about how they have Pro Tools and this and that, and how you would havemade a different decision with Bob Cajun.
But we cut a record in this last March, our band, we did our second record.
And the engineer was using Cubase, which is just another version of Pro Tools or whatever.
You've got a million, you can do a million tracks. But like he was like, no, you're going to do this many. And I'm like, no, I don't like that.
He's like, nope, that's it.
Yeah, because you get to a point to where you could just you just go crazy.
And you could do 25, 30 tracks, you know, on one take or 25, 30 takes.
And it's just it's stupid at that point.
You've got to appreciate the moment that it is, you know, whether it's, you know, you're never better than your demo, like you said. You know? Yeah.
And and I don't know, I guess.
[44:01] There was, and not to get off the topic of, of, of, of Phantom Power, but for me, and I know we all had this, this reaction.
We felt like I felt like In Between Evolution was the Johnny Faye record.
[44:17] Really? Yeah, and there's... I don't remember that record, really.
Well, yeah, there's a specific thing. That's crazy because there there's at the end of certain songs, there's little, you know, hi-hat touch, there's a rimshot, there's just little sprinkles of youthat is the last sound you hear on multiple tracks and or, or the beginning of a track.
And I'm like, I wonder if there's something to this, but they must have just been the take that you guys did and it's taking up, maybe so.
That was confusing record.
Well, it's interesting about the tape to dress the tape thing.
Yeah. And you have limitations. You got to make decisions.
Uh, and you know, and I didn't say that I read Keith Richard's book and he was like, give me eight tracks and I'll write you a hit.
And, you know, when they went to 16, he was like, man, okay, but I can still do it. Nay. And it's true.
Um, you know, that, that the a hundred guitar tracks or whatever, the layering and, and, uh, it's just, you know, it goes, just lets up on records, John Bonham.
I worked with a guy named Terry Manning and he had, John Bonham got very upset with him because Terry Manning said to me, I was the guy who put the third microphone on thedrums, he didn't like that, he only wanted two.
[45:36] Only wanted two. So yeah, Inbetween Evolution was, we worked with Adam Casper, he was fantastic, obviously he's a guy who worked with Pearl Jam and we were very chuffedabout working for him, with him.
And we seemed to move around studios a lot.
For me that was a little bit confusing, so I never knew what we really had in the can.
And it was in Seattle, where I love. I absolutely love Seattle.
And so that was cool to be there. But yeah, I don't sort of...
It's just a record that's easy to associate with you.
And I think at that time too, we were looking at videos. I remember talking about this video I saw of you.
You were so in the friggin zone playing live.
You broke a cymbal and somebody just came like middle of the song.
You just kept going along, replace cymbal.
That would be Mike Cormier. He was my drum check and he was amazing.
He could tell when they were broken. He sort of mid-song and he'd say, should I wait for the end of the song? I was like, no, just get rid of it.
[46:44] Yeah, you know, we're going through something now where we're going back even further and with Up To Here.
And a question was asked earlier about is there some songs that were left off?
And there was a song that was left off, Up To Here, and it's called Wait So Long. and it was a really, really special song.
Our producer and his manager and some people at the record company really thought that that was the lead track.
[47:15] It ended up being Blow It High Dough, I believe.
Or New Orleans is sinking. But Wait So Long is a great track, and that will come out next year.
Oh, that's exciting. We have a mix of it and everything from Don Smith, so that's fully intact.
So when we looked through the tapes and thought, oh, what do we need to remix?
There was that one, you know, the lettering. It was like, okay, we got that one.
So that'll be great to get out.
You know, hear what people think about that. So one of our go ahead, Judy.
So I have an ammo system set up at home. So I've been listening to the mix and Dolby Atmos.
And I'm just curious about how that works when you're when you're doing a mix of that because there are instrumentations and sounds that I've never heard in those songs before.
And now all of a sudden, they're they're shooting over my head.
And it's, it's really fucking tremendous. It's a great way to experience music.
But I just wonder what it's like.
Do you have a mixer that just takes care of that?
Because I noticed there was there's three writing credits for mixers on the Yeah, on the album.
So I'm just curious if one is just for Dolby Atmos, sir.
Yeah, well, we had a guy in the first couple, I think he did Road Apples.
[48:43] And his name is Rich Chicky, and you might know him because he's done all the Rush stuff.
He's like the Rush in-house guy for Atmos.
Since then, we've had our key engineer, Mark Braykin, has been doing the Atmos stuff because he built an Atmos room.
[49:00] You're right on this one. Phantom Power has a lot of stuff. I was sitting in the back of the room when they were mixing that and it's like there's some backwards guitars and somestuff that just goes out and it makes sense.
I'm not gonna lie, I'm not the hugest fan of, I get it, you know, let's send the hi-hat into outer space, changes the groove, changes the groove for a five-piece band, we're not gonna lie.
[49:29] On an album like Road Apples, which Rich did, and he did a great job.
I just don't get it. On Phantom Power, which would be the closest thing that we would ever have to Dark Side of the Moon, I get it.
You sit in the back of the room and hear the backwards guitar or stuff swirling around. It's cool.
But I know people want this in their headphones, but I guess I'm a little bit like Monomix guy.
I don't mind that either. I love it. I love that. Yeah.
Dan? I'm with you, Joni.
[50:04] Coming back to the other aspect of the box set, which is the live recordings, I mean, what criteria do you sort of use for selecting the live recording?
I mean, out of the three that have been, you know, re-released.
[50:18] Obviously one was the Horseshoe, but the other two have been from, like, American venues.
Would you perhaps, like, choose the American gigs because they might be lesser known to a predominant Canadian audience?
Or, I don't know, how do you choose? We pick a gig that has fewer clams in it and less mistakes.
We just kind of really, we really do.
We did a live record called Live Between, it was way back in the day, and we argued about this.
We had really sort of a good old fashioned fight about it.
And Gord Downie wanted one from this place called the 40 Walk Club, which we'd listened to and it was a great, great version.
It was a great night.
And it's where REM, I think, got their start.
And so we were sort of between that and another couple.
[51:12] And then we ended up picking Detroit because it sounded good.
Um, I think that's kind of what we go on when we're, we're picking these, um, these live, uh, albums and Gord Sinclair's son, um, is the one who really goes through them and says, there'ssomething here.
He knows the hip really well. And so he really kind of directs us.
So there's so many tapes out there. Um, and so he, he sort of says this one, um, from, uh, Chicago second night, a house of blues.
This, this one's got something there. And so Colin Sinclair is really in charge of that.
I don't think any other guy in the hip can take credit for it.
[51:52] Can I just ask as well then, so what percentage of hip shows do you think were actually recorded, you know, documented?
[52:00] It would depend on the period. One tour we went out with D88 machines, other eras we let people tape, like Fish Show or Grapevold Head, we would set up a little area where theycould get stuff off the board.
That was cool. And there were some remote stuff, not a ton of 24-track, tape stuff. We would do stuff for Westwood One.
Most of this stuff is going to be in-house, or a record company generated through a live truck, Usually in LA or New York, we have one coming up from a show we did in the States forRecord Day next year.
Not a ton. There's not a ton. Two scoops in this session. That's great.
That are coming out?
[53:05] You mentioned Zeppelin too. I was going to ask you about Hedley Grange, but I forgot what I was going to say. You know where Bonham did that thing with the, for, for, um.
[53:16] When the levee breaks, you know, yeah, they put the mics up on the stairs. God, that's so cool.
But, but no, that was Jimmy. That was Jimmy Page. That was Jimmy Page doing that.
He engineered page based on that. That's that's such a it's such a I mean, never in in history. Can anybody recreate that sound? I mean, it's just so cool.
No, the sound of like a double bass almost, but people people don't understand that there's the economy of it.
If you worked with one of These older guys, I always say that Don Smith was like Rudy Van Gelder, he got it.
He knew, he kept on coming into the studio, back in the control room.
He would make the live room, the studio sound, the control room sound like the live room. And he was constantly tweaking like that.
[54:02] The guitar, if you listen to the Zeppelin, it's all the stuff that's implied in the chords I think.
The drums are what everything is hanging off of. The guitars are really quite small, you know, you know, there's these these bands that came out in the 80s that were trying to be likeZeppelin, use 24 microphones on the drums.
It sounded horrible, you know, and for John Bonham, it was just the way he played. He was really good.
Incredible jazz sensibilities, an incredible groove. And he was able to move, you know, all four of those guys were spectacular.
We went on the road with them. We went on the road with them, Paige and Plant, through the States, and it was incredible.
[54:49] Yeah. Never a nicer, never a nicer guy than Robert Plant. He was so, so nice.
Oh, yeah. That's that's, that's, that's amazing.
Yeah, I'm a huge, I'm a huge Zep fan. But I just got to ask you real quick about the song Fireworks.
Is there, there's got to be some Rush influence in that. I just hear so much like spirit of the radio in that tune.
It's just such a, I think that when that song, when we heard that song on this record, Tim and I both, I was like, that was for our first favorite song on this record. Oh, that's sweet.
[55:26] Don Smith's mix on the box set is really interesting.
Because for Phantom Power, where we mixed it three different times.
Yeah, I mean, Neil, I got to meet him a couple of times.
He was obviously a huge influence and I would say, yeah, yeah.
I went trick or treating as him one year. I crank called him.
[55:50] Oh my gosh, amazing. Love Rush, man, love Rush.
J.D. be mindful of the of the clock too on the thing. You're on mute.
Yeah, we can't hear you, J.D.
Oh, sorry about that, guys. I was just going to say we've got a minute 45 left of this session before it cancels out.
So, Tim, if you've got a quick one and then we'll bid adieu.
Well, I just had one of our pod listeners asked about Bumblebee and basically was like, why didn't this make the album?
You know, this it could fit in there so well. So just a quick comment on that.
And yeah, yeah, that was one that was that was on on the list.
And I think it just, we just sort of Gord Sinclair was putting the sequences together for that.
And it just for us, there was just something maybe missing. It's really great.
[56:46] And I love the line when the moon's a water balloon.
It just is so great. That's so Gord. You know, yeah.
And I look at every time I look up at a supermoon and it looks like a water balloon. I think it's very cool.
Well, it made the box set. So that's, yeah, that's important.
Yeah. Well, Johnny, we really want to thank you so much for your time.
It means a lot. And thank you gents for, for all your promotion to the hip. Our pleasure.
Keep ramming, keep ramming it.
Hopefully not your family. They love it too. It happens.
Track 1:
[57:29] Thanks for listening to Getting Hip to the Hip. Please subscribe, share, rate and review the show at gettinghiptothehip.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram at gettinghippod.
And join our Facebook group at facebook.com slash groups slash fully and completely.
Questions or concerns? Email us at JD at getting hip to the hip.com.
We'd love to hear from you.
Track 6:
[58:25] I can't wait for the music at work box set as well, just so you know, just so you know, we're dying for that one. Oh yes, please, please.
I'll tell you, I'll tell you the one that I was listening to last night and the demos are really great and and I'm really pushing for this one is in violet light.
Oh yes. Yeah. In violet light. The demos were just incredible.
Gordon Edgar Downie - 1964 - 2017
jD, Pete, and Tim welcome Sean Cullen, and 50 Mission to their finale with all proceeds going to Downie Wenjack.
jD, Pete, and Tim are live from the stage at the Rec Room for Getting Hip to the Hip - An Evening for the Downie Wenjack Fund.
Transcript:
Track 1:
[0:00] 16 episodes ago, I invited my pals on a little experiment.
You see, they had never heard the music of The Tragically Hit before, and I wanted to take them on a journey for the world to hear.
Pete and Tim didn't know what hit them.
Now we're here at the end, and it's time to pack it in. I'm not sure what to expect, but I know it's gonna be fun.
So, as we taxi down the runway, I'll be Captain JD and get you all landed safely.
We want to thank you all for joining us here this evening and throughout this journey.
Now buckle up, put your trays in the upright position and let's land this thing called getting hip to the hip.
Track 4:
[1:14] Hey, it's J.D.
Here, and, uh, this is it, folks.
This is where we say adios to getting hip to the hip.
Of course we couldn't do that without my two Brothers in hipdom, Pete and Tim from Portland, let's give it up, they're here!
[1:54] You guys are here! We're here, we're definitely here.
This is exactly what it looks like when we're, you know, at our own homes.
In our small, tiny DIY pod rooms. Yeah, right?
This chair is much better, actually, than my chair.
It's nicer than my house. These are great chairs. There's no doubt about it.
If we were to even consider a second season of the show, the chair budget would have to go up considerably.
Considerably. So, how are you guys doing? How are your flights in?
Talk to me about what's going on Tim Tim Tateka.
I mean I got in Before the rest of the guys I got to go to a blue jays game.
I got I got to witness hot dog night Wow, I Did the math that was a lot of hot dogs per person, but you know for a dollar And I did bring some amazing.
I brought my own sauce to put on the hot dogs, which is over at the silent auction by the way and yeah it was it was awesome waiting for this Yahoo yeah my So I flew further than Tim.
[3:14] That's a fact.
[3:17] Dan flew further than Tim as well, but I flew further than Dan.
You just gave it away, man. Dan from London? Where's Dan from London?
Where is Dan from London? Hey, we're here. There is Dan from London.
Present. Dan from London. Proper and present.
So anyway, I got in and no, you didn't get that warm maple syrup Canadian welcome Canadian, welcome, because I'm at the airport, activate the e-sim, hey, we're at the Arizona Bar andGrill, get the shuttle.
We're at this hotel by the airport.
Yeah, and I'm waiting to get picked up with a fucking, you know, the bat blue in one hand, and you know, Tim Horton's in the other, and I get a text that says, we're at the Arizona Bar,come meet us, take the shuttle.
I was like, so I got there late.
No, I'm not bitter about it. No, no, no, no, the music there was a Good experience not at all.
But then, you know, we proceeded to Does anybody and does everybody know in this room because I sure as hell didn't that marijuana is legal in the country of Canada So I smelled somemarijuana smoke outside the Arizona bar and then proceeded to trip balls and have to go back to the hotel.
Is that correct JD? Sounds about right.
That's how my trip was. I'm pretty sure you were escorted.
[4:46] It was good. It's been a hell of a week.
[4:50] Yeah then we we went out to Kingston yesterday. Yeah. Almost feels like a month ago because it was just so amazing and memorable. And guess where we went? Went to thebathhouse.
Bathhouse, yes. We, it was, I mean, so I told the story to a couple of people.
Does everybody know what the bathhouse is, first of all? Yeah. It's the, the HIP owns a home in Bath and it's where they recorded, where many bands have recorded, and you basicallycheck into this home, live upstairs and record downstairs, record upstairs too, they record all over the place and it was just there was a patina to the whole interior you know it was likemight need to change out some of these rugs I like but it was beautiful I thought it was nice but we all showed up and so we get When we get there, we get to the vat house.
[5:47] And we're just creeping, there's nobody there. We roll up the driveway. We had no reservation.
Yeah, and we're looking around, we're taking pictures. I'm playing fucking horseshoe.
There's a horseshoe pit. Yeah, it's a horseshoe field pitch.
Pete starts playing horseshoes. Yeah, at the bathhouse.
And then we're like, all right, guess time to go home. Fuck it, nobody's here.
Langlois didn't respond. Damn you, Langlois.
And then a car comes up the driveway.
And this guy walks out and his name's Niles and he's cool as shit.
And he gets out with his coffee and we're all like, hey, how's it going?
JD's like, I'm too shy right now, I'm too shy. And Dean says, well, get fucking un-shy.
[6:37] And then Tim walks over, we're literally getting in the car Tim's like, hey, how's it going, man? Cool, yeah, we're just taking some pictures, and then, hey, we'll see you later, but youmind if we just take a peek inside?
He's like, sure, come on in.
And takes us for a full tour, because Tim Lydon has the Cajones.
That's right. I mean, it was like going to Disneyland and being like, dude, it was so cool.
They're sold out, son. You know, we had to go in.
We had to go in. Absolutely. So, why don't we take a minute and look at a little package that was put together by Rainy Media, one of our sponsors.
Yes. And it's our trip to Kingston.
Take a look at the screens all around and enjoy.
I guess I'll watch from back there.
[7:35] Hey, it's J.D. here and let's do a roll call. We've got Spain, we've got Portland, we've got damn fuckin' London in the house, bro.
Let's go to Peakson! Do it.
[8:45] My co-host thought up of the idea and then posed to the city council, thought it was a great idea as well.
To say You're strong, you're the darkest one, You're the darkest one Come in, come in, come in Come in and we'll get ready It's warm and it's safe here and there.
[9:58] I almost heard you Here in a time and place caught lost on our imagination You don't explain what you're still doing Peace out yo!
[11:57] It has been an absolute whirlwind going through what we've been through.
But this last couple of days has been just tremendous.
And I really want to thank Dean and David for putting everything together.
Absolutely. Please, Randy.
Give them a big round of applause.
A lot of fun was had. But you know, a lot of fun has been had since we started recording, and I don't know if we've ever told this, but we started recording November 28th of 2022, and werecorded through April, and then we recorded bonus content on top of that.
[12:52] But basically, we were were done when we launched on the May long weekend.
And we didn't know whether this was a stone that we were gonna throw that was gonna just go kerplunk or it was gonna skip, skip, skip, skip, skip.
[13:13] And you know what? It fucking skip, skip, skip, skip, skip. And here we are.
And that's pretty fucking cool, right? It's amazing. Well said.
So I want to throw it over to my buddy Tim right now to talk about his experiences with the hip and where he thinks he's landed at this point with this band and this crazy fan base that wehave.
[13:48] I'll just say it's a massive sense of awe.
You know, when you experience maybe someone else's baby or puppy, you're like, oh.
Or you maybe have something bad happen, you're like, ah, shucks.
No, I'm talking about the sense of awe where you experience nature or something beautiful or something amazing that happens where you're just kind of dumbstruck.
You know, you're just speechless.
And that's kind of what this process led me to.
We were, my wife and I in Portland, Oregon, were recently at our neighborhood bar, and it was on my birthday, and there was nobody there, it was kind of perfect, and Monday night, andthere's this, of course, digital jukebox playing, which we never really paid much attention to, probably because on Thursdays, we play bingo there.
I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not 75, but bingo's hella fun at a bar, I gotta say.
Anyways, we're at the bar, and I'm like, let's take over this digital jukebox, what happens. So what do I search?
[14:50] Thank you so much and every albums in there so I picked all these damn songs and for like two hours We're drinking listen to the hip Yeah.
[14:57] It was amazing in Portland, Oregon, and I'm kept like looking around I was waiting for the bartender asked me who this band is and but I had to turn it tell her to turn it up Like fivetimes and said and but at one point my wife Amy said you know this this music just feels just right for this place, feels right for right now, it's just like perfect rock here in ourneighborhood bar.
And I'm like, holy hell, this is probably how the hip was for millions of people, am I right?
I mean, we all basically ended up in a moment where we're, you know, you pull over to listen to the song and just sit in it and then play it again.
And that happened to me so many times, you You know, at the beginning of the pod, my son, who's a drummer, 21, he kind of started listening to the music with me, the first EP, and he'slike, Dad, what are you getting into?
You know, are you sure about this? Who's this guy? What's up with the singer?
The drums sound pretty good. But are you sure you want to do this?
How long are you going to do this? And we pretty much had a nine-month baby podcast happen.
[16:10] So yeah, so through the process, really, I got to this point where I was in
[16:15] this experience, this sense of awe.
I mean, these guys started playing when they were 17, 18, 19 years old.
And they knew that this is what they wanted to do. And they knew that.
They were just focused and targeted and told their parents there's no backup plan.
You know, and they just went for it. How how many of us did that when we were in high school or going into our first year of uni?
How many of you knew what you were set out to do?
So here we are having just a blast with the music and having a blast with this process. And I never would have thought I'd be sitting here today.
We're sitting in stirrups right now, Tim. Yeah, I don't know if I can get out of this chair. Because you said we had a 9-month baby. So right now we're like this.
And this is the baby, man. Yeah, yeah. Silent auction. It took Pete a little while to push him out, but that's what happened.
[17:16] All right, who wants to get into the MVP tracks that these guys put together all year.
And see how they broke down. All right, let's do that then. And we will go to...
Where are we going to start here? Are we going to start with Pete or Tim? Tim, please.
We can start with either, it doesn't matter. I have a hard time seeing this thing so close behind me. We're starting with Tim's MVP tracks.
So here is his playlist, which as you can see is already on Spotify for your edification.
[17:59] And you can grab that and enjoy. And I will throw to my compadre Tim Lydon now and have him explain just what the fuck he put together here.
Why, what? Yeah, so this is my playlist.
I blacked out the amount of downloads. The digits were too long.
That's a joke. Yeah, so I put this together based on favorite songs along the way and just being a bit of an audiophile I kind of tried to experience it as if I was one of you guys maybe on aroad trip or something, and so each song, I hope, kind of ties or blends into each other really well.
There's a little bit of a, you know, cadence to the hips history, but then I mix it up and I think it's pretty good.
I think it's pretty fun. The guys, you know, said a few times God, you really picked a fucking weird song on that album, Tim, you know?
But sometimes the weird ones are the ones that grow on you. Sometimes they're awesome. I mean, All Canadian Surf Club, who does not like that song?
[19:08] Okay, whatever You need to you need to take a trip somewhere warm and tropical Yeah, but yeah I was so fun to put this together and was I was kind of wishing there were moresongs because now I've gone back to many albums of course and I'm finding so many other nuggets and songs that have grown on me and All right.
[19:27] I have a question about that then I have a question about that then It's been a long time since we dealt with the Bob rock records. Oh Uh-oh.
Have either of those records grown on you since we last...
Now you liked... Now you liked... You liked World Container.
Yeah, yeah. But I'm curious about... I'm curious about We Are The Same.
Have you went back to that at all? I... I only...
I mean, I get caught up in Bob Rock's lovely flowing hair and I just want to be like him. That's where I go. That's where I go.
This is Bob Rock Lock. Bob Rock Lock. No, I have gone back to those albums and I'm still visiting them. All right, that's fair enough.
Maybe that will be something we look at in the future. Who knows?
All right, our friend Pete. Who wants to see Pete's playlist?
[20:24] I'll show you my playlist. I'm gonna just burn through it.
Killing Time, cool song I have heard during the first record.
Blowed High Dough, fuck, come on.
Fiddler's Green, I remember sitting on Avenida de Andalucía and crying as I dropped somebody off on the train station the first time I heard that song. Broke my fucking heart.
100th Meridian, really? Grace 2, Springtime Vienna, fucking no-brainers.
[20:58] Courage, Tiger the Lion, Jesus Christ. I mean, that was a great guy.
That was an experience for us. Tiger the Lion, we talked about that on the pod.
We talked about that quite a bit.
It's just, you hear it and it's like...
[21:18] It just rips. John Cage? Was it John Cage or Philip Glass that did the...
Does anybody know the answer? Trivia question.
It was John Cage or Philip Glass that did the song that was seven minutes or so whatever the lore is.
[21:36] John Cage. That's the fucking... That's what Gord is speaking about in that song.
And it's... fuck number 10 the dark Canuck guess guess who didn't know what a Canuck was okay JD we got a lot of feedback on this Canuck thing and I don't I don't know that'ssomething that we really fuck with right like I mean we don't talk about ourselves as Canucks do we like our like are you like I'm a hardy Canuck or are you?
Like if you are, that's cool. Yeah. Okay. Okay. All right. 85.
I'll take that. I will take that. And that was the year, Marty.
That was a funny moment. Yeah. Yeah. 85.
Back to 55. Gus the polar bear.
Let's keep going. Gus the polar bear. Yeah. Sorry. Anyway, Gus, the polar bear, um...
Animal psychology. Who knew animals had feelings? Depression suite, like... So we're talking about the second Bob Rock record. That's the second one, right?
[22:52] What do you want somebody to say who's been on a fucking drip IV of the tragically hip for nine months? I'd say I'm beautiful. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, it's a beautiful song.
[23:10] We feel great. Geez. Yeah, it's just been out.
I'll say more about my experience, but that's the playlist.
Download it. Enjoy it. Whatever. Baptist blues.
Oh, that's all. So they're there for you to enjoy. Yes, absolutely.
Sorry, Pete. The treasure gift gets like point zero zero zero zero zero zero zero three cents per listen. So, go for it.
Every little bit helps. No, I was going to mention something.
I just I want to know. I want to know before we go too much further what your experience has been like. We asked him what your experience is like going through this process.
[23:51] Well, so most people know that JD asked me to just like he asked him and to do the podcast.
And I heard from I heard about the hip since 2007 from Canadian friends.
He's come into a bar I worked at and then 2011 sometime around there.
2018, I was working for Nat Geo and this guy used to come in all the time and they were Canadian, him and his wife, and they kept hammering me about the tragically hip and I was like.
Didn't take. I felt I was getting pushed. Then I meet this son of a bitch, and he's like, let's do this. I'm going to force this. So I'm going to shove this mashed potato down your mouth. Andhe did.
And Tim and I just like fucking Matrix style plugged into it.
And it was just awesome.
Just one of the coolest things and getting to meet and speak with Paul and Gord, Sinclair and going to Kingston has just been an unbelievable experience.
[25:07] And there's so much I want to say, but you don't want to fucking hear it.
So, but being Canadian, you'll be here all night. Yeah, I'm happy to elaborate.
But you guys are Canadian, you're different than Tim and I.
As much as we speak the same language, the culture is so different.
Take it from somebody who doesn't live in the United States anymore and it's like it's hard you'll never be a part of that culture or club I'll never fucking be Canadian no matter how muchhip I listen to and La Bat Blue I drink.
At least I have a couple.
But that being said it's like such a it's been such an amazing experience to get to know the band and to get to know the catalog and become a superfan.
I told JD this was a surprise but I got a tattoo on my arm that's gonna be there for the rest of my life and it's it's a combination of the any Any UFOlogists or followers in the house?
No? Yes? Not in here, sorry.
Not in here? Okay, maybe next door. Anyway.
[26:29] He'll be here all night. Yeah, be here all night The Fermi's paradox, Federico Fermi, his paradox was that he Didn't know if aliens existed or not and it's you can read up on it whenyou fucking Google it and That's a UFO thing.
And so the lyrics is we live to survive our paradoxes Because it's fucking springtime in Vienna, which is on the list, the playlist.
[27:00] This is Pete Marchika here.
Love you, too, Dean. If you have not bid on the Pete Marchika package...
Yeah, that's Pete's band. ...in the silent auction, you are a greedy son of a bitch. Thank you.
I'm going to tell you that right now. And you need this album.
All proceeds go to the Danny Wainjack Fund. Directly.
Already over 3,200 bucks.
Oh! So I don't know where we're going to end up at the end of the night, but make me say 3,500 bucks, and I'll fucking love you forever.
Forever. Now, this has been an experiment.
This has been a project. This has been a labor of love.
And we've had a lot of fun doing this.
[27:53] So, I want to thank you for listening.
I had a friend once that said, you know, if you did a podcast and you had, like, five people show up in your living room and listen to you talk every week, that'd be pretty cool.
We had over 20,000 downloads.
[28:19] That doesn't even include all the streams, either. In three months, that's not so bad.
But what I want to tell you right now is how proud I am of my two friends, Pete and Tim, and all the work that they've put in.
I want to encourage you to bid in the silent auction.
I want to encourage you to drink long slice beer tonight. Yes, long slice.
And without further ado, I want to introduce our good friend to convocate these two gentlemen.
I want to invite our good friend to the stage, Dan from London.
Yes, Dan from London. Here we go.
[29:15] Tim, get on your feet, you son of a bitch. Come on up.
You can convocate them. You can convocate them. You can read if...
Do you want to read it? Do you want to read it? Yeah, I've got the reading glasses on. Hang on.
Remember, proper British. Timothy Edward Lydon.
Getting hip to the hip. You have completed the exercise and now are considered official fans of The Tragically Hip.
Thank you so much. Thanks, everyone. Thank you. Amazing. I'm honored.
Peter Natale. You motherfucker. Getting hip to the hip. He used my middle name.
Sorry, continue. You have also completed the exercise, and now, I have no idea about this bullshit.
Most fucks given, I think. Of the tragically hip. Yes. I give this to you, sir. Thank you. I accept.
[30:20] So none of this would be possible without this guy. You guys know Jamie Du, right?
Jamie and I met through another podcast of his, Pete also, through a podcast about the band Pavement.
And then I met him in person, first time in L.A. We went and saw a pavement show, which was a hoot, and then we went and did it again and again, really.
And it's just been so fun to just have this guy in my life. You know, Jamie Du, I've had no other friend like him.
So thanks, thanks to Jamie. Otherwise we all wouldn't be here.
And well, the hip, you know.
Do we do it now or do we wait till the end of the show? What?
[31:07] Do we drop a pick up your shit now or do we do it at the end of the show?
We do it at the end of the show. All, right, I real quick. I just want to say one thing. To compliment what Tim said, like avocado spread on toast. J.D., you're a fucking great dude.
And all this is this guy.
The reason even the two gals who I met who are really sweet, I can't know where you are, but they didn't even know shit all nothing about the podcast They just found it on Facebook andwe're like three weeks ago.
Hey, sweetie. What do you want to do on Friday three weeks? And then they found this fucking amazing And again would not have happened if it wasn't for this guy.
[31:55] So give JD a big hand for Cheers, cheers, cheers.
Cheers. Woo! Do you guys want to hear some more fucking live Tragically Happy music?
Oh yeah! Enough of this shit already. Let's do it! Oh yeah! Okay, we gotta move some gear here and then we are gonna welcome back to the stage for another set, 50 Mission! Oh! Boom!
jD, Pete, and Tim are in learning mode as they speak with Sarah Midanik from the DWF
Don't forget to get your tickets to the event this coming Friday at gettinghiptothehip.com
Transcript
Track 2:
[5:23] Hey, it's JD here and we are back with another episode in our Talking With series.
So far we've talked with 50 Mission, Trevor Stickman, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair, and today we are really thrilled to be joined by the President and CEO of the Downey Wenchak Fund,which we are supporting with our event tonight, if you are listening to this on Friday, September 1st.
We have with us Sarah Medanek and I'm really thrilled to have you here with us. How are you doing?
Track 3:
[6:03] I'm good. Thanks so much for the invitation to join.
Track 2:
[6:09] Yeah, we're thrilled to learn more about the organization and your role in it and all that good stuff. So without further ado, let's go.
Tim, do you have anything? Hey, Sarah.
Track 5:
[6:22] Good to meet you. Yeah, I'm just curious about the kind of inception of the fund and how it all kind of began.
I watched some of the videos on your site and read quite a bit.
But I'm curious about how it all really, kind of the conversation started with Gord and then when you came along, if you don't mind touching on that.
Track 3:
[6:43] Yeah, for sure. So, I've had the great pleasure and slightly intimidating responsibility of being with the Gord Downie and Chani Wenjack Fund from the very beginning, so beforeGord passed.
It was, you know, it was a really unique sort of moment in time.
There was, of course, all of the momentum of the HIP's final tour and, you know, very public shout out to Trudeau around reconciliation by Gord to do more as Canadians and how wecould do better.
Of course, that was coupled with the work being done by...
[7:32] The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the release of the 94 Calls to Action, and also the Secret Path Project, which tells the story of Chani Wenjack.
And so Gord had done a series of concerts playing the Secret Path album with the Secret Path Band.
And for anyone who hasn't seen The Secret Path, you can visit that material on an art website.
It was, of course, became a series of poems which became the album, which became the graphic novel, which became the animated film.
So there's a lot of really incredible material to visit there.
And so there is sort of just a unique moment in time where there was a lot of momentum and a lot of, you know, people in Canada wondering what their role was in reconciliation andwhat they could do, to contribute in a meaningful way.
And so that's really the root of Downy Wendjack is, you know, there is all this momentum and there is all these folks wondering what to do next and our programs and the work we do isreally based around that, the pillars of awareness, education, and action.
[8:54] And so we have two national programs. One is Legacy Schools and so we are in 6,000 schools in every province and territory with over 7,000 educators and we provide them withfree educational tools and resources to be better equipped to teach about the true history and legacy of residential schools and the true history of Indigenous people in Canada, but to alsobe able to incorporate strength-based learning and Indigenous ways of knowing and being into core curriculars.
Because you know there is sort of that, that sentiment, you know, well, we didn't learn about this in schools.
There was still like back when we were getting started, I would say there was still a pretty big gap in people's general awareness and understanding around residential schools. And that'schanged a lot in the past five years.
But curriculum doesn't necessarily get reformed that quickly.
Track 5:
[9:53] Right, right, yeah.
Track 3:
[9:57] So we still see the need, and of course we do lots of really cool stuff in the Legacy Schools program. We have the Artist Ambassador program, which brings Indigenous and non-Indigenous musicians, artists, role models into classrooms.
And the Youth Ambassador program, which is a four-week leadership program that we run and every summer, we had 105 youth go through it this summer where they learn how to bechampions for reconciliation within their schools and communities.
And we do a lot of programming in which we bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples together.
We had a big music festival here in Toronto this spring called Siguan, which featured incredible Indigenous artists, and we always do a ton of programming for June, for NationalIndigenous History Month, and for Secret Path Week, which is coming up here right around the corner from October 17th till the 22nd, and of course, the National Day for Truth andReconciliation on September 30th.
Track 2:
[11:08] Wow, that is a lot.
Track 3:
[11:10] Well, that's just one program. We also have the Legacy Space Program.
So when I talk about what we do at Downey Bunjack, I call it the sandwich, which maybe I should find something a bit more.
Track 4:
[11:24] Everybody likes sandwiches. What is wrong with a sandwich?
Track 5:
[11:28] We've had many food analogies on our show. Right?
Track 3:
[11:33] So it's through Legacy Schools, we educate the littles, the young people, so that the next generation of people in Canada understand the true history.
But for those folks that are not in school, where do you learn?
And that's often through your workplace and professional development opportunities.
So the Legacy Space Program really leverages the concept of indigenous placemaking to create physical space within an organization, a corporation, a community that is representative ofthe internal commitment to do the work further reconciliation.
And, you know, from a corporate standpoint, is that, you know, equity, diversity and inclusion, hiring and retention practices for Indigenous employees, you know, reconciliation plans,procurement, right, working with Indigenous businesses, so.
I always say, you know, we educate the littles and we try and educate the bigs.
And in the middle is all the, you know, fun stuff that we get to do in terms of, you know, amplifying Indigenous voices.
Like we're taking over almost every radio station in Canada again this year on a day to listen, which will be September 30th.
[12:52] Yeah, if you haven't checked it out, this will be our third year, which is very exciting.
And we do a series of interviews that amplify indigenous voices each year.
And they're, they're really powerful, powerful stuff. So I'd, I'd encourage everyone to check it out.
Track 5:
[13:12] Do you have any kind of standout examples? I don't know, in the past, you know, summer or this year of working with specific businesses, small businesses or specific schools, justto kind to give our listeners like an example of like anything that really pulled on your heartstrings of seeing action in work and just, you know, when you when you do volunteer time,you spend so much time on your own.
And then when you kind of finally get out in the field and away from the computer, you get to experience some things. I'm just curious if you can give us like some standout example ofsomething that happened.
Track 4:
[13:48] Oh, gosh.
Track 5:
[13:48] Could you put you as many as him is my my questions are going to be super softball, so don't worry I was I was watching the the, the film last night the graphic novel film and youknow some of the interviewing at the end I think it was with Pearl, you know Pearl said Channy's sister right she said you know we need schools in all of our communities, not just publicschools like outside our own communities.
We need schools within our own communities. She said a few things that just really made me, you know, kind of more realize what's been going on up there.
And even from the U.S., you know, we never had heard of any of this stuff.
Track 3:
[14:36] Well, and it still happens, right? Like a lot of youth have to leave their communities to go to high school still in their village.
The model, the experience that indigenous children experience in residential schools, that model still exists, but it's perpetuated in different systems, whether it's child welfare or justice, ormissing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
Residential schools don't operate anymore technically, but how are there still those systems of oppression, right?
And I think that's something that, you know, we try and help to unpack and, you know, the content that we share because, you know, when you look at, you know, the social indicators ofhealth for indigenous peoples compared to non-indigenous and the disparity is so great, you need to dig a little deeper and ask why, right?
Track 5:
[15:45] Sure, sure.
Track 3:
[15:46] Yeah.
Track 4:
[15:51] I... Oh, go ahead.
Track 3:
[15:51] Go ahead, I was going to say, but to answer your question about heartwarming examples, Yeah, yeah.
I mean, it's tough, I think, for me to answer that question because literally every single day there's something that is just really beautiful.
But maybe I'll just say it Because I flew back from summer vacation, my family lives in northern Alberta, and taking the UP Express from Pearson Airport.
We have a partnership with Union Station, and we have a Legacy space there.
[16:31] They're featuring an installation by one of our artist ambassadors, Blake Angeknyb.
These incredible panels featured in Union until the end of October.
The art is so beautiful and so powerful. There's actually a piece that he did of Gord in the series.
Just seeing tourists, people not from Canada, but there's such high volume of traffic through Union Station, you know, interacting and learning and literally like tens of.
[17:26] Thousands of impressions the opportunity to work with a partner like Union Station in a space like that.
Because reconciliation isn't going to happen overnight. I always make the sort of joke that it's slow pressure applied over time, right? Like we're talking about systemic change.
So, you know, creating these learning opportunities in our everyday existence.
So it's not a question of are we contributing to reconciliation in a meaningful way? It's just a part of our practice.
Track 5:
[18:04] Yeah, that's great.
Track 3:
[18:05] That's great.
Track 4:
[18:09] I want to, I feel like I should break up some of the things I was gonna say to you and some of the things I wrote down, because I feel like it's just gonna be too much of a mouthful.And you'd be like, what was your question again?
But I, so I haven't had time to watch the film yet.
Because these jokers know I've been traveling all weekend. And I, I just, I'm going to probably watch it if I get a chance to download it on the plane when I'm on my way over to Toronto.
But I've done a fair amount of research and I watched the ceremony where Gord was, I don't know how to properly say it, but invited into the community.
Track 3:
[18:51] Given a traditional name.
Track 4:
[18:57] Which like was a, you know, whatever. It was like a super, super duper emotional to even watch it.
And a friend of mine had sent it to me. She's from, she's from Canada as well.
And she, we talk about her on the show a lot. She's a huge hit fan.
Sent it to me after the fact. And I was like, Barb, I've watched it.
It's, it's just, and one of the things, sorry, this is a side note.
Not related about what I was going to ask you but one of the things I loved about Gord's response in that video or when he spoke afterward he didn't say much and I think he was verycognizant of the situation in that a lot of people would go up there and kind of pontificate and make comparisons and say yeah this is like this and like but he kind of got the The fact that,like...
He's like, there's nothing I can say. Like, in a sense of like, like, I can't even relate to some of the suffering, the things that have gone on.
I'm just, you know, grateful to be invited into this community and to be a part of it and to do whatever he can.
That was one of the cool things, side note.
But what I, I guess what I was going to ask you was was because we've talked about it a lot on the pod.
I don't know if you've ever, you're aware of at least the concept of this podcast and like, how it came about.
Track 3:
[20:23] I was creeping you guys this morning. All right, I got to listen to a couple.
I got to listen to a couple.
Track 4:
[20:33] Well, because of JD, like, yeah, this is about the tragically hit, but like, you know, take the snowball effect over time.
Like, I had no idea. I mean, honestly, I had heard mutterings on political podcasts and things that I listened to about reconciliation in Canada.
But other than that, it's like a of the surface of what your average American would even know.
It's like you hear something in passing at a coffee shop, and that's it.
Other than that, I would have never known about the Downey Wendzik fund and all this story of Chani Wendzik, Nothing.
I don't know, because I feel like Gord, especially when he called out Trudeau, at the concert, he looked right dead at him.
[21:26] I took some guts, man. and you know, the call to action, which I love the education aspect of it, but I feel like that call to action is such an important factor when it comes to thework that you guys do.
And like, you know, I guess my question is like, is, do you think, is there anything that you would think if like there's Americans listening to this right now we can do other than just talkto people and be like, Hey, do you know this story about this kid?
Do you know, and like share it? Because we learned about it by listening to the tragically hip. That's the only other, there's no other reason we would have, we would have figured this out.
Track 3:
[22:10] And I mean, the experience of Native Americans, uh, is mirrored closely to to that of Indigenous people in Canada too, right?
I would say, yeah, I find that in our work.
So we have some of our legacy space partners, you know, have offices in the U.S. and, you know, our, you know, North American companies, I guess.
And, you know, what's been expressed to us is just like how far behind work around reconciliation and even just any awareness at all of like the true history of indigenous or NativeAmerican people in Canada and the US.
And I think, you know, there's really important work being done in the US too that I think will come to the forefront.
It just it takes time, right? Like it's, you know, it's by design in terms of how that's been set up.
That's right. But, you know, as Indigenous people, you know, as we become lawyers and doctors and politicians and you know, learn how to fight for, you know, rights and restitution,these things has come up.
Track 2:
[27:30] I really like, you know, you're talking about the call to action a minute ago, Pete, and I like the messaging around your current call to action, Sarah, the do something.
The do something hashtag is like, I've used that in an email just that I sent out today, you know, reminding people of this event, that that's one way you can do something, You can come toour event or you can donate directly to Downey Wenchak Fund through a link that we have.
What was the genesis of that sort of campaign and idea?
Because it's very bold. Do something can be very bold, I think.
I'm just interested in learning.
Track 4:
[28:21] It's sort of aggressive, which is maybe it's not by design, but it's good. I like it.
Track 2:
[28:26] Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Track 4:
[28:28] It's almost aggressive.
Track 3:
[28:31] I think there was sort of this feeling of like, well, you know, that happened a long time ago and you know, I was, I, I was not responsible for the creation of residential schools.
So like, what is, what is my role or responsibility?
And to that, I would argue, if you live in Canada, if you are part of this society, then you have something that you can do, and that social contract of what we all agree to live here together,that's part of it.
And whether it's just learning so that you're a little less racist, a little less ignorant, it's not a bad thing.
It's not harmful to you and it only creates a more just and equitable and safe society for indigenous peoples in this country.
So, you know, the do something was A.
Don't be immobilized by this sort of deferral of responsibility.
Don't feel like you don't have a role to play or something to contribute.
And seriously, do something because those small actions, we call them reconcili-actions or meaningful acts that drive...
Track 4:
[29:58] That's a cool, cool word, man. Reconcili-action.
Track 3:
[30:03] And it's, you know, it makes a difference, right? Even if it's just, you know, talking to your kids and finding out what they're learning in schools, or, you know, going, looking atwhat's happening in the company that you work for, or, you know, maybe just one of your buddies is, makes a slightly offside joke, and you're just like, dude, that's not okay, right?
It's, you know, taking that step to, you know, lean into the discomfort and just do something that creates meaningful and positive change.
Track 2:
[30:38] Yeah, that's beautiful.
Track 3:
[30:42] And it's an excellent hashtag.
Track 2:
[30:43] It is an excellent hashtag. Yeah.
Track 5:
[30:47] That's good. I'm finding kind of a lot of what you're talking about being being executed the smartest way by younger people.
You know, my son is basically studying sociology and social issues in university right now and he schools us all all the time.
You know, it's just he born and raised in Portland, Oregon, probably the most progressive city in the US really.
And it's just so reassuring to hear things from him. He had no idea about the indigenous struggles in Canada, but it wasn't necessarily news to him.
He was kind of half expecting what I was talking about as I was talking about it.
And it's just so good to share these ideas and share these issues, especially with the younger folks, because they're the ones who have to continue living it.
Like you said, all of these things become pandemic across all these other issues.
Even though the system may have ended, it's still alive. So it's so good to tap into the younger folks with all this stuff. It's just really.
Track 2:
[32:02] I've done all my learning through my oldest daughter. She's 13.
So I'm one of those people, Sarah, who was like, my eyes were widened.
And it was like, we didn't learn this in school, Riley. Like, we didn't, like, you're talking to me so matter of fact right now, and I'm so happy to hear you talking matter of fact, but it's like, Ididn't know any of this, you know?
Track 4:
[32:31] Sarah, I wanted to ask you something too, And this is more, and I don't know if this is like a.
Opinion of like Donnie Wendjick or your opinion, or feel free to like, be like, this is Sarah speaking and not Donnie Wendjick's being or whatever, however, but I feel like, because youmentioned earlier about the, the kind of this, the same sort of dynamic in terms of the United States and indigenous Native Americans in the United States and, and kind of that struggle.
But in terms of the call to action, and I'm sorry if this sounds like a very complex question, but I'll try to be articulate.
[33:17] I think when it, because a lot of conversation that I see and occurs in the United States in terms of indigenous people, minority and underrepresented groups in the United States.
A lot of times there's the education of it and I feel like the United States is more or less good at educating people and that awareness is there.
But in terms of connecting the dots, there's not a really good way that we do it in in the United States.
And one of the things that always comes to mind when I think about this issue is a speech that Martin Luther King gave at the Riverside Church one year to the day before he died, right?
And you know who Martin Luther King is. You're not living under a rock, but I don't know how much you guys study him in your schools and who he was and what he was really actuallyabout, because they've got statues of him in Washington DC now, but during the time where he was most powerful, people hated him.
[34:30] And this particular speech at Riverside Church, he talked about the relationship between the imperialist power of the United States and the military, and how that relationshipdirectly affected the oppression of minority and indigenous groups and civil rights in the United States. He made that connection.
Whereas I don't think people, meaning that like, okay, yeah, we can be all for it here, but when we're doing it in other countries, it's like, what's...
[35:05] How does that change? And as you know, Canada is very supportive of the United States in many of its overseas conquests, so to speak, as we say here in Spain.
So I guess the question I'm asking is, do you even personally, and again, you don't have to speak from Danny Wenjack perspective, but do you, because that's something I talk about withpeople.
Do you guys have that connection? Do you guys see that? Is that something that you hear whispers of within this conversation?
Because I think it's important. I feel like it's important. I feel like there's value in drawing that connection between oppression and past crimes of a country and what the country's doing atthe moment.
And it helps speed along that process of the call to action, as we said. I don't know, does that make any remote sense of what I'm trying to say to you?
Track 3:
[36:03] Yeah, well, I would say, I would say yes.
And I can say that is Sarah or as Downey Wenjack. I think, you know, I think that connection is really what allows an organization like the Gord Downey and Chani Wenjack Fund toexist, right?
If you think about, you know, What is the true role of rock stars, right?
Typically, like political activists, right? Or, you know, poets, but they've always pushed, right?
You think of all the greats, there's a social commentary there that's, you know, reflecting on the choices we make and how we live.
And sometimes they explicitly call out the Prime Minister, right? You know? And I think.
You know, there's been so much work done by incredible Indigenous leaders to ensure that, you know, this didn't stay hidden, like the injustices inflicted upon Indigenous peoples in thiscountry, you know, came to the forefront of, you know, the general understanding of our history in this country and our identity as Canadians, and what that means, and how do you workthrough it, and what does that mean really from a policy perspective.
[37:32] I honestly, I've seen so much change in the last five years even, where people actually want to know what the platforms are of politicians with regards to indigenous relations andreconciliation, whereas I would say ten years ago, you wouldn't even be able to find anything.
[37:57] On their web pages or whatever around that.
That speaks to how far we've come, but there's still a long ways to go.
It's just continuing to look at the systems themselves and saying, does this still serve us? Does this still make the most sense?
How can we continue to evolve and grow as we evolve and grow as humans and societies?
And, you know, it's important for us to be intentional and reflective and sometimes critical, right?
We've, you know, I, my sister and my niece came to visit and we were talking about, like, you know, the show Friends and how, like, it has not held up to, like, the test of time, like, it'sextremely homophobic and it's, you know, like, you see a show like Seinfeld, and those jokes are still, they're still funny, right.
But, you know, some of the that content that you know, the big hit show, and you're just like, this is so cringy. I can't even like watch this stuff anymore. Right.
Track 4:
[39:18] And I think sitcoms are the lowest common denominator, right of the day when it comes to comedy. So yeah, For sure.
Track 3:
[39:26] But I think, you know, to wrap it all up, I think those connections are pretty prominent in Canada, but I think that's also a byproduct of the fact that Indigenous Peoples have rightsand are, you know, title holder to treaties and also land, right?
And getting land back after being displaced, or having the land back.
The terms of the treaty is not honoured, right?
And, you know, as we become more sophisticated and become fancy lawyers, you know, these things work their way through the justice system and you see Indigenous peoples andcommunities winning those cases.
And so it kind of also comes to the point of, like, we have to care about this, right?
Track 4:
[40:28] Yeah, you, I mean, you, you summed it up and I think the, the, the thing that I, that I like about, like you guys, you said sometimes even being critical, which is really cool because alot of, I feel like not, I wouldn't even say a lot, but I, I, sometimes there are examples of organizations that it's weird, like, you know, they, they, they get a win or they get a big win.
And then after that, it's kind of like, yeah, we got to win, win for the day. Like, let's, let's pack it up, go home for let's take a vacation or something. No, no.
And, and when you talked about like, having the indigenous and non indigenous events, like that's the that's this, that's the again, the call to action, because what you're doing is you'rebringing people together.
You know, when you hear people's stories.
Everybody can relate. You know, it's easy to say you're so different than me because you're this, you're that, you speak this language, you're born to here, your skin colors that whatever.But like everybody's the same dude.
We all try coming out of our mama. We all poop when we're kids.
And we all cry the day the moment before we die.
You know, everybody's the same. Everybody wants the same. I feel like when you have those, you make those connections with people through those events is really important.
Track 3:
[41:52] When you create cross cultural understanding, it's really hard to other each other, right?
Track 4:
[41:59] Totally.
Track 3:
[41:59] Because there's an appreciation and a respect and an understanding for the strength and beauty and resilience of Indigenous peoples and cultures, right? So, yeah, it's...
Track 4:
[42:11] You recognize the human being in front of you and you're like, Oh, we're literally the same thing.
Track 2:
[42:16] Yeah.
Track 4:
[42:17] Where are we? Where are we? Yeah, dude, that's, that's cool.
Track 2:
[42:23] Is there anything else that you want to add, Sarah, about Truth and Reconciliation Day or the Secret Path Week? Oh, yeah.
Track 3:
[42:34] Well, I guess sort of the thing I always say is if you don't know where to start on your own reconciliation journey, or you know, you haven't really engaged in the conversation thatI'll always say, that's okay.
You can always do something, right? And Downey-Wenjack makes that pretty easy, for people to have a place to start.
You know, we have the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation coming up on September 30th.
So we have a bunch of different webinars and learning opportunities that we're doing ourselves.
[43:12] You know, whether it's like for parents about teaching your kids about residential schools.
We have one of our team members at Downey-Von Jack, his whole family is talking about intergenerational resilience and sharing stories from families of residential school survivors.
So, you know, we have a whole bunch of different opportunities to learn and engage and so I just really encourage everyone to follow us on socials if you don't know where to start.
Start. And, you know, when you're doom scrolling, you'll see some content in between, you know, the recipe for next week and some push notifications for waterproof shoes.
And maybe that that one that one post will be the one to inspire you to to join us in this path towards reconciliation.
Track 2:
[44:07] That's great. Well, thank you so much for joining us today.
It's, It's really nice to get a better understanding of both the Downey Wenjack Fund and your story, to hear your story.
We're grateful that you made some time to join us today. So thank you very much.
Track 3:
[44:29] Well, and thank you for supporting our work at the Downey Wenjack Fund through the event. I think it's happening tonight. Yes.
Track 2:
[44:37] Yes.
Track 3:
[44:38] And thank you. Thank you for everyone who's listening and coming out.
We really appreciate the support.
jD, Pete, and Tim are back and this week they're discussing the EP Saskadelphia.
Tracks
Montreal - Studio outtake
Ouch - Studio version
Crack my Spine (Like a Whip) - Live from Halifax 1991
Reformed Baptist Blues - Studio version
Transcript
Track 1:
[0:00] If you're a fan of the Tragically Hip, this is your hip fest.
Getting Hip to the Hip, September 1st at The Rec Room.
Celebrate the music of the hip with a live tribute act, the finale of a hip-based podcast, and a silent auction with amazing hip prizes, with all proceeds going to support the Gord Downieand Chani Wenjack Fund.
If you're a fan of the hip, you need to be there. Tickets available now at gettinghiptothehip.com.
Track 2:
[0:28] The first, and to date, only posthumous release by the tragically hip is 2021's marvelous EP, Saskadelphia.
[0:37] Borrowing its title from the original name of Road Apples, this record packs a punch in under 20 minutes of non-stop rock.
Even the chilling theme of the song Montreal moves mountains with its haunting chorus.
I remember downloading Saskadelphia on the mail-on weekend in 2021 and I was immediately transported back to 1991.
[0:59] In some cases, we're even invited into this studio with banter between Gord and someone named Bruce.
It was a total trip hearing these songs from a bygone era with a pair of ears from the 21st century.
In some cases it was familiar, as I own bootlegs of Crack My Spine Like a Whip and Just as Well, but these new versions were bursting at the seams with nuance that only a studiorecording can offer.
I felt nostalgic and sad listening, but by the end I was grinning ear to ear.
This was a fantastic hip experience, and it's one I hope we get to enjoy with the upcoming re-release of Phantom Power, and I'm calling it here first, but I think we see an Up to Here boxset celebrating 35 years sometime in 2024.
But don't quote me on that, unless I'm right of course.
At any rate, I'm nervous about giving this one to Pete and Tim.
Although they both enjoyed Road Apples initially, will they appreciate the significance of this EP?
Will nostalgia be a factor for a pair of people who only first heard the band in November of 2022?
[2:08] What kind of impact will this have? We'll have to wait and see on this episode of Getting Hip to the Hip.
Track 5:
[2:40] All right hey hey it's JD here and we are back again for another uh well let's call it the penultimate episode of getting hip to the hip i'm here as always with my friends Pete and Timto discuss Seminole Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip we're going through every album and we find ourselves at the last album.
An EP as it were, Saskadelphia.
It was released for the May long weekend in 2021 and it's a it's it's a trip back to the road Apple days.
Before we get too deep into that discussion though, how the fuck are you guys doing? Well you know I'm a little a little of a Climbed a little tongue-tied.
I don't know. I told my kid, Sage, this morning, I was like, this is sort of one of the last recordings.
It's about 20 minutes of music.
[3:41] And he was very encouraging on moving on to more pod stuff, because he knows I've totally loved doing this.
But at the same time, I'm like, do we have to do this today, guys? Can we postpone it? Pause right here and do it later.
Because it's like the last bunch of songs, really. The problem is, in a week, you'll be here.
It's true. It's true. You'll be here, and we'll be doing the For Real last episode.
Hope to see you there at Getting Hip to the Hip, an evening for the Donnie Wenjack Fund. Tickets are $40. You can get them on gettinghiptothehip.com.
[4:20] Slash click the ticket button.
Do that. It'll be good. Pete, how are you, man?
I'm good. Um, your cadence threw me off there at the beginning, JD, because when you said I'm here with my good friends, Pete and Tim to discuss, and I thought you were going to,you're going to say two disgusting fucking individuals, but just to discuss.
And then you were like the penultimate record.
So, no, I'm good. Everybody knows that by now. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Kidding me with our link or that way.
We fucking two sailors, three sailors here. That's right. With your captain Pete who we've gotten, I think we've gotten, uh, we've gotten a couple of emails from people saying, do you haveto use the F-word so much?
You swear like sailors, ahoy motherfuckers.
Yeah. Yeah. I'm, I'm, I'm still looking forward to the, to the, uh, to the live event.
I cannot wait. It's going to be so much fun. I'm I just I just hope I hope people are that show up want to that want to just talk about the hip.
And I'm like, I'm wondering what other people say because I only know you guys.
[5:37] Like, I've only I only really well my friend Barb too, but like, like, yeah, I don't talk about the hip, but I'm gonna be surrounded with a shit ton of people who fucking love the hip.
It's going to be cool, man. Has Barb, has Barb confirmed? Barb's not confirmed, but Barb's on the fence.
She's, she's, I think she just, we need to, we need to push Barb over the edge.
How do we do that? We're pushing her right now. Barb, if you're listening.
It's a, it's a love push, Barb. Barb. We're just giving you, we're just giving you a little, little bump you need. You need to be there, Barb.
Careful, one person's love push is another person's incarceration, so you want to be careful with that.
Well, I said bump, I meant like a little tiny, you know.
Was that a Burning Bush reference? Is that a Bible reference?
I missed it, went over my head. I'm out of swords today, gentlemen.
[6:37] Are we gonna tackle this record? Well, let's talk about where you guys listened to this record for the first time.
Where did listen to it, give me the environment, give me the background, give me the details, and then we'll go song by song. For me, no, my car is not a Yugo with the premium audiosound system.
Surely it is not. Surely it is not. They're out of business.
No, I listen to it in the car a lot, listen to it on my computer a lot.
I've been doing a lot of work at the desk and was really surprised with this record, really surprised. kind of.
[7:18] Yeah, I'll save all that, but yeah, listen mainly at the computer and in the car. All right. How about you, Tim? I'm the same. Same exact. Yeah. Sitting down.
Sitting down. And it's a quick one, right? It's like 20 minutes and you're through.
Yeah, 20 minutes. Right. Yeah. It's a tupper.
When they first released it, they called it an album. I'm pretty sure they said it was an album. And a lot of people bitched. A lot of people were like, this isn't an album, it's an EP.
It's six songs. Who called it that? I believe they did centrally, but even on the wiki page now, it's listed as an EP.
So I don't know if it's been officially changed or what, but I'm calling it an EP.
And it's a nice bookend. You get the EP at the beginning and you get the EP at the end, you know, in terms of bookends. Unless there's other music out there.
But this came out after Gord's passing.
This did. Yes. Yeah. 21. Yeah. 2021. People are bitching after the fact. Way to go hit fans.
What a show. How about you? How about you, JD? JD, where, what was your experience when this came out? Oh boy.
[8:25] Uh, did you grab it? Yeah. Um, I bought the 35th or the 30th it's yeah.
The 30th anniversary of road apples, a box set. And it came in that box set and it came with live camp.
It was a great box set because it came with a remastered road apples.
It came with Saskadelphia.
It came with Live at the Roxy and I want to say another record so it was chock full of cool cool shit for me it was just it was just a trip because it was like the last we heard of this band.
[9:03] Was Man-Machine-Poem and it's very different from Road Apples, very different from Road Apples.
And all of a sudden I was listening to brand new hip that was 35 years old, you know?
So it was like, it was really, it hurt my brain a little bit, my brain was doing spirals, you know? Like it was like, this doesn't make sense, this is new, but this is really old.
So I don't quite understand what this is all about, you know.
But very much enjoyed it. A little disappointed that the version of Montreal is a live version, but I like the live version. It's good, you know.
There's a reason. Yeah, there's a reason. And we'll get into that as we go.
Should we start with Ouch?
[9:54] Well, let's do a little more backstory. Yeah, go. Because in my experience of this EP, I went really quickly to YouTube and ended up watching some of the mini episodes that featureJohnny Faye in the Universal Warehouse finding the tapes.
That's crazy. And all that stuff.
And it was really interesting to go through those and hear him talk about Universal claiming the fire they had in the warehouse that was, I think he said they found out about it, the NewYork Times article.
Yeah. Yeah, that's all I remember.
And it listed all these bands whose tapes burned, and they were on the list. And so...
[10:42] Johnny, I think. I forget who else. Johnny and somebody else immediately, it sounds like, really quickly went down to hunt down the tapes and they didn't burn.
And he even had a comment, or most of them anyways, he even had a comment about how universal they thought.
Actually, this was Baker in a different interview, because I watched a bunch with him too.
Baker said that they thought that maybe the fire and the tapes were this multi-mega cash-in on getting assets destroyed that weren't really destroyed.
But ultimately, they've said that they found 45-ish of 60-ish tapes and there's still potentially more out there.
[11:29] So, there's some great interviews on this stuff. I probably watched, I don't know, six interviews. Oh, wow. Yeah.
Yeah, I was kind of laid up one day and just had some time to kill and watch them, watch them interview. So yeah, so it's, maybe there is more out there.
I mean, they pulled together, what is this, five songs?
Well, six with Montreal, but yeah. Six. Yeah, six. And, you know, if there's, if we get six more eventually, that would be awesome.
Yeah, because they are, I mean, there is talk of Phantom Power being reissued.
They announced that last year that Phantom Power would be reissued this year.
The 25th anniversary has passed, but I suspect it'll be a Christmas release, you know, but I don't know anything beyond that.
[12:16] No, the cover of Phantom Power was actually done by Rob Baker.
Really? That's a fact. Oh, wow. Rob Baker studied graphic design, I believe. Graphic design. Oh, yeah.
University of Queensland? Queens, Queens University, yeah. Queens. Yeah. near the Bronx.
Yeah, right now the Bronx just a hop, skipping the jump away. I'm skipping a jump.
I had not, I had not heard or watched and heard interviews with him really yet.
And man, I want to hang out with that guy. He is so. Baker? I don't know.
He had so many. He had, yeah, he had so many fun, not fun. It's somebody wise one-liners just in the course of conversation with interviewers.
Like he's just fucking Zen dude.
So chill. Sorry. Some of it was during COVID and he was talking about like during COVID, how his son moved back home and they were, they had set times during the week where theywere jamming together and ah, man, it just.
That's very cool. It's just a rad sounding dude. Yeah. Yeah.
Well, get in line, Tim, because.
[13:26] I'll be behind you. Yeah. Yeah. Rob Baker and I, we go back.
We're gonna, I'm in Kingston. We got a we got a couple of beer dates Talk gear.
I think it was I think it was ouch That Johnny Fay one of the YouTube video the one of these little mini episode things that Johnny Fay He's listening.
There's a video of him listening to ouch.
I believe it was out and And it gets to the end, and it stops.
And he's so elated and excited. And he said something like, it even has an end.
So stoked to find a complete song.
Before we jump into the record, did you guys see the, Tim, I didn't watch all the interviews, but what's his name?
Craig Rogers sent that email with the videos from the Cineplex event they did.
Right, yeah. They did an event at the bathhouse. I didn't see that.
Oh, dude, it's fucking cool.
I mean, the only videos that he could find were...
Or Bob Cajun, Escape is at Hand, Country Day and Coffee Girl, but they did this live event at the bathhouse.
[14:44] During Bob Cajun, Rob Baker's just playing guitar. I don't think anybody else is in the video if I remember correctly, and Gord Downie's just shooting pool and singing this songwhile he's shooting pool. It's the coolest fucking thing.
Oh my God, I got to see this. It's so cool, man.
It's one of the coolest fucking, he's just like, he's, and it's a weird, like, I mean, don't get me wrong.
I'm not, when, you know, when we go to the bath house and eventually record there one day, I'm not going to piss and moan to the guys about the pool table.
I hope it's a bar size table, but I noticed that the balls in Canada, they weren't like, you know, the color balls like we have in the U S or like red balls.
And then maybe a different color. Were they playing snooker maybe?
Maybe it was like a snooker table but yeah.
Yes they are. They are. They're playing snooker. I just pulled it up.
I did this. Sorry Craig. I didn't I didn't I didn't go through.
I saw it Craig. Thanks. I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to respond.
I've been busy working this week. Yeah I haven't.
[15:51] Sorry Craig. Very cool. Yeah. Got something new to check out.
That's great let's dive in ouch ouch ouch.
[19:12] Go ahead, Timmy. Take it. Well, this one kind of brought me back to Born in the Water.
And back then, when we were talking about Road Apples, if I recall correctly, I had some comments about it being bluesy, and George Thurgood, whatever.
I had some comments like, why are these guys? They're a rock and roll band, but they're in different buckets of genres within rock and roll.
And not many bands can do that and do it successfully.
A lot of them try, and I think don't do as good of a job.
And so listening to Ouch made me realize, it just brought me kind of full circle on The Hip's abilities and their skills and their talents and brought me to this kind of new level of fandomof thinking about that.
[20:18] And like I imagine I have some friends from back in the day who are big time music guys and I imagine that what they would would think about listening to different types of songsby The Hip and how some who are not Hip fans might think it's kooky or why they're doing this.
Or it's kind of out of a comfort zone.
But listening to Ouch and going back to Road Apples and Born in the Water and songs like that, like it just, it brought me kind of, It completed the circle of thinking.
[20:49] These guys are really talented they can do whatever they want to do they're they got the they got their driver's licenses they got the keys you know it's it's just like god what couldwhat can they not do at this point you know and the the song is we could talk about the song and all the aspects of it and gourd's growly singing and you know all the things but this onejust kind of it just kind of hit me full circle with the band and it made me think like at one point i was like thinking about you know in the u.s, raiders fans or fans of certain teams or youknow i bleed whatever i don't know it's all these stupid things of these allegiances to to cultural items and how, or genres or arts and how some people can be like, just so narrow within acategory of something that they really love and how, like, I don't know this.
If you opened up your mind a little bit and accept things a little more, why are you hiring now?
[22:04] Have more enjoyment. No, no, you can have more enjoyment.
No, seriously, I had a moment with this song. Wow. Really fucking solidified why I like The Hip and why I could argue to the end of all day is about how they're fucking better than youtwo.
How's that? Yeah. You know? Yeah. So there.
That's what happened to me with this song.
[22:29] That's far out. Probably led to so many video watchings because I was like, Like just give me more at a personal level of these guys.
It's 9.53 in the morning for fuck's sake. It's not even 10. Can I wait till 10 to get high? 20 somewhere, baby. That's right.
What about you, Pete?
[22:52] Um, I, I dug this song. The only thing I, you know, can kind of gather that, you know.
[23:00] I, I agree with Tim on, um, not that I disagree with him on what else he was saying.
But you know, just kind of one of the points that he made was that this kind of brought it full circle. Like, I think when we started out with road apples, Tim and I were both kind of like,where are we going with this?
And then even when we talked to Paul Ling Wah the other day, how he was, you know, we were talking about, you know, everybody has a different entry point to the hip, you know, westarted from the, from the very beginning.
You know so maybe that wasn't our destined entry point, but it was the entry point nonetheless.
And we kind of came back full circle because now we got this similar sound of what road apples was without and My only comments on the song itself, which I loved It just painted apicture And I'll read it to you It's 11 15 p.m, The bar is dirty and it's dingy the happy hour crowd has gone home drunk already The band's starting to get into its back catalog and angrytunes.
And the close the bar down crowd has just showed up, you know.
The guy with the pull cue in the fucking case, a couple of bar room hustlers, a couple of hot chicks that um...
[24:29] That frequent the bar. Everybody showed up. Barkeep's getting surly.
Barkeep is getting surly.
[24:39] Everything about this band, this song, gave me the vibe like they're just up on stage playing and they don't give a fuck.
They don't care. They've done it so many times, It's just, it's like muscle memory to them. And they're just, rock and roll is just fucking in their veins.
And it's on display for everybody who's probably taking it for granted at the bar.
It seems that way. Yeah. Yeah. Because Lord knows, I mean, I took Road Apples and that shit for granted.
Did you guys go back to it? Like, after listening to this record, did you go back to Road Apples?
To Road Apples, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, like to try and see what like to me I did the same thing and it was like it was to try and see where these songs would have fit in because like asmuch as it's new material we all have to understand too it's material that they felt wasn't up to snuff to make the actual record, right?
Yeah, which is weird to me like but maybe it was just a time thing. Yeah, yeah.
Because I thought the majority of these songs on this record were great.
[25:51] Yeah.
Yeah, I tend to agree with you. I enjoy it. It's not long enough to be offensive.
Even if it was offensive, you know? You're in and you're out, and it's done.
Yeah. What it did for me, I mean, I went back to Road Apples, but I also, again, went.
[26:12] To video stuff like i hung out on youtube more with this one and pete it's funny you mentioned kind of a bar scene because the video for this song it's kind of all about a bar sceneit's it's a fun it's a really i didn't know there was the videos for a few yeah there's videos for a few of these yeah jay baruchel's in that video right ouch ouch is it yeah yeah ouch is a hootit's got like all these hidden nuggets through the video with references to other songs or albums.
Yeah I think there was like 20 of them. It's a really good video.
Yeah, yeah. It's a really, really good video. I watched it a couple times.
Super interesting. Yeah, a lot of fun. So check that out.
All right, let's move to Not Necessary. Not necessary.
[27:01] Um, again, this is just like, I thought this song would have fucking cooked live.
I mean, like, like most of the songs on this EP, just like pictured sweat just fucking pouring off of everybody's foreheads.
And just, yeah, it was just a good time record, man. A good time tune.
Chorus was super hooky, just like, had a great, like it did sound, the chorus sounded like it was, you know, crafted in that time.
Like if you saw a TNC Surf t-shirt, somebody was wearing it walking down the street, you'd know what like year that kind of came from. I don't know if anybody remembers TNC Surf.Do you remember that company? Well, yeah. Yeah.
Anyway, um, TNC Serpent Skate it was called. But yeah, it's just like, yeah, that would be, you'd know what era it was from. And definitely this song was a bit of just, they were justhaving such a fucking good time.
It was kind of a window into their youth.
Yeah, yeah, that's good call. Life on the road in the van, you can almost smell the inside of the van, stinky and, you know, sweaty and lived in.
Yeah. How about you, Tim?
[28:25] I agree with Pete on all that. I don't have much more on the song.
I dug the song. I really no qualms about it.
[28:37] This one I went faster to video. I hate to say that I just watched videos on all this shit, but I watched a lot of videos.
And this one's cool. It's like bank robbery gone wrong. It's got a total plot, to it that somehow ties into the song. I haven't seen the video for this one. It's a really...
Oh man, it's killer. Check that out.
It's got a cliffhanger at the end. It's a fun video and I just...
It really... I don't know, just after listening to so much music by these guys with cans and not having much visually other than some live stuff, like it was fun to find videos from this EP.
So, definitely watch Ouch and watch Not Necessary.
Great song. Right, we move next to the very solemn song about the École Polytechnique massacre that happened in the late 80s in Montreal, where a young man brutally murdered 14students and the Tragically Hip wrote a response to that it's very loosely based in that although it's bang on at the same time like there are lyrics in it that give you chills, you know?
[30:05] But what did you think of Montreal, Tim?
[30:11] It's a heavy one. I think I read that 27 people were shot, 14 died.
You know, it's one of these songs that you could throw in a bucket by the hip that aren't something I reach for just because of the subject material.
You know, it's like one of those heavy things that's Marked history and something uncomfortable and something that we we still deal with Every day, you know like the like a few othertheir songs in this this whole Tragedy, I don't know it's it's a It's you know our Mind may be privileged to listen to it and feel unsettled and move on and put it in a drawer You know,because it's fucking tough history and a tough topic and all the things.
And yeah, it's also like, I commend The Hip for and Gord for writing it and them playing it live.
Like it's this song is brave, it takes courage and I don't know, I just I don't have a lot of music, just actual tune. Sure.
Comments about it, just because it's like, you know?
[31:40] Because, I mean, just also being in the USA, I mean, we deal with this stuff all the time. So it's just like, you know, it's probably a song that everybody should hear and play.
[31:55] Let me just tell a quick little anecdote before we come to you Pete.
I remember my friend Jeff who was older than me and he drove to Toronto for a show, a hip show at the old Ontario Place Forum and I remember him coming back and saying there's thissong called Montreal I think it's going to be on the next record like it was so great like and I got to hear it again And this is back in the day when you just couldn't hear it again.
That was it. He heard it and that was his memory of it. And that's the end.
He didn't get to hear it again until years later. You hear traces of it on Live Between Us during Courage, I believe.
They start singing the tail end of Montreal.
Pete, what did you think of this live version? I really liked it.
I did. I thought it was very haunting.
Those little, you know, cool guitar licks.
Those little, you know, I think they're arpeggios or something.
And then when the chorus just switches over to a major, it's like a, you know, beautiful.
[33:12] What's the way it kind of puts into a happier space, but then it just gets dark again.
It was just a bit of a seesaw feeling, this song, but it's definitely something that I, again, I mean, I don't know if it was because of it was a live version, but, you know, I would probably, if Iheard the studio version of this tune, I would want to hear it live too, because it was really a really pretty song, but it was, Because of the six songs on this record.
[33:45] I would say it was, you know, I would say it was not my favorite, but I really liked it.
I think just because it starts off so heavy. Yeah. Record, you know?
Yeah. So. All right. No. JD, if you checked out JD, I guess there's a DVD of that show at the Metropolis. Oh really?
That's available, yeah, there's a DVD that's available for free, like via the Hip Fans webpage.
I haven't gone back to checking that. Yeah, you might. Check that out, because that sounds pretty awesome. There's some fan...
They don't tend to give things away very often. There's some fan footage that... Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, there's some fan footage that somebody produced a DVD.
Oh, wow. Okay. Well if you're interested in the 7-inch of Montreal, we have an autographed copy of the 7-inch of Montreal and it'll be at the silent auction of the event so that's kind offun.
That's a fun one.
Yeah, and I should note it's auctioned by the four living members of the band.
Like it's not a complete, you know, Gord is not on there.
But you get all the living members of the band and that's pretty fucking cool.
You get Pete, Tim and JD to sign it too. That's right.
That was a joke because it'll be devalued if that happens.
[35:14] So we flip the record over and we get the fucking electric, crack my spine like a whip.
[38:30] This song fucking melts, doesn't it? Yeah, yeah.
[38:35] You know, this is the one, this is the one that Johnny Faye was like, it has an ending too.
This was the one he was so psyched about. This is over here in my notes, I'm finally getting on that.
And this is the song that led me to ask Paul about he and Baker's guitar playing and he noted how they're who was it Dan Smith Don Smith who also makes this yeah how he channeledthem yeah how he channeled them and put one in the left and one of the right and the hard pan yeah so this song made me yeah the hard pan this song made me realize I don't know it wasit It was a complete picture in my brain of what these guys were doing on guitar.
And I even said to Paul, I tried to get into it a little bit, but I would love to talk to him in person about it.
But this song, Paul on guitar, he's just got the, just reminds me of 80s power guitar chords, just like Ramones and 80s bad religion.
And he's just going through it.
It's like he's the fucking locomotive of this song, which also ties in with Pete so many times, how you've said how Paul and Johnny are like a unit unlike any other, cause it's usually drumsand the bass player, you know?
[40:02] But these guys have such an interesting compositional makeup within each other, you know?
This song to me, like, it kind of personified their abilities And, you know, they're I don't know, just this this song is killer.
I just loved it. I listened to it so many times, so many times. It's just killer.
Good one. Good song. Yeah. Thanks. Thank you, Don Smith. I mean, you you nailed it with these guys not being rhythm and lead or lead and rhythm.
You nailed it with these guys being guitarists. So just let it ride.
[40:39] Well, I thought this song it fucking cooked.
I mean, I don't have much to say about it, other than the fact that, um, I, you know, to your point, Tim, to add on to it, I think it was more than just Paul and Johnny, I think, Paul, Johnny,Gord, and Rob Baker, are all like, on stage in a fucking musical orgy.
And strangely enough, I feel like Gord is in background of the song.
He's not a I mean he's there but I wouldn't call him the star of the show for this song.
That fucking band like just stepped in front. Gord's like you know in the back like, you know, Maybe changing Johnny's fucking crash cymbal because he broke it so many times duringthe song.
He's there and it's good and not trying to take away from Gord's vocals, but the band just fucking destroys this song. You could tell they were having a blast when they recorded it.
Hands down. They just take over, you know? Yeah. So yeah, good song.
[41:56] One of the YouTube videos on this, I just went back to it. They're called the Saskadelphia Minutes.
And there's like five or six episodes, but not all of them are posted.
But there is a one minute, they're all short, there is a one minute version of our video for this song just as well.
And it's got some fun live footage of the guys. is one thing I think Baker was talking about in a video is how a lot of these songs they did play live and he didn't really have many answersor questions about like why didn't they make it or where did they go or what happened you know he was just like we had a lot of songs and he one cool takeaway of these songs inparticular and just as well was that they didn't rehearse much He spoke at length about how they didn't rehearse much and they road-tested new songs.
He said often they'd come out and whatever new song they were working on, they'd play first.
Like that was their warm-up, was road-testing a song.
And like bands don't do that. Like nobody does that. You know what I mean?
It's like you play first base for whatever.
[43:16] And coach is like, hey, you're going out, move to left field.
And it's like, OK, I'll play left field. I think I can do this.
And it's just gnarly what these guys were capable of. It's pretty awesome.
And just to back up to our last pod, it's about the absolute opposite of what Mr.
Bob Rock these guys do one.
You know? It really is. It's like if they could go out and road test a song, first show, the first song of the night. Yeah. Phew. you, Yeah, rather than work on something for a couple ofmonths. It's I think road testing was the way to go. That's the unique gift there to us as listeners and fans. You got to just see your favorite band jam.
[44:09] And sometimes they'd come up with something, and you're just like, wow, what is that? I got to hear that. Like my friend with Montreal. Yeah. You know?
And then when. Yeah. Yeah, Baker said, you know, we played 200 plus shows a year.
We knew each other. We know each other. We're all best friends.
We could do it. We could just sit down and figure something out.
And if we liked it, we'd go do it. Goddamn. What a gift those guys had.
So you merged into Just As Well there, Tim.
We were talking about Crack My Spine Like a Whip, and you've brought it into Just as Well, so should we stick with Just as Well for Pete?
Or do you have more to say about Just as Well?
[44:55] I mean only about picking scabs. All right. Yeah. Because that's the line in Just as Well. For the love of Pete.
It's going to keep getting infected. It's going to keep getting infected if you keep picking at it. Oh, Pete, they knew.
Yeah, right, right. Sure they did. I love the ready Bruce right at the beginning. That was fun.
[45:23] Hmm. This was one I genuinely was like, what the fuck? Why is why was this not on the record?
Oh, wow. This was. Hmm. Hundred percent. Hundo. This was probably my favorite tune on the record.
Got a lot of Stones vibes. Yeah. I mean, super big.
Everything from the guitar tone to just the song itself, just rolling stones.
Yeah. And I don't know, man, the more it ebbs and flows because, excuse me, the longer I listen to this band, the more I just understand each and every member, because specifically thissong, Gord Sinclair's bass stands out so much because it follows, I think, Rob Baker's guitar licks.
And it just, yeah, what a talented fucking band, man.
At this stage in the game they were.
[46:31] You know, yeah, what do you, I mean, what a fucking jam.
What do you want me to say about the song just cooks dude you know the hook turn around it's just it's so good it's a pop tune, rock pop tune fucking formulaic yeah it is a good one it is agood formula right like it's like original coca-cola it's like it's a formula but it's it works it's it's yeah but there's a lot there's a lot of coke out there there's a lot of soda there's rc there's youknow there's shasta There's that store-bought shit, but this is original fucking recipe, man.
This is, maybe even a little savour original.
[47:13] Listen to that rolling R's. You like that? Yeah. So, the next one is...
[50:44] I just thought, let's go get in the car and go for a drive, you know.
It's just reminded me of like my teenage years as a Catholic youth and having a driver's license.
I literally had a time in my life and it was like with that summer where I was to go to church and I would just pick up my buddy Dave and we'd drive around for an hour and smokecigarettes and go back home. How was church?
It was great. That's what this reminded me of.
[51:13] But again, it made me think about the band and the various aspects of rock and roll they could go after, which, you know, we have in our time, you know, we had The Stones whocould do that.
We had Zeppelin who could do that. Maybe Queen. Definitely The Beatles.
You know, there aren't many bands who can go after kind of different aspects of rock and roll and do it really well and still remain respected and still keep, you know, selling out stadiumsacross Canada or whatever.
But this song, it's huge. It hits the two-minute mark and it felt like it could kind of be done or not, and it just keeps going and that's awesome, you know.
[51:53] Yeah, I just, it's got like a 15-second fade out. That works for you, doesn't it?
And it's cool. Oh my God. I mean, this is this is a killer song.
It's the live versions of this song are amazing. This song live is yeah, that's what I'm saying to you. It's alive. It's it's a cooker.
It's out there live. I don't know, man. I mean, yeah, I mean, I'm sure I have no doubt that the song cooks live, but you cannot debate that the song does not cook on the fucking studioversion.
Because Because it's, it's, I mean, dude, it, it's, this song, if it was like, it's a, it's another bar brawl. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.
I mean, everything is so filthy, dirty, the guitars, gourds, gourds, who's, you know, Cheers.
[52:46] There used to be this bar, nobody knows where this town is, it's in Cedar County, Missouri, near Stockton, it's about 70 miles from, Jesus, where would you fly, what's the gamblingtown where they got the riverboat?
It's a shithole town, apologies if you're from there.
Oh, God, Branson, it's about 75 miles from Branson, yeah.
[53:16] And Cedar County, a town called Jericho Springs, I can't remember the name of it, but everybody called it the Purple Unicorn, because there was a purple unicorn out front.
And this was a bar where like you would, 90% of the jukebox would be Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson, and that's it.
Nothing else. You wouldn't you would not find anything else on there.
And this band would like maybe, you know, be staying in town and play a show there. And it would just the place would erupt in a ballroom, ballroom brawl, cops, which cop cars blackand whites all over.
Fucking people getting fucking taken out of their Bottles getting broken over people's fucking heads.
Then them just fucking smoking a cigarette. The only way I would want to hear this song live would be with at least a fifth of Jim Beam in me or some shitty whiskey.
Not even Jack Daniels, just some shit whiskey.
I do like this song.
[54:27] It's a barroom brawler too. That's awesome. Yeah. And that's how the record ends.
That's, you know, as far as we know, that's all the hip we're gonna get.
And that puts us in a position to pick our last song for our playlists.
You guys each get to pick a song and it'll be the last song in your playlist and you'll debut your playlists at the last episode.
So in the proper order that they belong in and everybody will get to see your playlists.
What are you choosing? Well, I know I said before that Just As Well was probably my favorite tune, but then I'm taking that back because I just painted that picture in my head so well.
I would say Reformed Baptist Blues, man. Oh, wow. That's gonna be it.
Yeah, 100%, dude. That song is fuckin'.
[55:32] You know like where they get the guy and they throw the guy on the bar and they fucking they shovel him down the bar and he slides and he breaks a bunch of glasses and his headgoes into the jukebox like that's this song and the band's still playing they're still finishing the song because if they stop playing they don't get paid exactly exactly Cool cues gettingbroken over people's fucking heads.
What about you Tim? What's your track?
I love that song. Yeah, I love that song as well, but I'm going with Crack My Spine. I love the guitar.
Yeah, I love the guitars in that one. They're rhythmical like a whip.
That song did it for me. Well, your lists are now complete.
I will send them to you so you guys can sequence them and maybe you do that on the plane ride over. Who knows? You'll listen to it to see if it works.
[56:31] But that's what I've got for you. I want to thank you as always for doing all the heavy fucking lifting and listening to the music, having to describe it, answering my stupid assquestions, all that shit.
Guys are fucking gold to me and I can't wait to see you next week and uh, and share you with the world so there's that peace out guys peace out see you in canada pick up your thanks Itwas... It was...
You stepped on my fucking line. Fuuuck you Tim how could you?
Pick up your shit!
jD, Pete, and Tim are back and they want to you to come to the finale with special guest host, Sean Cullen.
In this episode, jD, Pete, and Tim embark on a deep journey into the musical saga of the Tragically Hip by shining the spotlight on their 13th full-length album, Man Machine Poem. We uncover how the band unknowingly crafted their last album and created a memorable and satisfying conclusion with this profound piece.
Tracks
Man - Studio version
In a World Possessed by the Human Mind - Toronto 2016
Here in the Dark - Studio version
Ocean Next - Edmonton 2016
Transcript
Track 1:
[0:00] If you're a fan of the Tragically Hip, this is your hip fest.
Getting Hip to the Hip, September 1st at The Rec Room.
Celebrate the music of the hip with a live tribute act, the finale of a hip-based podcast, and a silent auction with amazing hip prizes, with all proceeds going to support the Gord Downie and Chaney Wenjack Fund.
If you're a fan of the hip, you need to be there. Tickets available now at GettingHipToTheHip.com.
Track 2:
[0:28] What was I listening to? That's the first thing that went through my mind when I experienced Man Machine Poem's first track, Man, for the first time.
Although my love affair with the hip was back in full gear, I don't remember really digging into this record when it dropped.
I was in and out of the hospital dealing with my mental health when I underwent ECT, electroconvulsive therapy.
You know when you get a full list of the worst things that can happen during a procedure because the doctors have to tell you, even though the odds of landing are miniscule?
[1:09] Well, the worst possible thing happened with me and ECT. I had full-on amnesia.
There are whole swaths of my memory that are gone, and I also have trouble making new memories.
So I think my first run at this album was lost in the Barrens.
Fast forward to the Fully and Completely podcast though, and I fell in love.
I fell in love with this the hip's 13th full length.
And when I say loved, it's tough for me to quantify how much I do love this album.
From the complicated man, through the gorgeous Insarnia, and the mysterious Ocean's Next, This is a damn near masterpiece.
[1:57] Sadly, none of the tracks on this album would get to live a life outside the final 2016 Man Machine Pong Tour.
I loved the performance of In a World Possessed by the Human Mind, but I honestly think it would have become a tour staple if the band had been able to endure Gord's cancerous lifesentence.
Although, during the recording of the formerly titled Dougie Stardust, the band couldn't have known that this would be their final kick of the can, but I can't imagine a more fitting albumto do the perfunctory honors.
Essentially, to sum it all up in one word, sigh.
[2:41] I'm so curious what our friends Pete and Tim will feel about all of this.
I guess we should kick into it.
Getting hip to the hip.
Track 5:
[3:19] Hey, it's JD here and welcome to getting hip to the hip. We are back as we are every week going through the catalog of Seminole Canadian rock band, the Tragically Hip.
I'm here as always with my friends, Pete and Tim, trying to ascertain exactly what they think of this band because they've never heard them before.
Please join me in welcoming my friends, Pete and Tim. Pete and Tim, welcome.
[3:48] Hi, JD. Hi, Tim. Hi, fellas. Thanks for the welcome. You're always so warm, JD. I want to make one quick correction in your intro there, JD, is that you said that we've never heardof them.
Now, we've been doing this podcast, what, 15, 14 weeks, something like that?
Fair enough. Fair enough. I've fucking heard of the charge of the hit.
So I just, I don't think it's fair. You know, we might want to prepare people for that, the finale, too. Hey, I know who they are. to charge it to him.
So I just, I don't think it's fair.
You know, we might want to prepare people for that, the finale too.
Hey, I know who they are. Okay, pre, you know, pre-pod recording for me, it was, it was like a bumper sticker.
So yeah, we've heard them now. Or that little stamp thing that you put on your suitcase. Not stamp, but stickers that you put on your suitcase.
Tags, yeah. It's the ones that say Fragile?
No, no. Fragile. Like you put, like every city you go to, You put it on your suitcase and then your suitcase has all these, uh, stickers.
All of that. Yeah. If you don't have, you don't, if you don't have the, uh, the Canada one on there, then your shit gets stolen.
Yeah. It's just fact definitely don't want an American flag on there. Right. No, that's true.
And, uh, you guys are, um, I mean, we're, we're what, uh, two weeks away.
You guys are ready to, have you started packing yet?
[5:08] I'm still doing laundry. Okay. I'm still doing laundry. Why did you pack the day before?
Yeah, I, oftentimes I pack the morning of, so. Yeah. I'm not that, yeah.
But we're looking forward to seeing you, of course.
Tickets are still available for the event, which is again, two weeks from now, September 1st, Friday night at the Rec Room in Toronto.
If you're a hip band, you gotta come to this thing. I mean, it's just that simple.
It's almost like hip-con, where we're all just gonna get together and enjoy our love for this band.
And if you're not there, then you're clearly not a hip band.
That's right. I mean, if you wanna be a hip completist and you've gotten this far with us, you gotta come to the fundraiser.
You gotta come to the show. Come on. It's like, if you don't, and you've gotten this far, and you can't make it, then, eh.
I don't know. Losing some cred.
[6:13] And we've got some more prizes are coming in, but we've got some awesome, awesome prizes for the silent auction. I don't know if they're, if they're called prizes or they'd be itemsfor auction.
We've got some pretty neat ones. We've got some ephemera from the Tragically Hip themselves autographed.
We've got some items from Dave Bustito.
We've got $200 in Air Canada gift cards. We've got a beautiful gift baskets.
We've got another gift card to Amazon.
We've got, um, Oh hell. I can't even, there's also a, uh, it's a, it's, it's in a frame. It's done really nicely, but there's a, there's a lock of Bob rocks hair.
[7:10] I Might I might try to win that and I'll weave it into my bang.
Oh god, wouldn't that be cool man? A lock of Bob rocks hair.
Oh Man, he's he's he's gonna send somebody out dude.
He's It's going to be a hit job, dude, no, he's going to send somebody out to fucking kill us.
Exactly. Yeah, it's cool.
Also it goes without saying, actually, no, it doesn't go without saying, it would be rude of me to mention the bonus feed at this point because the season's over.
You know, we're pretty much done. There's no more bonus episodes and this is not a seasonal podcast. We're not going to do these albums again.
But you can revisit it and go back and listen for years to come, right? That's true.
That's totally true. You can go back and listen to all those fun episodes that we did that were outside of the realm of the albums.
[8:03] So there's that. Is Bob Rock Canadian? Bob Rock is Canadian.
Yeah. And I mean, like, respectfully, like he is, like, like from like 87 to like 95, probably like the top producer on earth.
Dude, totally. He did the Black Album. He did the Black Album.
He did all the Sarah Smith work. He's not going to send out a hit team for us, Tim.
He's not going to send people to kill us, but he probably will send a strongly worded letter.
In Canadian, no.
A strongly worded letter. Anyway. Well, this record that we're talking about today, the 13th record, Man Machine Poem, was not produced by Bob Rock.
It was produced by, oh my gosh, my notes are not in front of me now.
It was produced by Kevin Drew, Jesus Christ, Jamie. You should have known that.
And Dave Hamlin, Dave Hamlin. Broken social scene and Dave Hamlin.
Yeah. Who also produced the first posthumous Gord record. So, clearly.
[9:05] Gord living in Toronto at this time was, you know, part of this sort of cabal of artists in, in the city.
And he had been working with them, you know, a lot. And we're seeing the fruits of that now.
I don't know if you guys have listened to the, the Bob rock Gord Downey convergence, but we haven't talked about that at all on the show. Okay. Well, maybe we'll make that homeworkfor next week's episode.
[9:35] Um, just give it a cursory listen. Yeah. There's some of the best gourd vocals I've ever heard on it, but it's not my favorite gourd record overall, I would say.
And it's also produced by our friend, Bob Rock, which is funny.
Yeah. When in doubt, right?
It's like a little glass case through the hammer. You know, I might, the dog might eat my homework on that one.
If my flight is delayed going into Toronto, you know who I'm blaming.
Oh, wow. Yeah. When you fly that old Norm Macdonald bit, you guessed it, Frank Stallone, you know?
Or instead of Frank Stallone, you guessed it, your flight's delayed?
Your house got struck by lightning? Whose fault is it? You guessed it.
Probably there isn't some Metallica fan in the control tower that Bob has access to. Yeah, that's true.
Well, that's a, I mean, that's a well-produced record, there's nothing wrong with it.
I think it, I think those songs still, you know, you can still listen to them and you know that it's from 1991, but it's, um, it still works.
Like it's not like, whoa, this is, this is way off, you know, where there's some stuff that you hear and you're like, like the EP, for example, you know, uh, the, the tragically hip EP.
[10:57] It, you know, it sounds like 1987, but now it sounds like, like 1987 plus 35 years, you know? Right. If that makes any sense.
I don't know. I'm rambling a bit here. But what do you say we get into your thoughts on the record and your first experiences with the record and how you listened to the record, as we doin each and every episode?
I mean, maybe we just talk about the album conceptually, because really, it first listened, And for me, it was feeling different.
It was feeling, I don't know. It was dreamy and fuzzy. And it feels like some memories.
I don't know. At one point, I was like, this would be good to listen to on a road trip at night.
Like, it just, this one had kind of this sad but futuristic, It was kind of all over the place, it wasn't exactly...
[12:09] A mood booster or like, yes, this is this is that next step album, you know, the phone was different.
And, you know, I understand that it was released before Gord's cancer announcement.
But it was also, you know, like it made me wonder about his wife's whole process with cancer and all of that, too. But it just it was kind of ominous in that whole regard of what was goingon and Gord's life, perhaps.
And I read some quote from him around this time era, maybe during the recording time era.
He said something about not wanting to sing any lyrics anymore that he doesn't write.
If the band was pitching in on lyrics, I feel like he was feeling the weight of the world coming down upon him, even perhaps without even knowing his diagnosis.
I guess he had a couple of strokes during that time, but anyways... Seizures.
Or seizures, yes. Yeah, seizures. Thank you.
[13:15] But anyways, it's a trippy album. It kind of hit me in different ways. And I listened to it.
I was traveling the past couple of weeks and kind of listened to it here and there.
At one point, we were packing up to head to the next town, and we were in Italy.
And I said to my wife, I said, you know, I'll play this recent hit album we're working on, because I think it suits the morning. It's kind of rainy.
We're packing up. We're getting ready, just kind of methodically going through the motions, and played it. And her vibe from it really wasn't so sure.
She just didn't really know how to pick up from this one.
She hasn't really listened to a whole album yet, but we played the whole album, and about halfway through it, I was like, huh, should I put something else on?
This is fitting the mood. What is the mood?
[14:15] Right. Yeah. Well, it was, it was a very strange mood here in Canada because I'm, I'm not sure how you worded it a moment ago, but we did know that he had cancer when therecord came out, so the record was supposed to come out and then they delayed it when he had his second seizure, they delayed it to June and it came out in June, but, but they announcedon the May long weekend, so just one month before, they had announced that he had inoperable, well, not inoperable, because he had already had half his brain removed.
He had many operations, but he had the type of cancer that he had and his sort of status, right?
[15:02] And it was like, holy, it was grim. It was fucking grim.
And then you get this record and you put it on and there's like, there's stuff on here that is like, when they wrote the record, he didn't have cancer, but man, some of the lyrics.
Seem foreboding well here's the thing with the big c is.
[15:27] A lot of people talk about cancer when they get diagnosed as that's when i found out i had cancer and i think just based on experiences i've had with people around me and familyetc.
That it grows in the body for as long as it grows until it's making its debut.
You know, like he had a very special brain and a very creative guy and just obviously all the things about Gord's writing abilities.
And you know, this might have been something that was growing in there for a long time.
I think it was probably there during the whole album producing and making and affecting likely how his brain worked.
A friend of ours mother had brain cancer and she was not normal for like three, four years and no one like, why is she, why is she, why is she slowly becoming so mean, you know?
And it turns out she had brain cancer and it was like the size of a grapefruit before they figured it out. So it was probably there.
And it was probably making it it's effect on his creative outlet, his creative abilities. What do you think Pete?
Wow, a lot to unpack there. Heavy stuff, yeah. Yeah, we jumped right into it.
[16:40] Well, I mean, yeah, all I will say in terms of the lyrics, yeah, it is a bit foreboding.
[16:49] I can't really, I think, I can't remember what song it was that made me think, did he know that he got, that he had cancer up until this point.
I think it was track four in Sarnia and yeah, made me definitely think what was going on during this, but yeah, it's a unique album. I mean, it's certainly.
[17:18] Different. I mean, I'll comment more on on the songs, you know, why I think that way it is, you know, but overall, I very much enjoyed it.
Listened to it in the car, wasn't doing it at the desk, listened to it on traveling on a plane, lots of different places, lots of different ways to experience this record. I feel like it's somethingthat I would put on in the winter.
That's kind of how it felt to me. There's a few songs maybe that were not so much in this kind of mode for me but you know all in all just kind of on the stats side on the stat side of thingsit's got a 3.5 which i wasn't surprised to see on all music um it's short it's again another 40-ish minute album right lots of songs around the four minute mark like it's i felt like uh i don'tknow It did win a Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year in 17, which is amazing.
That shows that a band can really evolve and change and have ups and downs.
And still grab one of those awards is fucking killer. Yeah.
[18:30] Most of this album didn't get much live play time.
No, they only did the one tour, which was like 14 gigs, right?
Yeah. We didn't get to see it and I mean, we're fucking incredibly lucky that we got that tour.
Like when, when I show you guys the document, when I show you guys the documentary, long time running, it's called bring some tissues.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's going to be, it's going to be, I'm sure.
Yeah. Yeah. Tariq Tariq.
And unfortunately for me, I missed most of this because I was very sick at the of time and I just have no memory. So, there's that.
What do you say we get into track by track? Let's do it.
Let's do it. Track number one. Man. Man. Man what, dude? What did I say?
[19:29] Man, what a track. But you said it like, man. I was like, man.
Second longest track on the album, you know? Yeah.
It's definitely got this, I mean, this is where I personally was like, okay, here's the somber Start it's got but it well.
No, I think backtrack that that digitized Chorus, whatever it is the very beginning You know of this is like an interrupter, you know, that's like whoa, where are we going with this album?
But yeah, it kind of felt like The song felt like a prayer or a mantra, you know, just kind of like It was heavy, kind of coming in and out.
The chorus was just the song, it felt like.
It felt like it could be an outro, and it was the first.
It was the first. So... That's a good point. Yeah. Yeah.
I feel like the way it starts off is, I think, really cool and unique and certainly different from the hip.
I love Gord's vocals on this. I think, and I'll say it a lot throughout the pod, but I think the percussion and the arrangements on this entire record is awesome.
The way everything's layered beautifully.
The piano hits when the song really opens up. It does have some hardcore Radiohead vibes. I think this first track.
Very much. Wow. Okay. I could see that. Yeah. I like that.
I like that. Yeah. Definitely like Kid A and Rainbows, I would say.
Radiohead. Not OK Computer Radiohead.
Right. Anyway, yeah, really cool opening track, that's for sure.
In a world possessed by the human mind.
[25:18] This was the first single from the record and a great single.
I mean, you know, it doesn't necessarily tell the tale of the record, of what you're going to get when you get this record.
[25:34] You know, the record is obviously much more low key, but I think it's a banger.
I love this song And I came to it late.
That's crazy. I mean, I like the song. It's funny that it's single and I think it's got the most listens on Spotify.
I mean, I like it. I think probably the most unique thing about it to me is like, I know we make a lot of Bob Rock jokes on this podcast, and I really do like Bob Rock. I joke a lot.
But I feel like Bob Rock isn't even in the rear view mirror anymore with this record.
It's something that I don't think many producers would have had worked on or signed off on or been a part of.
It's really different. It's really different.
But I like this track. I don't think it's the best track on the record.
And I wouldn't even call it a banger. I like this track, but I wouldn't have chosen it as a single. Wow.
Just give me the news, Tim.
Well, this was like one of three that they played live on that last tour, I believe.
[26:53] And the sound was a little more, I don't know, it was refined in some different way on this one.
It almost sounded like the drums, some of the drums or recorded in a hard-walled room or something.
This one had, again, this album has a different feel to it, and this one kind of was like, brought us out of the clouds of that first song.
It felt like maybe, I didn't, in general, on this album, I didn't conceptually get into lyrics whole lot but this one made me think like.
[27:31] This sounds like it's based on hospital experiences or maybe Gord's wife's cancer, or there's some kind of personal struggle in here with the lyrics in the, I felt like the ending waskind of a cliffhanger, like the verse just kind of drops and there's no, yeah. And then there's no stanza.
[27:56] Like there's, it just, it just stops right there. You know, like Like, what was the look on her face?
I want to know. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
And you know, it also conversely, like many of the hip songs and Gord's lyrics, it made me just, while I was driving, it made me think about social media and how everybody's on theirphones and staring at their phones and always looking down and, you know, I kind of, uh, I have this constant commentary on, in my mind about how, like people are going to slowly turnback into tumbleweeds because we're all looking down so often, we're just going to roll away.
And this, you know, this, this, this song kind of, I don't know, it was just, it has good pickup for song number two, but it also is kind of carrying the same ominous feel, you know?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
I, I had a good thought for you and now it's gone and that's a shame.
That's a crying goddamn shame.
[29:07] Trying to see if I can will it back. Not coming back. I'm vamping.
Now I'm speaking out loud about vamping, which has given away the gig, which means I should probably just switch subjects and go to What Blue? What Blue.
[29:30] I dug this song a lot. I thought lyrically it was very cool.
There's some really unique background guitar licks in here. Again, this is another one that that the arrangements and the way everything's placed is just rad.
I love it. I got a really, especially with the spacey solo, I got a really pavementy vibe from it.
Wow. The lyric, I love you so much, it distorts my life. Like, oof. Yeah. Oof. Yeah. Yeah. I dug this track.
[30:15] It's sweet. It sounds like it's maybe, I don't know, part of it feels like it's a weird one. Like it felt, you know, some of the guitar sounds, Pete, that you mentioned, felt kind of cave-like.
Like there's some resonance or something going on in this album that's a little bit different that perhaps Kevin Drew or Dave Hamlin brought in.
You know, that's pretty cool. The song's under three minutes.
You know, it doesn't feel that way, though.
It's one of those songs that's quick and heavy and big.
But at the same time, even though we're having kind of like these, I was having kind of these dark ominous, like, whoa, what's going on?
Whatever. This song felt kind of lullaby.
And there's a few songs on here that feel kind of lullaby and sweet and loving.
And they might sound dark, but I don't think that was really, like the intentions or maybe which is it's classic hip, you know, with lyrics and meanings that the intentions or whatever kindof all over the place can be looked at different ways.
But yeah, this one, uh, it was a quick, sweet one. I agree. Any other thoughts on what blew?
[31:38] No, okay. So I, I remembered what I was going to say in a world possessed by the human mind, the line that he talks about, like looking down at your phones, every time I hear it, Ijust crumble because I would love, like, that's a reference To a time in 2016, that isn't ahead of its time by any stretch, but it's a timestamp on the song, you know what I mean?
There's there, it makes it in real time. It makes it in this universe to speak on the multiverse level. It makes it happening now.
And that's the end. That's the last one we get.
That's the last timestamp we get. We don't get to hear any more, um, you know, his views on like, what would he have thought of Donald Trump's reign?
You know, I would love to know he wouldn't be super political about it, but there would be flourishes in his art. I'm sure.
[32:47] You know, I don't know. I would hope he would have been super political about it, you know, because Because not in general I feel like there isn't enough and with the the stage thatthey held in the audience that they had Whether or not they were Mostly Canadian.
I mean he he he had a voice to be able to do whatever the fuck you want So oh absolutely, I think they would know you're on bananas if they were to kept playing I think they would havegone bananas politically.
I would have expected it from them Yeah, which is also fucking fucking tiresome.
You know, I can't tell you. I mean, it just was two weeks in Europe and I can't tell you how many conversations came up.
Yeah, no, well, no, yes and no. I mean, so many conversations about like, we heard about the shooting yesterday, the massacre yesterday, this yesterday, that yesterday.
It's like, fuck. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. Oh God. I don't know what he would about all this. Yeah, exactly. But I'd love to know because he had an interesting filter.
He had an interesting prism, right? Like he would take in the information and then it would come out in all all the colors of the rainbow on the other side, and it was beautiful. Speakingof, beautiful.
[34:08] Hi. Pete, I want to draw you like one of my French girls. Right?
Especially the way he's lounging right now. Yeah, I'm kind of lounging.
For all the listeners, he's in a room with, I don't know how many candles are lit.
There's a bunch of mirrors. He's got like satin pillows all over this crazy velvet.
I can smell it here, Pete.
I mean, I wish my screen was scratch and sniff. Yeah. Oh, God.
[34:41] You know, well, we can get into the next song, but I was going to say, in terms of Gord, just his take, I feel like he'd have a nuanced take.
And I think when it comes to politics and when it comes to the state of the world, whether Whether it's Donald Trump or a mass shooting or Trudeau or whatever, it's like, there's the goodvirtuous script to follow that, you know, if you don't, you're a total piece of shit.
And then there's the other side of the people who speak in a way that they don't have any remorse or don't have any care.
They're completely on the opposite. Those are kind of the two spectrums or as it's more commonly referred to the left and the right. Or actually racist. Yeah, yeah.
Racist or virtuous people. Yeah, yeah. But that's the thing is I think that somebody like Gord's perspective would have been a a lot more nuanced and my only question isn't how good itwould have been, it would have been.
[36:01] If he was around, like, how would it have been received?
Because I think there are a few people that speak very, very intelligently about the state of the world, about things like Trudeau, things about Biden, things about Donald Trump.
And those voices get drowned out because it's not, Fuck that, this is a racist motherfucker, blah, blah, blah, or whatever.
It's just like, yeah, that's the easy thing to say. It's the low-hanging fruit to be so virtuous and, you know, everything.
Like I said, it's a script. People follow it. It's kind of, it's to me.
[36:43] It's sickening because it's so easy.
Yeah. Yeah, of course. Yeah. Donald Trump was, is it, is it, is a shithead or, you know, like, yeah, duh.
But, you know, it doesn't seem, and I, yeah, yeah.
But but you know like that's what people say and that's all people really say nobody I feel like if Gord was around here.
I am putting words into his mouth, but um, you know Perhaps he would be a little more nuanced and talk about the reasons why things are the way they are I think instead of just like Youknow this this orange Hitler who just popped up out of nowhere and like like blindsided the entire world.
No, dude No, and I think when it comes to bad things in the world, be it school violence or shitty, horrible politicians or racist people, everybody plays a part.
[37:42] Everybody plays a part. You and I play a part. We all play a part.
And so to just sit and point the finger and be like, those people are awesome.
Those people are amazing. people are virtuous and accepting of everybody, and then those people over there are racist, deplorable pieces of shit that should go away or live on an island bythemselves.
It's just like, it's so stupid.
And there's not enough people in this world. And that's what I think the conversation that Gord would bring to the table would be a much more nuanced conversation.
Because nowadays it just doesn't exist.
People are just so quick to talk about shit from a place that they're either repeating a talking point they heard on CNN, MSNBC, or Fox News.
Yeah, strange, you've got whatever channel suits your flavor, so you're in that echo channel. Yeah, and all that shit's entertainment anyway, man. Yeah. It's all, you know. It's bonkers.
Well, speaking of nuanced lyrics and a song about a place, let's go to Insarnia.
[39:00] Tim, what do you got to say about Insarnia? Uh, you know, I more or less just vibed with the lyrics right off staring at your phone, like a poker hand.
You do, you don't know who you are. You know, that's the one that's my heart. Yeah.
My heart and pocket and I you're on my mind, you know, it's just, it's.
He's, I don't know that this one made me think about so many different things.
And again, it had kind of this lullaby, kind of folky acoustic guitar, maybe acoustic bass in here.
That's kind of what I was hearing at one point, which made me, you know, I hate to ask artists about their songwriting process, but, you know, knowing the fact that these guys sat aroundand sat in a circle or whatever and pumped out songs together, it just made me just kind of want to see that experience that.
It has kind of a bizarre ending, as many of these songs do.
[40:07] The only thing I read about it was, you know, Gord said at one point it was supposed to be called insomnia and it ended up in Sarnia and I don't really know why or what the story isthere.
And that's great. I didn't know that. That's kind of like, yeah, that's kind of like the, maybe the constant theme on this one is, is not really knowing, you know, and just feeling the head, justfeeling the heaviness of it.
Um, yeah. He was reading the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Maybe. Yeah. It's Narnia. That was Narnia. Yeah. Yeah. Narnia, you've been on my mind.
No, I think this song is gorgeous. Like this song reminds me, it's cousins with flamenco, you know, like it's, it's, it's beautiful on a different sort of level or break, breaking out, throwingoff glass, you know, like one of those songs.
It's, it's just sort of a different caliber of song.
And, you know, to, to, to get here at point X, you know, from point A, which was werewolf baby, this is on crab, all crab, you know, this is 35 years later.
And what they've accomplished together as a band is amazing.
[41:36] There's not a lot of bands that the Stones have been around forever, but they didn't do it.
You know, they've released shit like from like 1983, like it's been junk, you know?
U2, another legacy band that we think of as like infallible, like they haven't done anything great since Zuropa. You know what I mean? That's a long time.
Joshua Tree. Yep. Joshua Tree, yeah.
I mean, Joshua Tree is a... Those early records, man. Amazing!
Amazing! Yeah, that was... Just saying. We'll save that for another pod.
Oh, well, I'll say real quick about Insarnia.
Is that this is... well, I'll save it. I'll save it for here in the dark.
[46:23] This record feels like, do you remember the Sports Illustrated cover of Dennis Rotman in drag, sitting on a motorcycle?
Sure. Really famous, where he's wearing lipstick and earrings.
They probably wouldn't have allowed that in my town.
Probably would've what? They probably wouldn't have allowed that magazine in my town. Really? No, I'm joking.
Oh, I was like, man, I thought Canada was pretty open about that stuff.
No, I remember vividly because it was like, I felt like, okay, Robman was crazy, amazingly talented basketball player, but he finally was able to, and if I remember correctly, reading someof that article and watching some of the interviews, he was finally able to be himself, whoever and however, whatever that looked like, you know, and that was a big, big deal.
That was a big deal to put a star basketball player on the cover of Sports Illustrated in drag on a motorcycle.
[47:31] This is 90s, you know, mid 90s, whenever it was.
Anyway, the reason why I thought of that was because I feel like this record is that.
I feel like this record is like, really they just are being who they want to be on this record. Like it or hate it.
Some people like other things better, but I feel like the records in the past were always for a reason.
Maybe that reason was trying to break through the American market.
Maybe that reason was trying to make this record sound more this or that.
Maybe that reason was whatever Bob Rock thought, you know.
But I feel like this reason is this record is just because they wanted to play.
This happens to be my favorite song on the record, hands down.
The way the bass starts off, everything about it, the chorus, guitar licks.
[48:25] My only, the only drag here is that the, I'm not a big fan of the, the, the ending.
So it kind of leaves you hanging. Yeah, it kind of left me hanging. in one regard, I was.
It just made me think about the prior songs and how the endings are not, I don't know.
Many times we've commented on their song endings not just wrapping up or whatever it is, but this one really left you hanging a little bit more than usual because this is song five and thewhole song picks up energetically, right?
[49:09] And it kind of feels like we're going someplace now, a little bit different.
Like you mentioned, Pete, the bass is really good. It's like, oh, yeah.
It's just chugging along like this locomotive.
And there's a little bit of effects to it. But it also kind of, the song to me, even though it was picking up in pace and everything, energy, it also kind of felt like we were slogging throughthe mud still.
Like there was just still momentum, but a struggle here. And then this leave you hanging ending, it just, yeah, it was a, yeah.
[49:51] I'll just add to this one, kind of on this album in general, we touched on it at the beginning, but it really left me wondering, Not necessarily why, but here we are in this new feel of achapter in The Hip and their discography, and how amazing to be in a band, to be able to go through this process for so many years, and recording on average probably every year and ahalf, and be able to knock out an album that's, you know, I just look down at my notes and the first thing I read track wise is tired as fuck.
I mean, maybe that was like part of the sentiment here, you know, that some of the music on this album feels just as far as the actual guitar, bass, or drums go. Some of it feels like.
[50:58] Here we are, we're back recording, this is good, you know, this is, we're making art, and some of it feels like, whew, I've ran, you know, 15, 16 marathons, and this one's feelingespecially hard this time, you know, like, kind of like, what's going on?
Well, it kind of doesn't matter, this is life, let's just keep chugging through it. And that's, that's kind of how this album was when I, when I was talking about playing it for my wife whenwe were packing up.
You know, it was really interesting to pause and consider, maybe I should put something else on right now, because that's like an album making you think, and it's art making you stop inyour tracks, and that's like the purpose of it.
You know, it's called The Artist's Goal. I honestly think if we didn't get screwed, and he never had cancer, this record wouldn't have been toured in arenas.
It would have been toured in small clubs purposefully, not because it wasn't drawing, but purposefully it would have been in small clubs because it's suited for a more intimate cabaretenvironment.
If they're touring heavily on this record, that's what I would think.
[52:14] But we did get screwed, and we only got to hear three or four of the songs live, and were in a stadium setting and going back briefly on, in a world possessed by the human mind, Ithink that's also why I really like it because I saw it live.
Uh, cause I love the breakdown in that song, like leading up to the bridge.
Um, the breakdown, I love the tone of the bass. Like it's very reminiscent of like eighties, um, like new, new wave indie sort of, you know, vibe. And it's just so fresh.
It's just so fresh sounding for this band, you know, that was playing Cordelia, which is a fantastic fucking banger of a song, but it seems like a thousand years before.
Yeah. Yeah.
You know, they're like our little tree. Yeah. And we've got to see them grow.
Taken off, you know this this may have been like precursor to I don't know to.
[53:22] Like MTV MTV unplugged situation kind of riffing off where you just were, you know, it could have been like it could have been like I Don't know Pinch hit kind of move for hissolo career, you know could have of, you know, it would have could have sold many things.
[53:46] I mean, there's, there's part of me at this point, this juncture in their discography, of me is just really wondered or made me think.
[53:58] Like, what the fuck, you know, it's yeah, it's really hard sometimes to process someone who's pivotal in your life.
And it's just like, you know, I can steak and eggs or your morning coffee or whatever it is, and then having that kind of go away and come come back just in a different version.
And it's not the same, you know, it's just that I feel like that premonition or whatever the word is for this album is is layered in for sure.
Yeah. It's eerie. That's a trip. It's a trip. Yeah. Totally.
Yeah. All right. So let's flip the record over and head into Great Soul.
[54:49] I really dig the melody, catchy, cool guitar opening, but I mean, I like a lot of things about this song.
I think the ultimate takeaway I had with it is it just never gets there. It's like tantric sex.
It's like you're waiting for the big boom and it just doesn't.
By the end, you're just like, fuck, really?
You're just waiting for a heavy guitar to just come in and just destroy it, and it just doesn't. Like, okay.
So my main note on this one is, this one I looked up.
I was like, all right, nothing works. I'm out of ideas. Like, what is going on with this one? And apparently, the guys were Simpsons fans.
And there's a scene from The Simpsons. I have it queued up here.
And I'm going to try to play it to see if you guys can hear it.
And it's taken from Ned Flanders' Parents, this nothing works and I'm out of ideas. They changed it up a little bit, but this is a reference.
We'll try to play it right here.
Yeah, you've gotta help us, Doc. We've tried nothing and we're all out of ideas.
[56:09] That's the scene. I mean, paint the picture, it's Ned's parents with a doctor and Ned's in the background bouncing off the walls, you know, like no attention to anything.
That's the line. So apparently that's where that came from, which I just love, that made me feel like, okay, there's still some playfulness going on here. Oh yeah.
Take a fucking Simpsons quote, give me some really foreboding, foretelling, I don't know, pessimistic something. See, isn't that fucked?
Because this is why poetry is great, you know?
Yeah, yeah. In the context of a song is that one nugget of an idea, to me, that was very deep.
To me, it was very deep. To me, it defined my life. It was a mantra.
It was like, that's who I am. I've tried nothing and I'm out of ideas.
Like, I'm fucking useless, you know?
[57:04] And then you tell me it's a Simpsons quote and it's like my world has just come falling down. Way to go, Tim.
All right. I love that about it. It made me like it even more, you know? Yes, me too. Hell yeah. Hell yeah. Let's take something that makes us giggle and turn it into something else, youknow? All right, let's hit it. Tired as fuck.
Yeah, my initial search on this one led me to t-shirts that have big, bold font, tired as fuck on the front.
And I thought, oh, I need to have one of those shirts. And I was like, maybe, where would I wear this shirt? This was a single.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. 3 million plays on Spotify. It's big.
I love the lines, you know, Get so high, you can let go. Lake of gin up to my chin.
It's so easy when you don't know how.
You know, this song, it's like, when we were traveling recently, from Rome to Dallas to Portland, man, that Dallas to Portland leg was tired as fuck.
You know, it's just, this is, this just, it became an expression song.
You know, that's kind of what I, It's kind of what I got out of it, yeah. Nice.
[58:23] Yeah, I dug it. I mean, it was, it was, I definitely was, I mean, I could see it being a single for sure.
[58:29] The melody, I like the, it's got kind of a, I feel like, like, I don't know if it's, it's, it's Paul Langlois or Rob Baker doing the, the guitar on this, but very, it's a little Spanish vibe to it.
I get some undertoes there.
Again, the percussion and arrangements for this whole record is really stands out and this song is...
In my head, it's like if we had these two producers for We Are The Same, I think, like, because the bones are there. Like, there's some great songs on it.
It's not a piece of shit, you know, but it's like, it's just not up to snuff, I don't think.
And I know a lot of people, it's their favorite, but hey, whatever.
I just think these guys on that record, whoo!
I agree with you 100% 100% All right, hot mic.
This is another one that made me think Gord would have a heyday with where we are now that everything is a hot mic, you know I Don't know.
Well, it's a big bold Tom's at the beginning Love yeah, I love the way this begins This was one of my least favorite songs when I started listening to this record and it's bubbled up, it'sprobably a top four for me now on the record.
Where do you stand there, Mr. Tim?
[59:56] Um, you know the song I...
[1:00:00] I found I was I was kind of more lost on this one and honestly at this point in the whole my whole listen of the album with this song I was like fuck it I don't really care what thesesongs have been about I don't really care you know to look into this one I just was it kind of, and not in a negative way, it kind of just like I'm just succumbing to the hip at this point. It'slike, give me another shot.
We need to keep going. I'd love to riff on what you just said, Judy, like the drums and bass again.
Just kind of this thunder rolling through. I love it when they do that.
I love when those guys just create this, you know, storm.
[1:00:54] And I love that thought about the hip in this song. The ending of this one has this like pew pew kind of weird sound.
It was interesting. But I kind of went from this one right to the next one.
So this one didn't hang with me. Yeah, nothing negative.
But I was just like, OK, what's going on next?
Because I knew in my listen methodology, I'm like, OK, We're heading towards the finish line.
Tim was very passive about this song. Yeah, in not a negative way.
It's just how it was. No, that's what I'm saying, passive. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can't be negative. It's funny, because I mean, I echo a lot of what Tim says.
And to be honest with you, JD, hopefully I get to where you are today, that the song bubbles up a little bit. Because I thought it was cool.
I thought it was interesting. But it was definitely not a standout track for me.
Hey, I want you to keep working at it. And one day you will be like me.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I will. Man, you've got some guns there, man.
I thought guns were illegal in Canada.
[1:02:02] Ha ha ha ha ha. Probably. Potion next!
[1:04:38] Ocean X I thought was great and it grew on me and the more I heard it the more I don't know it It's oh, it's a it's a weird one.
It it appeared in my head many mornings in a row I don't know what it is about it because it feels like a song that there's often songs i'll hear this is my my Catholic upbringing right here,but there's often songs that I'll hear where I think, man, this would be so cool played inside a massive church, you know, some cathedral or, you know, and really, and I thought you weregoing to say, like to listen to with God.
Of course, of course. No, but there's, there's a venue here in Portland.
That's an old church. It's called the old church. And it's amazing to hear bands play there. It's just different.
And this was one of those for me.
I don't know why. It just stuck in my head. It's dark.
It kind of became one of my favorite ones on this album. And I can't really explain it.
Pete, what did you think of Ocean Next? I loved it, man. And to piggyback off what Tim said, as far as his Catholic upbringing and being in a church, you definitely want to listen to thissong a healthy dose of guilt also.
[1:06:05] Always. Sorry, had to. Lil Hanging Fruit. No, I mean, it's one of the coolest tracks on this record, and I echo everything that you said, JD.
It would be, it's weird that it became the stadium record that it did, but I would love to see this band just at like, God, not even like a theater, just something super small, you know?
[1:06:32] Like, if it was like 50 people, like that would be awesome. Oh, man. I mean, yeah, you're never going to see the Tragically Hip with 50 people.
No. But this just record had that vibe. I would love to listen to everything.
You know, and that happened. I mean, I was reading a review of them playing live and somebody, the writer commented on them playing stadiums and then them showing up in a city inthe U.S.
And playing to like 80 people at a venue that maybe holds a couple hundred people.
And not many folks showed up and, you know, this one show, I wish I could remember what it was, but the show, they were basically saying that the band seemed to have, like.
[1:07:18] Said, fuck it, and got ripped, and played an amazing show. And it played an amazing show, but they were like, fuck it.
Who cares that nobody's here? Let's just do whatever the hell we want, and we're going to play how we want to play.
And if somebody gets sloppy drunk and stumbles through their bass lines, who cares? And I mean, I love to witness shit like that as a fan. So it's, yeah.
Oh, I think that's part of their ethos. Like, they were always going to put, we've talked about it a lot through the show, but they're always going to put their art ahead of you know, anyother pursuits.
And in fact, Gord calls it out on his posthumous record to the song, basically his posthumous record that came out about a month after he died.
He had it set up almost like a, you know, like it was set up to come out.
If I'm, if I recall correctly.
It was set up to come out after he died.
[1:08:16] And it came out and it consists of however many songs, but each song is about one person or one group of people in his life.
[1:08:28] And it's just led to many people trying to decipher who is who and what is what, which one's about the kids and which one's about this.
But there's a very clear one about the band And if you get a chance give it a listen. It's pretty cool.
Has everybody spoken about ocean next?
[1:08:44] Yeah Yeah, right. So then we get the right parenthetical this record machine or enroll Tim so Yeah, so this one's you know past the five-minute mark.
We got we got a longer one here They played this one a little bit live on their last tour.
I found they they played it 15 times so this is yeah, I know this is kind of maybe more of a I Don't know.
It's it feels like about three minutes in I Was expecting it to maybe wrap up and start ending but it kept going and it was a good thing like it It felt good for a closer Yeah, it has this strangekind of shut it down, electronic ending Yeah, even even though it had like this pick-me-up feel for an ender it which is again kind of classic hip like leaves you Excited for the next albumand wanting more this had still had some of that there.
So it's It's a little bit of an oddball in that regard with the rest of the album and now I felt going through it but you know, it's It, uh...
[1:10:02] Yeah, it just felt like a good end of an album.
If this last song was deeper and darker, if this album had an ending of this song, if it was just more deep and more dark and more foreboding and more like, what the fuck, then I think thewhole album would have felt a little bit different, but this song doesn't feel that way.
It still makes fans, I believe, probably want more hip and it's just got that.
I love the lyrics of, you know, I'm a machine, I'm a real machine, you're a real machine.
It's kind of like we're all in this together feeling.
I also love the line, I can try not to try and remember a lot.
I mean, that's just like, that's just like, get through the day, you know.
So this was a good ending of an album for me.
[1:11:04] Man, when I got really high and listened to this record one day, I was convinced that man and machine, you can loop them somehow.
Hmm. They seemingly, like they fit together somehow, but I couldn't figure out how to put them together.
So I could never replicate what I heard in my head, but to me, they're so linked.
So linked. If anyone out there has done that before, please, please send us, please, please send us some. Yeah, totally.
Yeah, that'd be cool. Yeah. Some mashup. Yeah. What did you think, Pete? I mean, this is the title for this record is as a reference to the song on the on the previous record.
Which I think was probably one of my favorite, if not my favorite song on that record.
[1:11:58] I thought this was a really cool ender. It did wrap up the record nicely in terms of where it started.
So I feel you JD. I don't know exactly what it sounded like in your head, but I definitely feel you on the first song and this last song being something you could like somehow loop or mix.
I got some Beatles vibes from this song. Definitely got some Beatles vibes, But probably the coolest thing was the guitar following I'm a Real Machine.
Like, that melody is being played on the guitar as Gord sings it.
And I just think that's so cool when bands do that.
Oh, I didn't hear it. Yeah, it's cool. Yeah, I heard that. It's simple, but it's like they're playing the vocal melody on the guitar. And I just love it.
Because you can fuck it up pretty easy. It sounds cheesy, but it sounds awesome.
Yeah, good wrap-up on this record song.
[1:13:05] I think it's a good way to wrap it up. And ultimately, a wrap-up on the career of the Tragically Hip.
Tragically, you know, ending way too soon. It's been a number of years now, but it still feels like yesterday that I listened to them for the first time.
Well, I don't want to get too finale on me here, on you guys here, so I'll save that for a wrap up.
But suffice it to say, I, you know, this record is a record that like rocketed up my power rankings earlier this summer. It's a top seven record for me.
So I like this one a lot. Any final thoughts from you, gentlemen?
I just can't wait to see everybody in Toronto. Yeah, man. Just can't wait. Yeah. Stoked.
It's going to be great. And Bob, if you're listening, you should come.
You know, we want to drink some champagne with you.
Pete wants to hear your PSS and your, what does he drive?
Jaguar? He wouldn't want to listen to this trash that I mix.
I'm sorry. Bob's a Jaguar guy. MVP tracks, for the record. Pete, we'll go with you first because you already gave yours away, you ding-dong.
Yeah, sorry, Here in the Dark, best song on the record.
[1:14:34] Hands down. Yeah, OK. I'm going Ocean next. It's just I don't really know why. It's a close second.
Some of the songs I've picked from this process, I'm not really sure why.
But this one, it's a little bit of an oddball. And this is the song that I woke up hearing in my head several times in the past couple of weeks. Very cool.
[1:15:03] Well, thank you very much as always, gentlemen. We'll be back next week for one more spin around the old turntable before we head to Toronto for the finale on the 1st ofSeptember.
Hope to see you there. Hope to. Well, I know I'll see you guys there, but I hope to see everybody who's listening there.
And that's all we got for you. Thanks. Thanks, fellas. Good to see ya. Pack up your shit!
In this episode, join hosts Pete and Tim along with special guest Dan as they dissect and analyze the Tragically Hip's 2012 record, "Now For Plan A". They dive into the musical journey, reliving their first experiences and evolving impressions over multiple listens. From highlighting the unique elements of each song to the lyrics and influences behind them, no detail is too small. They examine the guest vocals of Sarah Harmer in 'Look Ahead' and the Rolling Stones-esque 'Modern Spirit', exploring the musical and lyrical details. Listen in as they debate the meaning of the lyrics in 'Take Forever' and uncover the mysterious 'About this Map'. A treat for any Tragically Hip fan, this episode is a deep dive into the iconic band's musical journey.
Tracks
About this Map - Studio Version
Man Machine Poem - Toronto 2012
Streets Ahead - Ottawa 2011
Take Forever - Toronto 2012
Transcript
Track 3:
[2:51] Hey, it's JD here, and welcome to Getting Hip to the Hip.
[2:54] A weekly podcast where I take my friends on a whirlwind tour of the Tragically Hips discography, one record at a time, week over week.
And that is the case with this week, as we're discussing 2012's Now for Plan A, the 12th studio record from the Tragically Hip.
I'm joined as always by Pete and Tim, and we've also got Dan from London here.
How the hell are you guys doing? Oh good, oh good.
Excellent. Well, after that, hold on, let me look at my segment guide here.
Uh, introduction, rousing response from the gentlemen. Yep. Check.
[3:53] Now we'll move on to the next segment, which is, uh, experience with this record.
This is a coming off of, we are the same, a record, which was, uh, roundly dismissed by these two gentlemen, uh, a week ago, Dan, um, it was one that It was one that was not well liked.
So we're hoping we've got a comeback on our, in the mids tier. It happens. Bye bye.
Pete and Tim Burse, talk to me about where you listened to the record the first time, how you experienced it on multiple listens, and overall vibeage off the top.
And then we'll fire it over to you, Dan, to get a similar reaction.
Well, I listened to it in multiple places. Listened to it first, I think, I think, working, sitting at the computer, listening to it in the home stereo system, listening to it in the car.
[5:02] I love the record. I don't want to say too much because I think we're going to get into a lot of it.
But only thing I will say, and in all due respect, I don't want to come off harsh here, but fuck you, Dan, right off the bat, Because you've had this record for some time, and we got a weekto soak it in.
A week. Let me tell you, a week wasn't even enough.
I mean, I could soak this record in for a year.
That's all I'm going to say. I'll agree with that. With all due respect, but I can't fuck you down. Like, with all due respect. Thank you. We had a week with it.
We had a week with it. I feel like we had a lifetime with We Are The Same.
But we only had a week with Now for Plan A.
And I felt a little rushed to let it resonate, but every time I turned it on.
[6:00] I don't know. I don't want to say it felt like the first time, but it just clicked with me. There are some good tunes on here that we'll get it. We'll get it. We'll get into it.
But I listen to it my usual places.
Usual places. I listen to it more, I guess, excitedly with my better headphones on around the house, which always makes for, where's dad? Oh, he's right there. but he's not here.
So I, you know, because I wanted to hear it in its entirety.
And I can only really do that in the car or with the cans on.
So yeah, that was kind of my experience. It was quick for a quick album, right?
Yeah, the fastest record in their oeuvre at like 39 minutes or so.
And only two singles as well. That was shocking to me as well.
Which were those? I didn't think they were at transformation was the first single. Of course.
And hold on. I've got it right here.
[7:09] Streets ahead. Cool. Cool. Any feedback from Spotify?
Did any of you guys look at Spotify? Like where the play counts were?
Yeah. I mean, I think that's definitely up there. there. So is, so is that transformation and, and I think the title track.
Okay, gee, I just want to get transformation. Judy, do you use the term oeuvre a lot?
And I pause it to think that you use that term a lot because it rhymes with your last name and the production company that this that is gifting us with this here podcast oeuvre.
Yeah, yeah, that's what it Is that why? It's my last name.
[8:00] And Ouvra combined without the D. Yeah, and it's because it's all my work, right?
It's my collection of work Right is do.
Yeah, so so you don't like the D is what you're saying Hey now Pete told me he thought it might be a extra terrestrial Anatomy that he's not aware of Dan, Dan, he actually said this is thisis this somebody part that I didn't learn Dan's regretting joining this podcast.
Dan, what are you, like, well I want to hear from Dan, I want to know what, he's had a wild time.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, well listen with this whole thing I'm just along for the ride, you know.
I'll let you guys play out in front of me. Um, no, um, yeah, as you say I was really lucky because it was after the last one I was on that I learned that this was the next one I was going to beon.
So I had some considerable amount of time and also time to purchase Jan's album and get it imported from Germany I think.
[9:09] So I had a real binge at first because I think it's a pretty easy album to get into.
There's a, there's a couple of tracks that sort of, you kind of misplace, you know, in the order along the way for various reasons, but, um, I've, I was just listening to on my way to work.
So that was always, you know, whilst traveling on the train, um, and, uh, and I had, I had good times of it and I had it all prepared what I was going to say.
Um, because it was many months ago, I then moved on and got busy and did different things, forgot it all.
And then spent today binge listening and making notes again.
So I'm actually catching up with you guys now, which is typical. What can I say?
I mean, that represents our week with this album.
[9:57] Oh, that's great. Dan's last visit was Trouble at the Hidden House, right? So he's had a couple of good ones. Which we also have in the collection now. Nice. Awesome. Look at that.All right. Look at that guy.
Well, what do you say we start this, Son of a Gun, then?
We get in, turn the keys, and see where we end up. All right.
[10:16] The first song, we start in with this cancer metaphor right off the bat with At Transformation.
Can I go? Sure. This one, I was so happy hearing the first seconds of this song coming off of our last album's experience.
[10:39] This one was so fun for me. I was relieved to hear this song.
I played it three times before I went on with the album.
Literally, just like, OK, let's do that one again. OK, let's do that one again.
It's just so I mean you can feel I don't know the, the bass is on fire in this song. You can feel Gord when he does the you know after that transformation towards the kind of the end. I feltthat coming.
You knew the woo was coming, right?
I don't know, it just...
Context aside, it's a killer song and even the The outro loops back everything about the intro.
It just was this circle of a song I felt like just could have been a single, been done. OK. Yeah. Great starter.
There's some weird, on this album, there's definitely some playfulness with song endings, with distortion and feedback and keys and synthesizers or something, which this one kind ofgives us that first taste of.
So I was happy to hear it. Played 128 times live. 128 times live.
So they played this one a bit. How about you, Dan?
[12:04] I mean, my second favorite track on the album. Yeah. I mean, as soon as that sort of distorted bass kicks in, you know you're in for a bit of a ride.
And again, similar to other tracks that we were looking at when I was last in on the Hen House, this does similar things where you've got that not quite, you've got a really good bridge andthen a not quite a chorus, but then it comes in the second time with the, you know, that transformation bit.
Well, the I can see it all at once and that transformation bit, and then that bass takes off and does its thing and it just, man, it just takes off.
And as we say, it just dissipates into this weird sort of sonic, mad sort of ending.
And similar to the start, it's like after that bass is there, the guitars kind of come in in some kind of informal manner, and then it just, bang, picks up when he starts singing the verse.
So it's a banger. Yeah, absolutely. Listen to it again and again and again and again and again.
[13:04] Contextually, it's weird. I second-guess myself a lot, not just to this song, Especially with the song though, but with the whole record I say because Tim alluded to it a little bit.
Dan doesn't have the context of last week's record So I'm like is this fucking record is amazing as I think it is? Or is it, it's like, hey, I've been living in a, you know.
In a faraway prison eating rice and stale bread for three years and now I'm sitting down at fucking Ruth Chris, Steakhouse and you know eating a.
[13:59] Filet mignon medium rare with a bottle of uh It just comes in like a beat and a half before. It's fucking cool.
I'm just looking at the notes. So long, Bob Rock.
[14:21] There's a lot of that in these notes, the bass, guitars, chords, voice throughout this entire record.
This is just a welcome back, Tragically Hip.
[14:37] One thing that I thought of when I was listening to it was I pictured in my mind the whole band on stage playing this song after maybe being through some shit for a while and likeyou know 45 seconds into this tune everybody just looks over at each other and like they don't say shit they don't have to say shit they just say everything with their eyes and they look ateach other and just smile and are just like yep welcome back Welcome fucking back.
I mean, what a return.
I mean, yeah, I just feel like we drifted so much from last week, again, that listening to this first song was awesome. Loved it.
At the same time, you know, in my research and reading about Gord's wife and her breast cancer and him dealing with that and that kind of being a thread through this album, I believe.It's... BOOM!
[15:45] You know, it was exciting, listened for me and I love this first song, but at the same time, it's like, oh, fuck.
We all in our own ways, our own stories, our own experiences can relate to cancer and probably even breast cancer.
And we have a good friend who just went through it all the way and just a couple of days ago found out she was cancer free.
So. Oh, wow. You know, this is Gord's.
Yeah. Gord's wife, you know, came out. Yeah.
In the end and it didn't take her, which is fucking cool, but you know, to read, I don't know, there's one quote, just to get into it real quick.
There's one quote from him, um, from Gordon. He says, many of these songs are me trying to help, you know, through the process, mutely the way a man does around breast cancer.
So it's, it's some, some heavy conceptual.
Oh my God. Themes here going on. But even straight, even straightforward though, I was unaware that a transformation is the term, the medical term for a cell going from malignant tocancerous.
That's called a transformation. So that's what, you know, the title of the song is, right? Yeah. Heavy, heavy stuff.
And then we move into man-machine.
[17:07] Poem.
[20:44] I'll tell you. Yeah, I'm going to say right off the bat, I'm going to make a bold statement.
This may be my favorite hip song. Oh, wow. I mean, I didn't I.
Tim, I'm telling you the whole thing.
I was like mourning sort of Tiger the Lion for a minute in a weird way because I was just.
I mean, I don't know what to say about this song. Yeah, Yeah, it's cinematic, JD, but it's just so different.
And it's funny, because your whole thing that you just said was it's such a return to form.
And while it is, it's still melodically nothing like I've heard from the hit before.
That when it gets that minor four, that man, it trickles down.
[21:37] It's amazing. Howard's voice is like, I feel like he's straining it on purpose.
It just sounds like he's screaming, singing with every fiber of his body.
And when he gets to the end of a phrase or a word or a breath, it's like, you know, it's out of gas and he's got to take a breath to recharge and say the next line.
One thing I thought of when I heard this, the guitar tone on this song is forged from something not of this earth.
I don't know what, and there's a lot of really cool effects on this record, but I just don't know what that is.
And I don't know if they remember, if they know how they got it, but it just...
The keyboards hit in this song too. Like there were so many keyboards in the last record that I think Tim and I and JD as well felt were squandered, overused.
[22:45] Like this was just. Did you gotta, you gotta write, you gotta write to Gavin Brown, the producer. I bet he'll know you should.
Oh, I mean, you're, you're talking about effects, settings, everything, all the mix to make that sound the way it did just Jesus dude it was wow what a song what a song.
[23:11] So this was played at their last show, right?
At Air Canada Center, August 14, 2016. Wasn't that it?
K-Rock Center is their last show, which was the 16th, I think.
Ah. Or the 18th. Either way, towards the end, this was played, and I can't imagine. I mean, did people know Gord had cancer?
They did, right? Sure did. Before the end. Yeah. So I just can't imagine hearing this one live, because it's, you know, originally about his wife.
And yes him talking about her having cancer and it turns out, you know I just when I heard this and put it all together I just thought this probably just made people cry towards the endwhen he was singing this song when you sorry That's exactly what I is one other thing I put my if I would have seen this song live it would have crushed me it would have physicallyFucking crushed me Yeah, I Mean the the metaphor of the Abbas it and the Peregrine Falcon.
[24:13] I mean you're talking a ballerina of a gentle long skinny legged bird versus a fucking Falcon which will swoop down and you know steal a Chipmunk or a squirrel or chicken oranything?
You know, there's just the the position in this song is just just so big and heavy.
And the first time I listened to it was in the car, and it was just like, you want to scream along with him, the chorus, but I just couldn't do it.
And then at the end, it's like this bomb going off. The end is just as explosive as the middle of the song.
So. Yeah. I mean, the song, at the end of that transformation, after you've gone through that weird little sporadic, you know, sonic soundscape thing, you get that little percussive knocking,you know, and it's, it's like a little sort of artificial heartbeat.
And then, you know, you track that in and it starts the song and then it's there at the end as well.
After the everything, you know, that big chord goes away.
It's it comes back into that as well. Um, but also within that as well.
Um, I mean, Pete was talking about guitars, but there's, there's, there's so much like weird tambourine stuff going on in it amongst all things as well.
So that was good. But I mean, man, yeah, what a huge song. And then.
[25:40] Yeah. I mean, I say that the, the, the, the chorus is huge, even though it's just three words, absolutely massive.
And, um, you know, God singing, as we were saying, it's just the, the first verse just starts off with this kind of declaration, doesn't it?
And it's a kind of desperate declaration and it just sort of, yes, this attacking desperation in his voice sort of carries on from there.
It's yeah. It was the same. It's just not like anything I've heard before.
That was amazing delivery. Yeah. And those lyrics, crazy.
Now, Pete, I want to go back to something that you said about, you know, this being something we've never heard before.
I feel like this is a band that even on the records that we didn't necessarily like, they do that every record.
They, you feel like they're touching the edge of their capabilities and you know, they're sort of, they're sort of, you know, whoa, they're sort of out there, this record, but you can do, youcan go all the way back to Road Apples and say that about Last of the Unplugged Gems, you know, well, this is sort of, uh, out of, out of left field, it doesn't necessarily fit on this record.
And then, you know, uh, we are the same. You could say that about the Depression Suite, right?
Like holy shit, who knew they had this opus in them?
[27:07] So I'm just curious, you know, if you vibe what I'm saying.
Yeah, no, it's a good point, JD.
And I think the component here that I feel is different, because I agree with you, especially you on the last record, we are the same.
And you could you could tick along to every record since. And there's an element of that on there.
But Tim said something in the beginning of the pod. I can't remember exactly how you said it, but what I had the feeling that I got was like this record being about his wife and all thatstuff.
It's one thing to be elaborate.
[27:55] It's one thing to show up to a party or whatever wearing the coolest outfit or dress or suit or whatever.
[28:09] But it's another thing if you wear it well. And what I mean by that in terms of this song is that you can feel that there's a feeling behind It's not just, hey, we're going to go fuckingbig and elaborate because, I, don't know, name a hundred reasons why the hip would go big and elaborate.
Probably the most used excuse would be that they want to break through the American market. Whatever. That's not what's going on here.
This is like organic as hell.
Everything about this song.
They're going big and elaborate on this tune because they don't have any other choice. They're like, this is the fucking song that's coming out of all of us right now.
[28:54] Yeah, it's elaborate. I'm just, this is the song. Fucking take it or leave it.
If that makes sense, JD. It's that difference, I feel.
OK, gotcha. Well, in the car with this one cranked, I just thought, imagine being in the recording studio with these guys and everybody's kind of listening to Gord belt this one out. Or Idon't know.
This song is just a gigantic one. So for song number two, following that transformation to get into this, if we want to jump ahead to the look ahead.
I mean, this gave us just a, we shifted gears a little bit and got a little more lighthearted with the look ahead.
[29:41] I thought the song packed a punch under three minutes. It's quick.
So the bass and the guitars seem a little more in tandem on this one.
If I remember right, there's like left riffs throughout.
But for me, the lyrics of you weigh a snowflake, the glamour of the sky descending past perfect eyes and hearts leaped.
That's just... Poof.
I am the look ahead. I first searched it as the look ahead three words and you know couldn't find shit until I realized look ahead was one word and then learned that that means awesomeyou know like I'll say Dan and JD have fucking look ahead shirts on today we Pete and I didn't get the memo where to wear pavement shirts but that that's that's the phrase The text wasnot sent.
[30:47] Yeah. I don't know. What about you, Dan? What do you think?
I think the Look Ahead is my favorite Tragically Hip song by a long shot.
And as we were saying, it's just because of those choruses, those words that just hang over between the lines.
It's just beautiful. It's just absolutely beautiful. It just does something so amazing to make you feel fantastic.
[31:17] That's it, man. If I'm having a bad day, I could stick that on and that's me.
Yeah, because I just quickly mentioned that it felt more light-hearted, but I also thought this one is still fucking full of of juice, you know, it's still, I don't know, this is kind of felt like thisgreat tragically hip rock song, but it's it's loaded. And it's under three minutes.
So yeah, it's, yeah, I say it just it comes and goes. But as it comes along, it's just magnificent.
You know, you can't say more than that. It's just it's fully formed.
And this was one of the ones that I just started listening to it.
You know, you'd start at the start and the start is just so different to what it evolves into.
And you keep thinking you've got the wrong song, but that start section only lasts about 20 odd seconds before it just everything kicks in.
And it just, you know, it's one of those songs that you just can't say that much about. It just is what it is. It does what it does to you.
And you just recognize that and it's unstoppable. Yeah, it's cool.
Yeah, I would, I tend to agree with you.
[32:26] It's a banger for sure. Wouldn't be my favorite Tragically Hip song, but it would make my top 20 list, probably.
But boy, oh boy, we haven't really commented on the backing vocals of Sarah Harmer in this one. Pete, what did you think about Ms.
Harmer's addition to this song?
Well, question, is she on the other tunes on this record as well?
Or is it somebody different? Yes. Okay. Well, I want to get up.
I'm going to kind of save that if that's okay for some other songs.
All I'll say about this is that it's crazy. I love that Dan feels it's his favorite tune, because I feel like this song is like, it is formulaic, tragically hip.
Yeah, I agree. It's not just like, there's some songs that you feel like it's, yeah, exactly, exactly. There's some songs you feel like, oh yeah, this is a hip tune.
But it's not just that, it's fucking great.
[33:35] And you know, generally with their records, they come out with two or three bangers to start and they kind of like, or ones that just jaw drop you.
And then song three or song four, they just pull it back a little bit.
And I feel like in terms of the, they take off the throttle. It's not as crazy.
But melodically, this song is just, I mean, you can't not put this song on and enjoy the shit out of it.
Like it's a surefire. You know? Yeah, Dan hit the nail on the head.
Nail on the head. He's like, if I'm having a bad day, I put this song on and it, you know, helps turn it around for me. I completely agree.
[34:24] I read a critique of this song about it being too simple or less prolific or, you know, there are even some other critiques of the album citing the lyrics to be not as complex or, youknow, less poetic.
All these kind of harsh critiques. Yeah, fucked.
For real, they're out there. I can't even believe that. Yeah, exactly, exactly.
And it just made me like this album more, you know, this.
This song in particular, it's like, I couldn't agree with you more, Pete. Under three minutes, it just totally packs a punch.
It's sure a hip song, but fuck, it's killing it.
This is a top five record for me. I figured. Hands down.
[35:13] Yeah, yeah. Hence our special guest.
Anybody else, anything else to say about The Lookahead featuring Sarah Harmer.
Okay, then we go right into the really heavy We Wanna Be In.
I don't have a lot on this one, just because it's fucking huge, you know? Like, the drip, drip, drip stayed in my head for days.
[35:38] It's so impactful. This is just a fucking loaded song.
It was played towards the end of their career live as well, and it was just another one of of those where it was like, what was this like?
I think this one was the same show I mentioned, Air Canada Center.
So what was it like to hear this in that state of the career of this band and Gord's life?
[36:05] Yeah, and I was there for one of the shows at the Air Canada Center.
The first one, I can look up what the set list is, what the setlist was, but so can anybody who's listening to this right now.
Yeah. A bunch of these, I think half of these songs on this album were played at those last shows of this album. I think it's like four or five songs off of those last shows. Four songs peralbum.
And then I selected, you know, six albums a night to play.
So, you know, that's, So even if you went to all three nights at the Arcanda Center, you probably didn't get repeats.
Um, cool. Yeah. So, I mean, and this is guys just wait, just wait, just wait for the documentaries. Oh my gosh.
Oh my gosh. It's crazy town.
Crazy town USA. Yeah. So...
[37:09] We Want To Be It, Giant Song, You're Right, The Drip Drip Drip.
Did you get it right away? For me, it took a bunch of listens before I was like, oh, that's fucking, that's fucking chemo.
Yeah, I got it. My mind went to morphine first, but I got it. Oh, morphine.
Oh, okay. Maybe that's what it is. Something. I was thinking it was probably chemotherapy.
[37:36] I mean, for me, I didn't know anything about the context of this album until just before we started recording, which obviously puts a completely different slant on it for me. So I'minterpreting this as we go along as well.
I mean, yeah, an amazing song, absolutely huge. But at the bottom of the page, at the bottom of the lyrics in the album, it says for Alan Arkin and Madeline Khan.
And, um, they were in a film together, 1980 called Simon.
Anybody seen that where, um, yeah, this is, this is what I came across.
So, uh, in this film, Alan Arkin plays a guy who, um, the psychology professor, he gets brainwashed and, um, basically by this company and they, uh, they persuade him that he's from adifferent planet and he escapes from them and attempts to reform American culture by overriding TV signals with a high-powered TV transmitter, becoming a national celebrity in theprocess.
But also in that film, he's trying to break this record as well for being a sensory deprivation tank for 80 hours.
So I don't know how it relates, but that's something that I found out in relation to this.
[38:57] Yeah That is totally crazy because again that means Maybe there was one line in that song that is about that or maybe there's a whole theme.
It's you know I don't see it or hear it, but Doesn't mean it's not there.
There's there's some I don't I don't know what the relationship is there, but that's that's on the page. Yeah, very strange. So we all need to watch that film anyway, yeah. Yeah. That's crazy.
Yeah, when you said that they convince him that he's from another planet, it reminded me of the movie Joe versus the Volcano. I don't know if you ever saw that movie with Tom Hanksand Meg Ryan.
It was a bomb at the theaters, but they convinced him that he has something called a brain cloud, like a cancer, but he's going to die.
So they get him to jump into this volcano.
It's the craziest fucking movie.
[39:56] But it reminded me of that. No, I, yeah, this song is, it's huge.
There's a bridge part in this song and.
You know, my feelings with bridge, it's either good or it's not.
Or actually, no, it's either standard, and you're like, OK, that's the bridge.
OK. Or it's total shit. And you're just like, man, that just threw the whole fucking tune off.
This is a good bridge. I like it. I love it.
There's a third layer, you're saying. Yeah, and very few bands are able to pull it off.
[40:36] I feel like when you're writing the standard pop song, it's just like there's a formula of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, you know, whatever, and bands fall right into it.
It's just like this thing that happens and it didn't happen here.
And I love it, man. mean, I, I would say this is maybe my third, I don't know, third or fourth best song on this record, because there's just so many good ones.
Don't give away the final segment.
[41:16] Well, I kind of already gave my whole segment, but but oops, No, if we're going to move ahead to the next street, we'll see what I did.
I'm Ted. Yeah, thank you. Ted's just like, you're a fucking idiot, dude.
It's just like, you're a fucking idiot, dude. I know.
[44:41] His head is definitely... So this is the first song where I noticed the thread of fuzz in this record.
Because then after this, it's wildly apparent on every song.
This fuzz and this distortion, it's like a static that's there on every track after this.
[45:06] The bass, Gordon Sinclair's bass for this one.
I know we talked about it taking off in the look ahead, but I really just, it just off the charts, the licks he's throwing.
The drums too, the drums are fucking killing it right there.
Absolutely. The drum fills. Thank you, Tim. Yeah, I, this must have been, I actually wrote down, holy macaroni, because it just, it just feels like this song, They're hitting on all cylinders.
At this point, it's like the car is going.
You've gotten to fifth gear and the car is just brrrrrr.
[45:50] It's humming along. You can go faster, you can slow it down a little bit.
Still in fifth gear, engine is just humming perfect. The car has just been serviced. Oil's changed.
Everything's great. 160 or anything going like 150 and it just feels good Yeah, and it feels the same 100% Thank You Tim That's what I got to say about I'll retrieve my Statement a minuteago about the look-ahead meaning.
I totally blew it. It's the streets ahead which means cool or awesome So my bad there. Yeah, Streets Ahead, if you wanna say, you know.
Oh, okay. Pete's new do is Streets Ahead, he's there.
I did get a haircut, thank you for noticing. Oh, Streets Ahead, okay, okay.
Well, Look Ahead then, Look Ahead has significance.
Look Ahead is something that was said between Gord's wife and him.
And it was like sort of what they would say to each other.
[46:57] Yeah, I did as well. God, I'm just hacking this up like a big, it's a perfect piece of meat. I've just hacked it into tartare.
You cooked it well done. Which is, you know, tartare's delicious, but not, you know, the way I did it.
Yeah, it was like all good kind of thing. It was her look, you know, to him as if everything's going to be okay. Yeah. So streets ahead, different.
Means awesome. It means really cool. This one I thought it kind of kicked off.
It reminded me of Elvis Costello or the Kinks.
Kind of had this loud, like, late, I don't know, mid-70s rock kind of love-slash-anthem sound to it.
It felt like it could end around two minutes, but there's a bridge and then it takes another lap, which is great because it's still a short song.
But it really felt like it just brought me back to, I don't know, middle school and hearing the kinks and those times.
It has this crazy, ominous 20-second ending, over 20 seconds, Like, this one's the best.
Yeah. I got to give kudos to Gavin Brown, because he really let the band explore intros, outros.
[48:23] They got more creative on this album in general. Yeah, I think it makes it harken back to that live sound that we all crave so much with this band, sorry to say, what you guys havebeen saying the last few weeks about like, oh man, I wish I could have seen them live.
That's what a lot of people are saying right now. There are a lot of people in that camp.
They were renowned for their live show, absolutely.
I wonder how many people listening to right now are late to the fucking, got came to the party really late. It's like, Hey, punch bowls empty.
There's fucking no K left.
And they're just talking to people. Yeah. You know, I never got to see the fucking family.
Please send Pete a mail at Pete at getting hip to the hip.com. Yeah.
There, there was a blurb from Gord giving some journalists a quick, ah, it's about, dog sledding.
[49:35] And that was that's all I gave so who the fuck knows with that guy?
I mean, I would love to have been in Gord shoes during interviews because he was all over the place from things I've read.
He was all over the place. He would he would give like heartfelt, you know, meanings to stuff and then he'd be like, ah, That's that's that's what somebody said to me on the train one timeand I misheard them.
One of my favorites is somebody asked him about Cordelia. What is Cordelia all about? And he's like, well, it's like a metaphor.
Just go read King Lear.
[50:18] Well, it's like, I feel like that's like as much as we're joking about it, it's got to be, there's got to be an element to that that's true.
It's like, you know, at one point a song means something to you.
[50:31] And then as time goes on, you're like, yeah, it's just about some shit I heard on a fucking train one day or whatever it is, you know? That's right.
I don't think he's poo poo in the bed. Like he's not pulling a Donald Fagan, as I've said before, from Sealy Den or just like, yeah, they're just words written down on a page. They don'tmean anything.
You know, he's not pulling that, but he's, you know, was it.
Did you ever hear that interview that or that clip?
It's a great clip of Jack White from the White Stripes where he says, and whatever you think about the White Stripes is irrelevant, where he said that when he hears Seven Nation Army,which is arguably one of the most overplayed rock songs in the history of rock and roll, that he doesn't even feel like it's his song.
He's like, I just wrote it. We recorded it. It was a cool tune.
And now it's out there. And it's like, it's like, that's another band.
It's not my bad playing that shit It's really cool.
It's really cool the way he comes across Hey, he basically said his I've heard some read some of it from him, too And he basically says once once a song is out Yeah, yeah, and, he openshis wallet and cool and looks at that Yeah, oh my god the songs or his Ford Broncos.
[51:56] Oh my God. That guy is funny. He's he's got some on him. Sure, man.
I just recently learned that my wife has a thing for him, which I had no idea about. And I'm like, I'm like, oh, fuck.
[52:14] Definitely, definitely not measuring up to that guy. Oh, you just need to write a couple of hit songs that are like global phenomenons. Yeah. Paint my house red.
Anything else on the streets ahead? So this next part of the album is where we take a dip in amount of time songs were played.
And I'm not really sure why, but now for plan A was only played 10 times live.
[52:45] There's no explanation for me, but that's just a data point.
But this one I thought was kind of this level of super heaviness, no turning back. This is like you're facing this song, you know?
There's nothing short of everything's enough.
You know, there's acoustic guitar in here that feels at one point in the song it...
I don't want to say it feels forced but it feels like it could be played softer and nicer but it's not, And which is very distinct with acoustic.
And I thought I at this point wasn't sure who was on backups, who was singing backups. You know, I didn't know if it was Kate Fenner who we had before. Oh, right. Right.
JD, you mentioned it. Who is this gal? This is Sarah Harmer.
So she's a... What's her story? Anybody got any data? She's got a pretty good solo career. Gosh, I'm trying to think of what her big song was.
That would have been in around 2002, 2003.
I'll take some links for those of you out there. TimbyGettingHitToTheHit.com.
Please register him as a Republican. Send me some email.
I have notifications turned on. And it's...
[54:06] Email Pete at GettingHitToTheHit.com if you want the address and phone number.
No, she's gorgeous. She has an amazing matchup with Gort. Her voice is, I thought, incredible.
Basement of Parliament was a big song in 2000. Okay.
[54:28] For the cadence of the album, for this being Song 6, these are my chapters of the book. The chapters of the book.
It's a good Song 6.
No issues. It's there's also with one point, this lastly, um, when Gord sings, nothing's short of nothing short of everything's enough at one point when he's seeing that in the song that Iheard Johnny Cash, like there was some kind of Johnny Cash coming through.
Definitely more growly and Gord ask, but it's, it's a cool song.
Only played 10 times life.
[55:07] So special. Yeah. I say, this is the, is this the longest song on the album as well?
And it's only like five minutes and four, but, um, the, the buildup is such that it's, uh, one minute 16 when the lyrics actually start.
So it's just swirly, swirly buildups. And then, uh, yeah. And then you, you get it.
I don't, I don't know what to say about this. I say it's, it's one of those tracks that I.
[55:40] I just get through. It's one of these things that's just not really on my attention span. I don't know why, because of the, I don't know. I don't know, it's weird.
Because of the aesthetics of the song, I don't know.
But listening to it again today, I have grown to like it more.
It's a dynamite song on great headphones after a joint.
The way it settles in the album, It's almost like you've been through a few things and then you get a snowstorm and everything just really sort of settles down and you're sitting sort ofwatching the snow.
But for me, I don't know, it doesn't feel like I want to sit down and be there watching the snow.
I want to kind of hop on a bit. So I don't know why, it just feels a little bit misplaced for me.
But that's how I am with albums. I always want something more.
I always want them to sort of build up. I'm not so good when they change down slightly. For me, I don't know, maybe if it was later on in the album.
No, we talk about sequencing all the time here, so this is great to think about that.
[56:54] That film I was talking about, the Simon film, when I saw trying to delve into what that was about, there was a few little trailer-y bits and a few little segments of it, And there's onewith Alan Arkin doing one of his psychology lectures, you know, and he's with these kids and he's just saying, yeah, one of the greatest Wittgenstein quotes you'll hear is the, I don't knowwhat I don't know, which is fantastic.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, there you go. That's the ultimate wisdom.
That is the ultimate wisdom. When you can truly think that out your fingertips, fingertips, you know?
[57:38] You've got it. You've got it. Made in the shade. I've tried many times to get there, but just can't get that. Oh, wait a minute. That's another podcast.
Dan, what you said about it taking a while to come in.
I feel that. And I think JD's right. You need a joint and some good cans for it. but I would say this is probably my second favorite song on this record.
[58:11] JD, you asked me about the woman singing before.
[58:19] I feel like nowadays that's a cool thing to do.
I think it started in like 2017, 2018 a lot of bands.
I know the National's been doing it a lot with their new records, having like female guest vocalists join in on certain songs.
Oh, wow. It's cool. I like it.
But I feel like when they did this record in 2012, nobody was doing it. Nobody was doing that.
You got a band of five guys. That's the fucking band.
I know, you know, it's not like a song featuring so-and-so, like bands very rarely do that.
That's totally true. Yeah, absolutely. And this this woman's on at least what, three songs?
Two for sure. I've only got two, two, maybe, maybe two, sorry.
Yeah, I mean, I, I, I.
The song is just amazing the way it starts. I got some, production-wise, I got some Beach Boys vibes from this because there's so much production.
[59:39] Like, Abbey Road stock level, like we're in the studio sitting around the board like, what do you think if we do this and we throw this in and everybody's talking like that's the levelof this song because the musicianship is just it's gone when you look at the the EP compared to where we're at now everybody is just you know it's not they're not even on the same planetanymore this band um, i would say that just just if you look at this song from production wise whatever you think about it, you know, the song, you like it, you don't like it.
I happen to like it, but it's got to be some of their best, most accomplished work because of how well everything is done in it.
Whether or not you like the melody, whether or not you like the minute and 17 or 16 seconds without anything, I get that.
I get how sequencing wise I could put you in a weird spot, but like, You can't deny that this song is extremely well done, well recorded, produced, written, everything.
Yeah, I completely agree with you and you know, again, there would be a lot of people who would argue that the last two records were really well produced as well.
[1:01:07] And maybe they're right, I don't know. But to me, it's just more heavy handed.
It's, you know, it's much more heavy handed. This record is much more subtle.
Yeah, there are still brushstrokes, but it doesn't feel as like they are put on by like a makeup specialist Right, you know difference between a produced record and a well-produced record.
Yeah Yeah, or overproduced maybe overproduced So let's get into the modern spirit and we can think about the modern spirit in a couple of different ways We were talking aboutsequencing earlier, and I'm wondering wondering, would Dan, would this have satisfied your palate if the modern spirit had come after Streets Ahead, or was it something more specificyou were looking for, something more to drive it even higher?
No, no, I mean, you can link those two together. You can imagine it coming straight in after Streets Ahead.
It would have been a good transition. Yeah. But I say, in terms of this track, I mean all of their Rolling Stones cover versions paid off, didn't they?
This is Modern Spirit's pure Rolling Stones. It's just, in every aspect, it's just fantastic.
[1:02:31] Do you get that vibe? Yeah, I can hear that. Even the drum shuffles are just stones.
[1:02:42] Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's some wattage in there for sure, 100% and well said.
Yeah, it's it's it's it's very sort of modern, late sort of stones, but it's it's it's spot on, even though it's not supposed to be stones.
But yeah, you know, versatility and how to do it so well. And his voice is fantastic on this as well. Banga. Yeah. Yeah, hard agree.
The way this song starts, I mean, I mean, I listened to this song in a number of different venues.
[1:03:26] I'm 100% the way this song starts and it hits. It's a fucking driving song.
I mean, And it's just driving down the fucking highway, windows down.
You know, I know last time Tim was with us, what record was it? Or Tim?
Last time Dan was with us, what record was it? I'm trolling right now.
So I don't know if Tim or I don't know if Dan remembers, but Dan, my car, so my car has what you would call, what the layman would call a premium audio sound system.
So the listening experience is not what you'd normally get from, you know, even a decent sound system in a car.
It's quite advanced and this.
[1:04:26] I don't know if Dan remembers that from the last listening, but I think I remember you mentioning it. Yeah. Yeah, it's it's it's it's definitely a cut above.
I think the backup vocals on this song to the way they come in.
Everything about this song is fucking cooks.
If you don't have a smile on your face, jamming along to this song, driving, whatever you're doing, then you need a fucking lobotomy or you need something, I don't know.
I don't know how you could not absolutely love this song.
[1:05:11] The one note I want to bring up here, I feel like Gord's, when it comes to his vocals and everything.
This song, I think that it's thematic throughout the record, but this song really makes me realize he's not he's, he's transcended humanity as a vocalist.
And I know this is bold words I'm saying here. But I feel like where he was at from the EP and where we've seen it go.
It's like he's an evolved, you know, humans evolved from apes.
Like Gord has evolved from humans. So they say. Right, so they say, my apologies for all you creationists out there.
No, but I feel like Gord is, he's moved past it vocally, he's just, and as a songwriter and as a front man, he's just like, I don't think I've ever seen, you know, no disrespect to the Stones,because we were talking about the Stones, Dan brought up the Stones.
You know, mix mic man, you know what you're getting every time.
[1:06:15] He's great, and he's consistent, and he's always great.
But I wouldn't say the guy's vocals and style and everything has evolved much since Get Off My Cloud to where it's at today.
It's the same dude. Gord, I feel like, is just...
He's evolved past the normal human Gord.
You know, like Megagord or... Okay, you know. Megagord. Mechagord, you know, like... Yeah. He was five lions, and then he converged into one.
[1:06:57] I don't know. I'm gonna use Voltron as a verb. He Voltron'd into one giant robot of a lead singer.
Tim, what do you think of this one?
I thought the same about the open road with this one. The white and open throat.
Night slips back with no noise.
I mean, that's... Yeah. It's a great song. All right, next.
So this next one about this map was last played in Spokane, Washington, 2012. It was only played twice.
Oh, Tim, how about Modern Spirit? Was it played more? Feels like a live song.
Ah, sorry. Modern Spirit, only 12.
Only 12. So as this album goes by, these songs are played less live, which, yeah, it just made me wonder about the band and what, what, what, or why, or, you know, it, was it, was it thetheme of the album and the life and the times that was kind of too heavy to play live or I'm not sure.
Well, they only had one sure after this as well. And that was the last tour.
How many stops do you think? And we'll, and we'll get into that.
Like, I think it was like, it was strictly Canada.
Yeah, it was a pretty big deal.
[1:08:22] So about this map.
[1:08:26] Pete, talk to me about this map. It's a really weird start.
And not in a bad way, just in a... About this map. It's kind of a mysterious song.
Yeah, very mysterious. But I love the...
[1:08:46] This was the song that made me think on the whole record, because again, like Dan said, I didn't know the history of what was going on in Gord's life during this record. But thisis the song where I kind of was like, okay, what the fuck is going on?
This is just, everything's just too different, especially when you look at what the previous record was. But I dug it.
The chorus and the pre-chorus is so good in this song.
I don't have a ton to say, but the melody and the guitar licks are just top notch.
I mean, I feel like it would take me a year to come up with that.
Being so cool, making guitars sound that cool, and then afterward, I would just like pat myself on the back for the rest of my life because it's just that fucking cool.
And fucking Rob Baker probably just did it in like two takes and then just forgot about it and went home and had, I don't know, fucking rotisserie chicken or whatever you guys eat overthere in Canada.
We do eat a lot of rotisserie chicken.
[1:10:00] What about blue? What about blue? Oh no, I'm really hungry and thirsty.
Fuck. Well, what did you think about this map, Dan?
Yeah, it's a good track, but as we were saying, yeah, it's a bit of a weird one.
The lyrics, the sort of, the sentiment in the lyrics doesn't sort of, like, build, you know?
Of stays on this sort of level.
Was the sort of guitars and everything kind of rise around it, which I found was pretty fascinating.
And again, it's like, yeah, in terms of sort of lyrics, about this map is said 15 times.
So there's a there's a lot of that in there, which I think sort of flattens the lyrics out a bit.
But a lot of textures in there that I haven't heard in other stuff as well.
[1:11:04] It's a grower. It's an absolute grower. It was for me.
Again, it was one of those tracks I'd always get to this stage in the album and then think like, oh God, hang on, is that? And then, uh, yeah, it, it, it had come back to me and, um, I dig. It'sgood.
Are any other two fuckers going to recognize the irony of the fact that Dan's discussing the song about this map and directly behind him is a gigantic map?
Oh yeah. Am I the only one like seeing the irony here? Sorry.
Yeah. For those of you listening... We got a theme. Yeah. Tim's got a map up here.
Yeah, got a couple. He's got a couple there too. You got Spain and Italy behind you, right Tim? Staring at it every day.
[1:11:56] Good ol' EU over there. Sorry. We'll save the tour for another day.
Did anybody get the edge vibes? Like from the guitar? Like, from the guitar? 100%!
This song and one coming up, 100% got the edge.
Well said, JD. Yeah, we've talked about how the latter part of U2's career has sprinkled some seasoning on this band. I've heard that too.
[1:12:36] I think the edge is a bit of a cheat though. So I have a hard time talking about him. I forget his real name.
It's probably let's let's let's name him. What was his name?
It's probably like, I think it's Dave.
It's got to have three syllables. I think he's going to open a weed shop.
It's going to be called Dave's not here, man. Now if the edge opened a weed shop, I'd probably, I'd probably like him again.
Yeah. David Howell Evans. How?
See I call him Dave. We're tight. What's the middle name? Let's move on.
Dan? Did you have anything to say about this map, Tim?
I didn't realize that about this map was said 15 times.
That's a lot. I don't have a lot on this one. I thought that it was a bit of a filler, like we've rounded the bend, and we're getting towards the end of the album. You know, the bass, there's areally nice bass guitar through this.
It's a little bit more meandering and I don't know.
I didn't have a lot on this one.
Yeah, it just kind of kept me going. Again, this part, this chunk of the album just felt just stronger than the past couple albums. Okay, let's move on to...
Take Forever? Goddamn son, where we going? Take forever. Forever.
[1:17:03] Yeah, this one's eight times live. Last played in 13. I, you know, maybe it was a song about astronauts.
I'm not sure. It seems like also some statement about Calgary.
Is Calgary the, where the wealth is of the roof?
He seems to think everyone should have heart attacks there, According to the songs is what I read Yeah You know, I listened to another podcast and they were from Calgary and they tookgreat offense I don't recall as to why right now, but to me I think about it like, you know that beginning part like When I broke down, I always thought I'd go to Calgary.
I think that's a nice sentiment But what do I know?
But the yeah, there is a lot about Calgary, right? What about you Dan, how does that?
[1:17:58] Totally stumped by this track. For some reason it reminds me of a late Blondie track as well, it's got some kind of vibe like that about it.
But yeah, the lyrics and the Calgary thing man, yeah, it's crazy.
I mean this is what I'm getting from some of these, I like the tracks, but the lyrics when I'm looking at the lyrics, it's just like, whoa, where are you going with that, Gord?
Any insight, JD?
[1:18:31] I wish. It's like a time bomb, you know?
There's so many wires and things in there that you might pull one wire and it might make some progress, but then there's a whole other pack of wires underneath, you know? Yeah.
I mean, again, when you do look at the lyrics for this album, there are a few themes that go through I mean this again this has got the whole kind of man machine reference and it's got thiswhole sort of um you know destroying space thing that we've we've heard um quite a few times as well yeah yeah um I I think this song is textbook hip I mean just the sound that it is I Ihear you on the lyrics, I guess they didn't make enough of an impact on me as the instruments of the song, you know, the instrumentation.
Love the fucking thumping bass, just Sinclair's all over this record, you know.
It's classic hip.
[1:19:46] This is a song, especially in terms of chords, vocals, again, not speaking about the lyrics per se, just his singing.
I think this is one of the songs where I'm like, God, why does nobody get this band?
Just the song that made me think of it. So yeah, not a ton to say about it, but I dug it.
I'm not, um, I feel like compared to last week, you could, you could, you know, serve me a shit sandwich and I'll just be like, you know, Can we, can we get into just a little bit about whydidn't this band, blah, blah, blah, make it in the U S or whatever it is.
I had a lot of thoughts about this during this listen, which you just reminded me of.
And I was kind of neither here nor there. nor there. But this album, I too, Pete, had thought a bit about.
The popularity of this band in Canada versus the U.S. and all those things.
And it was concurrently during, while listening to this past week, it was concurrently during Coachella that's going on right now.
And I have a buddy who works on the marketing side of everything Coachella.
[1:21:09] You know, if I ever went, it would be to hang out with him because he gets a golf cart.
But anyways, I thought this band, really, he has a golf cart every year, his own one, his personal golf cart there.
But this band, you know, I just had to wonder about how much attention they were getting on that marketing front, you know, and we can, again, save some of this for our final episode.
[1:21:38] But this has been the evolution of my thinking of them as like they weren't who cares if they're too Canadian it's just such a stupid statement with the concepts yeah you know whocares it's like what do you say about you could say something negative about every band and the concepts of their lyrics whether they have them or not and if they don't have one thenthat's their concept who fucking cares I just thought maybe they weren't like Globally marketed Enough, you know like fucking who cares about radio and radio play you can do that inacross Canada And you can do it on stations in Detroit and upstate New York.
Yeah, but it's like they somebody There's a factor of the span if there's like five Polls of what makes a band globally successful like there was one that was just kind of missing for themThat's was the that made the chair not stable, you know, I made your party I'm going to push back a little bit, Tim, because if that was true, then Franz Ferdinand would not fuckingheadline festivals.
[1:22:46] In my humble opinion, not to say they're a bad band, but, you know, they were one of the bands, the biggest band that was implicated in the payola scandal in the United States.
And one thing I wrote down also that I forgot to mention is that the fact that this band was not more popular, it makes me think that popular music isn't about what's good.
It's just about what gets played the most.
[1:23:15] Because it's like, and I've said this before on a previous podcast, I think we got really dark and we mentioned we got into like things that.
The... what AZI's did, you know, it's programming with like music and torture, so to speak.
But when you, when you, when you, when somebody hears something over and over and over and over, eventually they're going to hear that during a time when they're enjoyingthemselves.
And so, if they don't hear it for quite some time afterward, they're going to, And then they hear it again, maybe let's say 10 years later, 15 years later, they're going to automatically thinkback to the good time that they were having when they heard that song, which is going to be good for them.
So I think really with this band is like they just, I know it seems you can dissect it 20 different ways and skin this cat, but at the end of the day, they didn't get shit for radio play in the US.They just didn't.
And if they were all over the airwaves, they would have been popular as shit.
Because it's the same thing as hockey, man. How many people do you know who are fucking American football fans? How many of you are fucking hockey fans in the US?
[1:24:33] My quick push, push, push, pushback is, during this time, people were fucking streaming music. Stealing music. You know?
Like that digital was happening with music. So I think, in part, this latter part of their career chunk, which is so significant.
Fuck radio. I mean, I just. I get it. Yeah. I'm pretty sure they put this record on SoundCloud and that was like a big deal.
[1:25:06] Let me quickly look here. That would have been a big deal at the time.
I mean, they were doing some cool digital stuff. I'm not really talking about that as marketing speak.
I don't know what I'm... just something to the effect of that gets them like invited to festivals or, you know, their own festival they threw turning into a fucking great little festival.
On September 25th of 2012, the band made the album available to stream online in its entirety via SoundCloud.
So that, yeah, that would have been quite a Quite a big deal, I would think.
Probably got a chunk of change for that, because SoundCloud was just coming up. 2012, 2013, it was really unpopular. A lot of investors.
Yeah. Again, maybe not enough on the Canadian side to pay up.
[1:26:00] Done and done. Here comes the fuzz again.
A really cool opening. Yeah, it's got that cool, kind of rough, fuzzy start, right?
The back, yeah, 100%. This is just yet another one with the fuzz, the backup vocals.
And through and through is repeated, and you always get your way.
After that, it goes to a minor chord, and it just fucking hits.
It hits really fucking good.
This is one of the few songs on this record with an acoustic guitar in it. I love it.
Normally on a rock record, I just kind of look at the acoustic guitar is something that's not important.
It's just in the back to add some volume to the song or it's an acoustic song, but it's, this song really adds a lot of depth.
Definitely get some edge vibes again on this song.
And then the keyboards coming in are fucking rad, you know, I like it.
Cool tune. How about you Dan? Well, you probably know what I'm going to say.
It, you know, again, it feels misplaced. I think this should have been the last track. This should have been the final track, you know.
[1:27:28] And I just wish it had more lyrical content, I'm not good with the same stuff that's repeated, it just doesn't build on the sentiment for me.
But the backing does, the music does, and that makes it so much stronger. So for me, it's not...
It's not a favorite, it's not up there. But I do like listening to it.
It's got a sort of chilled vibe at the same time. Makes you wonder the poetic choice to second verse, same as the first, you know?
[1:28:12] Because that's obviously a choice, and it's not, oh I have lyrics, you know, because Because, you know, clearly he's demonstrated he had an abundance of lyrics.
Yeah, see those kind of choices sort of, I don't get my head around them, you know. That's the dichotomy right there, you know. Yeah. Capable of sticking things in. But the choice wasmade not to.
And let's say for me, it sort of holds it at a particular level, which Pete digs, but my brain needs something else.
Yeah, it needs it to go somewhere else. Yeah. What about you, Tim?
I kind of felt like with Dan that this could have been the last song.
It has that feeling like we're towards the end.
[1:29:03] It made me think of someone who's living their last days or falling in love or falling out of love.
But that's kind of what the vibe I got from the, he says they're through, but through and through, you know, it's an emotional, kind of packs a punch under three minutes.
And yeah, it was, to me again, like these past three or four songs, or they just like have a stride and keep moving us through.
So lots of layers, especially on this one with, throughout it and with the intros and the outro, It's the intro and the outro, it's a...
[1:29:46] There's a lot of, I feel like the production of this album versus the last album, this one, I don't know, got more creatively in the weeds, but not in a complicated way. And this songstill carries that through it.
The fuzz, as Pete has called it. Yeah. And then I'm with you two as well, that I think it should have been the last song on the record.
I think you can go with a 10-track record and make Good Night at Wapiskat a bonus track, because it doesn't sound like it's from the same session, necessarily.
It's slicker. It's got a more fully, completely kind of vibe to it and polish to it.
But I will accept it as my 11th track on Now for Plan A, because I think it's a.
[1:30:44] You know, again, we're getting these thoughts and feelings from Gord about the indigenous plight in our country and, um, trying to not normalize it, but, you know, make it right.
If there's any, if there's any way that that could ever happen.
So I will accept it. And that's good night out of Wapiskat.
Uh, Tim, well, even, even Gord asked Trudeau to, you know, help out.
What did he say? It's bad up there. Yeah. At that last show.
He's like, come on, Trudeau.
We we've really fucked up here with everything having to do with, um.
[1:31:34] I don't know what you, how do you want to label it, but the resident schools and everything, and it, um, Oh, what did I have on this one?
Let me just back up a little bit aside from all the First Nations and it's yeah, this one was played 36 times live.
So this one they fucking, you know, we're hitting a message hard with this song.
And where do you place it in an album? Where do you place a song like this on an album?
You know, it's if done and done, which was played once live only 2012 in Rochester, November six.
Were you there? I bet that was a killer show. No. But this, but this one, good night, Otto Wapiskat, right? Yeah. Do you say it right?
You know, it's it's kind of just the song that you have to put out there.
So put it at the end. Sure. It's not really the end of the album, but it's its own Island. It's a total statement song and yeah.
[1:32:43] I'll say it, you've been searching for an album, and I'm gonna say it, Tim Lydon, this is your album.
I think so. Track 1 to 10. Yeah, it's been pretty good. That's a ride you go on, you know?
And Good Night Out of Wapiskat is just this fine little biscuit at the end, you know?
How about you, fellas? I love the alien like opening. I dug it.
Silver Poets, Thousand Mile Suits.
Really lyrics that jumped out at me.
But yeah, I mean, I feel kind of the same way. Tim feels, JD feels in terms of this song being on play, you know.
Bonus track it, maybe. okay, make it a single on its own. I don't know.
But yeah, it's definitely just there.
But the thing I thought was cool was that I thought about, you know, And I know, what you said, they only played it once, live?
[1:33:58] Yeah, I... Oh, Dun & Dun was once. Either way, I don't imagine.
Rob Baker probably fucking destroyed this on the guitar, you know?
So yeah. Okay, so yeah, one, I think it was from, it was either from the Hit Museum or Song Meetings. I don't know. I read too much, but no, I haven't read enough, actually.
So, I read sophisticated societies have existed around James Bay, which I understand is in Attawapiskat.
[1:34:36] Sophisticated societies have been around James Bay for at least 3500 years.
We know that before there were pyramids in Egypt, there were people living around this part of the country that we now call Canada.
So, you know, think about these First Nations and the issues that the Native people had with the invasion, and it's like, fuck, I'm so grateful that the Tragically Hip has sang about thisissue.
To have this succinct, fact-driven fucking historical story, you know, it's a shame other bands don't sing enough about it. Dan, how did you feel about this song?
Well, I'll say, another one that kept taking me by surprise, because when I thought Dun & Dun had finished, it was at the end of the album, and then obviously this kept coming in.
I mean, I listened to this on loop, and I still was just so convinced that it was the end of the album after Dun & Dun.
But I always did listen to it.
[1:35:47] And yeah, it's a good track, but I had no idea what the hell it was about until today.
So again, I had a bit of a look at there as well.
Also didn't they say that the hit played at the Great Moon Gathering, was it 2010 or 11 or something like that?
Was after that, that they, um, they, they kind of recorded this.
Oh, I didn't know that. That's great. Yeah. So that's what I sort of, um, got out of it, but, um, the, it's the end of the track, isn't it?
It goes again, it goes into the one, they sort of Sonic-y, landscape-y type things, and, uh, almost the stuff in that almost sounds like a plane sort of taking off as well.
So yeah, it's, it's cool. I mean, it's very atmospheric, but I don't know, I just got this thing about, I just got this thing about done and done.
It just sounds so final, you know? Yeah.
[1:36:49] Yeah, I can't disagree with you. I think a live version of Goodnight Attawapiskat on a 7-inch with the studio version, they could have sold it and made even more people aware.
Do it as a standalone single. Because it wasn't even a single.
It's strange, there were only two singles. I don't know, don't get it.
Well fellas, this has been a slice, and it will be a lot of slicing and dicing when we cut this episode.
At the end of every episode I ask you guys to select an MVP track, a song that you can add to a playlist that you are going to sequence.
This is going to be be something that you will provide the link for on Reddit so that people can get access to your playlist.
So, Pete, do you wanna just put a little snap on it? Hands down, Man-Machine Palm. Track two.
[1:37:59] Cher's in common, Tiger the Lion, at the track listing of two.
You're going to have a hell of a time putting those two songs on the same set list. Boy, oh boy. That's going to be big.
All right. So Tim, now we go to you. What be's your song?
Well, the album really, out of the gates, sold me with that transformation.
I just dug that song and was so pleased.
But I got to say, Streets Ahead, it's three and a half minutes of fun.
It's got a great pace to it. It's just a fucking cool song.
And I keep coming back to that one. So I'm going with Streets Ahead. That's it. Nice.
And Dan, we're not going to let you off the hook. You do have to pick a song, god damn it.
Well, you know what I'm going to pick then, don't you? It's going to be The Lookahead.
[1:38:56] There you go, you know, 20% all right, give me the look ahead. All right, beautiful.
Yeah, that's two minutes and 30 seconds that packs a punch and it's like our podcast, you know, it packs a punch in minimal amount of time.
And I really want to thank you for doing the heavy lifting as you do each every week, Pete and Tim.
We are so thrilled to have you back, Dan, from London. Yeah, good to see you, Dan.
Thank you. All right, fellas.
[1:39:40] Well, thanks for today. All right, pick up your shit.
jD, Pete, and Tim welcome Trevor Sticket to the pod to dicusss the artwork that he donated to the Finale, his start in art, his Hip influences, and much much more.
Tour Dates:
Toronto September 23rd Liss Gallery
Tampa November 17th Michael Murphy Galleries
Edmonton November 25th Sterling Gallery
LA, Denver, Austin, NYC to come...
Prepare to journey into the heart of the Hip's 2009 album, "We Are the Same." This week, we're pulling back the curtain on an album that made fans wait an extra year for its release. We're not just talking about the music; we're delving into the nostalgia, the reception, and the adventure of listening to this collection of songs.
Tracks
Morning Moon - Studio version
The Last Recluse - Montreal 2009
The Depression Suite - San Fransciso 2009
Frozen in my Tracks - Syracuse 2009
Transcript
Track 1:
[0:01] For the first time in over 20 years, hip fans had to wait longer than two years for new material.
It was three years after we got World Container that Bob Rock came down from the mountain with the Stone Tablet Masters of what appeared to be a campfire album called We Are TheSame.
Although it launched with a cool promo, the hip, performing live at the bathhouse, beamed to cineplex theaters across Canada, and it debuted at number one, I have absolutely no memoryof this album entering the zeitgeist.
In fact, I could tell you that only Love Is a First made it to my ears before the Fully and Completely podcast.
My first full listen of this album was followed by a visit to the grocery store where I bumped into my co-host Greg, and I remember us casually throwing around terms like milk toast andbeige when describing what we were getting into with this springtime release.
What followed though is something amazing and it's something only music can truly do.
[1:05] You see, I gave this album its due and by that I mean a good solid listening session.
On walks, at my desk, on my patio, the beige started to turn into a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes.
The album was making me feel nostalgic for my 1977 El Camino.
I could envision loading up the back of this hog with camping gear and taking this record to the cottage for the May long and listening to nothing but.
Yes, I had become a fan of We Are The Same.
Today it's an album I reach for when I feel wistful and I want to reminisce with my past.
I adore Morning Moon and the Depression Suite, but the deeper cuts do it for me too.
Will the love that Pete and Tim felt on the Bob Rock produced World Container spill over onto this record, or will their first experience be like mine?
We're here now, so we may as well be getting hip to the hip.
Track 4:
[2:31] Hey it's JD here and welcome back to Getting Hip to the Hip.
I'm here every week with my friends Pete and Tim and what we do is we talk about the Tragically Hip one album at a time week over week trying to understand what it's like to hear thisband for the first time again.
Pete, Tim, How the fuck are you guys doing?
Ola, como estas? Buenas tardes. Bueno, bueno, bueno. Los fanes de Tragically Hip.
That's how they would say it here. I'm not culturally appropriating.
That's how people talk here in Spain. In Spanish, you mean? Yeah, yeah.
And they wouldn't change the name of Tragically Hip. hip, they would just say tragically hip, just like they say.
See, see, see. Cloud, cloud, or cloud, or cloud. I don't know where he's went to, but there was a guy on Facebook.
He's in the Facebook group. And his name is Luca Tadia, I believe.
And he's Italian. And he discovered the hip out of, he's an Italian, he's in a band. He's a singer-songwriter.
[3:47] And he was at a really low point. And he discovered the hip.
And he, he really feels so strongly about them that he's rewritten, rewritten.
[3:59] The lyrics like transcribe, like not transcribe them. What word am I looking for?
Translated them, but in many cases he's had to write his own because there's so many turns of phrase he's, he's having to write like his own sort of stuff, but, but to fit in the melodicstructure and then, you know, he, he alters the melodic structure a little bit, but he's released a whole whack and he's coming out with a record and everything, but I haven't seen, I haven'tseen anything about him in a while.
So what a fucking surface, Luca, come back to it.
I'll point out, I'll send some stuff to the thread later this week, but, um, I'm getting way, uh, way caught up in the weeds here because we're here to talk about a record we're here to talkabout, we are the same, uh, released in 2009, which interesting tidbit.
This is the first time that a hip band had had to wait more than two years for a record since the band emerged in 1987.
They had to wait three years. So it was 2006, then 2009. Was that the longest three years of hip's lives?
Or what was going on during that time? I'm guessing the diehards were losing their minds. Yeah. Are they breaking up? What's going on?
Like, Gord was doing solo stuff. Rob Baker was doing Stripper's Union in 2005.
So he might have toured Stripper's Union in 2006.
[5:22] I don't know, they did their usual stuff, but they, like, to my...
[5:28] To my knowledge, they, I mean, the record still opened at number one, um, for the week that it was released, which was consistent with what the hip had been doing.
I think they had eight in a row or something like that, but they just weren't part of the zeitgeist, you know, they weren't part of, or maybe it's just, they weren't part of my zeitgeist.
That, that might be it. Uh, they, they might've been, but, but I feel like if they were as big as they were in 96 in 2009, then they would have never fell off my radar, sort of.
And it wasn't that they fell off my radar. They, I just started listening to other music.
I just, you know, I- Were you aware of their whole, their whole bathhouse performance at the end or before the release? Like they played at the bathhouse to, they played a show?
I would have lost my, like, I would have lost my mind. So I, yeah, I don't, I don't know.
[6:24] It was just out of my reference point. Yeah, so I read that they played at the Bathhouse and it was screened, I guess, at Cineplex Theatres across Canada.
It's like, these guys were, you know, celebrating for sure. Do you know what Cineplex Theatres owns?
One of the things they own is a branch of places called the Rec Room.
And one of the Rec Rooms is in Toronto, where we're going to be hosting our event. And we hope you all make it. Get out of fucking town.
Wait, what's this event? What are we doing?
[6:59] Come on be on board I hate the pull it out game That's gonna be a fun night.
I just can't wait. That's gonna be a real fun. Oh, don't lie Jay Jay D Your pull-out game is great.
[7:15] Oh my gosh He's got like 12 pockets on his outfit right now he's pulling shit out of her. Oh man. Yeah, I know, the event's going to be great, tickets are selling through, so get themwhile you can. Hit them quick.
Get more information on our Twitter feed or send any of us an email, JD, Pete, Tim at gettinghiptothehip.com you can do all of that and more.
So let's get into this Bob Rock produced record.
This one's recorded entirely at The Bath House, which is a stark contrast from World Container, which was recorded at a big studio in Vancouver and a relatively large studio in Toronto.
This was now The Hip on their own ground. I feel like as a result of that we get a very different sounding record.
It's got like the nuances the nooks and crannies that the bathhouse records are sort of becoming famous for but it's still like holy shit is this record produced.
Like it is depending on what side of the fence you're on it's either intricate or too busy you know like in terms of some of the arrangements.
[8:34] The general, I don't know, gist of it that I was kind of reading about is a little bit of a love-hate. I don't know. I also read that that extra year they're waiting for Bob Rock to returnfrom a carnival cruise.
Like a really extended long carnival cruise.
Oh, wow. That's boggers. That's my joke right there. Oh, okay.
Oh, yeah, I got that, it took me a second.
Yeah, me too. Sorry. We'll dial it in, we'll dial it in in post.
I'll test my new editing tools on that one.
Punch up the laughter. Okay. No, I really, I read a bit about this album.
It is very much highly produced. I feel like it's, the all music reviews, three stars. Yeah. Which is lower, you know, by at least half a point than usual.
And one term they used about it was a creative bankruptcy.
Like, they pulled out all the stops. All of the stops for this album and tapped the tank.
So I thought that was a pretty fucking harsh review. That's very harsh.
Considering three years, man.
Yeah, no, no, don't be sorry. I just, I don't see that it's, it's, yeah.
[9:59] I like this. I like this record. I'll tell you guys. I didn't.
The first time I heard it, did not.
So I was the same. Yeah, yeah. Let's hear about your experience listening to the record. I was kind of the same. I listened to it. Well, I listened to parts of it. I couldn't sit through it all thefirst try.
It was like, I don't know, it was like reading a series of books and getting to the next book and it's like, oh my gosh, this book's going to take me forever.
That's what it just felt like to me and finally got through it. I'll say finally.
[10:32] And wasn't so sure, but you know there were songs, I'll just say that there were songs that grew on me after repeat listens and I and I got to a point where I thought I could see howhip fans either embraced the whole trajectory of the hip and continued to absolutely love this band and I could see how some hip fans were like Like, what the fuck?
When are we going to get this Bob Brock guy out of here? Yeah.
Because, I mean, I feel like that's still, I don't know, still a thread going through it. So yeah, that was my take. Listened to it kind of everywhere.
[11:11] I just, I gave this album some real attempts.
But I listened to it also, I think, less than other albums in general.
Okay. Pete?
You know, I say we get into it cause I got a lot to say about the, you know, the record as we go.
And I'll leave my comments to the record as we move on. Okay, well then kick us off here. Let's start right out with Morning Moon.
I mean, I thought it was, I thought it was, let's see.
It definitely a different tone to begin the record on with the acoustic vibe, the melody was really cool.
I was surprised by the strings, but as we'll talk about as we go on here, the strings become a thing. Hey, that's a good way of putting it, Tim.
[12:12] There's a really cool country lick with the electric guitar, I like it.
Chorus is catchy, heavy harmonies, twangy guitar. I got some, I got some like a little bit of Eagles vibes on this too. Sure. Clearly hear it.
My note that I, my note I wrote down was, it's got an AM radio chorus.
Yeah. Yeah, totally, totally. But, but.
In a good way. Yeah, in a good way. But I wasn't like, I wasn't like, ah, ah, fuck. This is, yeah. I mean, this is not...
[12:49] This is not music at work. This does not grab you by the balls and punch you in the face and then throw you down the fucking hill. It doesn't do that.
[13:02] Not to say that I want that, but yeah, interesting start. That's all I'll say. Track one.
We'll go there. We'll talk about Bob Rock as we keep going. Oh, Bobby, I thought, you know, this is an interesting start as well.
It's got this country rock ballad, you know, it's like, are we jumping into a good condition 90s Chevy Suburban driving through Nashville in this one, like heading to the barbecue place?
I don't know. But it also felt like, you know, I was listening through and I also thought this is so singable and it's kind of lovely and it's balladish and And it feels a little country.
There's slide guitar. There's some, I don't know, cello or something that comes in.
There's strings happening. And then I thought, I could rewrite the lyrics of this song and play it for anybody, and they would like it.
I could actually turn this into a country music song. Or you could turn it into, dare I say, a Christian rock song.
It just felt really mainstream, stream kickoff song to this album.
It was like beautiful. Yeah, it's beautiful. And I like dug it, but it felt like programmed, I felt kind of programmed.
[14:26] I would never suggest rewriting Gord Downie lyrics.
I agree. But the music merited a feeling of, this could be a song played on different types of radio stations. It just, yeah.
I wanted, you know, the kickoff on an album for me, it's got to be gripping.
And it puts you in the seat. And you put on your seat belt. And you go.
And this one was like, OK, what's number two?
[14:56] Which, before we get into number two, honey, please, which, from each of you, song would you have used to kick off the record if you were sequencing the record?
Is there a song on there that does that, that throws you down the hill, or grabs you by the throat?
I know which one I would not, out of all of them, but I'll take it.
It's a good question, but to be honest with you, I feel like this record, there are songs on.
There's even notes that I'll say when we get into other songs.
I feel like there's songs that don't belong in this record.
Gotcha. Yeah, it's hard to say. I mean, they kicked it off the way they kicked it off. And I think it's, you know, you can't argue with what's been done.
And I can't make their fucking decisions.
But yeah. Yeah, I don't know. That's a tough question. It's a good question, but I can't answer it, JD.
All right, honey, please. Oof. Here's another one I thought that kind of had this R.E.M. feel.
I have East Street Band written down. OK.
I also had. The beginning just reminds me of that piano lick at the beginning.
Just reminds me of Springsteen.
[16:08] It just feels like it's going into a Springsteen song.
OK. This one, it somehow made me think of the band Big Country.
I think they were, where were they from? Were they Scottish?
I don't know. It just, Gord comes in softly, you know, I kind of felt like, oh, I wonder if they do this one live and he's angrier.
Like it just, it just, I felt like there was a shift that wasn't in this song.
Like it just felt like a great radio song, but at the same time.
It was also playing in the ceiling speaker system when I was in Vancouver, BC getting my teeth cleaned.
You know, like it just, it was really, it like, it was like I couldn't figure out what it was.
It was that, or it was almost a wedding song. Like I couldn't figure out what this song was supposed to be. I just, it just kind of stumped me.
It was good and sing along and everything, but it was also like, where are we going?
I know, it's hard. This is that song, this might be the album that got kicked in the balls at the show on September 1st.
Somebody might just walk up and kick me in the balls. Oh, there are big fans of this record. This might be that album. I'm wearing a cup, dude.
[17:33] On Amazon, like, no fucking way. I'm wearing a mouth guard. I'm wearing a wig and I'm going to have like a voice modifier on my throat.
I can just set you guys up behind the screen like so nobody can see you.
You know, one of those things like silhouette.
The old cage. You remember like watching fucking Roadhouse where the band played behind like a fucking like a chain link fence.
And that band was? Jeff Healy and the...
Fuck, Jeff Healy and the... I can't remember the band. I would have just said Jeff Healy band.
Fucking shadow puppets. Here's my shadow puppets, Pete and Tim.
Jesus Christ, man. Great fucking man, though. You know, we've been drinking the Kool-Aid and sometimes you get a little gherpie from, you know, too much Kool-Aid.
I think that's just kind of... It's funny you say that, Tim, because I'm reading my notes for this song and it's... And honey, please... You've got gherpie written down. No, no, it didn't matter.
This is my complete notes on this song. Heavy production. Producer is really mixing the Kool-Aid here.
[18:44] Even how the drums are mixed, I mean, I just, I could not, I could not listen to this fucking song enough to even see, like, I just was like, yeah, dentist's office.
I'm at, I'm at a fucking Sears or, or I'm at a Hallmark store and I'm just like, what the fuck, man?
I just want to get out of here so I can put on fucking Black Sabbath or the, or fucking, or fully and completely in my fucking car. Like I just, Christ, excuse my language, but yeah, it justwas not taken, not taken.
The, the, I'll just, there's more, but the, the, you're right about the drum mixing because there were a couple times where I was like, there's nothing wrong with this drummer.
Why are we doing what we're doing here? Oh, it was like fucking the right tom went from the right ear to the left ear and then the kicks going back.
I'm like, what the fuck are we doing? Why? Like, just give me the fucking drums.
I don't need a ping pong set in my ears.
It was just too much. I hear you on the E Street Band JD, but yeah, other than that, could not, oh, yeah, that's all I got. That's all I got. you.
[20:05] J.D. we need to rerecord the start and you're going to be like, this is where I lost my friendship with Pete Dibb.
And they were banned from the roof of the United States. No entry. No entry.
[20:22] The first time I sat down and listened to the record was for Fully and Completely, the podcast. By the way, Pete, it's Fully Completely. Fully and Completely was our podcast.
Whoa, easy, JD. Okay, now you're cut. Okay, all right.
Mr. Details. This is episode... He's gotten our back.
This is like, I mean, we got one record after two records. I should know this, you're right.
I should know this at this point. I don't know if I can say this.
So I listened to it then and I like absolutely, it did nothing for me.
It did nothing. Like, I was just like, I don't even, I didn't pick up anything.
I can't even say, oh, well, the Parchment Suite I really liked, you know, like, no, it just washed over me.
And that really disappointed me and so I gave it like a session listen.
Probably two or three weeks later, where I sat down and listened to it two or three times in a row.
And that's when I latched onto a few songs.
I won't say what they were, but I latched onto a few songs. And then picking it up again for this podcast and listening to it, it's like I'm finding some of these songs feel weirdly nostalgicnow, you know?
And Honey Please, I like the tone of of his voice, like, I like what he's doing with his vocals on this song. Yeah. Uh, like he's, he's really playful.
Like Jimmy's like, no, not like that.
[21:51] Well, I was just in shock because I thought for a second, Gordani was sitting across from me.
Oh, I thought you meant Tim was having a fucking seizure. No, it's, it's what I've been doing around the house when I need a refill.
It's like, No, this, you know what, I'll tell, I'll tell you something, this, this is a really weird analogy, but like, I'm not a, I'm not one of those guys who's, I mean, I think the last time beforethis time I had been to a strip club when I was like 18 years old, you know, when you're 18, this is the first thing you can do.
You go to a strip club. Yeah. Uh, and I had gone to one, one time after I was in a very committed and loving relationship And it was like, I got there and I was like, there's this beautifulwoman and she's talking to me and she smells nice and everything.
And she's like, it's not doing, it's not, it's not taking.
[22:44] And then like, you know, the night goes on, I have a couple of beers and I'm like, still not working. I don't understand what it is.
And, you know, turns out, at least in terms of the strip club, it was because I love the person I was with and I didn't want to be there.
I was not happy about where I was at. But that's how I felt listening to this song, is that no matter how much I tried, it did nothing for me whatsoever.
Wow. It wasn't because it was your aunt, Shirley?
I mean, for art, for art, that is the most harsh criticism you can give, right? I hate to say that.
I hate to say that. This song is- No, no, I'm fine.
This is what this is, right? This is great. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I like that you're being honest rather than pandering, you know, I'm not going to pander and I'm going to be honest about this.
It means the stuff that you have loved is that much more real to me.
You know, thank you. Yeah. I mean, when you go back to, I mean, talk to me about fucking trouble with the hen house and I'm Christ.
[23:52] Well, and just wait for next, next week. Ooh. Okay. I'm, I'm, you know, I don't want to get to the last recluse.
[27:09] Oh, so, you know, fun chorus, lots of oohs, aahs.
You know, I like a good ooh-aah section in a song when it works. I don't mind it.
It can make it fun. But this song is so loaded. It's like tons of instruments.
I don't know if there's an accordion in this song. I don't know.
There's keys. There's tons of layers. It's got this ominous start.
Um, it's a really bridge. Yeah. Bridge is so ominous.
This chanting. Yeah. Yeah. I, which I thought was kind of cool, but, uh, you know, the keys fade out at the end and, and Gord's just, who are you?
Who are you? Who are you? And it's, uh, I don't know what the song is, is about or who, or I don't know. It just, it just was like, whew, this, this song's loaded.
Did you watch those videos I sent you guys?
There's a trilogy from this record and Gord produced the videos and I sent them as a link. I don't think I think I said I was going to watch it because I wasn't in a place with Wi-Fi and thenI never watched it.
I think that's my excuse also.
[28:23] I don't remember getting it from you. You have to resend it.
I'll resend it. I would watch it.
Yeah, I want to read my notes verbatim here. Okay, um because yeah, I I really cool opening.
I got YouTube vibes, a little Alice in Chains with the acoustic.
[28:46] Guitar. The melody is good but it's very Coldplay.
I got a lot of Coldplay vibes from this song. Not that I'm a Coldplay fan but unless you've been living under a fucking rock, you know what Coldplay sounds like.
[29:00] And not to say that Coldplay's bad. There's a market for them.
I like the keyboards but again with like the chanting and everything like I wrote down I do not recognize this band and it's no it's no surprise to me that Bob Rock did not produce the nextrecord because I feel like the whole time this guy Bob Rock whoever he is I don't know how he sounds I don't know where he's from but he's like listen guys nah this is the way it's gottabe I've been in the business for years I did this Metallica group you hear of them you heard of them they're from they're from California I know how to do it.
It's just what you got to do to make this record sound good.
Okay, I'm a big time record producer here.
Like, I mean, the whole band is just like, Gord, what do you think?
Do you know how much this haircut costs?
Yeah, I put my my my pants on the same way as everybody else.
The only difference is I make gold records.
Like, I'm like, just like, fuck, dude, I'm the band must have just been sitting sitting there like, okay, all right, we'll do this.
[30:08] Hey Gord, we're taking a coffee break right now. Hey Gord, I just ran into fucking Bob Rock coming out of the bathroom and he says we should put some Gregorian chants on thenext song.
And he's like, you said, you said what?
Okay, I guess we'll try it. Like it just, I don't know. Yeah.
I, let's, can we go to Coffee Girl?
Because it's not just. Sure.
Can we? Can we? I promise, I promise this is gonna get better, but not with this song. Yeah, it is, it is. Not with this song.
[30:43] It's a rollercoaster ride. This song.
I'm reading I'm reading verbatim here feels like a song used for a scene transition in a romantic comedy when the guy and the girl break up before the final act where they get backtogether. Coffee girl.
It's like I'm just picturing like, ah, fuck, he broke up.
It's a montage of like her at work alone, pissed off because the guy fucking broke her heart, whatever the And, and, and like the trumpet, it's like, it was cool, but it was just like, what thefucking trumpet?
Like, what is, what is going on right now?
[31:24] And, and I mean, maybe it's supposed to make you feel like you're in a, like, give you that, that so I made her an expert or so I married an expert vibes.
You remember that? Yes. Yeah. Like with a trumpet, like a lowly coffee shop in San Francisco, like, I don't know what the fuck's going on, but I'm just like, okay, this band is takingdirection.
This is not, not to say it's not the same guys, but they're just like, they're led astray on some songs with this record, I feel.
That's all I'm saying. Interesting thing. Yeah. I'd want this, this song, I got this, like, I agree with you pretty much, but I got creepy vibes from it.
Get to the back door, look around, then turn the key, turn on all the lights, take down the chairs and make things neat.
One night he'll make you choose. I mean, what? This is... Well, the beginning part is her opening the coffee shop.
This song's creepy though. It's, I don't know. There's, there's...
So I had that little sentiment about it. And then I was like, I remember when you could walk in Starbucks and you'd hear like like a catchy song.
And then they had CDs for sale next to the cash register.
I remember those days. And you can like take from, you know, the holiday Starbucks playlist, but it was on CD for sale right there.
Right. I wondered, like, yeah.
[32:51] You used to have a song you could download too. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I was like, was this a Starbucks song? I don't think it was a single.
Tim's all creeped out and JD's like, no.
JD's like, no, I've worked at a coffee shop. I've worked at a Starbucks before.
You turn the lights, you turn the fucking key, you put the chairs out.
Tim, what the fuck is the problem?
Yeah, the problem is one night he'll make you choose. What is that? Like there's...
You gotta watch the videos. Watch the videos, all right? I don't...
Fucking... Okay. All right. Homework. Homework. Now, I agree with you.
This song is very milquetoast.
Milquetoast. Good work. You know? Yeah. It's fine.
But it's enhanced significantly by this video.
You enjoy it a little bit more. But... Well, in that essence, do you feel the song was kind of made for video, hand in hand, kind of?
Well, I don't know why it wouldn't have been a single then, you know? Yeah, yeah. Okay.
Like, back in the day, they were releasing six, seven singles a record to give those record legs.
[34:06] Well, it's got, I think, second biggest plays, or third biggest plays for this entire record on Spotify.
Definitely a single category as far as listening is concerned.
And I said it at the top of the fucking conversation about this tune is that it feels like it's made for a movie, you know? Yeah, yeah.
So yeah, I thought of the same. Only played 77 times live.
So it's not really a big live song. No, it'd be super rare. Yeah.
You guys are such data whores.
Such data whores. You started it with your Spotify. I really wasn't with this album until yesterday.
I usually do some research along the way in this album. I really just tried to listen to it, and I tried to listen to it. You weren't inspired.
And then yesterday, got into some of the data stuff. All right.
Let's go to track number five. Let's go.
So, the acoustic guitar feels kind of played hard. Like, I don't know if you caught this, Pete, but it felt like.
I don't know. I don't think it feels forced, but the strumming of the acoustic guitar in the beginning feels a little bit annoyed or something.
I don't know. There's some sentiment in there.
[35:33] Drums felt kind of simple, and then everything kind of thickens up, and there's big solos in here.
It's over a six-minute song, So it's building us up in song length.
I mean, this is a long song for the hip.
[35:52] What else did I have in my notes here? Oh, there is, you know...
Sorry, I have to read this real quick. You know, the importance of this one is just how it is all about the reference of the residential school system.
We actually watched a kind of docudrama film about the residential school system up there and all the government's policies towards First Nations people.
And that's some heavy, heavy stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
It's just the song, let's see, I read the song is a response to this basically a cool you've apologized.
Oh no, no, this was a Gord quote, I believe. Cool you've apologized, but nothing has really changed.
The damage has been done. People are still suffering as a direct result of the government's policies. You know, that's, it's, it's not an apology song, but it's sort of.
This one's just big. It's just a big song. Another one.
[37:06] Yeah, before I speak about the song, I'm going to go back to one thing I said in the previous pod.
I really wish to God Gorda was alive today, because I feel like the governments of the world, specifically the United States government and the Canadian government are just fucking itspeople in so many ways.
Not making this a political thing, but like, Absolutely, I just I feel like that guy is a guy who would speak out and and you know, it's funny because I remember watching like video ofTrudeau when he died and Saying what a great guy he was and him actually tearing up but thinking like god, man I wonder if Gord hadn't died and what he'd be saying about some of theshit going.
Yeah, no doubt the war or, you know, anything that happened during COVID, all that shit. I just really, you know, that guy is an important voice for the people in Canada.
And I think, I don't know, I say North America, although there's not a lot of Americans that know the hip, but I sure shit do now.
So, but getting back to the song, I liked this one. I, Tim, I certainly felt the same vibe. acoustic guitar in the beginning sounds extremely dated so that's where I think you got the vibe.
[38:28] There's a lot of chorus and a lot of reverb it's just like way too like is this is this 1991?
92? It sounded like the same guitar tone on the song More Than Words by Xtreme.
It just but strumming instead of that Like it just was too much.
That being said, again, the strings come in, but there's a lot more of that on this fucking record.
Rob Baker kind of saves the day.
Solo starts coming in. The hit is great. The chorus is awesome.
I love it there's some really cool arpeggios that are done in the second verse that just mix up the the sound of the song and then Rob Baker's solo it I Mean, I don't know dude.
I'm willing to think he's probably the biggest fucking Pink Floyd fan in all I thought the same thing!
That motherfucker, it's just fucking David Gilmour.
I mean, I'm like, is Gilmour playing on this fucking record or is it Rob Baker?
I mean, it's not even like, if you heard it, you'd be like, oh yeah, it's David Gilmour playing guitar. Like, no, it's actually Rob Baker, which is cool. I like it.
And then Paul Amois doing like a Beatles thing, like with the guitar, like bouncing back and forth.
[39:57] But in the end, I felt like this song had literally, I don't wanna miss a thing, Aerosmith, Armageddon vibes.
Like it was produced to that level. Like it was good. Cinematic.
But it was just, yeah, like, whoa, like, did I see this on the IMAX?
I've got to listen to this song in IMAX. Yeah, to really appreciate it. Oh my gosh.
I had the Pink Floyd reference, not so much of the guitar playing, but more as the all-encompassing feel of this album and the journeys throughout it, because it felt like it was trying to belike this massive Floyd production.
That's one thought I had relating to the Floyd.
[40:44] But the song, it made me wonder. This is where I dove into the story a little bit more.
I wanted to know who Honey Watson was. Did you find out who Honey Watson is?
Anybody? The reference here.
So Gord apparently was watching a CBAE, CBC news story about the residential schools and started to write this song about it.
And then the news story shifted to some story in Haiti and the news correspondent's name was Connie Watson.
And he heard it as Honey Watson.
And he thought that was funny, so he incorporated her name, Connie Watson, as Honey Watson into the song.
Just thought it was cool and wrote it down. So he's like going through this really heavy topic, like one of.
[41:36] Canada's maybe, you know, top three heaviest topics, residential school system.
And he's throwing in these funny little, I thought they said, honey, Watson, her name's Connie Watson.
I'm going to put this in this fucked up story, you know, it's like, God damn what this guy can do. And Pete, I completely agree with you.
We, we, if I could choose, of course, any of us to have Gord still around. Yes.
But we also need the band. Like, this is something I kind of want to save to the end, but of the whole, all of our experience, but like, we don't have art in the form of music that isscreaming about issues going on right now and making people angry.
We don't have like, I can't name a band right now that has death threats against it from groups of idiots.
[42:31] You know, I just don't know, like, there's a lot of- Hang tight, Tim.
Our record comes out in December. Yeah, there we go.
I was just going to say, there's a lot of, there's a lot, there are many lesser known, but on the rise, you know, kind of post-punk stuff coming out or going on, you know, like there's a lot.
I agree with you though, man. There's just like, there's no- There's no mainstream people out there who are really screaming about issues going on around the world and ruffling feathers.
[43:07] Like so much. Where's the song War Pigs, dude? Fuck, I've second time I've mentioned Sabbath during this fucking podcast.
But like, where's the song War Pigs? Right now.
Right now. It's on my hard drive. Back off.
Hey, no, but like, I mean, I mean, here we are.
[43:27] You know sending Billions of dollars to fund war all around the world and where the fucking dude, you know what?
Um, there's a great fucking tiktok or whatever the fuck it is And it's some guy like i've seen it. Don't pretend like you don't tiktok all the time.
No, I don't I don't have it But I wish I did um for that purpose, but there's a guy's Sitting in his car.
He actually has his own account. Yeah. Look it up at pete.
Um, it's all about his hair No, dude, there's a fucking guy sitting in his car and he's just like, you know, you guys in your punk bands and you were young, you were fighting against thesystem.
[44:06] But somewhere you got old and you got fucking soft and you joined a party and it dude, he just fucking nails it.
This guy fucking nails it. Wow. He fucking nails it.
And it's like when I see shit like people like Henry fucking Rollins, like supporting the Democratic Party, which is like, fuck the Republicans, fuck the Democrats, fuck them all.
Your job is to be against the system. You fuck.
Excuse my language, but it's just like that's yeah, that's how I feel like, like a guy like Gord had.
I don't know. The interviews I've seen with him and so much integrity, he wouldn't waffle. He'd tell he'd call a fucking spade a spade when he saw it.
And if he smelled bullshit, he'd call it out no matter who it was. I don't know.
That's how I feel, man. And yeah, you're right, Tim. We need the band.
We need the band. We do. We need the band. Because the music's...
Because not everybody watches the news and not everybody watches interviews.
You hear music, though, man. You hear fucking War Pigs and you listen to those lyrics and you think, yeah, Smedley Butler was right.
If you don't know who Smedley Butler is, listeners, Google him. He's not either.
No, he's dead, but he wrote a good book.
War is a wreck. Anyhow, too soon yet. He's been dead a while. It's a depression suit.
[54:35] I had no idea what I was getting in store for when the song started, right? I mean, I was in the car and the display in my mediocre sound system, M-S-S.
Clearly not my sound system.
Fucking premium audio shit. My stock sound system. Anyways, on my screen it doesn't show the amount of time the song is. It just shows the amount of time it's been playing.
And I just kept looking over. Like, I'm driving across town and I keep looking over.
Like, god damn, how long is this song gonna go? The last song was like six minutes plus, right? Is this one a rock opera? Like, what is going on?
It has this lovely start, but you really don't know where it's going.
[55:26] The lyrics, I just, I was a little bit confused.
The first listen, I thought we were really going to end around three and a half minutes, because that's when I was looking over. But we just kept evolving.
It shifts gears, it speeds up, it gets more intense.
Gord gets more loud. The strings get more loud. It just like, it's really climbing up this mountain.
[55:50] And you know, part of the lyrics is, is what if the song does nothing?
What is it doing? You know, what if the song does nothing?
In one of the reviews of the song, which I later read, some of the hip fans who aren't as much into this album, they, you know, their, their response of what if the song does nothing waslike, yeah, what if it's not doing anything, you know, it's just confusion maybe? I don't know.
Some fans were were like, no, I don't want to see how it ends because Gord's lyrics kind of ask for that. There's this, um...
Kind of painful guitar solo at like eight minute mark.
I mean the strings that loop and have this abrupt stop it's just this song is...
It just goes. I've only listened to it three times I will listen to it again but the song to me was just...
I just wonder what everybody was trying to do because it just was magnanimous.
[56:59] It's giant. All right.
Well, I will say I fucking love this. I thought I thought it was fucking magnificent.
I think, you know, I finally with all the strings that are on this record was like, OK, I can dig them on this song.
You know, I mean, it's a very, this is a very emotional record.
It sounds like just lyrically, I don't feel like any of the first five songs really moved me that way. But there's a lot of musical references that he makes in here to like things like perfectfifths.
The chorus is fucking amazing.
When he starts warming up his voice, when he really starts digging his fucking heels in and he starts repeating, if this song does nothing, with the strings backing him up, I think are superpowerful.
[58:03] They move me in this song, especially I listen to this song a lot in the car.
I've talked about it once or twice, but, you know, it's a different experience when you listen to a song, when you listen to hip in my car or any music but you know I have a, The soundsystems, you know, it came with premium, but it's it's you know, it's it's a good It's a good audio system in my car. Frothy and quiet.
Pete's premium sound system There's When the strings there's a cool syncopated rhythm that happens in the song and then when it when it breaks There's a part, because this is twodifferent songs, it's like 9 minutes and 27 seconds long and when this song breaks and it changes course, there's a part in it that is Alice Cooper's Only Women Bleed.
Has anybody heard that song before?
Yeah, sure have. It's that, it's fucking that, fucking it's the hook in that song they fucking use.
And Gord's vocals are exactly that.
[59:16] He smokes and drinks and don't come home at all. That's the lyric in the Alice Cooper tune.
But it's fucking, I dig it. And then, you know, I liked Rob Baker's solo.
It was very emotional. This is a really emotional tune.
And I don't feel like I'm like, ah, this is fucking amazing.
I just think it's, it clearly took a ton of work and a ton of work.
Yeah. But I do feel like the band starts to come together on this track.
You start hearing, okay, this seems more tragically hip than before.
[59:58] So anyway, that's what I got for this tune. They played this, they played the song live 86 times. Like I wanted to look that up to see, like did they play it 10 times, six times? Theyplayed it 86 times.
That's like not a ton compared to all the shows they played in their entirety, but that's a handful of times at this.
Well, considering it's a later album, I mean, obviously they played the earlier ones more. Yeah.
So to experience it and to know it and experience it live was probably fucking epic.
Yeah, but who knows if it was with the strings too.
[1:00:35] Yeah, I don't think they toured with strings for sure. Okay, okay. If you're playing like Royal Albert Hall or something, yeah, you're gonna have fucking strings, but like, youknow, otherwise... That didn't happen for sure, JD.
[1:00:48] I don't remember. I don't remember that being... Like, this would have been around the time in their career that that would have been something that you might expect them to do.
You know, like, we're going to do a tour with a full orchestra to get different venues on board and, you know, things like that. Bands do that kind of shit.
The Cineplex Theater video. Would have been perfect for this record.
Yeah, that Sinplex Theater air didn't include all the Strings people or whomever, do you know? Was that just the band? I can't imagine it would have. I'll try to find that.
Yeah, if you know, send me an email, jd.gettinghiptothehip.com.
That would be really cool. But let's go to the exact feeling.
I didn't have a whole lot on this one.
I felt like it had the DNA more, a little more so, of a hip song.
Like a standout was the wah pedal going on and kind of this faint background guitar playing fade out at the end like I Honestly didn't have a whole lot not many exact feelings of this oneNot that I didn't like it.
It just felt like a filler spot to me. I just kept rolling. Okay.
I Yeah, okay. There. This song is the one that starts with the Castagnets, so very Spanish. Yeah. They wrote it for me.
[1:02:15] I like the rolling melody, like the chord progression, the way they do it is really cool. It just it drops and then it comes back, it drops and it's very circular.
The chorus is fucking amazing on this song. And the way it builds to the chorus is like, it definitely has more of a hip vibe. Like I said last time, I feel like they really start to like becomethe hip again.
It's like, whoa, who's that other fucking band the first four songs or whatever, you know?
And now there's like, okay, we're warmed up now, fellas, sit back and relax and enjoy.
So I dug it. But then, you know, it just kind of doesn't know where to go, fades out.
Tim doesn't like fade outs. the time I don't. Yeah, sometimes they're okay.
Yeah, in this case, I just feel like the song was really cool.
They had some cool ideas, and then there was nowhere to really go.
They painted themselves into a corner and we're just like, okay, we're just going to stop painting the room.
[1:03:18] You know, but yeah, but I got I got stuff to say about the next song. Yeah, go. Let's go.
Queen of the Furrows. I love the beginning. I thought it was fucking awesome.
This song is fucking Led Zeppelin three.
It is Led Zeppelin three. I think Rob Baker's playing the mandolin.
I don't know if Gord is. I don't know who's playing the mandolin.
Would love to get some get a line on that. If you know anything, Pete at getting it at the hip.com.
You like what you see what I did there? That was that was very professional.
Did it sound natural? My boys all growed up.
[1:03:57] I dug this song. The way the fucking chorus, the way the chorus comes in is like, it's just so different from the song, which is not very Led Zeppelin 3 because it's so heavy.
It's fucking rad. And then the solo by Rob Baker, I'm going to read notes for Vadim here, Rob Baker melts dicks off people.
He doesn't even melt your face, he melts your dick. I mean, this solo is fucking screams.
It's so good. You can just tell he's in the zone and he could hear that he wanted to play that solo and he just wanted to fucking destroy it.
And he just did. He delivered, I don't know if he did that in one take or if they mixed different solos together to make that, but it just sounds so good, dude.
Goddamn, it's so good.
I love it. Good song, good tune. Good tune. I'll pretty much agree with that.
You know, it's one, I'm not going to add much to what Pete just put in, but what I did want to know what, you know, what this queen of the furrows is.
And, um, it's actually a crown awarded annually to quote an agriculturally-minded young woman of Ontario.
[1:05:23] And I'll just show you guys real quick. This is Kieran County Queen of the Furrow 2020 as part of Ontario's Plowman's Association.
Can you see? Oh, yeah. What do you think?
She's nice, you know, it's so to give everybody You know some insight into that photo. I would say she's dressed like a like you would think she'd be wearing overalls or something likethat, but she's dressed like a beauty queen.
She's got a lovely dress on. She's got a sash and a tiara that looks, you know, like, that looks all beautiful and like prom queenie.
Not at all what I would have expected the Queen of the Furrows to look like.
Which for real... Not at all what I expected the Plowman's Association to be doing.
Easy, Tim! Easy! But I didn't know, furrows is the word for the lines, you know.
That's right. In the farm from the machines planting seeds or doing whatever you do.
I mean, now I know when I'm sitting in the window seat on Alaska Airlines, covering the West Coast as I do.
[1:06:37] I thought the guitar solo, it hearkened me back to some GNR.
That's all I'll say about that. Certainly. this I guess just lastly the ending had this noisy but kind of quiet background guitar feedback something like there was something something playfulhappening with some guitar noise and the congos like this was one of those interesting enders but but kind of a cool song. Speed River.
So, Speed River, I was like, ah, okay, I'm kind of digging this one.
This felt a little more like what I was hearkening back to, Liking of the Hip.
This was a single. Yep, yep. This has, again, a big guitar solo, which quiets down into keys and some rim shots from drumsticks happening.
[1:07:34] This house sounds like a bomb hit it is a fucking cool lyric.
I didn't know if that was referencing the feeling of recording and just being in the zone. This is what I was imagining, just being in the zone of the music just feeling so good with yourbandmates.
You know, this house feels like a fucking bomb hit it because we are destroying with this music. But this song is kind of cool. a little more, I don't know, a little more fun in an easilysingable way.
You know, it has a somewhat fitting, abrupt ender to it.
It might have been... At first glance, it was like, this might be my song on the album. I'm not sure. Don't give it away, buddy.
I didn't. I left it hanging a little.
All right. He said it might. Yeah. Okay. Okay. I stand corrected. Speed River.
I'd love to agree with Tim, because I love agreeing with him, but the tonal licks were cool.
[1:08:45] Overall, though, not impressed. I feel like this song was written to play live.
I mean, literally, they wrote it and were like, yeah, we don't care how this fucking sounds on the record. It's just gonna be a fucking banger to play live.
Yeah, I'm sure it was great live.
How many times did they play it there, Tim? Let's look.
It was probably like a- Oh, I thought you had it pulled up hard.
I do. It's just on, I got it right here.
It probably was awesome, you know, to play like the fifth song of a show just to keep the crowd going.
It was played 11. This was played 11 times. So this song was probably a treat for people who do it.
You know, it was probably a fucking treat. Yeah. I guess so.
I heard the rim shots and the keyboards, it's just felt so country pop, like, I felt like I felt like I should be at, like, the lake with my, like, pseudo country Republican voting friends, like, 12Bud Lights deep being like, yeah, this is fucking mad, right?
Yeah, this is fucking cool. Yeah. Fuck, yeah.
[1:10:00] So that was Bobby and. Yeah. You know, I don't know. It's just the vibe I got.
I don't know why, but I felt.
I felt like if I heard the song live, I'd be like, fuck, yeah.
But on the record, it was just.
It was like a bad Viagra pill, not that I've ever taken Viagra, but I don't know why.
That's why. That's what I thought of. But it's like somebody selling you like a, like a placebo and be like, yeah, this will, this will do it.
And you take it and you're like, I didn't do anything.
[1:10:35] I think it was 2009 that we went to Mazatlan. That's kind of throwing me back to bad Viagra pills. Okay. I just thought, because you know, songs, you want to say this song to getmy engine going.
That's why I did that. Anyway. If you look at the blueprints of this song, though, it should work like it should.
It should all be there. Yeah, yeah. It's got an interesting chorus.
But you're right, the sum of the pieces don't add up.
Now, there are people that will love this song and tell us why you love it.
It'd be great to hear. You could love it, but compare it to the shit that they've done.
[1:11:19] And we're not in the compare and contrast game. We're not comparing apples and and oranges, groeries and forges. But I mean, dude, like.
You're going to put this up against fucking fireworks, go fucking freak off, as Ricky LeFleur would say.
Freak, freak right off. I mean, Christ, I mean, not even close. Right. Just I.
But you're right, Judy, the sum of it, you know, it has all the components.
It's like, Hey, babe, I was going to make this amazing soup for you.
I put all the ingredients in, but for some reason it still tastes like shit.
Yeah. Yeah. I won't go. Yeah. I won't, I won't go that far, but yeah.
[1:12:08] Well, you know, you know where I'm going. Yeah. Well, with it, with this album and where we're at now and with, with all these journeys of these songs, I mean, we've gone fromlike three minute songs to nine minute songs, these, these past two, Queen of the Froze and Speed River, they feel like kind of placed in there to fill it out a little bit.
But they also feel to me a little bit like past albums filler songs. So yeah.
To me, they were good and they represent.
But in this particular album, it's almost like, guys, we had 10 days book to record.
We're at day four and you're feeling done. What do you have?
They were part of this for two months. What do you have that we could pull in here? Jesus Christ.
What about that song, Speed River? I just hope Bob Brock can retire after this. Yeah. What was that?
[1:13:02] I just said, I hope Bob Rock retired after this or, or no, no offense to Bob Rock.
Cause he produced some great shit, but just like, or found a band that he was more compatible with because it just. Yeah. I feel you. I feel you.
I don't feel, and that's, you know, you guys dug the last record and that was him.
And, uh, and, and you turned me back onto it by your, by your digging of it.
You know, it's, it's just, it's just interesting. It's it sure is.
I mean the last record I I it kind of won me over quickly and I believe I said this, you know, I went online to see how I could get it on vinyl and And then the more I listened to it the less Ilooked into Getting it on vinyl.
I'm watching literally watching a crow in my backyard right now I'm going to destroy.
[1:13:59] An old crow? I have a crow right now, destroying. Hey! Go! I love birds.
I'm a birder. And this crow is destroying my cover over my...
It's too complicated. I didn't know that crows in Portland speak English.
Did you know that, Jamie? I did not know that either. That is a fact.
I would have assumed they spoke Croatian.
Oh shit. Fuck man. JD takes a sip of his fucking whiskey and says, I'm out bitches, finish the podcast on your own motherfuckers.
I printed out the article, I didn't really, but I printed out the article about dads who throw out dad jokes are better dads than dads who do not throw out dad jokes.
That may be true, but I'll tell you what, um, uh, camera, wait, what was it? Pigeon camera? Pigeon camera. Yeah. Yeah, it'd be cool if we, they did a crow camera. At least you havealliteration.
[1:15:08] I guess crows weren't as smart, but crows are supposed to be really smart.
They're fucking smart. And they, they have face recognition skills.
They, they remember people. Frozen in my tracks.
[1:18:58] You know, I think it's kind of a pleasure. It's a little bit of a gift, or maybe it's a huge gift, when Gord does his, what do we call it, when he speaks over...
Spoken word! Yeah, when he does a spoken word fucking poetry, trippy stuff, like this song has it, and we got it, and I'm happy at this point on any hip song to get that.
It's got kind of a... That's cool. Yeah, I mean, come on. It's got somewhat of a spooky start.
The snare on this one's a bit tuned up, and the bass is like, lack of a better term for thuddier or deeper. It's like the drums felt a little bit different to me.
[1:19:43] This, you know, Gord at the one minute mark, he's already screaming in this song.
[1:19:48] I thought that, I don't know, with the bridge at like two minutes, this kind of locomotive feeling, I thought this song reminded, it made me wonder if Bob Rock, look, can yousqueeze call him Bobby?
Because if he listens to this, I just want him to be Really upset.
It's called a rock the rock B rock maybe Brock Brock, but maybe he was a little jealous of Danny Elfman because this one has this production value of like Danny Elfman this like tryingto go big and theatrical and kind of trippy and fun, but not and you know that's It doesn't really have an ending.
It does, but it doesn't like have an ending. This, this one I'll say that I enjoyed but it also like left me just kind of reeling about the album and the hip and the production and you know, isthis one, is this one like another World War one or World War two song like Like, are the Germans or the Russians the ones suffering through it?
Like, I don't know. I don't know.
This one was, at this point in the album, my brain's kind of a cluster. All right.
[1:21:14] I feel like from now on when we mention Bop Rock, JD, and maybe you can do this in post-production, but you should just, we should just, you know, have this. Just, just, justdub that in, man.
[1:21:31] Yeah, I was all about the Chevy Suburban earlier. Chevy Tahoe.
Tahoe, yeah. I mean, I feel you. I thought this was a really unique song because it was really weird. It was really out there.
It's not Tiger the Lion out there, but it's, I love the way, I actually like the bass is really gnarly the way it starts because it's different.
Yeah, it's super unique, but the drum rhythm, like the song I think is in like 6-8.
It's in a weird time signature. It's not in standard rock and roll pop 4-4.
And my notes just read what the fuck is going on in this song?
Yeah. The song is like eating haggis for the first time. Was it good?
Like, I ate it. I enjoyed it. But I just ate whatever haggis is.
Isn't it cow intestines or something? Sheeps. Sheeps. Yeah. It's just like...
Did I actually enjoy that? It's like the sheep's heart and liver and it's silly.
Yeah. It's a bunch of shit ground up. Yeah. Like that's that's how this song felt.
Who's doing the back? I mean so many questions.
[1:22:48] Yeah Yeah, the backup vocals is like what who's singing that I mean, yeah, it doesn't sound like the band, but I mean, it's just like multiple overdubs, but I also Like I wish theband would have pulled a steely dan and told you know, like a rock to go to hit the bricks, but But, you know, and when I say that, I mean, you know.
Put this song on a completely different album. It's a cool tune, it's unique, but it's just like throwing...
[1:23:24] I don't know, man. It's like going to a Japanese restaurant, getting a five-course sushi meal, and then course four, they serve you a fucking cheeseburger.
You're like, what? I thought this was sushi. I thought I was getting sashimi for the fourth course.
Then we're gonna get like, you know, for the dessert, like some wasabi ice cream or something. But no.
[1:23:48] It's just, it's weird. I don't know. I like it. I'm not saying I don't like it. It's just... Yeah. Yeah. Really out of place. I'm with you.
I'm with you. No idea what's going on.
It's like a band doing somebody else's material or something. Yeah. Yeah.
And as I keep looking up these songs and how many times they were played live, many of songs were not played often live.
I'm just gonna say. You know, if I produced this album and started looking up like my history of how I did with The Hip and how they enjoyed my songs live and I found like the averageof this album, just making this up, but the average of this album they played live was like, I mean granted 2009, but was like 26.2 I'd be, whoo, but how many shows did they play from2009 on?
I don't know. I don't know. It's definitely a lot.
Yeah, I'm sure quite a few I'm sure yeah.
All right first single from the record Which is baffling to me Because if I'm trying to define what this record is Like it or not if I'm trying to define what what you're about to get You knowwith the first single which is often what you try to do You try to accomplish to get across that.
Hey, this is what you're gonna get with this record You know, from a sound perspective, sonically, song construction, you know, this is just, This is... this is it.
[1:25:13] And it's love is the first, which nothing else sounds like this on this record.
[1:25:22] Like really. Again, whether I like it or not is here nor there.
I'm curious to hear what your thoughts were on your first listens.
Tim? I, you know, this one I couldn't pinpoint it, but it was really reminding me of another band or another song.
[1:25:38] Like this, the chorus, there's something about this song. There's some other band or song that is all over this one and I could not figure out what it was.
And to have that feeling in general while listening to it a bunch of times trying to figure out what it sounds like isn't the best feeling to review a song with.
You know, I felt like they were trying to do something maybe a little bit different with the structure of the song, with the chorus of the song especially, and it was kind of cool, and itmaybe works as its own single, but also it made me think like are they trying to embrace like whatever this song reference or band reference is, I can't figure out, are they trying toembrace like some music-archived radio hit from the 90s.
You know, I just, I couldn't pinpoint this one. I couldn't make heads or tails.
It was these strumming chords kind of leaning in and out.
This, I like, you know, it's kind of fun, His whole love is a curse, love is a first.
[1:26:52] I'm not sure what or why like that reference is just so profound in there.
I would this this there's a few it'd be so fun to sit around and talk to the guys in the band about this album and their experience and I'm pretty sure they're coming to the finale.
Yeah I was I was just to hear what we to hear what us fucking assholes have to say about our albums.
[1:27:26] I'm calling, I wouldn't be surprised if, if when I'm hassling through border control on the way, come to the rec room that I get pulled aside and full search happens, it's just totallygetting flagged.
There's a, there's a line of, well, I keep wearing that shirt that says that.
Oh, search me deep. There you go. JD. Well done. Yeah. Oh, search me deep.
There you go, JD. Well done. No, but there's a, there's a line of four people who really want to like, do you know, meet Tim and I were like, wow, it's just like fans of the show.
Cool. That's just so happens. There were four.
Gord Sinclair, it's fucking Rob Baker, you know, Paul Langlois, Johnny Fay. And they just fucking, just fucking one after another, punch us in the face and kick us in the balls.
Fuck you, man, I'm out. Bob Rock walks up and he's got, what's the gun Clint Eastwood used in his 70s, maybe the Magnum, 351, Bob Rock's got his Magnum and he just obliterates ourheads. Our heads are unrecognizable.
He just finishes us. No, he's Canadian. No. Canadian, oh. I pictured him as this British guy, but yeah.
Yeah, you guys don't have guns, so I guess you're assed out on the 357 there, Timmy.
Well, maybe we can move the venue to Detroit.
There you go. Definitely got guns there.
[1:28:53] I mean, I kind of felt the same. This song was...
It was built for a live show. It was a single. It was 3D printed and manufactured to be a pop single.
It was beautifully manufactured. The chorus is great. It's pop as shit.
Gord's got a great speaking little lick that's top-notch. I love it.
It's certainly a radio hit, But you know Rob Baker's got some I don't know if he's even using I don't think Xivix was around when when This record came out, but like it sounds like Thatsqueal-y shit That if you if you if you if you get some of the more modern-day boutique Fuzz pedals nowadays you can you can squeal them to where it sounds like his guitar on this oneBut it sounds like half Michael Jackson black or white half what the fuck is going on Like, it's a modulation something and it's cool, but I'm just like, yeah, all right.
[1:29:57] Did you scream the chorus at the top of your lungs while driving around in your car?
I mean, that's... I did not. You can with this one. I thought, JD, I thought, is this listed in a book of karaoke at karaoke bars in Canada?
Like, I can hear people singing this one, but I also could hear the audience just kind of cringing if somebody slaughtered it. Yeah, I wonder, you know, it's, it's, I don't know. It's, uh, canwe go to country day?
Cause country day, man. Okay. So remind me that I have a question to ask you at the end of country day.
Both of you. Okay. Okay. Okay. Country. Oh, real quick. Sorry.
Sorry, Tim. I will give you my answer. JD when we're in Toronto, the night before I'm singing tiger, the fucking lion.
So, so when we're, when we're karaoke, I've called it, I'm singing tiger, the lion. So, fuck you, Tim. I called it. If we can find that on karaoke.
Oh my god. Wow. I'm really hoping that after the end of that trip, I can remember more than 50% of it, because it's already feeling like trouble.
It's going to be rough, dude. Let's go to country day. And did anyone think...
[1:31:08] I really hope I experience Willie Nelson playing this song someday.
Because I heard Willie Nelson. Like this is, I just want to hear Willie Nelson play this song. It just felt like a Willie song.
You know, it's, it's, um, what do we got here? That rocket missed your head.
Somehow it's not enough. God keep our land because we cannot like this, you know, it's my favorite line from this one.
I wrote, I love you on a rock and through it. And I think the reference is like throwing it into the lake.
It's so good. Oh, that's great. It's so good. Maybe how I feel about this album, you know?
Writing I love you on a stone and chucking it.
[1:31:53] There's kind of a hard fade out. Maybe it's suitable to end the song.
I wondered also, JD, is this song perhaps a glimpse into any of Gord's solo stuff, which I've barely listened to. I've maybe listened to three solo songs.
Does this take us anywhere I'm not really sure about as far as his music goes?
I don't think so, no. This is again, this is produced to the absolute teats with that arrangement, that string arrangement, taking a campfire song, you know, something that could be acampfire song, and changing it into a, you know, magnum opus.
I just thought this was, this one was an odd ender, especially after Love Is A First to throw in this song.
This song could be, it's a standalone more than an ender of a song, you know? I, Again, I think it would be great to hear someone else perform it and change it up a little bit. I don't know.
It was fucking weird. Weird ender of a song. When it started, the first time I heard it, I was like, seriously?
Now this? Ugh. This was a painful album for me to get through, guys.
This was my first impression. I'm just like, goddamn, I have two more weeks to listen to this to figure it out.
[1:33:12] I love that says a lot to me about where you're at in terms of this experiment that you're that optimistic.
You know what I mean? Like you're like, when something's not jiving, you're not necessarily blaming it on the band or the producer or whatever, but you're, you're, you're taking like onuson it almost. And that's really fascinating to hear.
Do you understand what I'm saying? Yeah, I think to a degree, for sure. But I'm also being exhausted by Mr.
Bob Rock. Like, it's just, we got through our Bob Rock phase, you know?
Like, it's time to sell the Bentleys, whatever the fucking eight-car garage is full of that Bob Rock gave us on this one.
I don't know that Bob Rock is, you know, owning an A-car garage after this record.
Maybe he is, I don't know.
But I didn't, I didn't get that vibe. This song, I mean, I could pick up what you're putting down to me in terms of somebody else singing it.
I just thought, like, started country, end country.
[1:34:29] This was so random. they threw the strings in. I feel like this song was just...
I guarantee you that there was one person in the band, at least one person in the band, maybe it was only one, but it was at least one person in the band said, I don't think we should put thissong on the record.
[1:34:51] It just, it just feels like, I don't know, a bunch of shit thrown together.
And this song was like, yeah, let's put this song on there. Like, like, this song is not Fiddler's Green.
So no, no, not even. Not even. Not even a whisper.
It's just like, okay, cool acoustic song.
Yeah. Dig it. Dig it.
I wouldn't if I heard if like it was the part of the show where the band like tones it down a minute maybe a little more than halfway through the bar stool comes out Gord breaks out anacoustic guitar or Rob Baker does and Pauline Juan they sit down on the stools and Gord's just sitting there singing this is not the song, no not the song and I also the onus that you talkedabout JD I I don't, I don't, I take it too, I don't, I don't diss the whole band.
I also think there's myself and other factors that may, that may contribute to my, my candor on this particular record, but I don't know, what can I say at this point, kind of like I was thefirst one or two records, not feeling it, but maybe one day I will.
Yeah. You might have that nostalgia, that strange nostalgia.
[1:36:17] Yeah, but slap on fucking music at work, or fucking trouble at the hen house, or... Amen. Bye.
You know? Violet Light, punch me in the fucking balls.
I'm fine. Like, I don't care. Those are fucking banger albums.
Yeah. Goddamn. We talked before about kind of REM's Evolution or U2's albums, how they really had some profound changes and mix ups.
And, you know, when I think when bands reach a certain height in their career, or many heights, there's almost...
[1:36:58] During this time frame, really, also 90s and 2000s, that there's this license to do stuff like this, to produce albums like this, where you are mixing it up and changing things andgoing kind of next level production-wise.
Or maybe this is like when they were touring, you know, know, that that the tours were just bigger and more expansive and crazier lighting.
And they felt like we can do an Epic different album with this mega producer.
I mean, Bob rock touched on so many bands from Metallica to fucking share.
So, you know, what do, what do we, what did we really, what did I really expect at this point in their career?
Um, this album. I don't think I would have necessarily gone here with my whole take on this album, like that this would be in the place of their catalogue.
But again, it's leaving me hanging for more.
So we were persevering here to move on in the discography of the Tragically Hip.
I feel like Bob Rock producing The Hip in 2009 because he produced the Black Album and fucking, what was that, 91, 92, is like trying to get, you know.
[1:38:25] Fucking Nigel Godrich to fucking produce an indie rock album today, you know? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay. Sure. Cool. He did some cool shit in the 90s.
And, you know, he's done some cool shit since then, so that's not entirely fair, but he's He's not.
[1:38:43] Don't expect the fucking Black Album. Don't go into it thinking that.
Interesting parallel with the Godrich reference.
I immediately thought of Terror Twilight and In the Pavement's oeuvre, like how that record is so divisive, right?
I feel like this record is very divisive as well.
Like, be talking out of school here, but there's there's some people that say it's their absolute favorite record.
I don't know if they're being genuine or if they're defending, defending it from the people who say it's the worst record.
You know, I genuinely enjoy that record, but I'll say this. I don't think it's the best fucking record.
No, you know, but I genuinely enjoy it.
The difference is, is, is that this record, I hate to say it.
I don't genuinely enjoy it. I mean, I think it's decent work, but like if you want to put this against even the EP or fully completely, like go fuck yourself.
Don't even, don't even, wow.
[1:39:55] Siri just told me that she wanted to translate what I just said into a different. Oh, she sure does.
She's been hot after you since the invention of the iPhone once you didn't even exist yet.
I don't know. I just feel like, I just feel like, I see what you're saying, JD, But I think Bob Ronk.
I don't know. This just jumped the shark, man.
[1:40:22] JD, the iTunes and TELUS pre-order bonus tracks, Hush and Skeleton Park, I have not listened to those. I looked them up yesterday to try to find it and didn't.
But have you listened to those bonus tracks? Hush is 2 minutes and 29 seconds.
I'm curious about that song. Me too.
Obviously not singles, but, you know, it left me when I read that there were these bonus tracks on this album.
I mean, I was really... That was a thing to do back in the day, man. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
That was a thing to do. Yeah. But I was like, okay, are these bonus tracks like something the band did more so without heavy production or...
I don't know. I wish I could speak to that.
It's like that. A lot of people will tell us we missed the boat with In Violet Light as well.
[1:41:13] There are bonus tracks that are they're supposed to be really good.
And you know, I haven't, I haven't given them proper time.
Maybe we'll do a bonus track episode. Oh, there you go.
Bonus track episode. Okay. So, um, my question that I wanted to ask you, you guys have really sort of answered it because my question was, uh, based on how I know you feel about thisrecord now, you're both, if you, if, if this kid is a little, if, if this record is a little Johnny in, in, in your class, your grade two class, and, um, he's got 65%, you're going to bump him to66%.
So he gets the C plus that's how you guys, that's how I feel.
You guys might think of this record. you're not ready to give it a C-minus, or maybe you are.
But what I want to get at is, A, where are you with that?
We don't normally rank the records, but I'm curious of your ranking with this one.
Does that influence what you're expecting of the next record? Do you think it's over?
[1:42:34] I'm feeling like the... I'm going into the next album, different producer, I'm going into the next album as if I have some knowledge about the Tragically Hit, but that this particular,album.
[1:42:53] We are the same, that it's just not in me.
It hasn't resonated in me. It's not like stuck in me as a hip-hop album.
So I can go into the next one with still a pretty open mind.
Oh, good. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, for sure.
I'd like to watch this bathhouse recording, this video they did that aired in movie theaters.
I would like to see it and, you know, see if I'm like catching what the vibe is. Yeah, me too. Just seeing if Bob had these guys, even on video, just... I don't know.
But I'm still anxious for the next one, because this one, even the singles were just not really grabbers.
Yeah, I mean, I don't know about ranking wise.
I just know that, you know, I don't have any expectations for the next record.
So I'm excited in the terms of like, I don't want to say I was disappointed with this, but I wasn't, I wasn't over the moon with it. So anything that comes next is most likely going to maybenot blow my socks off, but going to blow my skirt up a little bit.
So, and I am wearing a skirt right now, just for those of you who are just listening to the podcast, instead of watching it.
[1:44:06] And it's lovely by the way. There's a poodle skirt. It's got a poodle.
Yeah. He he's got a, he's got a crinoline in it. It's, it's really wonderful.
What do you send? Oxford shoes.
Yes, I still think you can turn that under desk camera on. You don't, you don't have to save it for that other podcast you work on.
That's bonus feed, baby.
[1:44:26] That's right. It's on your bonus feed pizza. You get live footage of Pete's under desk feed.
I think I'll, I think I actually will show up at the fucking, uh, at the live show with a poodle skirt on. Oh, that'd be great.
We should get it. You know what we should do? It's fine. We should get a sacrifice. It's a poodle life.
Let's get some money going. Let's get some money going. If we get money, if we get, let's say this, We get.
500 bucks so we can donate it, like, beside the ticket sales, besides all the other stuff, the raffle, all that jazz.
But if we get $500 for people that donate so we can just take a chunk of 500 and call it the Poodle Skirt Fund to the Downey Wendzik Foundation, I will wear a fucking skirt, a poodleskirt, no less.
I'll do that. I'm on board. Yeah. Okay, then it's going to be a thousand.
Tim? I mean, I own at least one.
There's no poodles, but I have a skirt, so I'm not afraid. All right.
It's got to be a poodle skirt, but it's neither here nor there.
We'll talk about it. We'll talk about it in the next episode. And with that...
[1:45:39] We've got one last thing to deal with on this record of songs that you didn't necessarily love.
You've got to pick one to represent as the MVP, but also something that will work in your playlist. You know what I mean?
So this is tough. It's getting tough. I.
[1:46:11] Got mine, it's pressure sweet, 100%.
Pressure sweet, yeah. 9 minutes 27 seconds. I was back and forth on a few, honestly, between Queen of the Furrows, which I just had such a fun time learning about.
Yeah, that's so great. To Speed River, which I thought was kind of a cool song.
I know we talked about all the things.
But I ultimately kind of like Frozen in my tracks. I felt this one was just a little bit different enough in how these songs feel on this album.
[1:46:48] And to leave me hanging wondering about soldiers in war, like I love that shit. I kind of eat that up.
So Frozen in my tracks is mine. Excellent. I love this.
This is great. Okay. Well, that's all I've got.
How about you guys? Anything else you'd like to add? Make it a great day or not. The choice is yours. Namaste. Namaste. Pick up your shed.
jD, Pete, and Tim welcome Paul Langlois to the show to talk about his new record Guess What.
Tracks
Will to Fight
Desperation Calling
638 Main
Guess What
Transcript
Track 1:
[0:03] Well, I would see him working away in Timothee's from time to time, like I would walk past Timothee's and there would be Gord Downie sitting there on a laptop and, you know,my reaction as a super fan is like, I got to go in and say hi.
And then, and then as the same super fan, I'm like, what if he's writing?
Well, what if he's writing the next fucking great song? And I'm the asshole who interrupts that, right?
Track 6:
[0:28] Well, he would have been writing something, but he kind of put the songs together after.
Track 1:
[0:35] Oh, gotcha. Okay. Okay, gotcha.
Track 6:
[0:38] So, how is my signal? Because I can hotspot. It could be better.
Track 1:
[0:41] No, this is good. You're coming through great.
Track 4:
[0:43] It's great.
Track 5:
[0:44] Okay.
Track 1:
[0:44] It looks like a nice day. Are you outside?
Track 6:
[0:47] I'm outside.
Track 1:
[0:49] That's great.
Track 6:
[0:49] These are my little sister's paintings. Yeah, I sort of had a thing built where I can live outside and just be Oh, man Shelter shelter up there, you know, yeah So I spend a lot of time outhere.
So I'm in downtown Kingston ish like about five blocks from the center of downtown and Cool.
Yeah, so I like it here. We've been here like five years ever since the kids left Nice, nice.
Track 5:
[1:23] Just the two you have? Sorry.
Track 6:
[1:26] Two girls, yeah. And they're both kind of making their way in Toronto, 27 and 23, and in their separate career paths.
Track 5:
[1:34] Okay.
Track 6:
[1:36] So they're kind of, you know.
Fairly entry-level and where they're working, but Sure.
All right, and we just thought we Give them a break and they pay us far less rent than they would have to pay.
Track 5:
[1:49] Yeah.
Track 6:
[1:49] No, that's good I said and we've actually used the place because I have to be in Toronto More than I ever thought I thought I was retired and now I have to be in Toronto all the timeand So we stay there every time Cool.
Ah. Toronto hotels these days, you're saving 600 bucks every time.
Track 1:
[2:07] Toronto hotels are insane right now. They're totally insane.
So the premise of this podcast was, I found these two friends of mine that are from different parts of the world, but they both grew up in Southern California, and they had not heard ofThe Hip.
So this is getting hip to The Hip, where we're taking them from not having heard them, and We go through the discography and sort of get their reactions as to what they're hearing.
Because you know, you guys are a cultural phenomenon and it's strange sometimes when you meet people who aren't aware of this thing that is like 11 million people watched the lastconcert. You know, that's staggering when people don't know.
Track 6:
[2:51] I've got to say, great concept for a podcast. I did notice the title and I didn't really catch, like I didn't really know what it meant.
Yeah, I love it. I love it.
Track 5:
[3:03] We're of the we're of the same generation pretty much here And you know Pete and I grew up with Southern, California radio you know, that's what got us into music and You know80s 90s.
Track 4:
[3:15] Yeah the radio.
Track 5:
[3:16] Yeah, I was making mixtapes off the radio and Middle school and yeah, you know, we didn't we didn't have the the hit playing on 91x in San Diego No, not a lot of radio play inCalifornia.
Track 6:
[3:28] There's a San Francisco station, uh, K-Fog?
I forget the name of it. That's not K-Fog. There was a San Francisco station that played us, which is why we were able to, you know, eventually play the film or, you know, a couple,couple of days in a row kind of thing and sell that out.
But that, I think it's K-Fog, something like that.
Track 1:
[3:50] It sounds very San Francisco. Yeah. There you go, actually.
Track 6:
[3:55] Our radio play was random. Dallas, we got played in the early days, and Chicago, we got played.
So all the non-border towns, like, you know, Buffalo, they have Canadian radio.
So we're always, we ended up in arenas there.
Seattle, not as much, but then it was just random.
You know, we'd get play in some American cities and no play whatsoever in others.
So it takes so much longer by word of mouth than it does if you've got a song on the radio.
Track 4:
[4:29] Sure, you know, so so so Paul, this is something that I are you guys recording, by the way?
Track 1:
[4:35] Sorry, recording? Yeah, it's right.
Track 6:
[4:37] Yeah, I just wanted to make sure you're not losing all the all the goal.
Track 5:
[4:42] Okay, so we pretty much hit go and do no, no.
Track 4:
[4:45] Um, because we're talking about this too. And this has come up a number of times on the podcast, right?
And obviously, you just were talking about some radio stations, you got random and play in certain cities, this and that. And Tim and I grew up at a time prior to streaming.
We saw that switch. So essentially, whatever we were listening to, unless you were in some like super niche underground group with the cool kids and shit, you were listening to what wasbeing played on the three main stations, right?
And we saw all the takeover with Clear Channel. We saw all that shit happen. Yeah, us too.
The thing that I noticed, and I'm not trying to blow smoke up your ass here, Paul, but I'm going to maybe do a little bit, so clench if you got to.
[5:39] I thought about a lot over the nine months we've been recording this podcast, is that good music is good music, and there's probably so much shit that falls through the cracks.
Here you got Tim and I, who never heard of the hit before.
We both have a lot of similar bands in common that we like, but J.D.
Put us on this mainline IV drip of the Tragically Hip since we started this, and at first it was a slow burn, but But now it's like, I cannot imagine my life without your guys' band.
And again, I'm sorry to blow smoke at you. No, that's not. I'm not trying to do that. No, I love it. I love it. But it's just like, good music is good music.
And I had a deep dive into Guess What too, and we'll talk about that, I'm sure.
Yeah, just it's if you're not exposed to it, man, then you're not exposed to it.
Track 6:
[6:43] You know, I really appreciate that like it's it's like and And the slow burn part as well.
Like I think It was a slow burn for many people just because I Don't think it was that obvious like, you know, the early days were kind of like Oh, it's kind of like more a barroom bumpkind of you know know, um, really kind of not boring, but, you know, simple.
[7:15] And so, but I know that when we were writing and recording, When we were writing and recording, we meant to do that.
For these songs, the songs that we chose for each record, we believe that they would stand the test of time, that you'd probably have to listen to it four, five, six times before you start to,before it starts to grow on you, as you said, slow burn.
And I think that's better. I mean, there are certainly songs I love that immediately it's kind of like, wow, okay, that's a hit.
But a lot of times there's, even back then, you know, in the 80s and 90s, sometimes it's kind of spoon-fed stuff. I mean, it smells like Team Spirit right away. I loved it. That's not spoon-fed.
We're just doing this thing. They're doing their thing.
But there's many more examples of where it's more spoon-fed, where it lasts about nine or 10 listens, and then it's like, okay, I've had enough of this.
Track 4:
[8:18] Moving on, when I do when I when I press play on in violet light, I remember and I told JD and Tim this I was like, dude, I'm not I this is not gonna work. This is gonna be a shittytwo weeks. We're listening.
And then like it ends up like, I just it just starts. It's like a cicada man.
It just burrowed its way into my head.
And then, like, at some point a week and a half into it, I'm rolling down the highway here in Spain, just like fucking windows down just like what?
Where have you been all my life?
Track 6:
[8:50] That starts with Use It Up, right? Oh yeah, Use It Up.
Track 1:
[8:54] Oh yeah, yeah.
Track 4:
[8:56] Oh dude, Use It Up. Oh fuck.
Track 1:
[8:57] That was the song he picked. Yeah. Because every album I make them pick a song and Use It Up was for that record.
Track 6:
[9:05] It's so funny because I didn't like that song at first. I was like...
You didn't? Yeah. Now what?
We're reaching here, it's no good. And then it grew on me as we were sort of all learning our parts and playing it together. It was like, oh, I get it now. Use it up. Yeah, this is the best thingfor later.
But at first, I was just like, this is going to be a horrible record.
Track 4:
[9:31] Oh, dear.
Track 5:
[9:32] Well, I even said to my kid, I have a 21-year-old, I have 21 and 18-year-old sons, and my 21-year-old plays drums and an amazing drummer and he's getting into other stuff too.
But I played him some of the, you know, I don't remember which album, but he looked at me and he's like, are you sure you can do this?
What is this band? And the guy, does he sing weird? What are you doing?
And I'm like, I hope so, bro.
Let's see what happens. But no, since then, I've played in bits here and there.
And my whole family, of course, has been subject to the hip.
Yeah, same here. And they're now recognizing the hip when they come on.
I haven't forced them to sit down and hear an album, but that'll happen eventually, I'm sure.
But yeah, the slow burn has been awesome. And for you guys to accomplish that, I mean, you were in high school, right? When you...
Shortly after high school?
Track 6:
[10:34] Just after, yep. So there's a university here, Queen's, so three of the guys were at Queen's. Johnny was still in high school, drummer.
Okay, that's right. He was in grade 13, which they don't have grade 13 anymore, but...
Yeah, so it was kind of Yeah, a long long time Yeah, I mean for that to happen.
Track 5:
[10:55] It's like you know I have a My brother-in-law told me at one point like what are you gonna?
Do bro? You know you're 19 You're not doing anything is like I'm gonna be a pro skateboarder And I'm like dude you got a one and what 40 million shot to be a pro skater Yeah, come on.
I mean, but you guys you guys were young and you kept at it, and you didn't go after careers I don't think I mean, I'm sure some of you held like part-time jobs or something But you guysjust kept going at it.
Track 6:
[11:24] We all had parents that were kind of like very supportive but at the same time everyone was in University and You know, what's the backup plan my dad said all the time and I'mlike no backup plan dad These guys because I joined a bit later like a year and a half in they were covered in And I love them and Gord Downer is my best friend and he asked me to joinbasically because I was Leaving.
I mean I didn't think of it as a threat, but he thought it was a threat that I was just gonna go down Try my luck as a songwriter and He was like he didn't like that at all.
And so that's the other And when I joined, my dad was like, yeah, but, um, you're going to go back to school and you'll have a backup plan.
I'm like, I don't need one.
Track 1:
[12:20] And so I'm just going to ask you what's the moment, what the moment was where you knew you didn't need a backup plan. You knew that early on, like that it was like you guyshad lightning in a bottle.
Track 6:
[12:31] I knew when I joined, I went to all their gigs and, um, but whenever I could, like I I was driving cab, but Gord would always have me on the list.
And they were just like small in-town gigs, either at the university or at a biker bar or whatever, a few bars that they were playing. And...
I knew, like, and it wasn't just Gork. I knew that Robbie and Johnny and Sinclair, like, that they were just doing something different.
Now, mostly they were playing covers, but they had songs that never made it even to our first baby record.
Great songs, Heart Attack Love and Baby Blue Blood and, you know, all these songs were Reformed Baptist Blues, which was on Thaskadelphia, but surprising.
[13:21] But it was just like, God, they know how to write songs. Gord is unbelievable.
Nothing like the friend I had. Like as soon as he got up on stage, it was just kind of like, wow.
And so I just felt like, you know, they have it. And word of mouth already just in Kingston.
You know, they say you can't, if you're in a band and you can't draw a crowd in your hometown, then chances aren't great.
[13:53] But if you can, you can take that. And so we just would just gradually take it to the next town over, Belleville or, you know, Brockville, then Cornwall and, you know, Oshawa, justsort of like just took it up and down the 401, which is a highway around here.
And just, we relied on word of mouth. And then we started booking things that way.
Let's do three nights. So we'll play Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and by Saturday we'll have it full because everyone's gonna be going home saying, okay, the singer's crazy and the band isheavy and tight.
And so we built it up that way. I'm not sure if you could do it these days.
I mean, there's still venues. So I think you actually could still do it our way. It was the only way we knew how to do it, but we always felt like, we were always like.
We all had a couple of hundred bucks in general, you know, so it wasn't like, um, we were, we weren't, uh, not making money, you know, we were able to, and our parents weresupportive, you know, Gord's parents got us a van and et cetera.
It just kind of, um, we knew very early on that we could just keep doing it.
Let's just keep doing it until it goes south. And it never did.
Track 1:
[15:10] I guess not.
Track 4:
[15:11] Holy shit.
Track 1:
[15:11] Amazing.
Track 4:
[15:13] It's an understatement.
Track 1:
[15:14] Yeah.
Track 4:
[15:17] So I want to, I don't know if it's cool fellas, but I want to dig into the to guess what a little bit.
Track 1:
[15:23] Yeah, let's do it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Track 4:
[15:27] So first off, you guys recorded the bathhouse. Yeah, we talked to we talked to Gord. What was it like three months ago? We talked to Gord.
Track 1:
[15:35] Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Track 5:
[15:37] Let's go. Yeah.
Track 1:
[15:39] When his record dropped, he came on.
Track 6:
[15:41] Pardon me?
Track 1:
[15:41] When his record dropped, he came on.
Track 6:
[15:44] I really love that record. I've told him many times. He's so funny.
You know, he's just like...
He's such a sweet dude. Yeah, he is.
And he's, you know, we complain mutually about having to be the singer and, you know, and just all the complications.
But I love his record. I've told him all the time. It's just like, it's classic him. just such variety.
But we're not talking about his record, I guess. Sorry.
Track 4:
[16:15] No, no. No, he kind of said some of the same stuff, but your vocals on, I love the vocals on it.
And then I was kind of reading about what you did with the, in terms of choosing the band and what's his name? His name is, oh, Billy Anglin.
That dude is a, he's a freak on the drums, man.
Track 6:
[16:45] Desperation calling oh yeah yeah when he does that yeah like what the hell is that he's a giant in real life I don't know if you knew that's crazy he's like I don't know I think he's sixfive Oh he's easily 250 must be I don't know how much away but well hey he's a giant and he was a kid that we heard about Johnny mentioned him to me.
I remember back when we first started, Johnny was like, there's a kid over at Elsie, which was another high school.
We were at Casey and they were at Elsie and there's a kid, Billy Anglin, and he's like five years younger than us.
He's like, they had the same drum teacher and he's like, that kid's really good.
And he played into his 20s and then he started a construction company and hadn't played for 20 some years.
And another The other guy in the band, Joe Carscallon, is kind of like a family friend of his.
And he was like, you know, Bill Anglin would do it if he asked and I'm like, seriously? And anyway, he is great. We just played a show just out of town.
There's a little quaint little town, Guananacue.
I'm not sure if you've been there, JD, but it's a beautiful little summer town, Thousand Islands.
Track 1:
[18:00] Okay.
Track 6:
[18:01] And we played a gig on Saturday night. And I was just like, for some reason, I was just kind of really focused on Bill and the stuff he was doing.
I'm very lucky. And the same with everyone else in the band, of course. Oh yeah.
He just hits them so hard and he's so big. And he has a huge drum kit too, like huge.
Where it's like, oh my God.
We pull into a little club a couple of weeks ago just to have a warmup show.
Track 4:
[18:32] And the club owner's like, You know, the drums basically took up the whole, it's like, is this a Russian, is this a Russian cover band? Is Neil Curtin? Yeah.
Track 6:
[18:43] Anyway, I'm going to tell Bill you mentioned him because he's amazing.
Track 1:
[18:49] The big toms at the beginning of Will to Fight as well.
Track 6:
[18:52] Right. That's what I thought. That's what I thought Pete was going to say.
Track 1:
[18:55] Those big toms right off the start, it's like, oh fuck, this song has a bone to pick with me.
It's like, it's challenging me right now, this song, it's.
Track 6:
[19:09] We've been opening with that one. Oh yeah. And Bill loves it, you know, he's had a setlist.
Track 5:
[19:14] Cool.
Track 6:
[19:16] Oriented and I always put Will to fight first and he's quite happy with it, he loves starting.
Like he is not short on confident. For a guy who hasn't played, he's played on his own but who hasn't played with anybody for 20 years, It's pretty amazing.
Track 4:
[19:31] That's crazy, man. You know, you, well, it's because we're talking about drums.
This is something that's that came that came up a couple times in the podcast.
I don't know what record it was that we're talking about.
But I had mentioned and I said it and I said it exactly like this.
I was like, Paul Langlois is a fucking drummer.
Track 1:
[19:52] Yes. Yeah. I remember you remember that?
Track 4:
[19:55] Yeah. And and I said that because I don't remember what song and what record it really hit me like a Like a freight train, man.
Track 1:
[20:02] It was in between evolution is what you said it. Was it?
Track 4:
[20:06] Was it in between evolution?
Track 1:
[20:07] Yeah.
Track 4:
[20:07] Yeah. Just your, the tone of that, bless Paul, and just the chunk, chunk, chunk that was, I can't remember the song that it was on where it hit me and I was like, dude, I don't knowwho's drumming here.
Is it Paul or is it Johnny? Because I'm getting, because I've done that.
I've done that thing where you listen to each member of a band individually.
Like, I don't know if you've ever done that, like next time you, next time you want to have a good time listening to your, if you like Rush, I mean, I like Rush. Who doesn't?
Track 6:
[20:40] I love Rush. I love Rush.
Track 4:
[20:42] Take it, take a Rush tune or watch maybe a live, live recording and focus on one.
Watch it three times and focus on one musician each time. And you'll just see something new every time.
Track 6:
[20:54] I love that idea. Yeah. I love that idea. And thanks for that.
On my first solo record, because I always thought...
I got a drum kit when I was 30 as a birthday present, and it was Johnny's kit.
Well, he set it up. And so my wife got it for me, Joanne.
And then, so I was just drumming secretly in the basement, just because I always wanted to try it.
And so my very first record, Fix His Head, which was like, I don't know, 15 years ago or something.
Track 1:
[21:27] 2010, yeah.
Track 6:
[21:30] Yeah, so 13 years ago and...
I was just on my own. It was just me. And really, I was in there, in our studio, just with the engineer. Like, it's quite awkward, really.
Because it's just the two of us, you know? I'm like, Aaron, you go outside or go do what you're going to do.
Just give me the song on a loop. And I'm just going to play the song.
And if I get a good one, I'll run into into the control room and push the space bar and stop it.
And so that's how I drummed, really, because I just didn't like him kind of just being bored in there, probably on his phone. Yeah.
Track 5:
[22:10] Hovering.
Track 6:
[22:11] So anyway, I did all the drumming on Fix His Head. And it's not stellar drumming, but I was happy enough with it that it passed.
I mean, it would have been way, if Johnny or Billy Anglin was playing, obviously, it would have been way, way better.
But I wanted it to be a private record. I didn't really want to put it out.
Track 1:
[22:33] That's crazy. That's so crazy. But it's interesting you say that.
I have a question for you that's been bothering me since your new record came out. Your new record is called Guess What, and it's the Paul Langlois band.
But I go back into my old records that I have. I have them in Apple, so they're digital.
And they say, like, fix this head, says Paul Langelois band now on it.
But wasn't it just Paul Langelois before?
Track 6:
[23:02] Yes.
Track 1:
[23:03] Oh, so I'm not going crazy.
Track 6:
[23:06] Yeah, no, you're not crazy. You're not going crazy.
I mean, it drives me a bit crazy, really, the thought. And Joanne hates, hates Paul Langlois Band, hates that there's no the. Oh, really?
Track 1:
[23:19] She's like, Jake.
Track 6:
[23:22] Yeah, the hips are my manager. My manager is also the hips manager, Jake Gould. He does a great job, but he was kind of, he was very in favor of just Paul Langlois Band. And I'mlike, okay, that's awkward, though.
Wouldn't you say the Paul Langlois band?
Track 1:
[23:39] Yeah.
Track 6:
[23:40] Two guys in the band, Greg Ball especially, was like, no, Paul Langlois.
Don't say Paul Langlois band, your first two records were Paul Langlois, so just Paul Langlois.
And through the agents and all the people booking and stuff, it's like, well, the Paul Langlois band would probably be more appealing as an act to book, because I was trying to playfestivals this summer.
And so I was like, okay. And then it's like, oh, by the way, we gotta go back.
And it's all because of Spotify. Everything's because of Spotify these days.
Track 1:
[24:15] Oh, God.
Track 6:
[24:17] You gotta go back and call your first two records Paul Langlois banned because if someone searches, I don't understand it, but the algorithm, whatever it is, if someone searches,guess what, Paul Langlois banned, my first two records aren't gonna come up.
And so that convinced me. I'm like, I want my first workers to come up.
Track 5:
[24:36] It happens.
Track 4:
[24:37] But that's the same thing with Malcolmus and the Jicks. Do you guys, I don't know if you guys know that. He has the same, that's a weird thing on Spotify.
They want it to come up.
They wanted to come up the other records so everybody can access all the music.
And I get it because you also want people to listen to your, you know, your other records. But it's also like that.
Track 6:
[24:59] Yeah, I would like that. But I get it. But I hate it. You know, it's, it's, it's silly. It's silly.
Track 4:
[25:04] Me too.
Track 6:
[25:05] Paul Langlois would come up. Just if I call this the Paul Langlois band, which is- Change the algorithm, man.
Track 4:
[25:13] Change the search bar. Like make them both come up.
Track 1:
[25:16] Jesus Christ.
Track 5:
[25:18] That's funny you mention that Paul, at one point during our discography review of you guys I said, yeah, I love this whole process but the hip has totally fucked up my algorithm inSpotify.
Like every time I play something now it's like something associated with the hip. It's like all these other bands but I have discovered some other bands.
Track 1:
[25:39] We were talking one day, Tim and I were talking, I was out for a walk and he's like, you're going to get a kick out of this, Paul, cause he's like, who is April wine?
Oh, really? And I was like, April wine is like a seminal Canadian.
Track 5:
[25:52] Absolutely. Many, many hits.
Track 6:
[25:53] Big band. Good hits. Good. Yeah.
Track 5:
[25:59] Yeah, they're, they're fucking cool. Like I would, that was a fun surprise for me. That was, you know, thanks to the algorithm.
So, but that, but that was, that was one of those things, you know, So 10 years, 10 years between Not Guilty and Guess What?
Track 1:
[26:18] Yeah. Not Guilty was 2013.
Obviously that was a fucking giant 10 years in your life.
What changed singer-songwriter wise? What did you take from that 10 years of experience and put onto this record?
Is there anything you can lay down for us?
Track 6:
[26:47] You know, I think I got the… Lyrics are my toughest.
That's the toughest. It's like finishing the bathrooms, you run out of money.
And so, oh yeah, let's go for the vinyl shower.
And so that's what I would do with lyrics. I'd kind of almost get, I get somewhere, but then I just stop and I didn't know where to go.
So I think time passing more than anything.
Gord, Gord passing.
Track 1:
[27:18] Yeah, yeah, of course.
Track 6:
[27:19] Time passing, the way the tour was so special, such an achievement on all our parts, but especially for Gord.
Of course. The achievement on his part was unbelievable.
It was unbelievable to watch, like from the inside, just how hard he worked and how driven he was.
Was, like he didn't stop. And so I think that kind of affected, that helped me just with lyrics. Time passing, the girls moving out, my daughters, you know.
And you know, now it's like in my 50s. And it's kind of like, I think that sort of just came through in the songs, Will to Fight, you know, just anything, just kind of like.
So there was that. I didn't think I would ever, like I just was not interested in songwriting until I got offered a gig.
And it was a few months away.
And Joanne said, well, you've got to do it. And I'm like, well, I've got to put a band together. I'm not fucking into that. Who would I get?
[28:34] Anyway, so then I thought of they're all buddies, Kingston buddies, and musicians, but they all have other jobs. And, um...
Yeah, and then we started rehearsing and playing and and It was fun and so I decided I had a couple of songs Okay, maybe I'll finish those and we'll have a couple of You know new recordsongs.
I was just playing my first two records kind of thing and then that was the end of August last year and and I booked the studio for November 7th, I think or 8th and And so then I had adeadline, so in September and October, I just kept throwing songs at them and I kept writing.
And so it was the first time I'd written anything in 10 years.
Like I just, I hadn't written anything. And then it was like, oh, wow, this is fun.
These guys are good. And so the whole record is live. I mean, I play guitar and at the same time, I didn't do anything except one scratchy vocal.
I redid one vocal, but we're playing live and there were very little fixes and very little overdub. Joe overdubbed a couple of solos.
[29:54] So it was just kind of exactly how I wanted it to be and it was very reminiscent of how the hit recorded.
You know, we like to not make mistakes, go into the control room and be like, yeah, this is a one.
Of course, we'd leave it mostly up to Johnny, because the drums have to be right.
He would always pick the ones that we wanted, without even talking about it.
Okay, we like take number three.
That was a very similar process to recording in the hip or in the bathhouse, so it was all very inspiring.
So I'm a new person, honestly.
I really thought I was done. Gord died, I just thought, well, we had a good run.
It's sad. Yeah. But it was like 32 naturally years actively together.
It's been longer now, but you know, all of us together playing and it wasn't like a five-year run, you know? And so I just thought, okay, that's good. But you know, yeah, we did it.
And I'm just going to move on and come up with other things.
Track 4:
[31:07] I just didn't come up with anything else. No, but 638 Main says, like, I got a window into the song where you were at with this record and what kind of the question that JD asked.
Like that I was like, okay, I see kind of where Paul's Brain was at with this record and like that's fucking cool, man. I'm so happy for you, dude I don't know.
I had the same shit too before we recorded like before I Jumped in with this band that I'm in man.
I was just kind of like, all right, I'm done playing music and then you fall in and then you get a band together and then you're like Like, oh, this is fucking, this is fun, man. This is rightwhere it should be.
Track 6:
[31:52] Yeah, you forget how fun it is. I did. And it's funny you mentioned 638 Maine.
Not many people, but I have a couple of quirky friends that are like 638 Maine, man. I love that one. Whereas most of my friends, I'm sure they've never mentioned that song.
I don't think it's necessarily a skipper, but it's an odd one.
Track 4:
[32:14] And basically- That's what's cool about it.
Track 6:
[32:17] Yeah, it's, you know, to me, it's cool, because I made it up on the spot.
I didn't have anything written down.
And I just pictured myself.
Track 1:
[32:26] What?
Track 6:
[32:26] Like I'm talking about what it's like to be in a studio. And we were in there eight days. And Greg and I, those guys were going, like there's a firefighter, construction, a factory shiftworker.
Greg's a waiter, so he took the eight days off. And I don't have another job, so I did too. So Greg and I were out there the whole time. And a couple of nights, it was late. They were all latenights.
And I was just sitting there, just like, oh, it'd be good if I could set myself in a bar to describe what it's like being in a studio.
I didn't know if it was Monday or Tuesday. It was kind of like, you're lost in the music. You're lost in the recording.
So I thought, and we only had nine songs, or nine that I liked.
And so I was like, I want to try this one.
And I just made it up. I just like set myself on fire. And then I'm kind of chasing the song.
You know, it's all turning out like it should or whatever the words are.
Track 4:
[33:29] But it paints the picture, man. There was a hip song like that too.
Do you remember, Tim, the apartment where Gord was describing the apartment?
You know what I'm talking about?
Track 1:
[33:40] Apartment song.
Track 4:
[33:40] But that 638, man, it paints the picture, man.
Track 6:
[33:44] Oh, well, thanks. Thanks. Yeah. I was, I was very, uh, very happy with that.
And Greg and Joe were asleep on the couch in the control room.
So it was just, I just laid it down on acoustic and then, um, and saying it. And...
And Bill and Matt, drums and bass, they played. And Joe and Greg were kind of pissed off because I missed it.
So I allowed them to add a guitar and backup vocal.
Track 4:
[34:23] So anyway, I'm glad you mentioned that.
It's cool, man. It's a deep cut. Deep cut. Yeah, we're going to Kingston.
And for the finale we're doing is September 1st, but I think the day before or the day after we're going to Kingston. Yeah, August 31st.
Track 1:
[34:41] We're doing it. They're flying in August 30th. And uh, we're doing a road trip to Kingston.
Track 6:
[34:48] You're kidding.
Track 1:
[34:50] No. Oh, yeah, we're gonna do it. Yeah. I've got it right.
Track 4:
[34:54] Like I mean, yeah, I'm gonna be so dragon ass, man.
Track 5:
[34:59] It's all part of this process.
Track 6:
[35:00] That's what are you? Are you kind of Just doing it for fun.
I'll meet up with you either way whether you're recording something or not That would be amazing to buy you a beer yeah, yeah, that would be absolutely amazing Yeah, we check the redhouse. Just get in touch with me.
Track 4:
[35:19] All right Let's do it, man. Let's do it.
Track 5:
[35:22] Let's do it Yeah, we're flying into town and we have an event at the rec room in Toronto on September 1st.
So that's that's like our Our grand finale of the pod is we're meeting up and there's a tribute band, 50 Mission, playing at the Rec Room and we're doing this fundraiser for the DanielWinsor Fund.
Track 6:
[35:45] Oh cool. And so are you going to be, is it an event where you're not sort of talking together or are you guys going to get up and sing?
Track 1:
[35:54] We're going to record the final episode of the podcast at this event.
Track 6:
[35:58] Oh cool.
Track 1:
[35:59] So they'll finally reveal whether or not they're hip bands, which they've done a poor job concealing it.
It's so funny at the beginning, they would be like, Pete would be like, oh, yeah, there's this lick that the rhythm guitarist plays.
And you know, then later on, it's like, Paul Langlois, am I saying his name right? And then later on, it's just Paul. You know what I mean?
Track 4:
[36:21] I had no concept of your existence, man. I mean, I was like, what's this guy's, who's this guy's name?
Now it's like, everything's off the tongue, man, but I, by the way, I gotta ask you, and I know they're for different things, but what do you prefer about it?
Do you like your telly or do you like the Les Paul? What's the, what's the one that you're, that you, if you die with the guitar in your hands, the one you want in the hands?
Track 6:
[36:45] I mean, it would kind of, it would have to be to tell you, I'm playing the telly on the solo band shows. Okay. So, I've gone back to the telly.
I don't regret playing a Les Paul. I started Les Paul day for night on.
And that was a black one, Black Beauty.
But then I switched to a Sunburst, which I love that guitar.
That's my second favorite.
That's my second favorite. But the Tele for sure. That was the first electric I bought, like officially bought to play in the band.
And I'm using it now. And yeah, it would be the Tele for sure.
Track 4:
[37:28] I never played a telly ever until about six months ago when I visit my family in California. I walked into a guitar center and I went into the expensive room that you're not supposedto go in.
I sat and there was nobody there. It was just a ghost town. I sat with a telly for like an hour and I was like, jeez, man.
I got it because I always played a Strat. I got a Jazzmaster, and an SG, but I never, and I've never played, I mean, I played a Les Paul once, twice, but I never owned a Les Paul. That's thenext on the list.
But a Tele was, I liked it.
Track 6:
[38:05] Yeah, well, see, it's funny, because I find a Strat the most different guitar, and because Robbie played it already, and he was like, he had 15 years of experience on me, because Ididn't start playing until I was 19, and he started playing, he was small.
And he was playing a Strat.
And so I was like, I mean, I started out playing acoustic and after a while I was like, fuck this, I can't fucking hear.
And I had a big train ramp and it was just like, it was impossible to, I'd turn it up to, and I got electrocuted all the time because it was a old shit.
Well, I finally said, I'm playing electrocute It's a lot of telly and because I figured that telly is kind of the opposite of a strat almost and I've never really ever tried to play a strat, like Ireally honestly never have.
Les Paul's and Telly's I find are way more similar. The Strat to me is a different one. It's super cool, but it's just not my thing.
Track 4:
[39:13] I just like the pickups, man, like that Steve Miller tone, that Buddy Holly, those 57s and those 59s, those pickups are just so tinny and, you know.
I don't know, I like that. Yeah, no, it's amazing.
Track 5:
[39:31] So, when we were just getting into Saskadelphia, right, and I'm listening to Crack My Spine the other day with my headphones on, you know, because I want to hear everything, andyour guitar on that was just like, it kind of just sounded like, it reminded me of the Ramones, like you were just kind of playing some power chords through there.
It just reminded me of like 80s kind of punk rock, you know, and I just, I just loved that about it and it's been such an interesting thing hearing you guys playing guitar because, you know,most bands you got bass and drums kind of linked up as the backbone and you might have a lead guitarist but you might not or a rhythm guitarist but you guys were just like playing guitardoing your thing and it works and I think that's just such a cool rare thing about a band that you guys pulled off.
And then it's been so fun to then go on and listen to your solo stuff and hear your evolution too, because we don't get this opportunity with bands very often in general.
Like how many bands are still around or guys still around? Well, that's so cool to hear.
Track 6:
[40:43] You know, what I would credit that the most, or whom I would credit, is Don Smith, who produced Up to Here and Road Apples, because he handled us, he hard panned us, left andright, Robbie and I.
So listen, I listen to ACDC, and sorry, but Malcolm Young isn't loud enough.
Like, it's like the guitars are like this.
Track 5:
[41:12] It's true.
Track 6:
[41:14] So Don panned us. And so then every producer after that, and our guy, Mark Breakin, who actually helped us produce our only record we did without a producer was Trouble at theHen House.
And Mark Breakin still mixes, you know, he mixed Saskatoon, he's been our sound man and our live sound man for the whole time.
Although he did leave to bigger and better things for a good chunk of 15 years or so, but he's back with us and he pans them too.
So he, so you can hear one in one ear, one in the other. I'm deaf in my right ear, So I have to listen to it twice just to.
You know, hear what Robbie's doing, the odd time I'm interested.
[42:03] But I credit Don because Don did that and he was super cool and we were so, he was unbelievable and we couldn't believe we were working with him.
He'd done Traveling Wilburys and he did everything and he was Mr.
Cool and he was just like, you guys just do your thing.
And this is when we were young, impressionable, you know, we wanted to do our thing, but we figured, you know, people are going to tell us, you know, you should be a bit more countryand people did, you know, a bit more country, maybe or something.
Don was just like, just do your thing. And he panned the guitars.
So basically, he, he, I credit him with my job.
Because people can hear me if they want, you know, if they're taking a closer listen, and like you guys do, it's kind of like all my parts are just naked on one side.
At one point though, I made a list, and it's an ongoing list of songs where I'm in the right speaker if you're looking at it.
I'm always on the left, and Robbie's always on the right.
Except more and more, I'll check it, and I have like a list of about 12 songs where I'm on the right and Robbie's on the left.
My producer decided to switch it.
Track 1:
[43:20] Oh, funny.
Track 6:
[43:23] Which is curious to me. Because when I put on headphones, so I can only hear out of this ear, 100% deaf in this one. Wow.
I always put the left ear, because that's me. Oh, shit.
Track 4:
[43:37] And then you go.
Track 6:
[43:39] And then the odd hit song I'll run into, and it's kind of like, that's not me. That's Robbie.
Track 4:
[43:44] Who's this shitty guitar player?
Track 6:
[43:46] We didn't listen to each other at all, by the way, not at all.
Track 4:
[43:53] It's funny, dude.
Paul, when you guys did Trouble, man, and that was a record, I think Tim and I, I don't know, I'm speaking for Tim here, but for me, that was the record where I was like, it finally openedfor me.
And I got everything prior to that too, but that record was like, okay, this band doesn't give a shit about what anybody thinks, man.
Just gonna do their own thing. And that's where I was like, you guys grew into this just animal that nobody knew existed.
I don't know, man, that was a that was a break. That was the record that JD when JD flew to Malaga for primavera sound last year, he brought a vinyl and this is me still not knowinganything about you guys.
And he brought me trouble at the house. And I was like, Yeah, I do you remember?
Track 1:
[44:48] Do you remember I mailed you trouble at the hen house on CD.
And you're like, I don't have a CD player. I was like, who doesn't have a CD player?
Track 4:
[44:56] We moved here and I and then yeah, because we moved from the state. Anyway. Yeah, yeah.
Track 6:
[45:07] It's it's funny. Just to add something, because I thought of it earlier, very early on this chat, you were saying something, Pete, that I thought of, and I'm like, oh, fuck, I thought ofsomething good to say, and I forgot, but now I remember.
So there was this band, there's this, I don't know that they're a band anymore, they're from Philly, and they're called Marah, M-A-R-A-H.
[45:36] And they're a couple of brothers. And anyway, out of the blue, the day after our last show, the singer writes Robbie a letter.
And he's like, and he describes, the letter makes me cry. me cry like it he describes his life and you know they got signed to, Maybe Steve Earle had a label, someone like that.
Oh, nice. Nashville person. So they had some success, but they just ruined everything all the time. That was just their nature. You have brothers, and any time things started to go well,they would kind of blow it up.
And then he described, he goes on to describe, he was out in the country on a TV at a cabin he doesn't use, but he happened to throw on the TV, and the CBC covered that show live, youknow, so it was live on the air, and he describes, you know, watching the show and what's about to happen, and what was my point?
Well, there's this thing in the doc that Robbie quotes him, like, what's going to happen here?
You know, are they gonna all bands either explode on the way up or on the way down everything?
[47:01] Burn out nothing works out and What are you telling me?
These guys are gonna pull the he compared it to a You know an air balloon, whatever they're called parachute No, like a balloon, you know, oh, yeah hot air balloon what they're all gonnapull it down and and land safely, like win rock and roll or something.
It's just kind of like, anyway, it was just an amazing letter years ago.
And I've always had the intention to kind of reach out to him and say, fuck your letter, man. Cause he, it's way more than that.
Another thing he said is he would try, cause this is quite like this podcast that you're doing JD.
He would, he learned not to play the hip to people, to his friends, to anyone, various girlfriends. He was like, I'd never do it.
If he found a real hip fan, he said, like because they're touring, right, in New York or London or wherever, as soon as he realized it's a real hip fan, they'd be at the back of the bar.
He'd take them to the back of the bar, and they'd have pints, and they'd talk about all things hip.
[48:18] And anyway, so he said, if someone came over to my house, and I trusted them enough to play the hip, And they started talking over the music.
That's it. Christmas lights off. Everyone's going home.
[48:34] He's an amazing writer.
Track 4:
[48:38] It's so true. I said that to JD a couple of weeks ago when I was in California this last time in May.
We were driving to Joshua Tree. And I fucking hate when people put on music and they're like, listen to this band.
You're going to love this band. And it's like, you build it up, right?
I didn't do that. I grabbed my buddy's phone, we're driving down, I don't know, 64 or whatever it is, down in Joshua Tree, 29 Palms, and I just grabbed his phone and I put on Trouble atthe Inn House.
Yeah. And he's like, who the fuck is this?
Track 6:
[49:10] That's how to do it. Yeah.
Track 4:
[49:12] That's all I did. I played a couple tunes and he's like, who's this band?
I was like, oh, it's... And then, you know, cause you don't set the expectations. Yeah.
Track 6:
[49:23] Yeah, no, exactly. That's how to do it. That's the downy way, actually. Did Gord and all his brothers.
You surprise somebody. If you give people warning, it's not the same, you know? Yeah. It's just like, no, no.
Track 1:
[49:38] Expectations.
Track 6:
[49:39] Yeah, and when Gord was sick.
Track 5:
[49:41] It's true, it's true.
Track 6:
[49:42] His brother was looking after him mainly, and I was mainly there to help Pat.
Someone would be, I wanna come over and see Gord, you know, because there was no tour in the future. Like, we all just thought this is it.
And I was like, oh, this guy wants to come by. And Pat's like, well, just don't tell Gord about it.
Tell them to come but we won't tell them about it. It'll just get surprised.
That's how the Downies do it. It's like, oh we're here.
Track 5:
[50:10] That's cool.
Track 1:
[50:15] Paul, I know we said 45 minutes and we're over so I'm sorry for taking more of your time than we should have. No problem.
Track 6:
[50:20] I still got seven minutes before the next one.
Track 1:
[50:26] Oh wow, you're on junket mode, eh?
Track 6:
[50:28] Yeah, three today.
Track 1:
[50:32] Oh wow. Well, any chance we'll see you on the road in the fall?
Or is it just take it as it comes?
Track 6:
[50:43] Take it as it comes, yeah. Sort of trying to stick to festivals, but obviously they start disappearing when the fall comes. So, unknown.
So, I've got two more gigs in August and like one in Windsor-ish, Kingsville, and one in Bath, where our studio is, and those are both in August.
Track 1:
[51:08] It's been great talking to you. So great.
Track 6:
[51:10] Yeah, great talking to you guys. It's nice to meet you too, as well.
Track 4:
[51:13] Nice to meet you, Paul. Thanks for your time, man.
Track 6:
[51:17] Hey, we'll talk again.
Track 5:
[51:18] Yeah.
Track 6:
[51:18] Good luck with everything.
Track 5:
[51:19] For sure.
Track 4:
[51:20] Take care.
Track 5:
[51:20] Thanks.
Track 6:
[51:21] OK. See you guys.
Track 5:
[51:22] All right. Cheers!
Ever wondered why The Tragically Hip never quite cracked the American market? Can being "too Canadian" be a legitimate reason? Join jD, Pete, and Tim, as they delve into these questions and more, in an episode that's all about the legendary Canadian band and renowned producer, Bob Rock. We examine Rock's impactful legacy, his ground-breaking record with The Hip, and why their unique Canadian-ness may have been a double-edged sword in the American music scene.
This week, we immerse ourselves in The Hip's 10th studio album, dissecting the distinctive sonic footprint that Bob Rock has imprinted on each track. Hear our candid first reactions, our deep dives into the lyrics' amalgamation of quantum physics, Plato, and God, and how a short hiatus from the album breathed new life into jD's perspectives. From the booming drums akin to Stuart Copeland and Neil Peart's style to the raw, gritty sounds of hip drums, we leave no stone unturned in our exploration of this musical masterpiece.
And just when you think we've hit peak musical analysis, think again! We round up our episode with a thoughtful examination of the album's themes of touring and corporate radio. We also give you our take on The Hip's Austin City Limits performance and an exciting, upcoming event in Toronto that promises to echo the essence of a live Tragically Hip experience. To top it all off, we take a side trip to Salt Lake City, diving into its cultural diversity and have a little fun contemplating a world where weed is legal in Utah. So, buckle up for a fun-filled, music-centric journey into the heart of Canadian music
Track Listing
Yer not the Ocean - Studio version
In View - Live from Abbotsford 2009
The Kids Don't Get It - Live from Oshawa 2013
Last Night I Dreamed that you didn't love Me - Live from Montreal 2006
Transcript
Track 1:
[0:00] Well welcome to getting hip to the hip I'm here as always with Pete and Tim and we are checking out for the first time a new hip record every week we do this and we have a lot offun doing it so this week I gave you the 10th studio record produced by famous Canadian producer Bob Rock Bob Rock Bob Ross right he's born for a job part of me make wishes I wasthat guy right hair and everything all the bands he's worked with just oh my god didn't Lambert four Four-wheel drive Lamborghini, like jacked wheels and everything.
Track 2:
[0:48] Four-wheel drive Lamborghini.
Track 3:
[0:49] Sorry.
Track 1:
[0:54] No, don't be sorry.
Track 3:
[0:57] Let's talk about him a little bit though, because he's done some major bands, right?
Track 1:
[1:02] Yeah, really.
Track 3:
[1:03] I mean, wow. That guy's portfolio is quite large.
Track 1:
[1:09] Like from the mid 80s to the mid 90s he was like, literally.
Worked with everybody in rock.
Track 3:
[1:18] Everybody who's making money.
Track 1:
[1:20] Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:21] He went as well.
Track 2:
[1:22] His last name is Rock.
Track 3:
[1:23] I know. That's why I kind of wish I was him for that era.
Track 2:
[1:27] Jeez, dude.
Track 3:
[1:29] Bon Jovi, Offspring.
Track 1:
[1:31] He's not as good as the producer Michael Indy. Oh.
Track 3:
[1:35] Oh, look at that.
Track 2:
[1:36] Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:39] No, but seriously, Bob Rock, he was all over the place. He even helped out Cher.
But 311, Skid Row, Motley Crue. I mean, this guy.
Track 2:
[1:48] Which 311 record? Because Grassroots is just, that was a breakthrough, man. I don't know.
Track 3:
[1:58] I'm not a fan. I didn't know that one. I'd be curious.
Track 2:
[2:01] Their later stuff, it wasn't. But I bet he's a big Bob Seger fan.
Track 3:
[2:06] I'm sure. He's sounded pretty significant with Metallica. I was wondering if you, If that rang a bell for you, Mr.
Pete. Yeah.
Track 2:
[2:18] I mean, is this his first record that he's produced with The Hip?
Track 1:
[2:22] This is the first one. He does two. He does the next two back to back, which they seem to, that seems to be what they do. You know, they work with the producer and then, and thenwork with him again.
And it's worked, you know, on a couple of occasions.
Track 2:
[2:39] Oh, man, yeah, he's got a fucking dude this guy's got a He's got the hair and everything.
Track 3:
[2:45] She's yeah got a rap sheet.
I almost Almost crushing on him Ryan Adams, right?
Track 1:
[2:51] Yeah, So there was there was great anticipation I think amongst Maybe not the diehard hip fans because the diehard hip fans were gonna we're gonna buy the record regardless andenjoy it regardless.
but that that outer fringe that that had been listening the people like me uh that had been had been diehards but had in in between evolution despite you guys really liking it was a recordthat was divisive for me at the time uh i was just listening to other things and you know that's that's all there was to it so um i think that um i've lost my point because i was watchingJessica in the back and she's distracted.
Track 2:
[3:46] Thanks, Jessica. Geez.
Track 1:
[3:49] Geez Louise. Oh yeah, the outer fringes like me were thinking, well, Bob Rock knows how to produce a hit record.
Maybe this will be the one. You know what I mean? That's like, that's going to bring me back and bring back. I don't know why I was so concerned with their success in the States. I reallydon't. It's, it's, it's pointless.
Track 2:
[4:14] I feel like it is something that is just fucking ingrained in you Canadians.
I mean, I, it's like this, I don't know what it is. I think it's so stupid, but I get it, but I don't get it. I'm just like, why didn't we break through?
Why haven't they broken through? Why do you want Americans to like you so much? Guess what?
Americans aren't all that fucking great. Take it from one who is one.
Track 3:
[4:38] In half of us are fucking idiots if not more not more these days, I mean, there's a lot of reproduction happening We're probably towards 60% now.
Just I would say Yeah Yeah, you know when I walk down the street I'm like Just ready Let's go No, but but you know I asked the bot, the AI bot, why the hip never broke through acrossthe border other than Detroit and where?
or upstate New York, wherever they were playing. And the bot was like...
This is my bot voice, it doesn't really exist this way, but the bot was like, They were just too Canadian.
Track 1:
[5:16] Oh, really?
Track 3:
[5:19] Yeah, that was a serious point from the bot that people thought that maybe they were just too Canadian. And I thought, wow.
Track 1:
[5:26] Okay. I don't even know what that means.
Track 3:
[5:30] Well, because a lot of the content is Canada-themed stuff, you know?
Track 1:
[5:37] Yeah, but it's not in your face unless somebody points it out.
Track 3:
[5:43] I mean, that was one explanation.
Track 1:
[5:46] Yeah, I hear it.
Track 3:
[5:48] Just content of lyrics.
Track 2:
[5:50] I mean, if that was the case, for crying out loud, dude, Rick Moranis and John Candy would have never been accepted into popular culture in the United States.
That can't be it. Yeah, wrong.
Track 3:
[6:04] Maybe so because I was thinking, what about the boss? You know, or, I mean, all these artists that sell out concerts around the world.
Yeah, was Bruce Springsteen to American? God forbid.
Track 2:
[6:19] Yeah, a little too American for me. Definitely.
Track 3:
[6:22] By the way, those blue jeans, pretty handsome. Wow.
Track 2:
[6:27] And you mentioned Metallica, Tim and JD. He didn't just produce Metallica, but the Black Album.
Track 1:
[6:35] The Black Album.
Track 2:
[6:36] Yeah. The one that like, I mean, say what you want about Metallica.
I mean, I like a chunk of their stuff. I have a connection because James Hetfield went to my high school. You know?
Track 1:
[6:49] We know that from episode two.
Track 2:
[6:52] Do we know that from episode two?
Track 3:
[6:54] We do. I found this other podcast where it was really hidden inside iTunes, and it's about Pete getting beat up by James Heffield, like he returns to speak at the school and singles outPete.
I don't know. I heard that. He said they met at the end, but...
Track 2:
[7:12] I've never seen the guy, never met the guy, but no, that record was pivotal.
I mean, that's where they went from heavy metal band to worldwide, like if you go to another planet, people heard of Metallica.
Track 1:
[7:27] So here's, here's, this is exactly my point.
My point is they had, they had four or five really great records before that, that Metallica fans cleave to and absolutely adore.
And Metallica would have had a great career with, with, with just, you know, if they hadn't released the Black Album, they would have had a good career, you know, on the backs of thosefive records.
But they did release the Black Album and Bob Rock did produce that record.
So there was a thought in my head that maybe the same thing could happen with my band.
And that's ridiculous and arbitrary and it ultimately I know doesn't matter, But I think that that's where it came from.
Track 3:
[8:10] So JD, you mentioned this album wasn't all that for you. Is that what happened?
Or what was your reaction when it came out? You said you were late to it?
Track 1:
[8:20] Yeah, I didn't really get into this record as a fan until I really gave it a bunch of time.
And that was when we did the Fully and Completely podcast. I gave it quite a bit of time. And I ended up appreciating it. it.
To me, it's an interpretation of a Tragically Hip album, and it's not one that I think is the best interpretation of a Tragically Hip album, but there's some real highlights on it. There's somereal highlights on it.
Track 3:
[8:59] Do you mean to say it personifies a Tragically Hip album? Is that what you mean by that?
Track 1:
[9:06] No, because that would mean I would be be making it a person, and calling it by name and things like that. And in this case, what I'm doing...
Track 2:
[9:15] Okay, you're not buying it a beard, dude. Okay, you're not taking it home, dude.
Track 3:
[9:20] We're gonna cut that out. No, I'm joking, I'm joking. But with that, did this album kind of represent to you, like, this is a great hip album, it checks boxes?
Track 1:
[9:32] Or what do you mean by that statement? No, I mean, it's an interpretation of a hip record. A hip hop record to me has backing vocals that I can hear that are Paul Langlois and GordSinclair doing the backup vocals. It's got...
Track 2:
[9:47] Are they not singing backup on this one?
Track 1:
[9:49] They are, but it's just mixed differently. It's like you don't hear them the same way. There's like gang vocals on this record. It's true.
Track 3:
[9:57] It is a little different.
Track 1:
[9:59] It's just, it's a little bit odd. It's like walking into a room that you're really familiar in, but you have like a feeling like something is off.
Like, am I in the same dimension? You know?
Track 2:
[10:14] It's like when Howard, the duck landed on earth and, and, and thought he was like just home until he saw the first human. Right.
Track 3:
[10:22] Exactly like that. I mean, that's what I was thinking. Yeah, like yeah.
Track 1:
[10:27] Yeah, so we gotta we gotta blame Bob Brock for that then That's where I'm going with this Yeah, and he get like I say he gets two stabs at it and this is this is his first stab Yeah, andthere's a lot to like, you know, I don't know.
Track 2:
[10:39] Should we get into the song by song or We should yeah, we should and when we do I want to I want to kind of comment on what you said JD Because I feel like there's a reason.
Track 3:
[10:50] Let's keep going with it. Let's keep going.
Track 1:
[10:51] Yeah, let's go.
Track 2:
[10:53] Well, I was just gonna say, I hear you when you say I know what you mean by you say it's a hip album personified.
Because it's different. It's like, it's a hit, but you're like, something's, it's a little bit like Black Mirror-ish. It's like, is there something I'm missing right now?
Yeah, something feels weird. I feel that, you know, it's funny, I got to think to myself, like, what do the members of the hip think?
Because like, when they hear, if they were to be flies on the wall in this conversation, because, you know, they all listen week over week. This is a fact, we know this.
No, but like, for them, it's probably, I mean, maybe there were some things different, but they're just like, what the fuck is this guy talking about?
Track 3:
[11:35] They were out front of my house this morning. They were just like, they're hoping to get a glimpse.
Track 2:
[11:41] Pitchforks? For the first two episodes? With their machetes.
Yeah, Jesus. But I feel you, dude. I feel you completely. I do.
There's something, not off, but like, as the listener, it just, like, you'll see it when we start talking about the song. I'll point out a few things where I'm just like, yeah, it's saying exactlywhat you just said, JDS.
Track 1:
[12:06] So where did you guys listen to this record the first time?
Track 3:
[12:09] Man, I after we last recorded I had a garage project to do and I brought a speaker out there and Got in my zone and just cranked it up and out the gates.
I was like, oh this is gonna be Maybe a really fun album and then even during the first song I had I paused it several times and I was distracted and I had Things going on so I did likerestart the album and restart the album restart the album and that has not happen to me with my listenings.
So, this one just out the gate for me it was like...
all these things were happening but ultimately with the first song i was kind of like whoa what do i think of this it's it was i was a little bit perplexed so yeah after that of course just all thetypical stuff of how i listened to albums just all over the place i really gave this one a lot of time and at one point was like i need to hear this on vinyl i want to hear what's going on withthis album because it was a little bit different and I wasn't necessarily wanting to buy it on vinyl because it's like my favorite one yet.
I don't know, I just, I was a little perplexed by this album.
Track 1:
[13:22] Yeah, yeah. It can be perplexing, yeah.
Track 3:
[13:27] I was overwhelmed. How about you, Pete?
Track 2:
[13:33] I did something a little different with this record which was actually good and not to my own even knowing that I was doing it. But I listened to it, I think I first listened to it was inthe car.
But second of all, I did some heavy listening right off the bat and then I took a fat break because I was doing other stuff and was busy and I couldn't listen to anything.
So I came back to it, revisited it and it gave me a whole new perspective on what the record, what it was, like really, really cool.
I mean, it was totally unplanned, but I think when you like, when you start listening to a record and then just listen a bunch over a week straight, nonstop, or like, like regularly, you don't,you look at it one way, but when you listen to it for a bit, and then you put it down and then you come back to it, you have a different perspective than I certainly did.
Track 1:
[14:32] Interesting. Can't wait to hear more about that. Okay, well let's jump into track by track then.
We start out with, you're not the ocean.
Track 3:
[14:48] Man, you're not coming in. You're not coming in.
This song is, it's, well, at one point I was like, Pete's belting this out in the car for this chorus, for sure.
So I was trying it too, you know. I love Gord's, whatever he does at the kind of end there.
It's a big song. I thought, you know, there's a few songs on this album where I'm like, this is amazing for karaoke.
And this song is just big. It's a big singer that way. Is it a breakup song?
Is it about death? Or is it like drowning?
I read a little bit on it. And there was a lot of Ontario Lake references.
You know, it's this, this was kind of, this for me was kind of a word song talking about lots of stuff.
Track 1:
[15:43] They're called the Great Lakes, Tim.
Track 3:
[15:43] The Great Lakes, sorry. It was specific to Ontario Lake because, for this song, supposedly, because all those lakes send all their, you know, garbage down into Ontario, which is themost polluted out of the greats.
So is it the least great? I don't know. It's somewhat of repetitive song.
I like the piano add in. there's piano, like first song I'm hearing.
Track 2:
[16:08] A lot of piano on this record.
Track 3:
[16:09] Yeah, a lot of piano, I mean that was, I don't know if that was some Bon Jovi influence in there or something. Anyways, the guitar riff feels a little added, like, you know, like weput extra icing on the cake.
Yeah, it was, this is a big song for me.
Big chorus. Holy cow. Let's scream it together on three.
You guys ready? Just kidding. It's a big one. It's a big opener.
Track 2:
[16:41] Yeah, I mean, I think this song is, the best way I can put it, summing up in a sentence, this is fastball down the middle, tragically hip.
Like when I heard this song, it was just, just, I knew what I was listening to.
It sounded like the hip. To me, it was like, and I didn't really dig into Bob Rock prior to the record, but it's like somebody went into the safe in Gord Downie's house, pulled out theformula that is for writing hip songs and fucking followed it and then folded it back up, put it in an envelope, put it in the safe and locked it.
Because this song is fucking formulaic, tragically hip.
Not in a bad way, in a really cool way. I loved it. I loved Gord's vocals.
I love when he gets really high and goes like an octave up. You're not the ocean.
And then he goes, you're not. It gets really, it's just, dude, yeah.
Track 3:
[17:42] And the wolf.
Track 2:
[17:42] A lot of wolves on this record, man. And it's just, it feels really like, going back to what you said about this record being a hip record personified, it feels like this record wasmanufactured to feel safe and familiar for hip fans.
For people to like press play on the first one and just be like, okay, all right, my boys are back. Okay, cool. Okay, cool.
Track 1:
[18:11] Yeah, I can't hardly disagree with you. Like, I can't.
Track 2:
[18:15] Just the vibe that I got, you know.
Track 3:
[18:18] My vibe was kind of like, are we trying to get an older crowd?
It didn't feel young to me. I don't know.
Track 2:
[18:27] Well, this is what, almost 20 years on, right, JD?
Track 3:
[18:30] Right, exactly. So, you know, fans are getting on in their years.
Just hold another conversation. Yeah.
The Lonely End of the Rink. So this one I thought was just remarkable in that it could be about Gord and his brother, or Gord or his brother individually, and hockey.
And I mean, this is the hockey song, right?
Track 1:
[18:57] Yeah.
Track 3:
[18:57] They play the song at games?
Track 1:
[19:00] I'm sure they do. I'm sure they do.
Track 3:
[19:03] Yeah. Yeah. This to me was like, you know, the bot said maybe they were too Canadian. I don't I don't know. They play hockey in different countries.
Track 1:
[19:10] That's right.
Track 3:
[19:12] But not being a hockey guy, but being a father of two dudes and thinking about brothers, I kind of dug it.
The beginning kind of guitar riff start feels like we're getting into an anthem song for me right away, like that guitar at the beginning.
Track 1:
[19:33] Yeah, this song is written to be played live for sure.
Track 3:
[19:36] Yeah, the drum and the bass is just super charging.
There's this echoey, Pete, if you remember, this is echoey guitar.
100%. Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. So I've heard that from a few bands, but the first time, actually, Amy and I were in the car and I played the song for her and I said, what does thisechoed out guitar remind you of?
Well, I don't know, because there's a few, there's a few, But she said, Duran Duran, this is from Duran Duran. Oh my God, what were these guys listening to on tour? I think they werelistening to anything and everything. I think.
Track 1:
[20:14] I think they were probably pretty.
Track 3:
[20:16] I would love to know.
Track 1:
[20:17] Pretty loose about what they listened to. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Track 2:
[20:20] My money.
Track 3:
[20:22] That was, what was yours?
Track 2:
[20:23] No, my money would be that they were, I mean, this says Unforgettable Fire by U2 written all over. Oh, completely.
Unforgettable Fire, that whole, like the records just, I was, I was just like, this is, this is...
Track 3:
[20:39] With like a sprinkle of Robert Plant. I don't know.
Track 2:
[20:44] There's something else.
Track 3:
[20:45] There's something else here.
Track 2:
[20:46] But the thing that was so surprising for me on this song was the drums.
Like, Johnny Faye's drums, like, I don't know if it's Bob Rock.
I don't know what, but like, I mean, I knew the guy's a good drummer, but this fucking song, all of a sudden he's fucking Stuart Copeland or Neil Peart.
Like, what the fuck? Like, I mean, dude, like the drum work is just ridiculous.
Track 1:
[21:12] He's great.
Track 3:
[21:13] I agree. I thought at one point the drums on this album were maybe the most raw hip.
I don't know, it just that to me was kind of, thank God the drums are that way on this album.
If they were polished into like a fucking Bentley or something, Bobby Rock-ish, can we call him Bobby?
Track 1:
[21:36] You can, you're tight.
Track 3:
[21:37] That might piss him off if he hears this. Yeah. But yeah, the drums on, I think, throughout were killing it on this album.
Track 2:
[21:46] But if JD told me, if JD told me, oh, you know, one note about this record, beside it being produced by Bob Rock, Johnny Faye does not play Jones on this.
It's just, they have another genre for whatever reason. I would just be like, Oh yeah, that makes sense.
Like, and it's not a knock on Johnny Faye. I've just never heard any fucking thing like this from him. Like nothing, nothing.
Track 3:
[22:05] Yeah.
Track 2:
[22:07] Nothing.
Track 3:
[22:08] Almost like he was angry. Do you kind of feel that?
Track 2:
[22:10] Oh, yeah.
Track 3:
[22:11] Like, yeah, like not, not hyped about the, maybe the recording process.
I don't know. There There was something different on his drums.
Track 2:
[22:17] Yeah, dude, there's some anger in there. There's some, yeah, all the cool licks.
There's an acoustic lick in there and some harpsichord-style effect.
But I thought of you, Tim, because there's no, like for a song this grand, they didn't fade it. They ended it, which is cool.
Track 1:
[22:34] It's true.
Track 2:
[22:35] Don't fade this shit, man. Fuck it all up.
Track 3:
[22:37] The momentum of it is really fun, kind of that charging, drumming momentum of the song. It's like, a few songs on this album are kind of locomotive feeling, like they just getgoing, you know?
And I think that matches up with part of, at least some, you know, a chunk of the lyrics of this song of joining, oh to join the rush, you know?
With Gord's voice just kind of climbing, oh to join the rush!
It's fucking great. This was, as comparatively to the prior one, this one I was like, ah, people must, the Canucks must love the song live.
Track 1:
[23:16] Look at you representing the Pacific Northwest.
What's your team called? There's a trivia question. What's your team called? You don't even know.
Track 3:
[23:27] Dude, I don't follow sports. It's not in my head.
Track 1:
[23:30] The answer is the Kraken. The Kraken.
Track 3:
[23:34] I don't even know that. And it makes me laugh because it's ridiculous.
You could have, you could have made up like the green zebra tomatoes.
You know, I wouldn't have known any better.
Track 2:
[23:46] Geez.
Track 1:
[23:48] All right, we go way out of the hips, normal lane, with this next track in view.
What did you guys think of this left turn?
Track 2:
[24:04] You want to take it, Tim?
Track 3:
[24:06] I mean, I'm just scrolling through the lyrics here. It's really simple.
The drums at the beginning of this one, okay, here's more drum notes, are really kind of big and strong and then it softens up.
It kind of softens up. Like the song to me, the rest of the music didn't really match the way the drums start which is I'm sure purpose I'm done on purpose but it's like whoa where is thissong shifting to it's it's like felt kind of cute there's keys in the background you know I was like phone rings once phone rings twice phone links three times you know it just felt like Is thiskind of a cash grab radio hit? What is going on here?
But you know, of course, I read a little bit about it. And there's like, references to quantum physics and Plato and Gorf's, Gorf's, Gord's believe in God.
So, like, is he calling on the Lord? This song confused me. I'm just, if that's not obvious by now. I just wasn't really sure.
Track 2:
[25:26] Everybody's confused with you now and then.
Track 3:
[25:30] It's super fun to get into and sing through.
Track 1:
[25:34] It's fun, but then those lyrics are sort of dark, aren't they?
Like, I mean, I've been meaning to call you, I've been meaning to call you, then I do.
So this person, for whatever reason, has been meaning to call this other person, and it hasn't called them, then finally does, and the phone ring once, phone rings twice, the phone ringsthree times, and then what?
They don't answer? It goes to voicemail? Like what? Like, oh my God.
Track 3:
[26:04] I mean, if they were calling the Lord, they might still be waiting. Who knows?
Track 2:
[26:10] Yeah, I don't know that they have voicemail in heaven.
I've not been there myself.
Track 3:
[26:16] Look at that, Jesus doesn't have an iPhone. Wouldn't that be awesome?
He'd be so big. Yeah, I don't know. I'm not sure who they were calling or what this one's about.
It's kind of fun, but I was like, eh, what's next? But what about you, Mr. P?
Track 2:
[26:30] I mean, was this a single, by the way, Genie?
Track 1:
[26:33] I believe this was. Let me just quickly take a look.
Track 3:
[26:37] It felt damn written.
Track 1:
[26:39] The first single. Yeah, I mean.
Track 3:
[26:41] Yeah, there you go. There you go.
Track 2:
[26:43] I hear you guys with the lyrics and I've been, I think at a certain point, when it comes to The Hip, I've come to appreciate their lyrics so much because Gord's great at what he does.
There were a couple times early on when I was digging into lyrics, I started to give them too much weight and it started to sway my opinion of the song, which is fucking stupid becausemusic is not supposed to do that.
I mean, yeah, it is in a certain way, but if you really like something and then you dig into the lyrics, like when you dig into the lyrics of the song, fucking, I'll be watching you by the policeand you really know what it's about.
No one's gonna fucking like that song and play it at their wedding.
It's a creepy ass song, right?
But if you kind of step away from it, and you look at it in a different light, you just listen to the melody of it. It's fucking it's a beautiful song.
This song is a fucking banger. It's an absolute toe tapper. I loved it.
I was fucking that the fucking keyboards.
[27:50] I mean, I just was Happy as a pig in shit listening to this.
Yeah, I couldn't remove this perfect pop song I am a sucker for a pop song and I make no fucking bones about it man.
You know, you give me a pop song That is just pure bubblegum and rock candy and I will just be like where do I sign?
This is this is this is one and I just I mean, I loved, loved, loved it.
Loved it. Loved it. I think Go ahead.
Track 3:
[28:25] No, you go.
Track 2:
[28:28] I was jumping into No, I just I think it's a song like this.
It's easy for any hardcore hit fan to be like, fuck that they sold out or whatever.
Like, he's such a fucking asshole about it. Excuse my language.
But dude, you know what, if I'm any one of those fucking dudes in the band, they probably had a blast recording this. They probably had a shit ton of fun fucking playing it live, becausepeople just fucking dance to it. And it's fun.
And anybody who says anything coarse about it, go fuck themselves.
That's my piece. Sorry. I guess I'm fucking myself.
Track 3:
[29:02] So what about this? What about this? I love these lines, right?
What about these lines right here?
Day erasers dark of night excited states gone in plain sight under the wave or by cave light i lose things change but never in your eyes i mean that's the loaded bit of this song at the endbut you're just going through and you're it's it's nuts to me like i'm i'm hearing the song i'm singing the chorus like you can sing along to this one right even on first listen if you're a megafan you're probably like yes, phone rings once, phone rings twice.
And then this Dark Eraser's Dark of Night happens, and it's like, whoa, Gord's throwing the dagger at the wheel at the end here.
Track 2:
[29:51] Maybe he's just getting shit to rhyme and to fit the song too.
I mean, you also don't, that's why I don't, I give, unless somebody's, unless it's like really obvious or whatever, I just try not to give lyrics that much weight because it could ruin a song.
I could see if I dig into the lyrics of the song, which I did not, Tim, it would've fucking ruined it for me.
I just choose to be like, oh, that's, you know.
It is what it is, you know, because it's that's that's another thing because Gord's lyrics are so They're like, you know 30% THC in the CBD like dude you one drop and you're fucking done.
So you got to be careful with it it's really potent and And and I I I take his lyrics with a grain of salt because otherwise like all the dude the And the Chani Wenjack shit, dude, if I reallystart digging in and thinking about that, it gets me like depressed and like super pissed off and like, yeah, you know, it does bring attention to it, which is great.
But like, if I can't, I can't hold that as close to my heart as I do with some songs, because it just will fucking wreck me.
Track 3:
[31:15] I guess I'm kind of in the middle like I look into them to a certain degree and I either go all the way, which rarely happens or I kind of stop halfway up the hill, you know, but myone of my favorite things lyrics wise on this one is just his use of the USA calling the USA, the excited states.
I think that's what that is and it just made me forever want to call where I'm from the The excited states, the excited states, because it's so true.
It's like pew, pew, we're ready.
Track 1:
[31:49] Oh my God.
Track 3:
[31:50] We're so excited all the time. Excited in schools, churches, everywhere we go, we're excited country.
So that, I mean, it's a packed song. It's simple, but it's, yeah, let's just keep moving.
Track 1:
[32:05] So the next song that we have to discuss then is Fly, which is our first song that we've heard that isn't a single.
Track 2:
[32:17] I think this song is, the placement of it is perfect because you've got these three fucking just monsters before and then it kind of brings it down.
To me, I felt like it was, I'm in a bar in Alaska.
And it's cold out. But when you get inside, it's nice and warm and toasty.
And there are mugs of beer and there's a jukebox.
And like, it's a romantic comedy.
Track 3:
[32:48] A pair of glowing thighs.
Track 2:
[32:50] Totally, man. I'm telling you, man.
Track 3:
[32:53] That lyric in here is amazing.
Track 2:
[32:55] I know.
Track 3:
[32:56] Coastline rise is like a pair of glowing thighs.
Track 2:
[33:00] See you soon.
The chorus is a fucking banger. I just felt like this song was just a feel-good song that didn't slow...
like sometimes the songs that slow it down in track three or four, whenever that song comes on a record, it will maybe sometimes put you in a depressing mood or whatever, but this songbuilds up to some fun.
But it just, it does take it down a notch in a very nice, beautiful way.
I loved it. Yeah, not much more I could say about it. I liked it. I liked it. Tim? Timmy?
Track 3:
[33:37] Yeah, I just thought there was some fun one-liners in here.
It's kind of, I echo what Pete just said. I felt like it was a good number four.
It's the guy batting clean up and you know he's solid for a single, you know, to keep things alive. And I think that's kind of what this song is.
It felt a little, this is where I went back to Bob Rock and I'm like, this is a little bit Bon Jovi-esque feeling.
It just, you know, that's that was kind of about it for me.
Track 2:
[34:11] By the way, I think what you mean, and I'm not trying to split hairs here, I think what you mean is Jon Bon Jovi.
Because if anybody knows anything, there's two things. There's Bon Jovi, which is the band, and then there's Jon Bon Jovi, which is the solo shit.
I felt Jon Bon Jovi on that.
Track 3:
[34:30] Yeah, well, I'm just more referencing like shoulder length feathered cut hair.
Track 1:
[34:35] That's a lot of years you're covering there.
Track 2:
[34:39] Well, I mean, Blaze of Glory was by and far his finest work, his finest hour, as was the film Young Guns 2, which... I'm with you there.
Track 1:
[34:48] I'm with you there. A lot of the movies. It was great.
Track 2:
[34:54] Oh, oh, God, I gotta rewatch that.
Track 1:
[34:56] Let's go into the next track, which is one that I always remember from when this record came out, because I had something named the same thing that I had written.
I just think, this is me tooting my own horn, but I just think that title, that misspelling with the word sick, Which is journalism speak for there's a spelling error there.
It's just so clever. I love it. But what did you think of the song?
Track 3:
[35:26] Yeah, I mean, I did speaking of spelling errors, I did read that Gord is quoted as saying it actually wasn't supposed to be world container.
It was supposed to be world contain her. Oh, really? guys yeah yeah so supposedly the the, you know the the title of this album is incorrect so maybe it's somewhat of a reference to thatyeah so was that I that keep going on the song.
Track 2:
[35:55] Was she put into a parcel?
Because I mean, I don't know.
Track 3:
[36:02] I don't know. Yeah Maybe maybe maybe it's hmm.
That's that's another that's another hit mystery that we'll never know wonder if she's was priority or first-class Well, she had probably would have been DHL if she was coming out ofCanada So who knows?
Yeah What do I have on this one, you know, it's I I just immediately went to, where Pete doesn't go sometimes apparently with songs, is like, who is this about?
Is this a proposal gone bad? Is it rejection?
Is it about being infatuated with someone and not having that feeling reciprocated?
And there was some bit I read about it that this...
where do I have the quote?
This gal from... I guess gal... Lexi Liu. Who knows?
Where am I gonna go here? Okay, so this person online wrote that it was about...
she had experienced that it was about a teacher of hers who was dating Gord and she rejected Gord's proposal.
And supposedly there's like a whole story there about Gord's, you know, one of his relationships. So who knows?
Track 1:
[37:28] I've... I've not...
Track 3:
[37:31] I've not heard that story. You have?
Track 1:
[37:35] No, I haven't. Oh, you haven't?
Track 3:
[37:37] Okay. So that, that to me, I mean, it got to this level with this, with this song and the lyrics and the content of it.
But for me, it kind of got to this level of like, all right, whether or not this one's about, you know, a breakup or what have you, it's, it's, um...
it's not my favorite on the album.
It's catchy and it's good. It's a good song and it ends kind of at this height of energy, right?
Track 1:
[38:07] Yeah, it's not around long enough to be a fan.
Track 3:
[38:11] Yeah, it's...
Track 1:
[38:11] But it's not a great song, I don't think.
Now there will be somebody out there who it's their favorite song and that's cool. That's what's cool about music.
Track 3:
[38:23] I thought about this one. I don't know. Yeah, I don't know when I'll hear, listen to this one next is kind of what I thought it was like, what's what's next on the album, but I'm curiouswhat Pete thought of it, of course.
Track 2:
[38:34] You know, I liked it a lot. I mean, I thought that there was some really cool ideas, like they were kind of experimenting with with the song.
And I thought that there was like, chaos within that builds up to the chorus.
chorus, and then it just returns to the verse. And you're like, okay, you're like, what the fuck is this going on? What is going on?
And then it comes back to the verse. And you're like, okay, all right.
Yeah, we're back. Because it's a bit disorientating.
And, you know, Gord's vocals on this just singing for that guy must have been so cathartic.
Track 1:
[39:14] Like, he really puts a lot into it.
Track 2:
[39:17] Yeah, but it feels like he's doing it like he's a guy who like, you know, needs to exercise three hours a day at the gym.
And like, that's just him exercising three hours, and you're just like listening to him do it. Because he's like, I got to do this, it's like part of my routine.
And he's so good at it. You know what I mean? Like, and, you know, I want to just, you know, we can move on after the song.
I like the song. It's definitely not one of my favorites on the record, but I like it.
In terms of lyrics, and I just want to say this too, because I don't look at lyrics as much, or I don't look at things, there's a couple reasons for that, and I just want to say why.
[40:08] Because, well, for me, writing songs, when I write songs, it's really hard to write a song that's so thematic.
You know, that's like one idea that starts off and it's sewn up at the end like a fucking with a bow on it.
And like, even then it's like, like, let's say it's not completely thematic, but it's, it's about something.
Maybe not like super specific. Even that's hard.
Like a lot of shit I've done is just little ideas of things sprinkled in a song and it's like kind of of just jumbled in and thrown in there so sometimes people ask you about things you're likewhat and the reason why I bring that up is because when I make a Steely Dan reference here I don't know if you guys have ever listened to any other shit a lot of people give them a lot ofshit I'll take that as a no I haven't listened to an album no I'll say the same thing but I have no nothing against Steely Dan?
No, well, I mean, they're amongst people, amongst music heads, they, the biggest thing they get asked is what the fuck are your lyrics about?
And the guy, the singer of the band who's written most of them or the other guy had written them, they always ask the same question. What's this song about?
Because the lyrics are just all over the fucking place.
[41:30] And ninety nine percent of the time is just like, I don't know, man, we You are just coming up with cool shit to say.
I mean really like that's and their lyrics are regarded much as you would regard something like some pixies or pavement lyrics is just like super avant-garde, super strange like what youlike, whoa, that what the fuck is that about?
And then you come to find out it's like, it's just, it's just no, yeah, it's nothing.
Track 3:
[41:59] Well, just random journal entry.
Track 2:
[42:01] Yeah, totally. And that's another reason why I think I've been head faked a lot and I don't dig into to them because I will prescribe a certain.
a feeling or emotion to a song and come to find out I'm fucking wrong, or it's not at all about that.
Like, hence, I'll be watching you, or every breath you take, excuse me.
And then you're like, fuck, man, why did I play that at my wedding?
Track 3:
[42:28] You know, I have to think conceptually with Gord's songwriting, like he is such a prolific songwriter.
And like, back to one of your first comments be like, I thought it must be, have been, it must have been exhausting to sing these songs or like be on tour and singing classic, you know, 52times in what, two months?
Something crazy? Like, god damn.
But with his songwriting skills, I mean, I can stop and hear one-liners that are fun and that I enjoy, but he pushes me, the way I receive it, it pushes me into going down rabbit holes of like,what was this song about?
And there's been a few where I've listened to him and thought the chorus was, you know, A, B, C, D, E, and I actually look up the lyrics and I have some of the words wrong.
It's hilarious. And I love when stuff like that happens. Like, that's entertaining. That's entertaining for me.
Track 1:
[43:30] That's great.
Track 2:
[43:31] Excuse me, excuse me while I kiss this guy.
Track 3:
[43:34] I'm still, I'm still, you know, JD, you've, you've commented on this with me before, but I'm still like, here's an album.
It's like a book to me. I want to hear it start to finish and see if there's anything about it that's creating this novel. Or is it like this current album, which I feel like you can put in and put onrandom and it kind of doesn't matter.
Order wise, it's one of those types of albums for me. So this song, Lovesick, in general, it's big, and it has this kind of a quick stop ending.
It's got a lot of energy to it. After this, I was like, OK, what are we getting to next? I'm kind of like chugging along in this album, trying to get to what maybe is less produce of a feelingand more authentic hip.
Track 1:
[44:28] But the kids don't get it. Kids don't get it.
Track 2:
[44:30] Kids don't.
Track 3:
[44:30] That was it. That was it. It's a fun start. It's got a good build.
There's like, quickly into it, there's this, I think, Pete, I don't know if you caught this. I think it might be a drumstick on top of a cymbal.
Track 2:
[44:47] Yeah, yeah. Like doing a swirl.
Track 3:
[44:48] Yeah. Right? It's like a swirl sound and then it fades off.
I love that shit. I don't want that all the time. I feel like that's the surprise ingredient on a pizza, but there's that sound in this song a few times and it's fucking cool.
You know, it's like, yeah, the kids don't get it, I was thinking.
We're Gen X, you know, we get it. We were born without technology and we've integrated and we know both sides and that's what this song's about.
Generations growing up just being in the middle of it and not getting it and all the hard work this band does and yeah the kids don't get it.
But then as I listened to this song probably 20 times I thought, nah, Gord's smarter than me.
what is he thinking about with this song, you know?
And it felt more like anti-government, like you're not gonna fool us sentiment, which kind of made it even more, for lack of a better word, more punk rock feeling.
Like this song was checking and way more boxes for me.
Lots of whoos in it, you know, it just, this one is like Bobby Rock left the room and the guys busted out this song. That's the way it felt for me.
Track 1:
[46:16] Oh, I love it. I love that. And I love it especially because there's almost like a dichotomy of a lyric In this song kids don't get it and the next song, pretend.
I think it's.
Track 2:
[46:36] Oh, there is. There certainly is.
Track 1:
[46:39] It's that, if I ask you a question, are you gonna lie to me?
I said, honey, is that your question? Cause that one's easy.
And then we get the, you know, that, that, that.
Version of it is the banger version you know and the other version is a little more tone down but top heat what did you think of the kids don't get it.
Track 2:
[47:01] Well that was the first thing i wrote about pretend obviously but in terms of the kids don't get it i loved it i mean i echo much of what tim said i love the chorus the no.
Kids don't get it. The woos in this song, Gord's singing like, he's like a, he's like a fucking pissed off buffalo. You ever seen a buffalo before?
Track 1:
[47:22] Yeah, driven.
Track 3:
[47:24] Driven by him.
Track 2:
[47:26] I was one of those assholes.
Track 3:
[47:27] They're as big as Volkswagens.
Track 2:
[47:29] Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, they're huge.
Track 3:
[47:32] You're one of the assholes?
Track 2:
[47:33] No, I was one of the assholes that gets out of the car at Custer National Park and, you know, walks over to one.
and thinks like, oh, this is cool. Take a picture. And no, that's a fucking dumb move.
For anybody listening, thinking that that's cool, or that's ever something to do, don't do it. It's fucking stupid.
Track 1:
[47:56] To be fair, the buffalo was having dinner. He said to you very politely, if you had waited till I was done dinner, I would have totally let you have the photo. But now I'm gonna tohave to run after you like a pissed off buffalo.
Track 2:
[48:11] Just said fucking that is the first memory that jogged my mind when I heard Gord's fucking grunts in this song.
I feel like he, I want to watch more interviews with him. I really want to dig deep. I just haven't had time.
But I want to figure out like, one, whether or not anything Tim has said throughout this his pod in terms of lyrics and meanings, like I know a lot of it has credence to him.
But maybe some of it doesn't and like what he thought about it, because I feel like a lot of his words, he just writes down his poetry.
And then he shows up to the studio is like, Hey, guys, let's do the song or let's make this song or whatever.
Track 3:
[48:52] I think he does that, too. I totally agree.
Track 2:
[48:54] But like, I wonder how much part of it he's sitting down with an acoustic guitar, and like working, working songs out with the lyrics he's written, because that's a whole anotherprocess, you know, to like write a bunch of shit and then to write chords.
Like you got you got fucking Paul A. Wan and Gord Sinclair and Rob Baker to do that.
You know, so I'm I'm just wondering, you know, what that is.
And then if he was Scott, I wish he was fucking alive, man. I would love to fucking interview that guy or just talk to him and just be like, dude, what the fuck? And either I feel like therewould be two scenarios.
Either he would be super fucking cool and chill, like, yeah, man, we're just fucking doing this and like this and like this happened, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Or he would just like, look at me and be like, you're a feeble minded fuck.
I can't wait for this interview to be over, get the fuck out of here.
Track 3:
[49:51] I think that's what he'd say about me.
Track 1:
[49:53] No, I don't know.
Track 2:
[49:55] Probably, probably. You're more nuanced than I am. But I just.
Track 3:
[49:59] He'd be like, Tim, you're about 16% right on the themes of my lyrics.
And that's what I would love. I mean, that's what I love about this guy.
I mean, he's obviously so fucking prolific. I wish I had like a book of his poetry sitting right here. Because, you know, he's one of those artists where you get served up something.
And everybody, I think, could take their music a little bit differently but have this thread throughout it that joins all the fans together.
You know, it's kind of...
It's kind of what's amazing about them. And in that regard, who the fuck cares if he was writing about Canadian themes and the discussion of why they didn't make it in Orange County?
Track 1:
[50:47] Whatever.
Track 3:
[50:49] It's kind of like, who cares? How many bands not from Japan sell out shows in Japan all the time?
They just want to be entertained. and maybe people just need to be entertained and not look into it that much.
Track 2:
[51:06] That's Stan McKe- That's Stan McKe- I- Stan- Stan McKeta?
Or no, his name's not Stan McKeta, but Stan McKeta's Donuts.
The people need to entertain, need to be entertained, Wayne.
They need the distraction.
Like the voices in my head. I thought you said- Why do they come to me to die?
Why do they come to me to die?
Oh my god. Oh my god. That's- You know, anybody- Wayne's World, like when he goes, why did they come to me to die? Why did they come to me to die?
I think it's Wayne's World, too.
Track 3:
[51:42] Honestly, I thought you said spanakopita. I was just thinking about delicious, delicious Greek baked goods. I was totally in a different land.
No, but I, I, let's, let's keep moving this, this song when I heard it, it was exhausting and it was the first song I hit forward on who was like, give me what's next.
Yeah. Pretend. If you don't pretend and I don't pretend, pretending might end, but pretend can pretend to end.
It's like, oh, this is arduous. This was tough for me.
Track 1:
[52:22] Wow.
Track 2:
[52:24] Yeah. J.D., what do you think? I'd love to like, as a hardcore hip.
Track 1:
[52:29] Well, it meanders. It certainly does meander.
If I'm ranking the 11 songs on the record, it's in the bottom 10, right?
It's either 10 or 11 on this record for me.
But I'm just so curious. I'm so curious about that stanza, like why he chose to use it again, and then why did they sequence those songs back to that?
Track 2:
[53:00] Totally, right?
Track 3:
[53:02] I don't know. I don't know.
love to know if they, you know, what level they took part in the production of this album.
Track 1:
[53:12] Did they just hand the keys over? At this point they were very fluent in studio, so I don't know that they get a production credit. Let me quickly look. Usually they do.
Track 3:
[53:22] I mean, this one I thought at one point after, you know, I did of course listen to it in complete, but...
Track 1:
[53:29] No, this is producer Bob Rock, period. And most of their other records, even when it was like Steve Berlin.
It was like Steve Berlin, the tragically hip Mark Freak, or something like that.
So this is, this is interesting. This is straight up Bob Rock. Huh. Okay.
Track 3:
[53:50] I had thought like the three of us need to do karaoke of this one so we can be like arm and arm I'm just shit-faced.
Track 1:
[53:58] Pretend?
Track 3:
[54:00] Yeah.
Track 1:
[54:01] Oh my gosh.
Track 3:
[54:02] I think we should pretend to do it and not actually do it. This is a total sing with friends, ironically singing with friends song.
It's like a really nice glass of red wine or made me think of like plush velvet.
I don't know what the fuck is happening. It's the song's candlelit and I don't know why it makes me feel that way.
And it was like, skip, oh, it was tough.
Track 2:
[54:28] Yeah, I thought it was, I said, it feels like a love song in a fine dining restaurant during Sunday brunch. Yes, Sunday brunch.
Track 3:
[54:39] See, we were fine dining together.
Track 2:
[54:41] No, I mean, it doesn't feel, it feels like another band or like, now Gord's singing, And I know Gord had some soul stuff that he did.
before he passed, but it definitely feels like, oh, this is not a hip song.
This is some of the solo stuff.
There's jazz guitar in there, which I gotta say, man, I mean, it speaks to Rob Baker's skills, man, because that guy fucking, I mean, he makes it sound good.
The chorus feels really 70s, almost like there's a- AM radio.
Track 1:
[55:19] Yeah.
Track 2:
[55:19] Yeah. And there's something that they do with Gord's vocals in there.
It's a 70s style thing that came about in the 70s, I feel. But Scott Weiland from Stone Doole Bynes was popular for it. It's where they double the vocals.
They take literally I don't he doesn't re-record the vocals.
They take the same vocal track, they double it And then they put it like they put the one track offset by like a millisecond to the other.
So it sounds more full and rich. And they put put them in in one left, one right. And it sounds like gives this really weird, unique effect.
And Wyland, Scott Wyland was prolific for that.
But but, yeah, it's got that vibe to it. Fucking random. That's all I have to say about this song.
Track 3:
[56:12] It's like having two turbos on your car when you record like that, when you produce like that.
Track 2:
[56:16] It's like having 11 on your amp.
Track 1:
[56:17] Yeah.
Track 3:
[56:19] But why not make 10? 10 the loudest. With the lyrics of this one, when I finally, you know, let it, when I finally absorbed it really, because again, I skipped it on first listen, Um, I,you know, maybe this is like a fucking, maybe they were pretending, I don't know.
Maybe the band, you know, maybe the band in their, in their career, maybe they're in their career at this point.
I mean, I'd be exhausted and to a degree with trying to make it bigger than they are now. It's like, you're in the industry, you are a fucking...
When you don't like it, you might be feeling like a marionette, you know? This is big, giant business happening with this band's career, and this is one of those songs maybe they have todo.
Track 1:
[57:16] Wow. I mean...
Track 3:
[57:18] Yeah.
Track 1:
[57:20] Let's move on because I don't dislike the song so much that I'm willing to beat it into a pulp. No, no.
Track 2:
[57:30] I don't know.
Track 3:
[57:31] I'm sorry to offend all the Canadians.
Track 2:
[57:33] I want to make one more quick point real quick. And this is not really about the song, but about the band. And I'll be really brief. My apologies.
But to what Tim said about the band. No, no, no, really.
This is the band, you know, being exhausted in this night. You have to think this is 2007 right?
These guys have been at it 20 years right?
They could fucking quit at any time in terms of like probably set money wise.
I mean maybe they're not fucking living in, they got three different mansions but I would posit to think that every member of this band is not worrying about where they're going to gettheir next fucking meal.
[58:13] Okay, yeah, they were when they did the 100% so That being said though This is a time where things were like through the 2000s, you know up through 2000 early 2002 thingswere like Record sales and all that stuff.
They were making a shit ton of money and then think about this time though, man music and Streaming was coming up sales for records tanked, all that money, all that revenue thatpeople were used to just disappeared.
And so I would imagine to think that this band went through a bit of a come to Jesus so to speak, and was like...
I guess we do. I mean, maybe they're not thinking we got to break into the American market like every fucking Canadian thinks, or we think thinks.
But like they're thinking we got to fucking make some money because this shit, the well has run dry, fellas.
And we got to- It's running dry. Yeah. Just thinking about the time of this record and the timeliness of it, rather than hang our hats up, we're like, fuck, we don't know if somebody is goingto buy...
What's the...somebody's gonna buy Trouble at the Hen House or...what's.
[59:35] The fucking power... Power Up? Phantom Power. On CD anymore or whatever it is.
And so, you know, I bet you there was a bit of pressure there like, hey, we gotta keep making music guys.
I know we're kind of over it. I know we're all friends here, but we got a job to do.
Track 3:
[59:52] This is a mega transition time. JD, do you recall this? So supposedly this one was released a week ahead of time to stream.
Track 1:
[1:00:00] That's what I understand as well.
Track 3:
[1:00:01] It was on the band's website a week ahead of time. So you could listen to it online. So that was a big deal.
Track 1:
[1:00:08] The thing that I was most surprised at, based on what Pete just mentioned as well, is that it still hit platinum in Canada, which is 100,000 records.
Which 100,000 records in 2007 is like, did I say 2007? Yeah.
Yeah, it's 2007. 2006. Six. It's right, it came out in 2007 though.
It came out in, ha, it came out in 2007 in the US.
But it came out in 2006 and came out about six months earlier, yeah.
Track 2:
[1:00:49] You were saying 100,000 records.
Track 1:
[1:00:51] To me, that's still, like, I mean, that's not, they're not doing Diamond anymore, but who is doing Diamond? Great.
They're doing...
Track 2:
[1:01:03] People were still Kazaa and shit, and LimeWire and shit.
I mean, I... Right. Napster was shut down for the most part, but Kazaa and LimeWire were, you know...
Track 1:
[1:01:14] Pretty big.
Track 2:
[1:01:15] Yeah, you know.
Track 3:
[1:01:18] So this is what I found. It was streamed on the band's website a week before release, and also various Southern Ontario radio stations. So people were...
People, the fans were digging into this one. They were getting glimpses.
They were hearing, putting on the radio and hearing songs they never heard before.
Like that's a different way to release an album.
Track 1:
[1:01:39] Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:01:40] You know, compared to what they've been used to. So, yeah. Huh.
Track 1:
[1:01:47] Yeah, I don't remember it vividly. I don't remember it. My brain was really buried in pavement at this time.
That's what I was listening to, by and large. It wasn't until I came back to it, and I kept all the stuff that I loved in my rotation, and all that I loved was everything up to In Violet Light.
And then In Between Evolution put me off, and then this record came out, and I wasn't there for the new cycle.
And the next record, I wasn't there for the news cycle.
So that was different for me, because I had paid so close attention to this band.
And then I didn't hear them right away. I only heard them on the radio or whatever.
So yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Track 2:
[1:02:48] Last night I dreamed you didn't love me. I'm gonna I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say this might be the best song on the record.
Track 3:
[1:03:04] It's fucking fantastic.
Track 2:
[1:03:05] When the verse starts it just it's got a groove to it.
[1:03:13] There's something that they do in the chorus, I believe, where I remember it, this is gonna try to make it not too technical, kind of stupid, but I think it's a fucking cool trick whenmusicians do it, where like, there's, they do like a substitute chord or something that makes you, it makes your brain think, because in music, your brain always wants to return to the one,the home chord, the resting chord that makes you feel happy and resolved and they do this little trick where they they do like a one seven where you think it's going to be like a key changeso you're expecting this key change in the harmonies but it doesn't happen and they just go right back to what they were playing before and it's so subtle it's very Beatles very British youknow British late 60s rock.
[1:04:09] But it's fucking cool. It's just cool. And then, of course, you know, during this whole fucking amazing song, Rob Baker, you know, steps into his fucking lair and emerges with hisfucking strat and just smacks everybody in the face with a sick solo, which is, you know, awesome.
So fucking cool.
Yeah, dude, it's I love this fucking song. It's probably my favorite song on the record. It's got a star on it for sure.
Track 3:
[1:04:45] Timmy, I'm gonna let this one shine. I'm gonna I'm gonna let this one shine for Pete.
My favorite part of it, right, right at the very beginning of hearing this, you kiss my fingers and made me.
Track 2:
[1:04:59] It's so fucking...
Track 3:
[1:05:02] And I was like, that seriously stuck in my head for a few days.
I'm walking around the house, like, that lyric's coming out of my mouth every once in a while. And it got to a point where I was like, ah, this, I want to, I want to fucking get some friedchicken.
Is that what this portion is about right here?
Track 1:
[1:05:21] Everything back to food with me.
Track 3:
[1:05:22] I know, I know, right? I haven't had breakfast yet. Where's brunch?
Just kidding. Yeah. Just kidding.
Yeah, I'll let Pete take this one.
I was reaching for a box of tissue really it's an emotional song it's an emotional song it's you know, I'm not rolling over in the morning, telling somebody that last night I dreamt that theydidn't love me. That's a tough one.
Track 2:
[1:05:54] Oh, but the groove is just fucking... I mean, dude, when they fucking...
I don't know when they sing this fucking line, people lost their fucking shit.
I mean, I will lose my shit hearing fucking Gord Sinclair's bass just...
I mean, I don't know who I would stare at more creepily during this concert because it just fucking, it's a banger here. Oh my god.
And I don't know how much Bobby Rock had to do with this one, but fucking shit.
It's a winner, dude. It's a fucking winner.
Track 3:
[1:06:37] I think he was holding the knitting needles on this one.
Track 1:
[1:06:40] Winner, winner, chicken dinner for Tim. How about the drop-off?
Track 3:
[1:06:48] Oh, I thought this was just a good rock and hip song.
The guitar felt a little kind of over-extra, I don't know, every once in a while, but I just thought it was a good song and, you know, don't go swimming past the drop-off.
I love that line. just makes me think of how small the world is, or big the universe is, and what is the drop-off.
It's the shelf in the sea of no return, these depths. I just thought this was kind of a cool song.
Track 1:
[1:07:18] You listened to this one high, didn't you, Tim?
Track 3:
[1:07:22] I mean, I listened to the album sober.
Track 1:
[1:07:24] Oh, did you?
Track 3:
[1:07:25] A few times. It was in the car a lot. No, but I like this song.
Track 1:
[1:07:28] It's so high.
Track 3:
[1:07:29] Oh.
Track 1:
[1:07:30] In a good way.
Track 3:
[1:07:33] Yeah, these were my notes. There's a trailing end distant sound at the end of this song. Did you catch that?
Track 2:
[1:07:42] I did. Did you hear it? I did. I certainly did.
Track 3:
[1:07:46] Yeah, so it's in the same family of what we hear with the beginning of Tiger the Lion, which is fucking cool.
Track 2:
[1:07:57] It starts off with Johnny Fade tapping his sticks on like the rim doing like a like a rim shot a little bit on the metal part of the snare and every single person in this song has a...
this is the second song that I would say probably be my second favorite tune on the record just because every member of the band fucking kills it.
[1:08:23] Gord sounds like he's on on, like, uppers, either methamphetamines or something in this song. And I'm not saying like, oh, Gord's on drugs.
Not that that's bad, too. People do drugs, whatever.
He just sounds like he is visibly off his fucking face in this song.
And I'm just like, what the fuck?
I mean, there's not a moment where the guy doesn't give his all in any performance.
You know, there's no song where he does it 50 percent.
is 110% with this guy and everybody, man, there's a Pauline was, there's a moment where he just comes in with this rolling little rhythmic riff on his fucking Les Paul and it just, that guymakes me want to get a Les Paul so fucking much. Jesus Christ.
Yeah, well, yeah, that's my bank account.
It's like those, do you remember those old, I don't know if you have those in Canada, JD, but.
Track 1:
[1:09:31] Bank accounts? No. Yeah, we have those.
Track 2:
[1:09:35] Tim, do you remember listening to those Guitar Center commercials when they'd have like President's Day sales or something, or Sam Ash, they'd be like, Guitar Center'sPresident's Day sale!
And they'd say like, you know, BC Rich Warlocks, $7.99, Ibanez, $3.99. You know, and they would, it's all your card.
Track 3:
[1:09:56] I think it was the same, it was, yeah, it was the same dude that announced the Monster Crush series.
Track 2:
[1:10:00] Dude, exactly.
Track 3:
[1:10:02] You know, like, Anaheim Raceway this weekend.
Track 2:
[1:10:04] And they would always say shit like, musicians, you need new gear, but your wallet just isn't cooperating.
And they would like get you to sign up for like a fucking card.
They call it a gear card. It's a fucking credit card with like 32% interest on it.
Track 3:
[1:10:23] Fucking Sorry, that's so yeah and nowadays the Guitar Center the Guitar Center near my house There's one like a mile away and I've been there with my son 45 times andnowadays They're often closed because of staff issues like people they can't go down there.
We'll go there and it'll be like closed No one can work today What a guitar center for real? Yeah, I went to it Fine.
Nobody wants to make goddamn minimum wage in this country.
Track 2:
[1:10:50] I went to a guitar center when I was in the US last year and I wanted to play.
The Fender came out with these American Vintage Strats and I wanted to play one so fucking bad.
It's a copy of one from 1957 or something. And I went into three guitar centers. None of them had it.
And the guy basically told me, he's like, look, man, none of the guitar centers have these.
You can go to the one in LA on Sunset. They might have one. But he says, if you want one, you have to order it.
And because they have like a 30 day no questions asked return policy, you can order it, it'll be here in two days, you can play it and then just return it, like on the spot. And he says, andthen we'll at least have one in the store.
But like, that's the look because everything on the wall is mostly shit.
They don't even have It's like fucking rent-a-center. It's crazy, man. It's sad. It's sad.
Track 3:
[1:11:47] Anyway, I get it.
Track 2:
[1:11:48] Family band.
Track 3:
[1:11:49] We digress. Family band?
Track 2:
[1:11:52] Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:11:53] Yeah. Family band. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We're heading in. We're heading into the end here.
Track 2:
[1:11:58] This song's back to the basics. Back to the basics again.
Basketball down the middle, hip, catchy chorus, classic hip.
hip, Rob Baker doing the wah-wah, which he doesn't do a lot, but when he does, he fucking kills it.
I think there's a lot to love about this song.
I didn't dig too much in the lyrics, but it felt like the droves of gigging and loading gear in and out, you know, load the kick drum loaded, you know, like, just like I was, we played a gig inCordova this on Friday, and you know, it's, it's always cool because you fucking you have a great time, you play a great show, everybody loves it.
And then after you're done, you clean up all your shit, and everybody's inside drinking, doing shots, having fun smoking cigarettes, and you're carrying you're loading your fucking ampout to your car and your guitars and it's quiet and you're like fuck this sucks.
Track 3:
[1:13:02] I wish I had roadies. That's exactly what my sentiment was for this one.
The same thing. Same thing. JD, the video you sent us, the full-fledged Vanity, there's a part in there. It's a great video, by the way.
Everybody should watch that if you haven't already. There's a part in there where the band is like, it's, I don't remember who said it, but they said, you know, touring, it's not work whenwe're on stage.
That's the fun part. that's the part we love. He said it's everything in between is the job, the travel, the hotels, the setup, the teardown.
It's like, that's the job. And when we're on stage, that's the easy part.
And this is kind of, in a way, what this song was about.
Track 2:
[1:13:47] Truer words never spoken.
Track 3:
[1:13:48] Woes of touring. Yeah, the woes of touring and the woes of corporate radio.
And And, you know, there's like almost a pause and then some driving guitar before the last verse in here.
Like it felt like there was just, it just got an adrenaline shot to keep going and finish the song.
This, again, made me feel, you know, empathetically for the band and their job and their touring and, you know, the amount of production. production.
It's just, it's massive. It's massive.
Track 1:
[1:14:28] Oh, yeah. Um, one of, one of my, uh, standout lyric in this song is, uh, one day I'll make some honest rock and roll full of hand claps and gang vocals.
I'm going to get all the children involved. We're going to get lost in all you locals. Um, remember that, remember that idea of hand claps and gang vocals, especially for the next record.
There's gang vocals, and we've never heard them on a Tragically Hip record before, and we get them loud and clear.
It's really interesting that this set of lyrics came out.
Track 3:
[1:15:11] Shades shy of truly loving them.
Track 1:
[1:15:13] Yeah.
Are they speaking of the experience at the time? i don't know i don't know so that takes us to the titular world container uh the title track World Container, and what did you guys make ofthis song?
Track 3:
[1:15:37] I'll go real quick. You know, I thought it was kind of a perfect closer.
It was this epic Kind of an epic song of an ender, you know, it's theatrical.
It's if it feels really made for the stage It's What do I have here?
What we have here are all flaws in progress where all songs are one song, and that song is Don't Forget.
It's just kind of a perfect ending. This was one of those songs that, as an ender, I felt like this closed, for me, this album.
And I was just ready to go again for what's next. So this fit its place for me.
Track 2:
[1:16:27] Yeah, I second Timmy's emotions and also that, like, just little subtle things, the way the song starts, then it goes to minor, there's the lead guitar is really stadium rock.
Tim said it is built for the stage. Absolutely. I could see this song being played, and I don't mean this in a bad way.
I could see this song being played at like a fucking Super Bowl, you know, like, like just like super emotional, super like.
everybody into it, everybody's swinging and swaying and, and digging it.
Um, again, I don't mean that in a bad way because, you know, I'm not a big football fan, not that it's bad, but just like, you know, Superbowl halftime shows are, I'm so there.
Track 3:
[1:17:22] One of my notes, arm and arm singing the last bit all together.
Track 2:
[1:17:27] Yeah, a hundred percent, a hundred percent. I dug it though.
So I really, I really liked it.
You know, I had a thought and this is not really even hip related.
But when I was thinking about that, there was a guy I went to school with, that was a pretty famous, I didn't actually go to school with, he graduated a couple years before I went.
His name is Demetrius Maxi. And he was pretty big in the Canadian Football League.
I called him and I was like, I was like, holy shit. Yeah, he played like a full career and now he's a coach for, I, don't know, I'm going to look it up real quick because it's got to be, he was adefensive end for the Edmonton Elks. Oh, okay.
Oh no, now he's a line coach for the Edmonton Elks, but he played for the Toronto Argonauts or something.
I don't know. I don't follow football, man.
Track 1:
[1:18:28] Well, you definitely don't follow Canadian football.
Track 2:
[1:18:31] Yeah, I really don't.
Track 1:
[1:18:32] I know that. Canadians don't follow Canadian football and there's some really good stuff. We used to talk about Canadian football on the podcast all the time.
Track 2:
[1:18:41] But to be in like the NFL, like I knew guys that played with him in the school, like guys that I knew really well. And the guy was a fucking, he was a, nobody wanted to go upagainst him. He was a fucking train wreck.
Like it just, You might as well step in front of a moving bus.
The guy would fucking destroy anybody in front of him.
I couldn't imagine it. Anyway.
Track 1:
[1:19:08] I just wanted to make one comment on another lyric that I love, another set of lyrics that I love.
Good news, you get to vanish. Go to Cleveland, Dn and Dsmash.
The good news is now you are smaller. The bad news is that you can be smaller than that.
I just think that is so...
rock and roll road dream scenario, right?
Like, you know? So maybe they do all of a sudden become popular in a segment in the United States.
You can get small. You can get smaller than that, you know?
Track 2:
[1:20:02] I never understood why, I still will never understand the whole breakthrough United States shit, dude. I just, I don't.
Track 3:
[1:20:10] But you know how it might've been in a way if the band was kind of over it and we're like, you know, it is what it is. It might've been fucking cool to play an arena in Canada andthen play.
Track 2:
[1:20:25] Yeah, right?
Track 3:
[1:20:26] I don't remember.
Track 2:
[1:20:27] The Fillmore?
Track 3:
[1:20:28] You know, playing a theater in San Francisco. Yeah, like, that must have been fucking cool to be at the Fillmore and have- Or play a fucking- A crowd be like 70% Canadians and30% diehard, you know, fans from wherever else.
That must have been, in a way, pretty liberating as a band.
Track 1:
[1:20:47] Yeah, I bet, I bet.
Track 2:
[1:20:48] El Rey or like the Fonda in LA, which is like- I mean, can you imagine only- 800 people?
Track 3:
[1:20:56] Yeah, only doing arenas, ugh. That's, that's, that was being, it's. Bye, bye.
Yeah, I guess they were doing fun stuff. I would kill to hear them play at a dive bar.
You know, that's probably what I would choose is like the L-Ray.
If I could hear them.
Track 2:
[1:21:17] As long as the sound tech doesn't fucking electrocute you three times in a row.
Track 1:
[1:21:22] Oh no.
Track 2:
[1:21:24] Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:21:25] I don't know, a stadium would be amazing too. I wouldn't be picky.
Track 2:
[1:21:30] I don't know if I told you that, I mentioned that to Steve Malcolmus when I was talking to him in Copenhagen and I mentioned that show to him and he immediately recalled it.
He was like, yeah, I remember that. This is fucking, it's fucked up, dude.
Track 3:
[1:21:55] Tell us the story.
Track 2:
[1:21:56] Just one time I saw him, it was on, I don't remember what tour, it was like 2014 and the fucking sound tech or whoever didn't ground the mic and he got electrocuted once and ithappened the second time and he was like fucking pissed and then the third time he almost walked off stage and I wouldn't have, nobody would have been pissed if he did because helooked Visibly fucking right like shooken and like what the fuck like guiding her on the mic And so every time he went to grab it put his mouth on it He got fucking got buzzed kind oflike you fuckers used to do to me when when somebody was Me in the mic Dude I've seen that happen that's horrible and that I was following for a while that I've mentioned before forfrom LA called Wand.
Track 3:
[1:22:51] I saw them play a small club here in Portland and the lead guy, Corey Hanson is his name. He's just a fucking fantastic guitar player.
It's almost too easy for him. But he was getting shocked over and over and it was through whatever was going on.
His board wasn't grounded. He was getting shocked over and over and they were trying to record that show for a series of recordings.
And it was just all these technical fuck-ups. And when I see stuff like that happen at shows, man, it's such a bummer.
Track 1:
[1:23:23] Now I have the A. Freely song, Shock Me, stuck in my head. Here you go.
Track 3:
[1:23:29] There you go.
Track 2:
[1:23:30] Thank god it wasn't Lick It Hub.
Track 3:
[1:23:31] Back to World Contain. Back to World Contain Her.
Track 1:
[1:23:35] Yeah, I think we've reached the conclusion of yet another Tragically Hip record.
And you guys have sort of pulled me back on the other side, which is interesting.
I think I went into this a little bit more negative on the record.
And, you know, overall, track over track, you guys really seem to enjoy it.
So, as we were going through the songs, I was just grinning ear to ear listening to some of the things you were saying.
So, now the hard part, though. You have to choose one track to put as your MVP for your playlist.
Track 3:
[1:24:13] Easy.
Track 2:
[1:24:13] What's up?
Track 1:
[1:24:13] Easy. This is easy. Okay, all right.
Track 3:
[1:24:17] I know Pete's. Pete, do you know mine?
Track 2:
[1:24:19] Yes, I know yours. The kid's number.
Track 3:
[1:24:21] Okay. That's exactly right. And yours is Pretend.
Track 2:
[1:24:26] No, shut the fuck up.
Track 3:
[1:24:29] No, it's not.
Track 2:
[1:24:32] Oh, man, I walked right into that one. And I was like, yeah, I knew yours, too. Guess mine.
Fucking last night, I dreamed you didn't love me. Hands down.
Hands down. Put that on, like, I mean, that is up there with like fucking fireworks, dude. It's a fucking jam.
Track 3:
[1:24:51] It's up there with kiss my fingers and made me love you. That's just, that would make me want to stop rapping songs. It's just too perfect.
Track 1:
[1:24:58] It's like... Ha ha ha ha. That's a good work day.
Track 3:
[1:25:01] Get my fingers to bend. Everything about that tune. So good.
So so cooking up some chicken today.
Track 1:
[1:25:09] All right.
Track 3:
[1:25:10] Oh, you're making me hungry Yeah, I love the kids don't get it, you know, it's It kind of almost is like where the guys listening to Quadrophenia During this time.
I don't know. There is it made me think about a lot of other bands that are historically very just Viable, you know just have their place Canonic.
Track 1:
[1:25:33] Am I lovesick sometimes?
Track 3:
[1:25:39] So what do we have left, J.D.? We have like three to go. What do we do next?
Track 1:
[1:25:44] Yeah, well, next week we're going to be looking at We Are The Same, which is the second Bob Rock record.
And then from there, we've got Now for Plan A, and then Man-Machine Pong.
Track 4:
[1:25:57] Then we wrap it up with Saskadelfia before we head to the finale.
Track 3:
[1:26:03] So there's that. What about, just to interject in that cadence of albums, what about the whole Austin City Limits thing that happened?
Did you catch that at the time? Do you recall that? Or was that a big deal?
Track 1:
[1:26:21] Oh, I don't remember. Not at all. at all, did they do in Austin City Limits?
Yeah. Oh, I've never even seen it.
Track 2:
[1:26:29] Those are really hard to get on. Yeah.
Track 1:
[1:26:34] Because it's PBS, right? Yeah.
Track 2:
[1:26:35] Which you would think.
Track 1:
[1:26:37] Yeah, for whatever reason, people don't share it. I guess.
Track 2:
[1:26:41] Well, it's just hard to access it, man. It's subscribe to it.
Sure, sure. You don't want to share it. That's like, okay, I get it.
But like, come on, once you've made your buck on it, what do we, you know?
Are people really still paying for a fucking Austin City Limits video of a Boz Skaggs concert from 87?
Probably not. So let's just...
Track 3:
[1:27:06] From what I could see in 06, they did Austin City Limits in 06 and they did, it looks like they did put it out there.
So I don't know if that went out on CD or what.
Track 1:
[1:27:17] Yeah I'm scratching my head too.
Track 2:
[1:27:23] I have to watch the video or research on that. Yeah. All right.
Track 3:
[1:27:29] Well, next week, 15, 2006, Oh, 2006.
Track 2:
[1:27:31] So this is before this record. Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:27:34] Same year.
Track 2:
[1:27:35] Well, they probably played maybe a couple of tracks from it, but cause by that time it would have been recorded.
Track 1:
[1:27:40] Yeah, that's true.
Track 2:
[1:27:43] Came out in October, 2006.
Track 1:
[1:27:44] Do you have a set list?
Track 3:
[1:27:48] It looks like it was only digital and which, you know, for the time, sure, go for it. That's awesome.
Digital download from Universal. Yeah, we got seven songs. So yeah, Austin City Limits is usually about an hour.
We got Courage, Lonely End of the Rink, Gus, the polar bear from Central Park, Bobby Cajun, Poets, okay, 100th Meridian, and Blow It High Dough.
There's a banger of last couple songs, wow.
I'm gonna try to find it.
Track 2:
[1:28:23] There's so much weird shit.
Track 3:
[1:28:24] 34 minutes, 50 seconds. Gotta be out there somewhere.
Track 1:
[1:28:29] If you know of where you can get it, send us an email. JD at gettinghiptothehip.com.
That'd be cool to hear from you.
Track 2:
[1:28:37] Yeah, don't send it to Pete at getting hip at to the hip.com.
Track 1:
[1:28:41] Don't send it to pete hey judy it sounds like you know we we need to remind our our listeners of our event coming up because uh it's it's coming close the rec room that's right therec room in toronto on bremner street bremner avenue rather uh 50 mission I have to ask you guys, this will be your first pseudo live hip experience.
It's not going to be like seeing the band live, but it's about as close as you're going to get at this point, which is an odd thing to say.
Track 2:
[1:29:23] I can't wait. I'm so stoked.
I mean, I'm really looking forward to 50 Mission. I've seen, they're pretty damn good for a tribute band to the hip. I mean, they're pretty much top notch.
So I'm excited to see that, because just to hear hip songs live would be fucking cool.
And with other hip fans too, because yeah, we all listen. I don't think we've all gotten it, like, we've not, I mean, yeah, it's one thing you can do it online but like we've not all hung out andlistened to the hip so it's be fucking cool to listen to hit music with other fans and um i think is it, Were you mistaken JD or am I mistaken when I said that like You can either pay for aticket or there's free entry if you bring nine cans of ravioli Let's not mix, anybody Maybe a couple family side.
Track 1:
[1:30:29] Oh, man I'm excited.
Track 3:
[1:30:34] I'm excited to Have some steam whistle again.
That's kind of on my list. Yeah, that was Yeah, and I'm excited to hear these guys play I have not looked them up or watched a second of video or anything So I'm kind of just treating itlike it's gonna be my first of The band tragically hip show, you know, I'm just in anticipation and surprise.
I'm just excited for it. Oh It's gonna be great.
Track 2:
[1:31:02] So stoked man. I just hope nobody's He's pissed at us for the, or pissed at me for anything I said in any of the episodes. I just want somebody to be like, hey, you're doing good.
Track 3:
[1:31:12] Yeah, I'm hoping to.
Track 2:
[1:31:13] Yeah, hey, how you doing? Boom! Just fucking left me out.
A little fucking knock just breaks my fucking nose.
Track 3:
[1:31:21] Right?
Track 2:
[1:31:22] Oh, man. Because I had fucking, dude, this has been such a cool experience, man. I'm looking forward to talking to people about a band that I've come to love over the last fewmonths, you know?
Track 3:
[1:31:33] Yeah, we'll have to talk about maybe a pre-party meetup, you know.
Track 1:
[1:31:38] Yeah, that'd be kind of cool.
Track 3:
[1:31:39] When we get to it. Yeah. Now you're talking.
Track 1:
[1:31:44] Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:31:44] Yeah, I'm excited to hear him play.
Track 2:
[1:31:46] Do they have marijuana in Canada?
Track 1:
[1:31:49] You betcha. Do they? Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:31:50] I'm just curious. Yeah.
Track 1:
[1:31:51] I'm just curious.
Track 2:
[1:31:52] I'm just curious.
Track 1:
[1:31:54] I'll take it to my local dispensary.
Track 3:
[1:31:57] I think they have merry fungus.
Track 1:
[1:32:00] Yeah, there's a couple places. There's one on the Danforth that was very fun guy It was open for a while. I'm not sure if it still is.
Track 2:
[1:32:06] What's your what's your we place called again? It's a weird name weed jar Weed jar.
Yeah Dave's not here Still Such a good name, dude. Dave's not here.
Still not here. And then the second one would be... Dude, there was a place in Utah.
It's in Salt Lake and it's called... It's a bar. It's a shithole.
And I made the mistake of going back there because it was actually a decent place before, but then I went back there years later and it's a fucking dangerous place. It's called My Ex-Wife'sPlace.
I'm not joking. Bar is called...
Track 3:
[1:32:51] I mean, it's it's a little little tiny bit of a mistake to go back to Salt Lake, but Friends there man Lot of friends you have good friends there a lot of Mormons a lot of Jack Mormonsall different colors and shapes and sizes so What a lot of water down there, that's true, that's true so much watered up beer It's it's all watered down there.
Track 2:
[1:33:17] That's true.
Track 3:
[1:33:19] If we became legal in Utah, it would be like 2% weed and a 98% oregano.
They'd be like, here you go. Have fun.
It's funny.
Track 1:
[1:33:32] Well, that's what we've got for you this week.
Thanks for playing along at home. Tim. Pete.
Track 3:
[1:33:41] Yo. Yeah.
Track 1:
[1:33:44] Hell of a show. Hell of a show. Yeah, good show. Good job.
Track 2:
[1:33:48] Thanks fellas.
Track 4:
[1:33:49] Pick up your shit!
Get ready for a journey back in time, as we pull back the curtain on the ninth studio record by The Hip - 'In Between Evolution'. We'll bring you face-to-face with the record’s unique evolution, the masterful production by the iconic Adam Kasper, and the first impression this album left on us. We also promise to share our thoughts on what sets this record apart - from Gord's powerful vocals and the band's rhythmic arrangements to the irrefutable political undertones.
We’ll further dissect the elements of this extraordinary record, including the band's focus on rhythm guitar and the magnetic chorus that simply pulls you in. Our discussion explores the influence of Neil Young on this album, the importance of the first single 'Vaccination Scar', and how it resonates politically, even in today's world. We'll also touch upon the story of Gus, the polar bear from Central Park, and how it adds a unique dimension to the album.
Last but not least, we’ll delve deep into the legacy of Gordon Downie and his indelible impact on music and society. We’ll reflect on the loss of his unique perspective in the current global scenario. So, brace yourself for an enlightening conversation about this remarkable record and the creators who brought it to life. We promise a captivating experience that will leave you with a renewed appreciation for The Hip's musical brilliance. Let's embark on this journey together, shall we?
Track Listing
Summer's Killing Us - Studio Version
Gus: The Polar Bear from Central Park - Live from Chicago 2012
Makeshift We Are - Live from Toronto 2004
Are We Family - Live Detroit 2009
Transcript
Track 1:
[0:00] Well, welcome back guys. How are you doing this week?
Track 2:
[0:02] Fantastic. Couldn't be better. Yeah. Life couldn't be better.
Track 3:
[0:09] Pretty good. Pretty good. Excited to be back. And so it's my birthday.
Track 1:
[0:15] It's July 24th.
Track 3:
[0:16] Holy shit.
Track 2:
[0:18] Today's your birthday. Holy shit.
Track 3:
[0:20] Wow.
Track 1:
[0:21] July 24th, man. Yeah.
Track 2:
[0:24] Happy birthday, man.
Track 1:
[0:26] Thanks.
Track 3:
[0:27] I'm going to blame the time change on me forgetting.
Track 1:
[0:30] No, it's July 24th.
Get it? Wink wink? Yeah.
Track 2:
[0:39] It's your birthday, man. Cuantos anos? Oh. Tienes.
Track 1:
[0:44] Awesome. What's the last part mean?
Track 2:
[0:48] How old are you? How many years do you have? Yeah. Is the literal translation.
Track 3:
[0:53] Countless. I mean, change.
Track 1:
[0:54] 49, baby. 49.
Track 2:
[0:55] Oh, knock, knock, knockin' on 50 years.
Track 3:
[1:02] Let's do this. You know, when we entered our 40s, we were like, 40s are gonna be awesome. This is the decade. And we got to our 50s, we're like, maybe 50s will be awesome. Yeah.Yeah. Oh, it's all awesome.
It's all awesome.
Track 2:
[1:16] Did you ever see the movie City Slickers?
Track 3:
[1:18] Yeah.
Track 1:
[1:19] Yeah, years ago.
Track 2:
[1:19] There's a great, the great monologue by Billy Crystal in the beginning of that.
He's like, your 20s are a blur.
Your 30s, you make a little money, raise a wife, have a couple of kids, buy a house.
Your 40s, you wake up one day and you think to yourself, what happened to my 30s?
He goes on to every decade and then he's like, your 80s, you end up like, you eat breakfast at, or whatever, you eat dinner at five, lunch at 10, breakfast the night before.
Track 3:
[1:52] It's just like, dinner's at four.
Track 1:
[1:55] Yeah, exactly.
Track 3:
[1:56] Dinner's at four.
Track 2:
[1:56] Oh, it's so good.
Track 1:
[1:58] They're taking all Tim's happy hour seats. Yeah. All the octogenarians.
Track 3:
[2:03] My father's in a retirement home and when I talk to him, he says, they're coming for me for dinner earlier every day. It's three o'clock. It's coming for dinner.
Track 1:
[2:20] Like, dude, just call a happy hour. Fuck it. Yeah. So in 2004, we got the ninth studio record by The Hip, In Between Evolution.
This is a, you know.
Like Clockwork, every two years we've got a record from this band, you know, and they were still touring their brains out.
I think it's a staggering feat, you know, that a band with their original lineup can put out a record every two years, you know, guided by voices or bands like that, notwithstanding, thosesongwriters are, you know, Bob Puller, it's just so prolific. It's, it's unreal.
But in terms of band work, bands that tour extensively, I don't know of many other bands that have had this kind of halcyon run.
But here we are, talking about it.
And as we always do, I want to find out environmentally what you thought of the record, where you listened to it, where you first heard it and what your overall general thoughts are onthis 9th record produced by Adam Kasper. What do you think?
Track 2:
[3:45] I think the name is very fitting, In Between Evolution, because I feel like this record is a bit in between.
And I say that, you know, when you're in elementary school, you see the monkey going, you know, to like Croag Magnon Man and then like getting up through the ages to get to the likemodern day man, modern day human.
I feel like this record is maybe not any of those, but something like in between that we sort of haven't seen before, you know.
It's certainly an evolved version of the hip, but I can't really attribute it to anything they've ever done before or anything I think they will do.
It's very different in a lot of ways.
Track 1:
[4:38] Where do you listen to this one?
Track 2:
[4:41] I listen to it everywhere. I listen to it out and about. I listen to it in my office, working.
Probably best place was in the car, you know. The car really, this record was, I feel like, made for driving, you know, like a lot of their records, you know.
So I would say if I had to pick any environment, definitely my car, I mean, I don't know if it's everybody's car, I have a bit of a bias, given that, you know, I've got a pretty solid soundsystem in my car, like a premium.
But yeah, I enjoyed it in the car.
Track 3:
[5:23] We need a soundbite that's like, that's like, premium sound system.
Track 2:
[5:31] We can drop that in post.
Track 3:
[5:32] Yeah. Well, I, you know, I'll disagree with Pete.
I, to me, this felt more hip, right out the gates and you know I think Pete and I differed a little bit on the last album and I'm really liking our, you know, compare and contrast.
I'll just quickly add Pete's haircuts throwing me off a little bit today, but I can deal. I can deal. But anyways, that looks good.
[6:06] I thought In Violet Light, the last album, what we reviewed was a little bit of a departure and super polished and, you know, made for like, I don't know, an award stage or something.
Maybe have the Oscars on the mind. but I thought in Between Evolution, I looked at the title wondering if that meant they were coming back to their own production type, style, soundrecording.
You know, I didn't really understand the title for this one because it felt more like a hip album to me.
[6:43] The producer, you know, I looked up to see who did this one.
Adam Kasper, he did all kinds of bands in Seattle.
Mudhoney, Nirvana, you know, the Foo Fighters, he worked with REM.
I don't know if it was all in Seattle, but Soundgarden.
He even did some work with Cat Power, who Amy and I adore. One of our favorite singer-songwriters.
Just, you know, you worked with amazing musicians. And all these musicians I just listed, maybe except for kind of Aerosmith, I'm not exactly a fan of.
But, you know, these are bands, maybe Aerosmith, who wear their hearts on their sleeve and really are just going for it.
And almost achieving a status where they have a following and they have their shit down and they can kind of do what they want, you know?
And I felt like this album went back to the band a little bit more doing what they want.
So I was pretty excited, pretty excited by it.
Track 1:
[7:43] Can you describe that a little bit more? Like, what do you mean by what they want?
Track 3:
[7:49] Well, the last album I thought was overproduced. I thought it was...
Track 1:
[7:52] Right, right.
Track 3:
[7:53] I thought it was too scripted, you know, I thought it was too, like, ha, here we go back to food metaphors.
It's like showing up at a restaurant with a preset menu. That's what I felt the last album was, and I felt like this one was a little bit more carefree.
It was a little bit more back to experimental.
The lyrics, the themes behind all the songs were, in certain ways, like what I've experienced from other albums past themes, with variation and variety.
I don't know, this felt more hip to me. This just felt more like the first handful of albums that got me excited about where the band was going.
So in that regard, it's like, yeah, fuck.
Let's do this every two years. We're going on 10 years.
Or this was the ninth album, right? So it's over 10 years. And that, that to me, as Pete knows, as someone who has recorded, that is such a...
[8:58] Heroic work with Yeah with touring to as much as these guys toured I mean It's remarkable that they're all still digging each other so much, you know Yeah, but from also from acouple of things that I read during this tour Is when Gord at one point commented about, even if there's differences going on behind the scenes or Or there was some tour manager issues, Iguess, that once they got on stage and started playing, that they just were a band.
They were like NSYNC and just super, super in the groove.
Track 2:
[9:41] Not like NSYNC.
Track 3:
[9:42] Yeah, they were very much NSYNC. Just super in the groove, which means they're like this fucking locomotive still. So I think it's still super impressive.
Even with a band that I'm not as impressed with or fond of, it's still an impressive feat to go this far with recording, producing, touring, everything.
Track 1:
[10:05] Yeah.
Track 2:
[10:07] Yes.
Track 3:
[10:08] Hands down. Absolutely.
Track 2:
[10:09] Kudos.
Track 1:
[10:11] And in terms of environments for you?
Track 3:
[10:14] Yeah, so it was a lot of car. I listened to it pretty quick after our last review.
There's a lot of car time and some home time. I don't play their music much at home over my home systems.
So it's a lot of car, a lot of headphones.
It's a little more intimate for me to do it that way and I also really enjoy when bands geek out on recording, and you can hear things with headphones on that you wouldn't normally reallybe in tune with if you're just walking around the house playing it through your ear.
Track 2:
[10:56] There's a few of those on this record.
Track 3:
[10:57] Yeah, there's a few of those on this record, and I love that stuff.
I mean, that to me shows that a band is really caring about their listeners and their fans and their art.
There's a few of that.
Track 1:
[11:14] Well let's dig in then. Heaven is a better place today.
Track 3:
[11:21] So, yeah, this one, you know, there's been a few albums where...
My first listen to the first song. I've never done a random listen first try, you know, and that's the way so many people experience music these days.
I hear a song from an artist.
So I might have to try that as an experiment on some album.
But you know, first listen to Heaven is a Better Place Today in the car.
It was like, yes, here we go. Like, Pete, you mentioned a great road trip soundtrack or whatever.
This is totally it. It felt like a good, fun, solid opener with a drive and the carry of the drums and the bass really throughout this album seemed a little more...I mean they're always solid butthis one just even seemed more gelled, which is kind of hard to even imagine these guys doing.
I loved Gord's singing. He's kind of at an elevated pitch with this one and, you know, from what I understand, it's...well.
[12:33] My first take was like, this feels like a memorial song, like this is a tribute to somebody and Of course later learned that it's in part about Dan Snyder.
I mean, I'm not a hockey guy I mean even I couldn't even tell you who Atlanta's team is or was Atlanta thrashers.
That's probably my favorite hockey team name though so, you know read a little bit about Danny Heatley, did I just say his name wrong?
No, don't sorry Dan Snyder Snyder Um, he was killed when is with his teammate Danny Healy.
Track 1:
[13:08] That's right.
Track 3:
[13:09] They're the ones who were Wrecked some sports car, which is such a tragic story, you know to hear about somebody famous wrecking in a sports car.
It's just It's kind of an awesome way to go. But anyways, you know, I thought it was good solid Opener really really easy ending.
It was like, okay, let's keep going How about you Pete I dug it.
Track 2:
[13:32] I mean, I echo a lot of what Tim said. I mean, I feel like a great opening track.
I really got some some some cure vibes here.
I really felt like this song had, Yeah, just I heard a lot of the cure in here.
I think Gord's vocals, clearly this is a record and we'll kind of get into it with more songs and stuff.
Not just, I feel like there's so many songs that probably killed it live on this record, but that Gord's vocals really just keep evolving into something new.
I mean, I feel like every member of the band grows a lot, but he's just, it's like everybody takes three steps forward and Gord takes like nine.
You know, he skips where everybody just takes steps. It's crazy, man.
Track 3:
[14:36] Completely.
Track 2:
[14:37] That's not like a diss on anybody in the band. It's just, I think he thinks differently, or he thought differently, either way, I dug this song.
I thought it was a great opener.
The second track, Summer's Killing Us, yeah, this is another one where the vocals really do it for me.
Um, there's a, there's a part, well, during the chorus, when Gord's singing, um, Summer is Killing Us, like his voice is cracking.
You can hear it breaking on the recording. And it's just like, it doesn't crack. Like it's, it just fits. It's perfect.
And you're like, this guy's, this guy's, he's redlining the engine and the car is still going. you, You know what I mean?
Track 3:
[15:33] Like, and the car, I think, has like, 300,000 kilometers on it, you know? Yeah, and it's just like, go, go, go, who cares?
Track 1:
[15:43] Yeah, they could sing, sing, sing all day.
Track 2:
[15:47] Yeah, it's I mean, it's had its oil changes and services, I'm sure.
Track 3:
[15:51] Exactly.
Track 2:
[15:52] The drums, another thing about the drums on this, I watched some, well, you guys know, I'll talk about a little more later songs, but the drums on this song, A song that just seemslike it's probably so much fun to play for Jonny Faye.
Just the stops, the fills, just, it just seemed like if anybody's having a blast, it's him and Gord Downie are just fucking having a ball to this song.
Track 3:
[16:20] I think you've commented on that before, too. And this one, this one I noticed, you know, first listen was like, oh, he's having fun.
There's some fills in there, and that made me think this one live, you know, probably varied a little bit, but probably just kicked ass, too. Yeah, I think.
Track 2:
[16:39] Yeah, and I gotta say, this is gonna sound really bad, so I want to frame it right.
I just want to throw this in because I feel like if I didn't throw it in, I'd be...
My initial thought... So this is 2004, right? Yeah.
2003, 2004. 2004 you think when they're recording writing this song I got just Gord's vocals and his phrasing very much got some like early 2000s emo vibes to it.
I actually heard and I don't mean this in a disrespectful way So no, no do not give away my address JD.
I don't I mean Canada's a far away from Spain, but I got getting hip to the hip calm.
Yeah for for comments Emo my ass No, but I really heard I heard a dashboard confessional song Yes pretty mind-blowing, you know Yeah, okay. You hear me?
Track 3:
[17:41] Okay, I do. I do. I would a million times rather listen to this band. No, 100%.
Track 2:
[17:48] But I hear you.
Track 3:
[17:50] But I hear you.
Track 2:
[17:51] And no, no offense, because I think that I think the guy I can't remember his, his name, the guy.
Track 3:
[17:56] That's okay.
Track 2:
[17:57] No, I know. No, just respect him as a musician. I think he's a good musician.
I just don't fancy his music much. Anyway.
Track 3:
[18:08] You know, I was shouting this chorus in the car. Like, first listen, you could sing along to this one. If you know the band, you're like, fucking hyped.
Hell yeah, it's a song about summer. Who doesn't like a song about summer?
Track 1:
[18:19] That's right.
Track 3:
[18:20] That band always sings about summer, said no one ever.
So this one, you could just go. There's awesome stops, there's a good bridge, there's...
A few times on this album I think there's more of a focus on just I don't know how to say it Pete but just a better rhythm guitar less riffy like the feel like this album has riff sections thatare a little bit more defined or declared maybe yeah yeah yeah this one gourds at like the three-minute He's like, whoo, you know when he left that it is so good I love that. I love that.
Track 1:
[19:05] I mean I like exhausted slash.
Track 3:
[19:06] I'm awesome slash I don't even know what the other slash would be but it's like it's great Yeah, if you're having a moment and you stop and you can actually breathe and do thatwhoo I mean you're having a good day like something's going on something's going on that you're enjoying or you're relieved But I also thought this song was like a song about being tiredand touring and working.
Also, you know, maybe some of the research I did, that maybe there were some references again to the South, or slavery, or prison life, you know, that's just like, summer's killing us, youknow?
It's amazing and beautiful and tough at the same time. That's kind of what I thought about this song.
It's, it felt, this is a few times I have had this happen where the song feels long, but it's like measured in a good way. It's like, it's just, there's enough verses, enough choruses.
Track 1:
[20:12] I think this is one of the longer songs on the record.
Track 3:
[20:15] Yeah, yeah. This was, this was fun.
Track 2:
[20:19] This song, this song also, I just wanted to throw this in too, because I kind of forgot to mention it, one of the cool things about it is that it just goes from this, the chorus is sofucking, but then when it goes back into like the verse, it just, it brings it down again.
It just, it just, it flattens it like a, like a compressor.
It just flattens it really quick and just makes it even again.
You're like, whoo, like the dynamic of the band recordings.
It's really cool. That's a hard thing to pull off, man.
Track 1:
[20:53] I really regret not seeing this tour. Like, really. I have so much regret not seeing this tour.
Because this is the first tour that I missed since the beginning.
This is the first one that I didn't go see a show.
And listening to the record now, it's like, oh man, it's again, so much of it seems to be written to be live, you know?
Track 3:
[21:18] She must have been really cute, JD. Pardon me?
Your girlfriend at the time, I guess. You were busy.
Track 1:
[21:29] Oh, yeah.
Track 2:
[21:30] Yeah.
Track 3:
[21:31] Dude, the next song, you know, Gus, I faintly remember hearing about this.
Track 1:
[21:35] Yes.
Track 3:
[21:37] Back then. I mean, if we go back to 2004, you know, this is like the era, politics aside, because we'll probably get into that, but this is like the era when shit online started to take off,you know? Everybody's looked at YouTube.
Some of your friends might be listening to Pandora, which at that time had the best radio feature.
You could like mix stations and you know There's a lot there's a lot going on electronically The zeros are ones then i'm pretty sure i heard about this song and um, I was telling amy wifeamy yesterday this story about gus This polar bear from central park and uh how they they just deduced that, He was depressed And amy's like no shit polar bear and Activity it was likeyeah, I mean a polar bear's life is what?
[22:39] Sleeping, drinking, killing, eating, fucking. I mean, let's put a polar bear in captivity and see how hyped he is.
I mean, that's just terrible. So this is amazing that they, I guess, Gord, I don't know who exactly picked up on the story and wrote this one.
And, you know, this is also where there was some, maybe the beginning of this album with some political under things here as well but there's this first guitar riff at the beginning of thissong Pete I'm sure you heard it but there's like this there's this weird guitar kind of distortion distortion yeah like that that attack at the beginning is like I wish also I mean live it wouldprobably been so fun to hear that I'm sure it varied a little bit but that's like that outro that outro live must have been so yeah banging yeah drums are huge in this one you know and i'vejust i dug this song it was it was fun there's i could go on and on about it but you know just this poor guy gus he's staring at food all day at the zoo i mean he would eat all these people yesgawking at him so of course he's suffering from depression this is like during this era, scientists were like, he might be depressed.
[24:06] Bears, animals can have sentiments of depression.
[24:11] It's fucking hilarious. Terrible.
Track 2:
[24:16] I mean, where do I put down my fucking flag here with this one, dude?
First of all, if I was going to start a bar fight, this would be the fucking song I'd put on the J-box right before I picked up the neck of a Labatt Blue, fucking break it over somebody's headand just start a melee.
Track 3:
[24:41] Shit.
Track 2:
[24:42] Okay.
Track 3:
[24:43] Watch out, Hamilton. Yeah.
Track 2:
[24:49] So, Tim, you're telling the story of the polar bear from Central Park, right? And now that you're telling the story, I remember it. Yeah.
Track 3:
[24:57] Yeah, me too.
Track 2:
[24:58] But during listening to this, I didn't remember it because that was a long time ago. And I drank a lot of beer and done a lot of shit since then.
And so it didn't register.
And so I pictured like a bearded homeless man, a giant bear of a man who was depressed and an alcoholic sitting and fucking with people in Central Park.
That's who I heard when I heard this song.
I didn't, I didn't at all have any correlation with the actual story of Costa Polar Bear.
But this is the now this this album, and then some subsequent YouTube videos that I explored this week, really got me digging into the vibe that is Paul Langlois, because you could Youcan just hear this thumping, it's a thumping vibe that he has with this Les Paul that he's playing and it just fucking rips.
This song is the tiger, the lion of this record.
Track 3:
[26:13] I had the same sentiment for sure.
Track 2:
[26:17] It's the fucking tiger, the lion of this record.
What else? I would say I literally, I literally wrote, I literally wrote that, that, that, that I would be cracking balls a little bit blue, a little bit blue over people's heads.
But no, it's the tiger, the lion of this record.
And I feel like Neil Young is a lot of guitar on this this record is very Neil Young focused.
Track 1:
[26:50] I can hear Crazy Horse in this.
Track 2:
[26:53] Yeah, there's another song that's undoubtedly Crazy Horse.
But the end, the solo, Rob Baker proceeds, and I'm going to read this verbatim.
The solo, Rob Baker proceeds to melt your fucking face off with a complete and utter disregard for human life.
Track 3:
[27:10] And that he does.
Track 2:
[27:13] He starts off that way. He just, well, it just, the solo towards the end is just, it's just fucking, fuck me, man.
Track 1:
[27:25] Yeah, very good.
Track 2:
[27:26] Great fucking tune. Probably, yeah, this is, this may end up on the, for my pick, who knows.
Track 1:
[27:33] All right, we roll into the first single from the record.
So this would be the song that introduced most people to this record and it's it's a song called vaccination scar First of all before we get into vaccination scar to either you guys have avaccination scar Nope.
No, my cousin has one and she's a year younger than me And I don't understand how she has one and I don't like expired shit.
Track 3:
[27:59] They put in her arm, I guess maybe it's all my ears on your arm no it's on my calf oh wow okay it's on my calf well it's almost gone now but it was pretty prominent um almost untili turned 20 or something around there i mean my my brain with this one went just went to you know Pfizer and all the all the crazy bullshit oh no oh no i mean that's where i went i readthe song Title and I know okay.
This is probably about the booster the the cigar look bird Vaccination scar on my sister's left arm.
She's got right here. She's like three years older than me So she's got it.
But you know and that's like why the fuck did that thing scar like that?
I don't know. Could you imagine I mean, why didn't they build that into the the Johnson Johnson?
Johnson and Johnson could have had like, they have that trippy logo.
Have you ever seen their actual brand logo?
Track 1:
[28:59] No.
Track 3:
[28:59] Oh, people say it has like Satan in it, basically.
Oh, of course. It's hilarious. Pete, you would like that research. It's too bad.
Track 1:
[29:08] But I'll tell you, this song would be a completely different song if the band still existed and they released a song called Vaccination Scar now.
Oh, big time. Wonder what the fuck it would be about.
Track 3:
[29:21] Yeah They might lose listeners and gain listeners at the same.
Track 1:
[29:25] Yeah, it's true Well, this one a throwback to a throwback, you know We've got the slide guitar again that we haven't really rolled out for a couple records.
I don't think What you guys think?
Track 3:
[29:37] I You know the whole when they get into the slide guitar and kind of go back to So, you know the southern belt of the US kind of sound of rock and that's it's not my favorite thatthey do but right yeah I was a little surprised to hear this is the most listened song song on Spotify I look at that at those that I know I look at that data at the end of kind of my listening Idon't look at that at the beginning.
Track 1:
[30:09] It does blow my mind because I get it that it's a single.
Track 3:
[30:11] Yeah why? Is it because it has vaccination in the name?
Track 1:
[30:15] It might be, because the fact that it's a single shouldn't factor into Spotify at this point. Yeah, yeah. Unless they do, unless they sort of do.
Track 2:
[30:27] No, they don't retroactive, they don't retroactive shit like that. No.
Track 3:
[30:32] Yeah, I wouldn't think so either. Yeah, but I thought, you know, this is really, It's the second song.
With political references to George Bush, the Iraq invasion, the WMDs that didn't exist, like this, there's references in the song about all of that.
And that in and of itself is like a time capsule of sorts.
Track 1:
[30:57] Yeah, and we were thinking the world was a pretty bad place then.
Track 3:
[31:00] Yeah, it's basically an anti-war song, even though like during that era, I don't know, there were like six or eight other countries that were on board with this whole attack, you know,I believe Spain was one of them.
Track 2:
[31:13] So it's for everyone. Yeah. Right. States.
Track 3:
[31:19] So, you know, I, I hate to say it, but I enjoy like hearing something political referencing the times and, you know, it becomes a time capsule type of song with, with those themesduring, let's see, I guess late 80s, in which these guys would have been totally in tune with.
You know, that's when the Bushes were really rising to power and going after mega weapons developments.
And a buddy of mine grew up in the Carolinas during those George Bush senior years and knew the family, and they have crazy stories about shit they were doing.
I don't need the FBI chasing me, but like, a lot of bullshit activity that involves war and weapons in the corporate aspect of America's machine and economy running on just.
The war machine. So that's where I feel like Gord's really tapping into in this album. And it keeps going. He's kind of in it in this album.
Track 1:
[32:27] It was a tough environment to not be in it. And it rips my heart right out of my ribcage and throws it on the ground to think that this band isn't around anymore.
Because I would love to know what Gord's thinking about...
Track 2:
[32:41] You're burying my fucking lead, JD.
Track 1:
[32:43] Sorry, buddy. Go ahead.
Track 2:
[32:44] No, no, dude, no, run with it, run with it.
Track 3:
[32:47] They'd be the Pussy Riot of Canada, I'll tell you that.
Track 2:
[32:49] JD, please, please continue, I'm sorry.
Track 1:
[32:51] I just, I just, you know, I just, I would just love to hear his take on what's been going on the last five or six years, you know?
And we really missed out on that. And that's like, fuck cancer, you know? Fuck cancer. Yeah, yeah.
Some of the lyrics in this, I think they just roll. I think the way he sings in this song He's he's into that lower register, you know Like you said the with the side guitar like it's it's almost anolder version of the band and he's singing again in that older Version voice but man some of the lyrics that he strings together like even the chorus.
There's one thing I remember is the tear and the there's one thing I remember is this tear on your bare shoulder this little silver boulder the slowly falling star we're rolling so what nevergetting older where the moon shock curtains part to the start of enough a teardrop then a vaccination scar like holy shit I don't know how I get all that out imagine that writing moment inpen in hand and, you're just like it's just yeah it's incredible yeah well yeah I mean, I echo everything that you guys have said.
Track 2:
[34:09] Funny point.
Just I don't want to leave it out because you made me think of it, Tim, when you were talking about George Bush.
This is not unknown, but a great George H.W.
Bush fact, Bush number one, our first Bush president, doesn't remember where he was the day Kennedy was shot. What?
Track 1:
[34:34] Yeah, yeah.
Track 2:
[34:35] Look that up. That's a total fact. And he was actually in Dallas because there's There's like evidence of it, but you know, everybody's like, I mean, I remember where I was in thechallenge of blew up I remember where I was when Kobe Bryant died when I remember when yeah 9-11 out.
Sorry Yeah, Kobe Bryant was you know, now that was a big bit bigger.
No offense to Kobe fans But yeah, and he was asked where were you when Kennedy was shot?
He's like, I don't remember like what?
Track 1:
[35:05] Yeah Everybody of that generation, my mom knew where she was and she was a Canadian in Waterford.
Track 3:
[35:10] You know, they're so detached. The, the, the, the, that whole section of political history just lived on.
Track 2:
[35:17] If by detached, you mean culpable, Tim, then yes.
Track 3:
[35:21] Yeah, yeah, completely. I mean, like just not relatable.
They just, honestly, like my, my buddy and his family in the late eighties, early 90s, used to meet up at one of their homes. This is the story.
Used to meet up at one of their homes on the coast, Bush's homes.
And like, oh, our new whatever jet boat is going to come by.
Can't wait to show you guys. We'll go for a ride. Like just completely alternative, horrible reality of life and what's appropriate.
Track 2:
[35:59] Yeah, I mean, that family's, I mean, what more could you say without getting too political?
Track 3:
[36:04] There was a moment when, we'll get off of politics here, there was a moment during the Trump administration where I was like, damn, I would take Mr.
Bush Jr. any moment, bring him back right now, let's swap him out.
And I never would have thought that when he was in office. You know?
Track 2:
[36:22] Well, yeah, it's pretty sad.
Track 1:
[36:24] For sure, I feel the same way.
Track 2:
[36:26] It's pretty sad, though, that we're at, that stage, I mean, to bring it back to the record and sort of to not bring it back to the record, because musically, I feel like this song, you guyssummed it up.
But in terms of what JD said about the one thing I thought about this song, I kept thinking about was Gord and if he was alive today and this band was alive today.
And I say that because he was such a unifying icon for Canada and the band was, I mean, the guy could bring people together completely.
And I think America's been divided for a long time.
Tim and I both know that pretty well and anybody from the outside who's windowed… That's like his West Coasters, right?
You guys really have felt it.
Track 3:
[37:26] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Track 2:
[37:29] But I think that in terms of Canada and everything that went on during the whole COVID lockdown and stuff, I feel like Gord would have had a really interesting take on it.
Because I feel like there was the...
You know, it's, there's always three sides of every story. And the way we kind of, most people experience COVID, most people, you either were fucking hardcore on the left, or you'rehardcore on the right. But there's one thing I've learned in life.
There's the way you think it happened. It's the way the other person thought it was happened. And then there's the way it really happened.
Track 1:
[38:06] Look at you dropping extreme references, three sides to every story.
Track 2:
[38:10] I'm just saying, I feel like Gordon would bring a fucking take, and the band would bring a take to, you know, what's going on in life at this time.
That just would open people's eyes. And a lot of people on both the right and the left would shut the fuck up and listen to A Voice of Reason, which- I think you're right.
Would have been Gord Downie, had it not been for his untimely death.
Track 3:
[38:35] But I mean, we have that in this day and age, but it's just spread out.
And I don't know, less, it's smaller, smaller doses more widely spread out through music today. Well, there's plenty of bands doing it, but like, I don't know.
Track 2:
[38:53] I agree sort of, Tim, but I think musically, it's one thing to do it musically, but Gord was more than a musician.
Track 3:
[39:00] Yeah, yeah.
Track 2:
[39:01] From what I've seen, he's a guy that would get up and make a fucking statement, like outside of music and nowadays I feel like when people make a statement that it's against, thecommon narrative of whatever, They're tarred and feathered as either.
You're a racist fuck or you're a liberal Nancy or whatever it is.
And the funny thing about Gord is you couldn't do that to him because he was Canada's fucking golden boy. So I would have loved to have seen anybody in Canada try to throw shade onthat motherfucker when he was...
Had he been here to dispel the truth like he always liked to do.
Anyway, I digress. How about...
Track 3:
[39:43] I have a feeling like only rednecks in the South were throwing shade at him, you know.
Track 1:
[39:49] There's a reference in this song about singing Life is Forgetting, and Life is Forgetting is in quotes.
I looked it up, I can't find a song called Life is Forgetting.
Is that something that rings the bell for you guys?
Or is that just, you know, the narrator basically saying that that's a song that somebody's singing that's made up?
Track 3:
[40:12] Not sure.
Track 2:
[40:15] No. I'm not sure either. But if I take it into context of what we're talking about, I think people forget, life is forgetting.
Tim made the reference earlier about wanting George Bush over Donald Trump at the height of whatever.
And I think people forget, you know, I am not Not a Donald Trump fan, didn't vote for the guy, but you can take all the shit that's said and everything, and I'm not carrying water foranybody, let me make this fucking clear, but it's mind boggling to me how we can think that, and I thought it at times too Tim, you're not alone in that, I think a lot of people thought it, buthow we could, be like, I'd rather have a guy who started a war, an illegal war on lies that killed upwards of a million people.
In the White House right now, rather than a guy who's just a total piece of shit scumbag who shouldn't be there in the first place.
Like we forget that there's a guy who is literally responsible for killing a million people and starting multiple illegal wars. And we'd rather have that person. So life is forgetting, JD.
I think that line belongs in that song. If we're talking about politics.
Track 1:
[41:41] Well, he said fuck this and fuck that and this guy's the diplomat.
It can't be Nashville every night.
Track 3:
[41:52] I love the simplicity of this one. It's quick. You know, what we are is what we lack.
That song was just like, if anything's going to make you think about oneself and what you're portraying and working on, or I don't know, that statement just slapped me.
There's Gord, I think, is faintly doing his own backup singing in this one, if you really crank it in your headphones, and it's fucking awesome, and it was even kind of cute. I just dug it.
The chorus, or maybe it's a verse, I don't know, the la-la-oh-oh-yas, you know, just simple, good rock and roll.
Apparently, he's poking fun at Toby Keith with this song.
Track 1:
[42:41] Oh, did not know that.
Track 3:
[42:42] He was a country music singer who was pro-America, pro-military, pro-goat.
Track 2:
[42:51] He was Tarn and Feather the Dixie Chicks, man. He was one of the guys that went against the grain on that and threw them out to try.
Track 3:
[42:59] Yeah, I also think this is like a song that's, Trying to let artists know that there's more to life than producing a single, you know?
This is a time of this era, fucking Maroon 5, Nickelback, you know?
This is a little bit later Lenny Kravitz, but when Lenny Kravitz is just like glossed up and just everyone knows the chorus, you know?
But nobody has bought the album, maybe. I don't know. I'm not dissing Lenny Kravitz too much.
You can diss Lenny Kravitz. He's his own... Well, he's the institution.
I mean, I saw him play live and he was incredible.
Track 1:
[43:37] I did too. That first record was really good with the cab driver on it.
Track 3:
[43:42] Yep. I saw Blind Melon open for them. Me too!
Track 1:
[43:46] Oh, shit.
Track 3:
[43:47] Dude, okay, just to digress. Blind Melon kicked Lenny and his band's ass.
Like, Blind Melon, they were so good then. You know, they...
Track 2:
[43:59] Yeah, we've had this conversation, Jake.
Track 3:
[44:00] Yeah, so good. So good. So anyways, you know, the song I thought was short and great.
And it's just, it's got some good quick statements. It was, I don't know, it just fit for where it was at and everything. That's about it.
Track 2:
[44:17] Cool. I dug this tune.
Real quick, just to my Lenny Kravitz comment, not dissing the guy, I like the music. I think his daughter is a great actress.
Track 3:
[44:30] Gorgeous.
Track 2:
[44:31] Just never trust a guy who only plays a flying V.
Track 3:
[44:33] Never.
Track 2:
[44:38] It's a fucking red flag, ladies.
Track 3:
[44:40] At the beginning of COVID, he was apparently stuck on his island in the Caribbean, or like a island with just a handful of other people living there.
And he's just like, just living off coconuts and pineapples and avocados, bro.
I was like, fuck you. That sounds perfect.
Yeah, I would have killed for that.
Track 2:
[45:03] Yeah, I dug the song. I thought, I thought this is another one that would have been awesome live. The groove was just fantastic.
There's a line that he delivers that I'm sure you guys all noticed, but I love the the way it's, one is stares into the blur, stares into the glare, stares into the queer.
And it's just fucking, like the way he delivers it, I was like, what is he saying there? And I had to look up the lyrics, cause it was so cool. Cool.
Johnny Faye, literally, I don't know what it is, man. But like, this is when he's around early 2000. He started like getting like destroying crash cymbals.
And I know I pointed out to you guys this week as I was watching the video, like there's a, there's a concert they were playing, maybe it was at the Fillmore where he just broke a fuckingcymbal, because the motherfucker hit it so hard.
And you can see a guy replacing the cymbal like just coming in.
Track 3:
[46:04] He has a drum tech, you know?
Track 2:
[46:06] Oh, yeah, I know. Well, I mean, he's got something to come in and do it.
But like, middle of the song, guy's got to come in and replace the cymbal. I love it.
Track 3:
[46:14] So cool.
Track 2:
[46:14] So cool. This is this song and a number of others to point out at the end of the song, if you're wearing headphones, you can hear a couple drumsticks click.
Mm hmm. Oh, so this is this is one of the many Easter eggs on this record.
Track 3:
[46:31] Yeah, I heard that too at first. I was like, is he hitting the rim?
But it really sounded like sticks.
Track 2:
[46:36] There is one that he does.
Track 3:
[46:37] He does.
Track 1:
[46:38] He's just putting them down, though, right? He's just putting the sticks down kind of thing?
Track 3:
[46:41] I mean, in general, yeah. You hear a little more drum nuggets on this album.
Track 2:
[46:47] But I feel like these songs are like, it's just a signal to like, that was Johnny's song.
Like, all the ones that have those, this is Johnny's song.
Because he just fucking ripped on these ones.
Track 3:
[46:59] Yeah, I feel like when a drummer does that, when a drummer just slaps down the sticks, It's like at the end of a good meal, and you just set your knife and fork down, and you'relike, fuck.
Just nailed it. And drummers do that with drummers that care.
When bands nail it, you can't.
I wish I could produce, because I would love to just yell at musicians, and tell them they're awesome, and tell them they're terrible.
Track 2:
[47:26] Just kidding.
Track 3:
[47:28] Just kidding. But that's that sound. That's like that triumphant sound of just killing it.
Track 1:
[47:34] I win. Yeah, touchdown. We move next to Back, in fact.
Back to New Orleans. This is the second geographical song on the record of three, which is interesting.
But it's also a trip back to New Orleans. And I can't think of many other bands that would have a song as iconic as New Orleans is sinking, which would still be so heavy in the tourrotation and then they release another song with the same name in it.
I know that sounds like really trivial but it's interesting to me.
It's really interesting.
And this is a very different look at New Orleans and a very different sound but I dig this song.
Track 3:
[48:23] Did they play there? Chady?
They played like a small clubs there, right?
Track 1:
[48:29] Yeah, likely. Yeah down in the down in the south.
They weren't you know quite as As big as they were on the west coast and across the border for sure there was yeah They always but they always played like I mean they would do like au.s.
Track 3:
[48:45] Tour that would be like 40 dates probably, you know, like they they were fairly thorough There was some reference it with this one about him him going back to New Orleans withfriends or something, just for vacation.
And I guess maybe in part this is about that visit, because he found places he wanted to go to that were closed, or...
Track 1:
[49:08] Oh, okay. It's post-Katrina?
Track 3:
[49:11] I mean, it's 2004.
Track 2:
[49:11] No, it's pre-Katrina.
Track 1:
[49:13] Yeah.
Track 3:
[49:13] Pre-Katrina.
Track 1:
[49:14] Okay.
Track 3:
[49:16] I thought this, you know, it's probably the most beautiful song on the album. It's just serene.
I don't know, it's love, it's death, it's fading, you know, rashing away the smiles.
It's like, fuck, that's just like storing up in your heart for the future, you know, it's just gorgeous guitar during the chorus. It's just, this is a great one.
Track 2:
[49:39] Yeah, I thought that, I think this probably might be one of the better, if not one of the best hip songs.
And I say that, I don't say that lightly. I think it's a really good song and yeah, JD, I mean, I wrote the notes like, what's the deal with New Orleans? You know, why?
Just the song was beautiful. There's the lead in to it and then throughout the song, Rob Baker's using what I think by that time was probably pretty dialed in.
He was using an Ebo on his guitar, which is like one of those.
You ever seen one of those before? No. I've never been able to use it.
I'm not a good enough guitar player to be able to use it.
Track 1:
[50:27] You stop.
Track 2:
[50:27] No, dude, they're fucking hard to use.
Track 1:
[50:29] Everybody go out and buy the record, Marchika, and the first one is out.
The second one is in production?
Track 2:
[50:39] So the the the ebow is like a light it's like a ultraviolet light on this thing and you hold it over the guitar string and it it vibrates the string so it makes it sound like a violin bow henceebow electric bow. Oh okay I had no idea.
Track 3:
[50:57] Me neither.
Track 2:
[50:58] It's an amazing effect and it's really cool um some guys can pull it off with like volume and sustain but like he's not He's using an EBO on this shit.
And it's fucking, it's just a testament to the, like how talented these guys are. how you can.
Take what we've heard for the first five songs of this record and then bring it to this and just you're like transported to New Orleans and just you just I thought I kept thinking I saw NewOrleans in this and then hearing this song I felt like God I wish I could have heard this live at like Red Rocks.
Track 3:
[51:35] Hell yeah yeah oh man.
Track 2:
[51:39] Clear sky completely pitch black No lights, just drop the lights.
Give me a spotlight on Gordon, nothing else.
And Rob Baker during the EBO, but other than that.
Track 1:
[51:49] **Matt Stauffer** Of course.
Track 3:
[51:51] You have to be on psychedelics to use that thing or what? That sounds difficult.
Track 2:
[51:54] **Robert Walsh** Dude, it's hard.
Track 3:
[51:54] **Matt Stauffer** That sounds, yeah.
Track 2:
[51:56] **Robert Walsh** It looks easy and everybody's like, yeah, it's not easy. It's not easy.
Track 1:
[52:04] **Matt Stauffer** All right, let's go to to You're Everywhere and Reel Our Irish In.
Track 2:
[52:12] The, I dug this song. The fucking melody in this song is just, it's wild.
I dug it. I dug it. It has a cool, it straps you in a little bit, like kind of soft and easy, but it just builds.
I feel like the lyrics to this song are scathing.
I didn't dig much into the meaning. But like reading them, just reading them once, I think when I had listened to it a number of times, I was like, Whoa, whoever or whatever this ismaking reference to is a tense subject.
Track 3:
[53:00] Yeah, so to speak. Gord's angry.
Track 1:
[53:03] Can you guys be more specific?
Track 2:
[53:08] If I'd brought up lyrics, I could've.
Track 3:
[53:10] I mean, on that note, I heard this song and I knew these guys were recording in Seattle and I figure that probably at this point in their career, probably not everything is writtenbefore recording, you know, like ahead of time, weeks or anything.
And I imagine these guys, you know, what are they doing, staying in some hotel in Seattle near this recording studio? And the fucking news during this era is nonstop all the time.
You know, it's just like, bad news all the time about the war and GWB.
And I mean, I wrote, you know, the heaviness of this song, I wrote, we're bombarded by by fear, we were then and now, fear and despair, and then driven out to be sold by hope, tarnishedby soldiers dying, or not having proper access to healthcare, or being addicts, or suicide rates, you know, when vets return from all of our glorious wars, and it's just kind of like the bandfeeling.
That the only way that anyone can attack this kind of corporate war machine that's happening is Is to sing about it, you know produce art about it there's a line in there that it keeps theeconomy alive it's like This song is the fuck that bullshit song, you know, you're everywhere point of the war man smedley butler's War is a racket.
Track 2:
[54:38] Yeah, you haven't read it. It's pretty it's pretty quick read Yeah.
Fuck, yeah, I got a lot of what was going on during this time in this record.
It felt very like, if I closed my eyes and listened to this record and I had no idea when it was made, I would have been like, 2003, 2005, somewhere in there.
And not just because of the music itself, but yeah, because the content of it was just But this is another one that has drumsticks sound, putting down the drumsticks at the end.
So this is another one. Yeah. This is the second song that uses a slide too, so I'm not a big fan of the slide, but It's hard to not enjoy it when it's placed properly.
And a song, if it's done well. So I think this song does a good job.
Track 3:
[55:43] I mean, sometimes there's a time and a place. I don't know. It's more of a historical feature to guitar playing for me.
I can't imagine some new song that would really enjoy that's featuring a slide.
Track 1:
[55:58] Well, that's why I was so strange that Vaccination Scar was the first single.
Especially when Heaven is a Better Place Today is such a banger to open the record.
Yeah, why yeah Don't know. Don't know. I mean it wasn't it wasn't having this place better place today Wasn't a single at all. The singles were vaccination scar.
It can't be Nashville every night and then Gus Was the third single which is like pretty ambitious for a band to release that as a, single Yeah are gonna get that. That's right, that's right. Sothey're well past giving a fuck about trying to use singles to bring people in. Yeah, yeah.
Track 3:
[56:46] Which, how wonderful.
Track 1:
[56:48] How wonderful, right?
Track 3:
[56:49] How wonderful.
Track 1:
[56:50] They're just doing it for art's sake.
Track 2:
[56:51] Freeing.
Track 1:
[56:53] Yeah.
Track 3:
[56:54] I mean, I have a close cousin of mine who plays in a band here in Portland, I'll give him a quick plug, 40 feet tall.
And they're super fun. And they just hit it so hard and they have a few total fuck it songs and they do covers every once in a while.
They're courageous in their art, which I love, but it's one of those things also that not everybody gets.
Sometimes I think maybe the hip missed some listeners in the USA because fucking half Half the countries are dipshits.
Track 2:
[57:35] You know what, and Tim, I don't disagree with you on there too, but I will say one thing too, just being from America and now not living there, and I know you've lived in Russiafor for some time too, Tim, but.
I think the difference with Russia and the United States, and this is somebody who hasn't lived in Russia, but there's somebody who's also lived outside the United States.
I think America is the most, probably the most propagandized country in the world that doesn't know it's being propagandized.
Like at least in Russia, you're like, yeah, this is all bullshit, but we just kind of go along with it anyway. The United States, like people actually believe like when they watch like FoxNews or MSNBC, They actually believe the shit they're seeing on TV.
And so when I think about, like both the left and the right, when I think about a band like this, I think like Americans attention span is like that of a fucking housefly.
They couldn't appreciate this fucking band if they had a gun to their head.
Could be. Most couldn't, dude. They just couldn't.
Track 3:
[58:42] Could be.
Track 2:
[58:42] It's just like, and so I think the hip probably just got like, fucking, why are we going to waste our time on these fucking dickheads this was like i said this was a fucking era ofmaroon five and britney spears you know yeah i mean jenny do you have to put explicit lyrics or explicit content on all of these because i just realize i'm dropping a few f-bombs oh yeahyeah okay okay yeah it's and on the old podcast on fully and completely we got a few comments that we swore too much oh really yeah yeah Yeah, Greg and I were like, oh, what thefuck.
It was Sam Elliott, and he was drinking a beer, and he was like, do you have to swear so much, dude?
Track 3:
[59:23] It was all the Toby Keith fans who were like, yeah, I still don't like the hip.
Track 1:
[59:29] Well, we move next into a real banger, coming out of that moody section with New Orleans is beat and you're everywhere.
And we go into as makeshift as you are, or as makeshift as we are.
What did you vibe on that one, Pete?
Track 2:
[59:49] So this song comes on right when I put the quarters into the pool table and I push the slide in and those balls drop and I'm just racking it up.
Racking up a game of pool. That's what this song is for me.
Track 3:
[1:00:06] That's fucking beautiful.
Track 2:
[1:00:08] Popping a cold Coors Light.
There's some really low tone. This is another song and this record really opened up my eyes because I feel like I've been a bit of a fucking Rob Baker fanboy. I'll cop to that.
Track 1:
[1:00:26] No.
Track 2:
[1:00:27] Last couple of pods, but Paul Langlois is a fucking solid guitar player, dude.
You don't notice it unless you look to it. As a matter of fact, one of the things I was thinking of on this song...
And also this week and I was watching some live hit videos and I challenge anybody in the community to do this.
Listen to a song or and or watch a live recording a live, you know, performance.
Watch it five times and each time focus on the instrument of the person you're focusing on and listen to them play their instrument.
It is fucking cool. And I did that a number of times with Paul Aigloire.
I've done it many times with Rob Baker more than I care to admit.
Track 3:
[1:01:25] But no, Paul- Are you having dreams about him?
Track 2:
[1:01:29] No, no, no, I'm making wisecracks. But it's easy to, it's easy to, the focus to just go right to gourd when the chorus hits or he does some fucking amazing shit.
But if you really focus on the individual instruments, you will see how fucking polished these musicians are.
Track 3:
[1:01:48] Yeah, super pro.
Track 2:
[1:01:49] And then one line that stuck out to me, I love the bridge in the song.
I love the harmonies when they all come in together because it feels like the whole band singing.
As Gord says, let's shake some snow off his shoulders. And I fucking love that line.
And there's a rimshot drum hit at the end of the song. So this is the last one where you can hear the drums at the end of the song. Just a little...
That's cool. That's cool fucking love it.
Track 3:
[1:02:24] Yeah, I dug how Gord just stepped up again his kind of octave, you know, like at the two-minute mark he, I Don't know this up this song I thought like my wife and my kid needto leave the house so I can just completely Crank it cuz this one like could crack the plaster in the walls of my own You know, it's just it's a shaker.
It's ultimately, I thought like this was a It's a song about how we're all different but the same, you know?
It's not necessarily a, well it's kind of a, can we all get along?
But it's like, let's really look and see each other work together.
This is, there's themes, it's amazing in this album, there are themes that progress through it, which is fucking cool.
Like not many, to me, not many artists actually do that unless, you know, you're Morrissey and you're singing about being depressed every single goddamn song.
But yeah, this song could crack walls. It's loaded. It's awesome in the car, a total sing-along.
This one, I don't know, it fit really well with the placement of all the tracks.
It just works. It's good.
Track 1:
[1:03:40] What do you guys think it means when he says lead never leaves your system no matter who you are That we're all fucking human.
Track 3:
[1:03:47] That's what I think like, right, you know, like and also Also, you know, mind your words, mind your actions. You know, that's kind of what it means to me.
Track 2:
[1:04:01] JD, I don't know, I mean it's 2004 so there's no references to Flint, Michigan, but I have a feeling Gord would have had some shit to say about that, had he done it.
Track 1:
[1:04:13] Oh boy, than he ever. Yeah, he would have been down there with Michael Moore for sure.
Track 3:
[1:04:17] He'd have raised a billion dollars for that system that still isn't fixed.
Track 1:
[1:04:20] Yeah. Fucking bitches. in Northern Canada that don't have water, that don't have potable water.
Like indigenous communities that don't have water. Like, are you kidding me?
Track 2:
[1:04:34] Yeah, but not to one-up you, Canada, but did your prime minister go to those towns and drink a glass of water and say, it's delicious? No.
Because ours did. Thanks, Obama.
That was such a shit stunt, man. They still got dirty water there, man. Poor fucking people.
Track 1:
[1:04:56] All right. Mean Streak. This is one of the longer songs on the record, up 4.10. Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:05:01] Yeah. I thought this was kind of, I mean, contextually it's maybe, conceptually, I should say, it's maybe about like the old west and, you know, raping and pillaging land and thosekinds of themes that we've become accustomed with the hit.
Let's see what was one of the lyrics. The way the dust clings to the air after the stranger has been here. I mean that's that's so ominous or something.
That's just such a heavy, heavy line.
There's this really nice kind of lazy, lovely, lazy lead guitar happening.
What else did I have on this one? The drum and the bass together, which often is super.
I don't know, this one made me hear, made me notice that drums and bass guitar throughout this album are just a little bit, they're like, we went from a V8 to a 12 or something, Like wejust went bigger, so I love that.
[1:06:14] I also heard in this one a little bit of Pearl Jam. Like there's some kind of Pearl Jam sound happening here, which doesn't by any means bother me.
And this was, you know, big beginning of big, or no, we're into the Pearl Jam era at this point. Well into it.
And then we get like two minutes of Gord kind of singing in the shadows, but we get like two minutes of music in the final part of the song.
And I love when they do that. I love that they could throw a track in an album where their confidence level is like so easily attained that they just can play two minutes of a song withoutmuch lyrics going on and just end it.
End it. I dig that when they get to that point.
Track 1:
[1:07:05] Yeah, it's nice that the band gets to showcase themselves as well, because this is a band that, unless I'm mistaken, I don't think there's any instrumentals, like ever on any of therecords.
This is a band that I would totally listen to an instrumental track, you know?
Track 3:
[1:07:23] Yeah, yeah, big time.
Track 2:
[1:07:26] What do you think of Mean Street? No, I think you're rigged in terms of instrumentals.
I don't think there is and I would fucking absolutely.
I mean, I dug it, I kind of got a little bit of Western vibe to it, certainly ominous.
The song builds musically, and this is another one where it's like a testament to the quality of musicians because I think the song itself like chord structures and even like if you just listento the words and you don't think about what they mean can be a bit monotonous But because the band is so good and they just know how to build a fucking song like a.
Track 3:
[1:08:16] Fucking architects.
Track 2:
[1:08:17] Yeah, did you ever play Legos when you were a kid? Yeah. Yeah, they had fucking Legos, right?
Whatever. And, you know, there were some Lego sets that were fucking easy as shit and there were other ones like, I remember I had the Monorail when I was a kid and that shit wasfucking hard to build if you were like seven.
It wasn't easy, it took some time.
But these guys, I feel like whatever song they're going to build, they just take it out of the fucking box and they put it together.
They got the directions, they know, they don't even need the directions, they just build it. And this is a fucking, yeah, this is a great tune.
I don't have much more to say about this one, I echo what Tim said.
Track 1:
[1:08:56] Let's move on to the heart of the melt.
Track 3:
[1:08:58] Hey, let's take two, I got a bio break happening. A little bio break? Yeah.
Track 2:
[1:09:03] Alright.
Track 3:
[1:09:05] Bio?
Track 1:
[1:09:06] I'm like, bio, biology. Just gotta take a pee-pee.
Track 2:
[1:09:10] I'm gonna do the same.
Track 1:
[1:09:11] Alright, I'll see you in a minute. I'm gonna do the same.
I'll see you guys all this can't keep up with your young man, Perth break All right, see you guys in two.
What pavement shirt you got on there, buddy?
Track 2:
[1:10:32] Oh yeah.
Track 1:
[1:10:33] Which one have you got?
Track 2:
[1:10:35] That's the slow century one I got at the show in Copenhagen.
Track 1:
[1:10:40] One night in Copenhagen?
Track 2:
[1:10:42] Yeah, we're getting there. We're almost there. Next song. Oh, man. I am beat, dude.
I fucking, oh, I'm not looking forward to this week, man. I'm telling you.
Track 1:
[1:10:55] This is recording week? No, next week is recording week.
Track 2:
[1:10:58] Next week, but I'm preparing. East is going to Ibiza on Wednesday.
Friday morning and Friday day, midday, I'm driving to Puerto Blanco to work.
So, I'm going to go to Ibiza. on Wednesday, Friday morning and Friday day, midday I'm driving to Puerto Blanco to work the weekend, Sunday I have to drive out to Sevilla which is likea three-hour drive after the two and a half hour drive on fucking Friday and then we're gonna be there all week and just like oh.
Oh, is what it is, man is what it is, but is what it is.
Yeah, and I'm just trying to, I've been trying to record some just last minute demos to make sure everything is.
Track 1:
[1:11:42] Are you happy?
Track 2:
[1:11:42] Are you clear?
Track 1:
[1:11:43] Are you happy with what you got to to lay down?
Track 2:
[1:11:46] Um, I wouldn't say that. No, I'm not. All right. You know, I guess we'll see. I don't feel branches.
I don't feel I feel super confident. Oh, look at you, Tim. Nice of you to bring something for everybody else.
Track 1:
[1:12:00] Yeah, thanks. I'd like a mimosa. Yeah. Like a mimosa, Mr. Leiden.
Little pancake action?
Track 3:
[1:12:10] Pancakes with some peanut butter and some kind of maple syrup made in Memphis. Just kidding.
Track 1:
[1:12:18] Memphis maple syrup?
Track 3:
[1:12:19] Just kidding. Come on.
Track 1:
[1:12:20] Okay.
Track 2:
[1:12:26] JD's like, what are you talking about, man?
Track 1:
[1:12:28] Well, I'm not big on Canadian maple syrup, blah, blah, blah.
Track 2:
[1:12:30] Oh, you have to be.
Track 3:
[1:12:32] Oh, dude.
Track 2:
[1:12:33] We are. Yeah, okay.
Track 1:
[1:12:35] Fuck yeah, dude.
Track 2:
[1:12:36] You know what a small bottle of... Go ahead, sorry.
Track 1:
[1:12:39] I prefer table syrup to maple syrup.
Track 3:
[1:12:41] Boo!
Track 1:
[1:12:42] Aunt Jemima. Yeah, isn't that funny? My wife just cringes. She cringes.
The Canadian cringe? That she has to buy that shit. Yeah. Anyway, sure.
Track 2:
[1:12:50] You know what a bottle of maple syrup... Like a bottle like this big of maple syrup goes for in Spain?
Track 3:
[1:12:58] 12 euros.
Track 2:
[1:13:00] Try like, you know, 15, 16. Ooh!
Track 1:
[1:13:02] Really?
Track 2:
[1:13:05] Oh, yeah, like legit Canadian maple syrup.
Track 1:
[1:13:07] Wow.
Track 2:
[1:13:08] I should have known that to bring you to bring you some No, I mean bring me a case and go sell it dude.
Track 3:
[1:13:15] Let's let's let's container over some barrels That's what I'm thinking fucking bottle it there There you go cheaper labor in Spain The capitalists in them comes out Yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
Track 1:
[1:13:36] All right, let's jump back in.
Yeah, we gotta jump back in. The Heart of the Melt.
Track 2:
[1:13:43] The Heart of the Melt.
Track 1:
[1:13:46] Strange title. Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:13:49] I mean, love song, you know? It's not about a heart.
Track 2:
[1:13:55] This is a, no, it's a patty melt?
Track 3:
[1:14:01] Tuna melt?
Track 1:
[1:14:02] Moons over my hammy.
Track 2:
[1:14:04] I feel like this song, this song really the guitar, the the record turned super guitar heavy.
Once this song like hits, like it just it just shifts the record.
There's I mean, a complete Neil. If you don't hear the opening of Keep Keep on Rocking in the Free World and you're fucking high, which could very well be. I mean you guys are inCanada.
Track 3:
[1:14:32] Well, I think two out of three today at least Yeah, oh, I don't know definitely Um, there's maybe we're three for three today. I don't know. I don't want to fold it.
Track 2:
[1:14:45] No, I wish. Okay, I wish this.
Yeah, this song is is just turns really heavy. I fucking love it.
Track 1:
[1:14:55] Almost punky almost right? Like it's almost like the vocal melody is really crunchy.
You're right. It's got that Neil Young. Keep on rocking the free world going.
Yeah, it's and then that reference to Joni Mitchell in there. Yeah. I love that. Yeah.
Track 2:
[1:15:17] Yeah, there's some time signature changes constantly with the drums and just Johnny Faye, just fucking, I feel like there's a lot of him on this record, like more than other records,like where he just is like, hey guys, I'm gonna do my thing.
And they're like, okay, because it just, he takes the reins on this song.
Just just in terms of the drums and like how everything changes.
I think it's fucking cool and it sounds easy, it sounds cool, it sounds fun, but it's not fucking easy man.
A lot of people can pull that shit off, but he does it really fucking well, so yeah I dug it man. What about you Tim?
Track 3:
[1:15:59] I mean, I dug it too. This is like, uh, just sitting here talking through it and...
I don't know, this is a song that I guess maybe an album that would just be easy to hang out and listen to.
I mean, I just want to put this album on and be in kind of that era and have people over, you know?
This is one of those albums that if I could have had it in this time and place, it would have been something I would have been playing start to finish as an album during these times, youknow, I wish I would have had it.
This this song, though, the the line, the dorsal fin, you cannot swim for a guy who spent a lot of time in the ocean and had some run in with not a shark.
But whole nother story for another podcast, large salmon.
No, like that's I love that line. The door is a great line. Dorsal fin, you cannot swim. I mean, that's just he's got a thing with sharks, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Track 1:
[1:17:01] The song called Sharks.
Track 3:
[1:17:02] Lots of animals.
Track 1:
[1:17:04] In the Dark Canuck, he talks about Jaws, you know?
Track 3:
[1:17:09] There's this massive guitar, like, Pete, the last 30 seconds, the guitar is just...
Track 2:
[1:17:15] Yeah, this song, it changes the vibe of the record, I think. Yeah, yeah.
Track 3:
[1:17:19] What the fuck am I doing here? But in its place, in the track order, again, you know, I kind of look at albums like chapters of a book.
It's fucking awesome. I mean, it just fits.
And I thought like this one live, if that last 30 seconds of guitar could just fuzz out and go to 45 seconds or what have you, like if that could just be drizzled a little bit longer, it'd be good.
I mean, that was a fun song. I don't, I mean, thematically, conceptually, I don't know, some Joni Mitchell references, I guess, in there from what I read, but I just felt like it was some kindof love song and just left it there.
Cool. Yeah. One night in Copenhagen. Yeah.
Track 1:
[1:18:07] When the drugs hit you. Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:18:09] So, I mean, I know Pete was in Copenhagen the past year, right?
Was that your first time there?
Track 2:
[1:18:17] It was. It was my first time there.
Track 3:
[1:18:19] Okay. Yeah.
Track 2:
[1:18:19] Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:18:20] So, I almost bought tickets to the same show Pete went to in Copenhagen.
I remember. What month was that? What month was it?
Track 2:
[1:18:27] It was right before Halloween, I think. Okay.
Track 1:
[1:18:30] It was in October.
Track 3:
[1:18:31] Yeah.
Track 2:
[1:18:32] Yeah.
Track 1:
[1:18:33] Yeah, because it was after I saw them in the UK.
Track 3:
[1:18:36] Yeah. I'm curious to find out more, but I know Copenhagen's pretty liberal city and fast forward thinking and sustainability kind of off the charts, just great sounding city, country.It's weird, man.
Track 2:
[1:18:53] It's weird, like, dude, living here, man, it's so funny because I feel like The more like liberal and sustainable a city is, they are, and then you like look and then you'll see somethingand be like, well, what the fuck is that?
That's like crazy fascist right wing fucking 1945 shit right there, because like you'll see little.
You experienced that in Copenhagen?
Oh, I did experience it in Copenhagen. I experienced it in Spain here.
Track 3:
[1:19:24] Yeah.
Track 2:
[1:19:26] Spain is super liberal in so many things and like other things are just like, dude, I thought Franco was dead.
Like, you're like, I mean, it's just weird, like, yeah, I feel like the more a country is like balanced, you're like, yeah, it's liberal, it's conservative, then you're just like, everything's kind ofthe same.
But when something's like, one way towards the other, then whatever the, the outlying thing is, will be equally as extreme.
I don't know if that makes sense, but I saw that a couple times in Copenhagen I was like this is this is like a liberal bastion. I love it, and then I wanted to do things.
Track 3:
[1:20:04] I was like whoa That really stands out Well during this era Specifically the I don't know if it still exists, but there apparently there's a neighborhood in Copenhagen.
That's Christian, you know, okay That's known for the weed the fucking weed Yeah, okay good good I wonder that's the reference in the song like when the drugs hit you the thing yeahYeah, I hope so.
That's what I imagined, you know there's a reference here to the deers fluorescent and When I heard that I didn't even know what Gord had said and had to you know later stop and lookthis one up and look it up and look it up and look it up and it was like what the fuck how did he pick this up or even consider it?
Track 1:
[1:20:58] What did you discover?
Track 3:
[1:20:59] Well, it's, I couldn't get into it, because.
Was going to take much more time in Nerddom, and I didn't put that in.
But it's basically, from what I deduced, a wavelength measurement of fluorescence. Oh, wow.
So I think his reference in Nadir's Fluorescent is the idea of being on stage or the, you know, being under the lights.
That's the only thing I could pick up there. But then there's this lyric, which took me to another place, which often happens with their songs.
The shriek of a gull suspended in air, the sound of the town, anywhere, anywhere.
And JD and I were in Porto, Portugal, last, let's see, 20, what, what, give me the time frame, JD.
June of, yeah, June of 22. Yeah. Or 21. 22. 22.
And one night while we were there, we were kind of in north of Porto, Portugal, and one night, late in the night, there was this fucking fireworks show out of nowhere. I think a club lit offfireworks.
Track 1:
[1:22:07] That's right.
Track 3:
[1:22:09] And the gulls, all the seagulls, I mean, we're on the coast.
How many seagulls? I don't know. 6,000? Many.
But the gulls flipped out and screamed for like 20 minutes after the fireworks ended. It was so surreal and weird.
It just took me back to that night, you know, laying in bed.
Track 1:
[1:22:29] That's cool.
Track 3:
[1:22:29] It's going out with the birds. Yeah, that's the kind of epic gift of The Hip is they can take you places. And this song took me to Copenhagen.
I have a friend living there who I worked with in Russia, who I haven't really connected with, but she's like, you gotta come here.
And I knew Pete had gone to a show there because I looked into flights to fucking go more into debt to follow that damn band, Pavement.
But didn't pull the trigger i was really close so so i was like ah copenhagen this this the shriek of the goal i mean this, It's just an amazing tune. It just kind of took me all over. It was great.
Track 2:
[1:23:11] Yeah, it's a fucking cool tune. I'll have to tell you, I mean, I don't think we have time for it, so we'll save it for another time, but I'll tell you my Christiania story, FreetownChristiania story next episode. So stay tuned. Oh, yeah.
No, it's it's a it's interesting.
Copenhagen is an interesting town. I really dug it.
Track 3:
[1:23:37] Maybe we maybe we do a special episode JD will just special bonus episode just talk about how how he got way too high one night and freaked out.
Track 2:
[1:23:48] Well, it's so that that whole town I'll tell you real quick.
I won't even give you I'm not gonna give you the story of what happen there.
But I think that the Deere's fluorescent may be just a reference to something in Freetown there.
It's an artist colony.
[1:24:12] Picture Laguna Beach, which you know, Tim, all every art gallery, but like, not fancy, not Ferraris and BMWs driving around just like total hippies from the 60s and 70s.
Not safe. A lot of drugs. Yeah. And not to diss it, but it's like it's not people think of it as like this.
You know what people think of when they're bright eyed and bushy tailed to move to San Francisco and I get there and I'm just like oh fuck this is not like it was in the storybooks.
It's the real world and anyway there's a lot of like...
Funky fluorescent art galleries there so that's right okay cool I digress yeah well I'll tell you that Freetown story soon but subscribe to the bonus feed everybody we'll each do an episodeabout some city we were in and something happened, are we family?
Track 3:
[1:25:22] Are we family? I mean, come on, this, this song, it's, it's, it's a heavy one, you know, it's like, after I heard it, it was, it was a time and place song.
And that means for me, like, probably only going to listen to it if I can sit down and have dedicated time to it, or it's just way in the background.
It's just not something like this one comes on the radio, and I'm not ready for it, I literally would go to something else.
Not because I don't like it, but I think it's just heavy material.
It's family strife, it's struggles of cohabitating, and it's also like fucking racism.
There's some reference here to a British Columbia teenager, Rina Virk, who was basically beaten to death by students in B.C.
[1:26:16] Yeah, this song's fucking loaded.
Her story to be embedded into this, it's just kind of this sad tune.
It sounds a little bit hopeless. It sounds like there's fucking great clouds that moved in.
It's doomful, you know? But then the last minute of the song, it kind of comes together and it feels like love can still win or be triumphant, there was a lot of feelings for me in this song.
It almost felt like in that last minute also, I don't know if it's the guitars or what, but it felt like a horn section could have come in and just pronounced that this song is about life and beingkind to everybody, no matter what.
And I just like, I don't know, this is like a, come on, people!
After watching the new song, you know, it's like, fuck.
Still dealing with social issues with our not real evolution in this life.
That's kind of where I went. Wah! Heavy!
Track 2:
[1:27:28] Yeah, it's a heavy tune. I mean, the opening lick is fucking, pfft, pfft.
I get some heavy Pearl Jam vibes from this tune. Sure. You know, I could say so much about the tune.
It's a beautiful tune. If you haven't heard it, go fucking listen to it.
I mean, I'm not gonna wax poetically as I so often do on, on like.
The musicality of it and all that shit. Just what this song made me feel and think.
Gord's phrasing was beautiful. It was fucking amazing.
And I think he's a genius. But then I also started to think, I was like, you know what? Everybody's a genius.
Even the most horrible person in the world is a genius.
And I really truly mean that. Like, think of the person that you fucking hate the most. And they're a genius.
Einstein had a great quote that said, everybody's a genius, but if you ask a fish to climb a tree, it will always feel stupid.
[1:28:39] And bringing it back to this song is, thankfully, I think everybody, I probably butchered that quote, by the way, it's not verbatim, but it's a great quote.
You know, Gord, thankfully for everybody in Canada and everybody listening is that we were able to like have the genius of this band, primarily right here, Gord Downie, recordedbecause you can see the progression over time, because I feel like this song is just like So fucking, how did this come to be created, this fucking song?
And with the title, Are We Family, towards the end, Gord Sinclair comes in with some really super sweet bass.
I feel like every member of the band gets kind of a moment to shine in this song.
They have like a little part where their instrument or their voice or their, however their contribution is, is a little bit higher volume than everybody else. And it's fucking cool. beautifulsong.
Anyway, that's what I got to say about Are We Family.
Track 3:
[1:29:47] Agreed, agreed.
Track 1:
[1:29:49] All right. Well, then we wrap up the record with Goodnight Josephine.
Track 2:
[1:30:01] Goodnight Josephine. I really like this song. I thought the na na na na na's were way out of character for the band, but it was cool and fitting.
It was sad.
I was a little, I was a little partial here to the guitars and kind of the way they helped build the song, because I feel like.
And you guys know, I really dig the guitars mostly in this band because I play guitar and I pay attention to those just by default, sometimes more than other things.
But at some point, the song is just running along beautifully.
And then Rob Baker comes in and just fucking pushes everybody out of the way.
He kind of steps on it. Yeah, he does.
I don't think in a bad way, but he just comes in, he's like, He's like, hey, motherfuckers, like maybe he walks in the studio drunk or he's like, time for my solo, man. He just does it. I don'tmean disrespect. He just does it.
Track 3:
[1:31:13] It's totally true, though. And I think maybe it's what helped steer this song into being a fade out song, you know?
Honestly, this song could have, you know, half, two thirds way through, it just could have been different. And it's a fade out song.
This is like another song where I can hear horns, but they're not there. You know, I don't know.
I, I really kind of have this, uh, yearning to produce an album and be around.
And I wish I could sit in on hip recordings, like one or two times per albums and just give a nugget, you know, it would be, that would be like a dream job for me, but next week, man.
Track 2:
[1:32:00] Poke your plate.
Track 3:
[1:32:01] We need a producer. We need a live fundraiser happening, starting now.
Anyways, I thought this was a great ender. I don't know what it's about, or who it's about, or what it might be. It might be just...
It's some song about Josephine. There's so many Josephines in history.
There's many historical Josephine characters, I think. I don't know.
Who knows what was going on in Gordon?
Track 2:
[1:32:28] Probably was good live, man.
Track 3:
[1:32:29] Yeah.
Track 2:
[1:32:30] I bet.
Track 1:
[1:32:30] He really pushes the vocals in this song. Yeah. Near the end when he's like, good night, good night.
Track 3:
[1:32:36] Yeah.
Track 1:
[1:32:37] You know, like just so great.
Track 3:
[1:32:39] It was, to me, it was a good conclusion to an album that I was happy to enjoy the listening process through, you know, the, not to beat it up more, but in Violet Light, like I respectthe art of it and everything that it is, but listening to In Between Evolution, this is one of the hip albums for me where I was like, whew, good.
For what I seek, yearn from the hip, this is kind of that DNA, that makeup of tracks to comprise an album.
It was a good one for me. It was a pretty fun listen. And maybe, I don't know, maybe, I hate to say it, because we haven't listened to them all, but maybe one of my favorites so far, album-wise.
I had fun with this one. I listened to it, probably the most of all the ones we've listened to yet.
Maybe we're coming out, I mean, this is not aired during winter, but maybe it's part of coming out of winter in fucking Portland, Oregon.
I don't know. Summer, a song about summer, you know, it's just lots of great themes in this album and just, it was good.
Track 1:
[1:33:55] I feel like it really, with Goodnight Josephine, it really leaves you on a good footing for the next record.
The sequencing of this record is really good. And Goodnight Josephine is a perfect last song to just sort of set you up and go, okay, we're going to be back in two more years.
I don't think they were back in two years. I think the next record came out three years later, which was their first sort of deviation from the two two-year mark.
I might be wrong, but it just leaves you feeling great. Just great. I love it.
Track 3:
[1:34:39] I'm bummed you didn't see this tour, J.D.
Track 1:
[1:34:42] Me too.
Track 3:
[1:34:43] I'm slapping you a little bit for that. I'm curious.
Track 1:
[1:34:46] And your slap is a gift, my friend.
Track 3:
[1:34:48] I'm just curious to know if there's a story there or not or what.
Track 2:
[1:34:53] Well done, J.D. Yeah. Yeah.
Track 1:
[1:34:54] Well done. Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:34:56] I didn't say where I was slapping you.
Track 1:
[1:35:00] Wow, either way it's GIF. Now the hard part!
Your mvp track for your playlists and i've decided i've decided i'll edit this part out but i've decided that when you guys uh have your playlists you guys have to sequence them as wellfuck like because you otherwise it's just going to be in order and it's going to go the first ep like to like it'll it'll sound so weird to start with the first ep and end with man machine poemyou know like i think you guys should have to yeah put a little bit of put a put a little bit of scratch into them.
Track 3:
[1:35:34] All right, we can take a go at that.
Track 1:
[1:35:36] That sounds fun. Yeah, so your MVP track for this record that'll go on the playlist, Timmy on a Lemmy.
Track 3:
[1:35:45] Pete, how about I guess yours and you guess mine? Do you wanna play that game?
Track 2:
[1:35:49] Yeah, totally, I'll play that game.
Track 3:
[1:35:51] I think you're all about Gus.
Track 2:
[1:35:53] You fucker. And you're all about Summer Is Killin' Us.
Track 3:
[1:35:59] Yeah, bro, of course. August birthday, of course, Summer's Killing Us.
Oh, that's so fantastic.
Track 2:
[1:36:06] That was too easy. That was too easy.
Track 3:
[1:36:08] Too easy. I mean, there's some other good ones here, of course.
Track 2:
[1:36:11] Totally.
Track 3:
[1:36:12] I really liked You're Everywhere. Mean Streak, I listened to for something that's more serene. I don't know.
I listened to that one two times. There's a couple of songs on this one I listened to twice in a row. And I'm starting to do that with these albums where I get to a song and it finishes and I goright back and hear it again on first listen.
Track 1:
[1:36:34] Wow.
Track 3:
[1:36:34] Yeah. But then One Night in Copenhagen was that too. I really dug that song, so.
There are some good ones here for me. I was. There's some good ones for sure.
Yeah, I didn't even microdose that week while listening, so here we are.
Track 1:
[1:36:48] You macrodosed. No. You hit the whole goddamn mushroom.
Track 3:
[1:36:54] The whole bag.
Track 1:
[1:36:56] Oh man. I wish I was there.
Track 3:
[1:37:00] They're legal here, so here we are.
Track 1:
[1:37:03] That's what we got for you this week. Hope you enjoyed yourself.
As always, it's my pleasure to be joined by you two. You guys are doing a great job with this.
I'm envious that you're getting to hear these songs for the first time.
But through you, I'm getting to hear them for the first time again, and that's really rewarding for me. So thanks so much, guys.
Track 3:
[1:37:26] Yeah, I just wish we could Play a whole album loudly somewhere and drink beers and hang out, you know, we're due for that.
Track 2:
[1:37:34] I have a feeling it's gonna happen Let's do it Yeah, hear that from from Timmy's mouth to God's ears All right, boys.
Track 1:
[1:37:45] We'll talk to you next week.
Track 3:
[1:37:46] Thanks for your day fellas.
Join jD, Pete, and Tim as they welcome 50 Mission to the podcast. 50 Mission will be playing at the finale event and you can learn more about them by visiting their website https://www.50missionband.com/
Transcript
TrTrack 2:
[0:00] So have you guys met each other here?
Track 1:
[0:03] Yeah, this is Steve. I'm Steve.
Track 3:
[0:06] I'm Ron.
Track 1:
[0:07] Ike. Ike plays bass.
Alirio, I'm the nice drummer. The nice looking drummer.
Yeah, he's got a weird accent. So you may have to ask what you're saying.
Yeah, there's a couple accents there. Latino accent. I might switch to Spanish.
Track 2:
[0:26] Yeah.
Track 1:
[0:28] In Spain, I already speak Spanish.
Track 3:
[0:30] Where are you from?
Track 1:
[0:32] Originally from Venezuela. Venezuela.
Track 3:
[0:37] And I heard another accent there, too.
Track 1:
[0:43] No, just one. The invi... Oh, different Canadian, oh, maybe, maybe, uh...
Maybe like Newfie accent. Newfie accent, yeah, yeah. Canadian, but... I don't think so.
Track 3:
[0:55] Where do they live? Where do you guys live at?
Track 1:
[0:58] We're in the Brantford area, pretty much all of us. Yeah, it's like 100 kilometers west of Toronto.
So we're about that area, yeah.
Yeah, pretty much from where Jamie's from. Yeah. Yeah, I'm just north of Waterford.
We're actually just north of Boston, Jamie.
Track 2:
[1:18] Oh, okay.
Track 1:
[1:20] East of Boston, sorry, yeah. Where are you from, Jamie?
Track 2:
[1:24] I grew up in Waterford.
Track 1:
[1:25] Oh, there you go. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we played the old town hall there a couple times.
Track 2:
[1:32] Yeah, it's a cool venue, right?
Track 1:
[1:34] Oh, it's a great venue. The stage is beautiful. It's just a really nice place.
I mean, I would love to go see a band there, right?
Track 2:
[1:41] Yeah, I saw Huxley Workman there.
Track 1:
[1:42] Nice. Yeah. Yeah, and I saw the Sheepdogs there three years ago.
Yeah. Oh, wow. It was great, yeah. It was packed with the Sheepdogs.
Track 3:
[1:51] How'd you guys all meet? I was gonna say- Oh, go ahead, JD.
Track 2:
[1:54] No, no, man. No, no, no. Have you met Tim and Pete?
Track 1:
[1:59] Yes.
Track 2:
[1:59] Yeah. Okay, so I was late.
Track 1:
[2:02] So see, that's, you know, it's all I know is, all I know is I have where to stay in Spain and Oregon.
Track 4:
[2:08] Si, si, si.
Track 3:
[2:12] Trust me, there's a lot of nice, there's a lot nicer places in Spain to stay than my house.
Track 4:
[2:19] Venga aqui, si. Bienvenidos.
Track 1:
[2:23] Yeah, as far as how we met, it varies. Ron and I played in a band previously.
It's the first time I've been a singer in the band. I've always been a drummer.
I sang songs from the drums, but came up front. So Ron and I were in a band previously.
Steve is a friend of Ron's. Yeah, I've known Ron probably close to 20 years now. I joined a band and he was the other guitar player he joined it to, and we hit it off pretty good.
And then we ended up quitting that band. Turned out we were also living quite close.
We were practically neighbors and didn't realize it. Oh yeah.
[3:01] Okay. And as far as Ike, Ike's brother of Trisha used to be a singer in another band I was in, so.
Ike and I have known each other for, 10 years at least. Not longer, yeah.
And Illyrio was in a band with some buddies of mine as the drummer, so that's how Leroy and I know each other.
And we actually played soccer together like 15 years ago. Yeah.
We've played soccer together for a long time, too, so.
Track 3:
[3:38] Did we lose, did you guys lose me or did I lose you?
Track 1:
[3:42] I lost you for a minute there, Pete, but you're back.
Track 3:
[3:45] Okay, well, at least the question got answered about Ike and his brother.
Hopefully it was cool. Sorry. Can I ask one more question? Oh, Tim, go ahead.
Track 4:
[3:57] I just got. I was just gonna ask who out of the five of you has seen The Hip play the most times, had seen them play the most times?
Track 1:
[4:06] I've actually never seen them play.
Track 4:
[4:10] Oh, okay, you're part of our club.
Track 1:
[4:14] Me neither, fun fact, my daughter, she actually saw them in 2017 in a school event, And I've never got to see them.
Track 4:
[4:22] Oh, wow.
Track 1:
[4:26] Okay. that. It's probably me then. I've probably seen them 12, 15 times over the years.
Yeah, I saw them on the last tour, neat little stories, the guy went to high school, when I had, the first time I saw them was a roadside attraction in Kiyoka at the Speedway, yeah samething, yeah, JD was probably, I think Oliver Waterford was there because it was so close.
But a buddy of mine, well, JD, you know, Bill Ella, right?
Track 2:
[5:03] Yeah, yeah.
Track 1:
[5:03] So Bill and Bill and I went to our first hip concert together.
And then when my fiance and I got tickets for the last tour, we got four tickets and I called him up said, Hey, man, we got to see the last one together too. So he jumped right on it. So himand his wife joined us. It was great.
Track 2:
[5:21] It's pretty special. What venue do you go to?
Track 1:
[5:24] We saw them at ACC.
Track 2:
[5:27] Oh wow, nice. Yeah, in Toronto. Yeah. Oh, man.
Track 1:
[5:31] Yeah. Yeah, yeah, it wasn't a dry eye in the place. It was pretty special, man. Yeah.
Track 3:
[5:41] Do you guys, and I ask this strictly, this is not like, you know, any remotely thing, judgmental, it's just a curious thing as far as musicians, but because I have a friend that wasplaying, he played a while in a tribute band for Floyd and then also one for Oasis, and he likes Floyd a lot, but he was like not an Oasis fan, but he played in it because, you know, Gigs agig. It's fun and it's cool.
But like do you I would imagine that all of you guys genuinely like the tragic We have at least to some degree.
Track 1:
[6:16] Oh, yeah, or if not dig the shit out of them Yeah, and it's a riot to play it is so much fun to play the music it's lots of energy and I have an absolute riot playing it It looks like it fromthe videos i've seen I didn't know that many songs until I joined this band.
I only knew a couple, like New Orleans is Sinking or probably Little Bones, but then these guys got me into them.
Now that's all I hear. Oh, wow. So I love them so much and that's all I hear. it now.
And I used to play like a really like you name it from from Metallica down to Bird Jam to Foo Fighters and now my favorite is Tragically Here.
So yeah it's uh it's interesting when we play a show that uh, the fun part for me is not only playing the show and the people are into it like everybody you know that everybody's coming tosee the show knows the songs see they're going going to be singing.
But after the show, the number of people that come up and want to tell you about the time they saw the hip or they have a story about when they met one of the members of the hip.
So people just reconnect at our shows, which is a fun part for me.
Track 4:
[7:37] Sure, that's amazing.
Track 2:
[7:38] Yeah, it's like a community, right?
Track 1:
[7:40] Oh, absolutely, yeah.
Track 3:
[7:43] Yeah, and I mean, I gotta say, I've seen, obviously, not anything hip related, but like, for example, I remember seeing a Zeppelin tribute band that was really good, that I just kind oflike, I mean, I'm a diehard Zeppelin fan, like, you know, all eight studio records just flow through my veins and seeing that show was like, you know, I was like, OK, it's cool. And then Iwas just so wildly impressed.
Like, I'm not the guy because I play, you know, you play, you play a gig, kind of like put your guitar, put your instruments away, go to the bar, have a beer, check out for the night,especially if it's a long show and you're tired.
But like I was like, I got to go tell these people how fucking great they sounded and And how during this tune, the communication breakdown, he hit the solo perfect.
That's so cool that you have people that... Because it's a testament to you guys being fucking really good at your craft and knowing how to play to the crowd. I can't wait to see you guys.
Track 1:
[8:56] Thank you, Lola. Yeah, we have a blast.
[9:00] Yeah, so these guys always mention, you know, when we're learning a song, they've got a a lot harder than I do, but a lot of folks who either don't play instruments or folks whoaren't hip fans that are playing instruments say, oh yeah, those songs are easy.
But I'm sure these guys can tell you that they're not easy. There's all kinds of stuff going on. No way.
Yeah, you've gotta really hit it to get the nuance of the song and the notes, but I don't know if you guys have examples, but. Two guitar parts are so very complementary to each other.
There's really no rhythm or lead. There's just two guitars.
And without one, the other just doesn't sound right. You have to have those two parts like the record, and then it gives you that sound.
Yeah. So we're very picky about the sound. We use the right instruments.
We try and use the right equipment wherever we can and re-crease that sound, like the record, as close as we can, right?
Track 3:
[10:05] Yep. The general rule with music, too, is if it sounds really hard, chances are it's not, and if it sounds really easy, chances are it's not, right?
Track 1:
[10:16] Isn't that the case? That is right. As I was saying, I used to play what I thought they were the hardest song to play, like the Foo Fighters, to name a few.
But then I thought, okay, this doesn't sound difficult. man, I was wrong.
It is difficult, it is, because it's just, we need to connect, like, you know, we need to be in sync to actually make it sound right, which is very interesting, and I love doing that. And theseguys are awesome.
Yeah for that band, that's it Yeah, we're very lucky that everybody has the same ambition to make it sound like that.
You know when everybody's in the groove it the music becomes a Uh part of the vocals everything.
Yeah, it's one. It's a rare commodity Yeah, yes And we're lucky to look it lucky to have a guy that's on ligar like it's just It's just amazing.
[11:07] Sometimes it's just man. It's just something great.
It's I mean musically we are there and we have a good rhythm and we you know, we understand each other But what make a sound right is this guy here, right? This is something greatHopefully you'd like it, too I'm sure we will.
[11:26] We won't even talk about bass because Based on some of the bass runs and and stuff is pretty crazy to me. Yeah, it's tough.
[11:37] I think he was a guitar player actually, so he actually learned to play the bass as we came along.
Yeah, I didn't even know the bass, so these guys called me, so I went to the music store and bought a bass and showed up and then started.
It's been pretty good. Lots to learn. It's been a lot of fun, but I think it's just having five individuals, like being in a band like this is amazing because it's tough.
I've played with lots of different musicians, but to have people that connect very tight like this, that is very, very hard to find.
And playing bass in this band has probably been the best band I've ever been in. I've always played guitar, but playing the bass and getting that part and playing with these guys is actuallyamazing.
So it's been pretty good, pretty good run so far.
[12:33] That's cool, man. And a second instrument is always awesome anyway.
You can't go wrong learning. I learned, oh, maybe 20 years ago, I picked up the fiddle and started playing fiddle.
Oh, I became a fiddle player for about eight years.
And then I got back into guitar and then that stopped. And then maybe about four years ago, I bought a banjo and oh my goodness, I was two years of banjo, banjo, banjo.
And you learn, you pick up something from everything I've learned.
I've picked up something that adds to the guitar tons. Totally, totally, totally.
Track 3:
[13:10] When we listen to, well, cause we interviewed Gord Sinclair, it was about a month and a half ago, something like that, maybe two months ago.
And I had done this before, but I did it more so after we interviewed him.
If you watch like a video that they're, a live video that they're playing, right?
And watch it five times. Watch it five times. And each five times, once you focus on Johnny Fay, another time you focus on Gord Downie, another time you focus on Rob Baker, youknow, and so on and so forth.
And you can just, if you just focus on them and their instrument, you realize how fucking, excuse my language, I'm dropping a lot of F-bombs, but how well they are at playing theirinstruments.
Instruments, what good musicians they are. And to sound even remotely remotely close to them is not an easy task. It's not even close.
Track 1:
[14:09] Yeah, and as they've, you know, grown over the years, they've just gotten better, right? You just get better at your craft. So when you go and learn the newer albums or songs offthose it's even tougher.
Track 3:
[14:22] Yeah, I bet.
Track 1:
[14:23] But it's even more rewarding when we get together and sometimes, you know, we play the tune for the very first time and go, okay, we're going to learn this tune, we go away anddo our parts, we come back and we play it and we're all kind of blown away at how good it sounds sometimes the first time.
You learn that part and they melt together so beautifully for that finished product that it's really rewarding.
Track 4:
[14:53] Yeah, we were just listening. Yeah, we were just the guys and I were just listening to a live version of New Orleans is sinking where they transition in and out of nautical disasterand back into New Orleans is sinking.
Have you guys tried anything like that as a band together? Because that that I mean, that just blew our minds, you know?
Track 1:
[15:12] Yeah, that's an interesting combination, isn't it? Yeah, we, uh, we do have a killer whale tank version on the, on the schedule eventually to, uh, to learn, uh, but, uh, yeah, we haven'tgot around to it. Uh, that's a big one. Shit.
But yeah, yeah, I guess our focus has been so far just to try to, you know, owner what they recorded, so keep it as close as, as you know, the original And that's how I've been a focus sofar, you know.
[15:46] It may migrate to, you know, do experiments, something like that.
But so far, we're trying to actually, you know, honor that original record, original sound.
And, you know, but sort of in a live version. So, yeah, as Ron was saying, it's so rewarding when you, you know, work hard on getting that song together and it, you know, it soundedactually very close, in our opinion, anyway.
Yeah, we really try to bring the music and the live show to the stage, but not be the Tragical yet.
We don't want to look like them or copy them. We want to bring their music to people. So all of the music. That's good.
Track 2:
[16:26] I like that. Yeah, I like that.
Track 1:
[16:28] Yeah, we don't want to do exactly. We don't want to just look like them.
We want to keep our original, you know, style of playing our instruments, but sounding like them. So, right.
Track 2:
[16:39] Right.
Track 1:
[16:40] I think it's a good combination. up in any other so far band that I've seen doing tributes to The Hips.
They want to look like them. They sound decent.
Track 4:
[16:52] That happens, that happens.
Track 3:
[16:53] I could dress up like Paul McCartney, too.
Do you guys find it... I was going to...
This is like being something that's puzzling because I haven't seen, obviously I haven't seen you guys play live, but I'm wondering, you know, what your catalog covers and stuff but justlooking at how big the catalog of the hip is like I think you know if you took a band like like I used to Pink Floyd as an example before you know not many you know if you're in a coverband or a tribute band you're gonna you're gonna cover you know the wall you're gonna cover maybe a few things off like Wish You Were Here and Dark Sudden Moon You're not goingto do, yeah, I'm a goma.
Track 2:
[17:39] Yeah, no, probably not.
Track 3:
[17:40] No offense to Syd Barrett, but I think with a band like the hip or like Zeppelin, for example, the sound changes so much.
Like like like little bones to fucking Tiger. The lion is like, yeah, it's like it's like the distance from Earth to Pluto instead of like Earth to Mars. It's like...
How do you do that on stage? How do you like Go, okay. We're We're going into now for plan a or whatever.
Track 1:
[18:16] I personally You know I'm singing. I'm just trying to bring that same sound And each song I just look at it differently each songs its own person, right?
So I don't in my mind. I don't put them together on albums each one has its own personality.
So that's kind of how I think about it. Like we go from Highway Girl, which is probably our simplest instrumentally.
And again, it's the first album, right? So like, I mean, the hip of the hip, but they weren't accomplished musicians like they were now for Plan A, right?
So a little easier to play, but Gord was a little more wild with his voice, not as controlled.
So you got to kind of bring that out as well.
So that's kind of how I view those.
Track 3:
[19:06] It's a good approach. Yeah. That makes sense. It makes sense.
Listening to the records like we have from start to finish, which I don't know if you guys listen to the podcast. I hope not. Yeah.
Track 1:
[19:16] Of course. Of course we do. Nice.
Track 4:
[19:19] That's great.
Track 1:
[19:21] Why don't you...
Track 2:
[19:23] What do you say you give us a little taste of what you guys do and perform a couple songs?
Track 1:
[19:28] That'd be awesome.
Track 4:
[28:01] What other influences have you guys had? I know you know one of you mentioned like Foo Fighters and Metallica and stuff. What else are you guys into?
What were you into maybe when you know the hip was just going nuts in the 90s?
What else were you guys listening to?
Track 1:
[28:18] I was a big Outlaws fan. I played a lot of the Outlaws.
Just kind of like ladder skaters and stuff. Cool. I was a Guns N' Roses guy.
Track 4:
[28:28] All right, right on.
Track 1:
[28:31] I didn't know that. It's interesting. Sweet child of mine was the first song I ever heard. Rush, I liked playing Rush stuff too.
Track 4:
[28:41] Excellent.
Track 1:
[28:45] I like all types of music but I like real heavy and better.
Pantera, like loud, just as a favorite. Sure.
Track 4:
[28:53] Nice.
Track 1:
[28:55] Yeah, I was the weird of my generation because, you know, back in Venezuela, whoever plays or like rocks, he wasn't in the, you know, he was not usual.
So, but I like, you know, I started playing Sepultura, Pantera, Metallica.
That's how I started playing. It wasn't sounding good, but that's, you know, but then with the years, when I learned a bit I actually got, you know, Peter from Spain, my favorite band ever,although they're tragically here is Eros del Silencio.
That's my favorite band from Spain and that's my biggest influence in rock music.
What's the name of it? Eros del Silencio is like Heroes of Silence.
Track 3:
[29:36] Oh yeah, yeah, totally, yeah. You know what's funny? I can hear a bit.
I was told about that band a a number of times.
Yeah, I've been I've seen like those fun at those a couple times and I mean they're big in spain There I would call them the closest thing to tragically hip In spain, especially later in theircareer, too but um Yeah, I mean I'm I'm, i'm name dropping now, but I went to the same high school as james james headfield um so metallica ran, quite deep in my Family and hometown.
Yeah, sure Yeah, I mean back of it back of the day with the hip was plugging along You weren't you didn't you didn't own appetite for destruction.
Track 1:
[30:29] Oh Yeah You weren't I learned every song on the record. That was that was me go home sit in my bedroom To learn every tune.
Track 3:
[30:37] Yeah, you were the guy who thought like you were the guy to like me We also thought like G&R Lies was a great album where everybody was like, yeah, I like Patience, buteverything else fucking take it or leave it, man.
Track 1:
[30:49] No, it was everything. I learned most of that album as well.
Track 3:
[30:52] Yeah, it was a great album.
Track 1:
[30:56] As for me, I grew up listening to a lot of different stuff.
[31:02] Anything from like Johnny Horton and Jimmy Reeves right up to The Stones, right?
So a lot of influence, The Stones, probably my second favorite band.
I've seen them nine times. Oh, wow. Yeah. Every time they come to Toronto, I think I've seen them since I was able to get in, so.
Track 3:
[31:18] Cool. I saw The Stones once and I almost didn't see them.
My cousin Rocky, God rest his soul, was 24 years old, died of brain cancer.
Horrible tragedy. just the day of his funeral, I had tickets to see The Stones at Angel Stadium and I'm like I'm not gonna go. Screw that. I mean, I just like just came back from Rocky'sfuneral. My mom's like.
How disappointed would your cousin be to know that you missed the fucking Rolling Stones because of his ass? And I was like, good point.
Went and never regretted it.
Such a good show.
When you guys played Poets, I wrote something down to ask, do you get Gimme Shelter vibes from that song?
Like, I would imagine playing that song on guitar. There's a refrain towards the end when it just slows down and just dips into the rhythm where it sounds like the end of Keith Richardssolo I just now that you mentioned it I can see that for sure yeah yeah yeah maybe think of it when you guys are playing it but never I've never heard before when I've heard the song bythe hip then we're going to end up playing that.
We're going to transition into the stones.
[32:43] And If anybody can, if any band can handle it, it sounds like, you guys can.
Track 1:
[32:55] I can. backup singing.
Track 3:
[32:58] She was pregnant. She was pregnant. We should have saying that.
Track 2:
[33:04] She get out of here. Really?
Track 3:
[33:05] Yep.
Track 1:
[33:06] She came down to the studio with like four in the morning in her house coat and curlers.
Track 2:
[33:11] Jesus Christ. Wow. Come on down.
Track 1:
[33:12] Yeah. Yeah, cool story.
Track 2:
[33:20] Well, you guys sounded terrific. I'll tell you that. So I can't I can't wait to hear you, you know, when you're unleashed, fully unleashed and we're not listening to you over video.
Track 1:
[33:32] Yeah. We're working on a surprise for you, so keep doing it.
Oh, wow. Yeah. And don't expect any dance moves like Gord for me, because drummers can't dance, so I just, what happens, happens up there.
I can do salsa with my merengue. Oh, salsa. There you go. Be for yourself.
It's all about closing your eyes and listening to the music.
Yeah. We don't look like it. He's trying to sound like it. Just look at the light show. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Track 3:
[34:17] Yeah, so I know you guys don't don't dress dress up, you know, dress as such for the hip, but Tim was was keen enough to procure an item for the silent auction that we're having.
That is a Tim should I I'm stealing your thunder here, but I'm so I think it's literally the coolest thing.
Tim got contacted the woman who made Gord's hats for the final tour.
Track 1:
[34:46] Sweet.
Track 3:
[34:47] She is donated a hat for the highest bidder that that, you know, once they win it at the auction, she's going to have them fitted for it and she's going to make a fucking gourd hat.Nice.
Track 1:
[35:02] It's so cool.
Track 3:
[35:07] What's that?
Track 4:
[35:09] Yeah, her company is is Lily put hats.
She makes amazing stuff. And I mean, I think these these hats she made for Gord and the likeness of one for the silent auction, it's kind of a it's kind of a priceless item. So we're excited tosee what it does.
Track 1:
[35:29] That's what I saw. I saw that she had sponsored the show. So I was like, oh, that's interesting. I wonder what she could be sponsoring me. That's awesome.
That's yeah.
Track 4:
[35:42] Yeah, she makes great stuff.
Track 3:
[35:43] I'm so stoked to see you guys at the show. I mean, it's going to be the, I mean, granted, it's going to be cool to see Tim and JD because we only talk via Skype, but you guys aregoing to be a highlight, man. Let me tell you. All right. Bye.
Track 4:
[35:58] We even have our guests, one of our guests on the show, Dan from London.
He's even coming. So we got we got US, Spain and UK coming in.
Track 3:
[36:08] Canada, yeah.
Track 1:
[36:08] Last question. Real quick.
Track 3:
[36:16] Sorry, JD. Is that cool?
Track 2:
[36:17] No. Oh, yeah. Go ahead.
Track 3:
[36:19] Just to slip it in. Trailer Park fan? Trailer Park Boy fans?
Track 1:
[36:27] Oh, yeah.
Track 2:
[36:28] I'm the anomaly. I'm the anomaly.
Track 1:
[36:32] I've never seen it.
Track 2:
[36:36] I've seen it a little.
Track 1:
[36:37] I live with a... I'm on antenna. I get like 4 or 5 Canadian channels and that's what I watch.
Track 3:
[36:49] CBC, CBC, that's his nickname.
Track 1:
[36:53] That's great.
Track 3:
[36:53] CBC.
Track 4:
[36:54] That's like, that's like people asking me if I watch Portlandia.
I mean, that's literally the first season. The first season was filmed down the street from my house. Literally. Oh my God.
So it's, so, yeah. It's really Park Boy, so that's different. I've watched most of it.
Track 1:
[37:11] I, I, I'm known for my Bubbles impressions. So I'll do it privately for you.
Oh, nice. I'm not going to do it. You don't want to do that online?
Track 3:
[37:23] I know who it is.
Track 4:
[37:25] Maybe just on Halloween.
Track 3:
[37:26] Let's hope when we're in town in Toronto at the live event, the same squashes that show up.
Track 1:
[37:32] Same squashes. I'll bring some sandwiches, too.
Track 3:
[37:39] Don't don't wind me up cuz I I, you know, I'm telling you, don't wind me up.
We'll, we'll, we'll save it for the live event.
Track 4:
[37:49] Oh, no.
Track 2:
[37:56] Well, guys, it's been fantastic having you on and getting to listen to a taste of your wares.
We're really thrilled that you'll be joining us on Friday, September 1st at the Rec Room.
If you're listening to this and you like what you heard and you want to hear more, tickets are available at gettinghiptothehip.com.
Just click on the ticket button. It'll take you right where you need to go and you can join us that night for the live podcast finale, a couple sets from 50 Mission, and a great silent auctionwith some items that are really starting to pile up now.
I'm excited. I'm very excited. So thank you guys so much.
Track 1:
[38:37] Thank you for having us. Yeah, thanks for having us. Thanks, guys. And 50missionband.com. Yes. Little plug there.
Track 3:
[38:45] Yes, 50missionband.com.
Track 1:
[38:46] We're excited for the show. Can't wait to see you guys. We're excited for the show.
Track 3:
[38:50] Can't wait to see you guys.
Track 1:
[38:53] Cheers, guys. All right.
Track 2:
[38:54] Thanks so much. Pick up your shit.
Track 7:
[38:58] Thanks for listening to Getting Hip to the Hip.
Please subscribe, share, rate, and review the show at gettinghiptothehip.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram at gettinghippod. Hip Pod and join our Facebook group at facebook.com, slash groups slash fully and completely questions or concerns email us at JD atgetting hip to the hip We'd love to hear from you. ack 2:
[0:00] So have you guys met each other here?
Track 1:
[0:03] Yeah, this is Steve. I'm Steve.
Track 3:
[0:06] I'm Ron.
Track 1:
[0:07] Ike. Ike plays bass.
Alirio, I'm the nice drummer. The nice looking drummer.
Yeah, he's got a weird accent. So you may have to ask what you're saying.
Yeah, there's a couple accents there. Latino accent. I might switch to Spanish.
Track 2:
[0:26] Yeah.
Track 1:
[0:28] In Spain, I already speak Spanish.
Track 3:
[0:30] Where are you from?
Track 1:
[0:32] Originally from Venezuela. Venezuela.
Track 3:
[0:37] And I heard another accent there, too.
Track 1:
[0:43] No, just one. The invi... Oh, different Canadian, oh, maybe, maybe, uh...
Maybe like Newfie accent. Newfie accent, yeah, yeah. Canadian, but... I don't think so.
Track 3:
[0:55] Where do they live? Where do you guys live at?
Track 1:
[0:58] We're in the Brantford area, pretty much all of us. Yeah, it's like 100 kilometers west of Toronto.
So we're about that area, yeah.
Yeah, pretty much from where Jamie's from. Yeah. Yeah, I'm just north of Waterford.
We're actually just north of Boston, Jamie.
Track 2:
[1:18] Oh, okay.
Track 1:
[1:20] East of Boston, sorry, yeah. Where are you from, Jamie?
Track 2:
[1:24] I grew up in Waterford.
Track 1:
[1:25] Oh, there you go. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we played the old town hall there a couple times.
Track 2:
[1:32] Yeah, it's a cool venue, right?
Track 1:
[1:34] Oh, it's a great venue. The stage is beautiful. It's just a really nice place.
I mean, I would love to go see a band there, right?
Track 2:
[1:41] Yeah, I saw Huxley Workman there.
Track 1:
[1:42] Nice. Yeah. Yeah, and I saw the Sheepdogs there three years ago.
Yeah. Oh, wow. It was great, yeah. It was packed with the Sheepdogs.
Track 3:
[1:51] How'd you guys all meet? I was gonna say- Oh, go ahead, JD.
Track 2:
[1:54] No, no, man. No, no, no. Have you met Tim and Pete?
Track 1:
[1:59] Yes.
Track 2:
[1:59] Yeah. Okay, so I was late.
Track 1:
[2:02] So see, that's, you know, it's all I know is, all I know is I have where to stay in Spain and Oregon.
Track 4:
[2:08] Si, si, si.
Track 3:
[2:12] Trust me, there's a lot of nice, there's a lot nicer places in Spain to stay than my house.
Track 4:
[2:19] Venga aqui, si. Bienvenidos.
Track 1:
[2:23] Yeah, as far as how we met, it varies. Ron and I played in a band previously.
It's the first time I've been a singer in the band. I've always been a drummer.
I sang songs from the drums, but came up front. So Ron and I were in a band previously.
Steve is a friend of Ron's. Yeah, I've known Ron probably close to 20 years now. I joined a band and he was the other guitar player he joined it to, and we hit it off pretty good.
And then we ended up quitting that band. Turned out we were also living quite close.
We were practically neighbors and didn't realize it. Oh yeah.
[3:01] Okay. And as far as Ike, Ike's brother of Trisha used to be a singer in another band I was in, so.
Ike and I have known each other for, 10 years at least. Not longer, yeah.
And Illyrio was in a band with some buddies of mine as the drummer, so that's how Leroy and I know each other.
And we actually played soccer together like 15 years ago. Yeah.
We've played soccer together for a long time, too, so.
Track 3:
[3:38] Did we lose, did you guys lose me or did I lose you?
Track 1:
[3:42] I lost you for a minute there, Pete, but you're back.
Track 3:
[3:45] Okay, well, at least the question got answered about Ike and his brother.
Hopefully it was cool. Sorry. Can I ask one more question? Oh, Tim, go ahead.
Track 4:
[3:57] I just got. I was just gonna ask who out of the five of you has seen The Hip play the most times, had seen them play the most times?
Track 1:
[4:06] I've actually never seen them play.
Track 4:
[4:10] Oh, okay, you're part of our club.
Track 1:
[4:14] Me neither, fun fact, my daughter, she actually saw them in 2017 in a school event, And I've never got to see them.
Track 4:
[4:22] Oh, wow.
Track 1:
[4:26] Okay. that. It's probably me then. I've probably seen them 12, 15 times over the years.
Yeah, I saw them on the last tour, neat little stories, the guy went to high school, when I had, the first time I saw them was a roadside attraction in Kiyoka at the Speedway, yeah samething, yeah, JD was probably, I think Oliver Waterford was there because it was so close.
But a buddy of mine, well, JD, you know, Bill Ella, right?
Track 2:
[5:03] Yeah, yeah.
Track 1:
[5:03] So Bill and Bill and I went to our first hip concert together.
And then when my fiance and I got tickets for the last tour, we got four tickets and I called him up said, Hey, man, we got to see the last one together too. So he jumped right on it. So himand his wife joined us. It was great.
Track 2:
[5:21] It's pretty special. What venue do you go to?
Track 1:
[5:24] We saw them at ACC.
Track 2:
[5:27] Oh wow, nice. Yeah, in Toronto. Yeah. Oh, man.
Track 1:
[5:31] Yeah. Yeah, yeah, it wasn't a dry eye in the place. It was pretty special, man. Yeah.
Track 3:
[5:41] Do you guys, and I ask this strictly, this is not like, you know, any remotely thing, judgmental, it's just a curious thing as far as musicians, but because I have a friend that wasplaying, he played a while in a tribute band for Floyd and then also one for Oasis, and he likes Floyd a lot, but he was like not an Oasis fan, but he played in it because, you know, Gigs agig. It's fun and it's cool.
But like do you I would imagine that all of you guys genuinely like the tragic We have at least to some degree.
Track 1:
[6:16] Oh, yeah, or if not dig the shit out of them Yeah, and it's a riot to play it is so much fun to play the music it's lots of energy and I have an absolute riot playing it It looks like it fromthe videos i've seen I didn't know that many songs until I joined this band.
I only knew a couple, like New Orleans is Sinking or probably Little Bones, but then these guys got me into them.
Now that's all I hear. Oh, wow. So I love them so much and that's all I hear. it now.
And I used to play like a really like you name it from from Metallica down to Bird Jam to Foo Fighters and now my favorite is Tragically Here.
So yeah it's uh it's interesting when we play a show that uh, the fun part for me is not only playing the show and the people are into it like everybody you know that everybody's coming tosee the show knows the songs see they're going going to be singing.
But after the show, the number of people that come up and want to tell you about the time they saw the hip or they have a story about when they met one of the members of the hip.
So people just reconnect at our shows, which is a fun part for me.
Track 4:
[7:37] Sure, that's amazing.
Track 2:
[7:38] Yeah, it's like a community, right?
Track 1:
[7:40] Oh, absolutely, yeah.
Track 3:
[7:43] Yeah, and I mean, I gotta say, I've seen, obviously, not anything hip related, but like, for example, I remember seeing a Zeppelin tribute band that was really good, that I just kind oflike, I mean, I'm a diehard Zeppelin fan, like, you know, all eight studio records just flow through my veins and seeing that show was like, you know, I was like, OK, it's cool. And then Iwas just so wildly impressed.
Like, I'm not the guy because I play, you know, you play, you play a gig, kind of like put your guitar, put your instruments away, go to the bar, have a beer, check out for the night,especially if it's a long show and you're tired.
But like I was like, I got to go tell these people how fucking great they sounded and And how during this tune, the communication breakdown, he hit the solo perfect.
That's so cool that you have people that... Because it's a testament to you guys being fucking really good at your craft and knowing how to play to the crowd. I can't wait to see you guys.
Track 1:
[8:56] Thank you, Lola. Yeah, we have a blast.
[9:00] Yeah, so these guys always mention, you know, when we're learning a song, they've got a a lot harder than I do, but a lot of folks who either don't play instruments or folks whoaren't hip fans that are playing instruments say, oh yeah, those songs are easy.
But I'm sure these guys can tell you that they're not easy. There's all kinds of stuff going on. No way.
Yeah, you've gotta really hit it to get the nuance of the song and the notes, but I don't know if you guys have examples, but. Two guitar parts are so very complementary to each other.
There's really no rhythm or lead. There's just two guitars.
And without one, the other just doesn't sound right. You have to have those two parts like the record, and then it gives you that sound.
Yeah. So we're very picky about the sound. We use the right instruments.
We try and use the right equipment wherever we can and re-crease that sound, like the record, as close as we can, right?
Track 3:
[10:05] Yep. The general rule with music, too, is if it sounds really hard, chances are it's not, and if it sounds really easy, chances are it's not, right?
Track 1:
[10:16] Isn't that the case? That is right. As I was saying, I used to play what I thought they were the hardest song to play, like the Foo Fighters, to name a few.
But then I thought, okay, this doesn't sound difficult. man, I was wrong.
It is difficult, it is, because it's just, we need to connect, like, you know, we need to be in sync to actually make it sound right, which is very interesting, and I love doing that. And theseguys are awesome.
Yeah for that band, that's it Yeah, we're very lucky that everybody has the same ambition to make it sound like that.
You know when everybody's in the groove it the music becomes a Uh part of the vocals everything.
Yeah, it's one. It's a rare commodity Yeah, yes And we're lucky to look it lucky to have a guy that's on ligar like it's just It's just amazing.
[11:07] Sometimes it's just man. It's just something great.
It's I mean musically we are there and we have a good rhythm and we you know, we understand each other But what make a sound right is this guy here, right? This is something greatHopefully you'd like it, too I'm sure we will.
[11:26] We won't even talk about bass because Based on some of the bass runs and and stuff is pretty crazy to me. Yeah, it's tough.
[11:37] I think he was a guitar player actually, so he actually learned to play the bass as we came along.
Yeah, I didn't even know the bass, so these guys called me, so I went to the music store and bought a bass and showed up and then started.
It's been pretty good. Lots to learn. It's been a lot of fun, but I think it's just having five individuals, like being in a band like this is amazing because it's tough.
I've played with lots of different musicians, but to have people that connect very tight like this, that is very, very hard to find.
And playing bass in this band has probably been the best band I've ever been in. I've always played guitar, but playing the bass and getting that part and playing with these guys is actuallyamazing.
So it's been pretty good, pretty good run so far.
[12:33] That's cool, man. And a second instrument is always awesome anyway.
You can't go wrong learning. I learned, oh, maybe 20 years ago, I picked up the fiddle and started playing fiddle.
Oh, I became a fiddle player for about eight years.
And then I got back into guitar and then that stopped. And then maybe about four years ago, I bought a banjo and oh my goodness, I was two years of banjo, banjo, banjo.
And you learn, you pick up something from everything I've learned.
I've picked up something that adds to the guitar tons. Totally, totally, totally.
Track 3:
[13:10] When we listen to, well, cause we interviewed Gord Sinclair, it was about a month and a half ago, something like that, maybe two months ago.
And I had done this before, but I did it more so after we interviewed him.
If you watch like a video that they're, a live video that they're playing, right?
And watch it five times. Watch it five times. And each five times, once you focus on Johnny Fay, another time you focus on Gord Downie, another time you focus on Rob Baker, youknow, and so on and so forth.
And you can just, if you just focus on them and their instrument, you realize how fucking, excuse my language, I'm dropping a lot of F-bombs, but how well they are at playing theirinstruments.
Instruments, what good musicians they are. And to sound even remotely remotely close to them is not an easy task. It's not even close.
Track 1:
[14:09] Yeah, and as they've, you know, grown over the years, they've just gotten better, right? You just get better at your craft. So when you go and learn the newer albums or songs offthose it's even tougher.
Track 3:
[14:22] Yeah, I bet.
Track 1:
[14:23] But it's even more rewarding when we get together and sometimes, you know, we play the tune for the very first time and go, okay, we're going to learn this tune, we go away anddo our parts, we come back and we play it and we're all kind of blown away at how good it sounds sometimes the first time.
You learn that part and they melt together so beautifully for that finished product that it's really rewarding.
Track 4:
[14:53] Yeah, we were just listening. Yeah, we were just the guys and I were just listening to a live version of New Orleans is sinking where they transition in and out of nautical disasterand back into New Orleans is sinking.
Have you guys tried anything like that as a band together? Because that that I mean, that just blew our minds, you know?
Track 1:
[15:12] Yeah, that's an interesting combination, isn't it? Yeah, we, uh, we do have a killer whale tank version on the, on the schedule eventually to, uh, to learn, uh, but, uh, yeah, we haven'tgot around to it. Uh, that's a big one. Shit.
But yeah, yeah, I guess our focus has been so far just to try to, you know, owner what they recorded, so keep it as close as, as you know, the original And that's how I've been a focus sofar, you know.
[15:46] It may migrate to, you know, do experiments, something like that.
But so far, we're trying to actually, you know, honor that original record, original sound.
And, you know, but sort of in a live version. So, yeah, as Ron was saying, it's so rewarding when you, you know, work hard on getting that song together and it, you know, it soundedactually very close, in our opinion, anyway.
Yeah, we really try to bring the music and the live show to the stage, but not be the Tragical yet.
We don't want to look like them or copy them. We want to bring their music to people. So all of the music. That's good.
Track 2:
[16:26] I like that. Yeah, I like that.
Track 1:
[16:28] Yeah, we don't want to do exactly. We don't want to just look like them.
We want to keep our original, you know, style of playing our instruments, but sounding like them. So, right.
Track 2:
[16:39] Right.
Track 1:
[16:40] I think it's a good combination. up in any other so far band that I've seen doing tributes to The Hips.
They want to look like them. They sound decent.
Track 4:
[16:52] That happens, that happens.
Track 3:
[16:53] I could dress up like Paul McCartney, too.
Do you guys find it... I was going to...
This is like being something that's puzzling because I haven't seen, obviously I haven't seen you guys play live, but I'm wondering, you know, what your catalog covers and stuff but justlooking at how big the catalog of the hip is like I think you know if you took a band like like I used to Pink Floyd as an example before you know not many you know if you're in a coverband or a tribute band you're gonna you're gonna cover you know the wall you're gonna cover maybe a few things off like Wish You Were Here and Dark Sudden Moon You're not goingto do, yeah, I'm a goma.
Track 2:
[17:39] Yeah, no, probably not.
Track 3:
[17:40] No offense to Syd Barrett, but I think with a band like the hip or like Zeppelin, for example, the sound changes so much.
Like like like little bones to fucking Tiger. The lion is like, yeah, it's like it's like the distance from Earth to Pluto instead of like Earth to Mars. It's like...
How do you do that on stage? How do you like Go, okay. We're We're going into now for plan a or whatever.
Track 1:
[18:16] I personally You know I'm singing. I'm just trying to bring that same sound And each song I just look at it differently each songs its own person, right?
So I don't in my mind. I don't put them together on albums each one has its own personality.
So that's kind of how I think about it. Like we go from Highway Girl, which is probably our simplest instrumentally.
And again, it's the first album, right? So like, I mean, the hip of the hip, but they weren't accomplished musicians like they were now for Plan A, right?
So a little easier to play, but Gord was a little more wild with his voice, not as controlled.
So you got to kind of bring that out as well.
So that's kind of how I view those.
Track 3:
[19:06] It's a good approach. Yeah. That makes sense. It makes sense.
Listening to the records like we have from start to finish, which I don't know if you guys listen to the podcast. I hope not. Yeah.
Track 1:
[19:16] Of course. Of course we do. Nice.
Track 4:
[19:19] That's great.
Track 1:
[19:21] Why don't you...
Track 2:
[19:23] What do you say you give us a little taste of what you guys do and perform a couple songs?
Track 1:
[19:28] That'd be awesome.
Track 4:
[28:01] What other influences have you guys had? I know you know one of you mentioned like Foo Fighters and Metallica and stuff. What else are you guys into?
What were you into maybe when you know the hip was just going nuts in the 90s?
What else were you guys listening to?
Track 1:
[28:18] I was a big Outlaws fan. I played a lot of the Outlaws.
Just kind of like ladder skaters and stuff. Cool. I was a Guns N' Roses guy.
Track 4:
[28:28] All right, right on.
Track 1:
[28:31] I didn't know that. It's interesting. Sweet child of mine was the first song I ever heard. Rush, I liked playing Rush stuff too.
Track 4:
[28:41] Excellent.
Track 1:
[28:45] I like all types of music but I like real heavy and better.
Pantera, like loud, just as a favorite. Sure.
Track 4:
[28:53] Nice.
Track 1:
[28:55] Yeah, I was the weird of my generation because, you know, back in Venezuela, whoever plays or like rocks, he wasn't in the, you know, he was not usual.
So, but I like, you know, I started playing Sepultura, Pantera, Metallica.
That's how I started playing. It wasn't sounding good, but that's, you know, but then with the years, when I learned a bit I actually got, you know, Peter from Spain, my favorite band ever,although they're tragically here is Eros del Silencio.
That's my favorite band from Spain and that's my biggest influence in rock music.
What's the name of it? Eros del Silencio is like Heroes of Silence.
Track 3:
[29:36] Oh yeah, yeah, totally, yeah. You know what's funny? I can hear a bit.
I was told about that band a a number of times.
Yeah, I've been I've seen like those fun at those a couple times and I mean they're big in spain There I would call them the closest thing to tragically hip In spain, especially later in theircareer, too but um Yeah, I mean I'm I'm, i'm name dropping now, but I went to the same high school as james james headfield um so metallica ran, quite deep in my Family and hometown.
Yeah, sure Yeah, I mean back of it back of the day with the hip was plugging along You weren't you didn't you didn't own appetite for destruction.
Track 1:
[30:29] Oh Yeah You weren't I learned every song on the record. That was that was me go home sit in my bedroom To learn every tune.
Track 3:
[30:37] Yeah, you were the guy who thought like you were the guy to like me We also thought like G&R Lies was a great album where everybody was like, yeah, I like Patience, buteverything else fucking take it or leave it, man.
Track 1:
[30:49] No, it was everything. I learned most of that album as well.
Track 3:
[30:52] Yeah, it was a great album.
Track 1:
[30:56] As for me, I grew up listening to a lot of different stuff.
[31:02] Anything from like Johnny Horton and Jimmy Reeves right up to The Stones, right?
So a lot of influence, The Stones, probably my second favorite band.
I've seen them nine times. Oh, wow. Yeah. Every time they come to Toronto, I think I've seen them since I was able to get in, so.
Track 3:
[31:18] Cool. I saw The Stones once and I almost didn't see them.
My cousin Rocky, God rest his soul, was 24 years old, died of brain cancer.
Horrible tragedy. just the day of his funeral, I had tickets to see The Stones at Angel Stadium and I'm like I'm not gonna go. Screw that. I mean, I just like just came back from Rocky'sfuneral. My mom's like.
How disappointed would your cousin be to know that you missed the fucking Rolling Stones because of his ass? And I was like, good point.
Went and never regretted it.
Such a good show.
When you guys played Poets, I wrote something down to ask, do you get Gimme Shelter vibes from that song?
Like, I would imagine playing that song on guitar. There's a refrain towards the end when it just slows down and just dips into the rhythm where it sounds like the end of Keith Richardssolo I just now that you mentioned it I can see that for sure yeah yeah yeah maybe think of it when you guys are playing it but never I've never heard before when I've heard the song bythe hip then we're going to end up playing that.
We're going to transition into the stones.
[32:43] And If anybody can, if any band can handle it, it sounds like, you guys can.
Track 1:
[32:55] I can. backup singing.
Track 3:
[32:58] She was pregnant. She was pregnant. We should have saying that.
Track 2:
[33:04] She get out of here. Really?
Track 3:
[33:05] Yep.
Track 1:
[33:06] She came down to the studio with like four in the morning in her house coat and curlers.
Track 2:
[33:11] Jesus Christ. Wow. Come on down.
Track 1:
[33:12] Yeah. Yeah, cool story.
Track 2:
[33:20] Well, you guys sounded terrific. I'll tell you that. So I can't I can't wait to hear you, you know, when you're unleashed, fully unleashed and we're not listening to you over video.
Track 1:
[33:32] Yeah. We're working on a surprise for you, so keep doing it.
Oh, wow. Yeah. And don't expect any dance moves like Gord for me, because drummers can't dance, so I just, what happens, happens up there.
I can do salsa with my merengue. Oh, salsa. There you go. Be for yourself.
It's all about closing your eyes and listening to the music.
Yeah. We don't look like it. He's trying to sound like it. Just look at the light show. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Track 3:
[34:17] Yeah, so I know you guys don't don't dress dress up, you know, dress as such for the hip, but Tim was was keen enough to procure an item for the silent auction that we're having.
That is a Tim should I I'm stealing your thunder here, but I'm so I think it's literally the coolest thing.
Tim got contacted the woman who made Gord's hats for the final tour.
Track 1:
[34:46] Sweet.
Track 3:
[34:47] She is donated a hat for the highest bidder that that, you know, once they win it at the auction, she's going to have them fitted for it and she's going to make a fucking gourd hat.Nice.
Track 1:
[35:02] It's so cool.
Track 3:
[35:07] What's that?
Track 4:
[35:09] Yeah, her company is is Lily put hats.
She makes amazing stuff. And I mean, I think these these hats she made for Gord and the likeness of one for the silent auction, it's kind of a it's kind of a priceless item. So we're excited tosee what it does.
Track 1:
[35:29] That's what I saw. I saw that she had sponsored the show. So I was like, oh, that's interesting. I wonder what she could be sponsoring me. That's awesome.
That's yeah.
Track 4:
[35:42] Yeah, she makes great stuff.
Track 3:
[35:43] I'm so stoked to see you guys at the show. I mean, it's going to be the, I mean, granted, it's going to be cool to see Tim and JD because we only talk via Skype, but you guys aregoing to be a highlight, man. Let me tell you. All right. Bye.
Track 4:
[35:58] We even have our guests, one of our guests on the show, Dan from London.
He's even coming. So we got we got US, Spain and UK coming in.
Track 3:
[36:08] Canada, yeah.
Track 1:
[36:08] Last question. Real quick.
Track 3:
[36:16] Sorry, JD. Is that cool?
Track 2:
[36:17] No. Oh, yeah. Go ahead.
Track 3:
[36:19] Just to slip it in. Trailer Park fan? Trailer Park Boy fans?
Track 1:
[36:27] Oh, yeah.
Track 2:
[36:28] I'm the anomaly. I'm the anomaly.
Track 1:
[36:32] I've never seen it.
Track 2:
[36:36] I've seen it a little.
Track 1:
[36:37] I live with a... I'm on antenna. I get like 4 or 5 Canadian channels and that's what I watch.
Track 3:
[36:49] CBC, CBC, that's his nickname.
Track 1:
[36:53] That's great.
Track 3:
[36:53] CBC.
Track 4:
[36:54] That's like, that's like people asking me if I watch Portlandia.
I mean, that's literally the first season. The first season was filmed down the street from my house. Literally. Oh my God.
So it's, so, yeah. It's really Park Boy, so that's different. I've watched most of it.
Track 1:
[37:11] I, I, I'm known for my Bubbles impressions. So I'll do it privately for you.
Oh, nice. I'm not going to do it. You don't want to do that online?
Track 3:
[37:23] I know who it is.
Track 4:
[37:25] Maybe just on Halloween.
Track 3:
[37:26] Let's hope when we're in town in Toronto at the live event, the same squashes that show up.
Track 1:
[37:32] Same squashes. I'll bring some sandwiches, too.
Track 3:
[37:39] Don't don't wind me up cuz I I, you know, I'm telling you, don't wind me up.
We'll, we'll, we'll save it for the live event.
Track 4:
[37:49] Oh, no.
Track 2:
[37:56] Well, guys, it's been fantastic having you on and getting to listen to a taste of your wares.
We're really thrilled that you'll be joining us on Friday, September 1st at the Rec Room.
If you're listening to this and you like what you heard and you want to hear more, tickets are available at gettinghiptothehip.com.
Just click on the ticket button. It'll take you right where you need to go and you can join us that night for the live podcast finale, a couple sets from 50 Mission, and a great silent auctionwith some items that are really starting to pile up now.
I'm excited. I'm very excited. So thank you guys so much.
Track 1:
[38:37] Thank you for having us. Yeah, thanks for having us. Thanks, guys. And 50missionband.com. Yes. Little plug there.
Track 3:
[38:45] Yes, 50missionband.com.
Track 1:
[38:46] We're excited for the show. Can't wait to see you guys. We're excited for the show.
Track 3:
[38:50] Can't wait to see you guys.
Track 1:
[38:53] Cheers, guys. All right.
Track 2:
[38:54] Thanks so much. Pick up your shit.
Track 7:
[38:58] Thanks for listening to Getting Hip to the Hip.
Please subscribe, share, rate, and review the show at gettinghiptothehip.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram at gettinghippod. Hip Pod and join our Facebook group at facebook.com, slash groups slash fully and completely questions or concerns email us at JD atgetting hip to the hip We'd love to hear from you.
jD, Pete, and Tim are back and this week they're listening to the 2002 release In Violet Light.
Transcript
Track 1:
[0:00] As I sit at my computer to write this introduction, I've really had to rack.
[0:05] My brain for anything specific about In Violet Light.
It has nothing to do with the brilliance of the record, but I had pretty much left the missionary zeal phase of my hip fandom and was now, sadly, just a casual.
Even something as cool as The Hip Club, which was included with the CD release on the June 11th, 2002 CD didn't suck me in, and it's a damn shame too.
When I see you out there with cards still in your wallet, I'm jealous and forlorn.
[0:40] Something that was so essential in my life was now being left behind because I was focused on the lo-fi experience of bands like Pavement, Silver Jews, Guided by Voices, andSebadell.
I did, however, make it out for the In Violet Light summer tour at the then Molson Amphitheater and was blown away by the new songs I heard live.
Lake Fever, Silver Jet, The Dark Knuck, they all rocked live.
But there was one song that captured my attention and bled through all the noise I was experiencing at the time.
It's a song that I still hold close to my heart today, and it's remained a beacon, like a lighthouse leading a lost vessel homeward in more recent years.
It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken is a masterpiece in the hip-souvra.
Everything just works, and it straight fucking cooks as an ominous-sounding live jam.
[1:40] I was working at Starbucks downtown when a barista, now my wife, asked me what I thought of the new album and particularly that song.
I don't have the words for it, I told her. She agreed. This was supercharged hip at its best.
Now it's time for Pete and Tim to experience A Heron Outside in Violet Light.
They both were floored with music at work, so IVL has to be a slam dunk, right?
Have to wait and see on this episode of Getting Hip to the Hip.
Track 4:
[2:37] All right, so welcome back to Getting Hip to the Hip, I'm your host JD and every week we talk about a Tragically Hip record with two budding fans of the Tragically Hip butformerly completely ignorant of the existence of the band and I don't mean I mean ignorant in the dictionary definition you guys are both classy gentlemen but you just it had never it hadnever made it to your ears before.
So, we've got Tim and we've got Pete, and we're doing In Violet Light this week.
Tim, Pete, how you doing? Hey, guys. How's it going?
It's going. It's good. We are back for another week.
I'm just, you know, I'm just so pleased that somebody's listening to this.
I'm just sure of it, right? Yeah. Well, we're selling tickets for the finale event.
We can announce that Tragically cover band 50 Mission are going to be playing, we're gonna have local comedian Pete Van Dyke there, there's gonna be some silent auction items, one ofwhich was donated to us by the Tragically Hip themselves, which is fucking spectacular we also have some items coming to us from David Bustito, so I'm real excited about that becausehe was their official tour photographer for a long time I'd be Curious to see what he what he might what he might donate excellent.
[4:07] So yeah, that's pretty I was thinking this week if we make it to the end of this podcast like get through all the records Without a like a seriously like hardcore diehard to actually hitfam you're killing Tim or I And I think we've it's been a success But yeah, it won't happen.
Hopefully it won't happen after today's recording.
There may be like an Oswald Jack Ruby incident at the finale.
[4:38] But you guys don't have guns in Canada, so that's good. I had already plotted...
It's really hard though. Oh God.
I had already plotted, you know, a disguise for the event, so it's not really me that's there. No, I'm not Pete.
If you see somebody with a goatee and a mustache and another mustache on top of that mustache, that's probably Tim Lydon Maybe two mullets The glasses with the nose and themustache Yeah, so let's start off like we always do and get a sense of how you guys took in this record Where you did your listening?
Did it heighten or expand that experience? All that good shit.
[5:26] I went into it right away. I mean, after our last pod recording, I kind of jumped right into it.
In Violet Light because I was excited and wanted to keep the momentum going and the work going and I listened to it all over the place.
I was, well, the first listen was cleaning out the garage and I was driving and I was at physical therapy for a portion on the train headed to Seattle.
It was, I was kind of all over the place listening to this and I gotta say it was a more fragmented listen than past albums in that I had a hard time.
I know about you, Pete, you might be the opposite of a feeling, but I had a hard time going from first song to last song and just listening to it straight through. It was because of a myriadof reasons, but sometimes because of the music.
Yeah, sometimes because of the music. Huh. You know, I mean, I hear what you're saying, Tim.
For me, I too jumped right into this one immediately after we finished, like, maybe even that night, finished the recording or the very next day.
As is with everything with this band, I started to listen and was just wildly unimpressed.
[6:48] And then just, it like, as the time went on, I just was like, so wrong and like, I, I mean, literally, I'm glad I've, I've been saving my notes now in my like notes section of my computerbecause I didn't save the notes from the first one, because they just now have gotten longer and longer and longer.
And like, by the time we get to the final record, it's going to be a Dostoyevsky novel, dude.
[7:18] It's just super, yeah, it's ridiculous, man. I enjoyed the shit out of this record.
I would say my listening places, mistake, I started at the computer, which is maybe why I was unimpressed, but I'm just going to say this, there's nothing better than driving in my car,listening to this record.
I did a lot of driving this last week, a lot of driving, and this record just, especially on the sound system I have in my car, I think that I'm a...
Premium premium audio system in my car. Yeah.
[8:00] You know laugh while you want to Just I love it And I think it's my laugh is like 96% joy because you know for all of us Out there and in the interwebs land listening to this It's somedude named Pete He's got, you know blonde hair and blue eyes and he's from California and he lives in fucking Spain driving around in some cool car Which I don't know what it is.
So don't tell me No, you don't some cool car with some cool sound system this dude from LA gets a drive around fucking Spain And I'm you know at time of recording While we'repromoting our event coming up.
It's you know, just fucking snowed 11 inches in Portland in 24 hours and it was the most snow in 24 hours since 1943.
And here's Pete just driving around, do, do, do, do, do. It's not snowing.
It's snowed. It snowed this weekend, too, and where I was at.
Oh, wow. Envy and joy. Envy and joy.
OK, I'll take it. Yeah. I'll take it. Yeah. So. J.D., what do you think?
Yeah, J.D. This was a record. This was the last record that I saw a tour for until the last record.
[9:15] So I was starting to like wind down my extreme, like this is my number one band fandom.
And if you'll note the year, you guys will recognize that's when, you know, like I found pavement and I just was getting caught up.
Like, you know, the 2000s for me were getting caught up in everything that I'd missed in the 90s for singularly listening to the Tragically Hip.
And of course, a bunch of other stuff.
So I resented that a little bit, but when Greg and I were doing the podcast and I came back to this record, it was like, what were you thinking?
What blows my mind is that this is 2002.
[10:04] This means they've released six records in less than 10 years and they keep getting better, like they keep getting stronger or different at the very least.
And I, I just don't understand how they were able to do that.
You know, I just don't. Aye, aye.
I second that emotion, Smokey, certainly. I have a feeling, I don't know what your all music rating you saw was.
I didn't look that up. But I feel that at this point, the past few albums and this one have been highly influenced by who's helping on the production side.
You know, this one we had Hugh Pagum.
[10:53] Yeah. who did police albums and XTC and split ends and, you know, albums with beautiful sound.
He invented gated drumming. The sound of drums in the 80s. Think of In the Air Tonight, the drum sound.
[11:13] He invented that sound. And that sound is so prevalent in like, Like, you know, especially like, well, like highly glossed 80s, you know, artists, right?
They were, they were all playing with that stuff. And there's...
Sorry, go ahead. No, no, no.
I was just gonna, it's crazy you mentioned the drums just because, and I didn't hear the gated sound in this, but in a lot of my notes, I mentioned the drums, the sound of the drums in thisparticular record are they really, really, really stand out, really stand up.
Yeah. For a drummer that's not flashy, you know what I mean?
Right. Not flashy at all. He's so, and this is going to sound like I'm damning with faint praise, but I'm not, when I say he's so competent, I just mean workman like, you know, Johnny Fayeis just workman.
Like it's, it's just, he knows what the song needs and he goes in there and gets it done and that's what you get, you know, but he, he really, In my opinion, he rises above on this.
He's a bit of the cream that comes to the top on this record, man, for a lot of reasons, but we'll get into it in the songs.
I might agree with that, but just to circle back, I think that the production side of this one. It's more. It feels less.
[12:32] Band driven and more like who produced this album.
That's how it felt to me and Sometimes that that feels awesome with sometimes that is awesome.
And sometimes it's like whoa. Yeah, okay That's the that's the album that you tag him if I'm saying his name, right pageant pipe edge I'm happy on the hue pageant produced and in thatYou know, I felt this on this one.
It's just to continue my food analogies It's like showing up at a restaurant and there's like there's you still got everybody in the kitchen But somebody else, you know kind of wrote themenu like it's like where'd that where'd our where'd our house cheeseburger go?
You know, it's just missing and we have some something else.
So this one felt a little different to me and I mentioned this the Pete a few days ago But even on the sound side, from my car to my headphones, everything, this album is fucking bright.
It's as if somebody came into my equalizer and pumped up most the levels, especially mid to highs, because it's fucking bright.
[13:39] So much that I was turning down my shit to make it more tolerable.
It was over-the-top produced in on the sound finish side.
It was different than the others different than yeah Well one last anecdote about Hugh Padgham That's sort of funny is Johnny Faye was of course a big Stewart Copeland fan.
[14:07] So He ended up skipping his grade 13 exam one of his exams to go and buy a police record the day it came out. And I forget which record it is.
[14:25] Oh man, you, God damn. Yeah, I'm not 100% certain what record it is.
That's amazing. Yeah, so he was absolutely stoked to be working with this producer.
And this was their first sort of, Like he says their first sort of get, you know, in terms of producers. So I wonder if they were performing and they just, they were performing for him.
And they also were sort of like in reverence, just lifted their hands off the wheel and just said, you know, take us home.
I don't know. That's crazy. You know, I swear this is going to be the last quick anecdote, but just cause you brought up the police.
Do you guys both know that the record Synchronicity, which is easily my favorite police record, I had 32 different covers.
[15:18] No, no, look, that's a fact.
No, no, but some are more valuable than the others. So they did last time.
So they actually produced all of them. No, they just the covers themselves.
Yeah, different. Yeah, that's amazing. That is amazing. Yeah, they just they were like different pictures that they had taken.
And they just made multiple different covers and put it out.
And so some people have like, a blue and yellow stripes.
Some people have the red, the yellow and the blue. Some people have more red.
It's just really unique. I love that. Yeah. Random people. Just because we're talking about the blue. Cool factoid. Yeah, this album, just if I could keep going a little bit, it felt...
[16:01] One of the words that came to mind was, and it's not, but it was like sophomoric or homecoming. Like, it felt like the band had gone on, you know, this... how many years are wetalking now?
It's 2002, right? How many years are they in the game? 84. Yeah, so 618.
That's a lot of years. And I feel like if you're a band and you're at it for that long, to me, you're going to have this kind of album that's going to come out.
You're going to find a producer that's amazing or someone you've looked up to forever, and you're going to just go hit the go button with them.
And that's kind of what this album turned out to be, to me, in my opinion.
It feels like professional accomplished.
[16:54] I'm really trying not to go to the word generic or standard TH, but some of it does feel that way.
And then there's these little glimpses in there of Gord still doing his thing.
The last album, if I could circle back to that like, There's no Tiger the Lion on this album for me.
That's kind of my statement. Like the music at work, when I hit Tiger the Lion, it was like, oh shit, what is this song?
And I was really searching for that on In Violet Light, and it was hard to come up with that. It was hard to get there. Oh, wow.
I've got two Tiger the Lions on this record, and they're fucking back to back.
Ha, ha, ha. Ooh, man, I'm interested to hear what these are, too. Let's go. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Alright, well let's go song by song then.
Are you ready? Fuck yeah. I'm ready, man. What's the first song? Are you ready?
[17:52] See, I was waiting for that though, I was waiting for that all week.
That's in your notes, isn't it? It is in my notes. Say, ask JD, tell JD, no.
[18:01] Dude, I'll take this one, Tim, just because I want to kick it off, man. I mean, what a fucking song to open up a record with.
It's just, it's the band taking the fucking golf ball, putting the tee between their pointer and their middle fingers, sticking the fucking ground, and then looking back at you handing you theclub and going, so, are you ready?
It's just fucking, the chorus is amazing.
Johnny Faye's drums on this, I'll say this just off the top, but this is like many songs I heard his snare is so bright.
Mm-hmm. His snare is so bright. It's a fucking bright out this It's yeah, it's just it's you could it's standout for sure The the cool way it starts with the guitars I think Paul Langlois, am Ipronouncing his name right finally? You nailed it.
So Paul Langlois guitar He's playing like a like a dissonant note in there because when Rob Baker comes in with his little guitar licks he's not playing anything dissonant he's playing likea like a happy sort of major lick and it works great with what what Paul's playing but it's just it's just fucking Cool.
[19:27] I have a halftone guitar lick, the solo. I love this. I just, I love this song.
It just got me ready for the next shit to come.
This is a plane taking off. And you know, we get Silverjet down the line, but it is a Silverjet just fucking going a thousand miles an hour up into the air right now.
I fucking love it. What about, let's say you, Tim.
You know, I thought it was a super starter also.
[20:04] It reminded me, just the whole, are you ready? Reminded me right away of the English beat, are you ready to dance?
Or are you ready to ska? There's like this old, that got covered a few times too. It's just Similar lyric that it just brought me back to which is always fun.
I thought gourd sounded Like cleaner and brighter, of course, I'm gonna stop using that word in a minute Higher in tone like he sounds a little cleaner like almost He's really mastering histool Yeah Like also as if perhaps he you know Quit smoking for two weeks up until recording or something like there was just he was he was cleaner or less growly.
At the same time, the song compositionally was like, pretty basic, let's get going and see, kind of see what's next.
You know, it's not an embracer, it's a, let's put it in first gear and get this car moving down the road, you know.
I have a question for you. What do you guys think of the first four lyrics, the first four lines of lyrics?
Here the old whistle blowing, they're pulling the plug, Doug, we got to get going, they got our whole Doug.
[21:24] I think this record's riddled with Gord Downie Canadianisms, all just chock full of it. It's a reference of something, shit I don't know, being an American who doesn't even live there.No, no, this isn't a Canadian one. This is just interesting.
Lyrics to me that I just wondering like when I heard it I felt it was like self-referential like it was like you know like oh like they're we're done guys they were could be it they were startedfalling out of favor a little bit at this point just the diehards really started to cling on you know for the next two or three records.
After this it's still like a giant cohort like a giant cohort.
Yeah, like I mean they were still doing stadiums and things like that, but But it was so those lyrics really stuck out at me, you know, like and then it's like are you ready?
You know, it's like fuck it all like are you ready? You know what the balls of the balls of gourd down in a fucking call at the fan base like that.
That's fucking I I Mean, I don't know. Yeah, just like it's like hey, I guess I guess we're not the fucking We're not the the sweetest maple syrup in town anymore fellas. So let's they got ourfucking holes Doug.
Let's just play our shit Yeah, let's do it Yeah, I think I had some image of like getting out of your factory job The end of the day Friday, maybe got paid It's like we got to get the fuck outof here because these guys are gonna kill us eventually but not tonight I don't know it felt very working-class to tie back to what you said Pete.
You know this this album is riddled with Gordisms and and sorry and There was so much to look at and rabbit hole, and it was it was like fuck these guys Maybe you know part of it isthey were Pulling out lots of stops for Mr.
Hugh on the production side. Yeah, fun there.
So we move next to track two use it up.
[28:01] So I thought we went from like, okay, this is a fast-paced, let's get moving song, to kind of a slowdown quickly. I mean, I found this happening.
I know, JD, you comment sometimes on my, you know, look at albums as if they're books or chapters or what have you, but this one, you know, it was a little bit slow and darker andthere's a message or a lesson, there's like a teaching happening, the chorus of this super sing-along chorus with a way going, you know.
I was like, okay, is this a radio hit or, I don't know.
[28:48] This is the one with the Bruce Springsteen reference, is that right? Yeah.
You know, I had quickly wondered if this one felt a little too like scripted to reach USA audience.
I don't know. I was a little bit confused, a little bit like started off strong and then went into the slow dark kind of let's pull on the heartstrings quickly here.
Interesting. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, well, we'll go to Pete. What do you think, Pete?
It's again, like the plane has taken off with Are You Ready?
And now it's just it's ascending into the fucking cosmos, dude, this song.
Fucking just it cooked. I got chills.
And And the hairs on my arms stood up, thinking and dreaming about hearing this song live.".
[29:52] Like literally, the way the drums are, Paul Lanois' guitar in this song is the drums, the way he holds the rhythm to it.
Rob Baker must have, I don't know what, I mean, here's the thing, I think I said this maybe the last podcast, but his talent as a guitar player has become exponentially better as each recordgoes on.
Not just like all the cool effects that are in this, it just is fucking awesome.
I mean, just hearing the licks, Gord commands this song like a fucking admiral commands an aircraft carrier. I mean...
[30:39] When he goes, I love the chorus, music that can take you away, and it just, there's like an echo effect or there's some sort of effect that just lets his voice ring out, but there's a partwhere he goes back into the second verse, I think, or maybe the third verse, and he goes an octave higher and he goes, instead of, use it up, use it up, and he gets really high.
And it just, it's like watching the kettle on the fucking stove about ready to fucking explode. That's what I think of this song too. I think of it as like, just a builder.
And like, I don't think of it as a slow song at all.
[31:23] You know, like, like, like, there's some, some, some real hot water bubbling away here, getting ready to boil over.
You know, you guys are almost making me want to listen to this album, but not in order.
Not in order. I feel like I should go back to it and put it on random and see what happens.
See what happens, yeah. Because I just, I wish I had the same sentiment.
I went from, like, the car is moving to, oh, who are we trying to grab here?
I mean, these lyrics are heavy, fairly simple, compared to some other hip songs, you know, lots of repeated chorus but like I just wasn't exactly yeah just didn't just didn't grasp me so thethe the way the guitar starts once the drums kick in it's got that kind of like bluesy bar rock sound to it just like I just imagine the fucking crowd just just just thumping at that live showwhen this song is played live. I mean.
[32:31] And Gordon singing out, somebody pushing the fucking sustain button on who's ever working the board and just away!
And it just, everybody losing their fucking mind and Rod Baker doo doo, doo Just, sorry man, I fucking I sound like a douchebag fanboy on this podcast You know I'm cool with it Theother day I was like I'm gonna come in maybe not sounding the most positive about this And I was like, I bet Pete's going to hold it up for us. But that's kind of a tough part.
Part of this assignment is really difficult in that we're listening to albums and albums and albums by a band, hours and hours. And we should add up the hours by now.
[33:20] And we've watched some videos, and we've never attended a show.
I mean, I've never seen The Rolling Stones. I've listened to every one of their albums.
There's tons of examples like that. But I haven't sat down and gone through song by song by The Stones, nor do I want to.
So nobody invite me to go do that. But anyways, it's like we've not seen the hit play.
And I know that many of their songs are probably just amazing live.
Yeah. They're built for live, for sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it's just a facet of my hip career that I'm missing.
But this next one, the darkest one, which I'm mostly going to let Pete talk about because it has to do with it, you know, a little bit with his favorite TV show.
But this one, this is my JD karaoke request, this one.
Oh wow. I want to hear JD belt this one out. That's what I heard when I heard this song. I was like, oh, this is good.
Oh, this would be cool to hear JD sing karaoke.
[34:31] Have you ever done karaoke to this song, JD?
I never found it at a karaoke place. Usually they have the bigger hits, but they don't have the deeper cuts.
Well, maybe you could just send me your own video recorded version.
I'll do it. I mean, just to share with me.
[34:52] Yeah, this song contains one of my favorite sets of lyrics ever, like ever, by anybody.
You know, the wild are strong, and the strong are the darkest ones, and you're the darkest one. Are you fucking kidding me? Yeah.
Like, that build to describing somebody in that manner, oh, it just makes me grin. just makes me grin.
Oh, God, dude, the song.
First of all, I love that it was the the track of the trailer.
That's how I recognized it initially. You know, you know, I mean, we have to talk that kind of guy.
It really cooks the opening. But I mean, just Gord Sinclair's bass is like holding this song up and help pushing it up and get it off the ground.
I agree that the chorus, we're the strong or the darkest ones and you're the darkest one.
I mean, it's just how he repeats it, how Gord repeats it, you're the darkest one and I can't sing like him. The melody just goes up and down.
It's just fucking amazing.
[36:15] There's the line, it's funny because like initially all I thought it was like that horrible show they used to have on.
God, I can't even remember the name of it, where the guy would like, God, what was the name of that show? It was the Chris, not Chris Matthews, he was on NBC.
Remember the guy would, the police would be checking those people, the people that were trying to hook up with young kids or something.
And he said, why don't you come in and have a seat, right? Remember that?
Oh, yeah. He's like, he busts people like, Yeah, he busts people.
Yeah, I don't know what you're talking about.
Oh, God, I can't remember the name of the show. Yeah, whatever it's called either.
If you if you remember it, send us an email. JD at gettinghiptothehip.com What that horrible show is.
I think Pete at gettinghiptothehip.com.
That's for Pete. Yeah, I know. All right. Anyway, he would always say, like, why don't you come in and have a seat? But like, that's like a really demonic, horrible version. This was like,so like, Gord was like inviting everybody, come in, come in.
It's warm and it's safe in here. Like, it was just like, like, we're already, we've walked through the door with these first two songs on this record. Now he's saying, like, hey, come in, makeyourself at home, have a seat on the couch.
You know, it's so personal.
I don't know, I got a really personal vibe from this record.
[37:44] Lyrically, the way that the band played together so beautifully.
[37:49] I feel like, yeah, you already mentioned the chorus, JD. You can really feel the band come together on this there. Everybody's now at the same level. Like, it's not the...
No offense to Gord Downie, because he's, you know, he's just what it is he's amazing but like I feel like it's not just the gore downy show I like feel like if you took any member of thisband out of the band it would be equally as devastating.
Equally as devastating. 100%. The last thing I will say is I don't know how I'd ever confirm this, but I feel like Rob Baker has maybe switched out the pickups on his Fender Strat duringthis one.
He's maybe using some of those Fender Tex-Mex ones instead of the delay sensors.
And I was just... because that solo at the end sounds really twangy, it's hard to use Tim's term, bright.
[38:42] And it pissed me off so much that the song faded out.
But the more I thought about it, the more I was like, dude, you can't end this song with a raging solo, such an amazing song, you just have to let it fade out.
You can't compete with the rest of this song. So Rob Baker or the producer, they were in the right to just let the song fade out because You can't one-up yourselves in the same song.
It's just so good. I didn't have an issue with the fade-out on this one.
I think, in part, it's just the total tone of the song and the lyric.
You're the darkest one. I mean, you're right. How would you end that?
I didn't question it. It didn't cross my mind. But we got to talk about how fun the video is. I didn't see it.
We don't. Oh, I got to see it.
[39:35] Yeah, that part, you know, we had just to add to that we have not talked about their videos much and at some point it'd be You know side note here it'd be fun to uh Maybe I don'tknow what riff on this later Watch their videos and have an episode where we each talk about our favorite video they produced or something Yeah, because this video This one jd knows.
Yeah, it's a hoot like I watched it like six videos Come on, you've seen the video with bubbles and everybody.
Oh, this is the one. Oh To me.
[40:24] Like Actor that like you forget that like, oh, that's core Johnny from the tragedy.
He just looks like he belongs, right?
Right, the video is so good, it feels really true. He could be Trevor Roy's cousin or something.
I have a teenager at home that watched that whole series enough times so it was on in our basement regularly.
I never saw that episode until through research found that, but the video is so fun.
I seriously watched it six times, it's just so good. and made me love the song more, and it made me come back.
You know, of course, in order of going through, in Violet Light, it just made me come back to this song as like, this song's a stopper, you know?
It could just be its own single, you know? It's just, it's just one of those songs. Yeah, I mean, just give it to me on a seven inch and I'll just play that on my turntable.
It's just a good, good song.
God rest Jim Lange.
[41:31] Yeah, poor lady So that takes us to The next track on the record, which is it's a good life if you don't weaken Yeah, no, I'll go so this from what I found this was the most played forthe album on Spotify by far The song has been played a ton for this album was like four million listens or something which I.
[41:55] Think is huge There was one question Yeah, this song for the single.
Okay, so that to me, that was kind of a surprise. Like why this one?
Why do people glom on because it's awesome.
But I might add a question of it around. I didn't do a deep dive.
But Gord said it was this phrase, Molly Lorimer use life on the road when discussing life on the road. And I couldn't find much on this Molly Lorimer.
I I don't know if you guys did. That was gonna be a question to you.
Yeah, I don't know. It's just attributed to her. Yeah.
It's a good life if you don't weaken. Yeah. It's a graphic novel by singularly named artist simply known as Seth.
I don't know, that's all I've got. Yeah, but that line came from Molly.
So, yeah. The piece itself was brought to the attention of the band by one of the staffers, Molly Lorimer. Okay. As Gord wanna explain, was fond of using the expression when discussinglife on the road.
[43:01] Yeah, I mean, I love that part about it and that reference as far as literary references go on many of the songs, you know, was a little bit more mysterious, especially even differentsince it's based a bit on a graphic novel, which I don't think Gord has done yet.
It seemed kind of like a love song or a, I don't know, a separation song or figuring out life, coming back together.
You know, it was, it was, it was, there were lots of question marks on this one for me. It was kind of like, why is it so popular? What am I?
I don't think I'm missing something here. I think I get it.
I think it's just, I don't know, another, another heartstrings puller.
That's kind of where I was left. What about you, Mr. Pete?
[43:52] I did not like this song when I first started listening to it.
The first run or two of it, the first thing I wrote was, this song is the cover of this record.
So you listen to the guitar and you look at the cover, you're just like, oh, this is like the title track of the record.
And then it just, I don't want to say it's my favorite song on the record, but it's pretty close man. I mean it's so good.
The way this song builds, the keyboards come in and it just layers so nicely.
I feel like when the chorus comes in and the harmonies hit, It's just, oh God, it's just beautiful, man. It's so good.
The bridge is like butter.
Sometimes bands, because they feel the need to put a bridge into songs, because in Newsflash, not every song needs a bridge.
And sometimes bands just put it in and they sound like shit.
And this is just not one of those cases. It's like such a beautiful extension of the song. I don't know why I wrote in here.
[45:22] Rob Baker's Fender accompaniment is wretched. And I don't think I meant that as an insult, because I loved it. I thought it was really good.
But the build before the chorus of the song is just because it starts out so soft. so yeah that finger-picking guitar and then it just builds to this climactic.
[45:46] Saga Wonderful. I don't know man. I can't say that enough fucking good things about the song. I loved it. Well, you answered my question I think that's that's great.
I'm gonna go back and listen to it I was you know, I wasn't it wasn't so Wasn't so feeling that I I I am invasive how it grew on you.
I think that's Make that's wonderful. I would say it's a lot of people's favorite song. Yeah record.
As far as the singles go.
[46:16] Because this record's full of deeper cuts, too, that that fans are really big on.
One in particular I'll get to when we get there.
But these are the these last two songs. The Darkest One and It's A Good Life If You Don't Weekend are my two favorite songs on this record. I love those songs.
Pete, with Silver Jet, did you long for a bridge in that one or some sort of change up or how'd you feel about the long ending fade out of this one i love i mean i liked it i the song and theway i to be honest with you the the song first when i first first heard the song a couple times i didn't like the um that lick in there it just sounded i didn't like it it was pissing me off did itsound like a little it sounded almost like a little bit hairband to me.
Like there was some kind of, I don't know. It totally did. Yeah.
Reminds me of like Van Halen or something, you know? Yeah. It made me wonder if this was a a music-first song.
[47:25] I just think that you can only get away from your roots so much, you know?
At the end of the day, we all return to, you know, just as we're born, begging and screaming and crying for your mama, you die the same way.
And so we all have that in us throughout our lives and like, they have that history.
It's like it or hate it. That's part of their history as a band.
But I chose to embrace it and I really liked it.
I thought one of the coolest things was this song and one other one I think we'll get to.
There's a lot of like harmonic plays with the guitar. That.
Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I'm pretty sure it's it's it's Rob Baker, but it could be Paul and Juan just playing those those those repeated harmonics on the guitar with that heavy distortion andit's just fucking cool.
And I don't know that this is one but it feels like a like a a Gord Downie Canadianism song.
[48:34] It may be about something in history. I just seem too random to be talking about a silver jet. This is one record I didn't look at any of the lyrics.
I just listened I listened intently.
On your first listen or what do you mean? On any listen, which I think it served me well because I paid much more attention to the music and the band and like Gord doesn't need toimpress me with his lyrics, I don't need to fucking read his lyrics to to be impressed by them so, I think the fact that I didn't look at any lyrics for this record made me appreciate it a littlebit more, and I'm glad I did that.
[49:16] Process-wise, definitely the first six listens or something, I'm not looking up really looking up lyrics much at all.
It's just at the end is where I love to do the deep dive where I've really taken in the album and what makes me, I don't know, just completes my wonderment of where this album is goingor where these songs are going.
And this one, you know, I love the roars overhead You know, it's it really I talked about this before but that one felt super REM Michael Stipe to me I just totally couldn't completely hearMichael Stipe in that one and it's And it's also, you know, this is 2002 and that reference to me is more like 88 You know late 80s, maybe early 90s.
Sorry. Um, so Yeah, dude, I didn't think Tim you're you're spot-on with that Michael Stipe reference Oh big time big time, and you know, I I don't say that in a negative way.
I just circle back to Wishing I could be a fly on the wall and the tour bus to hear what these guys are listening to or sharing, you know because it's it's There's definitely some some threadsthroughout all of it the the ending was the ending and I thought this one was um, I I don't know just long They're starting to now have like one song where there's an ending of like aminute or more of just music just instrumental.
[50:42] You know, which which I I dig sometimes I wish there's like for this song in.
[50:48] Particular there was Maybe there was room for a Stronger bridge or some sort of change up in it.
I think I think this this song. I don't know I.
[50:58] Maybe this is one of the songs I need to hear live but this one like it was really close to being one of my favorites on the album there just was something wow something in therethat was just a little bit missing like I first few times I listened to this one I was like oh what is it about this song there's there just wasn't enough salt on it or something there wassomething in there so I want to go back and hear it again and maybe find some live version to see what's different about it.
Yeah, it's definitely a banger live.
[51:36] I think some great lyrics. I think one of the coolest vocal deliveries on the record. Like he's barely opening his mouth.
He's like grinning these lyrics out almost.
[51:51] A rock star using the word archipelago. Oh yeah, that's a great point.
Like throwing words like that in there from a phrasing perspective is just a nightmare.
And yet He does it and he does it with ease It's so crazy My father-in-law mentioned we're telling on because my wife's gonna Ibiza Ibiza Ibiza He beat that um next week and And or twoweeks and I was like asking where it was and like thinking about it Is it over here?
Where's that? He's like and he said He said archipelago on, but he said it in Spanish, but I knew what he was saying, because it's a very similar word.
And it made me think of this song, and I was like, oh yeah, Silver Jet, like, just to hear, I mean, how often do you hear the word archipelago?
Never. On a given week? Yeah. On a month? No. And I heard it, like, the same day I was listening to this song, he said archipelago, and I was like, that's fucking weird.
There's a glitch in the matrix somewhere, man. Yeah, totally.
There's lots of great one-liners in this song. It's, it's, it's, it's chocked full. It's, it's a really, I don't know.
Again, this was one I kept coming back to and kind of couldn't get enough of, you know, that I'm thinking it through.
Your father-in-law's going to Ibiza? Is he going to a rave there?
What's he, what's going to, does everyone know he's going there?
[53:20] No, he's just going, she's going to a, just with her friend to visit.
Oh, she's going this way.
But I was going to say a minute ago, all the cheeseburger references by you, Tim, we're going to start calling you Randy. You start having to do this podcast to get your shirt off.
[53:39] I don't know, Mr. Leahy. We haven't had a cuddle in a long time.
I gotta say, I gotta say one thing, dude.
I don't know, God, if she listens to this podcast, she's never gonna ever want to talk to me again, but my sweet, great and wonderful colleague, Barb, who lives on, um, I can never say hername.
Canada is such a huge, huge country.
It's more on the West Coast. But every time I just see her name, she sends me an email.
I don't see Barb or Barbara. I just see burp.
It's actually, I just see it spelled B-E-R-B. I just hear Randy saying, burp.
[54:29] Like, it's just, and I know she would find it funny because she loves that show.
She's a huge, ridiculously huge head fan. I think that's the booze talking, Pete. I think he might need to lay off of the booze.
That's my best advice. Probably. So, uh, looking gla- throwing off glass.
[58:21] Like, right when this one, maybe it had to do with me microdosing throughout the week, but wow, it was like, turn down the levels.
There are some serious drums and cymbals and big, big loud king of pain, kind of.
There's some serious production happening with this one. You know, it's overall, my comments on this one are super basic.
It's a beautiful song In general, you know, I got the the dad vibes from it the teenage kids It's kind of like The daughter song.
I don't know JD. I was like, oh this seems like to me this might be You know JD's song for his his girls, you know, it's just a beautiful beautiful song There's just wasn't a whole lot more toit than that for me. It's just like whoo.
Okay Okay, that's a mouthful. I love this track. It was a great, like, in-between.
[59:26] It was a great palate cleanser. I know that's like a negative connotation to say, in-between this song and the next, but it just was so needed and it was so well placed in the order of it.
I love the way it's just, it was a super spacey track.
Vocals were just echoed all over the place and yeah I don't have a ton to say about it other than I really really enjoyed it.
I thought again this is the other one where Rob Baker's harmonics really really shined on it like they just drive the song and I'm like it's just Just awesome.
[1:00:06] Loved it. Just loved it. Really, really good chill out song to kind of go, take a break, lower the blood pressure a little bit. You've been rocking out.
We're only on song six.
Yeah, it was kind of serene. It was its own movie, this one, I think.
You know, it's definitely stands on its own. Yeah, the next song All tore up.
Yeah, I'll tore up. Okay. So here's another really Gonna this is the last time I'm gonna talk about about holy shit the drums and the cymbals the high hats on this one It's just like whoa Turnit down guys.
Like this is a this is my final call out on the production side of this one. It's just, Kaplow in my ear holes. So there you have that. But the there's Tim is Tim is Huey Lewis in that firstscene of Back Feature one. Sorry, guys.
Just too loud. Next, please. Sorry, Tim, I didn't mean to cut you off.
Love it loud. I just you know, I have.
[1:01:23] Yeah, anyways, that there The bridge in this one, you might make it, right?
You know, that really smacked me. This is just an amazing change in this one.
I felt like this one stepped out a little bit more than previous songs and kind of was leaning a little bit more in a direction that I had been looking for, just musically, just tragic, hip-esque,you know?
This one kind of brought me back to, I don't know, just what I want in a hip album.
[1:02:00] I liked the finding, the reference towards Dottie Cormier, famous Canadian bluegrass singer.
So kind of went down a rabbit hole and checked out her stuff and gave her a bunch of listens.
Yeah, I mean, she's mentioned in there and she's one of the more famous bluegrass people of Canada, which is awesome. I'm not a huge bluegrass fan, but I definitely appreciate it when Icome across it, and it's great.
But I thought it was a song about going for it, living life, just appreciating things, looking for moments of biggest impacts or things that matter.
You know, I typed in, you just need to be you and keep moving.
It's inspirational. This is a good, to me this is.
This is a good hip song on this album. If somebody's going to say, what should I listen to? This would definitely be one of the songs.
Oh, yeah, I liked it. Aside from the bright, fucking bloody.
All right. Happening.
[1:03:13] Well, to back that up, I will say one of the things I've written in my notes here is Johnny face snare is boosted. It is. And I love I do.
Yeah, I love it, like for me, it fits with the album, like, I could see how you could look at it as a, as maybe a, like, I would do this differently, but like, I just feel like they did that onpurpose, and it fits with the record and I think it's done well. It's noticeable.
That's the problem, though. But you know what, like, maybe, like, here's the thing, maybe it should be noticeable for a lot of reasons because the drums in a lot of these songs really, reallydrive the momentum of the tunes.
The opening lick that I think is, I want to say it's Rob Baker playing, that opening lick with the double stop, just how he just, I'm like, wait, how do you play that again?
Because it just, it doesn't stop, it doesn't stop and start where you think it's going to stop and start.
It's really, and the drums come in at a different tempo, and it's just cool as fuck.
Question JD, I have this written out, what are the school buses in Canada?
Do you guys have like yellow school buses like we have in the States?
[1:04:36] Because I mean, I don't know, are they big school buses like the big long ones?
Yeah, Bluebird, which is like one of the big school bus manufacturers, used to have a plant in the town, like 20 minutes from where I grew up.
And I worked there every summer building school buses. Yeah.
Okay. Well, maybe you would have seen any bass player in the whole of Canada that was worth their salt getting on that school bus because literally Gordon Sinclair takes anybodylistening to this record who plays bass to fucking school on a bus.
I mean, it's a master, it's a master's degree, it's not a master class, it's a fucking master's degree.
I mean, the way he fucking goes up high with the bass in this, I'm just like, I listen, this is one of the very few songs where I like stopped and and clicked back and was like listening to itand going, what the fuck is he doing, dude?
Like, I don't know anybody that can play that shit.
I've met a few bass players in my day, but just so smooth and so cool, I mean, I loved it.
[1:05:51] The only other thing I will say about this song is that the lyrics and the vocal phrasing by Gord, and I say this and I feel like people hate me for saying this, but if they hate methen they're not true Canadians, because it's very much a lot of Alanis phrasing the way Gord sings the lyrics on this.
I listened to Jagged Little Pill last night, as a matter of fact, on vinyl. It's a fucking record that still stands up so great.
But yeah, anyway, very much got some Atlantis vibes with the phrasing on it.
It was a great song. So wild that you hear Atlantis all the time.
Oh, I love that. It's Atlantis and Michael Stipe. I think those are the most referenced singers.
[1:06:45] Yeah Yeah, that's far out let's keep moving so with leave JD did you ever hear this one live? Do you recall? I don't recall.
No, I just this is this was definitely one right away I was like, oh, this is probably great life you know, I just I go there so often just because I've been to so many shows and I know theSerotonin boosts that you have when you leave a concert or hear a song you love, you know it's just this this one was me reaching for that um it felt uh oh just introspective anddeliberative and it it i the only thing about it is kind of towards the end i felt like it could go another minute you know i felt like we could have and have had another verse in there if it's ifthere's a live version of it being longer or if they mix it up because this song just compositionally felt like there was opportunity to play around and change it a little bit so it's I thought itwas a pretty cool song.
How about you Pete? I thought it was really cool.
I mean the way it started was very like spacey and mm-hmm like almost like Wait, what?
[1:08:10] Did my Spotify malfunction or whatever? Like it couldn't have happened before with CDs, but really, the way it's like a shuffle, it kind of feels like a shuffle, you know, the waythe beat is.
And the phrasing again, this is another one where Gord's phrasing is super, super diverse.
[1:08:36] The chords are really... I got some heavy Stone Temple Pilots vibes.
Oh, totally. Completely. Yeah. Really? Like, those guys from...
I think I was almost going like Alice in Chains or something.
There was something in there from the 90s. 100%. 100%.
There's a part where Paul Langlois' guitar comes in, and the song, it starts to form, And there's a line that says, a routine flight for this bird tonight, more worms for earth in the afterlife.
[1:09:15] Like, what the fuck, dude? Look at that. After that line, the song just like explodes open.
[1:09:26] I love the chorus. It's just, yeah, I'm not displeased with this song at all.
There's nothing. I'm trying not to wrap up the whole album, but you know, if you guys haven't figured out already, I really liked this album.
There's not much negative shit I can say about it. So if you're looking for negative shit, just turn off the podcast and wait.
Or just call me, you know, I have throat pain.
Because this next one, if we can get into it. Yeah. Yeah. A beautiful thing.
You know, it's kind of this cute start sing-along-y feeling.
Definitely XTC. Definitely R.E.M.
You know, like it's the bridge, the guitar solo kind of bridge that happens in there. When I heard that, I was like, oh, what happened?
This song, it was the first time I heard it, I couldn't finish it.
This was one of the few songs that this has happened to me. And I was like, God damn it.
Here's the song that I need to talk about that it took me a handful of times to get through because it just, it wasn't a beautiful thing for me.
It was, uh, I just, I just, I know I was totally questioning it.
It was like, are they, were they trying to make a wedding song or like, what is, what is this song? I was like, what the fuck? This didn't need to be on the album. It just kind of...
[1:10:52] Sorry, sorry hip fans. Yeah, I mean I hope you guys don't kick me off the pod, but this one I was like FF fast-forward with next week.
We'll be joined by just We found Tom from Seattle who's gonna join us next week we sent him a supply of happy pills and Definitely told him he's not allowed to have any indica beforehe gets on the pod Tim, I felt you with this, man.
I mean, here's the thing, though.
At first I felt you with this and I was like, I started listening to some more and I was fucking love this.
First thing I like, I thought this was the father daughter song when I heard it first.
[1:11:42] But the three, four, this is a dance song. You can, there's definitely people, There's the guy, you know, with his arms behind.
Somebody or the girl on his shoulders or whatever it is, swaying back and forth with this song at the concert. 100,000 percent.
The chorus is super strong.
The way they go, Beautiful thing. Toot toot toot.
Exactly. This is the second song I've noted that I think Rob Baker switched out as his pick-up song.
God, I, I, I, I, I, I, I hesitate to scour the internet for, for those, um, you know, when the musicians do those pedal reviews or they're like, it's like the Amoeba what's in your bag thing.
Often like interview guitar players and be like, what's on your pedal board?
Or like, what's the kind of guitar you're using? And like, I know if I find one of Rob Baker, my life's over. Cause I'm going to be like, Hmm, spending more money on shit.
[1:12:49] I thought this song was a beautiful song, just fucking awesome to be cheesy and tie it up that way.
It's basically one of three of the fewest listens on the album.
I know Spotify isn't everything, but I take it as, you know, a guiding point.
The last three songs are the three least listened to on this album.
So and I felt like the album did take a little bit of a turn for me with that.
All right. Well, let's move on to Dire Wolf then.
Um, dude, drums, opening lick, a guitar solo, fucking clean as hell.
It, it, it, it, this is going to sound weird, I got to phrase this properly.
Because the opening, these last two songs are really unique because they change so much.
The first part of the song made me feel like I'm going to phrase it properly.
[1:14:00] Like I was in a wheat field during a cold, a cool summer day.
The opening was so cool. I think Pauline Waas is opening up with the guitar.
And this seems certainly like a Gord Downie Canadianism song, lyrically is it? Yeah, big time. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And what I want to know, Gord talking about what he loves themost, his country.
And I wrote this down because I was thinking about it driving home yesterday.
And it almost brought me to tears listening to this song. So I was like, dude, what a gift.
[1:14:43] Sorry to get all serious for a second, like what a fucking gift this guy was to his country.
Absolutely. I never got it before. Like my friend Barb, who I talked about earlier, I was making a joke about.
Barb? Barb, yeah. And then you, JD, and then other people in my life who've mentioned The Hip to me have been super passionate. I'm just like, it's almost kind of like, God, okay.
Hey, I just didn't get it.
And this is a song where it just really hits home.
And the more research I do about the band, the more I get into them, the more I look at interviews with Gord, I'm just like, like, I don't think Americans have anything as an equivalentbecause I know there was that hockey, the guy on like SportsCenter Canadian Hockey who said like, you know, If you took Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, all those things, you know, thatquote, JD? Yeah. Yeah.
Like you'd like sort of get like what? Because like, yeah, we don't have that.
Like this guy had plenty of criticisms for his government. But at the end of the day, it was like a really unifying force for Canada.
[1:15:57] I don't know, man. This song just got me all fucking weebly eyed and loved it.
That's awesome. I mean, I agree with all that.
I feel like this song you could easily write a 15-page dissertation about there's so maybe 150 like there's so much in here this to me was another song that could be a movie or a book Idon't know.
This song is so loaded and, you know, it's...
[1:16:31] I don't know. It's just quite poetic. I could go on about the lyrics or things I looked up and all the literature references.
I mean, it's just it's too much to even get into but I feel like there's also this yin-yang sort of to the song with the music versus the lyrics like it's the music to me at times feels like I don'twant to say pretty or cute, but the music has kind of this positive feel while the lyrics are kind of out here on their own.
It's wild. It's just a huge song.
And I agree with you, Pete, on Gord versus all of our USA stars.
[1:17:20] You know, just this last weekend, the Boss played in Portland, and I saw lots of footage of the Boss playing live at our arena and, you know, sold out show, of course.
And we have one close friend who is a major Bruce Bringsing fan, like flies all over the place to see him and all that.
[1:17:43] And just in watching, I mean, I get them musically and everything, and I've read up on Bruce and his whole upbringing and his struggle to success and watch his interview withObama and all those things, but at the same time, I'm like, this is nothing comparative with Gord in his lyrics and what he goes after.
He's not talking about the struggle of just working at the factory.
Talking about like that all the way back to hundreds of years before and you know just it's, it's so much more and i commented on this a little bit ago but there are a couple pods ago butwhen i met with a couple fairly important indie rock dudes in portland and mentioned i was doing this they didn't know either like they both had not still i mean guys our age not listenedto the tragically hip and when I mentioned that they're, you know, this beloved facet to the country of Canada and how just how important they are, you know, they didn't really even getthat because who do we talk about in that regard? Elvis? I don't know.
All these all these different things that that just don't measure up to me.
[1:19:06] But even so too, you're right, Tim, because like you can sit there and say that about any other country on the planet. Yeah.
You could probably say that about Spain.
You could say that about Japan. You could say that about South Korea or China or all these places.
Oh, they're really big there. But literally, it's right next door to the roof of the United States.
And the fact that those indie rock gods, who I know you're talking about, had no idea who the hip were. I was just fucking... I mean, they do, but they absolutely don't. Right, yeah,exactly.
[1:19:38] You know, like if I could have played a song right then and there, in the moment, before even mentioning them, and said, who do you guys think this is?
They would have gone like, oh, this is maybe something from the 90s I glossed over, because, you know, just, I'm not sure.
Maybe I was too into, you know, rare indie rock during that decade, I don't know.
It feels like something I skipped over and that's exactly I think what has happened with the hip in the US but to circle back up also on this album and the production of it and you HughPadgham, I don't know why I'm tripping on my Little knowledge of Italian when I see his name, which is not Italian Hugh Padgham when I look at you know of his signature statement onthis album, I think, this is O2, and this is another grasp at getting a global audience, like really trying to get people outside of Canada to embrace these guys who have this super specialthing going.
I think by this time, the band is, I don't think it's the band, the machine might've been that way, but I think the band at this point where they're making records.
[1:20:57] And they hope as many people hear them as possible, but like, you know.
But from a producer standpoint, a producer can definitely be going for that.
I mean, if someone's gonna sign their name as I produce this album, especially in this era of still going for album sales, I feel like there's a bit of that on this one.
And I thought when I heard the whole album, I thought, okay, we're probably getting a little bit more raw on the next album.
We're probably getting a little bit more Tiger the Lion.
I hope, you know, there's gonna be another turn and that's kind of in the wave of listening to the hip so far as we started off like all over the place and then we found some roots where wewere just like flowing through and then there's some highway changes, you know, so much of this has been about life on the road and we're hearing all the different examples in thedifferent decades of time, so.
[1:22:06] It's a fucking cool experience. I love you guys! And to sew it up, the guitar solo just really puts you in an emotional tailspin at the end of this tune.
And by the way, I looked it up while we were earlier when we were chatting, Hugh Pagin did in fact produce Synchronicity.
[1:22:29] I think it's that record. I think it's that one. Yeah, he did.
And he skipped the exam and he had to go to summer school as a result.
So it was like such a good record just for that record.
All right, let's wrap up this record with the Dark Canuck.
[1:26:42] Okay, I loved this song because it's two different songs, if you haven't noticed.
It's not the same song.
I mean, I don't know what to say about this song. I focus mostly on like, how the song starts off with like just a simple four-four beat and then it goes, like I spent most of the timelistening to the song trying to figure out what the time signatures were because they were just so random.
And I think I boiled it down to it goes 6-4 and then for every phrase it goes 6-4 and then 2-4 and it just repeats.
[1:27:35] Goes, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
[1:27:40] 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3,4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1 playing like this really cool licks, like, I don't know, harmonic minor shit.
And just, it's just, they just, I don't know, maybe they didn't know they had like, okay, well, we got one more song we're gonna throw on the record.
What do you guys wanna do? Let's just fucking...
It's just taking a bunch of paint, throw it against the fucking wall and see what happens.
Yes, yes. And they got a fucking awesome song, dude.
It is a trip of a song. I can listen to this song a thousand times.
It's a fucking cool tune. Honestly, it was the kind of the one I was waiting for in that same regard, you know.
Right away, this was another one where I was like, oof, right away, oof, this is a banger life.
Lucky people got to hear this one live. Oh yeah, for sure. I mean, there's, and then this huge transition halfway through, yeah.
Two songs feel, it felt like we just moved into a new song.
It was just shoved into us. We went from, I have this note, we went from, um, the idea of a soldier returning home to feeling like we're on a bad holiday, like it just, it's just full of like facesmacking.
[1:29:08] I don't know. It's just the build-ups and this felt like, okay, Hugh's gone, guys, let's finally report on Canucco.
Well said, well said.
You know, they finally got what they wanted to do. And I really adored that 30-second drum machine ending, whatever that was, like, I just thought it was cool.
I was like, okay, I'm gonna keep going with the podcast because a couple songs ago, I was like, what do I send JD an email what do I do oh no just kidding no this one was fun it was itwas i, i longed for gourd to sing more angrily which is why i thought about you know the live version of this but um yet i should say it was just still just worked right and uh, it was kindof like a Whew, okay, there's Envy.
I didn't know what a Canuck was. I didn't know what a Canuck was until I looked it up with this song. I just thought they were a fucking hockey team. Wow.
What is a Canuck? I don't know that I know. It's like a lumberjack, right?
No, it's just a term for a Canadian person, I think. Yeah, it's a derogatory term. I don't know that it's derogatory.
I think it's just a slang. It's like Yankee for a, you know?
[1:30:34] Yeah, that's the way I've always heard it. People call us Yankees here a lot.
That's the way I've always heard Canuck. Yeah.
Yeah, that's what I thought too, you made me think it was, you made me doubt myself.
That's a good trick. I don't think it's derogatory or anything, it's just... No, I don't think so. This is a more fun way of saying Canadian.
Where did you land on the record, like overall? Like Pete, I think it's pretty clear, you really enjoyed it, but you started out not enjoying it, but now it's a grower.
I mean, I definitely had some speed bumps through it.
And yeah, a little more than usual, I would say. But also like, you know, still, still really liking this exercise and hearing a band's evolution. It's so interesting.
And overall, just for me personally, it's like this album and the way it's different than others.
[1:31:38] It just makes me commend just general artistic decision-making and direction and the way people do things. I mean, it's interesting.
All of my kind of feedback and sentiment over this album was like, it's still just valid to be out in the music space of life for people to see and hear, you know.
[1:32:07] It's yeah yeah well what is your MVP track what song are you putting on your playlist Pete did I steal your thunder did you have kind of a album wrap-up statement oh no no nono no no you didn't so much okay, I I loved it man I I just.
I don't know. Sorry, I was talking earlier, but the band's really become important to me.
Like, I really like this band a lot, man. Oh, that's amazing. It's fucking...
It's just, it's become...
[1:32:47] And this record, I think, made me realize it. Especially because when I first started listening, I didn't like it.
Right. Yeah. I took it into different parts.
I think part of that is also we're doing the week over week and it's a crash course, so it's really hard.
It's not a natural way to learn to like a band. Yeah. It's almost like, I don't want to say this in negative way, J.D., but it's almost like torture.
It's like programming. No, think about it.
Imagine it's like you're in.
[1:33:18] A German prison in 1939 and you're being told to agree to all this stuff.
And you're like, OK, all right, yeah, OK, I agree to it. Eventually, you start believing it.
I know that's a really poor example. My apologies if anybody's offended.
That's not what my intention was. My intention is to be like, it's very forceful.
And so that being said, it's not natural the way I'm liking this band.
But at the same time, the evolution, When I start listening to the record, then how much love I have for this band is just, it's a cool thing in and of itself.
Very, very cool. It's just so cool to step back. I don't know, sorry, I'm rambling, but.
No, not at all. No, I dig it. It's cool to step back and look at how much, how cool this band is. I concur, I concur.
So what are your MVP tracks for this record? What song will you take away?
[1:34:27] Drumroll... Hmm, I'm not quite sure. I'm gonna go, you know, I'm gonna go with the ender, the Dark Canuck.
I'm gonna go with that one.
It was a bit of a release for me to get to that song and hear it and hear it through.
And it also made me want to listen to the album again to run through it.
So this was a little bit of a saver for me. And, you know, the transition was wacky and there's been a couple songs I forget. I think the second or third album there was kind of a wackylittle bit of a different song that I chose.
I should go back and remember which one that was. But yeah, I love less produced, more hip is kind of just what I keep seeking.
I want that raw kind of flavor of the hip and I want, I just want to hear more of that.
I, overall, I mean, I really liked, there's a couple on here that were really strong, like Silver Jet totally has its place, but I'll go with the end one, the Dark Canuck.
All right, your mix is going to be pretty wild. Yeah, I think that's okay.
[1:35:41] Of course, I'll let you guys. Oh, go ahead. No, go ahead, man.
I was just going to say, can I just copy and paste the record?
Just drop this shit. I don't know, man.
I don't want to make a decision. Pete's playlist from every album of the entire catalog, folks.
You can find that on the album in Violet Byte.
Dude, it's a hard thing. All I will say is, and it would probably change, But just because I just pictured so much like seeing it live, like, use it up to use it up.
If that fucking song was played live, especially when again, when Gordon hits that octave.
Yes. Oh, my God, dude.
I just feel the injection of nitrous oxide for energy that must have gone into a crowd when he hit that second verse or whatever, whatever the party sings it.
[1:36:41] Fucking Christ Almighty, dude.
Sorry, just. I so hate myself for never getting to see this band live.
I got it. It's a huge I live my life. Not a lot of regrets, but that's one of them.
Hey, which is in part, very exciting to go to the JD.
Here's your plug. Oh, yeah.
Well, you'll get to see a facsimile of them. Yeah, simile.
Obviously, you know, tribute bands are, you know, your mileage may vary with tribute bands, but the tragically have a distinct place in this country.
And there is, you know, there are a lot of really great hip tribute bands out there. There are a lot. I think we've got, you know, one of the best though for our event.
And again, that's going to be Friday, September 1st, and tickets are $40.
And you get to watch the finale of this podcast go live. And then you get a hip concert, a 50 Mission concert, I should say.
We have a comedian. There's not alcohol there, is there?
There will be booze, yeah. Oh, I'm going to stay away from the beer, because if they play, if by chance this band plays Use It Up, and I'm three beers deep, I'm going to get the fucking 86,dude.
We need a sidebar conversation about that. I've had ideas too. I've had ideas too.
[1:38:07] Well, we're going to have a comedian that night also.
And I think maybe this part of the silent auction, I think maybe we need some sort of, this is so cheesy, but maybe we need some sort of, you know, gift basket from Portland and giftbasket from Malaga.
So maybe, you know, let's bring something, Let's bring something from the homelands.
Yeah, let's bring something from the homelands. I can't bring my own because it's gonna...
You could also fake it, you know. Yeah, I'll just fly it at the airport.
But man, that's gonna be such a fun event.
And as we're climbing out of winter, I know this isn't being broadcasted, pushed to the world in winter, but as we're climbing out of winter here in Portland, I'm really excited about theend of August happening.
What date's the event again, JD? September 1st, Friday, September 1st. September 1st, people.
I can't wait dude. Use it up. It's gonna be fucking great. Use it all up.
Can I just say that if anybody wants to talk gear, look for the guy with the glasses and the fake nose and the fake mustache.
[1:39:25] If anybody needs to come over and slug me in the arm, just warn me.
You know, if I dissed one of your songs, I'll take a hug instead.
Yeah, these guys have done a yeoman's duty here, you know, taking on this task, although for most of us, we're like, task?
I listen to, you know, a hip-hop record a week anyway.
But you know, the way you guys are doing this is really great, and I'm really, I'm just fucking amped that you're getting into it. So that's real cool.
Thanks, JD. It's a gift. It truly is a gift. It truly is a gift.
I've told you this before in private messages, but it's a gift.
So thanks, man. Thanks, Canada. Pleasure. Thanks, Tragically Hip.
Well, on that note, we'll bid you all adieu.
Anything you want to wrap up on, folks? I'm just looking for the next one.
We're going to jump into a whole nother album, Pete. You ready?
Can't wait. Are you ready?
[1:40:33] Alright guys, thanks so much. Talk to you next week. Thanks JD.
See you guys. Pick up your shit.
Picture it, the turn of the millennium, and the dawn of the online music revolution. jD just shelled out his last few dollars on The Tragically Hip’s seventh studio record, Music at Work, unaware that it would mark the end of an era for him - his final first-day purchase. From there we take a deep dive into the album's reception, its relevance today, and the debate if it was a step out of The Hip's comfort zone.
Make sure to get your tickets for Longslice Presents: Getting Hip to the Hip - An Evening for the Downie Wenjack Fund today! https://bit.ly/GHTTHTickets
Transcript
Track 1:
[0:00] Welcome to getting hip to the hip. I'm JD. I'm here as always with Pete and.
[0:06] Tim How are you fellas doing this fine day?
Track 3:
[0:10] Doing great doing great Just getting it going and excited to be here and see a couple of my favorite dudes over the interwebs.
Track 2:
[0:19] I Am doing supercalifragilisticexpialidocious to fucking discuss this fucking record Oh, wow.
Track 3:
[0:27] Oh, boy.
Track 2:
[0:28] Oh, boy.
Track 3:
[0:29] So... Fasten your seatbelts, folks.
Track 1:
[0:31] Fasten your seatbelts, folks.
Track 2:
[0:32] What does that mean? Spoons, plural. Spoons full of sugar. Not just fucking... Not just one.
Track 1:
[0:39] The Disney references are just rolling out.
Track 3:
[0:41] Jeez.
Track 1:
[0:44] Well, we're here today to talk about the 2000 release, June 2000, the seventh studio record by seminal Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip.
Music at work. Before we go into our vaunted segment of song by song, let's just get a general sense of what you guys thought of this record.
Where you listened to it, what you were exposed to, how it formed over time.
What do you think there, Pete?
Track 2:
[1:21] I'll be brief, because I want to really dive into the songs, too, but I will say, I listened to this record at work.
Well, I was at my computer.
Come on, Tim, did you want that one? Were you waiting to use that one?
Track 3:
[1:42] No, it was your turn. It was your turn.
A lot of listeners right now are like, oh my god, we're out of here.
Track 2:
[1:52] Listen to it in the car. The sound system in the car made it really pop.
But I will say, probably the best place to listen to it was on runs. It was just...
I love the record. I really, really enjoyed this record profusely.
So I'll say that. I'll leave it there. All right.
Track 1:
[2:21] Mr. Leiden.
Track 3:
[2:22] Yeah, so I listened to this. I had a bunch of headphone-based physical therapy the past week, and I pretty much had it on for all of that, which was very much focused movement and definitely could consider audio.
And it was it was pretty good.
It took me back to, I think, mostly to Live Between Us, like if we're gonna go apples to apples or apples and oranges throughout their discography thus far, for many reasons.
And there's some songs on here I really like a lot. There's a couple that I thought were pretty different, like definitely a step out than past albums.
And yeah, at one point I thought this might be my favorite so far in our work to get to this point.
I thought this might be one of my favorite albums so far, but I'm still questioning it. I'm still thinking that there might be another one out there in the future that I just I Give you know nine point five two or whatever.
Album Rating and Discussion on Critics' Opinions
Track 1:
[3:35] It might be Gotcha Yeah, this was rated relatively low by all music and what?
Track 3:
[3:43] Big fucking surprise They're like the professor that doesn't give a is you know, yeah, yeah negative five out of five I I have a little bit of a vibe with that, but I understand sometimes there's a great piece of work out there that still doesn't get the accolades it deserves, and that happens so often.
Track 1:
[4:06] Yeah. Well, shall we get into it?
Track 3:
[4:10] Yeah.
Track 2:
[4:12] What did they give it, by the way, J.D.? I'm curious.
Track 1:
[4:14] Three out of five.
Track 3:
[4:15] Three, right? Three out of five.
So just some quick research on the title that I found of the album, Music at Work.
So from what I read, it's poking fun at a rock station in Canada, 100.5 FM. Yeah. E-Zed Rock or Easy Rock, whichever.
Track 4:
[4:38] You went with Zed first. You're so Canadian. Oh my God. So Canadian.
Track 3:
[4:45] Music at Work was their tagline, you know.
It was like, imagine this kind of 80s looking logo in essence like a corporatized Van Halen Firebird Camaro looking Easy Rock 100.5 FM and underneath at music at work.
That makes sense. But I thought maybe, yeah, I thought maybe the hip tagging, you know, taking this tagline was perhaps their, I guess, you know, maybe even, I think it was their stab at back at clear channel.
I thought like Like, these guys, yeah, yeah, yeah, I thought these guys are still talking.
Track 2:
[5:36] Was that a Clear Channel station?
Track 3:
[5:38] Rock and roll.
Track 2:
[5:39] I'm sure they were.
Track 3:
[5:40] Dude.
Track 1:
[5:41] It's a heavy format.
Track 3:
[5:42] I didn't look it up, but if you look at everything about it, I'm sure it is.
Track 2:
[5:48] And at that time, dude, nowadays it's like, it's not even a competition.
Like Clear Channel owns the Airwaves, but I remember at that time it was like, you were We were starting to realize that every station was a clear channel station.
Track 1:
[6:02] Yeah. Yeah.
Track 3:
[6:04] Yeah. So, that was kind of some brief history on the album title.
The first song, you know, title track, album name.
The First Single from the Record
Track 1:
[6:40] You I think it's a, little bit of a, a That chives.
Yeah, it was the first single from the record too. So okay. Yeah, it dropped a couple weeks before the record came out.
Track 2:
[7:33] Well, not to correct Tim, but I'm going to do it. Do it. It is not the title track.
Ah, yes. The name of the track is actually my music at work.
Yeah, interesting. And I didn't...
No, no, no.
Track 3:
[7:54] I was really close, man.
Track 2:
[7:56] You were close, too.
Track 3:
[7:58] You know, okay. The influence of the...
The Groove and Tightness of the New Record
Track 2:
[8:07] I mean, if I picture myself as I have now, listen, have listened to the previous hip records, anticipating this new record coming out, hearing this first track on this new record and just like putting it on volume up, start my car, light my cigarette, open my Red Bull, whatever the fuck I was doing in the year 2000.
And just fucking wow. I mean, they must have just been like, fuck yes.
I mean, this song, it was, I wrote this down. This is one of the things I wrote down in the notes. The song was born in the pocket.
Like when you talk about when you're in the pocket, musically, I think we all know what that means. I'm sure most of the listeners know what it means.
But it's just, it's in the pocket. It's just the groove, the rhythm, the fucking instruments, everything is just fucking tight and it fits, gourd sounds fucking great.
It's a great build after the La La La with the soft guitar.
Oh God, I've got to eventually get there.
Track 3:
[9:29] I'll just quickly add in there the La La La.
Track 2:
[9:30] Johnny Cain?
Track 3:
[9:31] Okay, go, go, go.
Track 2:
[9:32] Go ahead. No, no. You go ahead.
Track 3:
[9:35] I was going to fill in for you. The La La La part for this one, I mean that was new. We haven't had La La La's yet in soft. No, not really. Right.
Track 2:
[9:42] No, no, yeah But but Johnny Johnny Faye. Yeah drummer.
Yeah Really just fucking builds it into where the song you know starts to go at that point and then there's a There's a Lord of the Rings reference in there.
I think I feel like it is I took it as what cuz he says middle of the earth.
Ah Which I'm always My record store that I grew up going to in down in California, now out of business, was called Middle Earth.
And it was a fucking great record store. This is the type of record store where dollars to fucking donuts, man.
If you were there in the 90s, they were like, if you went up to the front and asked this guy Larry for a recommendation, he would have fucking slipped you a hip record.
Hands down. I was just too scared to fucking go up to Larry cause he was cool.
Larry had a picture of David Bowie where David Bowie was smiling, not Larry.
Track 1:
[10:47] Wow.
Track 2:
[10:48] Like that goes to show you how cool fucking Larry was.
Track 3:
[10:51] You know what? I can't tell you how many.
Stories I've heard about like interviews with artists who had that record store They went to growing up and how walking up to the clerk whoever was working was like the most intimidating thing Like you like you like so many artists would walk I've read it about it so many times Walking a record store with like kind of tail between your legs and you're afraid to purchase what you've picked For being ridiculed or anything, right?
It's just it was like the most I mean think about it back You know in the 80s or 70s or 90s like going to Tower Records or wherever you go and grabbing that Item and walking up to this like hipper than thou person Clerk and trying to make over just yeah Yeah, this was before that it was common where people had like, you know Sleeves of tattoos and like ear and nose piercings like you saw somebody up there at the front with a fucking a bar through the nose a two sleeves of tattoos, and green hair.
Track 2:
[11:56] Everybody's got fucking green hair nowadays, right? And you're just like.
Track 1:
[12:00] Makes me sick.
Track 2:
[12:01] No, but you know what I'm saying? Like, you know, my nephew's got green hair for crying out loud.
But like, I don't give a shit, you know, I'm telling my nephew what I'm listening to, but if, you know, back in the 90s, I walked up to the counter and saw somebody like that, that I was like dude I am not bringing up anything that's on the radio right yeah that's so cool that's so cool that you had this this tragically hip frame of reference from back in the record store days I mean I completely don't have that I had a bumper sticker in college you know of my apartment complex neighbor so.
The Second Song: Messy and Incoherent
Track 3:
[19:00] Yeah.
Track 2:
[19:00] Do you want to? I don't know. I mean, I'm ready to fucking blow up in there.
You know what I'm saying? Okay. The fucking the second song.
I mean, it's hard to top this second song.
I mean, it is when I first heard it. I loved how it faded in from the first track.
And then he just starts saying this is what the fuck is Tiger the Lion?
Track 1:
[19:30] I don't.
Track 2:
[19:30] I'm just saying the first time I heard it, right. And I did my research on it, which I kind of regret. I gotta stop looking at lyrics. Once I stopped looking at lyrics, these songs really open up for me.
Track 1:
[19:41] You can't stop though. It's gorg, right? Like, you know?
Track 2:
[19:45] No, but he eventually started listening to them and internalizing them, which is better for me than reading them.
Either way, this fucking song, it just opens up so messy and incoherent and I'm like, what the fuck?
I mean, again, putting myself in the position of a hit fan when they hear this for the first time.
They're like, is this gorgeous going off on his fucking, you know, he wrote some crazy poetry and he's just, you know, free-forming it right now. What's he doing?
You know, but the The instrumentation on it, it's so well thought out.
Track 4:
[20:24] Right? It's...
Track 2:
[20:26] I love how, because for me as a musician, my writing style is pretty incoherent.
A lot of people say, like, lyrics wise, my shit doesn't make sense, which is, you know, it's not like I'm going for it, but it's just, it is what it is.
But the John Cage quote?
Track 3:
[20:45] Yeah.
Track 2:
[20:46] Oh, fuck. I mean, I'm a huge John Cage, but just all about who that guy was as an individual who brought his brain to art and music.
There's a melodic drop down, the purpose is not unique.
I just, I don't know, dude, I did a little bit of research on the meaning of the song about it being like a reference to fighter pilots. Did you get that too, Tim?
Track 3:
[21:21] Yep, yep, yep. Big time. There's been so many World War II references that I just, you know, I instantly went to that, which I have a emotional family connection to World War II, so that hits heavy for me.
Track 2:
[21:36] Two-way radio, yeah. But, uh, this, line...
JD, I thought of you when I read this.
But not to get order from chaos. Tell you how to create simply wait to your life like, like, there's, there, there is no order.
Yeah, there's no other shoe that were, you know, and I don't know, dude, this fucking song is, I still can't fucking and unwrap it and make sense of it. It's just a fucking banger. Yeah. What a song.
Living in the Music: Appreciating Art without Analyzing Lyrics
Track 3:
[22:15] I mean, Pete, as a, maybe you can clarify a little bit for me, as a songwriter, you, when this one came on and you listened through it and you say that you, sometimes you don't want to research lyrics just so you can live in it in your head as much as possible, right?
Is that kind of your sentiment? Right?
Track 2:
[22:34] I mean, I think, I think the lyrics, Because I think that what you, for me, this is me personally, what I tend to do is, is rather than physically listen to the song, which is what the medium is meant to do for listening, I'm reading what I'm listening to.
And so it starts to, I start to make judgment upon what I'm listening to based on what I'm reading.
Which is never like there's so many weird fucking lyrics in this fucking record And I'm sure we can talk about it till the cows come home Yeah But it did me it did more damage for me in the beginning because it was like I'm not fucking getting this I'm not getting this and then I just was like, okay I put the lyrics down and then I just started to listen to it incessantly.
Okay, this shit's fucking making sense. Okay. Got it and then not to Not to bury the lead, but I mean if you don't get the fucking Comfortably Numb, Rob Baker literally Channeling the fucking David Gilmour in this fucking song.
I mean What do you I mean, what are we doing here?
There's one drop where it doesn't it doesn't go down to the next chord that you just feel like it's like going to country, but it doesn't go there and it's just...
[24:01] Yeah, his guitar tone, everything about it. He's using the Strat on this.
[24:06] Fucking it's great song. Sorry. Yeah. Amazing song.
Track 3:
[24:10] For me to go from music at work to this was like, whoa, this is, you know, if this is second gear for taking off in the car, and it's like, what did our car just change into?
Because the song is, Because the song is its own beast.
Man, me and my dad jokes, dad puns, tiger, the lion.
So I mean, this is the longest song on the album.
It's 5 and 1 1⁄2 minutes. And I love songs that can hit 5, 6, 7 minute mark, and you don't even know they're that long.
Track 1:
[24:47] Yeah.
Track 3:
[24:48] Like sometimes you hear a song, and you're like, god damn, These guys just wanted this to be the longest song ever, and they succeeded.
But this one, it's very, no, it doesn't feel that long.
And I think, Pete, you touched on most of it.
But the themes, I guess I should say, I don't read the lyrics or look into the lyrics until I've listened to one of these albums in great length or many times.
So I try not to pay attention to the lyrics. If I'm listening to it in the car and I'm at a stop for too long, then I can actually hit the whatever on Spotify to make the lyrics pop up.
I'll check it out for a minute. But I try to live in my head for as long as possible, I think, kind of like you, Pete, to just get deep into the song.
[25:44] The John Cage references. I mean, there's so much in this song in both that theme and kind of World War II themes, but the kind of two big takeaways for me were this song is about challenging the listener and society and anyone to appreciate, like, nature, art in life, or just art, or like literature or whatever it might be.
And if you live your life without recognizing any art form, then you're like a fucking robot, you know?
That's kind of, that's what the song was about to me in that regard, the John Cage regard and all of that.
The his radio goes silent, you know that like I imagined this as like World War two airplane Pilot, you know the his engines destroyed And he's just falling from the sky, you know, like and stops working.
This is where my head my engine stops working You have this like last bit of life where you hear the wind the radio stops working You know, you're on your way down. That's kind of where I went with.
Track 1:
[27:03] Whoa, that's heavy, man.
Introduction and Researching Band Members
Track 3:
[27:04] Yeah, that's kind of how it felt to me. Okay, so I did some research around who else is playing with this band.
Because we've talked about, at least the past album, I've been talking about, you know, who's that on backup singing blah blah blah blah blah.
Right. So with this, I guess I would have talked about this at the beginning, but with this song we have a guy named Chris Brown from Toronto on keys, right?
So he toured, He recorded and toured with the band with this album.
He came from a band or was in a band called, Bourbon Tabernacle Choir. Yep, you got it. And from the 80s and 90s, which I heard of that, man.
Yeah, which I didn't know an ounce about until I kind of did this research.
So finally, I was making some headway with this album to hear who else we have contributing, which is an obvious impact to me as a listener to hear kind of extra elements going on.
But this song, man, it could be its own album.
That's what I thought. Like this song, this song on a 7-inch on one side, like it's hand me that. I'll pay 20 bucks for it. Like let's go. It's fucking that good.
Track 1:
[28:30] Yeah, I agree.
Track 3:
[28:32] Lake Fever, the next one. This is where I was like, okay, maybe we're shifting gears into like this perfect love song or forlorn love or is this a song about loss or remembrance or you know what is this what is this going on there's amazing prose within this song like was the brief dude seriously i knew pete was just like i knew his heart was melting for this It was probably driving down, you know, here's Pete, everybody in Spain, in his awesome vehicle.
I don't even know what it is, and I don't want to know until I visit him someday, so no spoilers, J.D.
But here's Pete in his awesome vehicle driving down some coastal highway in fucking Spain.
This is a dude from the LBC, right? And this song comes on, and there's tears coming from Pete's face on this beautiful sunny day.
It's like, I, I, you know, I'm, I'm hearing this song during fucking physical therapy. Therapy just gone.
[29:42] Is this a wedding song or is it a funeral song or do I want this at my wake or do I play this for Amy on her next anniversary?
Like what the fuck is this emotional song going on in place three after my music at work and after Tiger the Lion we have this Lake Fever.
It's like what the hell so yeah it was this you know this this is that third gear song where i'm like okay, let's see let's see where this is gonna go what's this about is it oh yeah okay maybe it is about the cholera outbreak in toronto in 1834 oh fuck god damn it okay that's what it's about guess i'm I'm not playing at my anniversary.
No, not playing at next April 14th, honey.
Track 1:
[30:38] But it's more than that because the protagonist is regaling his potential lover with that story.
Like the song isn't necessarily about like fever. It's like this couple are walking in the woods about to go, you know, have sex.
And he's so nervous that he's trying to like, you know, talk to this girl and he's telling her, well, there was this time in Toronto that there was a sewer back up and cholera got in the way and it went all the way up to Ottawa and near Kingston and it was terrible, many people died and she's just like, hurry, just hurry.
Just Coital Fury, you know, like, yeah, that wine, man.
Track 2:
[31:26] Fuck, it's good. Dude, you know, I tell you, it's it's funny because I think it's just the Canadian.
I mean, last week, Tim and I both heard the rush in fireworks for last week's a record but you know I started to hear the first thing I heard and now I like don't hear it at all but the first thing I heard with this song was the percussion feeling very once again very Alanis, right wow but yeah put that all kind of behind it's kind of all in the past dude the glockenspiel which I think they're using and like the keyboard effect over when he says the the word courage is I'm just you're right Tim I'm driving down the fucking coast in the mountainous windy roads of Malaga Spain and just fucking crying with my wind blowing, my air blowing in the wind.
Cigarette out the window, the arm just like, Oh, just fucking loving this.
[32:42] We're going to get into it a little bit more, because I because there's a there's a couple of songs on this record.
And I remember I don't know what record it was, oh, it was, was Troll Dan House that I referred to as the Tragically Hips Xerope.
Track 1:
[33:01] Yes.
Track 3:
[33:02] Right, right.
Track 2:
[33:05] But, do you know what this record is?
Track 1:
[33:07] Yeah.
Track 2:
[33:07] And it's funny because this record actually came out before the record I'm going to reference. And I'll tell you why.
Track 1:
[33:14] All right, hit me.
Track 2:
[33:15] This is fucking the Tragically Hips Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
All of the fucking instrumentation on it, all the pianos, the echoey pianos, a lot of the guitars.
It's so fucking Wilco, man.
And so I started thinking to myself, well, you know, what, what the fuck did, what, you know, what do we, well, I'll get into it, I'll get into the next one.
Track 1:
[33:44] We'll go. Give her.
Track 2:
[33:46] Yeah, we're going to put it down. So this song, there's a line in there saying the United States of ricochet.
Something something happy in way. You know what I'm talking about, JD?
Track 1:
[34:02] I don't know the lyric offhand though, sorry.
Track 2:
[34:04] Great fucking line. And I'm getting very like, ashes of American flags like references to because I feel like I feel like Gord was really, um, getting, like, a lot of the shit that he focused on was the, God, the phrase, the term I'm trying to look for, like the plight of Canadians. Okay.
Track 3:
[34:30] I got it. I got it here if you want me to read it.
Track 2:
[34:33] Yeah, you want to read it, Tim?
Track 3:
[34:35] Yeah, it's just United States of Ricochet from the Boardwalk to the Appian Way, which I... From the Boardwalk to the Appian Way, yeah, that's what I'm looking for. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Track 2:
[34:42] Diamond Files, Corporate Wraves, you know.
So he's, I feel like up until this point, he's made a lot of references to not just the indigenous folks up north, in terms of, you know, what he's talked about, and what I know he's eventually going to talk more about.
But I started to think like, God, what other band do I know that did that?
And like, that's kind of where Wilco went, you know, they had Uncle Tupelo and then AM, which was their first record.
And being there were kind of like a soft watered down version of, of that country vibe of Uncle Tupelo.
And then when they hit Yankee Hotel, it was like, Whoa, what the fuck is this?
This is not the same band. I remember hearing and I got the same vibe.
And so I, anyway, I Googled and started doing a little research, come to find out. So I read Jeff Tweedie's.
Memoir, which is a great book, you'll get through it in a day, man. It's called Let's Go So We Can Get Back.
And he references them on tour with Tragically Hip during the Another Roadside Attraction tour.
Track 1:
[36:03] That's right. The third one. That's right. Yeah, yeah.
Wilco's Similarities to Other Bands and Songwriting Influences
Track 2:
[36:07] Yeah. And just this record came out a year before Yankee Hotel.
So I don't know what if they were trading demos back and forth or they were playing music together on Tour and but fuck man.
I mean so many similarities with this record and that record interest so many Do you feel you might catch my drift here?
Track 3:
[36:32] But do you feel like?
When you hear other bands and are reminded of Wilco do you feel like Wilco has just borrowed so much from other bands or do you feel like I'm not gonna we're not going to turn this into a Wilco podcast by the way or do you feel like Wilco like really do you feel like Wilco just absolutely stand on their own as songwriters because I mean that's there that's like to me songwriting music you know what I mean yeah I know what you mean um it's a good question and I'll answer it as short as possible because I think This is something you could fucking have a garage with a, you know, half ounce and fucking go on forever.
Track 2:
[37:17] But I think Jeff Tweedy is an amazing songwriter, and he'd probably be the first one to admit that they've taken so much from other people.
But I think that that band, especially when they went in, their record, two records after they did Yankee Hotel was a record called Sky Blue Sky.
When they really got into that, they were just like...
They were at the top of their fucking game. and they they they knew how to um, but it's It's hard to say man.
I mean It's a great question tim because I you could say the same for Tragically him who are they both big time?
Track 3:
[38:05] Yeah, we've had so many references.
Track 2:
[38:07] I don't think I don't think rob baker would he be the last person to say he wasn't fucking fucking playing the exact notes that Gilmore played on fucking comfortably on that guitar solo or on Tiger the Lion.
But it's not like you're saying, oh, you're stealing. It's like, it's an homage.
It's also working it into a song that is not that song is, you know, you do it all.
I've been writing a tune this week that is a is a indie rock tune adapted from the fucking Opening theme of the one of the Legend of Zelda songs. So cool.
And am I stealing from Koji Kondo?
Yes but It's in so I look at it more as an inspiration.
Track 3:
[38:54] Well, I mean they I mean all all artists, you know are inspired from every direction I just I don't I don't want to get into it too deep.
Track 1:
[39:01] I just went from no Writers I think good songwriters Make it almost Like a magician, you know, like a good songwriter. You don't see the sleight of hand.
You don't see the Palming you don't see it like they're absolute pros and they stand on their own But of course you can't help but be affected by what you are exposed to and what you enjoy, you know You can't help it.
Track 2:
[39:34] Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and JD, you're right when you say that, because there was something that I put down, and I think I sent it to you, but I put this down about a month and a half ago, and there was a little guitar lick I put on there, and it was Nell.
I recorded it with a fucking jazzmaster.
It was Nell's Climb from fucking Wilco.
And I was like, I was so worried that it was so obvious, and I played it for Issa, my wife, And I played it for you and I think I was like was it too much and like no it's just it was just right It was perfect.
It was like kind of like a little but to me it was like My ears I literally stole the fucking Notes from him and like I took them and I said those are mine now.
Thank you very much You know, but like it's it's not easy to do man. I don't know JD.
Track 3:
[40:25] Yes. I thought it I think they pulled it was just me JD that Pete Pete called up in the middle of my night and serenaded me with some guitar licks.
Damn, I'm not feeling as special now.
Track 2:
[40:40] You'll get it Tim, you'll get it.
Track 3:
[40:42] Hey, I thought putting down...
Track 1:
[40:43] Putting down, yeah.
Track 3:
[40:45] Yeah, so putting down, I felt like, I mean Pete commented on the, you know, the references and stories of this great continent and what we did to the Indigenous folks that were already here and the land grabs and you know that's hitting hard with this one and I feel like with Gord's themes and songwriting and his connotations of it all, this is that song for the album, I thought it was like big and heavy.
[41:22] I didn't really know what it was about my first handful of listens.
I couldn't really peg it until I did a little bit deeper diving into it.
But you know, it was my first few listens, it was kind of like a car ride sing-along song.
I felt, you know, it just felt familiar. It felt hip.
I didn't think like, this is the best song on the album, and I thought it held its place on the album for what it was.
So that's kind of where it ended with me.
Cool. The next one, Stay, on the other hand, I thought, man, this song, it's quiet, it's cute, it's cute.
I hadn't had that feeling before. Is it a thank you?
You know, the Bureau Chiefs and the Shrugging Spies, I thought this was at first when I first heard this?
I thought this is hilarious. Without researching, I thought this was like a thank you or something to the band's road crew, because I heard beer and cheese and shrugging spies, not bureau chiefs.
I mean, I was like, I was so incorrect with this song. You were a great crew.
You were a great you. You know, what is the storyline here? Is it about going to war and relationships or what? What is going on here?
Track 1:
[42:48] Maybe a little of everything.
Track 3:
[42:49] Yeah, maybe, but one, you know, after I did, after the leak, Sit down and kind of research what it's about. Hopefully Pete you have some more music based Comments about it, but one person I need to shout out here.
The the handle is The letter Y Salvatore, there was a song meanings.com.
[43:15] Reference from 2005 so this this is amazing it said one theory is the song is about Fox Mulder from the X-Files lines like there's no one up above us and with the Bureau Chiefs and the shrugging spies on the X-Files series Mulder is often working against the establishment as a sentiment in this song you've got no business in here brother Mulder is obsessed Pete from I'll go with UFO so lines like you see a light and then another this this song maybe it's about UFOs maybe it's about aliens I don't know this this was like this was a total head-scratcher for me not to say that I didn't like it but it was like what is this song about it wasn't beer and cheese I don't know it's not it's funny that you say that because one of the lines already is this song makes me want to sit in a pub and drink beer with my buddy.
I didn't say eat cheese, but like, that's the vibe I got.
Appreciating the musicianship on this record
Track 2:
[44:21] I mean, it's, um, there's, there's, okay.
I could say a lot. I really liked this song a lot. I loved it.
It. The riffing that Gore does with the vocals.
I think there's a bridge part of all things being balanced where John Fahy's drums...
I feel like every musician on this record, on this record, really shines.
Like everybody shines. Gord Sinclair, I feel like, has always been really top-notch.
That guy is fucking flawless. He's so underrated. Extremely underrated.
Uh, when it comes to, you know, I, I just because I'm, you know, playing wise, obviously Gordoni, I mean, there's nothing you can say about that, but playing wise, Paul Langlois, am I saying? Langlois.
Track 1:
[45:25] Langlois.
Track 2:
[45:27] Um, and Rob Baker. I've always kind of gone back. I'm starting to appreciate the differences between those guys because they're two Diametrically different guitar players.
I mean so different and and That happened on this album.
Track 3:
[45:43] Don't you?
Track 2:
[45:43] Oh, yeah more so really noticeable and I went down a bit of a rabbit hole this week I'll try not to go as deep as I went, but I told JD I was watching some live stuff and looking at Rob Baker's set up.
[46:05] Paul Ling Hua, he always plays that black Les Paul, but Rob Baker plays that Strat, which I fucking love.
And he's got something called Lace Sensors pickups in it, which not to get too technical for the listeners.
They were apparently these were like standard issue Fender pickups from 90 from 85 to like 96 and then they just became too expensive.
But they're really cool. The only shitty part is they look horrible on a guitar.
They don't look it doesn't make it look like a Strat anyway.
But he also plays a Paul Reed Smith, which I absolutely hate those guitars because, and JD I told you this, they're the Carlos Santana guitar and when they first became like available to the public so to speak or like mainstream people were able to buy them.
I remember walking into a guitar center in the 90s and seeing one up on the wall that was like, it was like $19,000 or $20,000 it was like ridiculous and just going, and now can buy a PRS for like $1,800, $2,000, but it just turned me off and I fucking hate it.
And if I'm Rob Baker, if I'm Rob, if you're listening, just don't ever play the fucking PRS, man. Get rid of it. Ditch it.
Rob Baker's guitar choices and preferences
[47:30] The telly's cool, but that strat is where it's at, man.
[47:35] He does play Tele, and there's one other one I can't remember, but there's a great website, and I sadly have been on it more times than I can count.
Oh, and he plays an SG, and I play an SG too.
The website's called Equipboard.com, and it's got, they can pretty much look at any like, musician that's like, you know, quote, unquote, made it, so to speak, and find their rig, and they have the references, like, not just like, they don't just tell you, but they go, this is why we know that this is they're playing and they have a link to like a concert video, or a picture of them pointing out the gear, which is fucking cool.
Track 1:
[48:24] It's really cool. Yeah. I love, neither of you guys mentioned it, but I love Gord's voice in this song.
He's doing a different sort of thing with his voice. It's lower register, softer I suppose, right? Because it is a soft song.
But it's down, it's, you know, sorry you can't see my hand, but it's down here, like belly button wise.
Uh is really quite quite uh effective on this song i agree with that jd when are you gonna fix your your belly button cam you're gonna get that going next next pod what's that my belly button cam Yeah, that took me a minute to get. Sorry.
All right, track number six. Track number 6 is The Bastard.
Appreciating the Percussion and Lyrical Insanity
Track 2:
[56:45] Wow.
This song starts with the they're not bongos, but there's some sort of kind of cool percussion.
Track 3:
[56:54] They're there. Yeah, it's some kind of yeah, yeah, yeah.
Track 2:
[56:59] There's a lot.
Track 3:
[57:00] It's fun. I love when they bring those in.
Track 2:
[57:02] Yeah, it's really cool. This song lyrically is fucking insane.
There's a word in there called crepuscular?
Track 1:
[57:16] Yeah, what is that? Like, what does that even mean?
Track 2:
[57:19] Yeah, it means, um, adjective of resembling or relating to twilight.
Yeah, I mean, gnarly shit and- Oh, gourd.
Track 1:
[57:31] Oh, man.
Track 3:
[57:36] Crepuscular rays, as the sun groomed the plane with crepuscular rays.
Track 2:
[57:41] There's a line in there about the Purple Italians, like it's just...
Track 3:
[57:47] Yeah, what is that referencing? I meant to look that up. I meant to look that up more and did not.
Track 2:
[57:52] Some weird-ass lyrics. I noticed something too.
I love the line, the presaging pel-nel. Yeah.
Track 3:
[58:03] Yeah, the pre-stage pel-nel.
Track 1:
[58:05] Pre-stage and pel-nel.
Track 3:
[58:06] Yeah, that was my favorite.
Track 2:
[58:09] It's um i noticed that in addition to to to um gordon sinclair being so in the fucking zone on this song like a like a like a hypnotized fucking i don't know dude he's just he's a fucking machine on this song song.
He, I watched a little bit of the Woodstock, Woodstock live show 99.
And in this song, during Grace 2, which is what they opened up with, Gord starts testing out some of these lyrics to this song during Grace 2. Bird's Eye View, right?
Track 1:
[58:54] He talks about a bird's eye view of a bird's eye view. Yeah, yeah.
So cool that you got to see that.
Track 2:
[59:01] Finished watching the whole thing.
Track 1:
[59:02] And you recognize it.
Track 2:
[59:04] Go ahead.
Frustration with lack of guitars in "Grace II"
Track 1:
[59:10] Yeah, I went down to Rabbit Hole the other day and was just watching a whole bunch. I started with that when I texted you guys and was like, yeah, I'm watching it. And for the beginning of Grace II, it's all drums and Gord's voice, which I don't mind, but I want to hear those guitars, you know?
And then suddenly it kicks in.
Track 3:
[59:29] The purple people, the purple Italian people, I just found it was an Italian mass protest movement to call for the resignation of a prime minister, one of their prime ministers.
I feel like, I don't know, there must have been an earlier historical use of this because this is actually from 2009. So yeah, I'm curious.
Well, I forgot to tell you guys that Gord is actually reference a mystic he could see in the future yes I wouldn't be surprised yes guys if there's any more sorry there's any more insight on the purple people somebody somebody let us know Tim at getting hit So I got an email.
Mention of an email received regarding the purple people
Track 1:
[1:00:19] Yeah. Got to get our $80 worth.
Track 3:
[1:00:25] I loved the pre-staging Pell-Mel. There's been a handful.
I wish I would have started a list of the gourdisms that would be so fun to learn and reference, because that was so good. When I first heard him sing that, it was like, you know.
Track 1:
[1:00:42] What is pell-mell?
Track 3:
[1:00:44] Well, it just means like, it just means like absurd craziness or warning, like presaging means like warning together.
Well, pell-mell means confusion or disorder or like a confused haste.
So it's, presaging is, you know, the warning of a disorderly moment or the warning of something about to go down.
That's kind of what I took.
Track 1:
[1:01:16] That's dire, I love it.
Track 3:
[1:01:19] Pre-saging, yeah, it's good. I mean, it's a loaded three words, basically.
I think Pete hit on a lot of it, but this song to me kind of got us back in the car and down the road again. It was like driving, rocking, feeling, which I totally dug.
The reference of all of this auger as well, you know, auger meaning like a fucking coring, drilling, coring into something and it's just this good rocking song.
Track 1:
[1:01:55] It's different though. Auger spelled one way is coring, but there's another, like to auger is to portend a good or bad outcome.
Track 3:
[1:02:08] Okay.
Track 1:
[1:02:11] So it's like, to pretend. Yeah. And I believe that's what it, like, it's all this auger's well, like, but, right, like, auger a well could mean digging a hole.
But auger's well means pretending to, portending to good things are going to happen.
Track 3:
[1:02:37] Okay, okay. I just thought there were some beautiful lyrics in here.
Also, I mean, all this augurs well or yeah, it's the The stanza never mind that pool in the mountains victory came and went on winged elephants I saw you all this augurs. Well, like you know, what?
What is what is going on there? But it I thought it was likely this loaded very story specific Specific song without researching it, you know, I heard the lyrics Billy Sunday shout in Philadelphia for Christ Like who really is this song about did you look up Billy Sunday?
Track 1:
[1:03:15] Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:03:16] Yeah. I loved I loved reading about that This is like one of those that is one of those songs easy, right?
Yeah, you barely you barely touch into on the research side and Realize that you know Billy Sunday was baseball player.
Track 1:
[1:03:33] I want to say a pitcher from like 1891.
Track 3:
[1:03:36] Yeah, he was this total this this I guess amazing pitcher And he played for chicago and boston and philly and which During those times you played for a team like your whole career, you know, you stayed in the city You you you became a presence with the team and the community and all that stuff if you did but this this this fellow William Ashley or Billy Sunday Sunday was his family name he he was like a total drunk ladies man and he moved from team to team to team and I think this from what I read the cops and the ladies got to know him really well And then after playing in Philly, he was witnessed to on the street and ultimately became a traveling preacher.
[1:04:32] He went from standout pitcher to traveling preacher.
And while he was preaching, teams even were soliciting him to come back and pitch. And during those days, if you made like 400 bucks a month playing professional baseball, that was like, a great salary. Yeah, I'm sure. And at one point, I read the Pittsburgh Pirates offered him $2,000 a month, and he still declined, and he still continued to be a traveling preacher.
And his kind of schtick was talking about like the sex and alcohol lifestyle, from what I gathered, a lot about alcohol.
And it was so much that when towns heard he was coming, they would just close up the bars until he went out.
Literally, because he was so like, you know, he was his own prohibitionist.
So it's all the personality.
Track 2:
[1:05:37] Yeah Thinking of that was the runner then I Don't know Like losses lay or some Forrest Gump.
Track 1:
[1:05:45] No.
Track 2:
[1:05:45] No, this is a reference from the hip Oh Terry Fox Harry Fox.
Track 1:
[1:05:50] Very fine.
Yeah no he's a guy that ran across canada or something and he got close but he died he ran a marathon everyday he ran a marathon everyday on one leg yeah.
Oh okay yeah cuz he and he was he was like.
He was twenty one years old and he got cancer they removed his leg and he decided he was gonna run across canada and he started on the east coast he passed away thunder bay so he passed away about one third of the way through.
Track 3:
[1:06:21] Wow.
Track 1:
[1:06:22] Oh, it's fucking still, man. That's crazy. But it's like, every day his stump was like, like, euchred because he was wearing one of the, like, now, probably, somebody could do it on one of those, like, one of those spring legs, you know?
Track 3:
[1:06:37] Yeah, yeah.
Track 1:
[1:06:38] Yeah, but back in the day, he had, like, just an old school prosthetic leg, and it was crazy. Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:06:45] Pete, on this one, did you feel like, Did you ever get an inkling like, uh, perhaps this one was music first lyric second, or did you pick up at all on like the kind of background guitar riffing that was kind of over here?
And yeah, it was like, I don't know, it sounded a little after thought ish, that guitar riffing, just kind of carrying you through it all worked.
But this one, this one, I think compositionally.
You know, song, story, Billy Sunday reference aside, which is amazing to dive into and learn about.
I mean, I almost want to paint Billy Sunday or something with like on the pulpit with a baseball bat. That's cool.
A fifth of whiskey in the other hand or something. But anyways, I felt like compositionally, the song writing-wise fits in the album.
It just It just kind of fits in there, but also like, eh.
Track 1:
[1:07:46] You weren't big on it.
Track 3:
[1:07:49] No, it didn't grab me. It was like, OK, let's get back in the car.
We're back on the road. Let's get through the song. It's rocking.
Yeah, let's see what's next.
Track 2:
[1:07:56] I think at first it was like that, but then the song really like, because instrumentally, it's so fucking rich.
Yeah, but like Gord, dude, again, Gord could match, pick the most complex composition that any composers have ever written.
And I'm sure there is some fucking book that Gord Downie wrote lyrics in, somewhere floating around or shoved in his fucking basement, that lyrics.
Track 3:
[1:08:29] I would hope there's like, yeah, like 200.
Track 2:
[1:08:32] Yeah, he could fit to that. I mean, they probably just, yeah.
So I feel you. I feel you. I feel you. Yeah.
Track 1:
[1:08:40] So let's move into track number seven, The Completist.
Track 2:
[1:08:44] I don't have a ton to say about this. I would say I really love this song.
Again, this is a fade in from the previous track.
Gord Sinclair again. fucking standout performance on this song.
The percussive chops of the band at this point in the record.
I mean, there are other songs that come up that you're just like, what the fuck?
But they're not a bar band anymore. I mean, I know they still, but I still think like, I don't know if it was Phantom Power before, a record or two before, you see that kind of bar band thing still rearing its head a little bit, Like, this is just so far from that.
These guys are fucking, they've really become superb musicians from the EP to now.
Like, they've honed their fucking craft.
And then the...
Musicians' dedication to improvement
Track 1:
[1:09:51] Road tested.
Track 2:
[1:09:52] Yeah, I mean, it's the road, it's the recording, it's the composition.
But it's clear that like, every single musician in this band is like, I want to become better at my instrument.
And I'm going to do this. It wasn't just like they just played a bunch, kept doing it, like, they clearly actively tried to become better musicians, as they were continuing.
Like, I would put that to any of these fucking guys, if they're standing in front of me, and tell me, like, tell me I'm lying.
Like, tell me I'm full of shit. And they would say no. Like, Whether it's, I mean, fucking Kirk Hammett for fuck's sake was taking lessons from Steve Vai when he was already in Metallica.
Like, what does that tell you? You know, like, musicians want to become better and they, these guys clearly.
The only thing I was gonna say was the woman singing, I thought it was Kate Fenner from before, but it's not, right?
Track 1:
[1:10:52] I don't know, I thought it was Kate Fenner.
Track 2:
[1:10:54] Apparently it's, um, Julie.
Do I run Dorian, Julie Dorian, Dorian.
Track 1:
[1:11:02] Oh, Julie Dorian.
Track 2:
[1:11:03] Okay.
Track 1:
[1:11:03] Yeah, yeah, yeah. That makes sense.
Track 2:
[1:11:05] But I, and this is just, you know, I want to say this earlier, Tim, but I want to say that I did do a little research on Kate Fenner and her, um, her label that she's signed to is called UFO music. So that's awesome.
Track 1:
[1:11:19] Oh, you must love that.
Track 2:
[1:11:20] I do.
Track 3:
[1:11:22] You just stole my thunder for Toronto 4. We'll get there.
Track 2:
[1:11:28] I thought the lyrics in the song were beautiful. It was fucking, the beautiful fucking lyrics. Amazingly beautiful.
Track 1:
[1:11:35] Yeah.
Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:11:37] Well, I'll have to look into Julie Dorian. I had not found her.
And we'll get to it, but we haven't talked much about Kate Fenner, nor who we mentioned earlier.
Chris Brown. The fellow on keys, Chris Brown.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. For me, this song to complete us, I felt like it was like at first it was kind of, OK, we're already back to a slowdown.
Like, it felt a little bit of a chug placement-wise in the album, it's a beautiful song.
You know, I just didn't, it kind of left me hanging a little bit.
Like, it didn't grab me and shake me around or rattle me around or anything like that. It felt like it could have been an ender.
Like, it felt like, is this the end of the album? I mean, this could be the end of an album, so that's good.
Track 1:
[1:12:29] Well, it's the end of side one, if you're thinking. Oh, maybe. LPs.
Track 3:
[1:12:36] Yeah, yeah, okay, okay.
Track 1:
[1:12:37] And that would make sense with our next song too, Freak Turbulence, opening side two with a banger, right?
Track 3:
[1:12:44] Yeah, big time. I mean, this is like we're alive again. We're back in the driver's seat or the passenger's seat. Like we have this backup singing again.
I think this was Kate Fenner at this time. I'm not sure.
Between the two. I don't know enough of Julie's voice to distinguish between the two.
Track 1:
[1:13:06] There are definitely people out there that will tell us for sure.
Track 3:
[1:13:10] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I'm gonna look it up because I think I got Kate Fenner down. I mean, yes, yeah, yeah. So back to the song though, there's a comedy factor here, am I wrong?
Like, this is so much about Gord being afraid to fly or not liking flying or, you know?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's all this talk about.
I don't know, it feels lighter and more fun than usual.
Track 1:
[1:13:39] Like, did the captain just say this? Like, did the captain just say, like?
Track 3:
[1:13:45] Well, we'll land in less than 10 minutes. Or he says, or unless.
Did he say unless or less? Yeah, he's afraid.
You know, I think this is the song that guys.
Were had to fly back to Canada from the US because originally this album Was to be recorded on a moving locomotive train.
Track 1:
[1:14:11] They talked about doing that. Yes I don't know how that would have ever happened.
Track 3:
[1:14:15] No shit. What a fucking cool idea I mean imagine that Pete moving locomotive with all the sounds and shakes and rattles I mean maybe maybe for a song but a whole album yeah with some serious that was some serious weed smoking yeah I'm up with that idea you know we should do guys we should fly back down to Memphis take the train take the train to LA and record the home anyways this this is a this was kind of a fun song it was a little more jovial I dug it there's a There's a weird, PeepeePie caught this, there's some weird guitar feedback, like the last 10 seconds or so, which made the song feel kind of ominous, or maybe the Freak Turbulence was like the plane going down, I don't know.
It was funny in that regard, it was like a total head-scratcher, but this one I kind of dug.
Track 2:
[1:15:15] Oh, I dug this one, man, there's a line in there that really stuck with me, it's Satan Holding back hands, our nose and our chin.
Track 3:
[1:15:22] Yeah, yeah.
Track 2:
[1:15:24] I love that. There's a really, I think, the mix, there was a lot of moments where I wrote down, this is probably the first time I've said it, but it's written on a ton of songs, the mix on this song, how they mix this song with the instruments, like the levels of all the instruments, it's just so, it really, you know, it makes the fucking song.
It makes this song so fucking cool the vocals build, Yeah, I really, you know, I'll rather than to, I'll save my, you know, I'll yield my time only because I have some, some hefty shit to say about some stuff coming up.
But I, this song made me run, like when this song came on and I was going on some runs, I definitely put it into a higher gear with this song.
I loved it. I loved it. Yeah.
Track 3:
[1:16:20] Yeah. Yeah. Especially after the completed, you know, transitioning into this one.
It's like, yes, OK, here we go again. This is definitely the if it's side two, it definitely is the the side one. Get us going again.
"Sharks" - a monotonous but intriguing song
[1:16:36] Sharks, can I go? Sharks. Yeah. This one kind of lazes along for me.
It's got a few interesting bridges, but it's kind of monotonous, but not not.
I'm not saying that in a negative way. It's almost like, it's almost got this head down, shoegazy kind of feel, you know?
Then at the three minute mark, there's this like heavy tom kind of bass kind of transition in there.
It's the bass guitar is like kind of all over the neck for just a brief second, but you know, it's one of, the, this song is, it has what I enjoyed because they they're starting to do this more because they're all just accelerating as musicians is that it has like well over a minute of music the last portion of it is just like great music carrying you through rather than singing until like the last seconds or giving like seven seconds at the end or what have you so it's.
[1:17:42] It was kind of a fun song in that way. It just felt different than the rest, but also worked, you know, positively.
Track 2:
[1:17:52] I love, this is another fade in from the previous track, which I love, that they're doing that, making it very concept-y.
I love the line in there about the Mariana's Trench. That's just fucking cool.
It's such a, it's always been a fascination of mine, probably since I saw fucking, what was the name of that movie? Was that Harris? I don't know.
I thought it was a James Cameron movie for Christ's sake, it was huge. The Abyss.
The Abyss. Oh, The Abyss. The Abyss was in Maria's Trench.
Track 1:
[1:18:29] Right, right, right, right.
Track 2:
[1:18:32] But yeah, I mean, the big standout for me here is Rob Baker's guitar is just fucking insanity.
He does these really cool arpeggios in the song.
And the coolest thing for me was, I was like, what's that fucking effect on this guitar? And I was like, I wrote this down early on, I was like, he's got a, like a delay on the guitar, but not a delay. So it's going bum, bum, bum, bum, bum.
It's so, the delay time is so small that you can't really hear it like a repetitive delay.
It's just, when you put it down almost to zero, it just has this cool, and then I look on no shit by the time I found that website and he's got a Line 6 DL4 delay pedal that no doubt he was using on this fucking song.
It just made me feel cool because I was like, my ears still work after all these years. But I fucking love it.
If I didn't, I didn't think there was a song that could rival Tiger the Lion and I still don't think it beats it but it's pretty up there and that's fucking Toronto 4.
An analysis of the opening guitar arpeggios
Track 1:
[1:26:42] Talk to me. Talk to me.
Track 2:
[1:26:44] I mean, the way it opens with the, like, the record static.
Yep. Again, Rob Baker's doing these weird arpeggios, like he, like, it's kind of like a falling guitar, like he goes from a, like a, it's a D chord or whatever the hell, the octave, than the chord, then the seventh, then the diminished. Makes it feel really sad.
It's just, or like, kind of sad and mysterious, and it's floating.
It's like all the echo-y shit that there's, I don't know if it's Kate Fenner on this. It is.
It is? Okay.
Track 3:
[1:27:26] Yeah.
Track 2:
[1:27:27] Yeah. The way that the, I don't know if it's like he's using mallets or what, but Johnny Fay is like coming in with the cymbals with these really soft mallets that like kind of give it like a gong sound to make it really super dramatic but the songs it's fucking awesome I mean I was like what it was weird because this was a song that early on I would get through the first nine tracks because I was doing like shorter runs when I would take it out and I didn't get to like Toronto for and then the first time I heard it I was like what in the fuck the surf tone on guitar is just...
It's a cool jam dude.
It's cool as fuck. A lot of Pink Floyd, I feel, influence on there.
Track 3:
[1:28:18] I agree with all that. I felt like the percussions on this, the drums on this one, had sort of this metronome, just more of a... I don't know.
Track 2:
[1:28:28] You do the panning on the left to right?
Track 3:
[1:28:31] Yeah, like the pace of the percussion really, to me, held the song like all the way through and was perfect.
I mean, I often hone in on drum stuff like you do guitar and I felt like that was just, I don't know, this song is, it starts slow, it's emotional, it kind of feels like apologetic you know also feels like i don't know familiar maybe it's like the mention of Vesuvius as a metaphor for like family and stresses and breakups and i don't know the The song was just, it's pretty jam packed. I didn't.
Look big into the background on lyrics or story or any of that, you know, I just questioned, which I said to JD like a week ago, I was like, why the hell Toronto four? Are there three other Toronto songs?
Or what is what is that about?
Track 1:
[1:29:29] So if anybody knows, my only guess is, like my, as far as just guesswork, is might be, it might have been the fourth run, you know, it might have been the fourth take, like it's Sometimes you use the studio parlance to come up with the title of a song that you can't quite name.
Track 3:
[1:29:49] Yeah.
Track 1:
[1:29:50] Well, this is a great, it's a great song, and you're right, you nailed it on the head when you talk about family. Yeah, yeah. It's definitely familial.
It's, you know, it's about the matriarch of his family, his grandmother, holding things up.
And that what are the first the first lyrics are? Absolutely.
They slay me and I can't recall them at the moment.
Track 3:
[1:30:17] You know, you were the rock plug for us all. Did you know you were the conduit of Vesuvius?
You were far more unifying than, you know, I'm not a judge of suitable, but you almost had it all.
I mean, if that's about his grandma being the what a tribute, the rock plug for their family.
I mean rock plug is definitely a volcanic reference of you know a rock holding the mountain together before the magma just blows it apart so it's right fucking cool pretty pretty yeah I mean it's this this one maybe has the simplest lyrics that we've seen in a while.
[1:30:59] It's it's a beautiful song. So Kate Fenner on this one just to touch on her because I Think we've heard her before although.
I only found that she To recorded and toured for this album, but man, she's she's got this How do you describe her voice?
I think it's just gorgeous. I think it's yeah, it's It's just, it's, it's, it's lovely.
I, she, she, somebody described her as less, a lusty alternative to a Joni Mitchell ish sound.
Like all of that is, is true. So she's got her own solo stuff.
She's got, as Pete mentioned, UFO Records is her label. She's got this new album out that I touched on briefly over the weekend.
It's it's pretty she's got a beautiful voice like if she ever tours and we get a chance to just Go and any of us hear her perform.
I'm sure it would be worth it. She's got a dreamy voice So yeah, great great addition to me, too I don't know if you saw this tour JD, but what she did she yeah, do you recall her on stage or yeah?
Track 1:
[1:32:09] Because it was it was strange because both Chris Brown and her were on stage with them the whole time and that was It was just it was sort of a strange look because up until that point It had been the five of the month's age.
Track 3:
[1:32:20] Mm-hmm.
Track 1:
[1:32:20] That was it. And so this you know, it changed the dynamic for sure and I'll be the first to tell you that when this record dropped I Liked it But I didn't love it.
But now 20 years later. Yeah, I fucking love this record Yeah, I can listen to this record at any time like yeah, yeah top to bottom. Okay, okay, Now let's go toward the bottom and talk about Wild Mountain Honey, dude.
Track 3:
[1:32:52] I love this one. So I'm taking I'm taking on this one.
Mr Okay, you can you can fill in do it Yeah, like this this to me I heard Pink Floyd I heard Jerry Garcia of guitar effects Like I I heard like fish.
I don't know like this song to me.
They even the the title is is different, like this one was just a little bit different there. You know, it's the drums are soft, but they can sound kind of angry.
This is one of the songs on the album, you know, the first time listening it through.
Or I thought, OK, I need to find this one live and check it out because I'm sure it gets played harder and louder, maybe faster.
[1:33:43] There's just really good chord changing and bridges and guitar riffs and it feels a little bit patched or contrived at the end you know I was hoping for like a big finish the first time I heard this one because it really grabbed me it made it just this to me was like hip fans who have seen the band play live a a bunch.
Probably love this one live. You know, this one just, it hit some marks for me with going, with going after, like, followers of other bands who I knew probably in the same summer saw Grateful Dead play it or saw Phish play and saw the Tragically Hit play.
Like a lot of, you know, A lot of times when I experience bands playing live over the course of a summer, it kind of, you know, dictates that summer.
Like, you think back to that summer and you're like, oh, that's when I went to X Festival or that's when I saw 8Bandplay a couple times.
The Papa Roach show. Yeah, like that's, yeah, definitely the Papa Roach show.
But no, this one was, This kind of centered me back into the seat of the Tragically Hip. I really dug it. I ended up listening to it a handful of times by itself.
Track 1:
[1:35:08] Oh wow! Cool.
Track 3:
[1:35:11] Probably not a single though, right?
Track 1:
[1:35:13] Not a single, nope.
Track 3:
[1:35:14] Yeah, every once in a while they have a song that's not a single that's a little bit off character that I dig and this is one of those.
Rhythms and Unique Drum Hits in "Wild Mountain Honey"
Track 2:
[1:35:23] I thought that I mean the song it's funny ironically it starts out like wild mountain honey it begins like the name does Soft like wild mountain honey, and it creeps up on you like a whiskey, and it fucking destroys.
Yeah, yeah, yeah Yeah, I think It's funny because I remember looking for the lyrics online and realized there's a Steve Miller song called why I'm not many as well But when I saw the title of this, I thought of the Peach Boys song, Wild Honey, which neither of those examples are even close to this song.
But what I got from it was, I fucking love the rhythms in this fucking, the drums in the rhythms.
The drum hits in this fucking song are so cool and they're so unique and they don't sound like another band.
Like there's some songs that, like I mentioned, some Wilco stuff earlier, there's other songs from other hip records where it's like they're doing a drum hit or a drum fill and you're like, yeah, that's the same drum fill that this band did on this song and that's been, this is completely fucking different.
And it's so fucking cool. So unique, the rhythms in the song.
[1:36:43] There's a weird keyboard or flute effect in the background going down, it was really faint and hard to pick up.
I'm pretty sure it was a keyboard, but it could have been some sort of setting, but I love the line, I don't want to put another thought in my head, I just thought that was so fucking cool towards the end.
And then the song, the solo starts before, but the part at about 3 minutes 30 seconds of the guitar soloer.
Just, I don't know, dude.
I hope I run into him.
Track 3:
[1:37:18] That carries it to the end, right?
Track 2:
[1:37:22] It does. Yeah. I want to run into Rob Baker at a 7-Eleven or something.
Him buying a Slurpee and me already up front and being like, hey, man, let me get this guy's Slurpee and I'll pay for it or something.
Just be like, alright, man.
Track 1:
[1:37:41] What a gentleman you are.
Track 2:
[1:37:42] I want to be that guy.
It's weird that I did not expect to where I'm at so far in the discography of this band for him to slowly become one of my almost favored guitar players.
And this guy that I never knew before.
I fucking love his fucking guitar playing, dude. It's fucking awesome.
Track 1:
[1:38:09] Yeah, he's really good.
Track 3:
[1:38:11] That's an amazing gift for you, bro. What's that?
So that's an amazing gift for you to have this discovery of a new influence.
Track 2:
[1:38:19] Totally, absolutely Tim, absolutely.
Track 3:
[1:38:22] So Train Overnight, the next one, I think I'll backtrack, I think this is the one that was supposed to be the influence, the idea of recording from a train across the south.
Track 1:
[1:38:33] It references it anyway.
Track 3:
[1:38:34] Yeah, yeah, yeah. So the story was they showed up to go do this and I don't know where, I would guess Memphis or somewhere down there, but the train was out of commission and the guy who owned the train was like, sorry, it's done.
It's never going to hit the rails again.
So that whole idea was was Kbosh. I forgot I had these these notes down here, but there's, you know, this great drum startup.
"Train Overnight" - Tough to Crack, but Great Rhythm
[1:39:02] There's this kind of perfect bass coming in.
I don't know the guitars were following each other like really well rather than lead and rhythm like I felt like they were more kind of in sync.
Track 2:
[1:39:17] Playing off each other very well.
Track 3:
[1:39:19] Yeah yeah this this one overall was like a little bit more tough for me to crack aside from those kind of basic takeaways but I don't know What did you think of this one, Pete?
Track 2:
[1:39:33] I loved it. I don't have a ton to say about it, but I will say that, again, great rhythm on the drums. It's just really unique.
There's a really cool key change that happens in there with the guitars.
And then I don't know, I can't remember where in the song, but there's a part where they They bring it down and it gets really soft and Sinclair's bass just, you know, it puts the baby to sleep, dude.
Just fucking puts the baby to sleep. I loved it.
If yeah, I don't have too much to say too much more to say about this unless you do Tim I was gonna kind of kick into the bear Yeah, go for it This the opening of the song is Wilco it's or Wilco Got how to open their fucking future songs based on this one.
I mean, it's just Yeah, it's so The keyboards, after there's a line more capable than anything, there's this oscillating keyboard effect that's over in the left side of the ear, the way they mixed it.
[1:40:56] The overall instrumentation and the arrangements on this song, it's a pretty simple song.
It's not like anything fucking crazy, but it's just an example of how good the fucking musicians are at this point because they can take a simple ass fucking song and make it sound so cool by everything they're doing in it.
I don't know, maybe some of that has to do with production too, but just really good.
Track 1:
[1:41:25] Yeah, this is my second time working with Steve Berlin. So that's got to, like, I don't know because I've never been, well, I have been in a studio, but like, I don't know about working with a producer two times in a row, but I'm going to guess there's benefit there, right?
You start to learn some shorthand, you know what you can get away with, you sort of know what they're looking for sonically.
Track 2:
[1:41:50] Well, if it's a good experience, yeah. If it's a good experience, yeah. Yeah, I would imagine if it's not, then it makes it doubly as hard, but yeah.
Track 1:
[1:42:02] How about you Tim the bear?
Track 3:
[1:42:05] I Mean if any of us win the lottery anytime soon We should make a movie out of the song because this one, you know, if you Musically, I don't have a whole lot on it.
I just thought it was well composed but the story here Tell us about the story.
Yeah, so it's this couple that went and camped on Algonquin Park.
Algonquin Park. Algonquin Park, yeah, which is, you know, this has this island where a bear happened to winter.
And so this couple comes along and, you know, springtime the bear wakes up and he's like, sweet, I've got, you know, food for the next get-me-into-summer.
[1:42:46] And that's what happens. I think that's where the line, I was first attracted by your scent, your heart must be a caramelized onion.
Oh, dude, I loved that. I heard your heart must be a caramelized onion.
And as a guy who really likes food and my wife says doesn't cook enough, but man, just your, I just imagine this bear just like so happy to have these humans to feast on.
It's just like, there's, I don't know, there's this triumph for nature.
Yeah. You know, there's this, just this feeling with this, it's all over for you and, and what's his name?
You know, the bear is clearly just stalked and ate this couple.
And then like, apparently the, when they tried to come maybe rescue the couple or something, the bear was just like standoffish and super protective of his his prizes of this poor couple what a fucking tragic awesome, beautiful song. I mean, can you imagine?
Hiking with your significant other and like, hey, let's swim out to that island and camp there. Oh my god. Wow. Let's make a movie out of this one. That's where I went.
Track 1:
[1:44:03] That's a great idea.
All right, we wrap up the record with As I Wind Down the Pines.
A Beautiful Ender: Acoustic Guitars and Piano
Track 3:
[1:44:12] It's kind of a beautiful ender, you know? It's got really nice acoustic guitars, backup vocals, piano.
It's like, is it a love song? I'm not so sure.
But as far as an ender, this one just closed the book for me.
And like, maybe I might have had this feeling with Phantom power to where I was like, okay, let's let's get to the next album.
This this did it for me, too. So I thought this was a good closure to the track.
Track 1:
[1:44:47] That's what you look for in a record, like like in a sense, you're looking for a closer that'll lead you to the next morsel. Is that often times?
Track 3:
[1:44:56] Yeah. I mean, if I'm if you know it, A lot of this experience has hearkened me back to like...
Listening to the music in the 80s and the 90s because you know we heard shit on the radio and we bought albums and we listened to albums.
I mean I remember like playing in one of the houses I lived in in my 20s, four of us, and I remember buying CDs and making everyone listen to them over and over and over because I wasn't walking around with headphones on and you know so that in that essence, it was more like a score of an experience from start to finish.
And if an album left me hanging, either in a bad way, like, ugh, or left me hanging in a, man, I can't believe this just came out yesterday, and I just, I've listened to it 13 times, and I have to wait two years for the next one to happen.
Like, these were the feelings of me listening to albums, which I've been able to relive again, going album by album through their discography.
So I am looking for that, is a long answer to your question. I am looking for that.
[1:46:07] We've talked about how lots of these songs in here have been singles or standalones or place fillers or what have you, but yeah, I'm looking for that for sure.
So this one was, like I said, a beautiful ender. That was about what I took.
I knew though that Pete was like, there was at least a couple tears coming down his cheeks when he listened to this.
Track 2:
[1:46:35] This was a tough one, man. I mean, I loved it. It was a great ender, of course.
I really like the way the piano and the guitar is coming together and just that it's super simple and, you know, sort of stripped down. There is a siren.
At that comes in, in the very beginning of the song. Did anybody catch that?
Track 3:
[1:47:01] Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, sure. I remember that. It's really cool.
Track 2:
[1:47:06] But you know, I really liked the song. I thought it was a great closer.
For me, I don't look for this on a record. I don't look for something to wrap it up and put a bow on it.
If a record, because there were so many records that I bought when I was younger, where there was just like three or four songs that I really liked on the record, I'd play the shit out of them, and then I'd listen to the whole record and get into the rest of it, but it was those three or four songs that I really loved, and that would make me buy the next record.
But when I got older and started to appreciate albums, I think it was probably when I got into The Beatles at a certain age, to appreciate what those guys were doing with albums and just listening to the hits.
Then I started to get more into the concept of an album and listening to it from start to finish.
But, you know, overall, I give this, you know, I get this record, you know, you know, and I don't know, JD might get this reference.
I'm pretty sure Tim would get this reference.
I give this this album 4.5 out of 5 cans of ravioli. You know, um...
Rating the Episode: Ricky's Ravioli Mishap
[1:48:27] I should have said 8.5 out of 9 because in the episode Ricky's like, 9 cans of ravioli, Ricky?
Wrapping up the episode with an MVP track discussion
Track 1:
[1:48:41] Well, well that wraps up music at work.
What we do at the end of every episode though is we We forced you to pick an MVP track, a track that you're going to put on your playlist that we'll distribute at the end of this podcast.
And I'm curious what this is going to be, guys. Really fucking curious.
Track 2:
[1:49:05] Can we do an experiment? Can we do an experiment?
You're going to pick each other's? No, Tim and I are going to say it at the exact same time, but it's going to be, are we doing 1 2 3 or 1 2 3 then go?
What are we doing? 1 2 3 then go.
Track 1:
[1:49:18] 1 2 3 then go, okay?
Track 2:
[1:49:23] We'll say it at the same time, alright Tim?
Track 3:
[1:49:25] So after 3?
Track 2:
[1:49:28] Yes, 1 2 3 then go, if you're playing Rochambeau, you know?
Track 1:
[1:49:36] Yeah, let's do it.
Track 2:
[1:49:37] Alright, you count it off, JD.
Track 3:
[1:49:40] 1 2 3... Tiger the Lion!
Track 1:
[1:49:43] Wow, two records in a row that you picked the same song.
Track 3:
[1:49:45] Well, can I just say, this one definitely is the standout.
I mean, it's fucking cool.
Just the slow, trippy start and then the buildup.
It's got a lot to it. It would be my favorite, too.
I will say, it's a hard second with Wild Mountain Honey. I just like I said, I like I like I like it when they step out a little bit and do something a little bit different I feel like they did with that one, but dude.
Wrapping Up the Episode with Exciting Announcement
Track 2:
[1:50:22] Cool.
Track 1:
[1:50:22] Yeah, Tiger the lion Well folks That yeah, that puts a bow on this episode of getting hip to the hip.
I would be remiss to Remind you though that we've got a big party coming up at the end of the summer September 1st Friday September 1st.
It's at the rec room in Toronto and I I Don't know if you like long slice beer you're gonna love it there and we'll be recording our last episode live with a Tragically hip cover band and a comedian and we're gonna have a fucking whale of a time tickets are on sale at this point, please Buy them that would be cool and come and see us and hang out with us Listen to great music with us and have some fun with us.
Track 3:
[1:51:14] We're all gonna be there. Yeah We're traveling for this.
We're raising money for an amazing cause and it's it's gonna be good Taking my car over on a boat Sit in my my my vehicle listen my premium We'll give you a break Pete and put you in the back and I'll drive if you want.
Track 2:
[1:51:42] That's cool.
Track 1:
[1:51:45] Well guys we'll talk to you again next week.
Track 3:
[1:51:47] That was good, thanks J.D., thanks Pete.
Track 2:
[1:51:49] Thanks guys.
Track 4:
[1:51:50] Pick up your shit! All right. Whew, we're good.
Ready to decode the legacy of The Tragically Hip and the enduring impact they've had on Canadian music and culture? Promise us your ears and we'll share an exciting exploration of the band's influence, creativity, and unique place in the hearts of their fans. Today, we're joined by the Emcee of Longslice Presents: Getting Hip to the Hip - An Evening for the Downie Wenjack Fund, Delhi stand-up, Pete Van Dyk. Today he plays the host on his podcast, "Live from the Dutch Hall." And he's invited jD, Pete, & Tim along for the ride. Together we reflect on our personal connections to The Hip, discuss the band's Canadian roots, and consider why their sound may not have resonated as widely beyond Canada's borders.
Make sure to get your tickets for Longslice Presents: Getting Hip to the Hip - An Evening for the Downie Wenjack Fund today: https://bit.ly/GHTTHTickets
Transcript
0:00:10 - Speaker 2
Long Slice Brewery presents Getting Hip to the Hip.
0:00:27 - Speaker 3
Hey, it's JD here and I am sans Pete and Tim at the moment, but they'll be joining us in just a few minutes. I am here to set up what is a new series within Getting Hip to the Hip. It's called Getting to Know Your MC And there will be a second installment of this called Getting to Know Your Band, And basically these episodes are designed to allow you to get inside of Long Slice Presents Getting Hip to the Hip an evening for the Downy Wend Jack Fund before that event even occurs. That way, when you buy your tickets and you can buy them at GettingHipToTheHipcom and clicking on the ticket button From there it's easy peasy you just have to show up at the event. So there's that.
I would say that Pete van Dijk is a great stand-up comedian and he will be emceeing us. He's also a podcaster, hosting a show called Live from the Dutch Hall, And just recently he had Pete and Tim and myself on as guests And he graciously gave us a copy of the tape. He had it flown in live from Delhi and I'm going to put it up on our feed. It's going to be well. It's going to come up to you in just a second, So why don't I stop Blither Blathering and we'll get to Live from the Dutch Hall with Pete van Dijk and our friends Pete and Tim, as we discuss the podcast on Live from the Dutch Hall.
0:02:41 - Speaker 4
Hey, hey, hey, hey. Welcome everybody to the Dutch Hall. We're coming to you live from the Pool Shed in Pine Grove, ontario, for episode 445, believe it or not. 445 times we have done this stupid thing, and this time we have roped two people from different parts of the planet and one person who was from here but had to come back here on a long journey today. That's right, and I'm very happy to have them in. All first timers, all Dutch Hall virgins, and they're here to promote a podcast, which is a really interesting concept, especially for a guy like me from Southern Ontario.
The hip is really was really a band that was pivotal, pivotal, pivotal Is that right? That's right. Pivotal to a kid like me. It came up at the right time. They were like hitting it the same time that I was getting in to be in the most awesomeest part of my life, you know, and these guys, two of these fellas have no such experience at all. One of these fellas would have a very similar one, and the idea of the podcast is to let these two guys understand what us two guys feel about this band. And so I entered with these myself. Yet, jamie, yeah, you haven't really now.
Oh well, i'll start off by introducing myself. I am the host of the show. In two time You're supposed to say two time, two time. There you go. President's Club Award winner, pete Van Dyke No applause, no applause. And our guest today, the one that's come from Waterford, ontario. He's a. He's a Waterford native, that's right, norfolk County boy. But he's moved to the big city and he's made a life for himself. First time here in the Dutch Hall, ladies and gentlemen, say hello to Jamie, do everybody, jamie do.
0:04:40 - Speaker 3
It is great to be back. Great to be back to Norfolk. I mean great to be back in Ontario's garden. Oh yes, Thank you.
0:04:49 - Speaker 4
Shout out to us and our guests And you're going to have to help me, jamie, on the last names here, let's try, i will. From San Diego, california, is Tim Lion, lion, everybody, i'll take it Yeah.
0:05:07 - Speaker 5
Happy to be here. Thanks for having me.
0:05:10 - Speaker 4
Thank you, Tim, And coming from Malaga, Spain.
0:05:14 - Speaker 3
Malaga, spain. This is Pete from Spain. He doesn't have a last name. Yes, of course he does Marchica, pete, marchica, everybody.
0:05:22 - Speaker 4
Pete Marchica.
0:05:26 - Speaker 1
My middle name is is is from Spain. What's your middle?
0:05:29 - Speaker 4
name From Spain. Oh, i'm joking, i'm your. You know, actually I have a. I have a nephew and his middle name, his name is this is seriously, his name is Adrian adventure Pitaski And, like it's just so, he could go around his parents name on that So he could tell people my, my adventure is my middle name, right? Wow, i love it. That's my nephew, that's real, that's my nephew, like that's that is cool.
Like you want to get named. It's like your parents just made you James Bond, yeah Right. Like it is major, coolest. No, this kid's got to live up to that middle name. He's got to live life, yeah Right, yeah, hopefully he's not trepidatious of everything, yeah.
0:06:10 - Speaker 3
What if he's just like an accountant, You know?
0:06:14 - Speaker 4
it'll probably be cooking the books. Yeah Yeah, the name like adventure.
You know that's a, that's just a gift, that's a gift from your parents, so uh, I think it's a little bit of a, a little bit of a, a little bit of a. It's a gift, that's a gift from your parents. So, uh, i want, I hope so, yeah, yeah, i hope so, or curse, or curse. Um, i wanted to say the band we're talking about is tragically hip. That's right. The band, uh, that, uh, if you the credit tragic lips, from Kingston, ontario, and for some reason the tragically hip have been a band that have uh made it in Canada. They were enormous in Canada, but as much as we tried to explain them to the rest of the band, we tried to explain them to the rest of the world, the rest of the world just didn't get them.
0:06:57 - Speaker 3
No, Would you agree with that, Jamie? I would agree with that. And uh, these two are the avatars for the rest of the world.
0:07:03 - Speaker 4
Yeah, And now is there a. Is there a band, uh, either in the United States or in Spain, that you would say would be like a band that is beloved in your country, but the rest of the world doesn't get it, You know.
0:07:21 - Speaker 1
Tim, you want to take that one for the US Oh tough one, Yeah that is a tough one for US actually.
0:07:26 - Speaker 5
Yeah, yeah, i have no idea, because I feel like if you break, i'm going to have to do some homework.
0:07:31 - Speaker 3
I feel like if you break in the US, part of that breaking in the US is breaking internationally.
0:07:37 - Speaker 4
Yeah, like the rest of the world will like what you guys like. Yeah, there's not much that you guys like, unless there's some guy like you know, like what's the name of that fella? He's, like you know, proud to be an American, or like the, or like one of those country guys who were really like patriotic and over the top. That might be a little bit. That's the country singer.
0:08:00 - Speaker 3
What's his?
0:08:00 - Speaker 4
name. That might be too much for like people outside the States.
0:08:04 - Speaker 1
Yeah, that's true. No, I know what you're saying.
0:08:07 - Speaker 4
You know what's the guy's name The big? Yeah, i know who you mean. See, that's me. We're from Canada. We don't know the guy's name? Danim Vast. Yeah, we got tons of them. You know how? about Spain?
0:08:22 - Speaker 1
You know there's a band here called Los Planetes, which translates to the planets, if you will, and you know they're extremely popular. I mean they've got like there's a couple of the members have spinoff bands. I mean you can't you can't go to any corner of this country and not know somebody who knows Los Planetes. So they're like sort of as an indie rock band, sort of like I guess you'd say the hip did. But but yeah, dude, outside of if you mentioned Los Planetes outside of Spain, nobody knows what they're talking about.
0:08:54 - Speaker 3
Yeah, i've never heard of them, yeah.
0:08:56 - Speaker 4
I know that the tragically hip themselves were friends with the band the real statics out of England because they had the same issue as them. They were huge in England but the rest of the world Real statics are from the town. No, not real statics, stereophonics They say those bands were on. Oh, it was about to correct. Yes, i apologize. The real stacks actually open for the hip, yeah, but the stereophonics, and so they'd always, if they came out with an album, the hip would give an album to the stereophonics, stereophonics would give an album to the hips when they came out with a new one, because they had this mutual like kind of like, you know, like sister cities and stuff like that.
0:09:36 - Speaker 3
It was like the same thing, but like sister bands, you know, i feel like the last time stereophonics played in Toronto it was post score dying and they played a hip song. Yeah, that would make a huge sense And I didn't. But I didn't know that there was that connection.
0:09:47 - Speaker 4
I just thought they were just doing a tribute to oh no, they were big fans of it, like big fans of each other, and they both had the same thing. They could never break in the States and they were like huge in their own countries And even in Canada the stereophonics didn't really make too much of a splash. I just remember that having a stay song. Yeah, i like that band actually. Yeah.
0:10:07 - Speaker 5
I can only think of bands from the U S that have done well outside the U S. You know like bigger tours outside the U S, but there are a ton.
0:10:16 - Speaker 1
There are a ton of like Canadian bands that like have had broken through to me, for Christ's sake. You got Neil Young, you've got the Lannis, you've got Brian Adams, right, nickelback, you know.
0:10:29 - Speaker 5
Nickelback. Yeah, that one band Rush. is that what they're called?
0:10:33 - Speaker 1
Yeah, yeah, i mean one of the greatest bands of all time. It's a real crowd splitter rush.
0:10:41 - Speaker 3
I agree Because. I've never I was never a Rush guy.
0:10:43 - Speaker 4
If you don't, if you like Rush, you really like Rush Big time. I think it's like Bruce Springsteen. You know, bruce Springsteen, the guys that like Bruce, they love Bruce, Like they really like Oh my gosh.
0:10:54 - Speaker 5
Yeah, we have a good friend who follows Bruce and I just Yeah, they're like, they're you and Target on that. God bless Michelle.
0:11:02 - Speaker 4
Yeah, and my cousin's husband is like that, he's traveled all around to see Bruce, eh, and he knows him Like it. Just it means so much to him. Man, i envy that about him, but I just don't get it. Yeah, it just doesn't.
0:11:18 - Speaker 3
I like Springsteen, but I'm not. I wouldn't do a follow along, or Yeah.
0:11:23 - Speaker 4
You're in camp too, like either you love him or you're like oh, he's the boss, you know he's good.
0:11:29 - Speaker 5
Yeah, i like a couple, you know I like it enough It's fine, there's lots of bands I would go see perform live if I got a free ticket.
0:11:38 - Speaker 1
Right, yeah, i got free tickets to see Springsteen. That's the only reason I saw him. But back in the day I think we told this on the pod or I may have mentioned it on the pod when we did some, when we recorded, but back in the day, when I started playing in bands, like 25 years ago, you were, if you were a Rush fan, you were closeted. Like and I'm not even like joking Like in the US like if you liked Rush and you had Rush records, you were closeted. You didn't talk about it. I remember I was playing in a band with a guy named Jason Hirsch and he was our bass player and we played in a band for like seven or eight months and then one day it went over his house and it was like I found a bunch of porno mags in his corner. Like he's like, yeah, dude, i like Rush, and like the same was for Zappa, and I was like, dude, it's cool man, this is a safe space.
0:12:30 - Speaker 4
I have a huge kit set up in the closet. I drummed a new apparel. That's funny man, but it was kind of that. There was like you just didn't know if you're, because they split the room, you either love it, like people hated Rush, or they loved Rush. You know, even in Canada, even in Canada, they're hardcore. I don't get it, you know. I think some It might be musicians though too, because like Rush, right, because they're technically Yeah, i mean because you just.
0:13:01 - Speaker 1
The work of like the musicianship is like the fact that Geddy Lee can play His multi-instrumentalist on stage and singing is fucking stupid, yeah, like you know It's like Radiohead too.
0:13:16 - Speaker 4
Right Like Radiohead, like Yeah, if the musicians get them more than the non-musicians, would you say that's true.
0:13:26 - Speaker 5
I don't think so. I think Rush had a special kind of nerd dump. You know, like, if you ever knew, like a group of kids that played D&D, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like you know, like I don't know, rush has their own collective. Like, i have lots of friends who are radiohead fans and many of whom are not.
0:13:44 - Speaker 1
We now ostracized the Rush crowd from Pete's podcast and now ostracized the D&D.
0:13:55 - Speaker 4
I don't know.
0:13:57 - Speaker 5
I saw D&D. friends, we're all good with each other.
0:14:01 - Speaker 4
I've never played before. Have you done that Never?
0:14:05 - Speaker 5
I won't touch a 12-side. I tried, like, when it became a thing, i tried with some kids in my neighborhood and I sat down with them and I was like are we going to drink some wine? Or you know, and that was the seventh grade Like it just felt like we were supposed to be naked or I don't know. It was just weird. Yeah, like It was really weird. I was like how far can we take role play right now?
0:14:26 - Speaker 4
Yeah, you were an advanced.
0:14:27 - Speaker 5
There's too much of a tease for me.
0:14:29 - Speaker 4
No, i was like you were saying Dungeons Dragons makes a seemed a little like they was going to get a role. Did people wear costumes for that stuff?
0:14:37 - Speaker 5
Well, no, i just felt like it was this level of intellectualism, you know, like that wasn't it being experiencing games and rush was kind of the same way, and maybe, you know, maybe the hip was too smart for the US, maybe it might be.
0:14:51 - Speaker 4
It might be like there's, but I don't know how smart it was. It was like there's a. It's an interesting thing because I've only because of this podcast started. You know he's kind of reflect on you know I was a hip like, i am a hip fan and it, but I don't know if I'm associating it is just because they were around through a good part of my life. You know what I mean. Yeah, like I was young and having a good time and every show I went to or I could see them a lot, you know. So they were at a lot of like festivals and concerts that I would get a chance to go to.
0:15:25 - Speaker 3
They were always on the bar, like whatever bar you go to, they were playing hip, you know yeah.
0:15:30 - Speaker 1
They were like the LA. They were like Canada's version of X. If you live in LA, right, sure They were. They were still playing Cause like yeah, right, i know, but actually you could like go to any club on a given night in the 80s and 90s and that band was playing, and they're still playing.
0:15:51 - Speaker 4
Yeah, they're still playing, and then I never seen a.
The other thing that I think was was interesting about the hip, when you'd see them live, is like I've seen a lot of bands that would jam, you know, like they would like jam out a song, so it didn't sound like a radio version of it, like, but the hips the only one I can really say that vocalist was doing it too Like where the vocalist was jamming vocals, you know, and so you'd go to see them at a show and he'd be like gibberishing up there, you know, while they were like jamming something else out in the middle of a song, and then you'd go see the next tour and it would actually be a song that was on that album, you know, and like, do you remember seeing that too?
Absolutely, yeah, i was called it breadcrumbs, right, like it was like little breadcrumbs and you're like that's going to be something like. I remember nautical disaster before it was nautical disaster, right, and then like, so, like I thought that was kind of cool, cause you kind of I don't remember another band that kind of let you in on the what's to come, you know, like, and and and let you watch the creative process, like the writing process, on stage, you know as obvious.
0:17:05 - Speaker 5
Maybe the, maybe the doors, yeah, yeah, that's what's good. Jim Morrison did a fair amount of that, but there's not many. I mean, that was like lead singers riffing Yeah, there's not. Not many people are able to do that at all, is this?
0:17:19 - Speaker 4
douchey. It really like it has the potential to go a little bit yourself in grandizing. You know, like, where it's like. Look at me, i'm an intellectual and you know even Jim Morrison and then Gord Downey. They both kind of you know they're like I'm not gonna do that. Their critics could accuse them of that, of being a little bit like you know in their own head or like too impressed by themselves. But I didn't get that impression from either of them but because I liked them.
0:17:47 - Speaker 3
Yeah, me too.
0:17:48 - Speaker 4
But and I like watching the creativity of it, you know, But doors is a perfect example, because that would be, I would say, the closest which I never got. to see them, So yeah.
0:18:00 - Speaker 1
Pete, did you have you? because I don't know how much you dug into the pod, but we you know, one of the things that Tim and I struggle with is that you know, when we did the, when we did the pod, we recorded everything, because everything's recorded up into this point. Pretty much We're just kind of trickling the pods out leading up to the finale.
But like a lot of folks, like you know, we had a week to digest the record and then it was week over week over week over week And, like so many people, like dude had fucking a year or two years to like and it had their whole lives to get to know this band. I think it's, you know, i'm not gonna we'll smoke up my own ass, but maybe I'll hold a little Tim's ass. But we, you know, i think it's, you know, i think it's, you know it's a little bit of a Tim's ass, but we, you know, i'm. I think it's pretty impressive because at this point, now that we're kind of all done, i fucking love this band. I mean, i've gone back and listened to the records we weren't super keen on and they're just dude, they're. I don't know what American rock fans were fucking thinking back in the day when this band was like pinky.
0:19:14 - Speaker 5
Is that why? Yeah, i really think that a big part of why they didn't quote make it in the US, which they did to a degree, they just weren't selling out stadiums. But I think a big part of it had to do must have had to have been because of ill attempted marketing. Like, like, when bands go on tour, there are people behind the scenes that are doing promotions in every city. They're hanging posters, they're giving away tickets, they're talking about on the radio all of these things. You know everybody in LA who does this for a living And I talked to him briefly about it and he said marketing probably was marketing, i and can't.
And I'm like, oh, you know, and the labels, when the hip was on with labels who weren't promoting them in the US, like, oh, they're gonna play in these six epicenter cities, we're gonna sell out them, sell out them more, maybe if all the Canadians show up, sure, that was, that was what happened. But man, if they were promoted more in a real way, like other bands on their US labels which I can't remember right now, i think they would have totally hit it. When they were on in my house the other day I said to my wife if this was playing in 1992, i would have been totally into it, cause we were talking about bands we were into in 1992. And some of them, like right now, i might have thought they were pretty good back then, but some of them right now I absolutely do not listen to.
But if I would have, heard the hip in 1992, I would definitely be going back to albums right now, I believe.
0:20:48 - Speaker 4
Yeah, it's interesting, that's really all.
but with both what you guys said, it's really interesting cause I it's not what I expected, like number one, you've just let my audience know you've been, you've been through the entire catalog of the hip, which, when you said it takes you time to process a tragically hip album, i mean I remember like in real time, when these things came out and we would like line up at sunrise at midnight to get the new road apples or whatever you know.
And but each album like road apples compared up to here and day for night compared to road apples, or like, or fully, completely, you know they were. they were as soon as you put in the new album you were like, ah, like this is, this isn't as good as the last stuff, and then you'd listen to it like a hundred times and then it would become your favorite album. you know, like totally. And I find Jack White like I'm a huge Jack White fan and it's the same thing with his stuff, cause he's pushing himself and he's growing, you know, and then it kind of takes you a bit to get your head around what he's trying to do And then after a while you start digging it, you know.
That's a good example And I think that's. That's the kind of like I. You never liked the hip album when you first got it. You always liked it a couple of weeks later. You know, Like Is it.
0:22:15 - Speaker 5
Sorry, is that true? Is that true for you, jamie? Were there any albums you just were like just had on repeat, psyched, go, go, go, go listen to it a hundred times a week.
0:22:26 - Speaker 3
I was in love with like from the moment I heard it Like. So There you go, but and fully, completely too Trouble at the hen house. The first time I heard it I was like I'm not sure about this, but you're right, it was, it was, it was different, they were, they were, you're right, They, they were growing and I was stuck behind. Yeah, yeah, now that's like my favorite record.
0:22:46 - Speaker 4
Yeah, yeah.
0:22:48 - Speaker 3
Like like hands down.
0:22:50 - Speaker 4
Yeah, and then, like I, yeah, cause yeah up to here was the only one I would say that I was like I'm in, this is everything's great. And then the only thing is that a lot of songs kind of sounded similar maybe, but but but then everything I was comparing everything up to here And then, and that's just. And then I just wasn't like like you said, i just wasn't developing like the. That's why it takes me a bit just to catch up, cause I'm slow, i'm just. You know, you're just a consumer, you're being fed, fed shit, you only know what you know And then get something new and takes you a bit.
0:23:28 - Speaker 1
But you also never know how long it's going to take. I had a. I had a record I won't need to mention cause it's just not even important, but the record from a band that I really liked And when they're it took seven years. Seven years. It came out in 2007 and it wasn't until 2014 when I picked it up again And I literally thought this was the shittiest record I had ever heard. And I picked it up again and it turns out being my favorite record And it was like like it takes time, but for for what, tim and I? the gauntlet that fucking JD's put us through the last seven months, like how many?
0:24:05 - Speaker 3
albums There's 14, 14 hours, 14 or 15. Yeah wow.
0:24:11 - Speaker 4
And then, uh, yeah, that's crazy, man, that's crazy. So the what was I thinking? Oh, you're to um, you know, david Bowie's black star, that album, last album, yeah, yeah, same thing. I was like you know, i wanted Ziggy Stardust and I got black star. I was upset. And then, uh, you listen to it and you're like this is the greatest thing he's ever done. This is man. That album is incredible. Oh, yeah, and uh, yeah. And then the more you know the fact that he, uh, he doesn't, he, he leaves on an open note Like he doesn't, uh, he doesn't end on the top, on the home note, the number one, the one he doesn't end on, the one you know that's a and he knows he's going to die.
0:24:53 - Speaker 1
You know, that's crazy, That album it's funny because I remember when I bought that album right when it came out, right after he died, because he died a couple of days before my birthday, because he died a few days after his birthday, which is January 8th Mine's a 16th and I bought it and I just didn't. I wanted to get it, i couldn't. And then a friend, when I moved back to Spain, explained to me that it was a lot of the songs are built on flamenco chords, spanish flamenco chords, and I was like get the fuck out of here. And then I we listened to it together and explained it to me And I was like, because a drummer of our band? and I was like, oh, that makes sense. And then the whole record made sense to me.
0:25:33 - Speaker 4
It took years, isn't that great. That's a beautiful thing about music, our art in general. You know like, no matter what kind of the art, the comedy is the same way you can work your whole life. You're never going to know all the risks and all about it You're never going to. It's just so infinite in the amount. So like, that's what I like about it, about it, you know, like you can, you're never going to feel like you've got all the answers you know, when you find art, when you find art like that, that's timeless, that's, that's, that's the best stuff I think you know.
0:26:04 - Speaker 5
Yeah, that's right. Yeah, something you can put on, i mean, just at any point in time. It's just that's, that's. Those are the keepers. Yeah, i don't know if we'll feel the same way. Pete, have you gone back to any any? Bob Rock produced albums.
0:26:18 - Speaker 1
You know it's funny. I haven't yet, tim, but I really am looking forward to it because I think it's going to happen. I think eventually all end up like sending a letter Is Bob Rock still alive?
0:26:28 - Speaker 5
Yes, oh, my gosh Yeah.
0:26:30 - Speaker 1
Okay, then I'll send him like an apology letter and like be like Bob, i'm sorry, cause there are people that love.
0:26:36 - Speaker 3
We are the same now And when it came out it was pretty universally derided. And there are people that absolutely adore that record now And I'm I'm one of them. Like, like, i really did not like that record the first time I heard it. Like I remember meeting Greg in the grocery store We were doing fully and completely at the time And I was like, so I did some pre listening and uh, wow, every song sounds the same. It's all droney, it's you know. And now I think, like depression suite is amazing. I love morning moon, um, queen of the Furrows is like weird and out there. But I but I dig it, but it's not, it's not. It still doesn't feel quite like a hip record because there's no Lang Lawn and St Clair backup vocals. You know it's, it's, it's just different.
0:27:24 - Speaker 4
Yeah, do you hear that? Uh, i think it was at the Gino's or something. Uh, after CORE Downey died, uh, muse filled in and they did um, it's a, she did a cut. No, it's not, it's not. I said the wrong name FIEST, fiest. Yeah, fiest did, uh, did the vocals and it was for it's. Uh, it's a good life if you don't weaken. Yeah, it's a good life if you don't weaken and uh and. But like when the background vocals kicked in and then it was like, then you're like Oh, this is the hip. Yeah, cause before it was just a cover, you know.
And then, as soon as you heard St Clair's backing, it was like Oh man, this is, this is cool, you know, yeah, yeah.
0:28:07 - Speaker 5
Um, yeah, i was. I was asking Pete, because this morning when Amy was making coffee, I was like coffee girl. It just happened. So, bob, bob is coming in. Hey, knock on the door.
0:28:23 - Speaker 4
Hey, i was hoping, uh, we, so this has been. This is really cool. If you guys, uh, who are listening to this show, if you want to check out this podcast and see how these two people were converted to the ways of the tragically hip um, uh, how can they find the show, jamie?
0:28:39 - Speaker 3
go to getting hip to the hipcom and, uh, you can go anywhere that you find your podcasts you'll get getting hip to the hip And it is.
0:28:49 - Speaker 4
It's going to all uh, culminate with a grand finale live show in Toronto on September 1st. Yes, sir, and people can get tickets for the show Same place.
0:29:00 - Speaker 3
Getting hip to the hipcom and, uh, click on tickets and, uh, you know, uh, we'll get a great host for that evening.
0:29:08 - Speaker 4
Well, thank you. Yeah, i'll be hosted by myself and uh, we have uh the finale of the podcast and you have uh entertaining the audience of uh. was it 50 mission cap or? 50 mission 50 mission, which is a hip cover band. They'll be playing, and where is it?
0:29:25 - Speaker 3
It's at the rec room in Toronto on Bremner, right across from the sky dome.
0:29:29 - Speaker 4
Oh sweet, it's going to be super fun. So please check us out And, uh, we will be running a uh draw here at the Dutch hall for a listener to get a free uh free ticket to the event. How about?
0:29:40 - Speaker 1
a pair A pair.
0:29:41 - Speaker 4
You can bring a friend. Thank you, that's nice, yeah, and I can even give you a ride if you want, if you're local. So we got all those things working for us, and there'll be details on that at the end of the show, but I don't want to keep these guys any longer doing business. Um does.
0:29:59 - Speaker 1
This is the sky down where the blue jays play. Yeah, Oh fuck, that'd be cool. They're playing a game that they're not, they're out of town.
0:30:08 - Speaker 3
Are we taking a game? for sure, yeah, Hey, pete.
0:30:12 - Speaker 1
Pete, i've been wanting to tell you a joke, man Come tell you a joke, yeah, please do, just to turn After he's done.
0:30:20 - Speaker 5
Then, pete, you play guitar to Pete and see if you guys can trade.
0:30:25 - Speaker 4
Yeah, you have to do that. Okay, I'll trade your talents. I know two chords.
0:30:30 - Speaker 1
So so you know Creedence, right. You know Creed's Clearwater, right. Yeah, yeah, ccr yeah. Yeah, so do you know what the difference between John Fogarty and Marvin Gaye is?
0:30:43 - Speaker 4
No, I don't.
0:30:45 - Speaker 1
So Marvin Gaye heard it through the grapevine, but John Fogarty played it through the grapevine. Yeah right, Tim, just snickered at that one. It's one of my all-time favorites Whoa man, don't tell that at the finale. Pete, let it sit there.
0:31:09 - Speaker 4
Only if I'm really stuck I'm going to pull that one out of the toolbox. You're not going to speak to people like this. No, guys, i want to thank you for spending this time with me and getting to, for taking the time to get to know me and my audience. I really am excited about the podcast And I think it's going to be interesting. Yeah, i hope so. You guys got you guys did kind of shit on them a little bit right. Oh, yeah, they hold back. Yeah, but I think it is interesting to know that even some of the opinions that you held not so long ago may have already changed by the time the finale is going to be For sure. Yeah, Totally have. Yeah, yeah, that's cool, man, and I think that's kind of a testament to why I think they're worthy enough to still be concentrating on.
You know is because this shit can happen. This stuff can really happen where people can be turned on to something new and it's new to them. So who cares if Gord's dead? you know, like these guys, never. You know, if you never heard it, like my daughter's. A perfect example Her and the bass player in her band. The bass player in her band said did you hear. Remember when the hip came out with those new tracks? Yeah, and they were all like 90s era sounding.
0:32:27 - Speaker 3
They were like road apples.
0:32:28 - Speaker 4
Yeah, yeah, they were great, you know, and my daughter's friend brought that to me and they're like, have you heard this? And then they started getting into it and it was brand new to them. Oh, that's hilarious, and so like to watch my kids get into it. What I was into is really a kick. So like, and then like, i think that this is a great example of it.
And one time I went fishing in BC and the guy was Australian. That was like running our tour And I asked him about the question what in your country is the band that you guys would love and nobody else gets? Do they say midnight oil? He did say midnight oil And I go well, we all know midnight oil. You know, like beds are burning. And he goes like fuck that song. You know, like you guys don't know midnight oil. If you think it's beds are burning, look into their back catalog when they're a punk band, you know. And then, and it was way different, really Way different, and nothing like anything that made them popular, but it's so, it's. maybe there's bands like this everywhere. You know you can.
I never knew about like all all that old good soul music because it never played on any radios that I got to listen to. You know, like I just found out about Al Green like five years ago, like that breaks my heart. You know where was Al Green my whole life? But so there is a lot of good stuff out there And I think this podcast kind of shines a light on that. So I think it was going to be, while we're checking out, so getting hip to the hit, check it out. Everybody And Tim, thank you very much for, for, for the, for doing this for me.
0:34:03 - Speaker 5
Yeah, thanks, pete.
0:34:04 - Speaker 1
Thanks Pete. Thanks JD, Good to see you guys?
0:34:07 - Speaker 4
Good to see you guys. Yeah, and we will see you on September 1st Sounds great.
See you September 1st, can't wait. All right, take care, guys. Okay, this show would be nothing without our sponsors at CleanFlow. If you'd like to support them, go to cleanflowcom That's K L, e, e, n, f L O dot com and check out all the great products. Lube up your life with clean flow. And if you'd like to support our show, go to patreoncom. slash dutch hall And you can join our queen, jen Husko, and being a part of dutch hall royalty.
And if you're a business that's looking at any sponsorship opportunities, you can also look on Patreon and look at options there. And every time someone on our show gets a little tight ass about what we're putting out on social media, i will put that on Patreon. There was one just recently that Kevin made me not agree not to put out, so I put that on Patreon. And we also have the one that Charter's obviously banned us from putting out. It's on Patreon, so all the band materials on there. So it is well worth the money. There'll be content And you'll also get invited to special events, like my 50th birthday show that's going to be happening in October. This will happen if you are joining our Patreon, or if you even are too cheap to do that. You can go and give us $5 a year. Just E-transfer that to the dutchhallgmailcom and you will become a shareholder of our program, and shareholders get the same rights as the Patreon supporters do. So that's a way you can help us out as well.
And lastly, oh, it goes to Port. Johnny's show at the Lazy Flamingo and Hus Village and Hamilton every Monday starts around 8.39 ish around there. Go to see Johnny at the Lazy Flamingo and I will be headlining there tomorrow. And that is it. That is all of our sponsors. I think you can give us some feedback at the dutchhall gmocom or we are at the tall on Instagram. That is it for sponsors, jamie. That is it for sponsors. I promise that's everything.
And, of course, you got to keep getting hip to the hip. What You got to keep the lights on. I keep the lights on exactly getting hip to the hip and the go get some tickets to the grand finale, the rec room in Toronto on September 1st. Jamie, thanks again for coming in. Thank you very much. It's been really nice And, as I said, you, i've been watching you promote this thing, i've been watching you put it together and the way that you have curated it, the way that you've cared for it and the way that you've, like, put thoughtful effort into every step of it. It shows through This is being done at a high level, and I'm really proud of the effort you put in. So keep it up, and I'm going to continue to support everything you do, cause I'm real happy to know a guy like you. So thanks for coming in, buddy.
0:37:18 - Speaker 3
Thanks for having me. It's great to be here. Finally, yeah, finally We worked it out.
0:37:22 - Speaker 4
Yeah. So everyone that's been our show 445 tele friend shared around, be nice to each other And until next week we will see you and T see you next Thursday.
0:38:01 - Speaker 3
Thanks for listening to getting hip to the hip. Please subscribe share rate and subscribe podcast, some such.
Ever find yourself reminiscing about the good old days when tunes from The Tragically Hip filled the airwaves? My pals, Tim and Pete, and I sure did, as we took a deep dive into their 6th studio album, Phantom Power. We discovered that our own past experiences and relationships managed to shape our views on this collection of radio hits, which seemed like a pivotal moment for the band.
We weren't just content with superficially jamming out to the music. We dissected the unique sound and lyrical themes, compared them to previous Hip releases, and found ourselves swapping stories from past concerts. One standout memory was Tim being recognized by lead vocalist Gord Downie backstage. We also discussed the historical context of the album, like how its recording coincided with a major ice storm and a surprise tour that benefited a children's cancer camp.
Stick around as we analyze some standout tunes like 'Poets' and its references to Gwen Jacobs' fight for women's equality. We also shared our thoughts on 'Fireworks' and how it reminded us of Canada's victory in the hockey series against Russia in 1972. So, whether you're a die-hard Hip fan or just love a good music chat, this episode is for you!
Transcript
Speaker 1 It's June of 1998 and I'm done with York University. To celebrate, my friends and I embarked on a camping trip to the Pinary Provincial Park just down the road from Grand Bend. It was just outside the liquor store in town that I heard a finished version of Pullets for the first time. Gord had long been one of my favorite Pullets, so to me this song resonated in a way that I can't quite describe. It was a feeling of euphoria and relief. This new record was going to be just fine, i thought to myself. Little did I know that several tracks on this record would stand the test of time and join the pantheon of great hip songs I still enjoy to this day, from the meandering escape is at hand to the traveling man, to the exquisite Bob Cajun and the downright delicious Emperor Penguin. Phantom power was right in the pocket, coming off of the exceptional trouble at the henhouse. As I got inside the truck to head back to the campsite I turned the volume up and just let Pullets sink into my brain. This was living. Today. We're going to hear from our friends Pete and Tim to check out what they think of Phantom power. Will it stack up? Find out today. On Getting Hip to the Hip. 0:01:41 - Speaker 2 Long sliced brewery presents Getting Hip to the Hip Hey it's JD here. 0:01:58 - Speaker 1 Welcome back to Getting Hip to the Hip. This week we are talking about Phantom Power, the sixth studio record by Seminole Canadian rock band, the Tragically Hip. I'm joined this week, as always, by my pals Tim and Pete Fellas. how are you doing? 0:02:19 - Speaker 3 Hey guys, hey guys, hey guys, glad to be here. Good to see you, i'm ecstatic to be here. 0:02:26 - Speaker 4 I'm ecstatic to be here right now. 0:02:27 - Speaker 1 Oh, I love it. 0:02:28 - Speaker 4 I love the energy This is happier than a pig and shit. 0:02:31 - Speaker 1 Oh boy, oh boy, that's pretty happy. I've seen some, some porcine creatures rolling in fecal matter and they sure love it. Okay, so if you are wanting to experience The Tragically Hip's music for the first time, tim and Pete are your avatars this week because they got to experience the record Phantom Power, which again is the sixth record produced by Steve Berlin, first record on Universal. But I guess I should tell you guys both. I guess I should say this to you both as honorary Canadians. Now, happy Canada Day. It's almost the 4th of July. It's July 3rd today, but it's July 4th tomorrow for you, but July 1st for us is Canada Day. So happy Canada Day, folks. 0:03:20 - Speaker 4 Wow, Yeah, Very close to the other 4th of July, which is America's Independence Day. In the UK they call that Thanksgiving. No, No, I had a. I took a flight one time on some shitty airline and the pilot was British and it was on the 4th of July and he was like so I just want to say you know, that's my shitty British accent Happy 4th of July was we call it. We're on from Thanksgiving. Enjoy Whatever. 0:03:57 - Speaker 1 That's great. Oh, anytime you can burn an American a little bit, it's. you know there's some fun. There's some fun there because you guys are so goddamn good at this shit, you know Anyway let's get into the record as a whole. Before we go into the song by song segment, let's just talk about this record, produced, like I said, by Steve Berlin. Five singles come from this record. All music rates at a three out of five Three. So there's that. What did you guys think? I want to know where you listen to it, how you listen to it and what your initial thoughts were, and you know, maybe, what they percolated up to. What do you say there, tim? 0:04:45 - Speaker 3 Well, there's a pause. I thought it was a three star album, kind of like all music I felt wasn't really sure. it felt a little bit deluded in a way. to me It felt a little bit, a little bit more generic from what I've heard in the past. But it also felt kind of expected for the whole catalog of albums this band has produced and the timeline going into the late 90s. You know this album felt like full of radio hits but at the same time I was missing a little bit of that raw kind of hip feeling. You know, i was wondering like, should I be okay with this album just being kind of fine? This was the turning point for me. I was really not sure. When I read kind of some reviews about it, i think there was some sentiment, some shared sentiment, and also some people were like it's my favorite album and some hip fans said it's their least favorite album. So this one's kind of a gray area for me. 0:06:00 - Speaker 1 It's funny. Well, I'll get into my, you know, sort of backgrounder on this for you guys after we hear from Pete. Pete, what did you think? 0:06:09 - Speaker 4 I hear you on the gray area, because I could totally see that. I could totally see how some hip fans are like this is the best album they did. Or this is not my favorite album. For me I listen to it everywhere. I listen to it in my office, so for my computer, with some some decent cans, i took it out running a lot. Probably. I think maybe the first time I listened to it was that took it in the car. It sounded great. The thing I found like I would say 3.5 for me, tim, instead of a 3. But you know I feel you on that My initial thoughts were that a lot of rawness of the hip was gone from this. In the first couple of listens it sounded very watered down. It was like somebody pulled Gord Downey aside and said Hey man, can we just like, kind of like the dude, can you, can, you fucking can you take it easy, man, you know, just like. Told him to just like chill out a little bit, and I don't know. The more I listen to it though, the more I dug into it and see how much work maybe not production, but just from the band themselves went into this record maybe changed my tune a lot Like I dig it. And Phantom Power, that was the coolest thing in the 90s, man Like because sometimes you didn't know what it was. If you never heard of Phantom Power before, it has a fucking cool name. If you had a guy that had like a condenser mic or something with Phantom Power, you're like dude, yeah, he's got a mic, that's got a Phantom Power. It was just like fucking. You were 17 and you heard that it was fucking cool. 0:08:00 - Speaker 3 Yeah, you know, i went and looked at a number of albums sold by a bunch of different bands, including the hip, and I was trying to kind of have this try to find this correlation of how many albums sold from the band start to like 10 years later, or 10 albums later, something like that. And I compared the hip with a bunch of bands And it's, it's. It's really all apples, oranges, of course, but when you look at how many albums they've sold and how they, you know, started off selling a ton and then just kind of went down to this million album mark. And then when I heard this album and I like UP, i listened to it all over the place. I listened to it on the plane I traveled, listened to it in the car, listened to it at home with the cans on. I mean I listened to it in more places than past listens because I was really trying to give it a go. I mean, it was the first time, upon first listened, that there were a couple songs where I was like okay, get it, i'm going to go to the next one, like I had not fast forwarded songs, you had her skipped ahead. So this, yeah, but but one of those songs that I skipped ahead on, sorry hip fans. You know I came back to and it's might be one of my most favorite on the album, so this this one like yeah, this one, this one to me like didn't grab me right away. Maybe it will more over time, maybe it's one of those types of albums, but well, i'll tell you what this record has. 0:09:36 - Speaker 1 An interesting, an interesting story, i think, and it it's my own headcanon This is. This is not like actual fact by any stretch, but in my opinion, trouble at the Henhouse, which is one of my absolute favorite records by the Tragically Hip or or or any other band, is, was maligned Like it, it, it, it, it both it and day for night didn't perform as well as fully, completely, and fully completely was very, if you recall, it was very polished, it was very produced. You know they went to London to record it. It was like a big deal. And then, following that, the next two records, they were sort of self-produced, with Mark Vreakin and Mark Howard on day for night and just Vreakin on fully, on Trouble at the Henhouse, and those records are sparse and they are. The core energy is, is there, it's, it's. It's like boiling hot magma, you know, and they're and they're forming these songs that are just age old now and and just wonderful, and then phantom power comes out and phantom power goes back to the like. To me it's sort of back to the back, to the basics. It's like back to really structured songs, really produced, and, like I always said, that this record was the baby of day for night and fully and completely, fully, completely, rather not fully and completely fully. It's sort of the baby of those two records. It's got the, it's got the production values, but it's still got songs. So I'll challenge you guys on that, because I think this record has songs and I think it has songs for days. You know what? 0:11:40 - Speaker 4 you are JD, let me tell you who you are. So when I was like 19 or 18, working with the movie theater, i dated this girl that that worked at the calendar place across the way And I just kind of went out with her because I was like really stoked. She gave me your number But I really wasn't that into her and all my friends were like, dude, she's really hot man, she's really amazing, and I just didn't see it. And so then like I stopped going out with her. We only went out a couple of times and that was that. And then I saw her again. I was like, damn, i really screwed that one up And that's kind of felt with this record, but I didn't want to like make that same mistake again. So like I, i'm sticking with it. I'm sticking with this being a solid album. Yeah, you know, yeah Masked it for, you know, a third and fourth date. 0:12:26 - Speaker 1 Yeah, i think, and I think three out of five stars is fair Like it's not it's not one of my. it's not my favorite record, but it's a lot of hit pants favorite record It's a lot Yeah, yeah. 0:12:39 - Speaker 3 That's that's what I found in my research. The covers are awesome. The covers are great. 0:12:43 - Speaker 1 They have that They actually have that panel in in their studio and bath, which is really cool. Yeah, so that's, you know this is. I want to say this is the second record they recorded at their studio. So they didn't go anywhere, you know, adventurous or anything like that, but they were at home. And what happened in 1998, i don't know if it made news anywhere else but Quebec and Ontario there was a major ice storm, yeah, major ice storm, and in Ontario it, like it absolutely shut down the city of Toronto. It shut down, you know, major thoroughfares. It was like devastating this ice storm. And we'll get into that a little bit more as we talk about the songs. But you know, they bring Berlin in and they're sort of trapped in the studio. You know like during during this, so really fascinating I think. 0:13:43 - Speaker 3 But yeah, it's a go ahead. Did you see this tour? Did you see them play on this tour? You want to hear a story Now? 0:13:52 - Speaker 1 people who listen to the movie and completely heard this. But the hip announced five secret shows that they were going to do, and all proceeds from these shows were going to go to a charity I forget which charity now at the oh, it was Camp Trillium. Camp Trillium, which is a camp for children with cancer, children that have cancer, and there's a location of that is near where I grew up And I'll show you when we, when you're in town for the finale. My friend's parents were on the committee for the cancer camp in our community, and so my friend Heather had intel and she she knew that they were going to go on sale at this time in this place in Hamilton, which is about an hour outside of Toronto, when traffic's good, and so we ended up getting third row center seats Wow, in this small theater in Hamilton, like 2000 people, and they blew the roof off the place. And a band called oh my goodness. They sang, come for a ride. Open for them, and they were tremendous as well. I forget the bands right now who open for them, but if you know it, send me an email. Jd at getting hip to the hipcom. So we're third row center. We watched the show, But the kicker here is is that Heather has got gifts to give the band And it's been arranged with the stage manager that we're going to go backstage afterwards to give. She's going to go backstage afterwards to give these gifts And she ended up inviting me along And so we got to go backstage and I introduced her to the tragic lab. So this was like this was like full circle for the two of us And it was just a wonderful experience. We went backstage after the show and they were all there and Gord had a. Gord Downey had a soccer ball And he was doing that thing where you flip it out, catch it and roll it back in your arms. Flip it out, catch it, roll it back in your arms And he just kept doing that And I remember at one point I must have looked silly or something, because somebody said and maybe it was Gord Downey said is everything all right? And I said, oh, everything is fucking perfect. I could go outside and get hit by a bus right now And it just wouldn't matter. And Gord Downey looked at me and he goes Oh, don't do that, jane. He called me Jane, only my mom calls me Jane. Like it was so cool It was cool. 0:16:37 - Speaker 4 How did I not know the story? How did I not know that you had interactions with Jesus? 0:16:44 - Speaker 1 Yeah, yeah, how was this? 0:16:45 - Speaker 4 coming up in episode. What fucking episode are we on. 0:16:48 - Speaker 1 Well, it was Tim asked me the question, yeah. 0:16:50 - Speaker 3 I don't know. We're like 15 minutes in. I think we could just call it. That was good enough. 0:16:55 - Speaker 1 Well, here's the kicker. Here's the kicker. I don't think I told this part on fully and completely, but the kicker is I had been dating a girl all through university and I broke up with her the summer of 98 and sewed my wild oats And this was all toward the end of the summer of 98. And she was in Hamilton to meet me after the show. So I'm backstage with the hip and they go Okay, well, we're going to go to the after party now in the next room over, because this was in the green room or whatever And we're going to go in the after party room and drink some beers. Do you guys want to join us? And I had to say no. I had to say no because my girlfriend was waiting outside for me. Now, in hindsight, what a boner move I made, because I wanted to get back together with her. Totally. It only lasted another two years after that, like I then absolutely blew up, but it was those. Those final two years were awful anyway, like they just weren't, you know, like both of us would agree to that now I'm sure the university years were wonderful, they were, they were great, but those those two years after our break up we're not so good And I blew a chance to go party with the hip. 0:18:15 - Speaker 3 You had a Davis Manning moment. 0:18:18 - Speaker 1 Yes, Yeah, yeah, absolutely. 0:18:22 - Speaker 3 He chose the girl over your fandom. 0:18:25 - Speaker 1 The hip lived between us. 0:18:27 - Speaker 3 They totally lived between you. They might still sorry, sorry, jess. 0:18:38 - Speaker 1 Well, folks, should we go song by song? 0:18:41 - Speaker 3 Yeah, let's do it, let's do it. 0:18:44 - Speaker 4 So I really liked this song. I really liked poets. This is probably the song I would say I have the least to say about. I really like the verse phrasing. I think it's probably the best part of this song, the way he phrases the verses. There's a part where the lines of a verse he kind of like carries into the next measure. It's really weird, like, like, like the mind, you think, okay, you sing the verse, then it's the next measure, but like he sings that verse over there Because it's when you look at it it's a complete line. I can't remember the line specifically, but it was. It was cool man. It's a hard thing to pull off man, but like that guy just does. It was so much, so much finesse. I liked the layered guitars in it, yeah. But I think, going back to what we're saying sort of at the beginning of the top of the show, it was, this song didn't punch me in the face Like right when I, right when I started listening, i dug it. I it was a soft open, it was a soft open. 0:19:59 - Speaker 1 All right, how'd you feel, tim? 0:20:01 - Speaker 3 I felt it was a harder open. I thought it was it. You know this. Like we've talked about before the cadence of songs and track orders. You know the first one I expect to really get me, bring me in, and this one did it. I thought it was pretty good. There's a fun kind of change over into the chorus It again I spoke about this a little bit before, but the kind of remind me of REM in REM's, like first half of the 90's albums, like they come on with like a punch of a song and then, like the cadence of the album kind of goes soft and then gets whoa, got a little dirty there, gets a little bit harder as time evolves. But yeah, this I thought this was a good start off. The themes you know I looked into a little bit of the song's meaning regarding lyrics and you know just talk about agriculture and super farms and like I don't know, ultimately fresh vegetables versus buying frozen and what that means. And this, this is the song that references Gwen Jacobs. Right, you know the story about her JD, and she was this woman who walked into town I think in Ontario topless and it created this whole. I don't have to look into this more, but I'm pretty sure this was the song about the Gwen Jacobs case. So Gwen was a woman who walked through town topless and was arrested and started this whole kind of woman's lib. You know movement with. You know making it okay to cut your lawn without a shirt on, just like the men do. That's kind of where the line in here from Gord comes from. It's a let's see. 0:22:02 - Speaker 1 Oh, that's great Lawn caught by breasted women. 0:22:04 - Speaker 3 Yeah, it's kind of this comment on pushing for women's equality and gender rights. So I thought that was fucking cool And that, to me also, is like really appropriate for the 90s or late 90s, you know it was. we were kind of circling back to, of course, some things we've had in North America before and prior decades. So I thought this song was cool. Again, it really reminded me of REM. I kind of went back and started looking at some of REM's albums and I wish, again, i wish I could know what the band listened to when they were traveling Me too. You know what they were sharing, what albums they were digging. you know if any of them were like Oh my God, did you hear REM's new one? We're going to put it in the the the buses stereo or whatever. Like I wish I could know what was influencing them, because I'm hearing, i'm hearing some some themes for sure. 0:22:57 - Speaker 1 Okay, earlier I was telling you about the ice storm. The next track, something on, was recorded and they literally were trapped in the studio. They were, you know, they couldn't leave the bath house, they couldn't leave the studio in bath. So they did what they do best They wrote a song and there's some lyrical content in there about the ice storm even And I think it's really wonderful lyricism. What did you guys think of something on? 0:23:33 - Speaker 3 I felt like, okay, i read about it, i read about this and I read about the ice storm and you know sounded awful. And for I hate to say this, but to go get stuck in a studio, for me that'd be like the time to really fuck things up, like really experiment. You know, you know, just hopefully somebody shows up with a huge bag of weed and somebody shows up with a bunch of acid and somebody shows up with a shit ton of beer and like this is when you like really go to town to experiment and what do we got out of it? We got like kind of a radio hit. So it was a little surprise to kind of hear the whole story and it just made me realize that maybe for this era, the guys were really I mean, they were at a point to where they could bust out a really good album, you know, and what, for me, that really good album is? like you go to a restaurant and it's like yo, that was a good meal. You know, everything was like satisfactory. 0:24:37 - Speaker 1 Well, yeah, it's a blooming onion man. 0:24:38 - Speaker 3 It's a blooming onion, Yeah, but to get stuck in a studio and ice storm, it's like I personally would want to just start going places. I haven't been before with my band, but you know this one's interesting take. Yeah, this one felt. This one felt a little radio felt a little you too, dave Matthews like splash of John Cougar melon camp or something like I don't know. Man, it felt, i know. I know, i know, i know. 0:25:10 - Speaker 1 And I was a big melon camp guy at one point. 0:25:13 - Speaker 4 But Dave, Matthews are regular. 0:25:16 - Speaker 1 Cougar and regular. 0:25:18 - Speaker 3 Yeah, like I couldn't get overly excited about this one. Well, again. 0:25:26 - Speaker 1 I think you were waiting for the follow up from the follow up to trouble at the house, and this isn't the follow up that you're expecting on a trajectory perspective. You know no no, i agree. 0:25:44 - Speaker 4 It's funny. You talk about getting trapped in the studio, like I mean, i don't know if I'd go like full steely Dan when they recorded the Albuquerque show, where, like you know, there maybe was not that much cocaine around, but I still agree with him, i would. I'd get really spacey, and I think they do it on a couple songs that we'll get into, but first time I heard this song got some heavy Jim Blossom's feels. Yeah yeah, Yes that's the first thing that hit me and I couldn't think of any of the band that it was like a buddy of mine used to play the band that they open for them a ton, and I was like the first band that came to mind like this Oh, and it was really poppy. And okay, my notes. Once you get past the repeated cheesiness of the chord progression and the vocal melody, it's not a bad song. 0:26:40 - Speaker 1 Oh dammit, with faint praise here. No, no, no, it's not a bad song. 0:26:44 - Speaker 4 I think it's a good song, but you know it's a good song. If, like you, take this song and go, is this a good song? Anybody will say it's a good song, but like you, said to me compared to the follow up of what you really wanted after trouble. Then else, and this was a song where I feel like Gord sounded a bit like he was put in the cage Like whoever was a universal when this record was getting recorded, put baby in the corner. And this is a song where really I feel like you know he's, he wants to be himself, but somebody's like, hey, man, just could you like you don't have to do it all the songs, but like at least on this one could you just, fucking, you know, tone it down a little bit. And I was just like, ah, where's my fucking, where's my lead singer. 0:27:33 - Speaker 3 Yeah, I totally agree, Because you know it's still a good song, because it's still all the guys and it still has themes, because it's Gord, you know you're still going to get one liners that are amazing. I feel like probably no matter what in any hip song there's going to be some standout lyric to me, some standout part like to the core fan. That's. That's really what I'm imagining. The line that stood out in this one for me was your imaginations having puppies, I mean yeah, yeah. I've had so many letters of puppies, you guys. It's like I'm just, i've got puppies all over the place. It's like. 0:28:11 - Speaker 4 I was a cool. I really like that one. Yeah, like that, like that video for new recruits or something. 0:28:17 - Speaker 3 Yeah, so I like identified in it. You know, at that personal level, which I think they're able to do just about on any song which is fucking amazing for a band to do, because I could probably name 10 bands right now. What that does not happen to me, yeah, so you know. So, in that regard, like hip fans, you know I'm, i'm I'm not really trying not to be the bad guy here, but we this, this, this just made this song, just made me keep going So into save the planet. I mean, i got to this one, arrived at this one, and I was like, is this the band's fucking Earth Day song? or stretch their reach to get on the farm aid bill, like what is going on here? I felt like I don't know, there's a flute in there. Who's playing the flute? 0:29:09 - Speaker 1 Who plays the flute? You know, i don't. I don't have the liner notes handy And on the wiki page it is remarkably barren in terms of additional players. Yeah, it doesn't, it doesn't have them, so I need people to write in. 0:29:25 - Speaker 3 If people know, let us know, because there's some flute in there And it made me wonder like what else? 0:29:31 - Speaker 1 there's keys all over this record. 0:29:33 - Speaker 3 Yeah, what else have I been missing in the background that maybe other people are participating in? But I felt, like you know this song, in the placement we were, we were filling, we were filling in the gaps on the menu And you're like, no, I had a burger yesterday. No, I'm not in the mood for that. Oh, I could really use some lasagna. Here we go. That's that's how Save the Planet felt, felt very time appropriate. This is, like you know, the millennial song. 0:30:02 - Speaker 1 Okay. 0:30:03 - Speaker 4 All right. So if anybody's got a line on the flute player, email Tim getting hip to the hip, talk there you go. Right, i copy Pete at getting hip Yeah. Save the Planet. I thought it was a banger. I really dug it. I at first I saw that too, but then I kind of look past the name of it And just look at the song itself. There's a. There's two references in this album to Crossing the Street, to pedestrian crossings. Yes, i'll point out the other one. This is the first one Fucking solo bangs in this. I thought the flute at the end was cool because it was so random. 0:30:47 - Speaker 3 I was like well, what the fuck is that? Yeah? 0:30:50 - Speaker 4 Same. 0:30:52 - Speaker 1 There's. You just can't imagine listening to road apples and having a flute right Like. It's just not part of this band. You know like and and and it works It works well, no, right? 0:31:05 - Speaker 4 Yeah, you know, if they went into that I'd be like, well, what the fuck's going on? 0:31:10 - Speaker 3 But I'll just quickly, quickly add that I'm okay with the flute. Like sometimes, the flute really is awesome. Oh, i think it's great. So you know, like some people like hear the flute and they're like oh why You know, but it works. 0:31:24 - Speaker 4 No, i dug it And this is again. This is not the first song, or not the only song in this record where I got some heavy Alanis vibes. The phrasing on if the bathwater is clear and my ears underwater, it's a tolerant hum from the core. Carry the water Like that the way he phrases that shit, it's just. I don't know if I see because it's a Canadian band, if I see everything through the lens of like Canadian pop artists. But like it's just the vibe I got from this and it's a great tune to get out and move your feet to get running. It's a fucking cool song to run. 0:32:09 - Speaker 3 All right, i'll put it on my point first I hear your Alanis vibes marry and up with my Michael Stipe vibes. I think those are in sync for sure, for sure. 0:32:20 - Speaker 1 I think there's a nice correlation between the hip and REM, like I think you're right, like they both have that enigmatic front man, you know, who is really literate and really interesting in the way they sort of phrase things and put things together. 0:32:39 - Speaker 4 They both went bold too, halfway through the careers, that's right, that's a fair point. 0:32:45 - Speaker 1 Fair point, fair point, all right, we're getting in the car right now and we are cruising northeast of here and we're going to Bob Cajun. I left your house this morning. 0:33:40 - Speaker 7 It was quarter after nine. I left your house this morning. I left your house this morning. I drove back to town this morning This morning with working on my mind, i thought I'd maybe try to leave an ear behind. I went back to bed this morning and it's time pulling down the blind. Yeah, the sky was dull, it was high but never come. And morning went down at a time that night in Toronto And I was jacking boardboards, riding on horseback and keeping order restored. Tell the men they couldn't hide. Step to the mic and sign and their voices rang with the area of time. To your house this morning. It was quarter after nine. In the middle of that riot I couldn't get you off of my mind. To your house this morning. It was just a little hour tonight Cause it was in my page on the rossard and constellation, but they themselves won't starve at time. To your house this morning It's a little after nine Cause it was in my page on the rossard and constellation, but they themselves won't starve at time. 0:37:32 - Speaker 5 Tell the men they couldn't hide, they didn't choose your bones and bones. They're all south of the wind and down the lawn to the lake For as long as it takes. 0:38:05 - Speaker 7 I don't want to be a hill of the birds last hour. I don't want the last words out of my mouth to be stained Out of my way. 0:38:16 - Speaker 4 Okay, I fucking love this tune. I got some heavy and Tim, yes or yes. If I hear no, I'm just I'm off this podcast Got some really strong G love special sauce vibes from this. Yes, Just the way they owe up. Am I my GD? 0:38:42 - Speaker 1 I don't know, i think I think I'm very familiar. 0:38:46 - Speaker 3 I did not go there, but I will Okay. 0:38:51 - Speaker 4 Right, i mean the. there's a oh dude that it could have been Willie, could have been the wine. I heard that song. The first time I heard that song I was. I took it out for a run and I came home and I like I listened to it again because I just thought it was such a good fucking song, because it's a weed. reference to may not necessarily be about them listening to Willie Nelson. It's like they were smoking weed or they were drinking wine, absolutely Yeah. The opening, like spacey guitar licks The dobro which I think he's playing. there's a dobro in there that he's playing which kind of gets sort of like a banjo slash guitar vibe. Oh God, just. 0:39:40 - Speaker 1 I feel like that lyric that you just quoted, though, could have been the Willie Nelson, could have been the wine. That's like one, like when he wrote that he should have just put the book down, put on a fedora, long overcoat, grabbed his briefcase, just went home for the day, that's. That's the days. That's the day at the office, that's a fucking. Exactly. 0:40:00 - Speaker 4 That's just a great lyric Exactly dude, no, 100%, it's so good. I was like you know. You know, a line is a good line when you hear it and it's so good you think you've heard it before. Meaning like I'm like right, i mean because it just sounds like it belongs on this in the history of life, Like like someone has, like if someone hadn't said it, they sure as shit should have said it. Does that make sense? Yeah, you know, it sounds like it's just. It's a great fucking line. I thought I maybe quit that line. It's just. It's really the part of this song where Gord starts coming out of the cage. On this record, i feel like that was the moment Somebody gave, somebody unlocked the door of the cage and he's starting to come out, and then the song ends on a random minor chord, which is so weird, it's such a happy, spacey song that ends on this minor chord. 0:41:09 - Speaker 3 I loved that. I loved that about it. So for me this one it felt a little Out of the gates. I need to listen to the beginning of it to see your G-Love reference. But out of the gates. It felt to me a little bit country and a little bit like are we reaching again for some crossover fans Along? the southern belt of the US. Like where are we? What's happening here? You know there's some slide guitar, but is it a song about lost love? You know looking up at the stars waiting for a reveal. You know there's synth work in here again, so there's some sort of keyboard happening, which is fucking cool. And to me, the first lesson I had all those kind of questions going through my head And then I thought at one moment like this is actually a fucking beautiful song. Like it's a little bit of an odd man out on the album, but it's actually a beautiful song. There's this long ending with no singing. It's just mysterious. Like you said, pete, the last five seconds or so, or this just bizarre tune out. It's like I found one quote when Gord was asked about this song. He said this was an interview in 2004,. He said this one asks the question evil in the open or evil just below the surface? That was his comment about this song. So it's like this song to me was super mysterious Yeah, super mysterious song which I fucking love, like I don't need literal storytelling every single song you know. Social themes, i don't know all these different things, i don't need that. Every single song I love you know kind of the knuckleball that comes in. You're like whoa okay, this is reeling me back in to the album in a good way, a way that I'm looking for, you know, i'm hoping for, but still, again, this one felt a little bit odd, man, just the way it fits into the album. They've done this before. They've gotten. 0:43:15 - Speaker 4 They lose green man. 0:43:16 - Speaker 3 Yeah, they've gone on this path of like okay, this one, now we're going to turn off the highway and head down this two-lane road and we're going to stop at this farm and we're going to have an afternoon barbecue with this family, and you know, i don't know, like it's just this one's off the highway. 0:43:35 - Speaker 1 Cool. What do you guys think of the bridge? It makes my arm hair stand up That night in Toronto with the checkerboard floors. There's a bar in Toronto that's famous legendary in fact called the Horseshoe and that references the Horseshoe, the checkerboard floors. Oh shit, that's one of the first big gigs they played in Toronto. 0:43:55 - Speaker 4 Can I get taken to that bar when I come visit Toronto? 0:43:57 - Speaker 1 Absolutely. Let's do it. Sure shit hopes so man. 0:44:00 - Speaker 4 That would be cool. This song is actually the most listened to hip song on Spotify. 0:44:07 - Speaker 1 Oh, wow Yeah. 0:44:09 - Speaker 3 Surpasses. I read something about that as well. 0:44:13 - Speaker 4 What was the one that it surpassed? 0:44:16 - Speaker 1 I can't remember Anyway yeah Well, so it's a hit all around Pop Cage. 0:44:21 - Speaker 3 Yeah, it was a fucking interesting song, right? This is. 0:44:25 - Speaker 1 So we shift gears now in a well, not in a huge way, because this is sort of low tempo or slower tempo. We go to Thompson Girl and you're both hesitating to start Thompson Girl. 0:44:41 - Speaker 4 Go ahead Tim. 0:44:42 - Speaker 3 Yeah, well, you know what's the story about here. I don't know. It's the story potentially about where is it here, This town in Manitoba, thompson, yeah, or it's. You know it's potentially about a nickel mining company up there. You know it's got this kind of sweet, forlorn grunt work somewhere between dream and duty, poking through with all them shoots of beauty. I mean, what is that about? You know, this is kind of a cute, in a way stripped down acoustic song. There's some banjo in there. You know, i've kind of been waiting for, I had been waiting for this type of stripped down, simpler song that you know it's kind of this forlorn, sad song to me at the same time. 0:45:42 - Speaker 1 Probably Pete. 0:45:44 - Speaker 4 I loved it. I thought it was cool. I think I don't know if it's consistent with you and I, tim, but like I really try not to look too deep into the lyrics because oftentimes I'm disappointed, that's why I don't do it. I know you do it a lot more than I do I totally do. 0:46:03 - Speaker 3 I mean it's because of Gord, like Gord Gord. for me, gord merits it. 0:46:09 - Speaker 4 I get intrigued though, but like dude so does. I mentioned Celie Daner earlier. Like Donald Fagan's lyrics are notoriously cool as fuck. But have you ever asked that guy like what he you know what's, what's the meaning of? you know Dr Woo or whatever, like he'll be, like I don't know man, we're on so much cocaine. Back in the day I was just getting shipped to prime or whatever you know like, and I know that's not really the case here. But that line, the way he goes up so high with grunt work, i can't. I'm not even gonna fucking try lest I fucking destroy your listener base JD by singing that line. But when he goes grunt work time between dream and duty the melody is so fucking good It's then there's a part. Um, i don't know if it's like, i don't know, i wouldn't call it the bridge, but it is a bit of a some sort of key change to the regular chord progression. When he goes really high and then the mandolin starts to come in fucking dug that. And then the piano kind of comes in at the end as well, it's fucking cool. I really dig it. Yeah, i liked it First. I didn't like it. I didn't like the chord progression. It just seemed to like, like you said, tim, acoustic. It's sending, like it was like this should be an acoustic song. 0:47:30 - Speaker 3 Keep it that way. Yeah, yeah. But then it grew on me real quick, which is maybe something I would potentially envision. From a stuck in the studio couple days, you know, you'd get to a point to where everybody's kind of burned out and you pick up the acoustic and somebody says to the piano and you talk about is it INCO, inco and the fucking nickel mining, and I, you know, i looked at it a little bit into that in Manitoba and was like, oh geez, here's, here's a historical. You know, just rabbit hole that I can't go down right now. But it just this, to me, is just one of those, one of those songs that fits in well with this whole album And it's something we haven't really had in the past. So it's kind of happy to hear it. Next one membership Who's who's singing backups Somebody found, is it Gord Is? 0:48:28 - Speaker 1 it Gord over. Usually it's Paul Angla, usually Well. 0:48:32 - Speaker 3 I don't think it's Paul. It might be doubled. If you, if you go in and listen again, check out membership and listen to the backups, because it sounds like a woman to me and it sounds really familiar, like I've heard this voice before And I've looked and looked and looked but I can't find anything. It might be one of the guys, just you know, editing it in post or something, i don't know. But there's, there's some beautiful backup happening. This one, though you know it's wasn't my favorite on the album, i'm not going to put it on the playlist There's kind of a big change after the three minute mark with, like this new chorus. Of course it has my fade out at the end. You know there's there's kind of this bigger start to the song, but it's kind of slow in a way. I don't know. It's maybe about addiction, it's kind of a ballad. you know this, this one, it just felt like it didn't really fit in, didn't really wasn't really sure how it was working and it it made me consider you know I've done this a few times that it made me consider the band and what they were feeling you know they're coming in on 2000 here What they were feeling after 10 years, which is long for any band to retain some amount of success 10 years of playing and predominantly being popular in their home country and not even gaining a huge you know the level they deserved in the neighboring USA. So this this kind of made me think about all those things. I just didn't know if it was like about power abuse of power addiction or longing loss, i don't know. This song was kind of all over the map for me, but ultimately the chorus bugged me and it stuck in my head for a little while. I was like, oh, i need, i need some other, i need some other hip song stuck in my head and that's kind of where, honestly, that's where, like blow a high dough, just comes and takes over my brain. So that's what happened. 0:50:50 - Speaker 4 on membership, I you know I have a ton to say about this song. It's kind of like I put in the same categories Poets. It wasn't my favorite song in the record. I liked it, felt it like it was a very drone rock with a chord progression. It's the way it sounded. I love the harmonies. Tim mentioned the harmonies being drawn along by it. Like that line with the harmonies come in The middle, guitar solo where they kind of tease you with the guitar solo helps build the song kind of cool. But then, yeah, the fade out at the end is just like to me. It felt like they maybe didn't have, they didn't nail everything down with this one. That's all I'll say, you know, but yeah we can move on if you want, let's slide over to fireworks. 0:51:46 - Speaker 7 You like fireworks? Yeah, me neither. The frustrating part Never back in old 72 Without school, just a gun, without a gun or trigger. I don't remember a reason. Set me sight of you. You said I couldn't get a fuck about the party. Never heard something true back before You held my hand. We were on the long way Loosing in my grip on Bobby Moore. Never heard anything wrong before I blushed. When these ever sensations get in your way, no doubt this shit me spurred right now By your shoulder, and that an amazing what you can't accomplish now I'm not together every single moment. That's what we thought. We'd be married. We both do deep with the grip of art, of fish chaos, believing in the country, me and you. Christ has a faith in Christ, the sinner cramming Yeah, we've heard all this before It's winter time. The house is solid to the bones, loosing in our grip on this fake cold war. Is it an amazing and a better accomplish When we don't let no nation get in our way? No doubt this shit me spurred right now By your shoulder, and that an amazing what you can't accomplish now, next to your comrades in the nation of fitness, the program regarding some eternal past time, clopping to the mind in a fit of laughter, showing no patience, no tolerance, no respect By your words, next to the distance, contemplating towering, towering star By your words. And in late, never, till there are no stars anymore By your words. And in, straight in heaven, contemplating towering, towering star, till there are no stars shining up in heaven, till there are no stars anymore. Isn't it an amazing and a better accomplish When we don't let no nation get in our way? No doubt this shit me spurred right now By your brand of error, shining up in heaven, contemplating towering, towering star. I think this one thing never goes away And this ones thing's always supposed to stop. Oh, this funny thing doesn't have to go away, and I'm gonna lie. 0:55:41 - Speaker 4 Oh fuck, How much time you got, then Fucking song, this song, i just have the word. It's this fucking rush, rush, rush, rush, rush. Just so much rush in this song. Really, there's a couple of rush references on this record and this is number one. I would say that is it. Gord Sinclair, yeah, so like and I think he would agree with me, because I don't know that I don't know any bass player in Canada, let alone the entire world, would put them up against Geddy Lee. So I can't like, true, Like. I don't think the bass in this song was supremely rushed, but the chord progression, the structure of the song, the lyrics, isn't it amazing? anything's accomplished Is fucking. It's so fucking dude, it's fucking rush, completely Fucking. It's like they should have just made a record with one song on it and sent it to Rush and been like this is for you guys, we love you guys. And dude, i'm not saying anything remotely like they jocked anything. It's an homage in the sweetest sense. It's fucking beautiful. I fucking listened to the song so many times. There's I don't know if he's playing a Les Paul or a Hamer Rob Baker, but it's got some hollow tone electric guitar. There's a line in there Christ in the Kremlin. I'm fucking. The words in this song are fucking spectacular. I bet it just destroyed. Destroyed. The crowd live Like. I mean if they played this fucking live you'd have to close with this or I don't know what you'd play with this. I mean it's just fuck. What's the other line Next year? comrades in the National Fitness Program caught in some external flex arm hang dropping the mat. Dude the lot. This that the way he speeds up that verse and fits all those fucking words into that, and then he goes back to the normal cadence, like when I say cadence I mean like the tempo, not a modal cadence, but like tempo. He goes back to that. I just bet when they, when they all listened to this track after it was mixed, or they all recorded everything, they all just fucking high-fived and hugged each other and had a big old fucking circle 100% Yeah. Dude, it's a fucking. It's one of my favorite fucking hip songs period. 0:58:23 - Speaker 3 Oh, you know what they. You know what they said after they recorded this. They were like this is going to be an every jukebox across Canada. I mean, it's a jukebox song. I mean, really, this is like play something by the tragically hip. Okay, i'm at the jukebox. Stick in a quarter. Oh, here's fireworks. Everybody loves this song. You know, that's that's. I couldn't agree more, pete. I just felt like this could be put on a seven inch only and out in the world. You know it was one of the first songs in a while where, like, i immediately just started snapping my fingers. It was like, okay, this, this song's, this song's moving. I completely agree with the rush references I love. I so identified with this girl. There was actually a girl who said she didn't give a fuck about hockey. I never heard a girl swear and I've never heard someone say that before. It was like there was some whole other world out there which is hard to fathom at times. I don't follow hockey. I totally identify with this. When I go on Facebook and it's like near the weekend it's mostly fucking NFL comments from people I know in Southern California. It's like, god damn, i wish I had a sports filter on my life because I don't really follow any sports. So the hockey the hockey comment, i was like yes, i, i want to hang out with you, let's go drink beers. You know, i probably follow that. It's whatever I just I just identify with that part, it's. You know this, though, you're right, pete, isn't it amazing you could do anything when the notion isn't in your way, believing in the country of me, and you, ah, you know, it's just, it's, it's, this is, it's more. It's more than an anthem. 1:00:17 - Speaker 4 You know, the crazy is so it's so, Getty Lee, though man. 1:00:21 - Speaker 1 Yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure. What's? 1:00:24 - Speaker 4 this, it's, it's spirit of the radio. Okay. That's the song thing you have in so many ways. Yeah, i mean, and I don't think any musician in the band would say like they can you know drum? like Neil Pert? I think the guitar is pretty. It's got some solid Alex life and vibes. like you could fucking compare that guitar wise. but like bass and drums, you can't fucking come close to those, like it's just. but sorry, tim, i didn't mean to interrupt you, but it's just a fucking. 1:00:55 - Speaker 3 That's good. Good, it's such a JD. What JD, what? what were your thoughts on the song? Do you have, do you have memories of hearing the song, or anything, or like? 1:01:03 - Speaker 1 I think it's, I think it's a romantic song, Like. I think it's like the firework of like meeting somebody that is just, you know, absolutely the sparkle of your eye, you know, sort of thing. The context, to give you some context, the goal that he's talking about, the goal that everyone remembers, is when Canada beat the Soviets in 1972. And that was, that was during the Cold War. So it was a big deal, that series, Canada playing hockey against Russia. you know a few games here in Canada and a few games in Moscow. It was a big deal, Like for these Canadian hockey players to go to Russia. Like at that time Russia was so mysterious And there was a very famous goal that won the series by Paul Henderson that everyone remembers. It's one of those moments in Canada, the, if you're of the right age or generation I'm not, I'm born in 74. So it's over my head, But if you were there then it's one of those like you know where you were moments. you know what I mean. 1:02:10 - Speaker 3 It's huge huge moment in sports history. 1:02:13 - Speaker 1 So for him to be just blown away. Like you know, loosening my grip on Bobby Orr, like I just picture, the 16 year old who's in love with Bobby Orr has the hockey cards on the wall, you know, he's just tremendous and all of a sudden he just oh, there's girls out there. Oh, and there's this particular girl who doesn't give a fuck about what, like whoa fireworks, you know. 1:02:40 - Speaker 3 Yeah, great song, Great song. This. yeah, I could have had this song, you know, and had a satisfied meal and went to bed. 1:02:49 - Speaker 1 You and your food All right. Go next to vapor trails. 1:02:58 - Speaker 3 So vapor trails, like I started this one and paused and had to come back to it, i didn't keep going like this, this, this, this was one of the breaks. And now for me, where I was like, okay, i'm not, either not in it enough or not focused enough, let's come back to it and didn't hold your attention. He would not not at the get go, but eventually it did. Oh, eventually it did bring me in. It totally was one of those songs that I wasn't so sure about, but over time was like humming it while walking around the house. You know, there's just to me it has some mysticism to it. There's this mysterious not to say it again but backup singer, whoever is in there. I mean there's some really good backup singing happening, but I just love some of the lyrics. There's nothing uglier than a man hitting a stride. 1:04:00 - Speaker 1 What a great lyric, right Dude And just the way he says it as well. There's nothing uglier than a man hitting a stride, yeah. 1:04:09 - Speaker 3 I can't wait to use that some point in life. You know, watching something happen, yeah, chords, use that line, throw away the rudder, float away, like they portrayals. You know, i get this. It's like, it's this feeling of like giving up. You know, at some point we all, everyone, i think everyone has contemplated, you know, life being different or serious change, or giving up, or you know, we've all had these heavy times in our lives and maybe the song kind of hits on that. There's amazing guitar riffing just towards four minute mark. It felt, you know, just to kind of wrap it up. For me it felt like a produced ending. You know, the fade out was like it wasn't just let's wrap the song up, let's just fade it out, it was like let's produce the fade out. So it was a little, i don't know a little more, a little more orchestrated. But yeah, it's, this song is. This song was a banger. I think it was really good for the spot in the album. I think it was like really fitting. 1:05:27 - Speaker 1 Yeah, because we're well into the second side now. Yeah yeah. Second track, second side, if you're playing by those roles, It has a good place, good place in the album. What do you think of APR Trail's Pete? 1:05:39 - Speaker 4 Well, this is the other thing that I thought was it's not. It's not a Rush reference, but I actually think there's a possibility that Rush's 2001 record Vapor 12, vapor Trails was perhaps, maybe, an homage to Tragically Hip. Wow, i don't know, that's my, that's my in my dream world. I don't know if that's really true, but and I saw them on that tour and they were fucking just amazing. Saw them at the Irvine Meadows man. 1:06:18 - Speaker 1 Such a great show. 1:06:19 - Speaker 4 Never saw. 1:06:20 - Speaker 1 Rush. I was supposed to see Rush on a tour in 93 and guess who was opening for them? Who, tragically Hip Jesus Christ. Wow, on Road Apples. Yeah, dude. 1:06:30 - Speaker 4 I don't know what's a bigger fail That or not partying with them. 1:06:34 - Speaker 1 Oh God, it's the, that's the, that's the fail. 1:06:36 - Speaker 3 They're close. Not partying, I think. 1:06:39 - Speaker 4 Well, we, let's put it this way, we, we, we showed to that concert, i think, and they were they, we were at that time. It's strange, real quick, because I know. but during that time, because 2001 was coming out of the Napster years and years, right And into, like I think it was right where the iPods came out, um, so people started buying music online again, sort of. So bands didn't have money to pay for opening bands during that time, so a lot of bands would tour and be like who's opening? And like there's nobody opening. So we assumed that somebody was opening, for Rush happened to me with pavement one time, but that's another story Um, and we walked, we're, we're racing through the parking lot Because we hear a spirit of the radio, but right into Red Bar Chat after that and just fucking made my, made my life. But to the song. Paper Trails. Um, the fucking vocal melody in the opening verse same. I got the same cadence, Tim. I don't know if you mentioned this as Thompson girl. Um, but the song I loved it. I imagine when they sung this song live, that when Gord sings the line you can throw away the rudder. He probably blows out either part of the low end or part of the mid end frequencies in the fucking speakers at this this, this house, his voice is just at that frequency where, if he really punches it like he could, he could break. He could break some fucking windows, because it's, it's just fucking just the way he delivers that shit. Throw away the rudder, um, uh, what else? Yeah, just that line to me was worth buying the fucking record. Pulled the car over. There's nothing uglier. Yeah. Then a man hitting his stride. Yeah, there's a transition from the bridge back to the chord progression. That's super abrupt And it's so cool because there's no transition. It's just like boom, boom, they go right back into the chord progression and it's fucking cool. I'm not, can't think of any band that I've heard do that. And then the last thing is the line, and it's it's. It's maybe Rob Baker, i don't know who's singing the backup, but Mexicans dressed in beige shirts Crazy line, yeah. 1:09:16 - Speaker 1 Yeah, I've never heard that Mexicans dressed in beige shirts. 1:09:19 - Speaker 4 It's. It's like almost whispered. 1:09:25 - Speaker 3 Wow references you know references, folks who spend their life picking the strawberries and raspberries. 1:09:31 - Speaker 1 We, i believe, Yeah, I would guess so. 1:09:37 - Speaker 3 I believe it does So yeah. 1:09:39 - Speaker 4 Are we going to? 1:09:40 - Speaker 1 rules. You got it, dude. 1:09:48 - Speaker 4 I love the song. It was so fucking cool and so chill. This starts out with those huge cymbal crashes in the beginning. This is the second song in the record that references a pedestrian crossing, talks about a crossing guard not doing their job. 1:10:04 - Speaker 1 So yeah, it's really reference of and the second reference of super farmer. Uh-huh Right. 1:10:11 - Speaker 3 In that same in that same Stan's line. Got some agricultural themes happening. Probably the third agricultural theme. 1:10:21 - Speaker 4 Yeah, I don't know I just the phrasing was beautiful. I'm wondering what a bard is. B-a-r-d. 1:10:28 - Speaker 3 There's a couple of references with that. One is it has to do with a Shakespeare reference. 1:10:35 - Speaker 1 That's what I thought, yeah. 1:10:36 - Speaker 3 Yeah, and then the other one is I'm not going to butcher it, the other one has to do with fighting. I have to look it up. 1:10:46 - Speaker 1 Let's just go with Shakespeare. 1:10:48 - Speaker 3 Yeah, it's some Shakespeare reference. 1:10:52 - Speaker 4 And then to the line about the vacuum's got a guarantee. I just that line hooked me in so much because it was so random that I was like really in just pay super close attention to what he said. And the next line that he delivers, which is it could suck a virus, an ancient virus from the sea, is like what the like again put on the hat, put on your jacket, close the briefcase. Fucking. Done your job today. 1:11:23 - Speaker 1 Leave the office, gordon, that's right Punch out or whatever. 1:11:27 - Speaker 4 The whole, that whole stand is fucking amazing. There's a table slide And then oh, by the way, this song, and fuck, there was one other song. God damn this song. and one other song at the record. on the record It's earlier. I want to say it may be something on or say the planet. at the very end of it You hear the word somebody in the studio is cool. Yeah, so it doesn't feel so and there was one other two, one other song on the record that they did, so I was like they did that twice. 1:12:05 - Speaker 1 That's cool. I'm going to need access to your premium sound system. 1:12:10 - Speaker 4 Well, I mean GD, that's. We know this is not stuff we just hand on. It's kind of like you know top secret Clarence, There's a lot involved, A lot of screaming All right, all right, all right. 1:12:22 - Speaker 3 He passed. He's done it. Yes, true, yes, we're adjourning my current, for he's had it. Yeah, i heard the song and I thought Pete loves this song so much And when we come talk about it on the pod it's going to be all Pete. 1:12:43 - Speaker 1 You know how much to say. 1:12:44 - Speaker 3 I thought it was kind of a yonder. I got you know some, some from it, But you know I was like this. The song isn't for me. I thought it was kind of a yonder. I was going to leave it to Pete. 1:12:58 - Speaker 1 We're going to come back in a year because it's going to be a grower for you. I guarantee this song will be a grower for you. 1:13:04 - Speaker 3 If it's not, you guys both have to buy me beers. I can live with that, Yeah, yeah. 1:13:11 - Speaker 1 Okay. Well then let's slide into Sugar and Falls Ohio. 1:13:15 - Speaker 4 Take it Timbo. 1:13:17 - Speaker 3 Yeah, so Sugar and Falls. So this song I thought was basically a huge fuck off to corporate man, to the man. I thought this is like. This song is driving some culture into the fan base. It's probably, you know, was played a lot on the radio. I thought this one you know I could be wrong, but this song to me felt like on the verge of angry a little bit more than usual. I'd maybe really wonder about it live, if this got more raucous, if it got a little bit more I don't know violent feeling. And I think it's because it thematically, which is where I'm going to go, not so much with music on this one, but thematically it Sugar and Falls, in my research. That's the headquarters of Clear Channel, which at the time Clear Channel Corporation was slowly taking over media, especially North America. Yeah, so that's a lot of the references to Grand Falls. You know where the unknown won't even go. Because at this point I mean that line to me says if you're an artist and you're trying to make it like, avoid your Grand Falls, avoid Clear Channel, you know, be careful with what radio you're sending your tapes to your CDs to like this. This is that song that is kind of the band's shout to the world of, you know, corporate media is taking over the airwaves, you know, be aware So that that to me the song has like a mission. It felt like the first time I listened to it. When I got to you know, three quarters, two thirds of the way through, i thought is this song like over five minutes? you know it felt long, but it didn't feel long in a bad way, like it felt like a good, just a really well written song. Like I was kind of digging through Grand Falls, it felt like a five minute song, but it's not a five minute song. I didn't look up live versions of it but I definitely want to find something. 1:15:47 - Speaker 1 Yeah, get the answers to your questions. I can't, unfortunately, answer because I saw them on that tour and I don't remember if they played it, but I can't. 1:15:57 - Speaker 3 It was somewhat rare. I feel like it was probably going to be a rare rarely. 1:16:01 - Speaker 1 Yeah, it would be one that would be, you know, gosh. Well, let me just quickly look up how many times they played it. 1:16:09 - Speaker 3 I mean for people that don't know, Clear Channel took over corporate. I mean took over FM radio. Over time, like so many stations became Clear Channel stations and became programmed. And I remember hearing the transition because, as a big radio listener, being bored in 71, you know, i listened to radio for like 20 years, 15 at least, 20 years and they just completely took over And I remember hearing DJs demeanor changing from independent radio station to now being put into this box And I feel like that's what the band is trying to talk about in this song And I think it's their fuck you to this corporate system of being in a band and trying to make it and just to inspire people to be independently minded. 1:17:08 - Speaker 4 Yeah, it's funny you mentioned Clear Channel only because I want to talk about the song, because I feel a little bit different about the song in some ways than you do, tim, and it's funny, like Tim, i didn't do fucking a pubic here. The research you did for this fucking song. I had to look up where Chagrin Falls was but, and I dug it. But yeah, that's when there used to be a great station in classic rock station in LA called Arrow 93. And they went over to that Jack. You know that Jack format Jack FM, which is just, it's just a guy who like record something and it's like a cheesy line and he comes in every every three or four songs and says something There's no DJ, it's just, it's just music, that's, you know, topping the charts that day and it fucking sucks. It's why radio is dead. But the song itself Huge, huge again. Alanis, beginning that fucking downbeat, the way the song starts, i thought it's crazy. you said it's not, it wasn't something. they went to live a lot because I thought this song would have fucking killed life. Maybe because the because of the subject matter they thought, oh remember, being too political, people aren't going to be into it. But the fucking song is the internal Mel. There's this weird thing going on with these. There's these internal melodies in the song where there's like it's not like harmonies, it's like two different melodies going on like DNA, and it wraps up to make this fucking beautiful code. that is the song. And there's a record. I don't know if it's a record scratch or he's scratching like the low E string of the guitar. Did you hear that? I mean, could have been the premium sound system in the car, which I'm willing to bet that it is in the line. Could have been the Willie, but no, there's definitely some record scratching or some sort of scratching that goes on in the song. 1:19:16 - Speaker 3 I'll try to catch that. 1:19:19 - Speaker 4 The no profound sound that build and then his voice gets all fucking echoey And then really got some Jerry Cantrell vibes from the fucking the harmonies in there from Allison Chains, like just I don't know if that was who was doing the harmonies on that one. 1:19:37 - Speaker 1 But super high, super cool, fucking again. Typically it's Paul, typically like early on it's Gord Sinclair, but then later on it becomes Paul. I looked up the show that I saw it was the one that I saw in Hamilton. It was Saturday, July 4th 1998. They played the entirety of Phantom Power. They played 21 songs on the show, The entirety of Phantom Power. They did play Sugar and Falls. It was the third time they'd ever played it and they played it a total of 127 times. To put that in perspective for you New Orleans is sinking. They played 831 times. 100th Meridian they played 756 times. 1:20:20 - Speaker 3 Head by essentially 693. 1:20:22 - Speaker 1 So, yeah, definitely a rarer song. 1:20:25 - Speaker 3 Okay, that's crazy, cool, cool, All right. Do you remember hearing Sugar and Falls on the radio? Was it a radio? 1:20:35 - Speaker 1 No, it was not, it wasn't a single. This next track was a single, though, and that's strange to me It's strange, Really Yeah me too. Same here 5 minutes, 5 minutes, 52 seconds, that's a long. That's a long ass single. 1:20:50 - Speaker 3 It is, but I love it. The first time I heard this was another one I got to and I was like, ah, save it for later. I'm getting to this point, pete, you talked about this or drinking a lot of hip kool-aid, you know it's like. Oh my God, i'm starting to burp here a little bit And Escape is at the hand of the Trav for the Travel of Man and I got to it and I thought, okay, 5 minute song, i'm at the end, let's just see what Emperor Penguin's all about. But I, of course, came back to it and I came back to it and I came back to it and I thought Travel of Man song. I thought this song could be like its own book. I was at the hand of the Travel of Man. Oh, you're going to play two more. I'll play two more, nice. Welcome to Escape Center Trav of Man. 1:21:58 - Speaker 6 Someone was written down after meeting a gentleman named Jalison. He brought out a man called Material Issue out of Chicago And we met up with a CMJ conference back in the day in New York. You know like nine vans a night And they were on just before us and he was really sick with the cold and they'd driven all night in the van And he was planning on sleeping in the van that night in the cold And Paul and I invited him up tomorrow to stay and he did And we never saw him again And we already died. A few years ago. We wrote this song, Jalison. 1:23:06 - Speaker 7 It was our third time in New York, your fourth time in New York. We were fifth, sixth on the bill. We talked a little about your band. We talked a little about your future plans. It's not like we were best friends. The number scheme comes back to me. Time to be on, and part B. We hung around till the final band. They're called escape as a hand, the traveling man, the building my air. This music speaks to me. Once they launched into lonely, from rock and roll, from a bad day, checked out an hour ago, closing with all desires turned concrete, those melodies come back to me. Time to be on. And part B Jalison till the slow, jalison till the slow. But you said anytime. All the devil's mind. You said anytime. Jalison till the slow. I walked through your revolving door, got no answer up in 704. The elevator gave a long moon. The pigeons sacked the wire with their weight. Listening to the singing chamber maid, she sang. they checked out an hour ago. The melody may cease to be. Time to be on. and part B. 1:26:20 - Speaker 5 Jalison till the slow, jalison till the slow. But you said anytime. 1:26:40 - Speaker 7 Jalison till the slow, but you said anytime. Jalison till the slow, but you said anytime. Jalison till the slow. 1:27:57 - Speaker 3 Jalison till the slow, but you said anytime Jalison till the slow, but you said anytime. Jalison till the slow, but you said anytime. Jalison till the slow, but you said anytime. Jalison till the slow. What else It's about building that? 1:29:46 - Speaker 1 What do you think of that? Like all these bands and all these songs that this band has created. Like I want a cover band to come out or we should do a pod list for this podcast, but you have to be one of these bands mentioned in this song and the song that you write has to be one of the songs that like somebody needs to write. They checked out an hour ago. Yeah, like what is that song? 1:30:11 - Speaker 3 Yeah. Like that overall it's kind of a heartbreaking song. Yeah. But you know it was one that I for this album. It was one of the few that I kind of went back and dove into and went back and dove into and really dug Like it could have. In a way the album could have ended here for me. 1:30:33 - Speaker 1 Okay. 1:30:34 - Speaker 3 Tell us It's good Yeah. 1:30:38 - Speaker 4 Yeah, i mean I think Tim said most of it. I really like the line. it's not like we were best friends. Yeah, it's just fucking. it's a sad tune. It kind of kills me a little bit. 1:30:53 - Speaker 3 Yeah. 1:30:54 - Speaker 4 You know thinking about what this song, who this song is referring to and like he killed himself, correct, he committed suicide. Right, right, right. I like the tune. I thought it was. The word play was awesome. I love the keyboards in it. I kind of feel the same way as it, like this would have been a good one to end it on, but you know you said most of it, tim. I'll leave it there. I'll leave it there. 1:31:26 - Speaker 3 Yeah, i love that. 1:31:28 - Speaker 1 You guys are killing me here. I want to hear what you love, and then I'll go back to what I was going to say. 1:31:33 - Speaker 3 No, i was just going to kind of wrap on my end with the fact that I love how this song made me think about relationships Maybe think about relationships that I have, that you know I would love to make stronger and add, give more time to, but it kind of fucking doesn't matter. You know, like it reminds me of people I know that I could hang out with tomorrow or I could hang out with them in like 20 years, and it, like I said, it reminds me of meeting, meeting artists who I adore. You know there was a there's this club in Portland. I was at um sing, some bands play and I'm standing there in line in the keyboardist of the band to stand in front of me And I don't know a ton about this person. But you know it just got to the point where it's like what the fuck do you say to somebody who you kind of adore and you know a little bit about? and in essence it kind of doesn't matter if you're not really going to see them again. You know it's just the song left like this feeling of space that would continue on and you could leave it behind and come back to, which I think is pretty fucking cool to do that in a written form of art is fucking cool. 1:32:51 - Speaker 4 You know I gotta give you an answer to that. Like what do you say? cause I've been in that position too, Tim, and honestly I know it sounds stupid and simple, And you know whether it's a specific record or it's the newest record that you came out, that just came out, that you're seeing them on the tour with whoever it is. Just look and dead in the fucking eye and be like I really dug this new record, I really love your music, man, It's just thanks for making it. And you say that shit, Like dude, it's better than any cheeky fucking thing you could think of or like plan or whatever. You'll just make their day Cause like that's, that's why people make music, man, Anybody who says they make music for themselves is full of fucking shit. man, Yeah, I make music myself. I don't care if anybody hears it Fuck you man. Yeah, that's funny. 1:33:45 - Speaker 3 That's why you know what I did in that moment in Portland at that club is I had this stupid numerology app on my phone and I opened it up and I was like Hey, when's your birthday? She turns around and she's like you want to do some numerology thing, don't you? And I said yeah, and so she gave me her birthday and I was like we went into it and we fucking played around with. the queue to get into the bathroom was long and we played around on this app and laughed at each other and, like pointed out personality traits that we love and hate about each other. 1:34:20 - Speaker 1 That is a story that turned out way different than I thought it was going to be. Yeah, Dude, I mean I was like a little bit drunk. 1:34:28 - Speaker 3 Yeah, i was. But I was like you know what do I? I'm not going to stand here for five minutes and tell this woman how much I loved her last album. I was like we got to pass some time while we stand here doing the wee wee dance. 1:34:41 - Speaker 4 What's your favorite? jelly Strawberry More. 1:34:45 - Speaker 1 My daughter was having this discussion this morning because she doesn't like grape jelly. Oh, and I was like oh. I was like, oh, that's terrible, all right, we're, we're, we're searing clear of what is my favorite song on the record. 1:35:00 - Speaker 3 Oh. 1:35:01 - Speaker 1 Emperor. 1:35:02 - Speaker 3 Penguin. 1:35:03 - Speaker 1 So let's hear it, fellas, you know. let's hear everything that you've done wrong here. 1:35:08 - Speaker 3 Well, let's raise a glass of milk to the end of another album review. 1:35:14 - Speaker 4 Yeah. 1:35:15 - Speaker 3 Well done, Tim. He says to the end of the day. You know, it's funny. when I heard that lyric, let's raise a glass of milk to the end of another day. It reminded me of this comedian, this, this bit I heard, and this guy was like ladies, if you are ever out on a first date and you're off to dinner with some guy and he orders a glass of milk with dinner, run, run as fast as you can, And that's, you know, raise a glass of milk. It just reminded me that I started laughing. 1:35:41 - Speaker 4 Right, you need a cluck of orange. 1:35:43 - Speaker 3 Yeah, yeah, sure, sure, sure, sure. You know there there was, I guess, not whole lot to say on the song. I sorry JD, i felt it was maybe out of the whole album kind of the cheesiest one, cheesy. Yeah, even the ending. Even the ending is like really. Like. 1:36:06 - Speaker 4 I just this one, this one, yeah, maybe I could Welcome to getting hip, hip to the hip with my friend Pete, and that's it, yeah. 1:36:18 - Speaker 3 Next next episode JD's like so um Tim died. No he's no longer. 1:36:27 - Speaker 1 Everybody's entitled to an opinion, even if it's Yeah, yeah, yeah. 1:36:30 - Speaker 3 I love the whole Emperor Penguin references, which I kind of knew. Um, you know, this is again where the band hits on like gender equality and all things around. that, if you guys don't know, emperor Penguins, like the female lays the eggs and she dips, she's like she's out, like the male kind of does the work, um, and if she doesn't return and help sustain the nest now and then like everybody dies. you know it's, it's yeah. So this this was a familiar, metaphorically kind of fun, but at the same time I was like all right what's the next album we're going to hear? That's kind of where I went. That's kind of where I went with this whole album, i was like, okay, i really wonder what the next album is going to be like. 1:37:15 - Speaker 1 I'm so curious too Yeah. 1:37:17 - Speaker 3 All right. 1:37:18 - Speaker 4 Pete what'd you think? Well, JD, give me the, give me the skinny man, Lay some pipe for me real quick. Tell me what. Uh, tell me what you think. Why is it? why is it your favorite, Please? 1:37:28 - Speaker 1 I don't know. I love the way it builds. I love the way it builds, um, i love. You know, like, leaving the. You know the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the. You know, like, leading up to the, to the, to the chorus. Sorry to interrupt your color, but that's a physical impossibility. I love his phrasing. His phrasing is just magnificent in this. Don't wipe your asses with your sleeves. Your crust was just incredible. The radio was edible. The lyric and the phrasing and the structure of them, i just think, are like divine, like wonderful. And it's also a song in a key that I can sing. So I love to sing it And I've sung it before. Um, nice, you know it's, it's uh lovely. I love the slide on the way out. 1:38:12 - Speaker 4 Yeah, It's a fucking. I like the song. This song I think his voice sounds the most raw on, like when I have the headphones on. Yeah, it felt like he was sitting right next to me singing this song I was like kind of gave chills. Right, it's very sparse, it's very much so. And then your, your comments and your, you know, love for the phrasing, huge, huge, huge. And if you disagree with me then fuck it. It'll be the JD and fucking Tim show next week. but Joni Mitchell vibes for the phrasing the way he like. listen to some Joni Mitchell dude and how she squeezes so much shit into some, you know, into a single measure. And that's what I got from this song. Yeah, yeah. There's a volume build that's huge in it that I love. The only issue I take with this song is that I really get the vibe that Gord Downey didn't believe in aliens And that fucking blows. That breaks my heart Like it just fucking does, dude. I'm a huge, huge believer and you know I just I was like really man Cause I think like you know what and you know what. 1:39:28 - Speaker 1 Oh, i picture that being like a reference to what's his name. He used to. Then he used to do coast to coast or Bell or. George Ford, I take that. I take that as a reference to like them driving on the bus in the middle of the night and, like you know, hearing that. Sorry to interrupt you, caller, but you know what I mean. Like like a radio talk, a radio call in, show, right. 1:39:49 - Speaker 4 I, you know that makes sense. That makes sense Because, honestly, like I think about it too and, like you know, i'm not to get all existential here, but like I think about, like I'm not this, i'm a recovering Catholic, so I was raised Catholic but I'm not practicing anymore And I think about, like you know, maybe when you die you get to, like you get all the answers, maybe you get, maybe you go to another planet, this and that. And I'm thinking like you know, fucking. You know, i really wish Gord Downey was fucking around today So I can see them fucking live. But since he's not, i sure as shit hope that he's somewhere with aliens and the jokes on him and he fucking realizes that they actually do this because fucking and hopefully you're right, jd, that that's a reference, because otherwise this song just breaks my fucking heart, man Breaks my fucking heart. 1:40:43 - Speaker 1 Oh, i hope. I hope your heart doesn't remain broken. 1:40:45 - Speaker 4 Yeah, no, we'll repair it by next week All right? 1:40:49 - Speaker 1 Well, let's, let's cruise into the last segment of the show here The, the, the, the MVP song, the song that you're sticking on your playlist. What is it going to be there, Tim? 1:41:03 - Speaker 3 I suppose it's fireworks. 1:41:06 - Speaker 1 I was you're so reticent? Oh, is that because of the popcageon? 1:41:12 - Speaker 3 I mean, i was a fan of vapor trails. I suppose it's fireworks, though It's fireworks to me was like you know, perfect single. It's kind of a self self-help song or a caregiving song. Yeah, i can see, you know it's, it's just it. it checked a lot of boxes. I love also, just you know, kid from Southern California. I love the what the fuck hockey reference you know. So yeah, that one, that one was, that was it for me. 1:41:44 - Speaker 1 All right, Pete, I mean no question, no question fireworks. 1:41:48 - Speaker 4 It just gave me everything I wanted, every fucking thing I wanted to do. 1:41:55 - Speaker 1 Wow, that's amazing. 1:41:57 - Speaker 4 Just so good, what a fucking song. 1:41:59 - Speaker 1 I think this is the first time you guys have had the same song, right? 1:42:02 - Speaker 3 Yeah, yeah, we're in sync. 1:42:04 - Speaker 4 Yeah, for sure. 1:42:06 - Speaker 3 I mean, if Emperor Penguin had like real alien area 51 references, I think Pete would have been all over that. 1:42:12 - Speaker 4 Right And it had. He said they actually do exist. I would have been like, sorry, if I worked, take a seat. 1:42:20 - Speaker 3 Hey, i have some other kind of facts to throw in here real quick, so all right. So when these guys started out, they sold a shit ton of albums and I think made some money pretty quickly, right? And then yeah, then each album thereafter was like a million ish record sold, which is pretty fucking cool, like that's a good job, you know, back in the 90s they're selling albums, they're making a buck or sell a piece On top of touring and doing these massive arenas across Canada or whatever. But it made me think, okay, how does the hip measure up? Maybe this is a bit for another pod, I don't know, jd, but it made me wonder how do they kind of measure up? Why did they? Why, or how, why not? Were they not killing it in the US? So I looked up other Canadian bands and one that came up was Men Without Hats. These guys had they were like a one hit wonder, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, we can dance if we want to blah, blah, blah. So they sold almost a million albums globally and 500,000 in the US. So basically, more than half of their albums they sold in the US, which is, i think, really interesting. The hip, for reference, sold around, didn't they sing? Safety Dance too, safety Dance, yes, safety Dance. That's the one. The hip sold like 8 million-ish, 8, 9 million, and about 10% of that was in the US. Not a whole lot. Bare-naked Ladies, conversely, who I've barely touched on in my life. Pardon the pun. Yeah, about almost 10 million albums, but 7.5 to the US. 1:44:21 - Speaker 1 Yeah, that's because of that record with one week. 1:44:23 - Speaker 3 Substantial Yeah Rush 40 million globally, 26 million to the US. Yeah, all these bands. 1:44:35 - Speaker 4 Bare-naked Ladies did a song called Brian Wilson. It's just so fucking good dude. 1:44:42 - Speaker 1 Yeah yeah, oh. 1:44:44 - Speaker 3 Arcade Fire. Okay, here's something a little more current Three million globally, a million to the US. These stats of globally which is how many went to the USA they don't correlate, they're not apples to apples, they don't drive with the hip And I think that is. I don't know. I just think it's something to note here. What the hell was it? Was it Clear Channel? I don't know What was going on. What was going on. So it's making me just still feel for the band and their lineage and their history, and I think I'll stop there because I'm going to save more for our finale. 1:45:27 - Speaker 1 Okay, cool. Well, fellas, it's been tremendous to hang out with you in this record, live in this space for the last hour and a bit Tremendous work, as always. I look forward to listening to the next record with you Music at work and we'll do that next week. You now have a week to listen to that and we'll reconvene next week. 1:45:49 - Speaker 3 Let's do it. 1:45:50 - Speaker 1 Sounds good. See you guys. Thank you. 1:45:52 - Speaker 3 Steve, see you guys. 1:45:54 - Speaker 1 Pick up your shit. 1:45:57 - Speaker 2 Thanks for listening to Getting Hip to the Hip. Please subscribe, share rate and review the show at GettingHiptotheHipcom. Find us on Twitter and Instagram at Getting Hip Pod And join our Facebook group at Facebookcom. Slash groups slash fully and completely. Questions or concerns. Email us at JD at GettingHiptotheHipcom. We'd love to hear from you.
We're taking you on a journey through the Tragically Hip's live album, 'Live Between Us', which was released back in 1997. Our excitement leading up to its release was off the charts, and we're here to share that with you! We'll be dissecting some of the tracks on the album, such as 'Grace, too', 'Ahead By A Century', and 'Nautical Disaster'. Prepare to be immersed in the intimate connection between the band and their fans that this record so beautifully captures.
In this episode, we dive deep into the recording process of 'Live Between Us', exploring the incredible energy of the show, and the role the audience played in the final product. Also, get ready for an insight into the potential impact a sax player could've had on the band's sound, as well as a fascinating anecdote about Dave Matthews' tour bus incident in Chicago. Plus, we'll delve into the tough decision faced by sax player David Manning – stay with the Hip or leave with his girlfriend?
Finally, let's talk about the Tragically Hip's songwriting process and live performance dynamics. We'll discuss how the energy of the show and the crowd's reactions influenced their performances, and examine the live version of 'Fully Completely', which unlocked the song in a completely different way from the original recording. We'll also touch on the band's influences and listening habits, and how they incorporated lyrics from other bands into their set. So, join us as we unearth the magic of 'Springtime in Vienna' and the excitement its introduction caused among the crowd. You don't want to miss this!
Transcript
0:00:00 - Speaker 1
So, guys, this is Pete here. I'm coming to you with a very important message. Okay, this is serious stuff. I know we joke around a lot on the on the pod, but in all honesty, i'm asking for a favor. I need you to do yourselves a favor. I need you to do your family and friends a favor. I need you to do society as a whole favor. Go to getting hip to the hipcom, click on the bonus feed and join the bonus feed, because there's some pretty next level content or covering everything from geopolitics to UFOs and the tragically hit most importantly, but you're really not gonna want to miss it. So, again, do yourself a favor, do the next generation a favor. Okay, before you, before you focus on recycling and nobody cares about climate change, the more important thing is to join the bonus feed. Getting hip to the hipcom click bonus feed.
0:01:14 - Speaker 2
You.
0:01:41 - Speaker 3
A live hip record on May 2 for a weekend. What more could I have asked for? It was 1997 and I was getting ready to do my annual sojourn from Toronto back home to Waterford. The hip was still number one for me and this record was something I had been craving since having first seen them live. For some reason, though, it didn't scratch my itch the way I wanted it to. No matter how many times I spun the CD on my discman, i just couldn't get as excited about it as I did for a studio record. Were the hips so good live that it was impossible to capture the greatness in ones and zeros? I don't know, but what I can tell you is the album has aged extremely well and it's often something I go back to when I need a jolt that, for whatever reason, it didn't offer me back in 97.
Now, in this episode recorded before his untimely passing, we get into the late Davis Manning. So allow me to acknowledge that now. Rest in peace, davis. If you've been following along, you know how hungry Tim and Pete are for a live performance from the band. Although they'll never get to see them in person, the time is right to unleash live between us onto them? Will they eat it up the way I think they will? We'll find out today. on Getting Hip to the Hip. Long Sliced Brewery presents Getting Hip to the Hip.
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to hear the tragically hips music for the first time again, here's your chance. Join music fans Pete and Tim from Portland, who have never heard the band before, on a journey through the hips discography, accompanied by me, their guide, jd. Welcome to Getting Hip to the Hip. How's it going, guys?
0:03:56 - Speaker 5
Going great, it's going good.
0:03:59 - Speaker 1
Fantastic Couldn't be better.
0:04:01 - Speaker 5
Glad to be back.
0:04:03 - Speaker 3
Yeah, it is, it is. It's good to be back at it. Okay, before we get into things here, we are talking about the live record that everybody was really waiting for. You know, around the time it came out It was 1997. Everybody had heard that this was a really great band to see live and to experience live, and so we were all longing for, you know, a live record, and when it was announced we were really quite excited And I'm curious how you guys felt. But before we get into your feelings, let's take a look under the hood of this record.
This one was recorded live at Kobo Arena in Detroit, michigan, november 23rd 1996. It was released May 24th 1997 for the long weekend. Produced by the tragically hip and Mark Freakin. It clocks in at 70 minutes and 31 seconds and it was released on MCA. All Music gave this a 2.5 out of 5. And here's what they had to say about this.
The tragically hip, one of Canada's musical merry makers, are also praised for their raw, sweaty live performances. Frontman Gordon Downey is a real dynamo, lyrically and physically, and his bandmates only support the beautiful live chaos. With that aside, the hip treated fans with their first ever live album, live Between Us, recorded well. On tour in support of 1996's Trouble at the Henhouse, live Between Us documents one of the band's more ambitious evenings. Without any technical tweaking, a very loyal Detroit audience is captured at the sold out Kobo Arena and a very tight knit and fiery, tragically hip is in command.
The unity between the hip and their fans depicts something heavy. Downey's random improvising and loose poetic ramblings spark the intro of Grace 2. It creeps along with Johnny Faye's electric percussion and already Live Between Us is a steady, creatively stripped and vibrant. The emotional rage fully, completely sets up the rest of the record, particularly the relaxed ballad ahead by a century Layered backing vocals and plucking acoustics depict the hip's signature sincerity and the sneaky rock snippets of David Bowie's China Girl And the Beach Boys Don't Worry Baby midway through New Orleans' sink and flow without hesitance.
Most stunningly is his lyrical rant of Jane Sivarys' The Temple Near the End of the Taunting Nautical Disaster, which also includes a verse from the reaesthetics Bad Time to Be Poor. As a whole, the band is abrasive in a simplistic sense, making Live Between Us an intimate jam between the band members themselves and a shared moment with the fans. The tragically bad men have maintained their beloved status because of such grateful informality. What in the living fuck is a 2.5 out of 5? The only negative word in there is abrasive, and abrasive comes right to the end. It's such a pussy review, wow.
0:07:15 - Speaker 1
It's a bitch review. It's like going out on the best date of your life or something and then just saying like, yeah, maybe I'll call you next week or whatever, or maybe I won't. I can't even think of something stupid and shitty to compare it to, because it's so fucking bullshit. Sorry, what a shit. the bed review that is Sorry.
0:07:42 - Speaker 5
Well, i have a maybe, maybe, why So kind of the elephant in the room on this recording is the actual show is longer than what they put out for the album And we're missing all these. We're missing, yeah, we're missing all these songs. So if you, let's say, the writer, went to this show in Detroit and was so psyched about it And then a year or whatever, whatever it was, later bought the album and brought it home and realized it was three quarters of the songs and they don't even get the actual ending of the show on the record, and so you're kind of you're like you're playing if you got this on vinyl or CD, you're playing like the highlights of the show And as a very amateur taper and someone who absolutely loves live shows and kind of you know, on some of the bad weeks lives for them, you know, when I listened through this I was like okay, is this just the hits? Like what is this album Like?
I really questioned what was going on with it. I absolutely loved it And I loved. You know I have all these comments about everything that I dig from it But at the same time I'm like God damn. So that's when I pursued the search of the whole recording, start to finish, because I mean I have socked away whole recordings of shows And this is not a whole recording.
0:09:11 - Speaker 3
Yeah, it's interesting. It's interesting, I wonder. I was just going to say it's interesting. I wonder why they did it that way. What do you think, pete? That's what I was going to say.
0:09:21 - Speaker 1
No, it's totally yeah, because here's a couple things Like I see what you're saying, but I'm also looking at this from 1996, number one, number two it's on MCA, which at the time MCA was a really large record company. Okay, so you know, you've got, you've got the record company's influence of. oh, i don't think this track should be on there, whatever They take it off.
You know they wanted this to be a sellable record that they were going to put out number one. I'm not defending it, i'm just saying I'm just trying to get in the mind of the methodology of what, why these decisions were made. And on top of it, i think nowadays bands will put out a live record and it'll be like you know, because, for example, new Orleans is sinking. You know, nowadays that would be New Orleans is sinking. Parenthetical China girl slash, don't worry, they met me or something.
You know they'll throw that shit in, whereas back in the day, when you had a packaged live record, that shit was a no. No, you know, i didn't see it a lot that I remember Either way. Dude, this fuck all music, dude. I think that's the narrative we need to stick with, because they don't know what the fuck is going on.
0:10:38 - Speaker 5
It. Just this record blew me away. Yeah, I would say. I would just add that my my only thought behind their low review score is because they didn't get all the show, Maybe they went to it and they saw it and they wanted to hear it all again. Yeah, exactly, or maybe they didn't, i don't know, but it's just the review is written It was a bad way.
0:11:01 - Speaker 3
Kindly like it's. so it's such a nice review, really, until the word abrasive comes out and then which is weird And then it ends with like a nice, like they're redeemed, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and then it's like 2.5. It's like this person is a hard grader man. That's all I'm going to say.
0:11:20 - Speaker 1
But I don't, i don't buy that. Oh, i mean, i see what you're saying, tim, again about the record. You know. But look at, you know, a lot of live records aren't even a whole concert, let alone you're going to put a whole concert. So if a band plays for you know, three hours or plays a three hour set, like the Stones, and they put out a live record, they're not going to do that. Led Zeppelin's How the West is One great live record. It's probably. You know, if you look at the back and the liner notes, it's recorded in Madison Square Garden, it's recorded at the Long Beach Arena. It's recorded different places. It's not one concert. They kind of just took the best takes.
0:11:57 - Speaker 3
I do like they used just the Kobo Hall performance because a lot of bands do that for live. They do like two or three nights and they record and they pick the best stuff.
0:12:08 - Speaker 5
The actual album is about 83% of the show, so you you miss the whole. Encore There is some. There is some missing there The entire encore you missed.
0:12:17 - Speaker 3
So what you do get the end of the record is the Weirothal, which is the last song they played. But whatever we missing, it goes Grace to fully completely springtime in Vienna. Trust my arm gift shop ahead by a century. The luxury 700 foot ceiling is not on there.
0:12:33 - Speaker 2
Courage.
0:12:34 - Speaker 3
That sucks, is courage on there.
0:12:36 - Speaker 5
Daredevil is not. Daredevil is not Daredevil is not.
0:12:40 - Speaker 3
Flamenco is not Scape is at hand for the traveling man is not, which is crazy because that's on the next record. So they were showcasing Wow, yeah, yeah, if anyone's got this.
0:12:52 - Speaker 5
No, i'm thinking, don't wake, daddy.
0:12:55 - Speaker 3
Yeah, please send an email to Tim at getting hip to the hipcom. He's a completist. I need it. Oh little bones man That would have been fucking rad.
0:13:06 - Speaker 5
Yeah, ender with me locked in the trunk of a car would have been the ominous Ender. But then you got little bones, so new, the very end. I mean we got you another recording. You get 82, like I said, 83% of the whole entire show, which is killer. And you know, honestly, a positive there is it gives people access to the hip live who may own like one album, and then they pick up a CD with a bunch of live shit and they're like, oh man, why haven't we seen this band play yet? You know, so that could be part of it.
It's a little bit of a teaser without an encore or a second encore. I mean I don't know, though That's all the same time. I've, i've recorded shows and I've sent friends just the encore, just kind of piss them off, but sometimes like from a recording. Sometimes for me, listening to the encore, like the last three, four songs, you're like fuck, yeah, that probably was an amazing show. I get it And you know this recording without hearing the, on course I pretty much get it too, but just specifically, i talk about the show.
0:14:10 - Speaker 3
Yeah, well, this is what I want to. I want to sort of level off with the audience. You know how we're going to approach this Yeah.
And you know, you came up with the idea of approaching it like it's a real concert, like let's give, give it a concert review. My curiosity starts to go from there. What do you look for in a live concert without referencing this record? What, what are? or, if you want to reference this record, what do you look for when you go to a show like that makes it a great show.
0:14:40 - Speaker 5
Yeah, well, oftentimes it's the crowd. Man, if it's a rock and roll band, if it's a band with energy, you know there's. There's a electronic duo that we love, that we've seen play a handful of times. That really gets their crowd going like it. Just, oftentimes it's the crowd. You know, at the beginning of this album, as I listened to it, i thought, okay, probably not, because I didn't research it much. You know, i was excited to hear a live album But I thought, you know, it's probably not. The stadium sounds big, though definitely arena feeling and crowd sounds pretty hyped. They weren't. They weren't screaming like a bunch of fucking going crazy, drunk ass Canadians. They were hyped But it wasn't. To me it didn't feel like a home show.
Well Tim, the ABV in the back blue is not that high Just well, sure, sure, sure, sure, Sure, sure, but you know, but when I did research it I was like, oh, i was like, oh, detroit, okay, detroit shows must have been really fun Because you know, you're in the US, you're in the USA. Whether or not is highly regarded in Detroit is like there is their home away from home. So the crowd for me was either way like hitting the mark that the crowd was pumped in the just right off the bat I had wondered about you know, because I'm nerdy that way like how it was recorded And I thought about the time and the era and what people were using to record stuff. So I did a little bit of research on that note, just to see, like what the heck or see if there are any notes about how they recorded this thing, because back then it was like dat recorders or radar recorders.
I mean it was like the kind of the evolution beginning evolution of digital audio recording which people could then just pump out on the scene or mini discs around.
0:16:28 - Speaker 3
At that point I forget when I had, i had a.
0:16:30 - Speaker 5
Yeah that was, that was the yeah, those things were cool. Yeah, that was around the same time. You could yeah, you could plug those straight into a sound board and get like CD quality. So I was curious about that as a taper person, you know, just to hear how it went down, because it overall you know whether it was on my home sonosystem or my basement PSS premium sound system or on my my home headphones, my Bose headphones, like it sounds fucking good Like whoever. Whoever posted this did a great job.
0:17:06 - Speaker 3
What did you think, pete, in terms of your rubric for measuring a live show?
0:17:13 - Speaker 1
It's a it's a weird question because you know, and Tim comes from a place of recording a million shows in his history On me. I look, i gotta kind of look at it back. We gotta kind of look at this backwards because, number one, we worn out the show. You know, if we judge it by the crowd, i think, but by anybody's standards, you know, the show that Peter Frampton played at the Fillmore West for Frampton Comes Alive was was a banger on the show. But if you know anything about that record they dubbed in the audience of the crowd. Do you know? do you know that, right, tim?
0:17:47 - Speaker 5
Boo.
0:17:47 - Speaker 1
I say that Boo, i mean it's, it's, it's. the American Idol effect is of of making things seem like they're popular when they're not.
0:17:57 - Speaker 5
Now I have a. It's the fucking laugh track, you know it's a laugh track.
0:18:02 - Speaker 1
So I have a weird take on this. This record made me, gave me a weird take on this band as a whole that I'm really looking forward to show you guys. But just to your question, jd, before I get ahead of myself. I think the the show you can. You can hear how good the show was from the band and what the energy that the bands convey, what Gord Downey's saying and how he's interacting with the crowd, cause you never know with the crowd again. The Frampton record but based on what you're hearing from the band, it was a fucking rager.
Yeah, whoever was at this show you know, kiss my ass, i wish I, i wish I was there, i mean, you weren't there.
0:18:49 - Speaker 3
She was an email. JD at getting hip to the hipcom.
0:18:52 - Speaker 5
Hey, jd, question for you.
0:18:53 - Speaker 3
Call her Go ahead Yeah.
0:18:55 - Speaker 5
Yeah, jd, you know. So after I did research this show a bit, i came upon the reason why it's named what it's named. Do you want to share that? And yeah, so it sounded like in the early days the hip had a sax player.
0:19:15 - Speaker 3
David's.
0:19:15 - Speaker 5
Manning, that's right, am I right?
0:19:17 - Speaker 3
Yeah, talked about him in the first episode.
0:19:20 - Speaker 5
So that that kind of rocks, yeah, yeah, I forgot all about that. I forgot all about that, obviously, and and I thought, oh my God, and I just I just kind of sat there and wondered about everything I've listened to and how there has been no sax player. And there could have been a sax player, you know, and there's, and it recalled to mind some bands that I love that have horn players that you know really feels like part of the soul of that band with this horn player. So can you imagine, like recordings up to this date, having this sax player? that's like you know, i don't know, would he have been the equivalent of I don't know the guy's name, the guy that plays um Phil or violin for Dave Matthews, you know, wouldn't have been this overwhelming presence, so that that first of all.
0:20:08 - Speaker 3
First of all, dave Matthews, barf Barf.
0:20:12 - Speaker 5
Oh, i know right, the best, the best story about Dave Matthews Segway is the story about his tour bus in Chicago. Do you guys know this story?
0:20:22 - Speaker 1
Oh yeah, the the, yeah, the shit.
0:20:24 - Speaker 5
Yeah, So he's he's.
0:20:25 - Speaker 1
I thought you were going to say Clarence Clemens of uh, yeah, that's where I thought it was No, Yeah, Dave Matthews tour bus.
0:20:32 - Speaker 5
You know they're whoever's on the bus, but they're driving in Chicago across an abridge and they're uh, they're black water tank, which is all the poo, poo and wee wee supposedly broke open and burst onto a bunch of tourists on a on a boat platform, boat going down the river on a scene.
0:20:50 - Speaker 3
Oh my God.
0:20:51 - Speaker 5
So Dave Matthews has actually shit on fans, so that's, that was pretty fun. Anyway, back to this.
0:21:00 - Speaker 3
Hey, today's all about live music.
0:21:02 - Speaker 1
Metaphorically and and sonically.
0:21:05 - Speaker 5
I I last week I turned down the opportunity to co-host that Dave Matthews podcast. Um, so so this fellow uh, uh, uh, dave, dave is manning It was at a crossroads with staying in the band or not and was given to ultimate him by his girlfriend, who I wonder if he's even still with her doubt it. And, um, she, she noted that that the hip lives between us, to him, to Davis. So she was like you know, the band lives in between us in bed, the band is in between us. You got to pick, you got to pick one of us, pick the band or pick me And he's supposedly chose her, and this was spray painted on the wall of I don't remember some building I don't know in in whatever Queens Yeah, in Kingston, and, uh, you know when, it was lived between us. So I think the actual record is lived between us, but everybody calls it live between us because it's live.
0:22:06 - Speaker 3
That's why I've all got it live between us. But yeah, i knew that, but I knew that story. But I still call it live between us. I don't yeah What man. if you've got to take on that Pete, do you?
0:22:15 - Speaker 1
But isn't that a? isn't that a dick move, dude, like I mean? it's a I got to. How do you for the band in their current form to name it?
0:22:24 - Speaker 5
that is like I think it's awesome.
0:22:28 - Speaker 1
I think it's awesome too, but God.
0:22:29 - Speaker 5
Here's the code It says. There, in an alley that now stands beside a tattoo parlor, he painted a huge mural featuring a weeping eye and a shooting star, which is hard to decipher. In the art He painted the hip live between us in large letters across the wall and an apparent reference to he and his lover. In the end, davis chose his girl, left the band and continues to be an active musician to this day. The mural stood until the summer of 2005, when it was painted over by local business owners. His artwork was used as the CD art, which is fucking hilarious and perfect for the hips 97 live release. The disc, in clever turn of phrase, was called live between us.
0:23:12 - Speaker 3
That's very cool.
0:23:13 - Speaker 5
Perfect. It's just perfect. I love it. That right there just made me love the whole thing. It was like great story, Great story.
0:23:21 - Speaker 3
So let's start at the start. With the opener is Grace to a good opener. Hello.
0:23:55 - Speaker 2
This is for the real statics. We're all richer for having seen them tonight. All right, i got a son, came up shocked with the lines. Today was the day that I was already behind Steal the drink. Our brothers and sisters, our young all-ter체 Note Uhl are here at the site. Come on, blir gladzis. I can hear a singing. I'm turned off from No, they don't know no more.
That's why I'm here, for I kept them downtown, but I'm ready for you. I went well into Dona Nace and Brace to leave. I'm a little bit alone. I was, so I'm a little bit. I can't hear you. Can't you fucking hear that man? Can't you fucking hear that? Can't you hear what I heard? Look out, jesus Christ, big fuckin' bear. The secret rules of engagement Are hard to endorse When the appearance of comfort Meets the appearance of force, when I can guarantee They've been a knock on the door, i can't hear you. I'm turned off from here. I'm turned off from the door. That's why I'm here, for I kept them downtown, but I'm ready for you. I went to scale and it's my strength. Yes to you. I didn't give a fuck. Where the hell did you get an inch?
I never fought for a thing. I never fought for anything. I got a palace wage gone to do. I'm like so many of you. I see around me Nothing to live or die for, no limits in tune. Help, help, no, no. I was growing up in town. I was growing up in town And I was gonna pick up my friends And I know you'll come to some kind of dead end. Oh, but I can swear there's a bear. I can swear there's a place where all is A bit to be manned And you can never be a piece of cake. And then there's everyone Around you smiling and everyone Around you styling. You got nothing to worry about. And then you got nothing to worry about. You got nothing to worry about. You got nothing to worry about.
0:29:31 - Speaker 1
So fucking Lulie, absolutely, i mean.
0:29:34 - Speaker 5
Perfect.
0:29:35 - Speaker 1
It's just the way they come into it. I pictured like I don't know if they had played arenas this big before I know they toured. They sounded so tight, they couldn't fuck up if they tried, you know. And this band just sounded so good. Yeah, what was this? How far was this show off of their SNL release? SNL appearance.
0:30:12 - Speaker 3
Oh well, snl was March of 95 and this was November of 96.
0:30:22 - Speaker 1
Yeah, i mean, they knew then that this was a banger of a tune. But just What a way to ease in, to get everybody to get the water warm in the bathtub. Man.
0:30:36 - Speaker 3
Did you dip your toes in the bath there, timmy?
0:30:40 - Speaker 5
I did, i did, and it's good. The jets came on right away, so in the tub. So, yeah, i loved his phrase. Sun came up and shot through the blinds. Today was a day And I was already behind. You know, like I First of all, great line, great, just random thing. And it was also like I don't know. I love that phrase Cause to me it was like Sun came up and shot through the blinds. Today was a day And I was already behind.
You know, and this is this to me, is a line that says it's kind of okay, you know, it's okay to be behind. You know, i don't know, i just you could read this line in so many ways. You can read it as like You're fucked, or you can read it as fuck it, and I love that about it. So, you know, there's there's just the grace to as a starter. You know, the first time I heard it as a starter live was that 99, woodstock, woodstock, yeah, yeah, yeah. And the first time I heard that was like okay, this is what gets the crowd going, this is, this is the shot in the arm energizer, and you know this, this is it for for this show as well. And to try, i love he has.
Gord has one of his now iconic Woo. Yes, this is like, yes, the crowd is psyched, we're psyched. You know, that's to me going back to the crowd, kind of making the show. There you go, he screams. He's got like he does this droll, this guttural scream. You know, come from downtown. You know it's just, i just love it.
I love it yeah, i love it when singers kind of stray and do something a little bit different Than the recordings and just get fucking into it, and that's that's how this started, for sure.
0:32:35 - Speaker 3
And it carries on into a song that I don't recall how you felt about it on the fully, completely record, but to me this live version is so like, almost like psychedelic-y and like maybe it's because I've been listening to it high, i don't know but there's something really awesome about the live version It just unlocks live. I'm curious if you agree about certain songs, in this case, fully, completely Getting unlocked in a live version.
0:33:17 - Speaker 1
The perfect word you use is unlocked. I couldn't think of a better word to use, because I don't know if they make them anymore. They used to be these 12-cylinder Mercedes-Benz two-door coupes. Do you remember those, Timmy run around.
0:33:35 - Speaker 5
Yeah, yeah, they came with like an extra, extra gas tax on the They're ridiculous.
0:33:40 - Speaker 1
Who needs this 12-cylinder?
0:33:46 - Speaker 5
It was like a luxury gas tax in California that was added.
0:33:49 - Speaker 1
That's how I feel about this song.
0:33:52 - Speaker 5
And.
0:33:52 - Speaker 1
I actually remember, because I remember thinking about it too. Jd, this was a song that I didn't say.
I didn't like it but it wasn't my favorite on the record. I remember specifically because it was the title track And this was like again, a nice Mercedes, i would say a Ferrari, but whatever, whatever, your nice car is that you like sitting in your driveway and being like that's really cool, that's really pretty to look at. Okay, then you get in your fucking Honda, your fucking shitty beater, and you drive to work, but the live record gives you the keys to open it up and to fucking take it for a spin And it was, oh my God, yeah, exactly Like I really enjoyed this tune. It made me like and respect this tune for what it is And yeah, i mean think of all the reasons why. But again, you know I'll say that for a couple of other tunes. But I loved it, kim. What?
0:34:52 - Speaker 5
do you think, man, i related to it quite a bit. You know I loved his singing, ranting poetry, whatever. At the beginning He's talking about being in love with the old rule being raised by TV. I mean, that's me, you know, that's my childhood. But I will add the end of this, which I couldn't find any reference on. Maybe someone else can find it. But towards the end of this I think is the first time he starts singing lyrics from other bands at the show And I didn't find this noted. So he, towards the end, he starts singing. Please take me there. He sings there's a light that never goes out.
These are lyrics from the fucking Smiths from the 80s And I have a feeling, you know, i'd really just wish I could know what the band was listening to from early through later, like what they were really jiving with. You know what they listened to on the bus and what their influences were. If they were carrying around CD player, fucking Walkman, whatever. You know what they were jamming to cause. There's more see early, more see lyrics here. I might be wrong, It might just be a coincidence, but when I heard that the first time I was like fuck.
0:36:12 - Speaker 1
Well, we know what Tim was listening to, please.
0:36:16 - Speaker 5
One of my first. Honestly, that's one of my. My second tape was the Smiths Queen is Dead.
0:36:22 - Speaker 1
Same here.
0:36:24 - Speaker 5
That was it. So, yeah, i felt like this took it bigger. I hear the song in this order at this show. It took it a level bigger and louder and took it a level more aggressive. It was like Pete, you know the V12, you drive your shitty Honda, but you get in a car. it's a V12. It's like a jet boat, you know. and this I felt, i felt fully, completely, really dug in and kept us accelerating. I love your old ways, i love your old world ways is what he sings towards the end And I just that's so romantic to me.
That's like pulling on my heartstrings because, you know, I'm a Gen Xer. There's so many times in my life where I want to throw my iPhone across a room. Yeah.
0:37:11 - Speaker 1
Yeah, the torque it gave us, i thought one of the. I thought the crazy part about springtime in Vienna was and if I remember correctly, he introduces it And I don't know if the crowd goes nuts for it. But I'm just thinking to myself like the minute this song starts. I'd fucking lose all my shit if I'm in the car.
0:37:35 - Speaker 5
Yeah, yeah, losing my shit.
0:37:37 - Speaker 1
And the fact that he introduces it is almost like, kind of like, is he doing it because it's a light record? And there's maybe people that are gonna buy this record and not be looking at the back of the CD when they when it's on, i mean I don't know because, whatever, but this song, i mean just when it goes on the fucking chorus, it's just it's madness too.
0:38:02 - Speaker 5
It's Yeah, you love this song.
0:38:04 - Speaker 1
You hate to be loved, right? Yeah, i love this song and I just feel like if I I can hear the band having so much fun playing this song, you can hear it.
0:38:17 - Speaker 5
Yeah, you can, you can. You can hear it a lot of times throughout this whole performance. Yeah, you can hear the amount of fun, i think, through the bass that's happening. You know there's some really the bass guitar so many times to me is like fuck, these guys were into it, you know. And springtime in Vienna, just like that. I felt like that was the point in the show, where you're like either chugging down your second beer or you're lighting up another spliff or whatever. Like this is like serious momentum. twist my arm, which was next, you know That to me felt I don't know that's that to me for this position of this show. This is like where you were dancing, Like this is super fun, like it felt danceable. You know, it's like I'm not standing still at this show. That was my comment for that one.
0:39:14 - Speaker 1
I got some weird takes, i mean and these aren't necessarily related to this particular songs And the first thing I want to say is that I feel like like when I was young, jd, my dad used to tell me when I was playing in a band, you need to play with dynamics, right. And when you're young and you're just fucking want to turn your amp up louder than the guy next to you, you don't know what the fuck dynamics are. And it's ironically. You know, i don't have to give away my age, but I'm up there And I still I'm trying to play with people who don't know what the fuck dynamics are.
Some people get it, some people never get it. It's just the ability to listen to one another, to play to the band, not to just play your instrument right, and this you can just tell. This band is weathered by the road. They have amazing dynamics to start songs like well, springtime in Vienna gift shop, especially a head by a century which builds. So just do this, do what is. Isn't it the most streamed song of the band period? Yeah, yeah.
0:40:31 - Speaker 5
Head by a century.
0:40:32 - Speaker 1
Yeah, head by a century, which is funny because race two on this record has more streams on this live record than head by a century.
0:40:45 - Speaker 3
Oh really.
0:40:46 - Speaker 1
Yeah.
0:40:48 - Speaker 3
Oh wow, well, maybe it's not that, i'm not sure What. We should look that up, you know.
0:40:55 - Speaker 1
You know me, though, but yeah, I think they know what they're doing on stage clearly.
0:41:03 - Speaker 5
Yeah, you don't want a drummer or a guitarist or a fucking keyboardist. I'll talk a little, reference the doors there for two seconds. You don't want another musician in your band getting in the way. You know, like I actually, who is it, i'll recall. But anyways, i heard someone once say yeah, i just can't have a drummer who gets in the way. You know, you don't want somebody just cranking themselves too often And I think that's kind of what you're saying.
Pete, this show, you know it. just it gets this momentum going to where you might all of a sudden realize oh shit, we're already in song five or this is already the sixth song. Like, i feel like their shows have this build up. I would assume now, after hearing this one, that their shows kind of have this build up and then they start carrying people. you know, before you, yeah, before you realize it, you're like, oh, my God, you know, it's probably halfway over or something, i don't know. It's like a century when it, yeah by century, when it started on this recording, that kind of felt like a mile marker with Gordon, his goofy start, when he's doing his one liners and making sense and not making sense at all, like that. that was kind of like the check in to to like yeah, catharsis one Yeah.
That all about right, right. That to me was like let's see how into it the crowd is. You know, maybe we'll make somebody fall over with these statements, i don't know. But that, but there's a moment in a head by a century on this recording that I've kind of been waiting for to hear these guys live, do And that's like a right around the three minute marker. So they just start riffing a little bit more. They dig, they dig a little bit deeper. They reached that, you know, five fifth speed of the V12 Mercedes and they're finally on the stretch of freeway where they can let it go a little bit. And that's that's what happens with with this song. I've been waiting, waiting to hear that. So that was, that was good, that was good for me.
0:43:10 - Speaker 3
Gift shop I wanted to ask you guys about, because gift shop to me feels like grace two, in the sense that it's like an opener Like. It feels like an opener to me. So I'm just curious about where it gets put. Like you've you've talked about this car metaphor you know you get grace two to open the show, then fully, completely, which sort of like you know, gets you, gets you sort of high, and then springtime in Vienna to get you jumping up and down And then twist my arm is like an old classic at this point. So you're like wow, like, like Tim said, you're dancing, And then gift shop sort of resets everything.
0:43:52 - Speaker 2
You know what I mean. The rest of the world becomes a gift shop. So you're like wow, like Tim said, you're dancing. You're like wow, like Tim said you're dancing. You're like wow, like Tim said, you're dancing. You're like wow, like Tim said you're dancing. You're like wow, like Tim said, you're dancing. I don't know what to believe. Sometimes I even forget. And if it's a lie, a terrorist may be saying A beautiful love, a dangerous time, we get to feel a smile. I'm high up above. I'm high up above. I'm high up above. I'm high up above. I'm high up above. I'm high up above. I'm high up above. I don't know what to believe.
0:47:43 - Speaker 5
I wish I knew what to believe. I knew what to believe. Close the window. You'll hear the sound of death. Run, run, run, run run.
0:48:38 - Speaker 1
I feel like gift shops an opener too. Absolutely. If you want to use the car analogy, that's cool, but if we're powering a big amplifier with a car battery, it's like it's got some juice, it's got some sound. It's really pushing. You're waking up the neighbors and you hook up a second car battery. Now all the tubes are really lit up. Gift shops. It's just like Grace II and that it's another opener. It's the nitrous oxide on the engine. It just puts the show forward even faster and harder.
0:49:28 - Speaker 5
I agree with that. I think it's not my favorite song simply because it's. I feel like it's. I don't know we're up to bat against a pitcher. You know you're going to get it on. It's an easy one, the chorus is easy, it's sing-alongable. I think gift shop could be an opener of the show, but I feel like it fits here well, because it's like dude, we've had the basses loaded twice. We're going to have the basses loaded twice. Let's just fucking keep bringing them in. And that's gift shop for me for sure.
0:50:02 - Speaker 3
A lot of the baseball.
0:50:04 - Speaker 5
Yeah, that was for you, buddy.
0:50:06 - Speaker 3
Basses loaded twice. So the basses were loaded with Grace II, fully completed in springtime in Canada, and then gift shop ahead by a century and the luxury which is. This is a cool thing. If you're exploring Hiptim, you to Hiptim and you want to explore, there's a website called HIPBASE H-I-P-B-A-S-Ecom And it's got like every lot. It's like setlistfm, except for it. It's got super detailed statistics Like so, for example, the luxury this was only the 19th time that it played the luxury live. That's interesting. Yeah, it's like it's an older song at this point, but they've only played it 19 times. They only ended up playing it 65 times in total in their career.
0:51:01 - Speaker 1
I feel like it's a good. It brings it down a little bit. It it, it. It mellows it out. You know, i mean being as that ahead by a century was such a popular song, like the crowd was going I mean they were going to eat shit right. When that song started, as it was This kind of like you know, take some away from the edge for a little bit. It's a really cool song, super cool bass groove. I love that. Yeah, one thing that really showcases Tim Is that on your guys' end, That's on my end.
0:51:38 - Speaker 3
I think, yeah, that's JD, i come from downtown.
0:51:42 - Speaker 1
One thing that Tim mentioned about drummer not getting in your way. It's crazy Again because, like my thoughts on this record are more broad and as opposed to individual songs, but I felt like like Gord Downey for the longest time and listening to the records and listening to it at this point has been the draw, and not in a bad way, but I'm saying it in the context of what Tim said the guy who's in everybody's way And I don't mean that in a bad way because he's such a fucking talent, absolutely And this was the first time where I was actually and I feel kind of like a fucking douchebag, because when it comes to the whole entire band I mean the entire band you really hear like whoa, these motherfuckers are good musicians, these guys are Yeah.
And that's really hard to come through on a record because you don't know when what's recorded, how it's cut together.
0:52:42 - Speaker 5
Yep.
0:52:42 - Speaker 1
All that. When you hear it live you're like, okay, this is the way it sounded there And everybody sounds so good. So it's, you don't hear and I don't mean that again at this respect of Gord Downey getting in anybody's way, but like he's so good It's sort of hard to not Have that guy overshadowed. Yeah, yeah, the band, but live you don't get that vibe at all. On the records I sort of do. The records are really smooth, this far sort of, but on the fucking live performance holy shit.
0:53:16 - Speaker 3
Yeah, and that's. It's funny because that was one of the questions I literally just wrote down. I was going to ask you guys if the band, if you feel differently about the band now that you've heard them play live, and you just answered that exact question, do you get what I'm saying now about being sort of an improv troupe?
0:53:35 - Speaker 5
Yes.
0:53:36 - Speaker 3
Because Gord will sort of carry on and do his own thing and they still have to end a song And they don't know if he's like how far he's going. Or sometimes they'll just end a song and go into, go right into something else And he's still sort of like finishing a thought or explaining an idea or whatever.
0:53:59 - Speaker 1
The musicians clearly all listen to each other enough to know when to where things are going, You know.
0:54:07 - Speaker 3
Yeah, And they're just as in charge as he is in a sense.
0:54:12 - Speaker 5
I have to wonder what that would have been like if Davis was playing sax and all this, you know might not have been. It would have been different. Could you imagine just having a horn blowing in here and there? Yeah, like I said, having horns and bands and having a fit. but oh it may have been, I don't know I think like in excess.
0:54:34 - Speaker 3
You know, they were good with the sax, yeah, but yeah, it would have been different for sure.
0:54:38 - Speaker 5
Last night we were listening to this band that I loved, loved, from Boston, called Morphine. If anyone hasn't listened to Morphine, you got to check them out. They're no longer, but they were a three piece and saxophone, bass player and drummer, and that was it. It's one of the perfect examples of a unique rock and roll band where saxophone fits in and leads and doesn't take over, because it was such a unique trifecta of you know of a band. But you know, i just I think where was I going to go with this? I think, yeah, i think it would have been so different.
I just circled back to the luxury. I commented on this before. It's noted on the internet, of course, but I would love, jd, for you to to play the end, maybe, of the luxury of this one and then blend in, come as you are from Nirvana, cause dude, it's the same. I mean they, they, the band was listening to Nirvana. It's just the same guitar, the same bass. It's pretty fucking cool, and I've noticed that the first time I listened to the luxury, and it's completely evident in here as well.
0:55:57 - Speaker 3
But the luxury came out in 91. How much art came out in 92?
0:56:03 - Speaker 5
Well, they heard it, i swear. I mean it's timing or not?
0:56:09 - Speaker 3
Or Nirvana heard it.
0:56:11 - Speaker 5
Yeah, nirvana heard it, who knows?
0:56:12 - Speaker 1
Yeah.
0:56:13 - Speaker 5
But anyways, courage, So courage. I love courage. It couldn't come at a worse time.
0:56:47 - Speaker 2
Where something more familiar, quickly something familiar. Can't change my words, it doesn't matter. Sleep, watch so fast, asleep in a motel that has a lay of hope And piss on out of your background And piss on three eyes around your face. Can't change my words, it doesn't matter. Can't change your words, it doesn't matter. Can't remember, it doesn't matter. Can't change my words. Time. It's pretty snowy in here. Snow is so merciless for old country. There's no sample explanation for anything important Any of us do and yet a human tragedies, obsession or necessity of living with the consequences of depression and depression. Can't change my words, it doesn't matter. Can't change your words, it doesn't matter. Can't change my words, it doesn't matter. Can't change my words. Can't change my words. Can't change my words. I'm a child of the church, god. Snow is so merciless for old country. There's a spite of everything that's happening. It's a spite of love. Can't change my words, don't you worry, i'm a child of the church, god. I'm a child of the church, god. Snow is so merciless for old country.
1:00:57 - Speaker 5
Can't change my words. Can't change my words. I don't know. There's something about this song that it's positive. It's. You know, it's something I can't turn off when I hear it, Like I got to go through the whole song. I got to sing the chorus One of the coolest parts. The bridge, Yeah, yeah, it's good. One of the coolest parts of this live recording for me, of this song, Courage, is you can hear the crowd singing a little bit Like Gord stops. When Gord stops singing, the crowd carries the lyrics for him. There's a brief moment of that, which I just adore when bands do that, when the crowd is so into it that they just stop singing. But I have the question. I don't know, This is a question. Towards the end of this he starts to talk about Montreal and the snow and poor old Montreal, You know, and I guess that's a reveal on a song in the future about Montreal or something.
1:02:15 - Speaker 3
Is that true? Actually, a song from the past.
1:02:18 - Speaker 5
Oh, oh, oh oh.
1:02:20 - Speaker 3
It was a song that was written for Road Apples. Oh, that's right. It never came to light until much later on, but they always played it. They always sort of kept it in the back pocket and would pull it out and play it occasionally, and there's a live recording of it that just came out in a box set. That is a really good live recording. I also have the demo. I have the demo from Road Apples Ooh, okay, cool, cool, cool, cool. So, yeah, it's a great song and it's fucking ooh, it's a tough one. It's about the young man who shot and murdered 14 young women at a school in Montreal, and it happened in late 80s and it's recognized annually as a result.
1:03:10 - Speaker 5
Oh, yeah, So I just pulled that up. It's the massacre at Montreal's Polytechnic School, which was fueled by misogyny, horrifying memory of a bygone era. Damn Fuck.
1:03:27 - Speaker 3
Yeah, so the song Montreal is about that.
1:03:33 - Speaker 5
Got it. There's our heavy sort of segue in there to get us to New Orleans and Sinking. So New Orleans and Sinking for me. I don't know about you, pete, but man, this was fun. On this recording This is like crowd goes berserk.
The guitar has this big start, the drums are big. It feels like we've reached top speed perhaps of the show. It oddly slows down about. There's a I don't know if you caught this, pete there's this tempo, little chug, slug, like it slowed down for just a little bit there. Like it really caught my attention that the band kind of went a tiny bit out of sync and I think that was with the drums. But man, this one I think the crowd was just, for lack of a better term banging their heads and just going along and, you know, felt so awesome The fucking David Bowie references at the end talking about where's my little China girl, all that you know that was China girl was like forever stethled to my brain because of MTV as a youngster. You know that was just such a memorable video for me Made me an instant David Bowie fan. It's just I just. New Orleans and Sinking. It might have been, might have been one of my. We're gonna get into it one of my top songs here.
1:05:25 - Speaker 2
Silly way down this sidewalk in jail. My memory is muddy. What's this riff that I'm in? You gonna need to sink it, man. And I don't wanna say that I'm a child, i'm a throne. I'm going home, can't do this now. I'm a party, he said. You know yourself. Shut your big mouth. Gotta do what you feel is real. Got no pictures false gods. Got no shivers in these. My fingers she won't open when I'm thinking about those. Yeah, i'm a child, i'm a throne. I'm going home, can't do this now. I'm a party, he said. You know yourself. Shut your big mouth. Gotta do what you feel is real. I'm a child, i'm a throne. I'm going home, can't do this now. I'm a party, he said. You know yourself. Shut your big mouth. Gotta do what you feel is real With my ginocent girl.
Wake up in the morning. Where's my ginocent girl? She's too tired, she's too small. Baby, just shut your mouth, she says. She says, yeah, don't worry, baby, everything will turn out alright. There's a light bulb hanging on a wire, sucking up the sun doesn't stoop to fire. Taking out the highlights of the scenery, saw some little clouds and looked a little like this In the river, my feet back up on the banks looked up to the Lord above, said hey, hey, hey, banks. Sometimes I feel so good I've got to scream. He says Georgie, baby, i know exactly what's the change He says. He says I swear to God. He says hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. My memory is funny. What's his clever man of man? he won't need to sink in that, i don't want to sell Trout.
1:10:36 - Speaker 3
Trout, trout, trout.
1:11:31 - Speaker 1
Trout, trout, trout.
1:12:21 - Speaker 3
Trout, trout, trout.
1:12:46 - Speaker 1
Trout Trout.
1:13:00 - Speaker 5
Trout, trout, trout, trout, trout, trout, trout, trout.
1:14:13 - Speaker 3
Trout, trout, trout, trout, trout, trout, trout, trout.
1:15:25 - Speaker 5
Trout Trout, trout Trout.
1:16:12 - Speaker 3
Trout Trout.
1:16:21 - Speaker 1
Trout Trout, trout Trout.
1:16:56 - Speaker 3
Trout Trout.
1:17:13 - Speaker 4
Trout Trout. Questions or concerns, email us at JD at GettingHipToTheHipcom. We'd love to hear from you.
1:18:16 - Speaker 3
Hey, it's JD here.
1:18:18 - Speaker 5
Hey, it's Tim.
1:18:19 - Speaker 3
And Pete Fellows, i'm really excited that you're flying to Toronto on Friday, september 1st for our big party GettingHipToTheHip an evening for the Downey Wain Jack fund. We just need to sell some tickets. How are we going to do that?
1:18:33 - Speaker 5
Go to our website GettingHipToTheHipcom and you'll find a link to get tickets to our event at the rec room in Toronto.
1:18:40 - Speaker 1
Early burn tickets are 35 bucks. If you go to GettingHipToTheHipcom and click on the bonus fee, you get 10% off, which means tickets are 31.50 right now. If you were to join the bonus fee and buy tickets, you'd literally have to be stupid not to do that. Definitely join us on September 1st. I'll be at the bar putting out the vibe JD. where are you going to be at?
1:19:00 - Speaker 3
I'm going to be watching 50 Mission perform some tragically hip songs and I'm really excited for you guys to see them.
1:19:06 - Speaker 5
Yeah, and we have a silent auction which we've garnered some great prizes so far. It's amazing what people are donating. Some hip fans are really coming forward with some great donations And again, all proceeds are going to the Downey Wain Jack fund.
1:19:18 - Speaker 3
And the Long Slice beer will be flowing because Long Slice is stepped up and they are our title sponsor for the event. How cool is that.
1:19:27 - Speaker 1
I cannot wait to drink some delicious beer and also watch the comedy of Pete and I too, because that guy is a side splitter, that's for sure. September 1st, live Toronto, Be there, B-square, gettinghiptothehipcom, Click on the bonus feed at 10% off the tickets and we'll see you there.
What happens when an iconic band leaves a lasting impression on you? Join us and our special guest, Dan from London, as we reminisce about the Tragically Hip's fifth studio album, Trouble at the Henhouse. We explore the album's lyrical genius and discuss tracks like "Don't Wake Daddy" and "Springtime in Vienna," while also delving into the technicalities behind each track.
From the anticipation leading up to its release for jD to the experience of listening to this album for the first time, we'll analyze dark, politically charged lyrics and the unique phrasing, strange tempo, and guitar work that make certain songs stand out from the rest.
Step back in time with us as we appreciate the album and discuss the raw energy and chaotic elements that make it truly iconic. With Dan's perspective, we'll explore the album's success in different countries and the sense of mystery surrounding it. So tune in and join our captivating conversation about this timeless musical masterpiece.
Transcript
0:00:00 - Speaker 1
Hey, it's JD here and I'm with Pete and Tim and we have a really big announcement we want to make. Are you strapped in Good? Mark your calendars for Friday, september 1st, as long-sliced brewery brings to you getting hip to the hip on evening for the Downey Wend Jack Fund.
0:00:22 - Speaker 2
Join us at the Rec Room in Toronto for a night of music, unity and making a meaningful impact. This event is dedicated to honoring the legacy of the tragically hip, while supporting the Downey Wend Jack Fund.
0:00:32 - Speaker 3
Immerse yourself in a powerful tribute performance by 50 Mission, celebrating timeless classics that have shaped Canadian rock history. We'll also wrap up the podcast in a memorable way by doing our finale live that evening, but it doesn't stop there.
0:00:48 - Speaker 1
This event is all about making a difference. So we've got a silent auction with prizes. you've got to see, from Blue Jays tickets to tragically hip ephemera to kitchen appliances. If you're looking for something cool, chances are you'll find it at our silent auction.
0:01:05 - Speaker 2
All proceeds for the evening will go directly to the Downey Wend Jack Fund supporting healing, reconciliation and positive changes for Indigenous communities.
0:01:13 - Speaker 1
Tickets are on sale June 1st and can be picked up by visiting gettinghiptothehipcom and clicking on finale By attending Getting Hip to the Hip, you're not only enjoying a night of incredible music and comedy, but also contributing to a brighter future.
0:01:30 - Speaker 2
Join a community of like-minded individuals who believe in the power of music and unity Tickets are only $40, so mark your calendars and visit our webpage to secure your spot at this unforgettable event to celebrate the hip with fellow hip fans.
0:01:45 - Speaker 3
Getting Hip to the Hip. An evening for the Downey Wend Jack Fund promises to be an experience that leaves a lasting impact. Please join us at the Rec Room in Toronto on September 1st and be part of something truly meaningful. We'd love to see you there.
0:02:02 - Speaker 1
For months leading up to the release of the hip's fifth studio long play, i felt a palpable sense of mystery about what the band was going to do next. One day that feeling became a reality as I logged into my York email from the hip instructing me to visit a URL. At the URL was a long road leading to a horizon and a bolt of lightning flashed through the desert sky. What the hell was this, i wondered out loud to my friends. To them, though, this was just another hip record, but to me this was an album coming from a band that was white-hot at its apex or so it seemed at the time and poised to make something memorable. I was intrigued and delighted when May 14th 1996, rolled around and I opened the beautiful gatefold CD with the mysterious cover I say mysterious because I can't say for sure if the dog on the front is the menace or the hero Thanks yawning or snarling. At any rate, from the opening strains of Gift Shop through the last notes of Put It Off, i was musically stoned. This album was like hash, putting me into a body buzz that I couldn't explain with words if I tried. That was my experience with this record. What was your experience, and do we have any idea at this point what Pete and Tim might think? Now we've also thrown a curveball at you because we've got a special guest on this episode, and that's Dan from London. What will he think? Let's get right to it on this episode of Getting Hip to the Hip.
Long Slice Brewery Presents Getting Hip to the Hip.
If you've ever wondered to yourself what it would sound like if two people who had never heard of the Tragically Hip before got taken on a tour through their discography in chronological order. well, it's not going to sound something like this, because today we have three people. We have a special guest, that's right. I am proud to introduce you to Dan from London. Dan, how's it going?
0:04:55 - Speaker 6
Good, all good down here. Even the sun is out today.
0:05:00 - Speaker 1
Oh, the sun is sort of out here, but it's cold. It's very cold, and I'm joined by my usual cohorts, pete and Tim from Portland. How you doing fellas? I'm doing good, i'm great, you know Just awesome.
0:05:19 - Speaker 7
Dan has been sunnier there since the Queen pass. That's what I heard.
0:05:24 - Speaker 6
No, No, the whole place is in decline at the moment. Put it that way.
0:05:32 - Speaker 2
If things are not good. I thought you were going to say since Harry and Meghan left. Oh, thank you.
0:05:42 - Speaker 6
Listen, listen, I am not a royalist, so don't ask me anything about any of that. It's not my concern.
0:05:49 - Speaker 2
Me too, dude. I do not follow that crap at all. And people are just like did you see the thing with the, with Harry's? And I'm like who the fuck has time to follow that shit? No, really, dude.
0:06:03 - Speaker 1
A lot of people apparently. Yeah, apparently. My sister, my sister, it's a whole industry for having sex, you know.
0:06:14 - Speaker 2
It's like, it's like Disney, when they I don't know if you know the pin people. No. I don't know what Disney is personally.
0:06:24 - Speaker 7
Well, yeah well there, yeah, there's a.
0:06:27 - Speaker 2
I mean, because I grew up 15 minutes from Disney. My guys, right, but they have these pins. They're like you know those. you know those If he was my babysitter Yeah. It was actually actually, actually Donald was, but that's no. there's. there's pins that people keep like lapel pins And like you know, i don't know, And like there's like this weird subculture of people who collect these pins and trade them and like, like you can go into a store at Disney and ask them to trade one of your pins. It's very, it's like furry level.
No Punks to anybody listening who's a furry?
0:07:11 - Speaker 1
Not that that's, yeah, there was hopper audience. Thanks, trying to get furry. We're huge in the furry huge in the furry, in the furry demo. Oh man.
Well, today we are here to discuss the band's fifth full length LP. It came out May 14th 1996. I remember it well because it was like my third year of university and we had a computer lab and the hip were one of the first bands I remember that had like a website and they had this ominous picture of a road with a lightning bolt at the end of it and trouble at the henhouse coming soon, you know, and it was like wow, i cannot wait for this record. This is going to be so good because it was coming off, you know, such a triumvirate of records road apples, then fully completely, then day for night which I adored as a teenager. So this record was highly anticipated by me.
But I wasn't sure what to expect, given the sharp turn from fully completely and day for night. What was it going to be? another sharp turn? Was it going to be more of the same? Was it going to be a subtle difference? I didn't have a clue And I'm curious. This one Dan will be for just him and Pete, because they've been doing project from the go. I'm just curious what your initial thoughts were on the record in that regard.
0:08:53 - Speaker 7
Or no, it was Pete's favorite, So I'm just going to click commute and take a little nap, go ahead.
0:09:01 - Speaker 2
Pete, Oh, I thought you were asking Dan first. Dan, where do you go? Well, just to start off all music, that website, you pulled those ratings from JD.
0:09:18 - Speaker 1
Yeah, they butchered it. Fuck those people dude. Two out of five. I didn't look it up, oh yeah, two out of five They can go.
0:09:28 - Speaker 2
Yeah, i mean disgusting. This is the record that I love so much And, to be honest with you, this last week, listening to it, i even come to love it way more than I loved it before. I don't want to. I don't want to. You know, spoil the spoil the porridge, just chat, because I got a lot when we go song to song. But this fucking album made me not just be thankful that JD has allowed us to be on this journey with him, but made me really like this morning, when I was writing some notes, i was like God damn, i feel so ashamed. I never saw this band live. It's like I remember I had a chance to see David Bowie before he passed away and I blew it. I didn't do it, i just was like, eh, you know, and then he dies. That's painful, it's like this. I feel ashamed. They never saw this band live. So I mean, this record means a lot to me.
0:10:39 - Speaker 1
It's very loose, fitting right. It is like live sounding And I think they recorded a lot of it. you know, again, this is the first record they recorded while they recorded it at the Kingsway again, which is where they recorded Day for Night. But they also in the interim had built a studio in a town just outside Kingston called Bath And this was the first thing that they released to us, that we got to hear that was done in that Bath studio. So there's that.
0:11:21 - Speaker 7
Yeah.
I felt it had, you know, next level all the way around. I think it was just the next level All the way around. Sound production I'm always, like I've said, talking about the drummer in the bass guitarist working together, and this one was next level. I think this album was really good. It was similar sentiments as you, pete, you know, with the live comment. That's happening to me more and more for sure, because there's a couple songs on here where I thought maybe as a recorded track, this one, i'd rather hear life. You know that happens.
0:11:59 - Speaker 1
That kind of happens. Make sure to point those out when we get there.
0:12:03 - Speaker 7
Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.
0:12:05 - Speaker 1
Yeah, all right. so, dan, this is your. this is your first taste of the Tragically Hub. Yeah, and I'm wondering how you approached it.
0:12:17 - Speaker 6
based on that, there's no approach Just listen and listen and listen and just see what forms, see what grows. I mean, i had initial impressions and then a lot of those just completely transformed. Yeah, so the journey isn't it which an album should be, but it is difficult not having a reference point with the band and the previous work And even things like you know where, where would they are in their career at this point. you know how big word A and again is. this, is this? I don't know. is this, is this a sort of offbeat turn for the band or not? I don't know.
0:12:55 - Speaker 1
Oh, that's interesting Oh you can you, can you can answer a question from a previous podcast, because I was going to say, to quantify you know your your comment the record did six times platinum in Canada, which is 600,000 copies In America. Six times platinum would be 6 million copies. Is the system the same in the UK? Like did they talk about? like platinum gold, yeah, so diamond, all that shit, yeah.
0:13:27 - Speaker 6
But, but as you say, i think, isn't it sort of like economies of scale? So doesn't it be based on the population, i don't know Or does it base itself on world? why, i don't know you know.
0:13:40 - Speaker 1
That's why I don't, that's why I don't know, like in the UK, what's platinum? do you know? How many records do you have to sell?
0:13:47 - Speaker 6
I've never sold that many records, i can tell you.
0:13:51 - Speaker 1
Oh God, i don't know, we'll have to look at it, okay, yeah, again, if anybody knows info at fully and completely dot ca, that would be cool to put a put a button in this subject. Any other comments?
0:14:08 - Speaker 7
The picture for us? did Yeah, yeah, it's for Dan, did you? can you paint the picture for us? Did you like listen on headphones at home, or kind of what was your, what was your first listen scenario?
0:14:18 - Speaker 6
Okay, commutes to work basically here. So a lot of this has been on the road And then when I ran out of time towards the end of the week, a lot of it from home as well. But I much more appreciated listening to this on the road, and for me that is on the brand new section of London underground, the Elizabeth line, and you know that starts off going through a real, you know, urban landscape past the Olympic Park before descending into tunnels. So I get that. You know I get a subterranean vibe going on as well as passing through urban stuff. But a lot of it was great for, yeah, just traveling, especially passing through the rain, you know, yeah sure, sure Cool.
0:15:04 - Speaker 1
I know that commute, dan, that's so cool You do. Well, shall we crack open this record and put on side one?
0:15:17 - Speaker 7
Yeah, yeah, let's do it Yeah.
0:15:19 - Speaker 1
All right, we open with the very spacious and vibey opening track. This is similar to day for night. You know an opening track that is almost built to be played live, like it just sounds like. It sounds like it almost is live. In a sense It's gift shop. Who wants to go first? I'll go.
0:15:51 - Speaker 7
So I saved this album for a car ride and then it didn't listen to it again. I listened to the whole thing on two car rides and then it listened to it again until I took the Amtrak from train from Portland to Seattle. So, dan, it was, it was fun to listen to, like you did on the train. I thought this one. The first time I heard this one I thought it felt danceable, like I was happy, like it's, it's got this tempo to it, like toad happened, like it was just sounded like a good, positive opener. Yet it's like Blake, it's kind of a Blake song. So that juxtaposition to me was fucking awesome. I was like, damn there, this span reels you in and can pull you apart in a couple of different ways at the same time. The who does the synth work for them, the synthesizer, and this one's really cool.
0:16:48 - Speaker 1
It's interesting. I don't know the answer to that And if I look on the, if I look on the wiki page, it's got like the band listing and it doesn't have any additional band play. I could get out the liner notes and yeah, but I but I don't know offhand.
0:17:06 - Speaker 7
Yeah.
0:17:06 - Speaker 1
I mean, there's great right.
0:17:08 - Speaker 7
Yeah, but there's and also there's like a minute and a half build up, which I love, you know. so this, this was a banger of a of a start off. I was happy.
0:17:21 - Speaker 1
Nice Yeah. What did you think?
0:17:26 - Speaker 6
Yeah. so as an opener I mean it's good, It's a builder. I mean you know good, moody, atmospheric star, and then, yeah, you've got that sort of growth, that little step up into the second verse and then it goes into like the you know, fully fulfilled chorus, basically because you've already heard a downplayed chorus before. And then, yeah, from that point on it it's just going, it's great And it really feels like it's going to lead you into something next. And I like the guitar work at the end as well. He almost slidey, sort of sustained. that tricks you into thinking the guitar's going into reverse on a few occasions. Lovely.
0:18:07 - Speaker 2
Cool Pete I mean, what a fucking, what an opener Dude. I mean I put myself in the in the camp of like, if I was a, if I was a young hit fan and this was just coming out and, having heard the previous records being excited, this is the record store and then just this, being the first track on the record, will lose my shit. The line. The pendulum swings when that hits. It's just fucking. And I listened to it on because I have this record courtesy of Mr JD, had this record on vinyl And so my wife's got a pretty sweet turntable that we run through. I wouldn't say it's, it's, it's, it's. It sounds really good, but listening to it in the car, listening to it on headphones, there's that oscillating. You, tim, you said it was a, was a synth, but I don't know if there. Maybe it works for that.
I thought maybe there were other parts of like a guitar effect that was like this A lot of these weird guitar effects that I that.
0:19:17 - Speaker 7
I yeah, yeah, that's what really layered in on this one.
0:19:22 - Speaker 2
Yeah, a lot of them. And then there's like a bop that I wrote bop, bop, da bop bop. I can't remember a melody of it, but just a little something towards the end of the song. Some backup, just just yeah it's a great song, yeah, but what is wrong? And it was a single too.
0:19:43 - Speaker 7
So, but I was a little nervous. I was. I was, you know, hoping Dan wouldn't be like guys. I stopped at this one. I just can't do it anymore because, I have to tell you the first, the first couple albums that you know, there were times where both Pete and I were like fuck, all the fans listening to this are going to think we're fucking assholes, you know. But so so at the start of this one I was like let's keep going. The horse is out the gate.
0:20:12 - Speaker 6
Yeah, it's just opinions. We're not killing anybody with this, surely? And don't call me surely?
0:20:26 - Speaker 1
Um we live, to survive our paradoxes. Springtime in Vienna.
0:20:33 - Speaker 9
Springtime in Vienna. Springtime in Vienna. Springtime in Vienna. Springtime in Vienna. Springtime in Vienna. Springtime in Vienna. Springtime in Vienna. Springtime in Vienna. Springtime in Vienna. Springtime in Vienna.
0:22:04 - Speaker 4
Springtime in Vienna. Springtime in Vienna. Springtime in Vienna. Springtime in Vienna. Springtime in Vienna.
0:23:00 - Speaker 9
Springtime in Vienna. Springtime in Vienna. Springtime in Vienna. The bomb is just inside Territory of his own. The spinning from the new time.
0:24:19 - Speaker 4
We live to survive our paradoxes. We live to survive our paradoxes. We live to survive our paradoxes. We live to survive our paradoxes.
0:24:50 - Speaker 6
We live to survive our paradoxes. We live to survive our paradoxes. We live to survive our paradoxes. We live to survive our paradoxes, we live to survive our paradoxes.
0:25:50 - Speaker 1
We live to survive our paradoxes. We live to survive our paradoxes. We live to survive our paradoxes.
0:26:20 - Speaker 7
We live to survive our paradoxes. We live to survive our paradoxes.
0:27:01 - Speaker 2
We live to survive our paradoxes. We live to survive our paradoxes. We live to survive our paradoxes. We live to survive our paradoxes. We live to survive our paradoxes. We live to survive our paradoxes. It's unlike any other U2 album It's a cool record. It's a cool record. It's a cool record.
0:28:40 - Speaker 8
It's a cool record It's a cool record.
0:29:04 - Speaker 2
It's a cool record.
0:29:11 - Speaker 6
It's a cool record. It's a cool record.
0:29:31 - Speaker 1
It's a cool record. It's a cool record.
0:29:51 - Speaker 7
It's a cool record It's a cool record. It's a cool record. It's a cool record. It's a cool record. It's a cool record.
0:30:50 - Speaker 1
It's a cool record. It was on the. They played New Orleans, the Synchon, and in the middle they started playing this little jam and the lyrics went as follows So like vulgar, vulgar, vulgar, put some, put some coins in the swear jar, gord, and you know, tweak this song into something that became the biggest single in Canadian history. That's got to be why they played it last, that's got to be why. But you are right, it does stump you that. The last lyric is disappointing. You's getting me down. Oh boy, that shivers down my spine.
0:32:06 - Speaker 2
Pete, what were you thinking of this one? I wrote down that line to the melody line. The guitar I love the half step flat that he does. It's kind of strange on the ear, it just lands right with me. And then the vongos, the percussion. When the drums come in after the rain falls, it just Yeah, i don't know that it's Oh, it just got buzzed, man again. Anyway, i love the song. I thought it was fantastic. The last thing I'll say is that the melody line that's when the horn had stung me. That melody is just fucking so good. God damn, i wish that guy was still alive So they would see him alive. Man, sorry, i'd say.
0:33:19 - Speaker 1
Mr Dan.
0:33:20 - Speaker 6
Yeah, i can't really improve on much that Pete said. I mean it's, um, it's lush, you know it's, it's. It's a beautiful little track and it builds up in the right places. And, as you say, rain falls in real time. When that kicks in, i mean that's like, isn't that like kind of almost like halfway through the verse, you know? so it's another time to kick in, But when it does it's, it's emphasizing what it needs to do, and I just love technicalities like that. I think that's why I love most of the first side of this album. It's, it's full of little things like that, you know, little formal technicalities that are in the background that just get in there to build things up. But I say I had such a hard time getting past this track. This is the one that just firmly embedded itself and made me come back to this album for more, you know, but I just it's just hard to get past that track, but eventually I did, which is good news for all of us.
0:34:16 - Speaker 1
Well say keep, keep. Keep the wagon real rolling then and tell us what you thought. I don't like daddy.
0:34:23 - Speaker 6
Okay. So following on by yeah from that, which is the best selling single, Yeah, you'd want something that does well. And yeah, don't wait, daddy, doesn't disappoint. Yeah, Space is opening. I love all of the base on this as well. I'm not so keen on the, you know kind of the sort of slower, don't wait, daddy section, But it has its place And I just, I just love yeah, every everything else. I mean the lyrics again are fantastic. Again, the bass at the end is a really nice sort of kind of base bend in there really, with the whole, you can stuff your void of your astronaut Asteroid. Yeah, And the. I think the lyrics to this are great as well. There's some, there's some key lyrics in here as well. I like it, Love the pace. I think it's great.
0:35:29 - Speaker 1
Wicked Yeah. Any other lyrical faves in this one Pete for you.
0:35:37 - Speaker 2
I can concur with Dan. I like the, the chorus itself. I didn't see how don't wait, daddy, fit in, but I fucking love the song. You can stuff your void with an asteroid, That part when he goes really high. There's a part when he says you're, you're damned as he whispers it.
0:36:04 - Speaker 1
Yes, It's just, and then it doesn't he go, doesn't he whisper it and then, and then it's right after that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:36:15 - Speaker 2
It's a fucking great band. The baseline to your there's. There's a lot of amazing bass work on this record, but this is the first song where I was like whoa. Okay. Everybody, everybody's clearly starting to master their instrument in this band at this point, am I?
0:36:38 - Speaker 6
they're not just fucking you know a bar band anymore.
0:36:45 - Speaker 8
Clearly.
0:36:45 - Speaker 7
Yeah, jd, is this. is this truly the Kurt Cobain, song? Is this the one? In what regards sorry. Is it this song kind of have the heavy reference to Kurt Cobain's passing?
0:36:58 - Speaker 1
Oh, absolutely, i mean that lyric that lyric off the top, like just imagine, just imagine the, the I don't even know the word the imagination to come up with a concept. You know that, like Kurt Cobain reincarnated is like a sled dog somewhere in the tundra, you know, Sighing and still sighing though, And then licking his face. Just what great imagery. And then I don't know how much the rest of the song is Exactly about, about Kurt Cobain, but it's got another one of my favorite lyrics in it as well, which is you teach your children some fashion sense, And they fashioned some of their own, And I fucking love that. I just love that.
0:38:05 - Speaker 7
Yeah, i don't have any more to say. I think everybody has said it all It's a good, it's a good heavy one And it's there's a good gore. Fade out of even his singing, you know, like disappearing off into nothing.
0:38:20 - Speaker 6
Yeah, good, good. The final lyric is sing to end all songs. To end all songs, which is again in itself as a paradoxical bit of madness. Yeah, it's great.
0:39:16 - Speaker 9
And then I don't know how much the rest of the song is Don't play daddy, don't play daddy, don't play daddy, don't play daddy, don't play daddy. You can scalp your boy in the air, stirrionettes hurtling toward the air. You can drop the bomb at the stores of town when promises reverse. Don't play daddy, don't play daddy. It's the perfect time now for a plentiful joy. They're all asleep by pastels. It's time to hear your voice. I sing to end all songs, to end all songs. I sing to end all songs, to end all songs, which is again in itself as a paradoxical bit of madness. Don't play daddy. Yeah, thanks a lot.
0:43:34 - Speaker 1
Well, tim, do you want to kick off Flamenco?
0:43:38 - Speaker 7
Flamenco, slow, quiet, kind of this politically dark, gorgeous song, i like to sweep the air and weave the sky. Stamp for feet for everyone. If I ever have to tell one of my sons that you might need to prostitute to teach how to take a compliment, i mean, there's a hell of a line right there. Oh, my God, this song, for being, you know, a number five, slow one, which I think fits well in the cadence of what's going on so far, yeah, i like it. That has a place for sure.
0:44:24 - Speaker 2
Pete Hi JD, you know I love this song. I still haven't completed the cover of this song that I was working on, but I just love this song. I think that's probably one of the coolest signs to Tim. you're right, it's so. it's so cool, it's so unique. I would say a million things about this song but just like when you go back to the first record, you can't. it's like having a child that's born on the day it's born and then immediately fast forwarding and not imagining that the child's going to one day grow up and be, you know, this amazing, influential person or cure cancer, or like an amazing whatever the hell. And like that's where we're at right now, because this song is just from what we started out, in my opinion. Damn it, i keep getting buzz man. I'm sorry.
0:45:32 - Speaker 1
I don't know where I'm coming from.
0:45:32 - Speaker 2
I think it's this mic. I think I have a problem with this mic, If there's something that's uh.
0:45:41 - Speaker 1
I'll get it when I edit. I'll get it, though, because I'll be editing your track and I'll get all of what you got.
0:45:46 - Speaker 2
Yeah, well, it's what I'm hearing, but anyway, good, good point. It's not what I'm saying Yeah.
0:45:55 - Speaker 1
I love special mics. I record what you're hearing.
0:45:59 - Speaker 2
Okay, yeah.
0:46:03 - Speaker 1
Special act.
0:46:05 - Speaker 2
You're like our government. Um, it's a great song. How do you how?
0:46:10 - Speaker 7
I have to ask, pete, how does JD know how much you love the song? Do you guys call each other up and do you play it for him, usually late at night? What's going on between you guys?
0:46:23 - Speaker 1
I'm on the 15th floor and one day I looked down and there was Pete with a ghetto blaster. And I was like and I was like turn it up, stupid. I'm on the 15th floor.
0:46:41 - Speaker 2
Well, and I mean Flamenco music is the is the dominating genre of music. that in great tone.
0:46:50 - Speaker 1
It's the dominating genre of music where I met, So that's probably what drew me to the song first was just the name you know Well, every year on the tragically hip fully and completely feed, we do a pod list and all these great tragically hip cover bands submit songs And I release that usually May long weekend. So because we released this new show May long weekend this year, i'll have to push that back and make it a birthday pod list or something like that. We'll see. We'll see how we play it out.
0:47:32 - Speaker 6
But yeah, Flamenco, fucking dynamite right there, yeah, just you know, with just coming back to this song, It's, i don't know This is, this is one that I need to listen to more. I think it's just one that's kind of got lost on me. I haven't got that many notes on it. You know it's, it's, it's just weird. I don't know what I'm, what I'm, what I'm missing on this song. You know where this song gets lost on me, so can you guys explain what you love about the song?
0:48:08 - Speaker 2
The, the nature of the song being. Because if you listen like I'm, tim Hads as well, obviously the previous records there's nothing, there's nothing remotely close to this type of song with the keyboards, the melody, the lyrics, the, the phrasing, which he's super unique As far as somebody who phrases their lyrics. But there's nothing like it. It's so not even left field. It's not the same. You know that Jules Winfield line? not the same fucking sport, it's not even the same. It's not even close to anything they've ever done. It's just different.
So it's for me it makes me want to like listen more intently and be like what the hell are they doing? What are they thinking? This is not like what they do.
0:49:02 - Speaker 7
You know, i just I just thought of fit as part of their evolution, of all the albums we've heard so far. If I would have heard something like this in an earlier album you know, song post five it might have felt like it was a little bit more, it might have felt a little more unusual, but to me, for the era you know, this was what was it 96? 96. Yeah, for the style of music coming out then and a lot of bands having these slower quiet songs, you know, even even some of the harder grunge bands were still doing slower quiet songs. It wasn't always my favorite thing, but this one just fit in the fit in the peg. well, for the slot. I didn't have a ton of notes either, dan. I just thought, you know, let's keep moving. The songs are working still. Let's keep going.
0:49:51 - Speaker 1
And to me, like I'll comment, I just think it's one of his greatest lyrical achievements, Like I just that line alone. You know, maybe a prostitute could teach you how to take a compliment, But then the way he phrases it like it's so strange. So if you, you know, if you write it out like, but it just works, And Yeah, I really appreciate that.
0:50:20 - Speaker 2
You know, you asked Dan another thing, just to give you a little bit more context too, at least for me and JD. You alluded to it right there. As simple as the song sounds, it's not at all simple. It's one of those things like tapping your stomach and rubbing your belly and tapping your head or whatever. That seems easy, but it's not. The tempo of that song and playing it on like a guitar is odd. The phrasing is really odd. To try to sing it you'd have to sing it exactly like he does, otherwise you can't find where the words go. There's no. Do you know what I'm saying, dan? Like it's-.
0:51:10 - Speaker 6
No, I completely understand that. yeah, Yeah, there you go. I'll go back and listen to that with that in mind.
0:51:16 - Speaker 1
yeah, Maybe we'll check in with you later on in the season.
0:51:22 - Speaker 7
Maybe Pete'll show up and serenade him, who knows?
0:51:29 - Speaker 1
Pete has to feel about Yeah, okay, Yeah how'd you feel about 700 foot ceiling, Pete? This was a single.
0:51:35 - Speaker 2
I really liked the guitar work, which was just random like no rules. I thought the bridge was a little strange in the song. Wouldn't be my first choice of it. I'm just kind of the way they approached it. The this note is on a lot of songs on this record, but I definitely got some Alanis vibes on this, the Overdub vocals, a lot of what she did on the first track on Jagged Little Pill what I really want, i think Maybe that's not the first track anyway Really cool. Love the ending I would say probably of all the songs, and I love this record. My least favorite song on the record, perhaps one of the- Cause.
0:52:34 - Speaker 3
The other ones are just like everything else he typed in first.
0:52:39 - Speaker 1
Well, we were on try to ride, though too right, like almost the full side of the record that is-. Yeah, yeah, that is. You know there's not like. You can definitely put that side on and rest easy. Dan's nodding his head. So what do you have to say about that young man?
0:52:59 - Speaker 6
Yeah, it's a bit of a banger, isn't it? Straight from the get-go? good, as we were saying, that guitar stuff, great, kind of bendy sort of riff as well. But in my notes I've got nothing. Nothing is overplayed here, everything's just right, you know. But when he's doing the whole seven foot ceiling bit, the guitar really holds back and it's almost like a sort of you know, intentional sort of drop out which you know gives it a completely different vibe. But then you get the whole it's part hard bit with, as you were saying, all of the backing singing, which is just fantastic. Yeah, that really, i don't know, just kicks into another dimension as well. But with this I can't get into the lyrics. The lyrics don't like. They seem quite throwaway for this and I don't really get any kind of visualization of scenes or anything. I mean the references to Flood in. I mean, what is all that about?
0:53:55 - Speaker 1
Well, yeah, it's definitely like Flood in the Ice is like to build like an ice rink, So like somebody's building an ice rink that you could skate on and play ice hockey likely, you know, out in the middle of the woods somewhere. So it's, the water is sort of got that darkened color from the birch, from the bark that has fallen off the trees and colored the water a little bit. So there's a nice visual there, right Like. but if you, if you're not vibing it, then it flies right over your head, Like you said, and it can sound very throwaway. I don't think this is his strongest lyrical effort on the record by any stretch, but I'm not ready to say it's throwaway either, you know.
0:54:39 - Speaker 7
Guys, i thought this one it almost had kind of a celebratory start like song one. but I agree, pete, like the guitar seems like maybe it was mixed in too many times after the guys were done recording. It's kind of a winter angry song, so it made it feel kind of like a staple single for the hip. Just, you know, didn't didn't grab me or pull me in any direction, whether good or bad, was just like okay, this song six feels kind of like maybe a little bit of filler song. Let's keep moving and see what's next on the album. That's how it felt for me.
0:55:18 - Speaker 1
So then you're flipping the record over and you're getting butt-swiggling. To start ["Sweet Sound of Patent Approval"].
0:55:39 - Speaker 8
The sweet sound of patent approval coming down in a not quite far Sweet sound of patent approval coming down in powdery sparks. The sweet sound of patent approval coming down with holiday concern. The sweet sound of patent approval coming down in a world of hurt. In my opinion, the drug is ready. In my opinion, the drug is ready. The warm hand of abject approval coming down with throaty veins. The warm hand of abject approval coming down to the fingerboard. In my opinion, the drug is ready. In my opinion, the drug is ready. In my opinion, the drug is ready. ["sweet Sound of Patent Approval"]. ["sweet Sound of Patent Approval"]. The cold-eyed constant approval coming down to freeze the blood. The cold-eyed constant approval coming down to look real close. In my opinion, the drug is ready. In my opinion, the drug is ready. In my opinion, the drug is ready. In my opinion, the drug is ready. In my opinion, the drug is ready.
0:59:02 - Speaker 1
["sweet Sound of Patent Approval"]. And, if I'm not mistaken, butz Wigglin. Yes, butz Wigglin comes from the Kids in the Hall, brain Candy. When the Kids in the Hall released their feature film Brain Candy, this song was the not the theme song, but it was the featured song in the film. I'm guessing it was written after having seen Brain Candy and knowing roughly what it's about. Not able to tell you right now because my memory is so poor, but I can see bits and pieces And I'm guessing they wrote it after having watched you know, watched the movie because of the subject matter. Did you get into the subject matter at all, or did you just get into the song, or did you not get into the song? Where were you, dan?
1:00:06 - Speaker 6
Yeah, not totally into it. I mean, the contrast between the verses in the chorus is, you know, the verses are all pretty noodly and a bit weird and then it's a very distinctive chorus And it just doesn't kind of work for me. It just doesn't feel cohesive. I mean, i don't mind it, you know, i'm not saying it's bad, but for me, yeah, it doesn't sound fully formed.
1:00:38 - Speaker 1
You've heard better on the record, right, yeah, at this point. Yeah, yeah, you've got some context.
1:00:43 - Speaker 6
We've come from a greater place than this on the record so far.
1:00:46 - Speaker 1
Yeah, yeah.
1:00:49 - Speaker 7
Tim, for all those reasons, i liked this one. Oh, okay, i like that. Yeah, like I. I heard that too. I heard that too You went out.
1:01:03 - Speaker 2
Tim, you went out. I didn't hear it, like I could barely hear you, and then I just I got zapped. Sorry guys.
1:01:15 - Speaker 8
I was in love with it.
1:01:17 - Speaker 7
I promise I'll continue with this one. Did anyone hear Lou Reed on this song? Come on, no, i can Go back and listen and think about Lou Reed singing this song because it's there. But this song to me has kind of this locomotive just trying to get the engine going and it struggles a little bit. But I like that about it. It's more raw, like there's this intermittent keyboards in there that seem kind of out of pace with it. Honestly, it reminds me of Paintman a little bit, because it's just scrappy. And oh, let's add this in Does this song have enough? I don't know. Like it just felt different than their other songs. There was just more. It was a little more chaotic, whereas the songs on this album so far seemed pretty polished. I like the ending. You know I like this one. This one caught me off guard and it was maybe briefly, with kind of the Lou Reed reference. Oh, you guys got to hear this.
1:02:30 - Speaker 2
What's that? I can't hear anything.
1:02:33 - Speaker 7
Can you hear that? Damn it. I have a naval bass, our view is of a naval bass, and the trumpet goes off every morning.
1:02:43 - Speaker 8
Oh, It's a wake us up, I guess.
1:02:45 - Speaker 7
It's like a pre-recorded fucking trumpet. Yeah, god.
1:02:49 - Speaker 2
Cut and call. Can't even afford the trumpet to hear.
1:02:52 - Speaker 7
Yeah, i dug this one. This one was the fucking dog you see on the street, and you finally get it to come to your house and you can start feeding it. That's what this song was for me. It was good. There's so much Lou Reed there, though Go back, you'll hear it. You hear Lou.
1:03:10 - Speaker 1
Reed, do you hear Lou Reed? I'll read it.
1:03:14 - Speaker 2
JD, could you say that again? Do you hear Lou Reed? Yeah, i know I pick up what Tim's put down in that respect. And, dan, i also feel what you're saying about it. I took this record in a lot of different places. Obviously, i have it on vinyl, which, by the way, jd, you've got to make a quick correction. You've been saying this mistake throughout the whole show. We don't flip the record, because this record actually came on two discs.
1:03:49 - Speaker 1
That's right, it's a three sided record.
1:03:52 - Speaker 2
So just go back and edit it out. Let's go back and edit it all out.
I listen to this on the vinyl. I listen to it with my headphones, my computer, with my phone in the car, with what you know, daniel I don't know if you know, but I have a pretty nice, like a premium sound system in my car, so driving and listening is quite enjoyable. No, but I took this album running a lot And this song just burrowed its way in. I loved it, absolutely loved it. Just the line. In my opinion, the drug is ready. It's just so cool. Warm hand of abject approval. And this is, if you again go back to the Europa reference, there's a song on there called Dirty Day. This is that song. It's like, it's almost like they kind of took pieces of that song and made this song, but it's just like that. It's super weird. Lugerty and for sure Tim, for sure, loved it Absolutely fucking love this song.
1:05:15 - Speaker 1
Yeah, all right. Okay, well, did that love stick around for a parmint song?
1:05:23 - Speaker 2
Oh, most definitely. The opening is amazing, The vocal melody. She's the horrible estate. Am I pronouncing that correctly? Maybe not the way it Canadian? Yeah, Yeah Again. Super big Alanis vibes on this. I love the shit out of this song. It's the fact that Let's clarify.
1:05:56 - Speaker 1
Let's clarify In the last episode you mentioned that you heard a lot of production in Alanis, more set first record Jack and Little Pill on Day for Night, and now you're saying it's here on on on the hand house.
1:06:15 - Speaker 2
Which is after Jack and Little Pill now, because that was in between. Jack and Little Pill was in between.
Oh, I felt like the hip influenced her, and then now she's kind of in turn, return in favor, right, and this song it's it's Tim, tim and Jade. You know this, dan, but I'm taking this, this songwriting class, right now. Laugh me all you want, it's fine, but it's with Scott McMicken from Dr Dogg, and it's awesome because I love Dr Dogg And he's a great songwriter. But they do prompts And this song sounds like. Gord Downey took songwriting class and they gave him a prompt and they said write a song about your apartment. And he, fucking, he destroyed the entire class with it Because this fucking song like the line about like, um, just what our apartment does when we're not around does not concern us, like talking about the plates in the cupboard or something or whatever It's just fucking so cool, dude. It's so cool. And it's not even about that too, i know, in so many ways.
1:07:29 - Speaker 7
I can hear the national anthem. Okay, now we're going to try. Yeah, now we're going to try.
1:07:34 - Speaker 1
I could hear it.
1:07:37 - Speaker 7
This is what we have every morning at this Airbnb, which has the most light bulbs of any any house I've ever been.
1:07:43 - Speaker 1
I've heard an Airbnb Yeah that's a lot of light bulbs. You are very well lit. Sorry, sorry, sorry, i was going to say we just take them all, Fucking hell.
1:07:59 - Speaker 7
God damn, Nothing like ruining a boner, but the US national anthem Fuck, Sorry honey. Oh, I'm sorry honey. God damn it. We have to try it. Do they do it on it's Sunday morning? Oh, that's why I mean church bells. I think maybe I could keep a boner during church bells, but not the goddamn national anthem.
1:08:25 - Speaker 2
Maybe, not.
1:08:26 - Speaker 7
That's weird too, maybe not.
1:08:28 - Speaker 2
And then, okay, anna comes on your legs. I'm back at it, baby.
1:08:35 - Speaker 7
God damn it. It's noon. There's like three more bells still.
1:08:44 - Speaker 1
Where did you land on apartment, song Tim.
1:08:49 - Speaker 7
You know, i thought maybe it was a bit long. I loved it Overall. I thought maybe it was a bit long and I thought what would this song be live Like? I went through kind of all those questions in my head. I agree with you, pete, that it's kind of a given, a prompt to go right about it, and that's maybe that's in part the simplicity of it for that reason made me kind of not super fall in love with it. Perhaps The idea of pursuing excessive beauty is the comment he made, pete, i love that reference. I kind of dove into that one and thought about all the people that kind of fit that goal. They're, like you know, famous famous actors, or my own asshole self every once in a while. So it kind of gave me some things to think about. But yeah, it's fine, it's fine.
1:09:53 - Speaker 1
Where did you land Dan?
1:09:56 - Speaker 6
In an apartment, definitely, yeah, i mean, on my notes I've got one of those tracks where you're immediately placed in a scenario. Yeah, this track, when I'm listening to it on the way to work, is always the one that I'm coming up the escalator into the tube station to get out. I've resurfaced And, yeah, it's mellow, i think, like Tarmac. It could be a little bit shorter for me, i think, but it's okay. I mean, i'm not normally used to listening to this kind of track, where it's you know it sort of chugs along a little bit. It's maybe a bit more traditional. Obviously, the structure is traditional as well, but I don't mind it at all. Yeah, yeah, i like it.
1:10:45 - Speaker 1
All right, yeah, it's definitely one of my favorites, but you're right at 357,. You know, it's just shy of four minutes. You know, maybe, maybe This is the first record that they produced, like their last record was Howard Vreakin and the Tragically Hip. This one is the Tragically Hip and Mark Vreakin, so, like I think this is sort of their baby in a way, and their baby was perhaps formed in a steady 40 foot stream of coconut cream, wouldn't you say, dan? Oh yeah.
1:11:31 - Speaker 6
Yeah, no one saw that one come in, did they? Yeah, i mean yeah. Well, you know, as the fashion dictates, i'm going to like this one because it's a banger. But it's a big banger And, as all bangers should be, it should have, you know, totally nonsensical lyrics. you know think of song two and things like that as well. So it's good. But again, this, you know this really lifts you up after those last two songs. you know I needed this to be in it, i needed the energy, basically, and again, you know it's on here. you know I've just got like. you know there's a, there's a plane taking off at the end and it kind of personifies the track. It's a sonic lift off that does not lose pace. Yeah, interesting.
1:12:22 - Speaker 1
All right Tim.
1:12:27 - Speaker 7
Tim, i heard pretty quickly in this one, the, the guitar tempo, and it was a little bit, you know, more specific to the era, rock and roll wise, for me, had this kind of indie punk feel and it threw me straight in straight to this band that I was listening to at the time in 94, 95, era 96, probably two from North Carolina. They're called Super Chunk And if you, if you go back and listen to their album here's where the strings come in I would be shocked if anyone from the hip didn't listen to that album during this time, because I went back and listen to that album. There's such good similarities, you know, like I don't want to do another food metaphor, but but yeah, this, this song, it had gripped me a little bit more. I loved it. I loved it, i.
When it got to the ending and it kind of cut, and then the fucking jets. I'm like, ok, this is unusual, but I love shit like that. I love hearing sounds, you know, juxtaposed in layers. But when I read about it it was when they record. When they were recording, the power went out in the studio, in the building. At the end of this song, the power went out. So that's why it cuts out And that's why you have this little added tiny guitar layer in there, i believe. But it's, it's the fucking Blue Angels. Here I am sitting across from a Navy shipyard And it's the Blue Angels. That's who's passing? They're like. They're like the US Navy's show team. They travel around and do all their aerial acrobats and hopefully don't crash into the crowd and cost us cost And they cost us you know like one million dollars per second while flying or some shit. But yeah, it's the Blue Angels at the end of this.
So you know what the hell is that reference? And they were that recording of the, that recording of the flyover of the Blue Angels was. you know, somebody in the band did it while they were in San Francisco. It's like, oh fuck, here comes the Blue Angels, Start recording and they fucking blended it into the song. So that just made me like an even more I love, I love shit like that.
1:14:43 - Speaker 1
So that won me over, very cool.
1:14:46 - Speaker 7
Yeah, very cool, very cool recovery from power outage during recording.
1:14:54 - Speaker 1
Right, especially if you feel like he just got it. You know like, yeah, what the fuck.
1:15:00 - Speaker 7
What do we do now? Yeah, here comes the Blue Angels.
1:15:08 - Speaker 2
Yeah I, that's, crazy I mean, i don't know, it does blow my mind.
1:15:14 - Speaker 7
That blow your mind. I mean, come on, they're fucking Canadian band. It's not like we're flying the Blue Angels across Canada. They'd hopefully get you know. shot down the bow and arrow, whoa.
1:15:24 - Speaker 1
Whoa Hey now. We have cross moves, we have cross.
1:15:29 - Speaker 2
All of Canada, sorry, just hold the breath right there Choked on their teeth.
1:15:39 - Speaker 7
You can edit that one out.
1:15:42 - Speaker 8
I'm you know I'm trying to develop.
1:15:45 - Speaker 1
I'm trying to develop some things Good. I love.
1:15:51 - Speaker 2
I'm not a big fan of it. I'm not really a fan at all. In the United States military, not those who serve, but the you know. Let's just leave it there. That was that. The apparatus.
The apparatus if you will. But I love watching airplanes fly and I do love watching the Blue Angels because it's just cool, It's just and yeah, that's part of the stress out to you And it's like you know it's like watching them watching a thriller film. You know why do people do that. But anyway, this song I do. Like the song, The words, the lyrics just go. Can shooting coconut cream? Okay, all right, there's knowledge you can leave into the imagination there.
But the only thing I will say, because I think everybody summed it up pretty well the airplane thing. the same thing happened to me again. If you remember I don't know what record it was There was another airplane sound on the recording. Do you remember JD?
1:17:05 - Speaker 1
That's right, you talked about it. You talked about it because you thought you're driving near the airport and you thought it was.
1:17:12 - Speaker 8
And so.
1:17:13 - Speaker 2
I don't remember what it was.
Maybe the first or second record, i forgot, but I took this one out running And I had the record going in the background with a guided run, you know where there's somebody telling you where to how fast to go and slow down and go fast school And I didn't know. I was like is this the fucking recording of the guy to run? And then I take my headphones out and I look up as I'm running. There's no airplane. And then I stopped the guy to run and I was like it's the fucking recording again. And it was the only reason why I said that trick happened to you before when I was driving by the airport And it was because of the fucking hip. How random is that? Like second time lagging strikes twice in the same place.
1:18:08 - Speaker 1
Fuck, Pretty random man.
1:18:11 - Speaker 7
Pretty random.
1:18:14 - Speaker 1
Any other thoughts on coconut cream?
1:18:17 - Speaker 7
Great, great track.
1:18:20 - Speaker 1
All right, you guys have. you guys have potentially changed my mind on both, but Swiglin and coconut cream Those are those always rank up in my lower tier, which is tough for me to reconcile, because this is maybe my favorite record, like maybe my favorite record, so it's it's. you know it's. it's tough for me to reconcile that it's got two songs I don't like out of 12. How can that be your favorite record then? But now, now I'm going to go back and listen to the butt Swiglin with Blue Reed on my brain, and coconut cream, like, just the idea of like, like, when you said song two, it's like. yeah, okay, there they're just having. it's just fun. It's just, and maybe I'm a little too into flamenco and not enough into the fun that I need to back it down a little bit. But that takes us to track 10. Let's stay engaged.
1:19:17 - Speaker 2
Stay on, stay engaged by talking about staying engaged. Let's stay engaged. I love the track. Man, i thought I was banger It's and if you notice that the airplane comes into this track, the airplane from the previous track comes into this one, which I think is really is really cool. The lyrics lies over time. The chords are super simple but really complex. Again, a lot of Alanis vibes, love the solo and a lot of weird guitar effects. The bass is just the bass is really what shines in this song. Just the rolling bass. That's just great. Love the song, really joy.
1:20:19 - Speaker 1
Cool. How are you Dan?
1:20:22 - Speaker 6
Yeah, well, you know, from the whole jet thing that goes into it, as Pete was saying, you know the lyrics start off pretty much sort of airport referential, don't they? We've sort of latent departures and things like that as well. I mean I like this track but I just wish it went somewhere. I just wish it built towards the end. That's the only thing it's missing really. You know, i think this deep into the album to have something that sits a little bit level. You know, you really feel it. You really feel like maybe you're chugging towards the end rather than accelerating to the end with a great kind of crescendo. So I just wish it had. I just wish it had some other elements, a few more layers had it in at the end. But I did notice towards the end that there is like a layer of weird fuzz towards the end of it that cuts off before the end And then, if anybody didn't notice that, then there's some. I don't know what that was.
1:21:16 - Speaker 7
Yeah, i did notice that And I thought that I don't know, this one didn't really have any surprises for me. I agree with both of you guys in general This, it just felt like the placement of it was okay. let me start over. if the ending, dan your comment if the ending had some slight tweaks to it, it could have been drawn out a little bit more, not much. I feel like this song could have been the end of the album, like I was. I was hearing, you know, i knew where it was in the placement of the recording of the album, but hearing like the last one minute of it, i thought if the drums, the drums have kind of this I don't know prehistoric kind of feel and it just feels like if it just fade out and the song could be the end of the end of the whole album for me. but it isn't.
1:22:07 - Speaker 1
I'm glad it isn't, because if it wasn't, then we wouldn't get Sherpa.
1:22:35 - Speaker 9
I'm glad it isn't, because if it wasn't, then we wouldn't get Sherpa. I'm glad it isn't because if it wasn't, then we wouldn't get Sherpa. I'm glad it isn't because if it wasn't, then we wouldn't get Sherpa. I'm glad it isn't because if it wasn't, then we wouldn't get Sherpa. We were hard, we were Sherpa hard. We conspired against old friends. We said we must live with friends of dark and we died a thousand times since then. We were hard, we were hard, we were hard, we were hard, we were hard. I'm glad it isn't, because if it wasn't, then we wouldn't get Sherpa. Download wwwcdc bringing more video To Share this parts with other 2 people. We can write it down and obliterate it. And the laughter far. let me hear, the love I hear. We can lay down and obliterate it.
1:27:30 - Speaker 1
And I fucking love Sherpa. So I have questions. Somebody let me down if you need to, but what do you think, tim? What are you saying?
1:27:45 - Speaker 7
I thought the line we must be friends or die. I needed to announce that lyric as applicable for our foursome right now. At the end of this. If you guys were like fuck that guy, tim, what the hell was up with him on that recording, i would have to kill you so we have to be friends, or die. But it made me wonder with this album is this when the guys J&A? did you ever read anything about them doing hallucinogenics?
1:28:14 - Speaker 1
Did they ever?
1:28:15 - Speaker 7
comment about it.
1:28:17 - Speaker 1
I'm sure they must have, because this is the track. This is wonderful. It's wonderful to listen to on a marijuana high. It's wonderful to listen to totally straight as well. It's lull, it's spooky.
1:28:38 - Speaker 7
It had this acid trip feel to me, which was a little bit different. Then previous songs, this quiet guitar and the piano in there. The piano, i thought I'm kind of wanting more key type sounds in general to keep adding in layers. It's this new topping that we haven't had much of. So I thought Sherpa was pretty great, but I wanted to know. I couldn't find much. So is this when one of the guys went on this epic journey of a trip, or like? how was this song written?
1:29:15 - Speaker 1
Yeah, i've just had it, If anyone out there knows.
1:29:18 - Speaker 7
Write in to send JD an email at.
1:29:23 - Speaker 1
JD at gettinghiptothehipcom. Dan, where are you at?
1:29:30 - Speaker 6
Yeah, it's good, I've got it down as the high point on site too. Again, as you're saying, everything about it spaced out in every way, lyrically, spatially, vibrally, But then it does. I just get the feeling that at the end, after the point where we're, at the point where we love and hate it, It does fly off into sounding like something off the bends by Radiohead. It's just got that vibe to it. The final layer of guitar, the single note, higher guitar stuff, is very much Bend sort of related, which was released a year before, I think 1995. But it's all put together so well and love it all good.
1:30:19 - Speaker 7
See, yeah, it's just got beeped again. The electricity in Spain is. You might be having some surge happening.
1:30:34 - Speaker 2
That might be a point I don't know. All jokes aside, but this song I mean. You guys summed up most of it for me. I absolutely fucking dig this song. I don't know what was going on, the imagery in it. I was picturing a Sherpa when I was listening to it. Just by virtue of the name It just stuck in my head.
And the bendy guitar riff. It's disorienting to the ear. It made me confuse listening to it. It was really cool. I've been thinking of it now because I've heard it so many times the last couple of days. It's that Jeff Bechtoun from The Artbirds. He bends it. You know what I'm talking about. They've been playing a lot of Jeff Bechtoun because he died. Anyway, that guitar riff in the song is very fucking cool. We dug it the line and we spoke languidly. When that hits right after that line, it's so fucking cool. There's piano reverb. That is just. Tim, you mentioned pavement earlier. I can't think of a B-side tune that reminded me of, but I heard it on here too with that piano reverb. We've died a thousand times since then. Super, at the very end of the song the chords go to major. I think it's definitely the best song on side two or side three. I guess we're saying Side four, but it's side four.
1:32:33 - Speaker 1
No side. Four no side four, it's up there. No, there's no side four. Yeah, that's right, because the fourth side's blank. Yeah totally It's like why was Alley Totally?
1:32:45 - Speaker 7
There you go. Okay, Great, very strong.
1:32:51 - Speaker 1
Put it off. This is where we wind the record down and get ready to put it away, regardless of whether you're listening to it on a CD or MP3s or albums. This is it. This is what you get from 1996. We have to wait another two years for the next long play. Does put it off. Do the job of an ending track in your estimation, tim?
1:33:23 - Speaker 7
Yeah, i think so. This one got me. It kind of had all the fixings for the recipe. There's definitely some storytelling. This album, i think, musically, gripped me more than storytelling compared to past albums, lyrically But this one had it. This one checked the box Talking about how There's a whole reference with how the Nazis stole art across Germany and created this Traveling art show to show all the degenerate artwork and they had museums that they graffitied the walls of And hung these paintings that they stole from all these fucking liberals or whoever they fucking plucked them from. This song is kind of like the dog off the street and you realize how that it's beautiful. Anyways, there's a reference to Eric's trip, which is, i think, the second Sonic Youth reference I've picked up, which is fucking cool that they're referencing Sonic Youth.
1:34:31 - Speaker 1
Well, it's a reference of a reference, that's right, that's right. Because it's referencing the Canadian band Eric's trip, who's named after the Sonic Youth. Okay, yes, true.
1:34:42 - Speaker 7
Okay, double, double one there. Anyways, you know that I love to hear there's some fucking sitar going on, totally yeah, right, in the background.
1:34:51 - Speaker 1
That's what that is, isn't it?
1:34:52 - Speaker 7
Yeah, yeah. So I'm sure we'll hear that again. Like this album just based on Sherpa, i was like, okay, who's doing a little acid and writing some of the songs? Because that's coming out a bit, i hope, because I just love the experimental part. It's a big closer. It turns down into this beautiful quiet ending. It was the closer I needed. It was a great tune. It was a loaded hip closer of a track for sure.
1:35:32 - Speaker 1
How about you Dan?
1:35:36 - Speaker 6
Well, one of the phrases I've used to describe this track is heavy menace. It's foreboding isn't it?
It's stark. You've got these mystic sitar vibes. You've got this intensity there. It's up and down. It's probably a great live track for everybody to hang on to. That tension and release and then tension back on again. I don't know whether I like it as the end of the album. I don't know, because it's like getting somewhere and then being hit over the head with a mallet. It's like a kind of blunt third, almost. You know You sort of live through part of it and then you kind of get a little bit overwhelmed. But yeah, i don't dislike that, i've just got to get my head around it. Really, i'll say this build up to the end of the albums. If Let's Stay Engaged has that little bit of a rise up there, i think that would do it for me. But no, it's good, it's good. I need to listen to it more definitely.
1:36:55 - Speaker 1
Yeah, you should always listen to it more, but it still might be where you land, you know, and that's cool.
1:37:02 - Speaker 6
Yeah, but I'll say this is an album that I will be buying.
1:37:04 - Speaker 1
Yeah, I will be getting hold of this for repeat listens.
1:37:09 - Speaker 7
Excellent. It was a good one for Dan to come in on. I think you know Yeah. For sure sounds good. Lucky you Yeah yeah, thank God.
1:37:22 - Speaker 1
What did you think of putting it off Pete?
1:37:25 - Speaker 2
I definitely feel Dan's vibes on it. I thought it was very haunting. The song. The sitar was great, the sitar-like effect. The tin snare didn't have the chains tightened up on the snare so it had that really tinny sound hitting it, which is just always a strange choice when you hear it. Like it's got to fit if you're going to do that with the snare. Just the way the band played together, the dynamics of everything, i'm sure it was a great live song, especially when they're all playing it live together. But in fitting with the record as a whole, i'll go back to the reference that I made And I apologize for the meeting, but it's such a random song And, just like U2's Zeropa, i just get so many vibes from that record for this record. The last song on that record is so random. Do you know who sings the last song on Zeropa? Johnny, fucking.
1:38:39 - Speaker 1
Cash. Oh right, oh shit. Johnny Cash sings a song called The Wanderer.
1:38:45 - Speaker 2
And it just comes. You listen to this whole weird electronic, strange record from U2, like nothing they ever did, and then there's a fucking Johnny Cash tune at the end, and it's not even a Johnny Cash country tune. And this is like that. It's like you just got taken on this really cool, image-filled journey Which troubled the end house. Where the fuck did that come from?
And then they ended with this. It's like I think they're just at the point where they're like We're gonna do whatever the fuck we want. If you guys want to come along for the ride, strap in. If not, piss off. I feel like they've given up at this point too. They've let go of wanting to be accepted in the US market. That's what I think was holding them back. To be honest with you, Because, now just fucking.
1:39:37 - Speaker 1
BAM wants to make cool music. Yeah, interesting.
1:39:43 - Speaker 7
I might have to revisit the Xeropa a little bit. That's when U2 for me was kind of giving me acid reflux So I didn't pay attention to that album. I loved them their first handful, but after Joshua Tree I kind of moved on. I'm not vibing with the Xeropa reference but I'm trusting you with it.
1:40:06 - Speaker 2
It's really the only record there that I stand by.
1:40:11 - Speaker 7
Okay, this uh.
1:40:15 - Speaker 1
Did you get your album? Did you get your album finally, tim?
1:40:19 - Speaker 7
My Xeropa album.
1:40:22 - Speaker 1
No, you've been seeking an album this whole time.
1:40:25 - Speaker 7
It feels like Yeah, i did get my album. I liked this closer. It was weird and different. Honestly, it made me look forward to what's next, which has happened before, but I was feeling satisfied from this album For sure. I had less issues with it. There were definitely more surprises that I liked Sprinkle throughout. You know, i thought it was good. I thought it was good. If this is their I don't know if this is one of their crescendos of album writing efforts, i'm writing it, i'm feeling it.
1:41:01 - Speaker 1
Cool, alright. Well, any final thoughts on Trouble at the Henhouse A and B? what is the track that you are putting on your track listing From this record? so, dan, in this case you can just pick your sort of album MVP If you want to. Any final thoughts on the record, and then your album MVP.
1:41:35 - Speaker 6
I mean for me. You guys have pretty much said, for most of you, this is your favourite album. So, in terms of listening to more of the band, it's like, oh my god, is it like Downhill For me now? so if this is such a high point, then, as I say, i was glad to be part of it And I really enjoyed the record. I mean, i didn't have that much time to listen to it, but it did keep dragging me back, which is what something good should do, and it should implant itself in your mind, which is what it has done. And, as I say, i'll be getting it. Yeah, all good. And if I was going to put a track on there, i mean, most people are going to probably say ahead by a century, which is a given, but for me, close to that. I don't wake, daddy, i'm still digging it at the moment.
1:42:31 - Speaker 1
Pete, how about you? Any final thoughts on the record Final?
1:42:36 - Speaker 2
thoughts on the record. Yeah, I loved it, Dan. Loved having you, man. I love your takes too. Really good to meet you too, man. You're a lot of cool people, Great takes, Just so. Again so thankful that you gave me this record, JD, And that I'm on this trip with you guys, And if I had to pick an MVP before, it would have been Flamenco. I think I'm firmly ensconced within springtime in Vienna. It's just a bullet to my head Alright, Yeah. And just a line.
1:43:24 - Speaker 7
Yeah, I'm a little jealous of Dan coming in at the band for the first time, because Pete and I were there, You know, and at the beginning of it all there were a couple of moments where I was like holy hell, What have I gotten myself into? You know, a couple songs back in some early albums were like, oh, Scratching my head a little too hard, I'm gonna lose some more hair. But yeah, this album to me was really good. I'm anxious to hear more. I'm throwing a curveball in this one. I really like Butts Wigglin. Read the song title first and it was like what the fuck is this song about? You know, I really like cooking at cream. Also, the song had more choices for favorites or what do you really like Totally? And I understand. I understand kind of about Ahead by a Century, More so now that we've discussed it, with it being their top single. But I'm going Butts Wigglin, Alright, cool, There's the knuckleball right there.
1:44:30 - Speaker 1
Well, that's what we have for you this week. I want to thank our special guest, dan from London, and Pete and Tim. We'll see you next week when we talk about their first live record. Live Between Us Super Yeah. I can't wait. Alright, guys pick up your shit.
1:44:52 - Speaker 5
Thanks for listening to Getting Hip to the Hip. Please subscribe, share rate and review the show at GettingHiptotheHipcom. Find us on Twitter and Instagram at Getting Hip Pied And join our Facebook group at Facebookcom. Slash groups slash fully and completely. Questions or concerns Email us at JD at GettingHiptotheHipcom. We'd love to hear from you.
Hey everyone, it's JD here with Pete and Tim, and we've got an exciting episode for you as we explore the Tragically Hip's 1994 album, Day for Night. This record holds a special place in my heart, and I can't wait to share my memories with Pete and Tim. Listen in as we discuss the album's unique nuances.
As we examine the tracks on Day for Night, we also dive into the powerful lyricism of songs like Greasy Jungle and Nautical Disaster, uncovering the stories behind them. Our discussion also touches on the impact of the album's intro song, Grace, Too, setting the tone for the record and leaving a lasting impression on listeners.
Join us as we reminisce about the days of midnight album releases and the significance of this record in the Tragically Hip's discography. Through our conversation, Pete and Tim share their first experiences with the band's music. So, whether you're a longtime fan or discovering the Tragically Hip for the first time, this episode is sure to be a nostalgic and enlightening journey through the world of Canadian rock history.
0:00:00 - Speaker 1
Hey, it's JD here and I'm with Pete and Tim and we have a really big announcement we want to make. Are you strapped in Good? Mark your calendars for Friday, september 1st, as long-sliced brewery brings to you getting hip to the hip on evening for the Downey Wend Jack Fund.
0:00:22 - Speaker 2
Join us at the Rec Room in Toronto for a night of music, unity and making a meaningful impact. This event is dedicated to honoring the legacy of the tragically hip, while supporting the Downey Wend Jack Fund.
0:00:32 - Speaker 3
Immerse yourself in a powerful tribute performance by 50 Mission, celebrating timeless classics that have shaped Canadian rock history. We'll also wrap up the podcast in a memorable way by doing our finale live that evening, but it doesn't stop there.
0:00:48 - Speaker 1
This event is all about making a difference. So we've got a silent auction with prizes. you've got to see, from Blue Jays tickets to tragically hip ephemera to kitchen appliances. If you're looking for something cool, chances are you'll find it at our silent auction.
0:01:05 - Speaker 2
All proceeds for the evening will go directly to the Downey Wend Jack Fund supporting healing, reconciliation and positive changes for Indigenous communities.
0:01:13 - Speaker 3
Tickets are on sale June 1st and can be picked up by visiting gettinghippetothehipcom and clicking on finale.
0:01:21 - Speaker 1
By attending Getting Hip to the Hip, you're not only enjoying a night of incredible music and comedy, but also contributing to a brighter future. Join a community of like-minded individuals who believe in the power of music and unity.
0:01:35 - Speaker 2
Tickets are only $40, so mark your calendars and visit our webpage to secure your spot at this unforgettable event to celebrate the hip with fellow hip fans.
0:01:45 - Speaker 3
Getting Hip to the Hip. An evening for the Downey Wend Jack Fund promises to be an experience that leaves a lasting impact. Please join us at the Rec Room in Toronto on September 1st and be part of something truly meaningful. We'd love to see you there.
0:02:11 - Speaker 1
It's nearly 10.30 pm on September 23rd 1994. I'm on the 106 bus riding from York University to Wilson Station. during my first year at the institution, i was on a mission to pick up the latest effort by my favourite band, the highly anticipated Day for Night. Since mid-summer of 1993, i'd been going bananas over the song Nautical Disaster, first introduced to me during my 19th birthday. It was at another roadside attraction, and as the band launched into New Orleans as Syncon they jammed through the now classic cut in spectacular fashion. However, it wasn't until the Kumbaya Festival early in September of that same year that I finally heard the track on tape. My friend Heather had come home from university having recorded the festival on DHS. We quickly dubbed the video to cassette and now I was off to the races From there. it took until Canada Day of 1994 before I heard anything else from the record.
The hip played the gig with a chip on their shoulder, as many of the fans had acted brorish and disrespectful towards many of the opening acts, including Daniel and Locke. The set was heavily peppered with songs from Day for Night and I liked what I heard. As I got off the subway and approached HMV, it was nearing midnight. The new album would be in my hands soon and I could listen without the distraction of frapples throwing bottles towards the stage. From the first notes of Grace II, this one felt different, especially after the slick polish of fully completely or the bar blues of the prior two records. This was a band hitting its stride and understanding exactly where it fit into the fabric of the rock and roll paradigm. But that was then. Today I'm tasked with taking Pete and Tim into my memories and hoping to goodness this one sticks the landing for them. We'll soon find out on this episode of Getting Hip to the Hip. Long Sliced Brewery Presents Getting Hip to the Hip.
Hey, it's JD here and welcome to Getting Hip to the Hip, a Tragically Hip podcast where we go through the discography of the hip with two folks who have never heard of the band before. So, while they're having their first experience listening to the music, you can revisit yours. Send me an email, jd, at GettingHipToTheHipcom, with your first experience with the Tragically Hip. It would be great to hear those, as we listen to Pete and Tim, describe theirs. Speaking of Pete and Tim, they are most certainly ready to be released from their protective hatches. I will push the button now and they are there. They are on their platforms. they're they're levitating platforms. How are you doing, fellas?
0:05:22 - Speaker 2
Hey guys, Oh sorry.
0:05:26 - Speaker 1
He nodded his head.
0:05:29 - Speaker 2
I nodded my head for all you out there in radio land.
0:05:32 - Speaker 3
That's my favorite aspect of podcasts.
0:05:35 - Speaker 1
He loves theater of the mind. Sorry about that. Yeah, that's great. What's new?
0:05:42 - Speaker 2
Oh man, it's new. Back in the saddle, man, you know. back to work today, like I said, struggling with a little bit of jet lag, but other than that, i mean I, i how much time we got JD. I could. Could tell you a lot of what's going on, but I don't know. Put you guys to sleep, tim. What's going on with you man?
0:06:08 - Speaker 3
Oh, just cranking on. the week getting started here And last week was, to be honest, kind of rough, so I'm hoping this week's good. That's. that's what I'm counting on.
0:06:18 - Speaker 1
Fingers across for you, fellas, both of you, to avail yourself from the. Jag, the Jag lat the jet lag and for you to feel better this week.
0:06:29 - Speaker 2
Did you try to? did you try to call me a jackoff right now?
0:06:33 - Speaker 1
Is that what you're trying to call me? No, i said jet lag, but I said it wrong. Jag lift, jag off. Yeah, i'm all right, i can't complain. We've got a new puppy dog and she's pretty awesome So far. She's having a nap on the bed right now. She spent the morning in her crate, so you know, we've been letting her run free this afternoon, or I have been letting her run free this afternoon. So, yeah, that's really irrespective of nothing. But Who named her? I did.
0:07:09 - Speaker 2
Nice.
0:07:10 - Speaker 1
Yeah, yeah, that's my last naming job that I get to do, though.
0:07:15 - Speaker 2
I gotta ask you, michael Keaton, george Clooney, val Kilmer, christian Bale, robert Pattinson- I guess I'm a bailperson at this point. I would have. I would have also. The judges would have also accepted Adam West Michael.
0:07:34 - Speaker 1
Keaton. Oh, adam West, yeah, sure, sure, yeah.
0:07:39 - Speaker 2
Michael Keaton. Michael Keaton was great, but yeah, christian Bale was. Those movies were so amazing.
0:07:43 - Speaker 1
Oh, it was Batmania, just Batmania, when Keaton and Tim Burton put that whole thing together.
0:07:52 - Speaker 2
Oh yeah, Tim, were you a fan.
0:07:54 - Speaker 3
No opinion.
0:07:55 - Speaker 2
Okay, you're fleeting the fifth on this one.
0:07:59 - Speaker 1
Yeah, no opinion, okay. So we're here today to talk about the fourth long play from the Tragically HIP, their fifth output at this point. This came out in 1994, to be exact, it came out the third week of my first year of university and they did a midnight album release. So, like all the record stores were open, they would be open all day and then they would close at nine and then they would reopen at midnight so they could sell the record, because it was the next day, it was Tuesday, so it was like Monday night at midnight you would go and get the record before anybody else.
0:08:42 - Speaker 2
I remember that Tower used to do that too.
0:08:44 - Speaker 1
Right, it was a cool fad and it's just.
0:08:48 - Speaker 2
you know it's got like It was Tuesday you said right, That's right.
0:08:51 - Speaker 1
Records always came out on Tuesdays.
0:08:53 - Speaker 2
And there's a reason for that, and somebody told me the reason. I can't remember, but there was a reason. There's a distinct reason why that was the case, right.
0:09:01 - Speaker 1
Okay. Well, if you out there know what it is, use social and let us know. Or shoot us an email at JD, pete or Tim at getting hip to the hipcom. This record means a lot to me. So you know, i'm not going to. I'm not going to beat around the bush this time. Or I am going to no, i'm not going to beat around the bush this time, i'm going to lay it all out right now and say I fucking love this record. So you know, let that not impact your scores. But there may be some arguments because it's just got the, it's got the crisscross of hitting a sweet spot for me with my favorite band at the time and coming out temporarily at just the right time you know to to build a culture around. you know it was produced by the hip with assistance from Howard and Freakin I believe it's Mark Howard and Mark Freakin. Freakin I want to say sound guy for the hip You can listen to fully and completely to get the all, the, all, the detailed information. We always went through that stuff in a big way on that show And this is not what this one's about. This is an addendum. So the label was MCA. This is again another MCA release for the hip Looks in at a record 59 minutes 26 seconds, you know, just a almost an hour.
Singles It had six singles. Grace, two was a single, it was the first. One came out right before the record dropped. Greasy jungle was the second one. Nautical disaster was the third one. So hard done by then scared, and then thugs, and I believe that thugs was almost, you know, a full year after the record came out. So this one had legs. All music rated this record a 3.5 or part of me a three out of five, much lower than fully completely, which was the record before this, which got a 4.5 out of five. So a three. Very interesting, very, very interesting, grace. Start off the top with your initial thoughts on this record, mr Leiden.
0:11:32 - Speaker 3
I felt it was long, you know, and realize pretty quickly that we were getting some extra songs. What else about it? I did notice some recording kind of changes or uplifts as far as production value goes, which is cool. What else about it? There are some certain songs on there which I absolutely dug. I ended up listening to the first half of the album several times I want to say struggled through to get through the whole album in a sitting, but I just kept finding myself starting over at certain points. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So we can talk about that more.
0:12:16 - Speaker 1
I mean, it's definitely a long record, And could I edit this record? Sure, i could. I'm not going to ever say which songs I would potentially edit out, because they're all my babies and I just couldn't say it, but I secretly know which ones I'd get rid of. Tim, you have been looking for an album. You've been searching for an album throughout this podcast. You know you've talked about Pizza with the Works, you've talked about Mishmash's and collections of songs produced together to round out an album, but it seems to me as though you are seeking not necessarily a concept, but a conceit, and I would have thought that paid off with fully, completely. It didn't. So how about this record? I?
0:13:06 - Speaker 3
don't think I'm quite there yet, but I'm close. Okay, i was expecting this album to be maybe more, maybe more concise, since they were driving and had more control, i don't know. I think that just the fact that it was a couple songs longer in the cadence of all the songs and really looking at where their place and all those things that I like to do, you know, it checked a lot of boxes for me, but I didn't. I didn't finish listening to it in a take and go oh yeah, now I'm here. Pretty close though, but I'm pretty close, jd, tell us, tell us, you know, when it came out at 12.01, were you in line buying it, or when did you listen to it? Like, what do you recall from your first listen to this album and how you felt and why it's your fave?
0:14:00 - Speaker 1
Well, again, it's got that crossroads right of like culture and time and place And they were my favorite band so it was like so exciting to be in Toronto and buying it right away, because before I would have had to buy it the next day, there had been some concerts leading up to the release of this record where they had dribbled some breadcrumbs of what this record was going to entail And it was so cool to hear it And, more importantly for me, after the very slick sounding fully, completely, i love the. Well, you guys both know that I'm into lo-fi music and this isn't necessarily lo-fi, but this sounds much more self-produced, right Like. It sounds like it's recorded by people who are making their first record in a good way, in a really good way, like it's so fresh sounding after what. The last group of records that we heard were more slick and polished and that sort of bar rock thing. I've always said.
This was the record where the Tragically Hip revealed that it hasn't been beer that's been fueling them all these years. It's weed, like they're a total weed band, and this record was the first one that reminded me of that. The rest of the records are sort of beer Okay okay, you know.
Yeah, i've had 30 years to gestate on that, though, so bear that in mind. Now Pete has blood pouring out of his mouth right now. He's chewing his tongue off. You know He's dying to jump in here. What does he have to say about all this hullabaloo?
0:15:43 - Speaker 2
Well, real quick. You mentioned that this was three out of five, and fully and completely was 4.5 out of five. Who's the company?
0:15:55 - Speaker 1
I always use all music. I always use all music, all music, yeah.
0:15:59 - Speaker 2
Yeah, they got their heads up their asses, because I don't even remotely see how this is less on the point scale than fully and completely, because I thought this record was fucking awesome. I agree that I felt the same way. That kind of Tim felt that it was a bit lengthy. I felt myself starting at a number of times and struggling a little bit to get through some ladder parts. There's certainly some areas where they could trim the fat, if you will. I'm not going to say which ones they are, but it was like for a band that's producing their first.
It's their first go at producing a record themselves. It's kind of like it's just a little too much. It's like going out on a great first date, dinner's great, movie's great go back to the house. Sex is great.
Oh, first date That your date's like hey, do you ever want to have kids? You know, it's like. It's like totally could've just done without saying that and the night would've been perfect. Like they just say that, they just ask that. Like on their way out It's like, oh, okay, doesn't mean you're not going to go out with them again, but it's, you know, i love it. I love it.
0:17:30 - Speaker 3
I'll leave it there for now to let you say You know, i'll just quickly add on that very you know, very similar token that I had with it. I'm curious to hear the next albums And then to again look back at specific albums to see how I feel about them, because this is probably one. You know you are so excited. You know there's a trilogy of movies coming out on something that you love And you see the first one and you're like God, i hope the next two movies are just as good. Maybe the next one is pretty good or better, and you're like, oh shit, this is going to be great. You know, it's kind of I'm leaning towards that. I'm excited to revisit some of these to see how I feel in a couple of months. Hopefully I won't be like dude, i'm done you guys. No, that's not going to be the case. But yeah, i'm anxious to revisit the future for sure, because this is probably one of those albums.
0:18:30 - Speaker 1
Yeah, yeah, i'll be interested to see that too. Maybe again we will have like a 10 year reunion. Pete mentioned that in the last episode. You know we should go back 10 years. Oh, we might. So who knows, maybe we will revisit this on whatever platform the kids are listening to in the future. I'm sure they'll be nuclear powered or something OK. So here's something new An intro song that doesn't just like open with a kick to your ass. It opens in a much different way. It still manages to kick your ass, but in a much different way. It doesn't have like a lick off the top like little bones or courage for human clenin, you know. It just doesn't have or blow a high dough. It doesn't have that same sort of whoop in the butt. It's a taste of like this is what you're going to get. I think You know it's a little bit of like setting the table. It's because you're listening to it and you're like whoa, this isn't the hip that I left behind a year and a half ago.
0:20:08 - Speaker 6
Come on, just let's go. She kind of bit her left Geez, I don't know. But I can guarantee That we're now not gonna do. I'm told no proof That we're not gonna do. That's what I'm here for. I come from downtown. I'm already familiar. I'm with the low and weaks of our nation. That's what I'm here for.
0:21:46 - Speaker 7
The secret rules of engagement are hard to endure.
0:21:57 - Speaker 6
When the appearance of conflict again surrender means the appearance of force. Uncle, uncle, i can guarantee, i can guarantee There'll be no knock on the door. I can guarantee. I'm total proud. That's what I'm prepared for. Yeah, i've come from downtown. I'm ready for you. I'm ready to scale. And it's frustration. I'm ready to scale. And it's frustration. I'm ready to scale. And it's frustration. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
0:25:07 - Speaker 7
No, no, no, no, no, no. Thank you, music lovers. On behalf of our crew the finest crew in the business, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of Robbie Gordy, johnny Paul, mr Jim Bryson on Keys, us musicians and the crew and everybody here tonight, we want to thank you. Thank you, music lovers. Thank you and Merci beaucoup. Summer on. Summer on take care of each other, drive the speed limit, wear a life jacket.
0:26:24 - Speaker 2
Summer on you mentioned setting the table and I agree. And it's saying that it's a different band. That's like the one of the first things that wrote down. I feel like to be honest with you. I like this song so much. I feel like kind of it's just stupid even talking about it like it's such an honestly, it's a fucking banger. And I think I had sent to you guys in the group text like the SNL performance of this song. Yeah, it's just, it's jaw-dropping. Yeah, it's. It's the line about just.
I looked at the phrasing, i looked at the lyrics and the way he did he wrote the lyrics and it's just so cool. Sorry, i wish I could articulate it better, but the rules of engagement are hard to endorse. Yeah, like is this I read a little bit online that it was you know about like a man propositioning a prostitute or a young girl. But I'm also like, is this a song about war? is this like an anti-war line that he's throwing in there? is it a double and tongue girl? I don't know, but I don't know. I could say a million things about this song, but I'll hand it over to to mr Leiden.
0:27:54 - Speaker 3
I'm. I'm pretty much in the same boat. I heard this song and I immediately thought this is a stellar hip song. I can't wait to hear the rest of the album. But instead of like really going to the rest of the album, i immediately found the first live version I could find on a Google search, because I thought this song is, is gotta be, you know, quintessential live hip song and that's that's kind of where I went and I ended up finding the, the Woodstock 99. If you guys haven't watched any of the documentary about Woodstock 99, please do. It was a just the demise of Western North America, usa culture right there. But anyways, this recording, this video recording of the band at Woodstock 99, is so good, like chills on my arms, like Goose Pimples, it was just fucking amazing. This, this song. You know, i was basically like okay, that's, that's my single. Should I listen to the rest of the album? I'm pretty happy right now didn't they do.
0:29:12 - Speaker 2
What did they do? a 94 and a 99, or did they just do 99 just?
0:29:19 - Speaker 3
I think the documentary it's a 99 one, where they set everything on fire and tore down all the stages and rated the food trucks and 99 all those things. And then, you know, with this song in particular, i was anxious to hear the band doing their own thing without, you know, managers or producers looming over them. And there were a couple different things I heard, which are even more so on certain songs. But the drums sounded a little different, a little bigger. Maybe the bass was a little bit more engaged with drumming. And there's there's been some times when the bass is kind of funky feeling, just like really in it there was some kind of I don't know, pete, you might know, but there was some echo, really echoey guitar effects.
0:30:12 - Speaker 2
I got, i got that written which were pretty cool.
0:30:15 - Speaker 3
Yeah, it was kind of the song just hit all the boxes had kind of this transcendental gonna take you on a journey. You know, i liked it so much I was like I don't even care what it's about, this is just a great listen yeah.
0:30:32 - Speaker 1
Tim you talking about. You know the drums being bigger and you know the production just sounding. You know bigger and you know with with some of the guitar effects a lot of it has to do with. They went back to New Orleans but this time they went to that Daniel Inwas studio and the Kingsway studio, which is just a big old house and you know they would do stuff like bedsheets over the stairwells and you know, just like like home studio tricker, but on a bigger, bolder scale, because this house has so many nooks and crannies that you can get different sounds of the different spaces. And they took advantage of that, which is very different from the, the path they took on the record prior.
0:31:22 - Speaker 2
Okay, daredevil so daredevil this, the skipping start that they did. Yeah, i feel like that was. So this was. What year was this? again? GD 94, 94. So I feel like I mean that was the height of like CDs like were where literally everybody had a CD player, wasn't like the early days. So I feel like maybe it was a. It was a joke to to make people think their CD was skipped, because if you ever bought a CD and you were unfortunate to buy a scratch CD that was brand new and it skipped, you were fucking pissed. Oh yeah, so that was cool, that was unique. This song certainly does sound way better in the car. I don't know if it's just specifically my car, because I have a pretty good sounds.
0:32:26 - Speaker 3
It's the premium audio system. Is that what you guys kept saying?
0:32:30 - Speaker 6
premium audio.
0:32:31 - Speaker 3
I think we're at a point for an acronym for pass sound system everybody everybody listening.
0:32:37 - Speaker 1
How about a?
0:32:38 - Speaker 3
t-shirt yeah, if I get, if I get through this.
0:32:41 - Speaker 1
Okay, these guys only a ride in Pete's car, the big that dooby or there should be a bingo card where the you know, every time you hear Pete say premium audio sound system, you tick the box, or and then there's of course the free square, and then, if you hear me say so, there's that geez, we're going to Malaga.
0:33:15 - Speaker 3
There's this guy there with this premium audio system and he gives people rides.
0:33:22 - Speaker 2
I'm just saying that because I'm due you're doing yeah, for sure $25 a song I'm good I think that'd be cool. I think a job this no, this song. Tim mentioned something about the, this bass. You were JD, you were talking about the, the studio and all the trickery. But yeah, this is the first one where I write down the like the guitar solos, for example. They seem way less defined on this record, and I don't mean it in a bad way, i mean it in a way that and then there was a really cool oscillation effect maybe a little more jam.
0:34:13 - Speaker 3
I don't know if you know, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, i think the flavor is kind of gelled together more the oscillation effect.
0:34:24 - Speaker 2
If you've ever heard the the song real emotional trash on the album, real emotional trash yeah, that Steve Malkomis song I know this came before that, but whatever he's using on that guitar solo is exactly the same effect they're using on their level because that oscillation of the guitar is just. It's so cool. I wish I was cool enough to know what it was to ever be able to use myself, because it's fucking rad. Anyway, i dug this song a lot. I really liked it.
0:34:59 - Speaker 1
What do you think? what do you think they're damn?
0:35:03 - Speaker 3
I did too. I think, yeah, i love the drummer just counting it off at the beginning. That that made it feel like maybe more home recording type scenario. This song, this song, like I was wishing I was in a bar, just like sitting at the bar pull-up and just I felt like I could be watching the band, you know. But it was like the barkeep and the kitchen people and I don't know.
This, this one, this one kind of took me in a different direction than than many. After the one minute mark maybe this is kind of what you're talking about, pete like with the guitar and drums it gets kind of heavier or more layer layered. It felt like locomotive, like this train's just really going story wise, i mean, that's probably a podcast itself to talk about Annie Edison Taylor and going over the falls aspect of this one I love. The line in the real wonder of the world is that we don't jump to. Yes, you know, that's. That to me is like it delivers something inspiring. The song is like get out and get after it. Step out, you know, jump off that cliff, you have 50% chance of surviving if you survive.
It's gonna be awesome and if you die, it'll be awesome. You know, this sounds really. It really is really cool.
0:36:40 - Speaker 1
Where do we go next? we hit track three, and that's greasy jungle. Take it, tim greasy jungle.
0:36:48 - Speaker 3
This one, the snares really snappy. I felt like this is where you're kind of hearing different recording, maybe aspects. When I say snappy snare, it's like tuned tighter. Maybe you know there's lots of film references here in this song which we've gotten before. There's congas, like. There's some hand drumming at some point in the song, i believe, which is. I was just like kind of tuned into the drums on this one. Obviously that's a background effect, but a new layer. There's a definitely a new crash cymbal, like there was some new drum gear right on this album. There's a new crash cymbal that's really bright. That's always kind of gets my attention.
I didn't realize first few listens that it was like dirty streets, metropolis, correlation with greasy jungle. I didn't know what the heck it was about. You know I didn't for a song three. I always like hope that this is the one that's gonna get maybe somebody around the bases at bat. You know that they're gonna push, push it through and this one didn't do it as much for me. I was more kind of like okay, what's, what's next with.
0:38:21 - Speaker 1
This one didn't grab me so much one of the cool little Gord Downey stories is the lyric that you're just talking about metropolis noir. It sounds so elegant and mysterious at the same time. But metropolis noir is a name he saw on a bag of coffee, it's. It's like French roasts, but in French it wasn't French roasts, it was a dark roast or something, or Italian roast.
0:39:00 - Speaker 3
Dark roasts. Dark roasts, italian roasts.
0:39:02 - Speaker 1
I forget which one it was, but it translated, because everything in Canada has to have a French label and a Canadian label. It translated to matropolis noir. So that's just one of those little things he stuck in his notebook. and then he's writing this greasy jungle, matropolis noir. And all of a sudden you've got this setting and then it takes you on that little story for funeral home sandwiches and coffee. Oh delicious Yeah.
0:39:33 - Speaker 3
Yeah, i think that I also read that it maybe referenced a diner that he worked at that had the same name. Oh really, did you guys know that? Yeah, yeah, greasy jungle. Greasy jungle Sounds like a good diner though.
0:39:48 - Speaker 2
Yeah, jd, you said French roasts, and it's funny because I always think I don't remember the name of the comedian, but in France they just call it roast, just like Tim and I's definition of Canadian bacon is actually just bacon for you right, JD, No I can't remember the comedian who did that bit, but, tim, i couldn't disagree with you more on this one. However, i will tell you.
0:40:25 - Speaker 1
Tim, you're ignorant slut.
0:40:30 - Speaker 3
Yes.
0:40:31 - Speaker 2
I'm done. I sort of felt like that the first time I heard it And the more I. This was one where I kept digging Actually I didn't really have to do much work, but just the more I listened to it the more I was like okay, i get it. I get why this was a single. This is a banger on the phrasing on it. The vocal phrasing absolute A. Plus another great car song on the solos, super experimental, like again. It's cool, because it's not. Most of the guitar on this record is not like this. It's not a producer going.
0:41:11 - Speaker 1
Okay, boys, let's lay down the solo. This is where we're going to put the solo here. Give me 32 bars, let's go.
0:41:18 - Speaker 2
32 bars, yeah, like it just it's so cool and it's not like that. And this song is the first although not as much, because there's another one we'll bring up and I'm sure you guys know which one it is But this is the first song where I really hear that the influence this band had on a Linus Morrisette.
Oh wow, Oh yeah, There's another song on this record that we'll get to. That is clearly. It's clearly. She was sitting in her room listening to this record prior to recording Jagged Little Pill, like which I can't remember what year that came out.
0:42:04 - Speaker 1
What year did that come out? It came out, i want to say the summer of 95 was when the was when she broke, when she exploded.
0:42:13 - Speaker 3
Yeah, is she a fan? Is she a fan?
0:42:16 - Speaker 2
She's a great musician and she's Canadian, so I would be hard pressed to think she's not. At least, i didn't mind. Oh yeah, she's Canadian. Yeah, you fuck her, stick together. So I saw her live in 2018 in LA and she just, i mean, fucking blew the roof off the place. Oh man, it was, it was, it was insane.
0:42:40 - Speaker 1
Anyway, my wife had tickets to the 25th anniversary tour of Jagged Little Pill and it got canceled due to COVID. So, yeah, total drag. Yeah, yeah, okay, yeah, i'm, i'm on your side there, pete. As far as Greasy Jungle goes, next one is a cool thing that I don't know if this is something that pre-existed. You know, i don't know if somebody had taken a photograph and of a dog, you know, with its teeth bared, and wondered aloud if it had been yawning or snarling. Because, like, since that time, i've seen so many photos that I say that line in my head. You know, there's so many photos that they're captured and we feel something right away, but then you have to sort of open your mind and go well, wait a minute, maybe that feeling that I'm feeling isn't the right feeling. You know, it was just the way the photo was captured. It could have been yawning or snarling, and that sort of kicks us off.
0:44:08 - Speaker 5
The cops go into the crowd under a glaring platter of light and the music's just so loud and the tourists take their t-shirts off and a bus load of kids and gifts to the finger Afternoon, when the sidewalk's hot and the shadows too chilly to linger.
0:44:50 - Speaker 6
Both we're in the escuchians and at the bar, and people are helming Downtown. Never, ever been.
0:45:06 - Speaker 5
Now just wait for me, I'm gonna resurface.
0:45:17 - Speaker 6
I take a look at this photo girl. I don't know how clearly it's taken away.
0:45:28 - Speaker 5
I'm gonna get out of here. I never saw it. The picture is never clear.
0:45:41 - Speaker 6
I'm gonna make a decision. I mean an incarceration, i mean so much. One night in El Paso, the cops fall into the crowd Under a throbbing bladder of light And the music is just so loud And the tourists turn their TVs off. The box is apart with the sound of a linger Night time when the shadows come And you tilt to the tips of your fingers. But that's the way it goes in our region. I'm so strong, i'm making a chance Downtown, never ever been. Now just wait for you to resurface. Take a look at this photograph. How clearly it's taken away. He could have been the artist, not an artist. This picture is never clear. I'm so good at this photo, girl. How clearly it's taken away. I'm gonna get out of here.
0:47:48 - Speaker 5
I'm in a slumber. The story is never clear. Walks right into a Mardi Gras parade. We're touring the south at the bottom of the beard.
0:48:28 - Speaker 2
Yonnie and Snarling I first listened to. This record was my favorite song And that was, with my, everything I love about Grace too, it starts out very mad season. I don't know if you know that band.
0:48:52 - Speaker 1
Yeah, that was the supergroup right.
0:48:54 - Speaker 2
Yeah, that was the supergroup of Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains And that record. When did that record come out? Did it come out in 1993? Maybe, so they were active in 1994 to 1996, So maybe it's the same time, I don't know. Anyway, it starts out like the first and it builds. I don't know. I just loved it. I could say so much about the instrumentation, But lyrically, I don't know if you've got a line on exactly what it's about JD, But there's some historical references in there And talking about El Paso, he brings up the Mexican US border there. I'm pretty sure that runs through the 100th Meridian, Oh wow now, i know that.
I could be wrong, but it just kind of feels like it's going, like Cordoni's really going in. He's a big fan of these historical references. I don't know, i dug it. What's saying you, tim?
0:50:11 - Speaker 3
I dug it. I think when I first heard it started up I was thinking Okay, here's the spooky, sinister Pipps song of the album Which we often get. You know, if any song that I hear I hear a reference about El Paso or the Rio Grande, it's usually something heavy. It's not about going tubing and fishing and having fun. So yeah, there's a line in there about the cops go into the crowd Throbbing bladder of light. You know, i'd love that phrase, throbbing bladder of light. The music is so loud nighttime when the shadows cough Like this. Lyrically, the song's loaded, it's just it's really really big.
I just, you know, somebody beat up and throw it in the river.
This is an early song there's a moody guitar ending, i think throughout the song. The bass to me I'm always kind of honing in. It's funny because Pete's on guitar and I'm on bass and drums, which is cool, but the bass is a little punchier, like it's tuned up or I don't know. This one had definitely some home, you know, if they recorded it in the house. I'm just gonna call it home production because it's basically what it was, even if it was like Super Pro Studio, like there's some little things in there that I heard for sure. It's an interesting song. It's pretty cool It was. It's kind of an early song to me. I stuck with it a few times.
0:51:58 - Speaker 1
Cool. What's next? It's number five. We're at five. Fire in the hole.
0:52:07 - Speaker 3
Yeah, let's fire. Fire in the hole is fucking cool. And I say that because I heard kind of this 90s grungy punk influence with this one, even though it's not like super fast or anything. But then when I started reading into it, you know, because I figured it had something to do with fascism and Nazis And I don't know. There's something you know angry here. There's some different ties to Sonic Youth's Youth, sonic Youth's Youth Against Fascism song. It's very I don't want to say very similar, but there's definitely some things shared. You know, that was a time for me. It was a time of really getting into, like crunchy guitars, a little bit more experimentation, faster rhythms. You know this song, for a hip song maybe, is like a little bit tougher. It's a little bit tougher. And I also just thought you know by its own name and chorus that this one is probably ruckus live. It's probably just fun and, you know, fist in the air.
0:53:30 - Speaker 2
Yeah, i agree, i agree, this is a banger for sure. The guitar work on it I definitely. I mean it's weird, i don't know because I'm not the biggest Guns N' Roses fan, but you know, slash's Les Paul guitar tone is pretty distinct, you know, when you hear it, and the guitar tone on this song that he's playing some lines sounds, i mean, identical. It doesn't sound like Guns N' Roses, of course the song doesn't, but that guitar tone just was so reminiscent of that And it kind of made me think, okay, so they're like trying to, they're trying to shed some older skin from the previous records, but you know, it's sort of like you can take the.
You know, take the what out of the what, but you can't take the what out of the what. They still got it in their roots. You know what I mean.
0:54:35 - Speaker 1
Yeah.
0:54:38 - Speaker 2
So that's definitely there. And then, yeah, this is one like the obviously Grace too. I mean that's sort of like the flagship of this record. But this is another song where you're like, okay, gord's found his voice. He's really, you know, If the band is his recliner, like whenever he gets up, you can see his ass imprint. It is always there. He's found his voice. The chair is sunk. It's sunk in. Does that make sense What I'm trying to say? Yeah, he's. Yeah, he's been in that chair so long now for a number of records that it's just comforts Like he's found it.
0:55:29 - Speaker 1
He knows where he's at. He's in the groove. He's in the groove Like he's absolutely. And to me, guys, isn't this the heaviest that we've ever heard them. Or is there something on Foley that might be? No, i think you're right, i do.
0:55:46 - Speaker 3
I think it's up there. I think it's up there.
0:55:48 - Speaker 1
Yeah, because you were saying fast and I was thinking to my head, I was like yeah, it is fast. It's fast and heavy, Like this is a great song alive.
0:55:54 - Speaker 2
This is like Foo Fighters, Fast Like I was like whoa.
0:55:59 - Speaker 1
Yeah, because it's still, it's still.
0:56:05 - Speaker 3
It's interesting. You went to guns and roses. I don't know why I didn't go there Like I. Just I didn't hear that reference, but I want to go back.
0:56:14 - Speaker 2
Just the guitar, just the guitar time.
0:56:17 - Speaker 3
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:56:19 - Speaker 2
For me oftentimes that doesn't mean something positive, Just yeah you know, outside of them anybody else I hear sounding like remotely like guns and roses. You just kind of go, eh you know. But I think it was just weird that Tom was there because coming up the hip I feel were such a that was. That was what most bands were sounding like back then.
0:56:49 - Speaker 3
I don't know. Yeah, maybe 50 mission cap or something. Oh yeah, yeah, this one, you know.
0:56:56 - Speaker 1
Yeah, you might be right, You might be and you might be so hard done by.
0:57:00 - Speaker 2
So hard done by. To be honest with you, this is probably my least favorite of the of the record. Hey, we're in the break. Yeah, i just didn't. Yeah, i thought it was, i thought it was a cool chorus, but I just I kept thinking about, like, what would I say about the song? And it's just, you know, maybe in the 10 year reunion by then I'll have something. but this song, sorry, i wish I had I had more for it, but I really just don't.
0:57:42 - Speaker 3
I'm with you a bit. I heard Allison Chains right away And I don't think it's like it's not like 100% Allison Chains.
That's who I thought of And I'm starting to hear, you know, and occasional references to bands that we're doing well during this time And I'm not a big Allison Chains fan by any means, but it's. you know, there's still some lyric nuggets in here I love. you'll have to wait a minute. It's an en somatic Like. that to me is kind of a phrase of if you want, you know, beauty in life, it's not going to come to you right away. You got to, you got to deal. The ending is kind of rough. You know the yeah, i'm with you, pete. The ending is kind of rough. The snare is too snappy. The snare is like so snappy that it's like that's how you tune a snare for fucking punk rock songs with a high beat per minute. You know it just didn't. it just didn't.
0:58:45 - Speaker 1
It's funny that you say that, because the original, like the demo version of this song is totally up tempo.
Well so it's. It's a completely different song Me I. I think this is, i think it's fine, i think it's harkens back to like, like it could be on up to here, it could be on road apples. To me it's got that sleazy, not quite stone Z vibe. So I was really surprised to hear you say Alison chains, because I'm I'm going more of like the roots. You know, okay, that's, that's my vibe of John, but but that's, you know, this one, that's just how it was for sure.
0:59:30 - Speaker 3
More filler had a rough ending and I was kind of glad it was like, okay, what's next? You want to? you want to add something, pete.
0:59:37 - Speaker 2
Oh, all I was going to say was You know, that'd be cool if it was. I mean, maybe it is cool live. And I just just to comment that I always hate when you hear a band play a live version of a song and it's just fucking killer And that's the first way you hear it. And then you hear the studio version and it just absolutely blows.
0:59:59 - Speaker 3
So yeah, i'm, i'm with you, I'm with you. Maybe this is that?
1:00:03 - Speaker 2
But to answer your question, JD, what's next is not cool. I've actually heard JD sing this song.
1:00:12 - Speaker 1
Oh, that's right, I did it. I did it for a, i did it for a hip podcast, like I do a pod list, just like I do for medium alchemists And I sang it. Is that that was right? Yeah, yeah.
1:00:27 - Speaker 3
I dug it, I thought it. I thought it was what's, what's that pod JD had that he took off. It was like JD sings in the shower, Was it that one?
1:00:36 - Speaker 2
That's what I wanted. Jd sings in the shower. There was a. There was a. There was a video version of the podcast too, but that was yeah that was that, the lovely fans.
No, i remember hearing this and the first time you sent it to me I think I was already living in Malaga. But great tune, i, you know this, and JD, you, you, you explained to me what this song was about and I've since forgotten because my brain doesn't work anymore at my age, but I did get. I think the reason why we started talking about it in the first place was because we I mentioned to you the another great Canadian singer, gordon Lightfoot's Right, ricky Deven, if it's Gerald. And so you, you brought this song up and that's kind of how it came into my, my atmosphere, my airspace if you will.
1:01:44 - Speaker 1
Well, those are forever linked for me, because the first time I saw this song played live Gordon, he introduced it live as a Canadian musician, would be complete without a song about a nautical disaster.
1:02:04 - Speaker 5
This song is called nautical disaster. These are the Dh과a stations for brokers.
1:02:36 - Speaker 6
NotOf cybersecurity. This is Darryl, i don't wanna sweat. Ha. What's wrong? What's going on? Can't tell yourself I'm a foreign team. He said hang on, just stop, shut your big mouth and gotta do what you feel is real. He got no peace and false gods Got no Sunni, my baby. She won't know me when I'm thinking about music. I'm a foreign team. Keep it going, man.
1:04:11 - Speaker 7
Let's keep the wagon wheel going. Alright, i had this dream where I relished the fray And the screaming filled my head all day. I felt as though I'd been spinned here, Settled in into the pocket.
1:04:44 - Speaker 6
In a lighthouse on some rocky socket Of the coast of France, dear One afternoon. Four thousand men died in the water Here And five hundred more repression, matthew, is parasite's life In your blood. Now I'm in a lifeboat Designed for ten. Ten on me. Anything that's systematic Would get you hated. It's not a deal, nor a test, Nor a love of something stated. The selection was quick, the crew was in order And those left in the water Got kicked off the padlock And we headed home.
1:06:24 - Speaker 7
And in the dream and when the phone rings, we're doing alright.
1:06:30 - Speaker 6
I set it out there Those days and nights, but only a fool would complain. Anyway, susan, if you'd like A conversation To say myself, in my memory Is those fingertips Scratching on my heart, and I'm in a lifeboat Designed for ten. Ten on me.
1:07:41 - Speaker 7
Anything that's systematic Would get you hated. It's not a deal, nor a test, nor a love of something stated, no matter how hard it is. You see how hard it is, it's real hard.
1:08:27 - Speaker 5
There's a lifeboat Hanging on a wire Sucking up to someone, just a stoke of fire.
1:08:35 - Speaker 7
Picking up the highlights of the scenery, saw some little clouds.
1:08:50 - Speaker 5
They looked a little like me. I had my hands in the river, my feet back up from banks, looked up to the Lord above, said he'd call me thanks. Some times I feel so good I've got to scream. Said 40 baby, i know exactly what you mean, he said. He said I swear to God. He said Now, now.
1:09:27 - Speaker 6
Now, okay, my memory Was my dear watch's river that I nailed. If near or leave a sink in there, then I don't wanna swear Swag, swag, swag, swag.
1:10:42 - Speaker 1
Swag, swag, and then they launch into New Orleans' sinking. Oh my gosh, and you're sorta like what? What's going on? And then, in the middle of New Orleans' sinking, is this brand new song, fully fleshed out, not a?
1:11:00 - Speaker 3
good one. You know, i read about this And it's fucking holy crap.
1:11:07 - Speaker 1
It is a tornado Like it is, so destructive.
1:11:14 - Speaker 3
And you know, there's not many bands Who perform live that do Extremely intentional things like that For the audience. There's not many bands that do that Doing something like that, mixing in a new song in the middle of a song People know And then did they circle back?
1:11:31 - Speaker 1
Yeah, They finished, then they finished all of these things.
1:11:34 - Speaker 3
That's just insane to me. I just love, i just love, love, love that. I just love that. If any, if any songwriters are out there, do that for me. When I come here you live, mix me in a new one. It's a treat, right? Yeah, because it's the opposite of going to a show And hearing a band play Like their album. You know, i've walked out of shows Because it's just boring as fuck. You know, i'll say this about In 18. I believe it was built to spill. Oh my gosh, it was like I could have just put on One of their records and sat at home. So, yeah, to be able to split in another song And keep going and mix it up And do all these things that are so creative And have the confidence to do that, and phew.
1:12:30 - Speaker 2
The only thing I'll say in defensive built to spill Is there's always.
1:12:34 - Speaker 3
Oh, everybody defends. Built to spill.
1:12:36 - Speaker 2
No, no, i'm only saying it live I've never seen them live. Only because they always have a new line up. It's only a singer They do. They do. So if I'm a guy sitting in And part of the band this time around, the only thing I know is the record, because that's probably how they play together, which that's uh. Yeah, my buddy's seen them live And he kind of had the same feeling as you did.
1:13:01 - Speaker 1
Same feeling as you did, i'm just starting to get into built.
1:13:04 - Speaker 3
Yeah, sorry, bds fans. There you have it. There's another fan that wants to punch me in the gut. Not a cool disaster, i think it's fucking cool. Like my sentiment right away was like Here's the epic storytelling TH song. Here The drums it was like beating. Like we're charging into war Lifeboat designed for ten and ten. Only You know. There's just all these Great metaphors in there for like I don't know.
1:13:34 - Speaker 1
Oh, i love the line about getting The remaining people in the water Getting kicked off at Antler. Oh man, i don't know why. Yeah, and this song, there's no structure, there's no verse, there's no chorus, it's just literally Like you said, tim, it's like a story.
1:13:51 - Speaker 3
Yeah yeah, i don't know who the Susan reference is. I didn't look too much into that part, like, towards the end there's something about Susan Which I don't know why. With this band, whenever they mention a woman I'm always like.
1:14:03 - Speaker 1
She's Evelyn's sister.
1:14:04 - Speaker 3
Because it's often something grim. But you know this song there's. There's lots of data in there. This could be a rabbit hole song. It wasn't so much for me, just because I thought it was awesome.
1:14:19 - Speaker 1
You're right, it is awesome. It's fucking awesome. Maybe I'm out and we're actually more song for the band. Where do we go next? Um Thugs?
1:14:28 - Speaker 2
This is gonna sound really strange, but first of all, i love the chorus on this song. That's fantastic. I really dug this song a lot. It's ironic that it's called thugs and the baseline is a slowed-down version of Grandmaster flashes a message yes or yes?
1:14:54 - Speaker 3
Whoa, I didn't go that deep, but I knew it was something like I. I felt there was something go out on in this song And I didn't know what I was you know, i didn't know what it was, but Uh, you keep going it's a deep, deep.
1:15:09 - Speaker 2
There's clearly a deep admiration for Grandmaster flash Going on here and The. this the we reference to JD. You mentioned that this is the song where, or this is the record where, you realized they're actually a wee band out of your band.
1:15:30 - Speaker 1
Um, yeah, it sort of. It sort of happened at the same time to me as well, no, but you know, there's the reference about All roll or rolling. I'll do the details, you do the roll and I'll do the details. I'm sorry about that. That's all right.
1:15:48 - Speaker 2
Yeah, that's, that's kind of where. That's kind of Where I thought on that, the Again the chorus awesome, uh, there's. He keeps doing this high, are you know? it doesn't a couple times and on the record but he does like a high-pitched whoo And this song, that's really cool. And The spacey reverb Guitar is just like. I couldn't think of the song that it reminded me of or the artist, but it's, there's so much reverb on this on that guitar, it's like It's insane.
1:16:26 - Speaker 1
Love it, love love, love this one. Yes, it's, yeah, you can swim in it Well said. Yeah, yeah. Where are you on thugs?
1:16:34 - Speaker 3
You know I I Felt it was a little bit filler. You know I I didn't get a whole lot from this one I when I Started looking into kind of the movie references or what they get up trying to figure out When I was trying to figure out. You know any details About this song that could make me get into it more?
I read and I've read this before, the quote from gourd, that if that's what you think it's about, then that's what it's about Sure, which made me think for this song. Okay, if it's. You know if I think gourd would tell me hey man, if you, if you don't dig this song, then maybe you should try Inevitability of death. You know, if you want to get heavier, then go here. If you don't, you don't get heavy with thugs and let's give you a song about struggling with cancer, which is, i think, inevitability of death.
You know, there's what I enjoyed about this song is they mix it up a little bit. You know there's a Chorus singing without drums. You know they're starting to do little creative things on this album That I think help make it stand out and keep my interests more. That's kind of what I, yeah, that's kind of what I've noticed. But then you know, i think everybody probably knows anybody, or sorry, anyone knows someone is diet of cancer and maybe that's what this is about about and living life. You know, trying to Do everything to your fullest. I'm not sure about this. The song was, it was a good jam, it was it was.
1:18:17 - Speaker 1
You know what you're not. You're not Far off the track. I don't think, though, when, when you say that about cancer but that would be just so terribly ironic you know Writing a song about that and then succumbing to that illness. You know all those.
1:18:38 - Speaker 3
Yeah, exactly.
1:18:40 - Speaker 1
Because it came on suddenly. It wasn't something he battled with for very long. It came on suddenly and he was gone, wow, other than a other than a cross-canada tour. But well, you just think, puffy lips, glistening skin, yeah, everything comes rushing in. That could be like reference to, like the chemotherapy you know, like rushing into your body. You know We don't go to hell, just yeah. I love the. I also just love the word play. I thought you'd be the death of inevitability to death just a little bit. I thought you'd be the inevitability of death to death just a little bit like. I love how it's inverted Mm-hmm, very cool, very cool.
1:19:21 - Speaker 2
And he makes it work it's crazy that you say like puffy lips and glistening skin. I'm thinking of a. I'm thinking of like Scarlett Johansson and in a bikini like that's who. I'm like. That's right where I went when I heard that. That's so. I'm not even joking.
1:19:43 - Speaker 1
That's like what I thought say, could have been yonder somebody somebody just came from LA, i think.
1:19:51 - Speaker 2
It's been any time with Scarlett, though The I dig this song It's. It's not one of my favorites, but this was the song that Clearly did the one I mentioned earlier that that Alanis drew a lot of The word play and the way he phrases it is It's. It's exactly what she does in the song. You ought to know like it's. It's 100%. You can't Can't deny it. I'm sure if you had a gun to read she'd say yes, of course It's worth it. She's got the inspiration on. I.
1:20:33 - Speaker 1
Don't think it would go that far, just just for the record. No, yeah, if you were interviewing her you would probably, i probably, i probably just ask her.
1:20:39 - Speaker 2
Yeah, she seems like a nice person.
1:20:43 - Speaker 3
Let's, let's, let's have her guest on the next one.
1:20:45 - Speaker 1
He's gonna you have. You have that up, jady Yeah.
1:20:47 - Speaker 3
Yeah.
1:20:48 - Speaker 1
Yeah, I like the bass that.
1:20:49 - Speaker 2
I think the chords are a little bit more. I think the chords are a little bit monotonous. The line if you go to hell, i'll still remember you, that's just. That's a really fucking cool line. But The bass starts to shine at the end, which is cool because because the chords are so I guess I've been honest the bass really isn't doing much, but then it does something that that only Tim Hates is more than I do. It's just faith.
1:21:27 - Speaker 3
You know, i will say some of the hip, some of the hips, fadeouts are better than others. Okay, they've had they've had some oh dare I tragic fadeouts oh. I use that because I hate fade out so much.
1:21:47 - Speaker 2
Jady, can you, can you You edit this in? can you, can you do that?
1:21:55 - Speaker 3
That's funny. You mentioned that cuz a couple weeks ago, jd. I said to JD you know, sometimes I just want to add in a sound effect, like You know, and he's like you do not do that on my podcast, i hate sound effects, because I'm even thinking.
1:22:14 - Speaker 1
You know, when you were talking earlier, you were talking about The bass being slowed down from Grandmaster Flash, like, oh, i could intercut. I could intercut like the Grandmaster Flash song so people could hear it.
1:22:27 - Speaker 2
But then it's like It's so noticeable man, i mean it's it's so noticeable. It's exact same bass line, but anyway.
1:22:37 - Speaker 1
Next song, though. So then we slow it down with scared.
1:22:41 - Speaker 3
This that's so scared for me is it's like a. I instantly went to. This song would be an amazing concert concert closer. You know it's. It comes on, you know the night's finishing, it might be the what else? songs. You close your eyes at some point and just listen and get in deep. You know it's, there's, it's layered and story from I don't know Russia and the Germans and Stalin and Trying to make culture and art disappeared and like housekeepers and all these different things. It's like it's. It's. It's a sad kind of beautiful song that It's a little bit of a usual makeup for them with this kind of section of the album, but I thought it was, you know, on that note, kind of dark and lovely overall.
1:23:37 - Speaker 1
What do you think, sir?
1:23:39 - Speaker 2
I wasn't. I thought this was kind of like just a token. If you will token slow tune like It didn't do it for me, like When it comes to like softer hip songs, like it didn't give me the same Warm, fuzzy feeling is like fiddler's green did.
1:24:02 - Speaker 1
Sure, okay, yeah, i mean, fiddler's green is a knockout pie. It is, but my god scared. I love this song really good.
1:24:10 - Speaker 2
Maybe it's just positioning on the record, i don't know. I've got a Spend some more time with it and in this was actually one song. There's a couple of tunes. I didn't Get to hear the car, yeah, towards the end, because my car rides weren't as long and they started the record. I would put the first song on when I got in the car, so if I wasn't driving for a long time, obviously the song story the other record didn't didn't didn't make it in the in the car, but there was something really weird on this song. There was a Spacey sort of keyboard sound that kept going off. You know I'm talking about.
1:24:54 - Speaker 3
I know, now I don't really yeah, the only thing that certainly stood out to me was the use of acoustic guitars. There's, you know that's. That was a little unusual. I don't remember keyboards.
1:25:05 - Speaker 2
There's some sort of keyboard effect going on in there. That is Like the only thing I can equate it to is like you know the. It's like an oscillated version of. You know the sound of the, the metal hitting the, the track on the song. It's a sound of the men working on the chain game. Yeah, it's like it. It's like an echoey, delayed, oscillated, real subtle Vert Sample of that or something, something similar to that, and it's done with the keyboards and said it's on the song 100%.
1:25:46 - Speaker 1
Huh, i've got to listen with these headphones.
1:25:49 - Speaker 2
But yeah it's. It was a cool song. I dug it and I kind of wish I had more of a feeling the way you guys do about it. But you know it's okay there just hope for you.
1:25:59 - Speaker 1
There's hope for you, peter. From there we go to an inch an hour, and this song always impressed me, because the math works out an In an hour today the same way, an inch an hour to feed a day, to moan tonight in this most professional way.
1:26:57 - Speaker 5
There's this fucking band. You gotta see they used to care about living shit. I see no profit in talk. No food in town, no rock and roll, no bestiality.
1:27:10 - Speaker 6
Makes me feel the same way. An inch an hour to feed a day, to moan tonight with their little mouth to say But our health is best with the people in the space. No stuff of town, no feed you through, no salt on the tev. It works through Making lots and moogs.
1:27:49 - Speaker 5
Tonight I'm gonna win and make this gift heart. I want you to see your breath in the spring side. Heart, coffee colors, ice and feeling. First part Sound. The rushing water in the dark Makes me feel the same way.
1:28:06 - Speaker 6
An inch an hour to feed a day, to moan tonight with their little mouth to say But our health is best with the people in the space. I mean our health is best with the people in the space. You see, i don't know me. I don't know me at all, i don't know myself.
1:28:47 - Speaker 1
I don't know myself. I don't know myself. What did you think of this?
1:29:06 - Speaker 2
one. I love the. I don't know if I paid attention to it in the other records, or I'm just hearing this now, or this is the first time they're really doing it, but I feel like the guitar is falling the vocal line, or the vocal line is falling the guitar a little bit more, which is cool, like the melody of what Gord's singing. I thought it was a fucking banger. Again, this is another one where he's like yelping. I can only say yelping because he's not screaming but he's saying oh, oh, like really multiple times during the song. Anyway, i love it. I thought this song would probably be a really good opener. I don't know if they ever opened with it, but Definitely thought it would be a good opener.
1:30:07 - Speaker 3
I think this one I was anticipating, without even knowing it, after listening to Scared. Scared was like this epic kind of novel, three-part novel to get through And when an inch and hour came on in the car, within seconds was turning it way up Like. This is one that I kind of needed. With the placement in the album, it truly so. I read that it's potentially, or possibly, if it's about a fan who wrote a fan letter to the band. Supposedly this guy claims to come home at the end of his night shift every day. He would go buy some beer and sit on the stoop of his apartment And just crank tragically hip and drink beers. And he was thumbing through one of their albums and saw an address to write letters into the band. And supposedly this guy wrote an inch and hour, two feet a day That's all I have to say and then signed his name on the letter And part of the claim was that the band wrote a song about this guy, about this fan about this fan.
So if that's true and the band wrote a song about a fan Man, what else could these guys do to get people to love them? Holy cow, you know Who does that. Nobody does that. That kind of blew my mind. I dug the song. It was a good placement, Kind of felt like I was craving it within the album and it hit the spot.
1:32:00 - Speaker 2
That's crazy. I mean because our band's recording later this year. I'm writing this. There's two different songs, one's called Tim, one's called JD.
1:32:10 - Speaker 3
Yeah, but doesn't. JD start halfway through Tim It does. It does Because you can merge them Yeah.
1:32:19 - Speaker 2
It does, and then it fades out.
1:32:21 - Speaker 3
And then I bet the first time you play it like the crowd's just going to, everyone's going to start barfing. It's just going to make them sick.
1:32:28 - Speaker 2
You think that's seen in the game he's Yes, oh man.
1:32:32 - Speaker 3
Yeah, so the next one, emergency, i'll be quick. This one didn't do it for me Felt kind of cheesy. I was like, oh man, either Pete's going to agree with me or if it's his favorite one on the album, yeah, i just Gord's vibrato was back in a big way and the whap pedal which I was like, oh, come on, this is definitely making the album long. What's next? So what do you, you guys, you guys tell me about this song?
1:33:04 - Speaker 2
Well on, oh, jd, if you want to say something.
1:33:06 - Speaker 1
I, yeah, I like it. I like that the mood changes as the record, you know, goes out Like the third act of this record is very moody And I think it, you know, is foreboding and emergency sort of starts that mood, you know, bringing another low tempo song, But then it sort of picks up and I just love that pickup. At the end, you know, like it's, like your fingers start to wiggle and landscapes emerge. Oh, I fucking that is high art man.
1:33:41 - Speaker 2
You said it's the third act and I it's funny It does. Tim, i gotta wholeheartedly agree with you on this one And it feels like a play, that like I'm just like they really came out swinging. You know, if it's a musical, i'm just. those first few numbers were awesome, was entertaining, and now this song made me feel like and I had high hopes for it in the beginning too because it had a very mad season again feel to it kind of the way it started out with the guitar effects and everything. But overall not my favorite. It just feel like this, just not even I know they produce it themselves, but just a producer saying trust me on this one, let's trim this one. Maybe we can rework it a little bit and put it on Exactly, exactly Not that it's a bad song, it's just.
It's just. I feel like it takes away from the body of the other tunes because I'm exhausted at this point Same, Same with me.
1:34:49 - Speaker 3
It's like okay, we got two left. What's gonna happen?
1:34:52 - Speaker 1
Right. One of them is Titanic, terrarium Titanic.
1:34:55 - Speaker 3
Terrarium. I was like what the song's? it's odd, it's kind of an oddball.
1:35:03 - Speaker 1
I didn't really It's like El Dorado, you know, like in that sense, yeah, it's not. Yeah, sure.
1:35:09 - Speaker 3
I dug El Dorado. I don't know I was. I've been with El Dorado. This one seems like maybe it's a story about failing, not really knowing until it's like too late in the game. There's some, I guess, banjo in there. This maybe Pete Pete. Did you hear keyboards on this one? Is it kind of the same keyboardy thing?
1:35:32 - Speaker 2
I maybe I did Yeah, because I did, i did banjo. I wrote that down. I thought that was really cool.
1:35:39 - Speaker 3
Yeah, yeah, it's, you know it's, it's this one's a little ominous. It has this it has a nice, dare I say, a nice, fade out, but this, you know it's, the song was kind of it's kind of trippy. I wasn't really sure It. The thing that I think was solid about it is it the placement and it feels like the album's wrapping up. That's what this song kind of felt Right, which is fine in the cadence of everything. I guess it just made me curious how it wraps up. And you know, let me, let me, let me start the album over again.
1:36:19 - Speaker 1
All right, so you go backwards. All right, that's, i get it, i get it.
1:36:22 - Speaker 2
You guys don't like this or that. No, no, it's, it's. It's like That was kind of cool, it's like a French movie. Do you ever see that French movie called Cache?
1:36:35 - Speaker 1
I don't think so. It's really, We just call it. we just call it cash.
1:36:39 - Speaker 2
That's true, he probably just do.
1:36:41 - Speaker 3
We call it hey, cash. Come on.
1:36:43 - Speaker 2
It's a really great film, by the way. I just sidenote It's. It's, it's a. It starts off by just a camera filming this house and it the whole beginning of it. It's like 12 minutes straight of just people walking by this house to still camera on a tripod just filming this house. You're like what the fuck is going on. And then you, and then, if this couple starts receiving video tapes in their mail from some anonymous person sending them, sending them videos, of their house.
Just it's really crazy movie, yeah, and and it drags And then the third act is like something that happens in the third act and you're like what the fuck It's out of the blue. You don't see it coming. This song, definitely. I felt like that. I I thought it was cool. It was definitely a turning point from the previous song. Um, love the banjo. Uh, loved him talking about his grandfather or his friend's grandfather. work for good year. Um.
1:37:52 - Speaker 1
My great grandfather or his great grandfather.
1:37:55 - Speaker 2
Um, uh. But his great grandfather was a welder too, and he said something to the tuna, i don't know, like he didn't think that Titanic would sink, or he, he didn't not think that the Titanic would sink. So it's like is he, is he?
thinking that his grandfather is somewhat responsible for the sinking of the Titanic. But um, i know the hip fans are probably thinking about more on for saying that. But either way, the amazing vocal melody um the fade out, i actually did enjoy um some. I can't remember what I wrote, why I wrote this, but miracles are reversible, like what that line is about. That is, that's a cool line. I dug it.
1:38:41 - Speaker 3
So I really like this song. It's it's a it's kind of a trippy song. Um, i, i, overall I liked it. I like the pace. It's just, uh, it was kind of a weird one The, the, the reference of the Titanic, and I I took that as people put their heart and soul into this massive steel structure. How could it fail, you know, and it's like it kind of doesn't matter. You can. You can build it in the most awesome, epic way, and mother nature can slap you down, no matter what you know.
1:39:16 - Speaker 1
And it was which is the glory in miracles is that they're reversible.
1:39:21 - Speaker 3
So the Titanic area is is Titanic terrarium. It's like it's in it's I guess it sounds very futuristic. Maybe it's like the idea of the Titanic was very much in a bubble, like it was this thing, this thing that people couldn't comprehend outside of being larger than life until the sink.
1:39:43 - Speaker 1
Hmm, kind of cool. Yeah, i think there's a lot to dig. Dig in on that one. That's a good one, uh, and then we, we wrap it up with track 14. Again It's. It's a marathon, this record, but it's a good marathon, as all marathons are other than needing band-aids on your nipples And possibly never tried that.
1:40:06 - Speaker 3
you know this. this one to me as a final track didn't feel like a closer, like a for such a long album. I really wanted like you know you read the last chapter of a book, you know it's the last chapter, you kind of have figured out what's going to happen And you just want like it didn't necessarily make me feel like I can't wait to listen to the next one, it just was a little bit of a huh, not really, not really sure That's how I was left hanging.
1:40:42 - Speaker 1
Hmm.
1:40:45 - Speaker 2
I, i agree. Um, i don't want to say they shit the bed on the last song, but it just didn't. It's like you say you get through a whole novel. It's like getting through Stephen King's it, which I don't know if you've ever read that. It's a very large book, it's a massive book, only to find out that, just, you know, pennywise was just a clown that you know had a rough upbringing and you know he was instead of all like the psychological implications that that, that movie or that book, in that movie, in the movie and book, it's just like a story about a clown that you know got kicked out of the circus because he was abused as a child. It's like a shitty ending, like, okay, it makes sense with the story, but really it's like God, steve, um, but I liked, i mean, it wasn't a bad song.
1:41:41 - Speaker 1
Spoiler alert, by the way.
1:41:42 - Speaker 2
Um, it had a very gin blossoms opening. I did write that down. It sounded like the gin blossoms opening, okay.
1:41:50 - Speaker 3
Oh, wow, yeah, again the nineties references. you know it's like I, i've heard so many and you have to be. You know I sometimes I'm like where was the hip really? into all these other bands, or vice versa, or both, like all these guys were just feeding off each other, maybe, i'm not sure. What do you think, jd? What do you think of this one?
1:42:14 - Speaker 1
Well, i think when you're, I think when you're touring as much as they toured, you know you're probably meeting lots of different bands and being uh, if you're not meeting bands, you're probably listening to tunes. you know, while you're going from place to place, whether it's like through a you know a CD Walkman at the time, or you know if you're in, uh, if you're in a bus or whatever, right, like they, they were best friends and they hung out, so they would have been introducing each other to sell all, all, all over the place. Yeah, um, i can see where you guys are coming from in terms of it not having that punch. you know it, it doesn't have the punch, it doesn't. it doesn't feel like the the right handed parentheses is complete Um, but I don't know, i, i, I guess the songs that I don't like as songs, sometimes I like the words. you know like. I'll still appreciate where Gord's coming from with it, because quite often his phrasing is just so off the beaten track.
1:43:28 - Speaker 3
Sure.
1:43:29 - Speaker 1
It's just something you wouldn't think about. When you see a stanza You wouldn't think, oh, i'll sing it this way, and he does it, and he makes it work, and I don't know how he does that. That's a good trick. You know a handful of things. It is a good trick.
1:43:43 - Speaker 2
You're right about that, It's, it's. You know, I think that he's still, though, JD, I mean, you know, for what's been said. I don't know how Tim feels, but for me this is probably their best record that I have heard up until this point.
1:44:00 - Speaker 1
Yeah.
1:44:02 - Speaker 2
Um, I'll agree with that.
1:44:03 - Speaker 3
I'll agree with that.
1:44:04 - Speaker 2
It's. I don't know if it's because it's self produced, but it's got a flavor. Despite the songs that like weren't my favorites or, like I said, you know, trim the fat or whatever, i still think it's their best work to date If we're listening to this in chronological order, and we are, so there's that.
1:44:24 - Speaker 3
So give us your, give us your favorite Pete. What was, what was?
1:44:27 - Speaker 1
your MBP track. What are you?
1:44:29 - Speaker 3
cranking in the car.
1:44:30 - Speaker 1
What are you playing on the playlist?
1:44:31 - Speaker 3
baby Yeah.
1:44:34 - Speaker 2
Well, i I put grace two on. When I got in the car with with with Issa this morning, i had to drop her somewhere and, um, she asked who it was and she's like what's the name of that bandit? And so I told her and like I think she's starting to pick up some things on it too. Um, so that's cool, Um, but I would say grace to greasy jungle and um, you can only pick one, Okay.
1:45:09 - Speaker 1
Then God damn, it's going on the playlist.
1:45:11 - Speaker 4
We're building a playlist You can't not with Grease song for me to just come on.
1:45:17 - Speaker 3
You go grace, you go grace too. I mean I, I love that. Also, when I again that 99 Woodstock video version just kind of made everything tragically hip gel with me, Yeah, I just from from seeing them perform.
1:45:33 - Speaker 1
You're such a live guy, yeah.
1:45:35 - Speaker 3
I am from seeing them perform and seeing Gord on stage and people in the crowd waving the Canadian flag. You know it's just like, oh, that must have been so much fun, but I'll, i'll go with an inch an hour If, if, if, it could be true that this song is about a fan letter. That's so cool. That's so cool. I really dug that song. I haven't found that one live, jd. Maybe you could play it in a live version. That would be. That would be cool.
1:46:03 - Speaker 1
Okay, i'll do that. I'm trying to mix it up.
1:46:07 - Speaker 6
Yeah.
1:46:09 - Speaker 1
All right, fellas, that was a good one. You've given me your summary of the record and you've given me your playlist track, so that means all we have left to do is to bid adieu. Goodbye Tim, goodbye Pete, and thank you very much for coming out this afternoon. It was a great deal of fun.
1:46:29 - Speaker 3
It was a pleasure. Thanks, jd. Good to see you, pete.
1:46:33 - Speaker 1
Pick up your shirt.
1:46:35 - Speaker 4
Thanks for listening to Getting Hip to the Hip. Please subscribe, share rate and review the show at GettingHiptotheHipcom. Find us on Twitter and Instagram at Getting Hip Pied And join our Facebook group at Facebookcom. Slash groups slash fully and completely. Questions or concerns Email us at JD at GettingHiptotheHipcom. We'd love to hear from you.
1:47:26 - Speaker 1
Hey, it's JD here and I'm with Pete and Tim and we have a really big announcement we want to make. Are you strapped? in Good? Mark your calendars for Friday, september 1st, as long sliced brewery brings to you Getting Hip to the Hip on evening for the Downie.
1:47:46 - Speaker 2
Wenjack Fund. Join us at the rec room in Toronto for a night of music, unity and making a meaningful impact. This event is dedicated to honoring the legacy of the tragically hip.
1:47:55 - Speaker 3
while supporting the Downie Wenjack Fund, immerse yourself in a powerful tribute performance by 50 mission, celebrating timeless classics that have shaped Canadian rock history. We'll also wrap up the podcast in a memorable way by doing our finale live that evening.
1:48:12 - Speaker 1
But it doesn't stop there. This event is all about making a difference. So we've got a silent auction with prizes. you've got to see From Blue Jays tickets to tragically hip ephemera to kitchen appliances. If you're looking for something cool, chances are you'll find it at our silent auction.
1:48:31 - Speaker 2
All proceeds for the evening will go directly to the Downie Wenjack Fund Supporting healing, reconciliation and positive changes for indigenous communities.
1:48:39 - Speaker 3
Tickets are on sale June 1st and can be picked up by visiting GettingHipToTheHipcom and clicking on finale.
1:48:46 - Speaker 1
By attending Getting Hip to the Hip, you're not only enjoying a night of incredible music and comedy, but also contributing to a brighter future And a community of like-minded individuals who believe in the power of music and unity Tickets are only $40.
1:49:03 - Speaker 2
so mark your calendars and visit our webpage to secure your spot at this unforgettable event to celebrate the hip with fellow hip fans.
1:49:11 - Speaker 3
Getting Hip to the Hip. An evening for the Downie Wenjack Fund promises to be an experience that leaves a lasting impact. Please join us at the Rec Room in Toronto on September 1st and be part of something truly meaningful. We'd love to see you there.
Hey, it's JD here.
Hey, it's Tim.
And Pete.
Fellows, I'm really excited that you're flying to Toronto on Friday, September 1st for our big party Getting Hip to the Hip - An Evening for the Downie Wenjack Fund. We just need to sell some tickets. How are we going to do that?
Go to our website GettingHipToTheHip.com and you'll find a link to get tickets to our event at the Rec Room in Toronto.
Early bird tickets are $35. If you go to GettingHipToTheHip.com and click on the bonus feed, you get 10% off, which means tickets are $31.50 right now. If you were to join the bonus feed and buy tickets. You'd literally have to be stupid not to do that. Definitely join us on September 1st, I'll be at the bar putting out the vibe jD. Where are you going to be?
I'm going to be watching 50 Mission perform some Tragically Hip songs and I'm really excited for you guys to see them.
Yeah, and we have a silent auction in which we've garnered some great prizes so far. It's amazing what people are donating. Some hip fans are really coming forward with some great donations And again, all proceeds are going to the Downie Wenjack fund.
And the Longslice beer will be flowing because Long Slice is stepped up and they are our title sponsor for the event. How cool is that?
I cannot wait to drink some delicious beer and also watch the comedy of Pete Van Dyke too, because that guy is a side-splitter, that's for sure. September 1st, live Toronto, Be there, B-square, gettinghiptothehip.com, Click on the bonus fee, get 10% off the tickets and we'll see you there.
Get ready for a deep dive into the Tragically Hip's iconic 1992 album Fully Completely with hosts JD, Pete, and Tim as we explore the evolution of the band's sound, the polished production, and how it aimed for mainstream success. Share in our personal listening experiences and how this album resonated with us in different ways, from car rides to gym sessions.
Join our lively conversation as we analyze standout tracks and Gord Downie's lyrical brilliance, including the catchy chorus of "Courage for Hugh MacLennan" and the various definitions of courage presented throughout the song. Discover the numerous Canadian references sprinkled across the album that give it a distinct cultural flavour, as well as discussing the impact of these songs on a personal level.
Whether you're a longtime fan of the Tragically Hip or just discovering their music, this engaging and insightful episode is a must-listen. Don't miss our in-depth discussion of Fully Completely, as we explore the band's attempt to make their sound more mainstream, the slick production of the album, and the car and computer time that really made this album come alive. Tune in now and become a part of our musical journey!
Transcript
0:00:01 - Speaker 1
When I think back to the fall of 92, everything was coming up JD. I was dating a real-life girl who also liked the hip. I was elected class president with my friend Tim under the efficiently executed two is better than one campaign, and I got a new hip record. While I love student government, the main thing the election provided me was an office in the high school for the student council, which acted as my locker and my rehearsal space for jamming the new hip album with my buddies Kirby and Dean. There was rarely a day that passed that someone wouldn't stop by for a version of pigeon camera locked in the trunk of a car, or courage. It was great fun and an experience I'll definitely never forget.
Fully completely is what I call the last record of the early era, where the hip sound is more or less matured and they're writing an embarrassing number of stone-cold classics. The idea that the production keeps getting tighter and more precise sounding is worth noting as well. Working with the late Chris Tegeritas, the boys locked in on the task at hand, even if it wasn't their favorite recording experience, and they delivered MCA, an album brimming with singles and sing-along courses. This was a band that knew its groove and walked with a comfortable stride inside of it. Simply put, fully, completely is a rock and roll record at its finest Bar none.
I'm actually feeling really excited for Pete Tim on this one. Their first experience outside of this project would have likely involved listening to this record as some kind of jumping off point, but that's not how we chose to do this. This is one album and episode, one chance to make an impression. Will this record stand up to the scrutiny that our protagonist will most certainly have for anything this anticipated? Let's find out. On this episode of Getting Hip to the Hip. Long-sliced brewery presents Getting Hip to the Hip.
Hey, it's Jay Dee here, and welcome to Getting Hip to the Hip, a weekly podcast about the tragically hip and getting to hear their music for the first time through the ears of my friends, pete and Tim, who are here with me as always Pete from Malaga, making his way to us via LA this week, and, of course, Tim from Portland. Being from Portland, as it were, i'm excited, frankly, from a logistics standpoint, that we only had to deal with two time zones this week. That makes my job a lot easier, but I'm curious how are you fuckers doing?
0:02:51 - Speaker 3
Doing great, doing good. It's well. It's, you know, december in Portland and we have a freeze happening, so we're hunkered down. It's a good day to be podcasting.
0:03:03 - Speaker 1
Sounds good.
0:03:05 - Speaker 4
It's snowing there, i take it.
0:03:06 - Speaker 3
Almost.
0:03:07 - Speaker 4
Okay.
0:03:08 - Speaker 3
Almost.
0:03:09 - Speaker 4
I'm dragging ass, man. I woke up around quarter to four this morning. I've gotten about four hours of sleep in the last. I want to say 36 hours. Yeah, so the jet lags hit me hard. Nine hour time difference sucks, but it is what it is for the hip anything.
0:03:33 - Speaker 1
Holiday travel, man Everything.
0:03:36 - Speaker 4
Fully and completely for the hip.
0:03:38 - Speaker 1
Well, that's what we're talking about today. We're talking about the October 6th 1992 release produced by Chris Sanjiris. It's a 46 minute long CD at this point because that's where still around but it was a CD. It included singles, six singles, and it was rated 4.5 out of 5 by all music. So that's a great score and there's some good background information there. But I'm curious if you want to just get right into it and tell me how you experience the album.
0:04:14 - Speaker 3
I like the evolution. This really helped me with where the albums have gone thus far, just having fully, completely be be where it's at in our, in our process, definitely.
0:04:31 - Speaker 4
I mean, i agree with Tim the evolution I love. I clearly see this going somewhere. It's strange. I think I don't want to put the car before the horse but you do it, don't?
0:04:44 - Speaker 1
you put that car as a horse.
0:04:45 - Speaker 4
No, but I feel like this record may be the dark horse If we're going to stick with the equestrian analogies in that of the four records was the fourth one. We've fourth one. Yeah, i feel like this is my least favorite, although I do have some great notes on it. But there's so many album songs, artists over the years I've disliked at first and they end up being my favorites Interesting. Oh. Yeah, i've talked with you about a few things like that before, jd, but yeah, i feel like this might be the one.
This might be the one. So, we'll see.
0:05:28 - Speaker 3
You know, conversely, for me this one, like right out the gate, was the winner of what we've listened to so far And I went into the mindset of okay 1992, what was happening in my life when I got a new album and it usually was going straight in the car, you know, straight from the record store in the car. So I just had this one mostly in the car all week. I listened to it at the gym a little bit, but it was mostly car time didn't take notes until recently on any of it and just kind of jammed out to it. There's, you know, as expected, there's definitely some I like more than others, but of course I was, i was digging it.
0:06:11 - Speaker 1
This to me was the band really trying to go over the top in terms of landing mainstream appeal. To me, that's what this record is always This record is. This record is that sound that they've been working on the last two records, that that bar sound. You know that that really tight and nifty blues, bass guitar sound, and this is just a really well produced version of that really slick. It's a slick sounding album and they haven't sounded slick up until this point. So to me, i've always thought of it as a record that was was trying to shoot for them, shoot for the moon. So I'm real surprised to hear you know Pete's analysis off the bat. Did you listen to in your car? because I do know that you have a premium audio sound system.
0:07:10 - Speaker 4
I mentioned that and you've experienced it. I did listen to in my car and there were, there were tracks that really stood out that I really did like I don't want to say I didn't like this record, but there were tracks that really stood out and, like I said, i'm really glad I didn't listen to it on the plane, because associating this record with you know, a 12-hour flight after you've been at the airport for seven hours because they delayed your flight, would have, just you know, i probably just wouldn't have shown up today. I would have just texted you guys and said you're on your own, you know. So yeah, but it's. I mean computer time and car time was what was, what did it for me, this one.
0:07:52 - Speaker 1
Alright. Well, do we want to get into the songs? Let's do it Alright. The first song is called Courage for Hugh MacLennan.
0:07:58 - Speaker 4
I am Okay, bring up notes. So obviously I'm. I'm doing research on Hugh MacLennan and who he was because I want to know what the history of that is. The chorus is just catchy as fuck. It is just it, just it, just I don't know. It feels like there's a change of tempo, but it's not. But the lyrics just make it so sweet. The squeaky backup vocals that you said were going to eventually make their way in there. It would be the staple of, i believe, the bass player.
0:08:38 - Speaker 1
The rhythm guitarist, rhythm guitar player. Yeah, all along.
0:08:42 - Speaker 4
Those are all over this record. And then, kind of looking at the lyrics, which I did a lot more lyrical analysis for this record than others His Gord's definition of courage as opposed to MacLennan's definition was something that I really haven't pieced together yet, but I dug it. I yeah, i'll talk about more because I think this record is thematic in that sense because there's just a lot of Canadian references. Obviously There are, oh a ton. What about you, tim?
0:09:16 - Speaker 3
Yeah, I was excited right out of the gate. Playing this song in the car I thought, okay, song number one for this album. If you know I'm a fan, starting at the beginning of this band or just really even coming into this album. This first song is a great first track of an album. The tempo is good, you know it's, it's singable parts. you know it's just a good, simple rocking tune and just as far as. Yeah, i had no idea who Hugh McLennan is or was. You know that looked him up and definitely feel like I need to read at least one of his books. So probably get a suggestion from you, mr JD. But you know it's this song about consequences and facing the light or the dark. You know it's just, it's a great, a great kickoff for the album. I loved it.
0:10:13 - Speaker 1
This to me has one of Gord Downey's absolute best turns of turns of phrase or lyrical works of art. You know, it's a feat of strength, almost what he does with the text of McLennan's work. It shouldn't be as effective as it is, but it is. It works so well and all he does is read the lyric into the melody. The lyrics are there's no simple explanation for anything important any of us do. And, yeah, the human tragedy consists in the necessity of living with the consequence under pressure, under pressure. But the way he phrases it and the way he the music in the background is building up, it's so powerful and so such a great bridge. And then, you're right, it goes up up against that banger of a chorus to outro the song. Really fucking strong, strong work. This is a karaoke staple of mine as well, so perfect, yeah you mentioned the phrasing.
0:11:22 - Speaker 4
It's funny because I thought the same thing and I think I put in. It's ironic. I'm showing this. People can at home can't see it, but this is just sitting on a thing and I'm thinking about it because of amazing it's a copy of Life magazine with Sinatra on the front yeah, sorry, sinatra.
So I think people like Sinatra, i definitely think other musicians from the 90s, but this puts him, this record put him lyrically in that category for great phrasing. Not many people. People can put lyrics to songs and it sounds cool and they can sing harmonies and melodies. But when you can phrase a song like you just said so well, it just makes the song so fucking cool, brings out the lyrics in the melody so much better yeah, i agree.
0:12:12 - Speaker 1
so next up we go to a real interesting song. this is something that Gord would carry with him, especially in his later years, and that is like the crisis in Canada's north crisis with our Indigenous people, and this song takes a look at that. It's called Looking for a Place to Happen.
0:12:38 - Speaker 3
I thought this one started off running, you know, felt really catchy, without knowing what the lyrics were or background or anything. It just starts off really well. But eventually I realized, okay, this is something about taking away or taking what's not yours. You know I hear guilt and sorrow in here. It's just full of emotion. So as I looked into it I realized what it was basically about It.
Even I don't know it got me when I got to the end of the song I heard Gord kind of singing through the outro Like it doesn't it carries on into me. That resembled like something around the fact that the invasion just is continuing on. You know, the taking away is continuing on, the pain isn't going to end. You know this, this and I think he he harkens that so well in this song for what the content is It? just it kind of it kind of floored me. It felt like a lot. And you know their songs I'm experiencing over the course of this catalog is you know some of them? I feel like, oh, this must be fun in a bar. You know people buy. I love the song and some songs are like fuck me. You know this is heavy stuff that we all still need to deal with and think about and realize, and just such a, such an impactful band.
0:14:20 - Speaker 1
Yeah, and as they got bigger, they, you know, they, they took that to heart. you know that they had that, they carried some clout and they used that, and you know to, to a really good degree.
0:14:33 - Speaker 3
Well, even even some of their. You know, some of the lyrics and some of the storytelling is just very North American based. It's, you know, often very much Canada for sure, specifically. But it did, and also, you know, at times made me again think about what the fuck? why didn't they resonate more in the USA? because I identify with a ton of it. There's so much there, i think that crosses over.
0:14:58 - Speaker 1
Yeah, borders. How did you feel about looking for a place to have a beat?
0:15:02 - Speaker 4
It's funny because the the what I said before about this record being thematic and and very, very Canada, kind of picking up where Tim left off. In my research of the first song and my research of who Hugh MacLennan was, I remember his wife saying to him, because I think his first couple of books were like flops, like you need to write about what you know, write about Canada. And that book, the third book or whatever book, the his book that he finally wrote about Canada and what he knew, ended up being really, really successful. And I feel like the hip kind of played around with that. This first, their first few times out, their first two or three records, but this one is just all Canada And it's just it's Canada threw up on this record, And in a good way, Jacques Cartier is mentioned.
Jacques Cartier is mentioned in there. So, yeah, i think it's. It's cool because for and Tim, maybe you can speak to this because as Americans, we get a, we get. We have this polite maple syrup, like I said, but LeBat blue version of who Canadians are and what Canada is free healthcare, marijuana, everything's great north of the border on the roof of the US. But I think only probably in the last six or seven years has it really entered the American consciousness of the plight of indigenous folks. And in Canada, in the north, i don't think it's something that, tim. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm just ignorant, but I feel like it's not something that's been talked about, at least in the mainstream for Americans until recently.
0:17:00 - Speaker 3
I think you're right. I think you're right. We've we've definitely have talked about it more USA, regionally specific.
0:17:06 - Speaker 4
But, but to know it was that this was being.
0:17:09 - Speaker 3
This was in mainstream rock music in 1992 is cool, right, exactly, yeah, yeah, we weren't necessarily singing about that in 1992.
0:17:20 - Speaker 1
Yeah, No, certainly we weren't here either other than other than through this. Yeah, and a lot of people. you know, for everybody that does like dive deep into the lyrics and and and wants to analyze you know what it all means that there is an equally large or maybe bigger cohort that is just wants to fucking dance to some music. you know, like they just want to rock out And they get to do that with our next song at the hundredth meridian, where the great planes begin.
0:17:51 - Speaker 3
Ready Mark.
0:18:08 - Speaker 5
Roll it And take my life with my hands Where the great planes begin, at the hundredth meridian, at the hundredth meridian, where the great planes begin, driving down a part of our road, we stand in a shoulder high. The road is crusted Of wind and dust. At the hundredth meridian, at the hundredth meridian, at the hundredth meridian, where the great planes begin, let alone the dead chapter, car and train hauntings. A generation's almost done with any of these great planes. King crashes with the wind and The greatest planes along the line of old road, car and train out of Mali outskirts. The world is so very cruel, but I've done the best thing.
At the hundredth meridian, at the hundredth meridian, at the hundredth meridian, where the great planes begin, at the hundredth meridian, at the hundredth meridian, at the hundredth meridian, where the great planes begin, and remember. I remember above and low, and I remember a thing about, it seems to me I don't ever, ever say no to everything I know. I don't ever, ever say no to everything I know. I don't ever say no to everything I know. If I don't walk on the road, i've seen a promise. Maybe I'll need some place. I don't want to be a dead man. I'm a dead man, i have to transport. I can't say I'm on this sleep. I've borrowed the keys. I've been listening to some songs and the tracks. I don't want to be a low on the shoulder. I've been listening to some songs and the tracks. I don't want to be a low on the shoulder. At the hundredth meridian. At the hundredth meridian, where the great planes begin. At the hundredth meridian, at the hundredth meridian. At the hundredth meridian, where the great planes begin. When the planes begin, oh, Love this one.
0:21:05 - Speaker 3
All things backups. Can we do karaoke with this one?
0:21:09 - Speaker 1
This became a lot. Yeah, i would do karaoke this. This became a life staple, for sure as well.
0:21:13 - Speaker 3
I'm sure, yeah, garbage red sheep, garbage red trees, whispers of disease driving down a corduroy road. I had to look up corduroy road. I was like what the hell is that? So that was a really interesting Find right there. What is it? What is it? references. You know Laying down logs along waterways so you can keep on your journey. You're basically walking down logged paths. So, yeah, that's that's what a corduroy road is.
0:21:44 - Speaker 4
Pretty cool, no idea, no idea, i Dude this, this tune, i would probably say I probably say this tune is my favorite on the record. I think The the like the, the borderline wrap, that um, that that gordon He's doing, and it um just Fucking amazing.
The the the guitar, wah, um is is nasty, um, i It fits though, right, it's, oh Yeah, totally more than more than past songs I've heard No absolutely the realizing the again Going back every song, i think there's a, there's a reference, a historical reference, that the hundredth murdering was the, the separation of the united states through between spain and france and later between the us and spain, after the louis excuse me, louisiana purchased from um france and then from uh, and then with the united states of mexico, like that historical reference of it. But this song is just, it's a fucking Banger. It is a banger, right, it is a banger, absolutely, absolutely. And there's, there's, by the way, um, um, this song Has that line you mentioned it, tim garbage bag trees. I think that is in the song before looking for a place to happen that same, there's another reference to garbage bag trees, and so jd, or anybody, give me a line on that garbage bag trees.
0:23:24 - Speaker 1
I wish I had one to me. It just, it just reminds me of one of those old derelict areas where you see, like debris caught in the, the fences, you know that's been blown around, wind strewn. I picture, you know, like a garbage bag tree to be a plastic bag that is fastened itself into the tree And, uh, it just looks, you know, more depressing by seeing it but I don't know that's. That's just my thinking. If you've got an angle on this, send me an email. Jd at getting hip to the hip calm.
0:23:59 - Speaker 4
Put to be, to put that in two songs in a row on a record got me something.
0:24:04 - Speaker 1
Yeah, agreed. How about you, tim? What did you think of this one? Oh, i guess you already. You spoke first, didn't you?
0:24:11 - Speaker 3
Yeah, i mean I dug it. I I thought, uh, overall I I felt the anger in here. There's so much self expression which you know they're definitely feeling. so many songs, um, i, i love the refer, the reference or the declaration of have right cooter, you're seeing it, my funeral, you know that's in just going back and listening to some Rai kooder songs, i mean there's a lot of influence there for the band and it's I dug it. It's a great song, great tune.
0:24:42 - Speaker 1
Now, did you recognize that lyric from anything?
No so the live version of highway girl He. He says that at one point He says get mr Rai kooder to sing my eulogy, all right, fun. And then boom, it shows up in this song, like two years later, like it was just a, it was just a throwaway phrase in a, in a story, in the middle of a song, and then it becomes, you know, this end of this epic rant, uh, end of this epic rap, rather, that he sort of does this, this rap piece. Yeah, i think it's fucking cool. They started using this song to jam out songs in the middle of as well, and then it would. It would always lead up to that, that part, that that bridge part.
Now, all three of these songs that we've talked about so far Are singles. Courage was the third single, at the hundredth meridian was the fourth single, and looking for a place to happen was the fifth single. Well, so they're. The records got legs. I mean, they really tried to leg this one out and and see if anything would stick. The next song is our first album cut of the Of the fully, fully, completely record, and it's an interesting one as well, title wise. What the hell is the pigeon camera, pete?
0:26:04 - Speaker 4
So it's um, i had to look this one up too. Um, i guess back in the day 1909, there was a scientist or an inventor who Who thought that strapping cameras with time delays on them to pigeons would be a great idea, and so They kind of took off for a little bit. I would love to see actual Photographs. I that's something I I didn't.
0:26:33 - Speaker 1
Sit. The birds took or of the birds that the birds took.
0:26:36 - Speaker 4
There's a lot of pictures of the birds with the camera strapped to them but that the birds took, um, they were going to do it for you know, military purposes, for reconnaissance, but then planes Came and they started being able to mount cameras on planes, so it kind of, you know, went by the wayside. But, um, yeah, this song I liked it. Um, it didn't do A ton for me, but the guitar solo was very redeeming. It, it, it, i this is going to sound really strange because it's well, obviously so many years left kind of very sublime feel the band, sublime from that guitar solo, the tone That the guitar that was being played or the notes that were being played. It just sounded like it was uh, it was a.
It was a Soul taken from the band sublime, but I liked it. It worked. It was really cool. Well, you got Yeah whoo-foo fight.
0:27:35 - Speaker 3
I did not go to sublime and That band just just makes me. It makes me cringe. I just Hear it and it's changed the station as fast as possible because I only ever hear it. When I'm in southern california driving around listening to the radio, some stations are playing that band, like I swear, every 17 minutes. Oh yeah, oh terrible.
0:27:57 - Speaker 4
Anyway, it's against the law to play that at a bar in long Beach. Yeah, it's against the law.
0:28:03 - Speaker 3
It should be. It should be. Yeah, they should sell the. Anyways, uh, pigeon camera, i, you know it's. I think it's a good Slot four slowdown It's. There's this kind of calm, serene guitar riffing in there. Um, it's. I guess there's a lot of references when you look up actual pigeon cameras and kind of dive deeper into that.
As you touched on Pete, i did find, you know, as you said, pictures of pigeons with the cameras strapped on them and Kind of thought about what, what, what is that? and you know, carry, the carrying of information, the passing of secrets. You know the, the, i don't know. It just seemed like a wartime era thing. I wasn't really sure why This song was in there, conceptually, lyrically, everything you know there was.
It was a head scratcher. But the coolest thing about it was finding out about fucking pigeon cameras, simply like I'm glad the songs there, because, dude, you got to look up pictures that they took. There's a few online And they're fucking incredible. Like there's portions of wings Surrounding a landscape, you know it's, it kind of worked, but who the hell knows, like when you got, when you develop this film and you're printing these old black and whites and seeing all this abstract shit, like You know it's. It's so bizarre and weird. Let's write a song about this Very fascinating thing, guys, like did you know that these pigeons to carry and take cameras or take pictures? Like what the fuck? why not write a song about it?
0:29:54 - Speaker 1
So weird, yeah, fun song we go to another album track, and this is one called lion eyes.
0:30:01 - Speaker 3
So this one in the car was Fun and so sing along. You know, it's like simple, easy to get along with. It's a rock song, it's a good jam, like I imagine people just belting this out at live shows, maybe even almost annoyingly. If you're ever go to shows and you hear people singing like a little too much, yeah, sure, bands love it when it happens and they can, yeah, i just this is just could be one of those songs. The the parts about When he sings From the cleftab low variant. You know these, these film references are really kind of that. That was all this added Kind of mysteriousness to me. the cold wind blowing over your private parts. I'm like, is that you know? I, i was really trying to driving around listen to this over and over Because it's so listenable. I'm trying to decipher, you know, heads or tails of it and couldn't, couldn't get much, but overall It's an easy song to consume. Yeah, storytelling wise, i wasn't so sure, but overall it was like man, this is a jammy, easy one for sure.
0:31:18 - Speaker 4
It's funny you say that, tim, because it's for me, storytelling wise. I found it way more interesting. I mean, i like the tune, i Like the turnaround after the chorus on the bridges, wildly out of place, like I just It, just it. It shut my brain off for this song. I was like, oh cool, i'm into this bridge comes. I'm like what the fuck is this? Is this like the same band I'm listening to, but the the references to tableau we've on which I had to look up. I was like a nativity scene even.
More or less, i would assume. And then the other one, romana, clef, oclef, all these French references in there seemed really cool. Like this is again Because I think musically I liked the other ones. They stuck to me much quicker. I did a lot more digging in the lyrics for this one. I really liked. I really liked All the lyrical references Reveal more as the songs go on.
0:32:27 - Speaker 1
Yeah, it's pretty loaded, it's really loaded Yeah okay, so we go next to a pretty menacing song, and especially menacing when you consider this one was a single and And it's fucking tremendous.
0:33:15 - Speaker 5
Some. The truck's gone. The wind overlanded a real rainbow, like a new much star, when you could see everything but a logical factor. But ten bucks in just to get the tank chopped Oh, dang it. I found a place to stop and infrared it. It's a truth. We had a place where the copters won't spot it And I destroyed the man. I never even thought I'd forgotten. However, every day I'm dumping my body. If they better for us, they don't understand. If they better for me, they don't understand. Oh, dang it. I found a place to stop and infrared it. It's a truth. We got a place where the copters won't spot it And I destroyed the man. I never even thought I'd forgotten. However, every day I'm dumping my body. If they better for us, they don't understand. If they better for us, they don't understand. If they better for me, they don't understand. Let me out.
0:36:43 - Speaker 4
Let me out, let me out.
0:37:28 - Speaker 1
Let me out.
0:37:53 - Speaker 4
I just love it. The second solo is just like towards the end. It's so awesome and I'm gonna pull a tim from Portland right now. The fucking fade kills me. Like it's so fucking cool man. The guitar solo is so awesome. I'm just like just fucking end it, guys. And they fade it and I'm just like you motherfuckers I never noticed it before you said it's him and then I start listening to songs like these. Or I'm just eating up the guitar solo at the end, like it's fucking mac and cheese And they just take the plate away from me. Dude, it's like eating a mac and cheese. There's some on the plate and the waiter just comes by and fucking takes it and says Sorry, here's the check.
0:38:51 - Speaker 3
I hate to say it, but these fade outs make me pissed on a couple of levels. I mean the song Courage. The very first time I heard it in the car it fades out. It's an okay fade out, though, but as I heard it fading out in the car, i cranked the volume all the way. So now get the last, as I wanted to finish the song, you know, and the other part of it that pisses me off, it makes me frustrated, is never having heard them play live. I mean, they didn't fade out songs live. So it's like I wish I could hear the song live and hear how they ended or see what happens. So that's, you know, that's a don't want to spend so much time on that, but yeah, i feel that this song is.
It's so heavy, it's pretty gnarly. The lyrics are crazy, you know, the storytelling is very sinister, dark, dumping the body. Be better for us if you don't understand. And then you know, after diving into this one further, i read about the story about Caroline Case, which, judy, i'm sure you know, this Toronto mother of three whose car was found overturned and wrecked and the bodies didn't show up. And there's this whole story that ties in with the song. That's just amazing. It's just such a dark song. It's cool. I mean I appreciate the level of storytelling and kind of malice and all of those things with us.
0:40:38 - Speaker 1
Yeah, it's really fascinating that they can go to these dark places. You know, the last couple records have been have been chock full. This one so far is a more lively, less dour sort of record, but we get our first taste of it here and, yeah, maybe it is better for us if we don't understand.
0:41:01 - Speaker 3
Yeah, agreed, it's just dark on many levels, you know. But again, when I read the story about Caroline Case and that whole tragedy and mystery, it's like fuck, what Amazing bits of information to call together to create a song about. Pretty cool.
0:41:24 - Speaker 1
They've all gone and will go too.
0:41:27 - Speaker 3
I thought maybe this was about like the difficulties of being on the road and traveling and playing gigs, setting up, tearing down. You got this massive country to drive across zigzag. You know it's kind of a. To me it was kind of a filler song with a long ending. You know it has like a 30 second ending, which is a little unusual, so I didn't listen to this one. A whole lot, a whole lot of extra times.
0:42:00 - Speaker 1
How about you Pete?
0:42:01 - Speaker 4
I'm in a second-day emotion Smokey And I say the opening guitar lyric was interesting, although very 80s, 90s. You know they, somebody in that band loves John Cola from Huey Lewis in the news because that guitar tone is just, it keeps showing up, it just keeps showing up. I think I don't know that Alanis ever listened to much Huey Maybe she was a hip fan, but I a lot of her music too, that I listened to that. Those, what are they? it's like a univive or something that he's using on the guitar, just keeps showing up And it just sounds a little dated. Because I feel like back when people were using those effects, they didn't have anything cool to play on the guitar, they just had a cool effect. So like playing anything was like, hey, be impressed because I've got this amazing effect. I'm not playing shit on the guitar, but it's a cool effect, right? Right, guys, you know so. But yeah, the song all in all doesn't do a ton for me. So what about you, jd? I don't know.
0:43:19 - Speaker 1
Well, i think it's fascinating that this is the first mention of production really that has been brought up. I mean, you've mentioned guitar tone a couple times. but yeah, it's a slick, it's a slickly produced record. This guy who produced it produces a lot of like metal And if you know about the production of metal, oftentimes it's got a real clean well, real clean and focused kind of sound, very precise, and I think we get a bit of that on this. I'd almost love to hear what this record would have sounded like with Don Smith producing it, who produced the last two. But we get a taste of that when we go into the next record and they start to self-produce and they start to. it's almost like this record. they go as far as they've ever went production wise, and then they go completely the opposite direction, you know, for the next swath of records, and go sort of back to basics.
0:44:30 - Speaker 4
Feels formulae And that, like, like I heard on the first couple couple records, like I felt them like really trying to go into the space of of being obscure and trying their own shit. And then maybe the record label was like All right, guys, enough, your crap, we're going to get a fucking big time producer. And then he's gonna you guys are going to be staws. you know, like I don't know what the fuck they were thinking. I feel like this is kind of that, although it's a good record. But yeah, i hear you JD.
0:45:02 - Speaker 1
You know, for many fans this is their favorite record, so it's it's. It's tough. It's tough to be objective about it. It's not my favorite record. I've got another one that's my favorite And we'll get into that soon, but I hear that I I could.
0:45:18 - Speaker 3
You know it resembles a following an athlete who goes amateur to pro. Yeah, this, this felt like this album. You know I don't want to get into it as if we're ending, but I agree with that JD.
0:45:31 - Speaker 1
Well, the next next track we get is the titular fully, completely.
0:45:37 - Speaker 3
As a title track, accidentally listened to the song first, instead of the first track, you know, searched the album and this thing came up. And I was getting ready to drive, to sit in way and then realize it was the title track and I was not, i wasn't 100% sold, i wasn't a kind of questioned certain things about it as a title track.
Or I heard, like Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam in there, you know there's just it's this kind of never ending guitar riffing. If you listen to it really closely, there's a right channel tambourine happening. There's a total afterthought production thing. It's like, hey, let's just add in some tambourine, like it's there If you really listened closely and it's it's. That made me like the song more because it added this kind of fun element to it. But I I thought it was not the strongest for a title track. I thought it was just okay.
0:46:38 - Speaker 1
This is our first title track we've ever got as well Right. Yeah, can I?
0:46:44 - Speaker 4
ask you, JD, was this a single?
0:46:46 - Speaker 1
This was. This was the last single on the record.
0:46:49 - Speaker 4
Okay, because I I have the same Tim. You mentioned something about the tambourine. I think that's so funny, because I I felt the same way, of course, about the tambourine, but also the, a lot of the guitar licks. I feel like if the song was just raw, maybe, maybe, maybe Gord Downey stepped on the gas a little bit harder with the, with the vocals, it would have been a totally different sounding song, but I think it was recorded. And then afterward producers like Hey you, you guitar guy, come in here, throw some more licks down here. What do you want me to play? Just do something.
0:47:26 - Speaker 3
Yeah, and it's like Hey, who's your friend over there in the corner? Can you play tambourine? Come on over here.
0:47:32 - Speaker 4
You know, but like I, i yeah, i feel the same way. I couldn't like super get into it, but I thought the guitar solo at the end was a huge, was really like the slide all again, all the licks. In the beginning, like I didn't dig that, but the solo at the end was really big payoff And I could see how this song at a show. Jd, maybe I'm wrong, but I could see them taking this at a show and just fucking do a 15 minute version of it.
0:48:01 - Speaker 1
That's what I was going to say. I was going to say this song was one that wasn't my favorite for a long time And then it grew on me And now I would say it's like a top three on this record for me. Live It just slayed Yeah.
0:48:15 - Speaker 3
Just slayed Again, where I had the same sentiment, pete, where I just wished I could have heard this type of song live version, because you hear certain things when it's recorded and you wonder, like, why was it produced this way, or why was this thrown in, or why this or why that? And you know that there is a more raw version of this out there And it's like you got to get through the, the, the meal that's prepared for the pictured menu item, when you walk in the restaurant and you think, okay, that's, that's supposedly what I'm going to get, and then the live version is like nah, here's your fucking mess of a meal. It's going to taste the same way, but this is actually what it looks like. That's, that's, that's what I thought about this song.
0:49:02 - Speaker 4
Tim, i couldn't, i would not to take it a step further, but I'm going to take this stuff further. It's like getting through a shitty Thanksgiving dinner because you want to go out drinking later And then and then, after you've been out drinking to like three or four in the morning, then you hit up Taco Bell or whatever it is, and that's where the that's where the real joy of eating comes in. And that late night meal is the fucking live version. It's 100%. We're at where I die on this one.
0:49:30 - Speaker 1
All right. Next up, we go to 50 mission cap.
0:49:59 - Speaker 5
The barilco disappeared that summer. He was on a fishing trip, the last goal he ever scored. They didn't win another 1962. I stole this from a car. I worked it in. I worked it in to look like that. It's my fifth mission. And I worked it in. I worked it in. I worked it in to look like that. The barilco disappeared that summer. He was on a fishing trip, the last goal he ever scored. They didn't win another 1962. I stole this from a car. I worked it in. I worked it in to look like that. It's my fifth mission. It's my fifth mission. It's my fifth mission.
0:53:45 - Speaker 3
It's my fifth mission. I worked it in.
0:53:54 - Speaker 5
I worked it in. I worked it in, i worked it in.
0:54:07 - Speaker 3
I worked it in. I worked it in. I worked it in. I worked it in. I worked it in. I worked it in. I worked it in. I worked it in. I worked it in.
0:54:42 - Speaker 1
I worked it in. I worked it in, i worked it in.
0:54:58 - Speaker 3
I worked it in. I worked it in. I worked it in. I worked it in I worked it in.
0:55:17 - Speaker 1
Basically, just put a melody to this hockey card, sentence or paragraph rather, and boom, there's the verse. You know it's crazy, like I've seen the card before. And then you get this brilliant anthemic chorus 50 mission cap. But even it is a little deeper than just a brainless chorus because it's a 50 mission cap. And then the next lyric is I worked it in, i worked it in to look like that. So is the protagonist here somebody that really truly is wearing their 50 mission cap, like with pride? or are they trying to sneak by, you know, to make somebody think that they've been in their 50 missions? I don't know like, but I fucking love thinking about it. How about you, Pete?
0:56:08 - Speaker 4
Okay, so the lyrics certainly seemed like he was reading from something Clearly. yeah, that's what it was, and I don't know if that's a if. when he said JD, you mentioned like I made you think that or something. What was that You said a second ago about the lyrics?
0:56:27 - Speaker 1
like Oh, I worked it in to look like that.
0:56:30 - Speaker 4
I worked it in to look like that. Like maybe he's referencing people who you know. unfortunately there are those people who, who would wear a 50 mission cap and never, you know, completed a mission in their entire lives. you know those, those fakes. But the song wise is just, it's an amazing song Looking at who Bill Barilko was And ironically, his body wasn't found until the years that Leafs won the cup next.
0:57:04 - Speaker 1
They found his body, and then the Leafs won it.
0:57:07 - Speaker 4
It's almost like he was cursing it right.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's yeah. Sorry, that's what I meant to say, sorry, no, no, no, it's so cool And I took a deep dive into this. You mentioned all the other stuff already about the amazing chorus. I love the squeaky back of vocals made an appearance again. The guitar lyric, or the guitar after the chorus, does this thing where it goes up and down by half steps and it's just so. It doesn't sound like it fits the song, but if it's the song perfectly, and Tim said this is clearly a hip song, because it is And it again might be my favorite on the record, but other stuff, that it's a staple at the home games when the Leafs are warming up, and also, what else did they say about it?
Oh, that in the like the private lounge. I'm not a big hockey fan because I grew up in Southern California. You are Tim? No, i'm Tim Brown. Yeah, yeah, no, yeah, it just, it's just hard. But even though we had Wayne Gretzky, but that there's a, there's a handwritten lyrics signed by Gord Downey in the players lounge, it where the players hang out, and that Bill Barolko. Anyway, and when the when the hip would play the Canada Airlines Arena or whatever, they would leave up on Bill Barolko's jersey his number.
0:58:50 - Speaker 1
Yeah, they were tired.
0:58:53 - Speaker 4
But that was the only one they left up, like kind of when they, you know, change the arena for the hip show. From what I read, i don't know, but it was really cool just for that particular reference. It's what a song, fucking awesome song.
0:59:09 - Speaker 3
Loved it. Loved it And it made me think about also, you know, kind of tying in with sports and war, like seeing your favorite team do so well and also knowing that they have fallen, or have you seeing them fall? There's just, there's a tone here that's like defeated but also like quit while you're ahead. I don't know. It's kind of a bit of a surrender thing. It's a great tune. I enjoyed it.
0:59:39 - Speaker 1
Well, it's followed on the record by yet another tragically hip ballad slow song that you probably don't want to slow dance to once you find out what it's about, and that's weakings.
0:59:53 - Speaker 4
You want to take it to him.
0:59:55 - Speaker 3
I mean, it's a hell of a mood song, right? I think there's some banjo in there. Is that what I hear? Some? banjo Doe bro.
Doe bro, some doe bro plucking. I maybe gave it three listens and, as not being a diehard hip fan, it's one of those placements in the album where I get it and get why it's there, but also just I move on. It's. There's a couple. There's some good lines in there. Can't be fond of living in the past, you're not going to last. It's like someone getting caught or being in the middle or guilty or jail time or yeah, it didn't, didn't move me. Oh Tim, oh Tim. It's probably Pete's favorite.
1:00:52 - Speaker 4
I couldn't disagree with you more. I wouldn't say it's my favorite. I will say this song and this band continues to amaze me with its ability to just be super heavy and then go into these little acoustic tunes that they throw. I call this. You know, this is like when they're in the studio. They're like okay, this is going to be the acoustic song, but it reminded me of how great I felt when I listened to Fiddler's Green on Road Apples.
1:01:22 - Speaker 3
I thought of the same. I thought of the same.
1:01:24 - Speaker 4
Yep, had that vibe, yep, the intro with the sound effects and the animals and the birds, the bluegrass vibe. There's a line in there that I love is so good. I can't remember the first part. The second part is hung with pictures of our parents, prime ministers, as just such a fucking cool line, and I did some a little bit of research on what was going on with the reference of. You know they were watching the Held, their Breath or Whispers, and the CBC News, that's right About a guy named David Millard who was served like 21 years for a crime eating committee. You got it. It was like you know. There's a lot of that in the US justice system too.
1:02:19 - Speaker 1
Oh, right Yeah.
1:02:20 - Speaker 4
It just was such a cool fuck Like what. I don't know if the guy's still alive. I don't know if you heard the song when it came out, but what a fucking.
1:02:29 - Speaker 1
Yeah, i mean coincidence, i think, is the word you're looking for. So this record comes out in 92 and in 91, millard and his people are granted the ability for a clearing of his name And it was 20 years that he was in prison for a rape that, a rape and murder that had occurred in 1969. So basically, the guy is born in 51. His almost his entire life is around this, this tragedy. Right And Gord took, you know, a simple acoustic guitar line and turned it into an epic story of the beginning of the exoneration of David Millard.
1:03:29 - Speaker 3
So I hear the reasons why and I understand, i get it. I guess there's just for me, okay. I guess for me experiencing an album and thinking it as like a book, and you're going through the chapters and you know some, some chapters, you're like, oh man, i love where the character development is going And then all of a sudden you experience this, this downfall, this, this unfortunate event. You know, and it's the wild ride And I'm trying to. I honestly thought, okay, honestly thought Pete probably loves this song, fiddler screen, etc. Everything you said. You know why.
Why is it that this is triggering for me personally, in the cadence of an album, to hear something like this and be like, come on, you guys, let's just get to more good jam and stuff. I don't know, maybe it's the time of year, maybe it's winter, maybe it's the holidays, which I like have a love hate for. This is just. This is just one of those tracks that I was waiting for in the album. It's like, okay, here we go. Who's this song about? That was fucking kind of real. What did he not do?
1:04:44 - Speaker 5
What did he not?
1:04:45 - Speaker 3
do? to go to jail? God damn it. Fucking injustices in the world, All these things. It's like fucking, another fucking ballad about God damn it. You know just, it's just like this emotional roller coaster. It's like, okay, what else we got, What are we moving into next? You know that's in the hip albums. To get to this type of song, I'm always like, okay, there's only a couple left. Where are these guys going to take me?
1:05:15 - Speaker 1
And where do they take you next?
1:05:19 - Speaker 3
Where with all? so where with all you know, you jump and straight into some jammy chords. The scene's pretty calm, i thought for kind of the guitar progression. The, the baseline, really hit me as like 80s metal, rat motley crew, maybe G&R.
1:05:43 - Speaker 4
I.
1:05:46 - Speaker 3
This song, JD the producer what you said. His name? Christiane Arias.
1:05:51 - Speaker 1
Yeah, right, it's a Greek last name.
1:05:53 - Speaker 3
He can ever say eat all over this one, i Guarantee it. You know so it's. I thought you know there's some single, maybe some single potential here, but wasn't really sure. It's fucking short. I Read up on it a little bit with the Richard Dawson controversy and references towards Nixon and Those kinds of things, but this song overall and the band was like fine, you can have it. We're making it less than three minutes long, interesting track.
1:06:30 - Speaker 4
Yeah, i said the same. I mean I had the same. I'm feeling about it, the private thing that I that stood out most because the guitar was just so prominent. It's easy to say the guitar was awesome and heavy and all that, but I really like the drums, really dug the drums in this one. I thought the drums drove it.
I was interested in the Nixon reference because I didn't really know what the song was about. I did a little bit of digging and, tim, i don't know your, your thoughts around Nixon. It's crazy because My dad liked Nixon, like he was very sad when Nixon died And I know a lot of people who hated him. And then I, you know, when I grew up and kind of learned about who he was, i was like if not really That great of a guy, especially when all the tapes came out on everything. But Yeah, it's funny too, because if it is about Nixon, i'm like where does where do Canadians? That's like. You know, what do I think about a former Canadian Prime Minister? I don't think I can Name a former Canadian Prime Minister before Trudeau. If you had a gun in my head, jd, i'm sorry.
1:07:49 - Speaker 1
We're used to it up here on the roof. Yeah, man, it's, but I am getting a little concerned about all the guns to the head references. That's like your fourth in terms of the podcast. Just Just you know. Checking you out, just make it sure everything is all groovy over here.
1:08:13 - Speaker 4
Yeah, so, so, that's, that's what I got.
1:08:16 - Speaker 1
Okay, so that brings us to the last song on the record, and that is El Dorado.
1:08:44 - Speaker 5
El Dorado, when It's a man's size 10 times. Look in here. It's all hard work. What's that smell? Smells like coffee. It smells like coffee. If you regret it, please say something Like I know, jesus, the evil makes me calm and I know it makes me calm and I'm a loving. Ring a brother in love and ring A brother in love and ring a brother in love and ring It's a man's size 10 times. It's a man's size, elder of all. I don't know what it is. You can't take it. You can't take it. Where we going. What's that taking? I tell some men shed a hood and makes me sexy. Where we going makes me sexy. I'm a loving. Ring a brother in love and ring A brother in love and ring a brother in love and ring It's a man's size inside, inside, inside, inside, inside, inside, inside, inside, inside, inside, inside, inside, inside, inside, inside, inside, inside, inside, inside.
1:13:16 - Speaker 4
Wow, you know what? I was always because my buddy had a Ford Ranchero, Which was the Ford version of the Opium, And he had a champagne colored Ford That he sold to some guy in Denmark. It was a 76 or 74 and he sold it And I'll never forgive him for it because it was the coolest fucking car And it just smelled like gasoline and it was loud And it handled like a fucking tank And it was just Oh yeah, mine didn't have power steering.
1:13:49 - Speaker 1
Oh no, none of that Dude.
1:13:51 - Speaker 3
My uncle, chris, had a light blue Ranchero I don't know early 70s And it was so large for two doors and seating maybe for two and a half people It was the biggest vehicle. When I was 16, he had me drive it from his house to my folks house And I remember scared to death that I was just going to hit a parked car Because I felt like I was driving a car that was two cars wide. It was so gigantic. But fast forward, i guess maybe My grandparents owned Eldorados.
They had two specifically. I remember A Block 4 door and a White 2 door. They had like a Coop early 80s Eldorado And those were. I mean they were like Rolls Royce's to us As kids. We thought they were, we were riding around in limos, you know these were like the nicest cars. So I totally get the car reference, 100%. The 2 door one that my grandparents had. I was in the back seat trying to get to the front seat, dropping my grandmother off somewhere, and she closed the door on my leg And I thought I'd never walk again, i mean those cars were just behemoth.
I was like I was like 7, maybe 7 years old, But the reference is here just to get into the song, and less about cars, you know, But World War I in Canada, basically coming over to serve the motherland And fight Germany, it's just, that's all just so heavy. You know the line Berlin makes me sexy, making me sexy. That one tripped me up a little bit, You know. I was like okay, are they implying This kind of glorification of war? you know, are we now, is Canada now I say we as a full Canadian are we now in this kind of limelight Because we came across the pond to fight, you know, And we're going through Berlin And we're seeing the separation there And we're hanging out at where is it? Where the US had their base in Berlin, Oh gosh.
1:16:07 - Speaker 5
It's um.
1:16:09 - Speaker 4
I don't know, were you born in Canada too? No, oh.
1:16:15 - Speaker 3
What was it called?
1:16:18 - Speaker 1
His pick Canadian accent, doesn't it? Come on, tell me voted guys. I'd have to edit that out.
1:16:25 - Speaker 4
Hey now, hey now.
1:16:27 - Speaker 3
But anyways, like the Berlin making me sexy part Just makes me think like maybe Berlin was the shiny object Kind of around that time. And it's this beautiful song. There's this amazing bass, there's these big fat toms going on with the drums. You know, i imagine that was just at their recording room to kind of reel those in. I thought it was a good closer for the album.
1:16:59 - Speaker 1
Yeah, I do too. Pete, where are you with this one?
1:17:02 - Speaker 4
I well, definitely we need to continue our conversation in a later date About Alderados and Rancheros, but I dug it. I really liked it. Probably my favorite part about it was the second verse. There's some really cool like sharp guitar licks in there And the lyrics are really syncopated. The where, when he, when he's I can't remember the, i can't quote the lyrics specifically, but the syncopated lyrics are really cool. Again goes back to him being I'm sure it'll just get better like a fine wine Out. What a great phrasing lyricist. He is a singer, but I didn't.
I was a little confused about the Berlin makes me sexy to Tim And I dug in some like forums and I just thought the funniest thing was And, by the way, i know we apologize to the listeners and I won't do that anymore But I really want to apologize to the band because I love this band, like I love this band, and I hope that if anybody ever hears even a fucking sentence of this podcast from that band, that I have the utmost fucking respect and admiration for them because they're fucking cool. But that being said, somebody said this song was written under the influence of little bat blue and Jack Daniels And I just was fucking rolling in my chair. Hilarious but cool. Good tune to end the record, yeah for sure.
1:18:41 - Speaker 3
I got the Berlin reference around Berlin making me sexy. Maybe that had to do with, like checkpoint Charlie, right That's. I don't know. I was not really.
1:18:53 - Speaker 4
Wasn't Charlie Vietnam.
1:18:55 - Speaker 1
No, no. Charlie in Vietnam referred to what the Americans called their enemy on the Vietnamese side. They called them Charlie. No, it's the crossing point between East and West.
1:19:11 - Speaker 3
Yeah, it's the crossing point between East and West Berlin Shows my World War II. It still exists.
1:19:16 - Speaker 1
It still exists my Hey, pete, your World War II knowledge isn't that bad. You just don't pay attention to sequels. I don't watch that. You read about World War I and you were like, yeah, man, i don't need to read the sequel.
1:19:29 - Speaker 4
Seriously and everybody's paying attention to the possibility of World War III right now, and I was just like guys, i don't care, this is stupid, it's all about WWI. Anything they make after that sucks.
1:19:46 - Speaker 1
It's all computers now. You haven't seen a war until you've seen a horse full of wagon in beautiful black and white Double speed.
1:19:58 - Speaker 4
This podcast took a really dark turn. I love it.
1:20:01 - Speaker 1
So I have a question for you. This is their third full length record, But this one came out like less than a year after Road Apples. Road Apples was 91 and this is 92.
1:20:21 - Speaker 3
Which was unusual for them, right.
1:20:23 - Speaker 1
It's unusual for any band like at this point, but like, certainly, if you were going to do that, you think you'd do it in your first and second record, not your second and third. You know that's. It's just interesting to me that they were able to come up with 12, like, like, pretty great fucking songs and put them to wax, you know, so short of time after Road Apples. I just wonder if.
1:20:48 - Speaker 3
Why the hustle I?
1:20:49 - Speaker 1
don't know, i don't know, was it?
1:20:52 - Speaker 3
a. Was it a kind of a I hate to say it, but like a cash grab to get them to next size venues on tour, because man traveling across that country to only hit like 200 to 1,000 or 1,200 fans and then to go to like 3,000 to up to 5,000 fans per show. That's that's a hurry go. What were they doing back then?
1:21:18 - Speaker 1
They played Maple Leaf Gardens on this tour and then they opened their Canada Center on this tour, which is the where the Leafs play and the Raptors play, and then they started a summer festival. They did a summer festival across Canada and maybe a couple cities in the States called another roadside attraction And that's where I first got to see them on my 19th birthday, july 24th 1993, in Markham Fairgrounds. I I got to see them live for the first time And it was almost like out of a storybook, because I got so incredibly drunk and high and I passed out during the band that went on before them and slept, slept basically the whole time on the ground, and then woke up magically when the, when the hip went on and I was fine.
1:22:15 - Speaker 3
Oh, i would love to go back to that moment, the three of us with JD right now, that would be so fun man. JD come on, bro, it's time, wake up, yeah.
1:22:26 - Speaker 4
I don't know if you, i don't know if you asked your question, jd, but I was going to comment on what you said Because I feel kind of the same thing. I don't know if it was a cash cash grab either, tim, but I feel like this was the push where the record label finally said look you, fuckers, we've, we've put a lot of money into you. You're going to make a hit, and they brought in this big swing and dick of a producer And we're going to fall through the roof, so to speak, and being as. That never really happened. Maybe that's where, you know, we lead into their fifth record, which will be next week, to to kind of start exploring their own, you know, being more themselves instead of living for you know what they, what they think they should be commercially.
1:23:21 - Speaker 3
Yeah, i think so, maybe, maybe. I mean, this was an era where bands were not getting paid enough but making a living off of selling albums, selling CDs. Yeah, you know, i mean we're. We're years away from MP3.com kicking off. Yeah, that's right. And so anyone anyone in the biz back then who saw this band doing well and saw fans at shows across Canada going bunkers and knowing that people were doing the tour or doing all the West Coast shows or doing all the East Coast shows, you know, like any, any band manager would have been like let's knock out another album I know this one's going to kick ass. Let's get this metal producer in to you know, organize everything and let's keep keep it all going. And I guess this is the album that made them realize they could do it on their own, which is fucking amazing, because a lot of bands in the 90s would not even step out, no way.
1:24:31 - Speaker 1
Yeah, we're going to find a market shift in the sound and tonality of of this band starting with the next record, day for Night. If you've got anything you want to say to wrap up this record.
1:24:46 - Speaker 3
I just wish I had my grandparents El Dorado, out front with some hip on the eight track. Did they ever make eight track tapes? Oh man, wouldn't that be cool? I'll just, i'll just fantasize about that with what JD passed out in the back and P all hyper in the front seat. That's, that's. That's, that's my, that's where I'm going to leave it.
1:25:09 - Speaker 4
Same here, man, same here. I wish we wish we had a wish we were driving around in the champagne colored Ford Ranchero with a, with a 24 pack of the bat blue on the on the floorboard.
1:25:24 - Speaker 3
Love and the smell of fuel.
1:25:26 - Speaker 1
Yeah, All right, as we do every episode of the show, we are asking each of you, fellas, to choose your MVP track for the record. Fully, completely, tim, let's start with you. You, son of a gun.
1:25:46 - Speaker 3
Yes, So my favorite song off this album was definitely El Dorado. You know, went back and listen to it a little bit more And there's even some. there's some Michael Steip feels in there, just literally.
1:25:57 - Speaker 4
I can't wait, man.
1:25:58 - Speaker 3
Just with with the way Gord sings, you know they're so. They're so much from the nineties going on on these albums. It actually makes me miss the nineties. I often think of the eighties as being just so spectacular, but the nineties were for music. It was so good to, and this, this is just one of those songs that maybe you also want to listen to. Just a bunch of other stuff. So I'm going with El Dorado.
1:26:23 - Speaker 1
Cool. What do you? what's going to be your playlist song there, pete?
1:26:33 - Speaker 4
The hundred meridian hands down, the phrasing in it, the historical content of it, how I'm aware that that line physical line, not lyrical line, the importance of that and how it will eventually play into other hip references in the future too. It's just, it's fucking cool man, It's going on those for sure.
1:27:03 - Speaker 1
Awesome. I can't wait to hear these lists as they as they grow in stature. All right, that's what I have for you this week. So there's that. Hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did. See you next week, fellas, pick up your shit.
1:27:24 - Speaker 2
Thanks for listening to Getting Hip to the Hip. Please subscribe, share rate and review the show at GettingHiptotheHipcom. Find us on Twitter and Instagram at Getting Hip Pod And join our Facebook group at Facebookcom. Slash groups slash fully and completely. Questions or concerns. Email us at JD at GettingHiptotheHipcom. We'd love to hear from you.
The boys are back and this time their discussing the 1991 LP Road Apples.
https://ratethispodcast.com/ghtth
LIve music from the episode:
Cordelia - Roxy 1991
Born in the Water - Outtake
Three Pistols - Misty Moon 1990
Fidder’s Green - Calgary 2006
In this special episode of the podcast jD, Pete, and Tim sit down with Gord Sinclair for a broad conversation about touring with the Hip, the future of Rock music, and his new record In Continental Divide.
Stay tuned for the big announcement following this episode. If you know you know.
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Transcript
0:00:00 - Speaker 1
Well, we're really, really thrilled that you could take some time with us today. This is a pretty exciting And this is my pleasure.
0:00:07 - Speaker 2
I appreciate it I.
0:00:09 - Speaker 1
Don't know if you know what the premise of our podcast is, but I want to give you a. Snip it so you get a. You get an understanding of who these two gentlemen that you're, that you're with, are sure.
0:00:21 - Speaker 3
Maybe you should tell them at the end JD, let's get the Way.
0:00:28 - Speaker 1
No way, no way, i'm sorry out. So I did a podcast called meeting Malcolm s and it was about pavement and I met these two guys in Europe last year Going to see pavement a bunch of times and we got talking about music And I really love the way they talk about music, the thoughtfulness and the way they understand it and so, naturally me being a very big, tragically hip fan your, your name came up and Them being from Southern California, one by way of Malaga, spain, and one by way of Portland, portland, oregon. Now They hadn't, they hadn't had much experience with you. So I thought, dreamt up this idea of the podcast taking them through your discography, one record at a time, so that The listeners can experience, can experience what it's like to hear your music for the first time. Again, cool.
0:01:27 - Speaker 3
It's been. It's been a journey man, it's been really.
0:01:31 - Speaker 2
What do you guys up to now like record-wise? is it still work in progress or we have just released up to here.
0:01:39 - Speaker 1
So Okay. Here's a fun fact for you. Did you know that if you take your entire catalog and Release them, starting on May 2 4 weekend, and release one a week for the summer, it ends on Labor Day?
0:01:58 - Speaker 2
Oh, no, I didn't know that you're your catalog.
0:02:01 - Speaker 1
Your catalog is perfect for the summer man.
0:02:03 - Speaker 2
Okay, great, well, that's, that is kind of appropriate. For sure We're, you know, sir It. We're unlike Southern California. We kind of lived for the for the three or four months where You can actually sit outside and play guitar with it, your fingers falling off, you know.
0:02:21 - Speaker 4
That's, that's definitely me. in Portland, oregon, we had the the soggy a spring I could remember in my 22 years here.
0:02:28 - Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah, that's a great town. We we played Portland a bunch, the Aladdin theater, remember that place.
0:02:36 - Speaker 4
Yeah, it's an awesome theater.
0:02:37 - Speaker 2
Yeah, it's great Yeah.
0:02:39 - Speaker 4
Yeah, it was. It was a cool room. It was fun to play that. We'd love to have you back there with your your current gig. So it would be yeah well, it would be great.
0:02:48 - Speaker 2
It would be great. Things have changed for the live music business. Unfortunately, Do it for the most true.
0:02:56 - Speaker 1
Yeah, so for now, the tour, the tour that you're doing In Toronto and like Southern Ontario, yeah, is that? is that what we're expecting to see for now, or will there be more dates in the future?
0:03:10 - Speaker 2
I mean it's still. It's still up in the air. I I'm certainly not averse to doing more dates, but we, you know, yeah, but, but we'll, but we'll wait and see. You know it's it's it's not an easy proposition. Taking the show on the road, i mean the expenses are kind of through the roof from, just in terms of putting the boys up. That's why we're staying pretty close to home. To start, not only on my band leader now, but I'm also a father. My, my youngest son, is Playing bass in the group and he's got a day job, so I got to get him back. It would be irresponsible for for me to have him run away to the circus like I did, you know. But what it needs to be seen, you know it remains to be seen.
0:04:03 - Speaker 1
So how is that turn? turning around to your left or right and seeing your son, you know, in your familiar spot?
0:04:08 - Speaker 2
It's, it's, it's, it's pretty great, i gotta say it's pretty great. He's a On his own. He is an amazing musician. All my, all my kids can play, but but he, this one's got a particular Ear and talent Guitar and piano or his principal instruments. He's not really a bass player But he can play just about anything. He's just one of these kids that can hear a melody on the radio or on record and sit down the piano and play it back to you. So, on that regard, it's really, really great to see him actually playing the. The flip side of it is as a He's a singer, songwriter in his own right and it's in the process of finishing a record that he did while he was at university, mcgill.
And it's tough, you know, it's tough for young kids starting out today to get that, to get that leg up.
You know that opportunity to that a group like ours had, you know where we, you know We were able to start playing gigs while we were in school, you know, and and kind of built it up from there very, very, very organically.
We got better as we played more and and and as we played more, more people came and Then we got more gigs and it sort of snowballed from there and, like we like most, we started as a cover band And, crazily enough, like back in the 80s when we were playing, they didn't really want original artists in the clubs in Canada. So we would, you know, we would we were playing mostly kind of B sides of old stone songs and pre things and Kinks and stuff like that and then thrown in on, and so when we played at our song we said, oh that's, you know, that's from an old Damn record from from 1967, just absolutely bullshitting our way because there's some clubs that you had to write down your set list, make sure you weren't playing original material, bizarre. So. So now it's yeah, it's just a different scene. I'd love to see him working and playing, making it, taking a go at it.
0:06:18 - Speaker 4
Yeah, i kind of feel like this day and age to Make it in a band and get on an actual tour That's further away than your closest region, it's like, it's almost like becoming a professional athlete. Yeah, you know, it's just like your chance. Yeah, getting that notoriety and getting embraced and carried through it, it's, it's just tougher. I have a close, close cousin of mine is in a band here in Portland and They're going at it so hard and you know they're lucky to get, i don't know, the six, six or eight West Coast swing. Yeah, and happy about it, but I tell you the cost for them and all that. Just like you said, it's, it's, it's, it's a tough, that's a tough go.
0:06:58 - Speaker 2
Yeah, it's, it's. It's very much the same here. It's like anything, you know it, that You put a group together, you just, you get that, jones, you know, you do it for the love of it, and if you see a little glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel, it's enough to keep you going. Right, the one gig leads to the next, the next, but, but, boy, if you get continued roadblocks thrown up against you, it's a little demoralizing.
And certainly up in Canada the live music scene Was in a tough spot even before COVID, and COVID really, just, you know, cut the head off the vampire It was. It was just made it so, so difficult, particularly at the at the early stage gigs, like in most downtown cores They've been. You know, the small rooms where it would be your first gig when you came to Winnipeg, or your first gig when you came to London, ontario, those rooms don't exist anymore. Yeah, you know, in fact I was talking to my agent a little while ago and Again, it's been a while since I've been out to Western Canada But he was saying that there's not really a gig in Vancouver and Calgary, you know, you know, in a 500 seat capacity and that's, and that's tough when you're just coming through town for the first time. I mean it's tough is on a regional level. If you're a young band story or a colonial, let alone From Kingston, ontario, you know, which is a real shame. I mean, the great thing about being from Canada, you know I The biggest obstacle to touring in this country Is actually our greatest assets, the sheer size of the country.
You know, once you, once you kind of break out of your region and play in the crap little clubs around your hometown, then you've got eight, ten, twelve hours in some cases driving in between The, the gigs and you learn really early and really really quickly How to play. You know an empty room on a Tuesday night and a shithole on a Wednesday night With the object of getting to a win, a peg, you know, for Friday and Saturday night and maybe selling some tickets. You either You either fall in love with the lifestyle and the guys in your group or the gals in your group is the case. Maybe you're you bust up before you get you out of our problem, yeah, ontario. And so you get a lot of hearty souls that are doing it and then in the meantime, during all the traveling, you just develop this rapport with your bandmates and if you're a composer at all, it's great.
You have so much time sitting in the band or sitting hotel room. You, just you're right, shoot the shit and Become what you become. It's true for musicians, it's true for crew people in this country as well. You know, you look at any international group and their crews are populated by Canadians. Because they have that experience, you learn how to travel. You know, get along with people in a confined space of a Band or tour bus, and it's a real asset that we have. The, fortunately, is getting more and more difficult.
0:10:17 - Speaker 3
It's a bummer, because I love you guys you guys own your, i mean, and I we know this. I know this because We've pretty much gone through the, the majority of the discography, at least for the hip, and You guys really honed your skills of those Tuesday, wednesday night shittles, yeah, that you're playing To get you know, you can either take those is like Oh man, there's, there's five people here. What do we do? Like let's, let's, let's, let's treat it like a really tight rehearsal. Yeah, you know, whatever, and it it shows, at least from my perspective, on those records, those early records, and like to you guys just peak and just, you know, coast at 35,000 feet, so to speak.
But it's funny you mentioned about the touring scene because I live in Malaga, i grew up in Southern California but I live in Malaga, spain and I We had a record come out last year and we're getting ready to do a second record And it's in the city center. They don't want anything original, they want stones, beatles, you know, maybe a couple Zeppelin tunes thrown in. They don't, they don't want they, they want cover bands, that's all they want.
0:11:39 - Speaker 2
Yeah yeah, it's, it's tough, it's, it's a funny time And in a lot of ways I think it's a kind of a dangerous time from a cultural perspective. I mean, i, i'm a Stones fan and I'm a Beatles fan and I'm Zeppelin fan, you know, got it second hand from older brothers and sisters, you know. But but I, honestly, you know, i honestly believe that every generation needs their own stones. They need their. They need, like I grew up on the clash, right, you know, and the jam and and that was I was able to define Myself away from older brothers and sisters because of the tunes that I was like. And then, you know, and I've been Quite honestly, i've been waiting around for the next Nirvana and honest believing in my heart that's somewhere in the world, in some mom and dad's basement, there is the next Nirvana, working it and learning how to do it. I just, i really honestly believe it. I mean, again, i we're very fortunate Over the course of our career, touring, you know, we have Mums and dads that are bringing their kids to the, to our shows, and now those kids are, you know, so great, right, stealing to the hip and stuff, which is awesome.
But but I worry, we're For Canada anyway, where that next hip is actually gonna come from. You know, and it's again, i think it's a cultural thing and, and you know, into your point about the Learning how to play the empty rooms, i mean That's what allowed us to. We were back and forth across Canada a number of times before we got the opportunity to Make that left turn and British Columbia and start playing in the United States, and it was literally like starting over. So by that point we were playing like larger clubs and doing really, really well. And then You know, you go down to Seattle and you're back to, you know, 20 to 50 people and and It's actually it's really informed our career. You know, we learned really early on to play to each other, it totally, and and how to play on stage and we always had this mantra we learned to play The hockey rinks like they were clubs and we learned to play the clubs like they were hockey rinks. You know, and Cool, cool.
0:14:08 - Speaker 4
I love it.
0:14:08 - Speaker 2
And we were really. We were also really really fortunate that we would go to a region like the Pacific Northwest In the States and, you know, at the club live and you could look out and you could see familiar faces, the folks that were really into it, like maybe it actually bought the records and you can see them in the first couple rows and and It was the same when we started in Canada. So we would change up the set every night. You know, try to throw in as many different tunes and we wouldn't open with the same tune, we wouldn't close with the same tune and to make it look like we were Not even look like we were trying, we were really trying to entertain these folks. You know, and you guys are all music fans and there's nothing worse than you know, you catch an act and you catch the, the acclater and the tour and it's like Hello Cleveland on the teleprompter.
You know yes, agreed, agreed 100% and it's kind of like If you avoid phoning it in, consciously avoid phoning it in, then you're not phoning it in and You're not thinking about your laundry or the fight you just had with your partner. While you're out on the road You're actually engaged with your fellow musicians and particularly with the crowd. And, yeah, it's important to me as a music fan, you know, i just think it's really when there's still groups out there, you know, at the rink level, that do that, you know.
0:15:29 - Speaker 4
Yeah, yeah, to comment quickly about your, your wish for the new Nirvana, like I think it's happening in in these sub capsules, like these regional areas. You know, i, i, i hear about bands doing a West Coast tour and doing in small clubs, smallish clubs, but also doing house parties along the way. And When I first heard this one band, i followed when I first heard they were doing, you know, in between, let's say, san Francisco and Eugene, they're doing house parties in Arcada, california, or Eugene, you know, south of Eugene or in Ashland is like. So they're doing house parties, like people are showing up and getting shit-faced and rocking out and in. To me It was kind of brilliant.
It was very old-school feeling like you know, i remember stuff like this happening in the 80s, but at the same time I'm like, Well, if that's a way to hustle and get more fans to support you know, your, your venue climb, then that's that's just amazing. So I think it's happening with, you know, some of these kind of post-punk, kind of yeah, yeah, art rock bands. You know it's, it's happening, but it's it's so, it's so capsule-based, yeah.
0:16:45 - Speaker 2
Yeah.
0:16:46 - Speaker 4
So to break out of that, it's pretty tough.
0:16:48 - Speaker 2
Yeah, i mean that that's my understanding of it as well that the first show I've got is part of a festival in our hometown called Spring Reverb and we again, it's a very, very local promoter who who's, you know? God bless them there. They're all in on live performance and they're they're they're like the Don Quixote's of music in this particular region And they'll do whatever it takes and there's tons of groups on the bill That I haven't heard before. It's and it's an exciting, you know, and it's a. It's a really, really good thing. But I think for your average music consumer, my age, it's like No one's trying to Pitch new music to me in any way. You know which is a real kind of drag. I, i have the dough to buy the records, but I don't know which ones to buy. You know, and it's I Still it's a. It's a bit of a problem.
0:17:47 - Speaker 4
I'd love to send you a list. I'm bugging these two guys all the time. Hey, you gotta. You know. I told these guys all the time Hey, please, listen to this. There's one band in particular. I told them three times listen to it. Just make me a playlist. Maybe I'll listen to it later.
0:18:02 - Speaker 2
And it's cool. It's never been easier to produce a record, like again when I started. Recording was expensive and you had to have a deal to do it and Someone had to invest the money in it, which, again, was maybe part of the advantage that we had that we did have some resources behind us with our first, even with our first DP, private resources and but you know that that patronage system is, i mean, kind of goes back to the Mozart days where you know folks that had the resources were able to Have house concerts, just happened to be in Palaces, right, right, but right, it's a good thing. I mean. I think you know the kids will find a way. It's just, it's just how, how to take it to the next level. I mean we, when we first started touring the States You know it was still regional radio was a real big deal.
It was just before Ronald Reagan and the clear channel days kind of ruined it so many ways where you And it's a real shame as a music fan and as an artist you know you could be stiffen in one market, but then you go to like Austin, texas, for us it's like holy crap, where did all these people come from? And then you find out that a local DJ's got an affection for the band and they're kind of, they're kind of paving the road for you in advance And it was such a great. It was a great time. It was a great time for music.
0:19:48 - Speaker 3
It's about what's played to you, gord, because I mean I just want to you talk. You mentioned the Clear Channel thing, but it's about what you're exposed to. Like you said, the DJ, that it's got a, that's got a. You know, it's got an affinity for your band. I know, joke. I'm in California right now because I'm visiting family out here And I saw two of my best friends. One flew out from Texas, the other one lives out and he's got to play some Mexico but he works the train. And so we all met up and on separate occasions I told him about this podcast and we listened to, to some hip tunes and they're like who the fuck are these guys? And and like immediate fans. Strangely enough, and because we have the same like taste in music, the three of us we grew up we played in bands the others were five, but never, never were exposed to it. Yeah, Yeah.
Never had it.
0:20:44 - Speaker 2
Yeah, we would get that a lot over the course of our career. You know, we've always benefited from really passionate fans that that they would, they would get it, and just the old fashioned word of mouth thing, you know, we would come back through town like 18 months later and they, they would have brought all their friends and maybe got turned into some more corded music, but then they would see the band play live and it would all make sense Like live music is supposed to. It's just like, oh, i didn't even think of that song on the record, but when they play it it's like, ah, you know, that's my new favorite song. And then it grew just really, really organically. You know, we, we never really had the benefit in the United States of a single that was big enough to open up like a national type of market, but we, we, we maintained this ability to tour around this, the circumference of the country, you know, and, um, yeah, and you know, wherever they had a professional hockey team, we would do pretty good, you know, right?
0:21:56 - Speaker 4
So And I will say, though, i read, i read, i read you know something about you guys playing the, the Fillmore in the nineties in San Francisco, and there was some comment. It was like, yeah, they always do, they always have a big crowd here because every Canadian in California comes to the show, you know. so it's, it's hard to, it was hard to get tickets because all the Canadians would show up. So, you know, i love, i love the story of how everything happened organically and you guys kind of started from playing small clubs and what have you, and cover songs and how it. that rise is just totally remarkable And it's, you know, it's obviously worthy of of sharing, which we're we're doing now. I I gotta fast forward and ask about this. this uh, air stream, though, and you guys recording and you tell us about that.
So cool. We have our own fantasy in our minds right now. Well, it was really it was a.
0:22:54 - Speaker 2
Again, it's a kind of a a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a. It's a COVID based reality that that I faced, sure, the group myself, we, we own a recording studio in in Bath, ontario. It's a residential studio. So, um, COVID, it was really super busy because you know, artists, musicians, could, you could test up and and you'd live there. You didn't have to go anywhere and and as long as our, our engineer, um, you know, was safe.
It was, so I I couldn't get into it, you know, like I just couldn't. It was booked out and and, um, i had, uh, you know, i'd I'd put out a record called taxi dancers previously And it's one of those things like I had tunes left over from writing with the hip and stuff. She got years and years to do that and then. But COVID was great for me as a, as a songwriter. I was locked down in my home with my family and um, and I was writing and using the guitar and and and writing lyrics as my means of journalism journaling really And I wrote this record fairly quickly.
My buddy James, who played with me a bunch, i produced a bunch of records for his band, uh, peterborough, called the Spades, and so we've just always had a really close relationship, And he is an engineer and producer in Peterborough, um, and had this great idea this summer, before COVID, and he bought up an Airstream trailer And he rigged it up so that he was able to strip down his gear from his studio space and transplant everything into the airstream and go completely mobile So he could record live shows and, you know, any sort of situational stuff which I thought was a genius idea. And then COVID hit and it kind of you know, it kind of went on the back burner and then we got talking and said, you know I got enough tunes for a record And you know he played with me on the first one and engineered, so we want to try to do it again. And so he literally recorded it in my house. We parked the airstream in the driveway and ran a snake underneath my garage door and plugged in And it was kind of great. I hoofed my family out and it was just. It was just James and Jeff Housechuck and I are a drummer And we kind of stripped things down.
We learned all the songs as a three piece, you know, with me playing the bass and then and then tracked kind of pretty much live And Jeff and I would play together and put the bed tracks down to like a scratch guitar, scratch, vocal and kind of did it like that. It was really kind of wicked and and not only in office is recording is, you know. We learned the songs and we kind of had all the beds done in like three, four days. It was just bang bang bang, kind of like that It was. It was a lot of fun, like kind of old school recording. You know We trying to almost emulate it doing its 16 track. You know, really minimal overdubs and just to get that sound. You know we spent the majority of our time miking up the drum kit, you know, so that we could. You know the Jeff Housechuck the drummer is just a fantastic player, jazz guy, and he decided to slum it with us rock and rollers And he brought that, that complexity and the touch where you could actually hear the notes on the drums.
0:26:48 - Speaker 4
Yeah, yeah.
0:26:49 - Speaker 2
I could hear it. That's great. We actually ran into him. Ironically, james and I were supporting the group classic Canadian story. but our very first show of the tour that we were doing supporting the troops got snowed out. We got to the bottom of George and Bay and the road was closed. It was drifted in. and so we drove back down to Toronto and went to this great club called the Rex Jazz Club And and Jeff was playing with this organ trio you know like real kind of like just fantastic player and had a couple beers with him after and said, hey, do you want to want to do this If I ever make another record? he said yeah, tommy, and the rest is kind of his. Yeah, it's wicked, yeah actually the phone.
0:27:34 - Speaker 3
Yeah, Yeah, No, like, for example, the song over and over. I think it is Yeah.
Yeah you can tell. I mean you can tell throughout the record, but like that one in particular. Like, however, because once you lay down your initial, you know your drums and bass, your guitar, your bones you start playing with arrangements. And that I was wondering, like thinking about your process, you know how you go about recording and once you get stuff down, but the way you explain the Airstream that had to have promoted like some level of like creativity, like where you see something you're like let's do this, let's try this, because you're not sitting in a traditional studio, yeah, you know, with four walls, yeah, and a window and like do you know what I'm saying? Does that? Yeah?
0:28:29 - Speaker 2
no, 100% That's. That's exactly what we were able to do, you know, within the confines of the house, like I have a small home studio, i have an open house, so I got curtains everywhere to kind of allow, you know, for not only privacy but to kind of the dead and the sound and stuff. We had to be creative with what we were doing and trying to figure out where we're going to put drums and what we're going to do with bass. And it was literally because of the way Jeff played And my natural affinity for records that were done in the 70s that we wanted to, instead of getting the big, boomy Bob Rock kind of like we're going to play in the cabin, smash, smash, smash drum kit, we wanted to, like Jeff plays with jazz sticks, that's, you know it's with.
Well, let's put them in this curtained off room where everything's totally dead and and do the do the Jeff Emmerich, you know and kind of play and play and play and move the mic and move the stand until we got the kit sounding perfectly. And then in the meantime, you know, we're rehearsing And James is playing with us, and then we, you know, we get tempos down and stuff and, and you know, do a scratch acoustic guitar and vocal. So we know the arrangement And then Jeff or James would go out into the air stream and we counted off and Jeff and I would play together, you know. And the bass amp is elsewhere in the house So there's no chance of it bleeding in, but we didn't have walls or rooms or anything like that. And again, it was the same process. Most of the bass is not DI, it's, it's.
I've got an old, you know, portaflex B15 from 1965, the James Jamerson right And it was kind of like you stick the right mic in front of it And it sounds like, it sounds like Motown, you know, and and that's that's kind of the way we get it And obviously I knew the tunes real well And Jeff is just such a good enough player. That was like, oh, you know, you kind of get it in one or two takes and go out and listen to it. And then again is a cool thing that we go to the driveway, to the air stream, which was really our control room, and you listen to it all stripped away or it's just bass and drums And it's kind of like, oh, it's got even without a lyric and without a guitar or even a music Or even a melody. It's like, oh, this sounds pretty wicked.
It's kind of the inverse of being a songwriter where I've always believed if you can sing a song around a campfire, and it can, and it can exist on that level and subsist on that level. And it's like, oh, okay, this is a decent song. And we kind of combined those two ethos and to make this record And it was again, it was just because of the circumstances of making it that you know, we all had to be tested up And we, you know, it was just the three of us and we were also living together and eating together and drinking beer together and playing pool pool table in one part of my house And it was great. It's like it's the band camp, you know it's the hardest way to kill time
0:31:49 - Speaker 1
you know, sure, gord, i have a question from somebody on Twitter. We let them know that we were meeting with you And he said it's Craig Rogers from Twitter. And he said, curious if he curious of Gord finds himself writing on guitar or bass more often, or a mixture both with this album and when he wrote for the hip. His bass playing is very melodic, so does he have a chord progression in mind first and then works out a baseline, or does the bass melody come first?
0:32:17 - Speaker 2
I primarily write on on guitar, for sure, you know, certainly with the hit, even the songs I would bring to the hip, i would have written riffs and started out on acoustic guitar, not all the time Like they were. on occasion I would try to do something on bass. Bass is kind of tough to sit around on your own. Keep yourself entertained. You know you can play along and stuff. But certainly like my main contributions writing with the hip because we had developed that cooperative songwriting style where you know no one in the group would bring a finished idea to the band. You know we would basically throw out a riff, be it a guitar riff, in some cases a bass riff, and we would start playing together And Gord would start putting a melody on top and a lyric on top And it was great that way. As the bass player you'd like oh here are all these holes all like add melody in here. Or in a lot of cases it was from the middle of songs while you were jamming or sound checks. You know we were always playing And but yeah, it was great fun.
I miss making music with those guys big time because it was as a songwriter. It's different now, like you, never when you're, when I was in the hip, you never had to finish an idea And even if you had writers, if you were stuck with something, we would get together frequently And someone always had something new and fresh And that would, you know, cause a light bulb to come on And it would suggest a change that maybe the guy that brought the briefing hadn't thought of it Meanwhile, gord just being Gord, he would be riffing on top and his melody would suggest a change that he would make. And it was great.
I loved being in that band And I miss it because it's like you know, like, yeah, you start, i still start the same way, i start with the riff, but man, it takes a lot longer, you know, to come up with complimentary parts and the lyrics and stuff. And again, i credit Gord. I really, you know, i tried to bring some heft to the lyrics that I was writing for this project and my previous one as well, cause he's, you know, he set a pretty high bar as a songwriter you know and can't really you can't really put out a solo record I've said this a few times, but it's absolutely true Like you can't write.
Yummy, yummy, yummy. I've got love in my tummy, you know, and feel good about yourself with some of the lyrics that Gord has, Yeah. So yeah, the writing's a, it's a. It's a, it's a fun, it's a fun process. I'm not a sit down and write every day kind of guy. I don't do the Stephen King and lock myself in my studio for 2,500 words a day. You know, I kind of sit around and watch hockey playoffs or baseball playoffs and with the guitar in my lap and noodling all the while, and then you're like, oh, and The cascade begins from there. You know, kind of not really paying attention to either, and It's amazing if you're receptive to the idea, It'll come from somewhere. It's, it's great fun, It's great fun.
0:35:47 - Speaker 1
Gordon, i'm so thrilled that you laid down in 2020, you laid down get back again. Yeah, so it was. So we have a like a proper studio version of that song, because I gotta tell you, that was one of the hip songs that I came to early on and in my young hip career, and I was like whoa, this is something that's not on the record. It's like this is like a bootleg, or this is so cool And I gotta I gotta wonder, though, how did it never end up on a record like that? It's such a phenomenal song.
0:36:17 - Speaker 2
It's, it's a funny one. I mean that it was That's. It's an old song. I mean that was back from the day when we were we were kind of clubbing it, he just kind of in southeastern Ontario and and we were all learning how to write and we were Writing a little bit together. You know Gord Downey and I would and Paul were living together at a student house But yeah, and it it was kind of a mainstay when we would play live and it was in the running, you know for for up to here for sure as a song.
But interestingly enough we We recorded a demo version of it. That was just dynamite. Like You know, the performance across the board is great, particularly by Gord, like he just sang the song beautifully. And it was one of those circumstances where the The, the guy that was helping us the demo, said, oh, that was really really great, one more time just like that and we'll run tape. And we're like, oh, what do you mean? you weren't running tape? and oh, tried it again and collectively we were so disappointed. You know that I don't know we never, we never seemed to Capture that vibe that we had on this unrecorded Demo.
You know this is again, we were really young, we were still learning how to play in the studio where it sounded like us and Again it sounds old-fashioned and everything, but it was back in the day We recorded live like we would, you know, put the bass somewhere and you know, drums are in a booth and gorge in a booth And we were learning how to do it, but still get that feeling like with headphones on that, we know, you know It sounds like awesome. We're listening to each other Again and then, yeah, it just never. It just never made the cut. After that, i guess I mean there is a version of it somewhere, at least I thought we had reported it for up to here There is some kind of version of it somewhere.
We're finding it Odd with. We've always been signed to Universal in various shapes or forms. We were signed to MCA back in the day. But the tracking down on old tapes, a little demo stuff And studio stuff, is proving very, very challenging from an archival point of view. Like stuff is You'd think it'd be, you know, t, hip or Or it would be alphabetized or the Dewey decimal system or something, but it seems pretty random and stuff is in different storage area Areas and our drummer John has just been. He's just been like a dog on a bone tracking down Material and just relentless trying to find stuff.
We kind of process kind of started for us with Road apples and but we were still. We were only able to manage to find Two-thirds of the tapes. You'd think they'd all be somewhere together. You know, when we heard about that fire on the universal lot we hit the panic button like right. You know, wow is our? do you think some our stuff is in there? and then read the list in the paper and there was our name. You know, in between Mel Torme and the down Trop family singers, you know it's like oh crap, i hope we do, because that, that, because, to your point, that's exactly the kind of stuff that we were looking for. Turns out there were dupes and some of its backup in Canada. Definitely Yeah, it's a.
0:40:11 - Speaker 3
I just I'd be remiss if I didn't ask a gear question What, what, what, what, what? what type of guitar do you do you like to sit in? Because when you're sitting watching a ball game and you're just noodling or you're just whatever like what's your go-to?
0:40:26 - Speaker 2
I, honestly, i've got a. I've got a few favorites, in fact, like there's a song on this, this latest record called change your mind, i I bought a. I bought an old Martin D18, saw it. I bought it sight unseen because it's just always wandered one and down. I Picked it up and Literally pulled it out of the case and it became my main guitar for about a week and that was that that. I Written that song on it within Got probably a day or two, you know it. Just it felt right, sounded right.
0:41:08 - Speaker 1
What's that? there's sort of like a dreamy stony sound on that song.
0:41:11 - Speaker 2
Yeah, and I would credit the guitar. You know, i guess I I Have a lot of, i've got a lot of instruments laying around the house and I will, you know, i will, i'll trick myself and I'll keep one guitar With a capo on the second fret, you know, and thereby changing the key of the song. But you just, in certain cases, different chord shapes and different you know, composite chords, like you know, a D over G or whatever to sound different in a different key or it'll trigger something melodically and then that will Send it in a different direction. So I I kind of rotate them in and out. You know I I Got an old the first kind of cool guitar about was an old J 160, you know mid 50s old beaver of a guitar, and it's always out on a stand somewhere and I'll Pick it up and I'm playing.
Right now I'm going out and playing this old, the ES 125, like a, like a hollow-bodied arched top, electric and And it's been laying around and it's just, you know It sounds kind of got a little more sound to it.
Yeah, i just kind of believe in the magic of it. You know that it's just like oh, this, you know it's rules right and sounds right in the. The tones of these older instruments, to my ear anyway, are so nuanced that that each one has a different character and Suggests different things, you know, and some chords sound better on them than others. And yeah, it's so, so it's cool. I like I say, i trick myself and I mix it up.
0:42:50 - Speaker 3
That's the per. That's the perfect answer. Had you said this is the guitar, that's trick Bs and me bulls it me right on that school Yeah my question was more what kind of beer we were you drinking where you were recording and the Not as young as I used to be, so I.
0:43:13 - Speaker 2
There's always a case of the in this kicking around here, for sure, but I'm more of a light beer guy now. Unfortunately, i just I can't afford to Drink the loaf of bread like I used to when I was a young man. Live to tell it.
0:43:29 - Speaker 4
I'm right there with you. Yeah, i'm right there with you, gord.
0:43:33 - Speaker 2
Yeah, I'm pretty much a logger and a Guinness guy.
0:43:36 - Speaker 4
Yeah, sorry.
0:43:49 - Speaker 1
Well, I'd love to talk more about the. I'd love to talk more about the. The record sure. You gotta ask the video to man and we haven't touched. We haven't even touched on the video.
0:43:59 - Speaker 2
Yeah, I'm glad you like it. I, i yeah, that's a friend of my, my youngest son's It's aspiring filmmaker and videographer and, obviously, videos on what there used to be. I'm like I'm a survivor of the MTV era where You just saw your recoupable account go up and up and up with your record company because you'd spend more money making videos And you would make the record. But it's. But he's a creative young guy having feral is his name and I I Was reading the newspaper And there was an article I can't think this one Facebook change just named in Metta, and Mr Zuckerberg had proclaimed that the future of the world, the future of reality, is going to be virtual reality.
And They ran a little clip of the journalists were testing it out with the, with those goggles or that, whatever that is. I said, wow, this is the future of reality. The graphics are kind of shitty, you know, and and And I bounced it off heaven and I want to make this video about these tech guys that are kind of changing the way we interact with each other and getting rich in the process. And could we make a virtual reality kind of video for this song about kind of love in the VR world? and and man he ran with it. He was like I know exactly what you're talking about.
0:45:34 - Speaker 3
And it's clear who everybody is. It's very clear who everybody is.
0:45:37 - Speaker 2
He ran into a little problem with the record. Here it was, it was clear, still in the legal department And hit the panic button real quick. But we just, i think.
0:45:52 - Speaker 4
You know, it's a good thing when that happens And it was fun.
0:45:55 - Speaker 2
The song I think Google Guy has a bit of a sense of humor to it And yeah, i got when all that stuff was going on, when they were talking about how their algorithm there were purports to bring people together was actually the algorithm itself was based on making people butt heads, because there was more engagement when the conversation was contentious, as opposed to fluffy, puffy stuff. And that young woman, francis Hogan, really kind of went official with it. She kind of blew the whistle on these, these guys, and I thought right away to myself like oh, what would what would Joe Strummer do with a concept like this? You know, like you wouldn't know all have very much and try to call the guy out. And it was actually the last song I wrote for the record And it came real, real quick because I kind of got my dander up just a little bit.
I'm not a social media guy. I understand how people do it. It's a great way to stay in touch with friends all over the world and stuff, and I get it. But God, imagine if you're Instagramming or Facebooking with your pals. But there was a artificial intelligence kind of trying to get you guys to fight about something you may have said to each other in high school and dragging that your relationship through them.
0:47:21 - Speaker 3
I'm sure it's already there.
0:47:22 - Speaker 2
Exactly, you know. I mean, i'm in a. I was in a band with my high school friends and, oh my God, we fought about crap that was 35 years old. You know, sometimes it was kind of anyway, yeah, so I yeah anyway, i glad you liked the video. It was fun to do. I'm going to do a follow up. He's one of them for call Yeah, but I don't know, i haven't seen it, yet I'm dying. He's okay. I'll be anxious to check that out.
0:47:56 - Speaker 4
I enjoyed the video and the song and the song. Honestly it brought me. There's this kind of 80s feel to it, like it's it's interesting kind of the juxtaposition of I don't know had money for nothing Yeah yeah, and then what? Yeah, I'm not, i'm not sure, yeah it's. Yeah, it's reminded me of I don't know a couple of things, but anyways, the the video is great, and it was just I love the personification of the characters, and it's just.
I just really related it. I was, i was in, i was in Italy recently. We were staying with family and I'm kind of a handy guy, so I was helping them do some stuff and I said, well, can you work and we get this? you know, we needed something in particular. My aunt there says, well, we could just order it on Amazon, and sure enough it was there the next day. And I'm like I mean Italy and Jeff, jeff, still knocking on the front door delivering, yeah yeah, it's not so I conveniently unbelievable.
0:48:57 - Speaker 2
I totally understood. And obviously the pandemic Unbelievable fall for those companies because all the stores are closed, you know, but Massive. You know I'm from a small, small ish city. You know we got 150,000, 200,000 people here. You know, if the if you don't support your local hardware store owner, who may very well be your neighbor down the street, you know it's, it's kind of like the kind of the 100 mile Right Diet approach to living. You know where you live in a community and if you got a couple Extra bucks for things like I get it like people go to the big box stores to buy 10,000 rolls of toilet paper and junk like that. But but you know I go to the local record store and my local stereo shop and my local guitar store and we shop at a small little market And it's important, you know it's. It's important if, if the pandemic taught us anything, it was to kind of value community Because we would support each other more. And meanwhile, that's what I love to do.
Devon's portrayal of the of. They call themselves founders. I understand the founders in the orbiting space station above, above the world, that slowly falling apart. And frankly, that's what I try to articulate in the, in the lyric of the songs, that we all know the reason, and the reason is really us. It's up to us, you know, to build community and to support community And and everyone wants to save a buck. I understand that stuff, but at what cost, you know. And what cost? Yeah, in many cases, like mm. Hmm, there's a lot of each cylinder vans all over North America as we speak, idling in people's driveways dropping off stuff that they ordered on Amazon last night, you know, and there's a cost to that, ever, you know. And that's what I was trying to articulate anyway, yeah, yeah.
0:51:21 - Speaker 4
What I notice nowadays on, i mean, i'm in Portland, we're in the city, you know, downtown Portland is about three miles away, and what I notice is, when we don't have any deliveries, like, i'll just stop, i'm mostly home. I'll stop in the house and think, boy, it's actually been quiet today. You know it's. You have to wait for the white, the white noise to go away in order to I have a Kingston question for you.
0:51:45 - Speaker 1
These gentlemen we are recording, we're doing a live finale for this podcast in Toronto on September 1st. So Pete is coming from Spain and Tim is coming from Portland and we're doing it at the rec room in Toronto. We're doing like a live podcast. There's going to be a standup comedian, There's going to be a hip tribute band, et cetera. But as part of their coming to Toronto, I've booked us a day in Kingston and I booked an Airbnb just yesterday. What are some? what are some hip, hip must see spots, Some you mentioned a record store earlier, a guitar store. What are some cool spots that we should go when we're? Yeah, I got to hit the store.
0:52:29 - Speaker 2
You know what there's there's. so there's so many of it like this. First off, about Kingston. You know I'm born and bred and raised here.
I went to university here and you know, like most young men, like Rob Baker and I, grew up across the street from each other And all through high school together and you know, gordon, Paul and I lived together in university And John was a little bit younger than us behind us, but all went to the same high school Parents, on to each other, and nonetheless, like most young men, we couldn't wait to shape the dust off this one horse town off our boots. You know, move on, or big city, and as it turned out, you know, our career took this home, over Europe and North America and traveling all the time And we kept coming back home And because it was home, you kind of learn to fall in love with where you're from By leaving it, you know, and you kind of realize, oh, there's no better place to come back to. And it still is a really, it's a really special place. Even even with the, the dearth of of live music venues and various cities and stuff, we still have five, six places in town that run live entertainment nightly. You know, and I think that's a big reason Kingston is as it is is produce so many great recording artists, you know Sarah Harmer, headstones and the Glorious Suns, and because they all came up the way I came up, you know, you kind of start playing in downtown Kingston and you play the bigger bar and the bigger bar after that. So there's, there's some great live music venues. The place I'm playing in town is called the, called the the Brune factory, which is kind of a multi multimedia approach to live. It's a film place, it's comedy, it's an office building for the local promoter during the day And it's, it's great. It's very DIY in town, you know it's. Also Kingston is an interesting place because it's a university town, a very large, very good university here. So we kind of punch above our weight for for restaurants and actually activities to do. We have a local symphony orchestra to symphony halls.
You know it's just there's, it's a, it's a really special place And it's also it's right at the confluence of Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River. So it's where the Great Lakes kind of funnel all down and the area just east of us is the start of the Thousand Islands, which is again it's we kind of take it for granted. But you guys coming from out of town, you know it's worth jumping on a, on a boat, and you've never seen anything like it. It's, it's just absolutely spectacular, you know, and it's, yeah, it's just really, really cool.
There's so many great rooms. You know, the club that we played our first gig was called the the toucan, but it still exists, you know, and it's still still there. It's not a great place to see music or play music, but it's still running live. It's pretty wicked. There's another place called the mansion. That that they're again. They're fighting the good fight. They're trying to bring acts in all the time and get people a place to play. You know, and it's in, it's kind of great. It's kind of a great place to be. I feel very comfortable here. You guys are like it.
0:56:15 - Speaker 3
If people, if they have places to play there and there's places that they make available, i mean there's. there's no doubt that's why the city thrives.
0:56:25 - Speaker 2
I really think so as well, because people, obviously they people get used to live music being a viable option. You know, that was something that we experienced as young musicians First time we went to Europe. You know, it was again like starting over. But we got to the Netherlands And it was like that was. It was the case of like, where are all these people come from? how do they? but it's because the the nature of the culture and it was back in the CD days, when they were Ridiculously expensive, you know. So you'd have to pony up whatever 30, 40 Gelder's they were called back then so people would literally would go see a band play live before they would pull me up for the record, which was perfect for a group like us, because you know they huh, there are all these Magnificently tall people standing there and all speaking English, hang them boards, every word, yeah, it was great. It's all like. That's all about the amazing thing. I am such a such a believer. It's just so important.
0:57:36 - Speaker 1
I I totally feel the song sometimes. Yeah, did you write that? like thinking, live in mind, like, like that feels like a live song.
0:57:46 - Speaker 2
Yeah, i Did it's, it's, It's for sure, it's. There's an anger to it for sure, and it's it's not the easiest thing when you're sitting by yourself in a pandemic to To write an uptempo song. But like I, like I was seeing earlier, i was using that experience, i would close the sliding doors of our family room and, and, like everybody, there were moments during when I was locked down or where I was Wasn't quite myself. You know I was feeling. You know, being locked down in the middle of the winter in Canada is You get some dark days for sure, not only Physically dark days, but but the mood kind of translates on you and that's that's really what that song's about.
And and I Attempted to turn that frown upside down and kind of went back to the old punk rock me, and It's basically like a confessional more than anything, because it was true, sometimes I felt like I was losing my mind, you know, and and sometimes you know, weed, weeds legal up here and and and so maybe sometimes I'm they've, you know, smoked a bomber a little too early in the day, you know, or maybe a little Bailey's in my morning coffee just to take the edge off. Even quite confessional about that as well. Much sugar in, yeah.
0:59:23 - Speaker 3
That's really cool of you sharing my songs with us Share.
0:59:28 - Speaker 1
I mean, for me it's been. It's been 38 years of you sharing songs with me, so I really appreciate that and Love that you made time for us today, well.
0:59:39 - Speaker 2
I appreciate that. I appreciate that I'm a music fan as well and I and I I Made music with guys I know really well, guys I love, you know, and and We always took it really, really seriously and we always never took whatever success we may have achieved, we never took that for granted, you know, and we knew it was because of the people that liked our music and that supported the group and we, you know, with the past, you know Gordon Lightfoot. It was also such a huge believer in live performance and the love and respect for his audience. you know We came up, you know, very much the same way, just like getting our getting in front of people and, you know, and thanking them.
You know, and being truly grateful and trying to allow the music to reflect our growth as people and but our commitment to making really good music and you know I'm I Love it I'm still trying to do it on my own. You know, i'd give anything to have gourd still here and be working my, my normal day job, you know. But but In no small way he still is. You know, he wouldn't have wanted any of us to stop playing, you know, and to stop making music and Yeah, and so I'm kind of doing it to honor him, but it's also it's because it's the only thing I know how to do. I kind of They caught into my, it's my, my yearly cycle of like, oh I'm, you should be making a record soon. I think the song start pouring out. Anyway, i'd go on, but I appreciate you guys for doing this and listening as it is intently, as I Listen to music like that's the way I listen to it too, you know I turn it up.
1:01:31 - Speaker 3
Yeah, pleasure's our pleasure We've.
1:01:34 - Speaker 4
we've got great time, so thank you so much.
1:01:37 - Speaker 2
I'll get a list of places to see in Kingston, and there's some that would be great. It's a pretty, it's a pretty special. It's a pretty special little town. You'll, you'll get the vibe right away. You know, september is a great time of year. Kids are just coming back to school and the and the sailors are still hanging around. It's a touristy town. So there's a. There's a good, it's a good vibe here. It's a nice place to visit. I can't wait. Yeah, i can't wait awesome, awesome.
1:02:02 - Speaker 1
Well, thank you so much Thanks for a pleasure, guys.
1:02:06 - Speaker 2
I really really appreciate your time. It's fun.
1:02:08 - Speaker 3
Yeah, thank you boys.
1:02:10 - Speaker 2
Okay, take care, we'll see you real soon. Yeah, thank you.
The boys are back and this time they're discussing the first long play in the Hip's discography, Up to Here.
https://ratethispodcast.com/ghtth
Live tracks featured in the episode:
Blow at High Dough - Barrie ON 1990
Everytime You Go - London ON 1989
Transcript
0:00:00 - Speaker 1
We're now one episode into this grand experiment, and I'm not sure if we've learned anything concrete at this point. I think it's safe to say that the EP surprised Pete and Tim. Going into this, they were under the impression that the hip is a very special band with cultural significance, and the whole nine and Then their first foray into said music Gave them werewolf baby. Now, before you go sending me nasty emails, know that in my heart the EP has a charming place on the mantle. I wouldn't hide from the music on the EP, nor, however, what I seek it out.
Now, though, we move on to a more honed and refined version of our bar band. from Kingston Up to here is a taste of the South, delivered on the backs of songs that have stood the test of time, Produced by a famed knob turner, Don Smith, who had previously worked with the likes of you, to the traveling willbaries and Keith Richards, to name just a few. At any rate, let's just say, the hip picked up what Don Smith was putting down, and together they birthed the classic. That's what I think anyway. What, though, will our friends Pete and Tim think of up to here on their first listen? Let's find out in this episode of getting hip to the hip.
0:01:25 - Speaker 2
Long sliced brewery presents getting hip to the hip.
0:01:35 - Speaker 1
Hey, it's JD here and welcome to getting hip to the hip, a tragically hip podcast. I'm here, as always, with my friends Pete and Tim, and I want to ask them right up front How are you doing, boys?
0:01:47 - Speaker 3
Doing well, doing great. It's Monday, Monday morning in Portland and there's frost on the ground.
0:01:52 - Speaker 1
Oh, Really not here.
0:01:54 - Speaker 3
Yeah, Yeah, Oh, no, no.
0:01:57 - Speaker 5
Molly is. it's Monday night in Malaga and You know it's a thunderstorm right now outside, so I hope my internet holds up, but It's getting chilly. man, We're definitely in the winter, That's for sure.
0:02:12 - Speaker 1
Oh god, What does that mean? like 20 degrees.
0:02:16 - Speaker 5
It's, it's 16 right now. You know that's. Oh I'm trying for you.
0:02:21 - Speaker 1
What is it here right now? It's four.
0:02:25 - Speaker 5
Oh god man, No thanks Geez.
0:02:31 - Speaker 1
I'm a hardy Canadian, for four is good for this time of year, for is like your coat's unzipped and you're drinking a stout.
0:02:38 - Speaker 5
I can't drink those stouts here. Let me tell you, man, I'm sticking a light beer, That's for sure.
0:02:43 - Speaker 1
Oh, yeah, I'm, yeah I'm, I'm well into the stouts, That's for sure. So up to here, I believe it's recorded in Memphis. I'm gonna double check that right now. Yep, Memphis, Tennessee, and it's got that sort of muddy southern Field to it. you know it's like a well, It's like a well-worn in pickup truck. you know it's got some, it's got some mud on the sides, Really comfortable to drive. That's what this record is and it comes on the tail of their 87 EP. But in those two years the growth to me anyway seems Market. you know, like there is a market growth in terms of, you know the songwriting and the songwriting, The lyrics in particular. but the but the content, you know is is just a little more Worn in like a great pair of jeans. What do you guys think, Pete? Wow.
0:03:43 - Speaker 5
Well, you said something in beginning of the Of your kickoff and it's really hard, because I wanted to make this note, because I know that you, there's probably some pretty hardcore hip fans listening to this. so, given the Yeah, given the fact that there's only a week to To listen to these, to really dig into them, you know, I'm just, Basically, on behalf of Tim and myself, begging for forgiveness. you know, don't send hate mail because it's, it's, It's tough, like it's. I know Tim is really a solid music connoisseur, Probably well more than I am, and you know No, but you know he's, he's pretty thoughtful, But, but, but I thought about it too. like, like bands that I really love, like God man, What would I, how, what would my reaction be for listening to two jokers Who never heard this before and have a week to listen to it? you know what? what would they? You know what I'm saying, Tim, Do you do? JD, Do you feel me like I?
0:04:49 - Speaker 1
I feel like there's daggers toward us, you know first of all, Pete, at getting hip to the hip. calm is where you want to go with your complaints about. No, I'm kidding, but You got to think in terms of context. here everyone gets the conceit of the shell. people got this record, people got their hands on this record And they got to sit with it for a year before the next record came out.
0:05:15 - Speaker 5
So yeah, yeah, you know, Just asking for forgiveness, but all in all, to what your your your. your point was JD, I mean I did. I know we're gonna go song by song, but I just want to say I I started off with this record. This is kind of the same way I did the other one, the last EP. first I started off on my computer, was not feeling it Pop the pop the earbuds in, went for a run with it, Really started to warm up to it and then I took it out in the car and and JD, you've been in my cars, You know that's got a premium audio sound system in it Yeah and oh man, Oh man, It is.
I want to walk into a roadhouse somewhere in Memphis and this band's playing and just whoo, there's a lot of crunch man. Oh, I dig it. I got lots to say, but I'll send it over to Tim.
0:06:10 - Speaker 3
Well, I had a similar Reflection. I was talking to my wife the other day and about the band and I Said or you know what if my favorite band was in a podcast, someone else was reviewing it, and What if they didn't like it? What if they loved it or what have you You know in either way? I thought, well, hopefully, if I, you know, if I'm an open-minded Pod listener to my favorite band, Hopefully it would be entertaining, Hopefully it'd be funny to hear these Two schmucks talking about what they think you know and with without much background at all. It's kind of like what I said last time without you know, ever trying a certain type of food. It's like, oh, my god, okay, Let's do this. but I am with this album.
I, Yes, I started it in the car and it just seemed like really good road trip music. I totally concur with you, Pete, about it being in the boss, in the car Felt like road trip music, felt like, you know, I wanted to drive to go see a show or go see a show by them. Definitely worked in the car. listen to it at home a fair amount, I think. in general it feels, and no production value. definitely more polished Than the last album we listened to totally. yet You get very familiar, like the storytelling is still there, right? The song structures changed a little bit but like the.
the DNA is definitely still there. Compared to the last album, Yeah, it's like pinnacle.
0:07:51 - Speaker 1
Top perfection bar rock. Yeah, I heard, You know.
0:07:54 - Speaker 3
George Thoreau, good like guitar. I just heard this bluesy rock and roll bar Kind of just awesome riffing and I you know, now that you mentioned it, Being in Memphis, I just absolutely heard some country Wow kind of rock and roll tones in there. Oh, that's big time, big time, Elvis, you know there's, There's definitely some of that in there, from Memphis for sure. more so, much more so than the last album.
0:08:25 - Speaker 1
Interesting. So, experience wise, did you prefer this record to the last record or not? or where were you there?
0:08:34 - Speaker 3
For me. I kind of likened the last record as a pizza with the works, like where is this going? kind of thing. Throw it all together and see what we get. and this one is for sure an evolution. So I would say, sure, I like it more. but it just to me also just feels like an evolution and I'm curious. I was describing it to a friend, and actually to my wife actually, and she was like it sounds like it's just going to get better And I said, well, I definitely hope so, As we listen.
0:09:11 - Speaker 1
Yeah, well, I mean, that's what makes this interesting to me getting your first listens in on these records that were seminal to not only me but to a great swath of our country and places you know near and far. I am curious whether the evolution continues for you, And I think that that's going to be fascinating as we as we roll into things. So, Tim, thanks for that. Now, Pete, what have you got in terms of last questions or comments on this record, Or do you have any? Let me know.
0:09:55 - Speaker 5
Oh, there was one question I was going to ask you to JD Diamond status. Yeah, So that's Canada's version of platinum, But I'm curious to know why they have that different status. when, for example, if you have the Stones or the Beatles who are from the UK, does the UK have a different?
0:10:21 - Speaker 1
I don't know if they have a different one. I've never heard if they have a different one. I know that you guys have diamond, like America has diamond as well.
0:10:28 - Speaker 2
It's 10 million copies.
0:10:29 - Speaker 1
Yeah, it's 10 million copies.
0:10:31 - Speaker 2
We do.
0:10:32 - Speaker 1
It's 10 times what we have. So diamond in Canada is one million and platinum in Canada is 100,000. Okay, I see, And it jives out because America has roughly 10, 10 times the population. So, you know, 100,000 and a million. What's interesting, though, is the province of Quebec, which is, you know, I think, 11, 10 or 11 million people. they have artists that have, in the past, consistently hit platinum status, or diamond status, rather, with 100,000, pardon me, a million copies of a record, which is staggering, You know, when you figure, the rest of Canada has a difficult time putting together a million, a million sales in records. Now, this is all off the table, now that we don't sell records anymore, But back in the day, this was a, you know, a big marker of things. So, yeah, you have Quebec. that just is, you know, able to market themselves to. it's because they can put up stuff in French and they can, they can.
you know they have access to that audience.
0:11:52 - Speaker 5
That's crazy. Yeah, it was a lot of questions.
0:11:55 - Speaker 1
What were you listening to in 89? Do you remember Either of you guys?
0:11:59 - Speaker 3
Yes.
0:12:00 - Speaker 1
Where are you at?
0:12:02 - Speaker 3
I was senior in high school.
0:12:04 - Speaker 1
Yeah.
0:12:05 - Speaker 3
Yeah, it was everything from Southern California punk rock. Yeah, we had a lot of local punk rock going on and we had you know friends in punk rock bands But you know kind of flip the rock and roll coin. I was also listening to like, oh, a lot of new wave, Holy cow, a lot of new wave kind of influence for my sister And that's everything 80s new wave. And then also I was for a period there like a big fan of the cult. You know I like Epic Guitar. I don't always need it, but I like a band that has you know back bone drum bass, blah, blah. but I love a great guitar player And the hip has definitely some guitar going on.
0:12:54 - Speaker 5
Yeah, 89. 89, I was. I was I'm a tad younger than you guys, but 89, it was coming out of like some late stage Steely Dan and and Huey Lewis sports was just, I mean, God damn Nice. I don't think there was a bigger album and we talked about that last week. you know some Huey Lewis vibes in there And then you know, I just feel like I went right into. you know Guns N' Roses and the Motley crew of that time before getting thrust into. you know 90s grunge, like everybody else did with Alice and Chains and and and you know Soundgarden and eventually Nirvana.
0:13:45 - Speaker 1
I was a big Pearl Jam guy, That was kind of where I was at.
Okay, Yeah, I was a Pearl Jam guy, and but that was later. That was, you know, into the 90s. Back in 89, when this came out, I was listening to hair metal. I was straight up listening to hair metal And I recalled, on the intro, the cold open of the first episode. you know, when I heard the hip for the first time and the impact that it made on me. you know, in spite of the, the garishness of the hair metal that I was listening to, there was something that I really liked about this pickup truck band from Kingston, And you know there's a lot to like on this record for sure. So what do you say? we get into it and attack this sucker track by track. Yeah, good to go, man, All right, So we kick off with Blow It High, Do Welcome back and welcome back to CFY's fourth annual Canada Day Festival for Canada's 123rd birthday.
0:14:54 - Speaker 4
We're at very Ontario half the time of our lives.
Believe me, this band is going to be very, very hot. We'd like you to listen now to Tragically Hip. He's a rapper like Tizorim, never like the stars To throw some passion, throws a passion in some. just bring him on. We're so close, the best that we get to listen now. But you can't look me in for the smile of your eyes. the further it's gone, the higher I go. And if I'm high I go, and if you blow the cry I go. Maybe I feel fine, I'm pretty, just genuine.
It makes no sense. it makes no sense for a track to be unified And if I'm hip-sick you should leave it high. It was the strangest thing. I should move so fast, move so fast in the better way I pray Sometimes, the best that we get to listen. now you gotta remember the smile of your eyes. the further it's gone, the higher I go. And when you blow the cry, I go. Now that the speedway, the same evidence, the same. Well, I ain't no movie star but I can give it hand in a thing In the better way I pray Sometimes, the best that we get to listen. now you gotta remember the smile of your eyes. the further it's gone, the higher I go, And if I'm high, I go. Yeah, I'm gonna fly, I go, Gonna fly, I go, I fly. Now that the speedway. the same evidence, the same evidence.
0:19:25 - Speaker 3
I mean to me that just crushed it. as the first song, It just hit the ground running, which I love. I'm really into checking out song orders and there was a while many, many, many years ago, I was hoping to be a fan of song three. There was a cadence to some albums that I really enjoyed and this song as a song one it was super good. This is kind of where I mentioned hearing guitar licks that you'd hear from George Thurgood or you know. it was very kind of smithereens, Tom Petty friendly in that way. Some of the lyrics like oh, what do I have? Don't get ahead of yourself. or faster it gets, the less you need to know. I love that line faster it gets, the less you need to know. It's like, just keep the momentum going, And that's also a song that was awesome in the car.
0:20:21 - Speaker 5
Well, I mean, yeah, I mean, what a fucking banger of a first tune, The slide. I had the same thing. I very much got some Thurgood tunes or vibes in there, The way the song starts out, I think, with the drums and then a little crunch guitar, and then that in my notes I wrote down the layers, the way they layer the song into getting it, getting the ball rolling, and it just from no disrespect to the EP, but leaps and bounds, recording quality wise, just production, leaps and bounds. It was just.
0:21:00 - Speaker 2
you tell me like well, this is going to be a fucking record.
0:21:07 - Speaker 5
I was very excited from that first track, Absolutely All right, We'll stick with you and move into.
0:21:13 - Speaker 1
I'll Believe in You or I'll Be Leaving You Tonight.
0:21:17 - Speaker 5
Which it took me a minute to get the play on words there. I know I'm a bit dense, I'm a blonde, You can't see that for just you listeners out there, But the riff in there is just so catchy I think. at first I was like, oh, this is like a typical late 80s riff and I'll make that reference a couple of times for a few songs here. But the more I listened to it I was like I want to try to play that. I took out the guitar and I was like, oh, that's cool man, It's just cool, It's cool to play and it sounds cool And I can imagine playing it back in that time I mean, if I was alive in that time. it's just like I don't know. I'm sorry I'm trying hard time, particularly myself, but it's a really love that jam.
0:22:11 - Speaker 1
We're not rock critics, so we're people who are telling it like it's Oh, yes, we are. Oh, I forgot, Put your quill away. What did you think of this one Lesser Bangs?
0:22:26 - Speaker 3
Yeah, it's kind of a little bit of a similar feel. It was cranking in the car really well, I found myself I didn't know what to call it I was doing the chin back and forth to the cadence of the song. It was like kind of reminded myself. I was like I'm doing kind of the chicken thing right now. Just have this good tempo. The two minute mark around then is when Gord starts kind of talk singing, as he does sometimes, And then it moves into, as Pete mentioned, the big guitar riff. And I enjoy when the structure changes up a little bit. I think the last album I felt like there was more consistency and structure which made me lose my interest a little bit. So I like it when the tempo changes or there's like a build up, slow down, build up. you know This had a good speed to it. There's also definitely some country music influence in there. I mean, I could hear it right away.
0:23:34 - Speaker 1
That's so interesting to me. I'd have to listen really hard to hear to find country in there.
0:23:41 - Speaker 3
But if you listen to some, yeah, some old school kind of country and it just reminds me of, like, the era from when Elvis started to go a little more rock and roll, Like it. just it's very Memphis. It's definitely influenced by the region, I feel.
0:23:58 - Speaker 1
All right. the next track on the record is another single from this record. It's probably one of the songs that if you do meet somebody that knows the Tragically Hip, they might know this song.
0:24:11 - Speaker 3
Okay.
0:24:11 - Speaker 1
It stands. you know it stood the test of time in their live set Throughout the nineties. it was a fertile place for them to play when they played it live. It was a fertile place for them to jam inside of and introduce or workshop new songs. So you'd get like a record two years down the road from a time that you saw them live and there'd be this worked out song. But you'd hear this rough you know this rough lyric phrase or a lick that maybe is familiar on a record two years down the road. It was such a cool little thing to hear them. you know, jam these songs out and you'd go see them. I would see them like multiple nights in a row and it would be different, Like it wasn't, like they were just fucking around and like it was spontaneous and it was very storytelling and yeah, So I'm talking way too much here. This is your show. New Orleans is sinking.
0:25:12 - Speaker 3
Yeah. So you know, I'd love to hear a version of this song where they take it longer or they jam out it and or something like that. because first listen, you know the story is actually pretty doom and gloom sounding It's. you know it's kind of about maybe giving up, I don't know. It just felt like, you know, there was some dark, heavy thoughts in there and then it felt just as as a song on the album. it felt a little bit filler to me it was more staple.
it was more regular hip. It just like had the typical structure I've heard thus far Wow. So I didn't think I loved it. That is fucking awesome. I like the idea of the song, but it just felt kind of like, okay, this is a, this is a song. three hip, hip song.
0:26:05 - Speaker 4
No No.
0:26:07 - Speaker 1
Oh wow, It'll be interesting to hear if this change. I hope so.
0:26:13 - Speaker 3
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Yeah. No, I want to hear, I want to hear more versions of it.
0:26:17 - Speaker 1
Yeah, you should.
0:26:18 - Speaker 3
Like I was saying, like it was songs have some, have some change or cadence change or an up and a down, and this just felt like, okay, this is song three. What are we going to do for four? Oh wow, Sorry, hip hip fans who have that as a moment, It's not mine yet.
0:26:36 - Speaker 5
Well, I'm going to read from my notes to, but before I do, real quick, I got to say this song just by the title and the way that it started. I got this really weird feeling and I'm going to indulge me for just one moment with a story I remember when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Tim, you remember, I mean JD. I don't know if the news of it was as big in your neck of the woods as it was, Oh yeah.
0:27:05 - Speaker 1
It was huge, It was huge.
0:27:07 - Speaker 5
But the night the hurricane made, you know, landfall, so to speak. I remember listening to a guy. you may or may not have heard of him. He used to do some something called Freeform Radio. He's the godfather of Freeform Radio. His name is Jim Ladd, Nationally syndicated, but he's from LA, and I remember smoking weed on my patio there and he said ladies and gentlemen, this is going to be really bad. It was before like the hurricane even made landfall and this is going to be really bad. And he started.
the song he played was When the Levy Breaks by Led Zeppelin And it was just really dark and haunting. So I got that same vibe when I started listening to this song and I was like, like Gord's fucking vocals on this are up into this song. from everything I've heard from the EP with the most extreme, in my opinion, just the most range, the most talent. Like if I was a record producer and I'd heard this as a demo, I'd be like sign this fucking band, this guy's off the charts. There's a mention of somebody named Colonel Tom in the song And I don't know who Colonel Tom is. JD, if you got a line on this, let me know.
But my initial thought was go ahead, Tim or whoever knows. No, you tell us your initial thought. My initial thought was it was a David Bowie reference to Space Up, but I could be wrong.
0:28:49 - Speaker 3
I just read two references. One was just, it was about the North versus the South. you know, some war back then, back then. But then I also read a reference said that it had to do with Elvis's manager, which made me think, okay, yeah, Colonel Tom Parker. So I think that's what it ties to in Memphis and all of that.
0:29:10 - Speaker 5
That makes sense.
0:29:12 - Speaker 1
Yeah they talk about. this is like Gord's first foray into writing most of the songs. He's handling most of the lyrics, but not all of the lyrics. And why am I saying this? Oh, because they talk about his notebook. He was notorious for having always having a notebook on him and just writing down phrases. And you know, like he would write full lyric, full lyrics or stanzas or whatever. But even if he heard something that he thought was cool, like a cool turn of phrase, he would write that down. So maybe it was even, you know, like Colonel Tom from Memphis, and that's literally the only thing that's relevant about that lyric is that one individual moment. You know it might not be the story of the rest of the song, you know.
0:29:59 - Speaker 3
Sure Yeah.
0:30:01 - Speaker 1
I don't know though. Yeah, Colonel Tom Parker. That's what I've always thought.
0:30:05 - Speaker 5
Good, What a song, though, man? What a fucking song. I mean, it is just chock full of dirt, you know.
0:30:13 - Speaker 1
It's a dirty song, right It's yeah. It is Dirty, Dirty, It's mighty yeah.
0:30:18 - Speaker 3
You know it's, it's. I just thought it was also. yeah, I agree, I agree, I just yeah, let's just.
0:30:24 - Speaker 1
There's other tracks that you like better. That's cool, That's totally cool. It's not. it's not on my top 10 list, So.
0:30:30 - Speaker 3
I'd like to hear other versions of it maybe other live versions of it and see how they can do it Me too.
0:30:36 - Speaker 1
It became a staple. for sure, It was a. it was a staple.
0:30:38 - Speaker 3
Yeah, That's. that's exactly what my take of it was.
0:30:42 - Speaker 1
Whereas the next song was not so much a staple Early on, it was, but it didn't live on in the set list for forever. but it's a great example of Gord, you know, sort of weaving a yarn here and telling a story and using actual Canadian history but giving it a unique spin. So you know, he's playing with things a little bit, but he's telling the story and then he makes it about his own family. What do you guys think of 38 years old?
0:31:14 - Speaker 4
I've got my name in administration So People leave. don't have people left, nothing to feed. The last thing they wanna do is hang around here. Most of came from town from long French name, But one other dozen was a hometown shame. Same pattern on the table, same clock on the wall, Been one seat empty, 80 years and all Freezing slow time, away from the world. He's 38 years old, never kissed a girl. He's 38 years old, never kissed a girl. Music.
We're sitting on the table. heard the telephone ring. Father said he'd tell him if he saw anything Other type from the window in the middle of the night. Held back the curtains for my older brother, Mike. See, my sister got a ring. so a man got killed. Love for which prison man's buried on the bill. Folks spend back a normal when they close the case. They still stare at the shoes. in the past, our place, Music, Music, Music. My mother called. the horror finally ceased. He whispered yeah, for the time being, Natalie, No, but show the squad, come make a phone. Said let's go, Michael's son, we're taking you home. Same pattern on the table, same clock on the wall, Been one seat empty, 18 years and all Freezing slow time, away from the world. He's 38 years old never kissed a girl. He's 38 years old never kissed a girl. He's 38 years old never kissed a girl. Music, Music, Music, Music.
0:35:03 - Speaker 5
Music. It's crazy. so I ended up this above all songs. I ended up doing the most research on, Started researching the prison and there was a guy who was shot there years ago And his last name was Trudeau and I was like, was he related to the prime minister or what? Like all this weird miraculous rabbit hole that I went down.
But getting back to the song, I got to be totally honest with you. So I know you guys feel me on this. when you look at like records during this time that came out, You'd have the first one or two to three songs will be just these fucking bangers. And then song four just you look in the structure of the record is going to bring it down a little bit. It's kind of like, okay, everybody relax. you think about it like even playing a live show. That's just the way that the records were made back in the day.
And I start hearing that and I'm hearing this song come in with the guitar And I'm like, oh, this is man. those first three songs are fucking bangers. And I'm like, no, they're just going to be this fucking cheesy. yeah, just, you know, Give me some acoustic, a little bit of love, whatever. And I got to say this is probably my favorite song in the record And it took some evolution on my part because first I started digging in the lyrics And I was like you know there's rape prisoners, murder, like all this crazy shit, And I'm like what the fuck is going on here.
And then you know ultimately just the song itself, like the melody and everything involved, Which is it's just. it's a I probably my favorite song in the record. Sorry to spoil your alert, but yeah, loved it. loved it.
0:37:00 - Speaker 1
It gave the record legs. I think this is the fourth single from the record, Maybe the third or fourth single. So there were four singles on the record and I want to say this is the third, But it might have been the fourth, so gave it some legs as well.
0:37:13 - Speaker 3
Favorite song. I'm just confirming 38 years old favorite song.
0:37:20 - Speaker 5
On this record. Yeah, I just think it's really 38 years old. was it never been kissed, never made love?
0:37:31 - Speaker 3
Yeah, all that, yeah, Never kissed a girl.
0:37:35 - Speaker 5
Just, I don't know man, I feel like and this is crazy, I can't believe I'm going to say this And I'll probably be if you kick me off this podcast after what I'm about to say. I totally get it, But a lot of hip lyrics, especially this song about something historical. I really get some Gordon Lightfoot vibes from man.
0:38:02 - Speaker 1
Hey, there's nothing wrong with that.
0:38:05 - Speaker 5
You know same name, I guess, but you know, I don't, I just and that guy I fucking fucking loved Gordon Lightfoot. If you don't like it and you want to kick me off the podcast, be my guest, That's the hill I will die on.
0:38:16 - Speaker 3
We'll keep you. I think I thought, okay, this is some more kind of dark, gloomy storytelling And I feel like I, you know, on an album, I don't need too much of that, I don't need a lot of that, and me personally. And I also thought, okay, if I'm at a hip show, Some dude next to me is like yelling for this song to be played. I think that's a little weird. like when would they play this song at a live show? It's just like, it's just a little much. you know, Maybe Gordon knew that in the future, true crime would be a thing. you know, podcasts and TV shows and everything. Because it just feels like I mean a song about rape and killing. It's just like how many times you need to hear that? I don't need to hear it very many times. So I thought it was super heavy and you know the same thing Like lyric just too much.
Yeah, storytelling is just a lot. you know, maybe I'm too sensitive or something, But I was like, yeah, if I'm at this show with my girlfriend and some dude just keeps yelling to hear this song, we're gonna move.
0:39:24 - Speaker 1
I've always said that the hip is really funny with their, because I came from the same school that Pete did With. you know especially heavy metal where it was like banger, banger, banger and then like ballad.
Yeah, the ballads would be where you would slow dance and you would make out on the dance floor, you know, after you were head banging and stuff like that. And I just think the tragedy hip does the same thing. they do two slow songs or two ballads on every record, kind of thing ish. But the subject matter is never something that you would want to slow dance or make out to Like. it's always fucking heavy, heavy shit And really when you think about it it's like C, G, D, A minor on an acoustic guitar. you know it's like a three or four chord song that fits in the realm of those heavy metal ballads. But then you put that story about family over top of it and it's like Jesus Christ, this is unreal, Yeah, and you know it overall just comprises them into this epic band that can go there.
0:40:33 - Speaker 3
Like not many bands even do something like that lyrically or with storytelling, you know. So, you know it's so. part of me was like, okay, what makes me feel uncomfortable about this? Because I appreciate the music and all the effort and creativity. you know, it's like it's because bands don't really do this often Sinister type storytelling. maybe I know a person or two who kind of fits this mold of a character a little bit to a degree. you know it's just like, wow, okay, What's the next song for me?
0:41:07 - Speaker 5
The song when I heard the guitar start and I got to tell you JD I don't know if I told you this, I know I didn't mention this to you, Tim, But the very much got some, you know, with those, those that rock ballads and nothing else matters, vibes from Metallica. And growing up in Downey, where I was born, you know, James Hetfield went to my high school, so, like you, you if you weren't a Metallica fan like you, Or you could be excommunicated from the city.
like everybody was Metallica fan Like you. just you just weren't not, you know, a Metallica fan. and getting to Tim's question about why or you, JD, you said why the hip never. I mean it's the eternal question why the hip never broke through. You know, here you got this ballad that everybody's expecting to like dance to at a concert or whatever. but then there's lyrics of, like you know, rape and murder and stuff like they did. they did went outside the box, And that's kind of cool, because not a lot of bands do that Exactly.
And so like they sacrificed the ability of being, you know, the ability of of fame or whatever it may be, to have to be a fucking cool outside the box band. I don't know. that's my view.
0:42:36 - Speaker 3
Well, there's some also, like I was trying to say, there's some artistic merit to it. you know if, if not, a lot of bands go, go there with something. I mean I mean at the same time, era, late 80s. it's not like Morrissey wasn't talking about doom and gloom with Smith or the Cure or something. I mean it was right there, right in there, but I don't know when it. for me it just hits differently when it's comprised of the sound formula that the hip have, and there he's just like letting the listener have it with this character, and it's just guitar driven rock and roll, it's just.
0:43:13 - Speaker 5
It's like a preacher that's telling the congregation like, like he's saying some, some shit to the congregation that, hey, you may not like what you're about to hear, but you're going to fucking hear it whether you like it or not.
0:43:25 - Speaker 1
Exactly, I don't know that's.
0:43:27 - Speaker 5
does that make sense to you, Tim?
0:43:28 - Speaker 3
I mean, that's kind of the way I'm going to provide for you, For sure, for sure, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm not going to jump the gun, but I kind of had a similar, you know, mindset, feel from the next song.
0:43:41 - Speaker 1
Well, let's go into it. she didn't know. I was going to say it's sort of dark too. you know it's couched in this blues, bass, lick sort of thing. you get a nice groove in the back with the bass and the drums, but then those lyrics come in and it's like man, yeah, this is some more broken hearted, dark shit.
0:44:10 - Speaker 3
At the same time, it does have this groove to it. there's almost this like I don't want to say pop, but there's this, there's this beat to it that is a little bit different than the other songs. it's I don't know, it's it's Interesting.
A little bit different but there's like yeah, yeah, exactly it, it, it. to me it ties a little bit more back to the overall feel, not conceptually with lyrics, but from blow it high to like there's a drive to it, there's a good. it embraced me more just musically in the song it's, it's, it feels like a good sing along, like I could hear the song on the radio driving across Canada.
0:44:51 - Speaker 1
You do, I'm. I'm very curious why it wasn't a single it's perfect length for a single it's. it's three minutes and 30 seconds. you know it's, you're in, you're out. there's a nice bridge. you get a little bit of silliness. maybe the subject matter, I don't know, but 38 years old, was a single, so yeah. so what do you got?
0:45:12 - Speaker 5
Well, I kind of, you know, just sticking with what Tim said, you know the amount of tragedy fitting with the name of the band involved in the lyrics. I really think, because a lot of the, a lot of the sound that that that Memphis, correct, it was recorded in Memphis. Yeah, that that vibe is just, it is consistent. I mean, I feel like if you asked me where do you think this record was recorded, Pete, I probably would have said Memphis, if I, if, like you, had a gun to my head and I had to guess, just because this the overall sound of it. And one thing I noticed really strangely and I don't know if you got this too, Tim JD, you may have noticed this listening to it so many more times, but moving from the end of this song into boots or hearts, there's a vinyl crackle.
there's a tape crackle and and maybe the hardcore hip fans will get this. So at the end of she didn't know if the song ends with like a tape crackle and then the begin. it's something you don't, at least I didn't hear on any other songs. you hear a tape crackle at the beginning of boots or hearts.
0:46:39 - Speaker 3
I heard it.
0:46:40 - Speaker 5
I know you're talking about you know I'm talking about it, just I heard it.
0:46:44 - Speaker 3
I heard it on my, on my sono speaker. I heard it and I went back and replayed it and stuck my ear over there. I was like what the hell is that sound? I mean, I'm familiar with what that sound is but yeah, I thought it was like coming from outside or something because it wasn't on any other tune and I was like right right.
0:47:03 - Speaker 1
I think if you did it on more tunes it would take away from it, but to me it's. to me it's like just an accoutrement. that's like there to remind you that this is rustic, this is, you know, this is coming out on CD, but this should be, you know, like vinyl was. vinyl wasn't as popular in 1989 as cassettes and CDs were. CDs were really just emerging, but cassettes were like huge but it was still recorded on tape, I would imagine yes, yeah, yeah, yeah for sure, for sure yeah so you add a little bit of that into it and it's like you know it makes it sound more like authentic.
0:47:41 - Speaker 3
I don't know, that's just my, I mean back back then you know BC boys were doing some like needle-hitting the the disc sound to start off songs. or you know, back then people were take starting to take other sounds as the beginning of songs or even ending songs or whatever. so I think it kind of it fits, definitely fits for 1989 let's go to boots, baby there's a line in there.
0:48:06 - Speaker 5
I don't know if there's one line in that song that gets me anybody. anybody want to throw a guess out there? I don't know. no, Tim. Gady, no, okay it's even babies raid raised by wolves. know the wind, he's just like what?
0:48:24 - Speaker 3
yeah, man, dude, that was the second wolf, the second wolf reference earth song. right, you know for sure there's more to come imagine what it will.
0:48:36 - Speaker 1
hardcore fan I'm not joking, there's more to come these f**king douchebags man this song to me it felt really long.
0:48:46 - Speaker 3
that it was not long and it felt like a little more country than the last ones. definitely, you know boots or hearts come on. you know it's like okay, is this the crossover song to the south of the United States to get more fans?
yeah, I just the lyrics was a single yeah, for sure, I can't imagine a single, but it was a single who was managing these guys at the time who were like we got it, we got it, we got, at least get the south, because if you get the southern belt of the US, that's like that could be a business, you know so yeah, when I heard the song, I was like, oh yeah, I get it.
they were after something here and it seems very it's too much more country to me, so I just kept moving well, if you know, you also have to think too like.
0:49:35 - Speaker 5
I don't know how long the recording process took for them, but if you're, you know you're Canadian boys. from where, what? which province are they from? JD?
0:49:45 - Speaker 1
they're from Ontario, so they're from where I am, about two hours, about two hours east of where I live. they live in King. there, they came from Kingston okay, yeah, Kingston, that's right.
0:49:56 - Speaker 5
so, if you know, maybe they, maybe they individually travel, but you're all there as a group of people, you're recording a record, it's your first full length studio album and you're spending time in Memphis, Tennessee. I mean, I see what you're saying, Tim. then maybe the manager, the the high rubs for maybe like, but guys, we got a, we got to do this. but also, you know, it's the same thing, as you know, that that culture takes a hold of you. you know you spend JD when you over in the UK for the pave tour for a while. how quickly did it? I mean, we don't say it in the United States, but how quick did it take you to say cheers instead of thanks? you know, yeah, yeah, it only takes a couple of days and then asking for the toilet.
0:50:46 - Speaker 1
that's, that's the. that's the biggest thing for me. like I just thought, like it sounds so rude, like where's the hey man, where's the toilet? you know, it just sounds rude, but it's just what everybody says. yeah.
0:50:59 - Speaker 3
I got it to say that really clear yeah.
0:51:04 - Speaker 5
Tim, how long did it take you to say little symetheos when you were over here in Madrid?
0:51:08 - Speaker 4
I mean, you know, I've traveled around yeah, yeah, yeah, not long it's a song called every time you go there, I got my hands, the numbers be up, my smile's right in my hands. Every time you go, every time you feel what I see. Every time you go, heart and eye feel me. Well, down here, but I take two kids round the gas like no place. Say the thing is time when things start, The dance, the wilds of charity, no time to rise, to get afraid. They were pissing, pissing, playing a part.
She's a lover, a man, a soul, a game of games, Say the door. I'll remain in the corner of your lips And I was made up of my smile. you're both a man. Every time you go, every time you feel what I see. Every time you go, heart and eye feel me And it makes them feel. let me dance through the air to feel Love me, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love. Well, I tell you, every time you go, what I see. Every time you go, heart and eye feel me. Every time you go, every time you go, what I see. Every time you go, heart and eye feel me. Every time you go, heart and eye feel me. Oh gosh.
0:54:37 - Speaker 5
Go ahead Tim please.
0:54:39 - Speaker 3
I feel like this is just a total hip song. It's got good structure, has awesome drum, backbone beat. I like the chorus ad. Not all their songs have a strong chorus, So I like that aspect of it. It felt like maybe the last quarter of the song felt a little repetitive, like excessively repetitive, Like it just kept going a little bit. But I don't know, man In the Big Snake Pit, it's a song about taking risks, falling in love. What else about it? It's still kind of on the emotional high spectrum to me. But it's a good song. It's a oh. what did I have a note here about? Oh, the drawn out dramatic ending with the vibrato Just becoming a hallmark signature of some of the hip, And I'm just slowly accepting it as one of their things, Because it was really shocking to me on the first EP to hear excessive vibrato.
It's like woo Yeah.
0:55:56 - Speaker 5
Let's go. I gotta say, gentlemen, this is the only song on the record that literally my notes are. I just it's just nothing. I listened so many times I'm like what the fuck am I missing? And I don't know. It's one of those songs where maybe, hopefully, in a year or two years, and I listen to it and be like dude, yeah, there it is, But I just didn't. it couldn't, it was a sleep placebo, I just didn't do it. I don't know why.
0:56:34 - Speaker 3
Well then you should talk about the next one, because I was similar with when the weight comes down.
0:56:41 - Speaker 5
Okay, I really liked the structure of the song. I liked the tone of the guitar, One of the things this and well, another one I'll get into But I really think there's a lot of thought put into the guitar tone there. Maybe people I just think at that time people were really obsessed. There wasn't a lot of tricks you could do on things like Logic or Pro Tools or whatever. So whatever was coming out of that speaker was what was going to be on the tape. The guys were like dialing shit in, but the harmonies on when the weight comes down. I think there's talent there, but it just takes away from the meat of the song. If I would and there's other songs on this record where I love the harmonies, but for me that song just it just sounds like maybe just in age Well, I don't know 10 more years.
0:57:48 - Speaker 3
I very few notes. I just thought, yeah, it's all right. I thought it was kind of heavy weight comes down, I don't know.
0:57:57 - Speaker 2
I didn't.
0:57:58 - Speaker 3
at that point I was yearning for something a little bit more different through the tracks which I think I got with the next song.
0:58:05 - Speaker 1
Well, that's good, because you're starting to disappoint me here.
0:58:09 - Speaker 3
Well, trickle down. I mean Gord's voice. he gets a little more adventurous with going low and high and high and low. There's a kind of a change at a minute and a half where the lyrics pause and you get some actual music, Like he's storytelling a lot through these songs. He's singing, getting to the chorus. The jam keeps going through many songs, but this one there's actually a pause with lyrics and you get some good. you get some good guitar There's like kind of these swing back into the lyrics with guitar. I don't know, I thought that was just better, a better composed song. You know the idea about it. you know being poor, being on welfare, waiting for the check. you know I think it's a song that probably was appealing or easily identifiable across Canada or the US at the time being down and out on your luck financially. I mean, who has not been able to identify with that? So to me it was a pretty great song. This was up there more.
0:59:27 - Speaker 5
Well, I trickle down my notes. I wrote half on a paper, half on my phone. Again, guitar tone. I remember one of my first guitar teachers had a Mesa Boogie triple rectifier stack and this guy was obsessed with tone and just very similar like early 90s, late 80s, sort of hair bandy, but just that tone, just there. that's there in that song And this reminded me of like when I was listening to that song I pictured Patrick Swayze. do you know the line in Roadhouse when he goes always be nice till it's time not to be nice. I feel like like I just like I just got that vibe dude, This is a banger, Love it This takes. I feel like the last couple of songs dipped down a little bit for the record. It's a bit of a, of a valley, so to speak, And then it's like man, put your, put your boots on, man, we're going back uphill And this song takes me right back there.
1:00:38 - Speaker 4
And I loved it. Love it Same.
1:00:40 - Speaker 2
Loved it.
1:00:41 - Speaker 1
Yeah. So now that we're uphill and our boots are on, we get. we get what could be. I'm going to tip my hand here and I'm sorry to tip my hand before you guys get to weigh in The 11th track. the last track on this record is on my top 10. Okay, But I don't think it should have been the last track on the record. I think the last track on the record should be another midnight.
1:01:09 - Speaker 4
Okay, So I'm going to tip my hand here and I'm sorry to tip my hand before you guys get to weigh in. Okay, So I'm going to tip my hand here and I'm sorry to tip my hand before you guys get to weigh in. So I'm going to tip my hand here and I'm sorry to tip my hand before you guys get to weigh in. I think this was the last track on the record. And the mountains stand high. When the mountains stand high, Can't let us run wild For another midnight, For just another midnight. Perhaps we'll run our election day Pumping hands and kissing all the babies.
Ain't no time for a shout of doubt. So maybe is there another way? Or where a storming catalach Racing for a roadblock in the distance, Flashin' by a lifetime in an instance. Can we take it back? Am I is dying? Am I is dying? And the river don't sleep? When the water runs cold And the calender burns And the story unfolds, And the mountains stand high. When the mountains stand high, Can't let us run wild For another midnight. Can we take it back? Can we take it back? Can we take it back? Can we take it back? And the mountains stand high. When the mountains stand high, Can't let us run wild For another midnight, For just another midnight, For just another midnight, For another midnight.
1:05:01 - Speaker 3
I'm down. I think opiate it is a. it's just. It left me either wanting to take a break from the hip for a bit and listen to something else Or, like just it was, I was a little stumped.
1:05:14 - Speaker 1
Too dark for you, I guess. Well, let's focus on, let's focus on another midnight first then. So where do you, where do you stand on that track?
1:05:27 - Speaker 3
I overall yeah, I overall liked it. I don't have a whole lot of notes about it Overall liked it. You know, I thought it fit well in there. There was, as I kind of said about Every time you go, there was a better mix between verse and chorus. you know, with song structure, I love the one lighter that we're all, or we're a stolen Cadillac, Like you know. I'm going to use that. I love that. That just makes me feel the pain of, you know, escape or trying to be better, do better, I don't know. I thought it was a pretty solid track.
1:06:05 - Speaker 5
It's funny that line stood out to you. I mean, I noticed it. I love this song, man. I actually would have put this song at the end to close the record too, And I'll give you my thoughts on opiated. but the line that stuck out to me the most was Burning like a cigarette long season. And then the chorus, the core. I don't know if you'd call it the chorus, You'd call it maybe the pre-chorus, because Oh My, He's Dying is the chorus, more or less. I don't know, I don't write songs, I'm not a musician and I don't play one on television. But and the river don't sleep when the rottar one runs cold, That entire stanza, if you will. I don't know if we're going to call it. is it's fucking dude? I mean, that's Grammy. shit, man, That's.
Grammy shit, It comes together with the music. so well, I'm like man, that's one of the things that when I listen to this record, I'm like, yeah, why did that band not fucking peak in the US and all over the world? Because that's so good, It's so good.
1:07:19 - Speaker 3
I mean, this could have been like a track three. It was just a great song, good momentum, and it just had the makeup for it.
1:07:30 - Speaker 1
for me, Yeah, I would have made it a single, for sure.
1:07:33 - Speaker 5
Yeah, totally.
1:07:35 - Speaker 1
It's a little long 356, but you could probably trim it up a bit, But I wouldn't because it's perfect. But yeah, I think it's a great, I think it's fucking great And it's just making me think. Tim's reaction to this album as a whole at this point is making me come back to the fact that these guys at this point are like 23, 24 years old. This is some dark shit for young men to be documenting And it makes me wonder if that's a reflection of. you know they've been advanced since 84 in Canada. At this point they have a manager. you know they're booking things.
They're not just, you know, driving around willy-nilly touring, They're doing full on tours that are planned out and they spent a fuck of a lot of time on the road, And in Canada that's that means driving all night, like to get from city to city. you know you're driving hours you're driving. you know it's like the last song we listen to, Like another midnight, like. I know it's not couched in that way in the song, but you could take it that way because to me, What I'm getting at here is this is a road record, This is a. this is their first record. This is, you know, the EP is almost like those first four Beatles records where they're playing cover songs. They're still doing their garage act, but this is this is it. This is life on the road and all the shit that comes with it.
1:09:20 - Speaker 3
So mr Leiden, like that to me, says you know a lot about the songwriting style, But I'm wondering what you think of the songwriting so, yeah, I briefly, you know, looked into Gord songwriting, how he did it, and so much of it led me to believe that he was, or they were, meeting Band, meeting people on the road and hearing these you know tough stories and you know, just Putting those into song, Yeah, that's the only thing I could come up with. he wasn't sitting around To me Making up these stories like they were influenced by something, and that's how a lot of great writers and poets are. like David Berman, I think a lot of what he wrote was about people he connected with at bars, sitting around on a barstool, you know.
1:10:11 - Speaker 1
Interesting. Yeah, I'm not sure. What are you thinking there, Pete?
1:10:17 - Speaker 5
To be honest with you, I feel What you said, JD, about. you know the darkness for these people, this young, and you know I often think about. you. know the way and Tim can relate to this. JD, You cannot, because, just by virtue of where you were born, you know A lot of the way we view Canada is, you know, and to put it in just the most beautiful terms, It's Snow, it's bears, It's manitoba, It's maple syrup, It's mounted police, everything's jolly, you guys have health care and Everything's grand north of the border, on the roof of the US. you know, in the most simplest terms now, When I look at and in JD this, you and I have talked about funny things like, You know, the show trailer park boys, right, and yes, I'm making a big Canadian reference there, Right, as funny as that show is, Tim, I don't know if you've ever watched it It's not very plenty plenty.
Well, you know, as funny as that show is and I love it to my boat, to the core of my bones That reality in Some parts of Canada, you know, we don't view parts of Canada as being like, You know, some really dark, dreary parts of Portland, where you're at, or me being from LA, or Long Beach to me, To be more specific, There are some dark ass parts of Long Beach and it's, you know, That has I don't know what Kingston's like, I don't know where these guys grew up, but I'd have to imagine, you know, being on the road and seeing, being exposed to different, different things had influenced their, their lyrical content to this, to make them go to this really dark place. and Maybe that's why, again, they didn't, they didn't break through to the States. But I think it's all for the better, because I think the art would have suffered had they, had they done so, You know, are they not? Yeah?
1:12:28 - Speaker 1
Yeah, Yeah, I'm, I'm interested in that. I mean, definitely the specter of Milhaven lives large for a Kingston er growing up in the 70s, I have to imagine, But I don't know. but I like the idea of the amalgam of their you know roots Combined with all this time on the road, Accounting for that sort of songwriting style. you know what I'm saying.
1:13:00 - Speaker 3
It's gotta be why they had a good following in Detroit, you know, Cleveland, New York, All that whole region, because that's like some tough living around there and I in this, this Band, I think resonates with so much of that, so much of that.
1:13:22 - Speaker 1
Yeah Well, fellas, That's up to here. There's only one thing left to do in this episode, and And that is for you to pick your playlist song, your MVP of the album, if you will, And let us know what that is. so I don't know. I'm gonna close my eyes and point.
1:13:54 - Speaker 5
What are you doing this to me, man?
1:13:56 - Speaker 3
I'm just gonna go. yeah, I'll go blow it. I do. I is, that's, you know, like you said, Pete, a sister banger. it got me right, right at the right, at the opening of the gate.
1:14:07 - Speaker 1
I wonder if that's where your your view of the album as a whole comes from then as well, or it's influenced by The idea that you know your favorite track is the first track. You know it should get better than that, right, like again, We're talking about song Structure here, not structure Sequencing. you know, like blow it oh is like the perfect song to Open a concert or open an album, but It's also tough to get bigger than that.
1:14:44 - Speaker 3
True, I think it we start to with trickle down, or every time you go, definitely every time you go, it just has a A more singable single, you know, on the radio aspect to it. I think I'm just trying to, you know, find What resonates most with me with this band and where I'm gonna see them Stay at, I guess sort of thematically, and how they evolve, you know, and and how I wanted them I maybe subconsciously to evolve, especially on the production side of things that for some did it Gotcha.
1:15:23 - Speaker 1
All right cool. How about you Pete?
1:15:27 - Speaker 5
It's a tough draw. I mean blow at the high-doh or 30 years old. I mean flip a coin.
1:15:36 - Speaker 1
Won't do it. I won't do it, No no, no, it's fine.
1:15:38 - Speaker 5
Okay, so I'd say the first track to it, Just it. just. there's the thing that the reason why I'm saying that over 30 years old because I remember listening the first time 30 years old be like And I don't want this the person Who's listening this playlist to start listening and be like You know, I want them to like, just fucking love you, right, You know me, I want them So Holy. but yeah, blow at the high-doh.
1:16:11 - Speaker 1
All right. Well, thanks so much for doing this again, fellas. We'll talk again soon, and and We'll keep on getting hip to the hip, Looking forward to it. Thanks, JD pick up your shit.
1:16:34 - Speaker 2
Thanks for listening to getting hip to the hip. Please subscribe, share, rate and review the show at getting hip to the hipcom. Find us on Twitter and Instagram at getting hip pot and Join our Facebook group at Facebookcom slash groups slash fully and completely. Questions or concerns email us at JD. at getting hip to the hipcom. We'd love to hear from you podcast, some such.
Welcome to the first episode of Getting Hip to the Hip! Each week Tim from Portland and Pete from Malaga will talk to jD about their experience with a Hip release. This week they get down to business discussing The Tragically Hip EP (1987).
https://ratethispodcast.com/ghtth
The live music featured in this episode comes from:
Dead Flowers - 1985 Bath
All Canadian Surf Club - 1989 London
Beginning May 19th we're getting Hip to the Hip!
November 17, 1938 - May 1, 2023
In View - Shemus Gunn
Morning Moon - Uzbekistani Denzel
Lake Fever - Fandom Power
It Can't Be Nashville Every Night - Tristan Armstrong
Silver Jet - Smug Rooster
The Last Recluse = Beej
It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken - Mik Perlus
Gus: The Polar Bear from Central Park - Field of Porters
The Darkest One - Gift Shop
If New Orleans is Beat - Rico Borrego
Now For Plan A - Craig Rogers & Yvette Drews
Pretend - Marc Harwood, Tim Clarke & Ben Wallace
jD's back with an update on the Pod-List. We also listen to a live version of World Container!
We want your songs! Submit to info@fullyandcompletely.ca on or before April 15th to be included. Songs must be from 2000 or newer. Go get it!
Davis Manning - RIP January 22 2023
"The École Polytechnique massacre (French: tuerie de l'École polytechnique), also known as the Montreal massacre, was an antifeminist mass shooting that occurred on December 6, 1989 at the École Polytechnique de Montréal in Montreal, Quebec. Fourteen women were murdered; ten further women and four men were injured."
Join Greg and Jamie as they celebrate the wonderful world of the Tragically Hip. This episode is fully & completely composed of fan submissions. Listen to your favourite Hip tracks in a whole new way!
Evil Tom Hanks - Montreal
Fifty Mission - When the Weight Comes Down
Craig Rogers & Yvette Drews - Now For Plan A
Totally Hip - The Luxury
Roadside Attraction - Ouch
Shamus Gunn - Get Back Again
Field of Porters - Gus: The Polar Bear from Central Park
Mark & Norah - Flamenco
Jamie is here with all the details of the upcoming Pod-List 3
On this episode Greg & Jamie go through the latest Hip news and recall their pocket songs as they go through the list that was compiled using the survivor pools. Which album and song will win? Find out by listening to Fully & Completely now!
Track Listing.
Not Necessary - Studio
The Luxury - 12/20/2000 Buffalo, NY
Escape is at Hand for the Travellin' Man - Live from the Bathhouse
It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken - 2021 Juno Awards w/ Feist
The Last Recluse - 8/8/09 Abbotsford, BC
Machine - 07/24/2016 Victoria, BC
Nautical Disaster - 07/24/1999 Woodstock '99
Join Greg and Jamie as they celebrate the wonderful world of the Tragically Hip. This episode is fully & completely composed of fan submissions. Listen to your favourite Hip tracks in a whole new way!
Grace, Too - Tim Porterfield
In View - Shemus Gunn
Looking for a Place to Happen - 50 Mission
Lake Fever - Rico Borrego
Ahead By A Century - Broadtree
Scared - Cory Smith/Steve Cameron
Poeti - Luca Taddia
It Can’t Be Nashville Every Night - Tristan Armstrong
Fully Completely - Craig Dougan
Bobcaygeon - Kevin Foster
Apartment Song - Jordan Venn
Daredevil - Craig Rogers
Chagrin Falls - The Strictly Hip
Fiddler’s Green - The Tristones
Greg & Jamie are back and this episode they've brought friends! Craig and Rob from Strippers join the boys to discuss recording during a pandemic, their history together, and much more!
We are the Underworld (Live)
The Enforcer (Live)
Jamie is here to let you in on some cool news and offer an update on the pod.
Greg & Jamie are back at it and this time around they're talking about the masterpiece that is Gord Downie's Secret Path.
All the best of the season from Greg & Jamie! Enjoy the work of Hip tribute bands and fans alike.
Thugs - Myles Erickson
Something On - Rico Borrego
Every Time You Go - The Tragically Hits
Little Bones - Simply Hip
Poets - Shamus Gunn
Wheat Kings - Adam Ruzzo
The Stanger - Maria King
Emperor Penguin - Jamie Dew & Jason Kirby
Scared - Craig & Mark Rogers
Trick Rider - Darrin Cappe
Ahead by a Century - Pineo Loeb
Thompson Girl - Roadside Attraction
Grace, Too - Fifty Mission
Fiddler's Green - Dean Hutchings
The Depression Suite - The Strictly Hip
Today on the show Greg & Jamie take a back seat to the work of Gord Downie. It's a simple, yet fitting tribute to the late singer of this band we love and cherish so much. A year ago we lost a light. Today we search for a spark. To Gord!
Follow the show on Twitter and Instagram @fullypodcast Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fullyandcompletely/ and don't forget to share, rate and review the show at Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify! And check out the brand new bonus feed! https://app.redcircle.com/shows/a01e8de3-1a04-4a44-ab9c-8fc6e3cb7474/exclusive-content
The boys are back at it, this time taking over Greg's backyard to discuss the final Tragically Hip long play, Man, Machine, Poem.
Greg and Jamie are back to discuss the collaboration between the Sadies and Gord Downie on their record The Conquering Sun.
Jamie checks in to see how you're all doing, to provide an update and share a new project with you all.
Greg and Jamie are back to discuss the 12th full length LP from our boys in the Hip.
Today on the pod, Greg and Jamie discuss Rob Baker's side project, Stripper's Union and then get caught up in a conversation about CanCon and play several of their favourite tracks.
It's December 25th and the boys are back to let you know we're still kicking and so that they can wish you a Merry Christmas and play a classic Gord track. Stay safe and have a lovely holiday season.
The boys sit down to talk Dave Bidini of the Rheostatics. Pick up the new record, Here Come the Wolves at your local record shop or here: https://apple.co/35aJ295
Today Greg and Jamie explore Gord Downie and the Country of Miracles, The Grand Bounce. This is Gord's 3rd full-length release, You can purchase the tracks heard on this episode here: https://apple.co/2k4fKWN Follow the show on Twitter and Instagram @fullypodcast Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fullyandcompletely/ and don't forget to share, rate and review the show at Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify!
Today Greg and Jamie sit with the former manager of The Tragically Hip, Jake Gold.
Follow the show on Twitter and Instagram @fullypodcast Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fullyandcompletely/ and don't forget to share, rate and review the show at Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify! Special Guest: Jake Gold.
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Today Greg and Jamie explore The Tragically Hip's eleventh full-length release, the 2009 album We are the Same.
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Today Greg and Jamie explore The Tragically Hip's 10th release, the 2006 album, World Container. To purchase this record please visit: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/world-container/976435060
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Follow the show on Twitter and Instagram @fullypodcast Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fullyandcompletely/ and don't forget to share, rate and review the show at Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify!
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Today Greg and Jamie have the honour of sitting down with Paul Langlois of the Tragically Hip!
Follow the show on Twitter and Instagram @fullypodcast Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fullyandcompletely/ and don't forget to share, rate and review the show at Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify! Special Guest: Paul Langlois.
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Today Greg and Jamie sit with Canadian radio legend Alan Cross!
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Follow the show on Twitter and Instagram @fullypodcast Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fullyandcompletely/ and don't forget to share, rate and review the show at Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify!
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Today Greg and Jamie sit down with journalist, and author Michael Barclay to share some stories about the process and experiences one has when writing a book about The Tragically Hip. You can find Michael's book "The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip" at a book store near you!
Follow the show on Twitter and Instagram @fullypodcast Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fullyandcompletely/ and don't forget to share, rate and review the show at Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify! Special Guest: Michael Barclay.
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Today Greg and Jamie sit down with award-winning journalist, broadcaster and newly minted podcaster Stephen Brunt to share some tales of the time Gord Downie came to the Writers at Woody Point Festival Stephen runs in Woody Point Newfoundland.
Follow the show on Twitter and Instagram @fullypodcast Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fullyandcompletely/ and don't forget to share, rate and review the show at Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify! Special Guest: Stephen Brunt.
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Today Greg and Jamie explore The Tragically Hip's ninth full-length release, the 2004 album In Between Evolution.
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Greg and Jamie open up yer letters.
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Today Greg and Jamie explore Gord Downie's second solo full-length release, the 2003 album Battle of the Nudes.
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Today on the show Greg & Jamie take a back seat to the work of Gord Downie. It's a simple, yet fitting tribute to the late singer of this band we love and cherish so much. A year ago we lost a light. Today we search for a spark. To Gord! Follow the show on Twitter and Instagram @fullypodcast Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fullyandcompletely/ and don't forget to share, rate and review the show at Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify!
Today Greg and Jamie explore The Tragically Hip's eighth full-length release, the 2002 album In Violet Light.
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Greg and Jamie open up yer letters.
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Today Greg and Jamie explore Gord Downie's first solo full-length release, the 2001 album Coke Machine Glow.
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Today Greg and Jamie explore The Tragically Hip's seventh full-length release, the 2000 album Music @ Work.
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and review the show at Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify! Special Guest: Robb Johannes.
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Greg and Jamie open up yer letters.
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Today Greg and Jamie explore The Tragically Hip's sixth full-length release, the 1998 album Phantom Power.
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Today Greg and Jamie explore The Tragically Hip's 1997 Live album, Live Between Us. Follow the show on Twitter and Instagram @fullypodcast Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fullyandcompletely/ and don't forget to share, rate and review the show at Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify! Special Guest: Eric Alper.
Today Greg and Jamie explore The Tragically Hip's fifth full-length release, the 1996 album Trouble at the Henhouse.
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Today Greg and Jamie explore The Tragically Hip's fourth full-length release, the 1994 album Day for Night.
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Today Greg and Jamie explore The Tragically Hip's third full-length release, the 1992 album Fully Completely.
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Today Greg and Jamie explore The Tragically Hip's second full-length release, the 1991 album Road Apples.
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Today Greg and Jamie explore The Tragically Hip's first full-length release, the 1989 album Up to Here.
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Today Greg and Jamie explore The Tragically Hip's eponymous 1987 debut EP
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