Gord Downie - A Nation Mourns
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Late breaking story on the CBC...
RIP Gord Downie. Prime Minister to speak shortly. Certainly on par with that fateful morning in '95 for me.
4/15/15 Oshawa, before the brain cancer tragedy.
I was lucky enough to meet him a few times and spent a lovely, cool fall afternoon with my boys walking through the Toronto Zoo with him and his family talking hockey, our first pair of goalie pads and the smell of the gum that came in the packs of hockey cards when we were kids. Glad he had enough time to make arrangements for his wife and kids.
The maple leaf has had a corner torn off it this morning.
In a perfect world, Ry Cooder will sing his eulogy.
Thank you, Gord.
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Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: _
Hands down one of the best
Hands down one of the best frontmen I've ever seen, if not just the best. Watching him perform alongside the Sadies was one of the most memorable nights of music I've ever been in the audience for.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: GravyTrain
RIP Gord
RIP Gord
My condolences, Canada. This is a big one for you all, eh? Two Molson's with your poutine makes sense today.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Johnny D
Tragically...tragic.
Tragically...tragic.
Rest in peace, free from pain.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Furious E
Not really familiar with any
Not really familiar with any tragically hip so I guess now's a good time to start.
i got into midnight oil this year so somehow this just feels like a somewhat natural progression.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Johnny D
^Me too, Furious. I went to
^Me too, Furious. I went to the library and picked up the only Tragically Hip CD that they had: Man Machine Poem (2016)
Feels like a pretty heavy listen, especially given the context of his recent onset of health problems and passing. I would be very interested in listening to their music from the late 80's - early 90's.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Fingers on the
I will toss this up here for
I will toss this up here for anyone trying to figure out what the hell is going on north of the border...
If you are looking for their greatest hits - grab Yer Favourites and see if anything turns your crank. I used it to get my kids up to speed on the Hip back when they had plastic bowls and special spoons for their cereal.
If you fancy yourself above a greatest hits compilation (insert Skeletons in the Closet joke here) - then for my money, you need to grab 4 albums;
Up To Here ('89), Road Apples ('91), Fully Completely ('92 - their In The Dark moment when everything changed) and Day For Night ('94 - got them on SNL). Live Between Us is a live album recorded at Cobo Hall in Detroit in '96 I believe - might be better for folks used to listening to live recordings rather than studio...
If you're more "ehh... Don't know if I dig the poutine or ketchup chips enough to snag a whole album - got a youtube suggestion for those not comfortable wearing a denim shirt under their denim jacket while wearing jeans??"
I would suggest searching for the "killerwhaletank" or "Killer Whale Tank" version of New Orleans Is Sinking. Another would be the "double suicide" version of Highway Girl (part of the rant will eventually become Locked In The Trunk Of A Car).
If I was in the mood for some Hip, but only had time for one or two I would throw on;
Nautical Disaster
Locked In The Trunk Of A Car
Long Time Running
Fifty-Mission Cap (overtly Canadian content)
Wheat Kings
If you dig Wheat Kings and google the back story, you'll have a better grasp of what made them so big up here. There was an article on Gord in yesterday's New York Times Arts section that said the US didn't have an equivalent for Gord - perhaps combining Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Michael Stipe might get you close. Fair enough.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Furious E
Thanks, fingas.
Thanks, fingas.
that should gimme plenty to dig through.
I just started with the most recent proshot full length live show I could find.
not too shabby so far for a buncha Hosers.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Johnny D
Yes, Thanks!
Yes, Thanks!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: GravyTrain
Fingers—what a helpful and
Fingers—what a helpful and hilarious post. Just wanted to say so.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Fingers on the
Thanks Cap'n - although I was
Thanks Cap'n - although I was hedging my bets. For sure someone with the name Gravy in their handle was going to chuckle at a poutine reference...
I found a box of old Hip pictures I took back in '02 with - if you can remember back then - a couple of Fuji disposable cameras. Here's Gord from a club gig they played that went out live across Canadian radio for the release of the album In Violet Light. There was no way 200 people were inside and the band hung out afterwards to pound a couple beers with all the folks who didn't have to haul ass outta there to catch the last trains home.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Johnny D
Fingers,
Fingers,
I really appreciate you sharing all of this.
I'm finally in a space to check out youtube and I went straight for the Nautical Disaster. Perfect for my mood right now.
Tragically Hip albums/CD's seem to be hard to come by, at least in the East Bay. I saw a couple at the local Rasputin's Music Store: Self-Titled and In Violet Light.
Somehow, Gord's passing set in motion my need to make another mix of musicians who have passed over recent months (my last one was for the period 01/01/16 - 07/31/16). We keep losing some good ones.
You have my condolences,
John
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Fingers on the
Here's a couple more from
Here's a couple more from later in '02 at what was then the Hummingbird Centre, which is now the Sony Centre - but was called the O'Keefe Centre back when the Grateful Dead played there in the 60's...
One of our national TV stations had Long Time Running on tonight which is a documentary of the band and their "situation" during their Farewell tour last summer across Canada. It premiered at the Toronto Int'l Film Fest here in Sept, but I couldn't bring myself to go see it then, and I just recorded it tonight instead of sitting down and watching it. I'll get to it, but I'm in no hurry to self-inflict kicks when I'm already down... I was lucky enough to catch 2 shows on the tour, those were emotional enough without seeing what they had to deal with behind the scenes.
If anyone who has posted on this thread needs some discs - just shoot me an email and I'll hook you up. It shouldn't come as shock that the guy who admitted to using disposable cameras to take pics at the shows back in the day still has a couple bubble mailers & blank CD's hanging around... I've got a solid copy of 2/23/08 from Kingston with another Kingston native as emcee and reprising his role of Elwood Blues on harmonica during the encore. It was a glorious celebration as the band was officially opening up the new arena (conveniently located at 1 The Tragically Hip Way) in their home town. The only negative thing I remember from the night is that with it being the first event held there, they ran out of beer before the band even came on.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Furious E
I don't think u have an email
I don't think u have an email listed in your profile, fing
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Fingers on the
It's up there now.
It's up there now.
(read that in your best Canadian accent as "Sorry, eh?")