Today's something or other #23

Source: The Wall Street Journal

He'll be feeling that in the morning....

Eh, toro! Eh!

The Wall Street Journal on The Tragically Hip

Yes, really. Many thanks to Hicksy for the link.

They're Hip, but Canadian

by Jim Fusilli

TORONTO -- The Tragically Hip has everything you'd want in a rock band: smart, distinctive songs; a sound to call its own; a live show that jolts the audience from its seats; and, in Gordon Downie, a front man who's been compared to Mick Jagger and Michael Stipe. The Hip's only problem: The band is Canadian.

Which isn't much of a problem in Canada, where the quintet is widely acknowledged as the country's best rock band. The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences honored two of their 12 discs with Juno Awards for best rock album of the year; another, 1996's "Trouble at the Henhouse," was voted album of the year, regardless of category. Eight Hip albums reached the No. 1 slot on the Canadian charts the week they launched. The band has a star on the Canadian Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

But "we can't draw flies in the States," the 45-year-old Mr. Downie said when we spoke earlier this month in a dressing room at Massey Hall, before and after one of the Tragically Hip's six shows here tied to their fine new album, "We Are the Same" (Rounder). Not that the band needs the approval of American fans. But it would like, and deserves, a bigger audience.

It's a mystery to me why the Hip haven't succeeded in the U.S. Many Canadian musicians have: the Arcade Fire, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Rush and Neil Young, to name a few. The Band, which created the prototype for what's known today as Americana music, was 80% Canadian; only drummer Levon Helm was born in the U.S. Further, were live rock a competition, the Hip would bulldoze just about any contemporary group that trod a terrain that accommodates the Smiths and Bruce Springsteen. I'd compare them to the Hold Steady -- but the Hold Steady don't quite measure up. Stand in the audience among the Hip's fans and you sense that they're right: This is a band to believe in, which is about the highest praise a rock group can inspire.

Click here for the rest of the article. 

On a semi-related note, after a lengthy, Stanley Cup-style layoff, the Hip Project will return shortly with the playoffs.

Nostalgia and Bobby Holik

With Bobby Holik announcing his retirement it got me reflecting back on what it used to mean to be a Leafs fan earlier this century:

It was the summer of 2002 and I remember driving to an ultimate game well north of the city, listening to Prime Time Sports and being bummed out – and a little shell shocked – upon learning that noted Leafs-killer Bobby Holik had spurned Toronto’s advances and had signed with the Rangers for 5 years and $45 million. I believe the Leafs had refused to go above $42 million. Fans were apoplectic that the bean counters at the OTPP wouldn’t cough up a few million more to sign that year’s plum free agent.

In the first year of his big contract Holik played 64 games, notching 16 goals and 19 assists. During what would have been the 5 year term of that deal  he scored 35, 56, 33, 29 and 34 points. However, he was actually bought out by the Rangers after the lockout, so he didn't actually play 5 seasons under the terms of that monster contract. This isn’t entirely fair to Holik as he was never about the numbers, and had only scored 54 points (G: 25, A: 29) in the season leading up to his UFA summer, but it does go to show the UFA insanity pre-lockout.

Holik’s career stats can be found here: http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=2332.

A review of the Tragically Hip at Massey Hall (May 19, 2009)

The bottle is empty but my engine is clean.

I went to the final Hip show at Massey Hall the other night. It was a hot one up in the balcony of the old barn but the Hip did not disappoint with a wide ranging 2-set show that dug deep (really deep) into their back catalogue (setlist is at the bottom of this post). 

On another note, what's with the towel fetish? Is Gordie the new Jerry "The Shark" Tarkanian, or does he suffer from Nixon's fear of appearing on camera with a sweaty upper lip? Strange, and as one person in my group noted, kind of distracting. 

Representation by album:

The Tragically Hip (EP) - 0

Up To Here - 2

Road Apples - 1

Fully Completely - 1

Day For Night - 3

Trouble At The Henhouse - 1

Phantom Power - 4

Music@Work - 2

In Violet Light - 0

In Between Evolution - 0

World Container - 3

We Are The Same - 8

[Note:  If you are a real stats nerd, check this out from the Tragically Hip Tour blog by mrjackstraw]

Highlights:

• Ahead By A Century
  
• Love Is A First
  
• Opiated
  
• Grace, Too 
• Fully Completely
• Gord introducing Alex Lifeson
• Overall eclectic song selection

Disappointments:

• Based on the setlists of previous shows I'd hoped to catch Fiddler's Green and Emperor Penguin (a minor quibble)
  
• I didn't really need to hear a straight-ahead version of New Orleans Is Sinking, although I was digging the groove by the end of it. I'd have preferred to have seen this in the acoustic section if they felt they needed to include it

This show highlighted the depth of the Hip catalogue. To whit the following songs were NOT played and it was still an amazing show:

Blow At High Dough

Locked In The Truck Of A Car

100th Meridian

Wheat Kings

50 Mission Cap

Scared

Courage

Poets

World Container

In View

Vaccination Scar

Gift Shop

Bobcaygeon

Good Life

Springtime in Vienna

Morning Moon

Apparently the Hip played 53 different songs over the three final Massey Dates. What a show. What a band. I have to go see them again this summer outdoors. 

SETLIST

First Set

1. The Depression Suite

2. Fireworks

3. Yer Not The Ocean

4. Coffee Girl

5. Lake Fever 

6. The Lonely End Of The Rink

7. Grace, Too 

8. Queen Of The Furrows 

9. Save The Planet

10. New Orleans Is Sinking

11. Country Day

Second Set

12. The Rules (Acoustic)

13. Titanic Terrarium (Acoustic)

14. Ahead By A Century (Acoustic) 

15. Love Is A First 

16. Nautical Disaster 

17. Escape Is At Hand For The Travellin’ Man 

18. Opiated 

19. The Exact Feeling 

20. Fully Completely 

21. Now The Struggle Has A Name 

22. Family Band 

23. My Music At Work

Encore

24. The Last Recluse (with Alex Lifeson of RUSH) 

25. Little Bones (with Alex Lifeson of RUSH)

The Tragically Hip Project - Wildcards

Wildcards (non-album tracks): I've seen more blurry lights than starry nights

The top 2 will get entered into the playoffs with a bye into the second round:

1. Get Back Again
2. Montreal

3. The New Maybe
4. Ultra Mundane
5. No Threat

And just for fun... Best Live Song:
1. Nautical Disaster
2. Fully Completely (note: always a good sign when they play this early in a show -- usually means you get the fully Gordie experience)
3. Bobcaygeon
4. At the 100th Meridian

5. Grace, Too

The Tragically Hip Project - The Worst Of the Hip

Not everything can be perfect. Not everything can be good. Sadly, without fanfare, here's the worst of the Hip. To be fair to them, I've excluded the filler on their EP so you won't see I'm A Werewolf Baby on this list.

1. Coconut Cream

2. Tiger the Lion

3. Butts Wigglin'

4. Leave

5. Hush

Comments

- Two from Trouble, interesting
- You could probably add some others from Music@Work, but those songs were more uninteresting than god-awful, in my opinion

The Tragically Hip Project - We Are The Same

We Are The Same - Taking cannons to fools when all you need is a BB gun

1. Coffee Girl

2. Queen of the Furrows

3. The Depression Suite (parts 1 and 3 are excellent; part 2 merely okay)

4. Love Is A First (this will rock Massey Hall)

5. Morning Moon

Comments

- Best  Hip album since Phantom.

The Tragically Hip Project - World Container

World Container - You kissed my fingers and made me love you

1. World Container
2. Yer Not The Ocean
3. Fly
4. In View
5. The Lonely End of the Rink

Comments
- a hit or miss album for me. I think Fly could have been an all-time Hip classic, but the chorus is kind of lame and the song kind of wanders in its second half.
- The album rocks pretty hard in spots, but most of the harder songs (e.g. The Dropoff) just didn't resonate with me.
- World Container (the song) and Yer Not The Ocean hold their own with any of the Hip's best.

The Tragically Hip Project - In Between Evolution

In Between Evolution - taking care of each other, one bullet to another

1. Vaccination Scar
2. Are We Family
3. You're Everywhere
4. As Makeshift As We Are

5. Goodnight Josephine

Comments

- Some nice moments on this album but a passable effort at best. Safe, easily identifiable as the Hip, but not particularly memorable. Are We Family has grown on me over the years.

The Tragically Hip Project - In Violet Light

In Violet Light - in the ulcerating silence perspective comes the way it always does - for it's ransom

1. The Dire Wolf
2. It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken
3. A Beautiful Thing
4. The Darkest One
5. Silver Jet

Comments
- Slower and more melodic than past efforts, as evidence by the first single, It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken
- For me, The Darkest One encapsulates what is not working as well with the Hip at this stage in their career. It is a decent song, and is very much in the style of their old stuff; however, it just isn't quite as catchy as the old stuff. It should be a great, classic Hip tune but it isn't. My theory is that as they became better musicians they polished off some of the raw edges that made their blues boogie work so well. Another theory is that if I was younger when I heard this song, and listened to it as many times in as many different venues ast B@HD and others that I would regard it as a classic Hip tune. The fact that it isn't a concert staple has me leaning towards the former theory.

The Tragically Hip Project - Music@Work

Music@Work - you lured me with caramelizing power

1. Lake Fever
2. My Music At Work
3. The Completists
4. Freak Turbulence
5. The Bastard

Comments
- I saw the Hip at Shepherd's Bush in London (UK) on a Euro trip weekend back in 2000 before this album came out. They played an amazing version of Lake Fever and my hopes were sky high, especially after Phantom. Alas, Music turned out to be their worst effort by far
- I had this album stolen and didn't bother replacing it, although I did download Lake Fever

Interesting booze fact I learned today

Did you get a chance to try the Fuzion Shiraz-Malbec when it was released last year? Not sure which wine I mean? It was a big "viral" hit driven by its $7.45 price tag. This Argie bargain flew off the shelves in record time (1,000 cases a day in January). I mention this for two reasons:

1. Its cousin, the Fuzion Syrah Rosé is here
   
2. With more than 200,000 cases sold, the Fuzion Malbec is the LCBO's fourth-most popular item. Only Heineken, Smirnoff and Corona sell more. (note: this is the interesting fact referenced in the title of the post)
   

The fly in the ointment of this success story is that the wine actually doesn't taste very good, but why let that get in the way of a good story. 

Very cool super slo-mo surfing video

The Tragically Hip Project - Phantom Power

Phantom Power - you're a physical impossibility

1. Poets

2. Bobcaygeon

3. Emperor Penguin

4. Save The Planet

5. Vapour Trails

Comments

- Arguably their best album (I have it at #2 after Up To Here). They really turned it up a notch with new producer Steve Berlin to create a tight album of well crafted songs.

Today's something or other #22

The Tragically Hip Project - Trouble at the Henhouse

Trouble at the Henhouse - turn breezes into rivulets

1. Ahead By A Century

2. Flamenco

3. Gift Shop

4. Sherpa

5. Let's Stay Engaged

Comments

- This album has some real highs and a few real lows (you know which ones). It was also a little more experimental at a time when they were making a final, focused effort on breaking in the US with their touring (this tour featured a standard show as opposed to one that varied nightly).

- I considered Springtime in Vienna for the top 5, but it is ultimately punished because it pales in comparison to the live version where you really believe there's "screaming from the rooftops". Plus the 5 listed are superior, IMHO.

- Trouble features their best album cover and also saw the launch of a very cool website (www.thehip.com) and screensaver. The Hip have been in tune with the opportunities that technology has offered them - you should check out their website.

Too funny - Leafs Facebook feed

Down Goes Brown rules! Well done, sir. You should also be sure to check out his Brian Burke Twitter spoof - funny stuff, even if a certain journalist at our national newspaper wasn't able to realize it was a parody....

The Tragically Hip Project - Day For Night

Day For Night - Anyway, Susan, if you like, our conversation is as faint as the sound in my memory as those fingernails scratching on the hull

1. Nautical Disaster
2. Grace, Too
3. Scared
4. An Inch An Hour
5. So Hard Done By

Comments
- What an album! I'd forgotten how high the highs are on Day For Night. DFN really pushes Fully for the #3 spot. I might have to rethink the seedings before Round 2.

The Tragically Hip Project - Fully Completely

Fully Completely - over there that's my room and that's my sister's. And that's my sister

1. 50 Mission Cap
2. Wheat Kings
3. Fully Completely
4. Locked in the trunck of a car
5. At the Hundredth Meridian

Comments
- Arguably their best album after Up To Here (I rank it third behind Phantom)
- I never much cared for Courage, although it was nice when it was the commercial outro song during the NCAA tournament way back when.
- Interestingly, so far, this has been the easiest Top 5 to come up with (and what a top 5...)

The Phoenix Coyotes debacle / fiasco / clusterf*ck

I normally stay away from sports on SWATE but the Coyotes bankruptcy / thwarted bankruptcy and potential sale to Research In Motion co-owner Jim Balsillie requires comment. A quick overview in case you haven't read the news today....

The Canadian billionaire has made an offer of $212.5-million (U.S.) for the Phoenix Coyotes with the intention of moving the team to Southern Ontario.

As was the case when he attempted to purchase the club in Nashville, Balsillie's attempting to drum up public support in Canada, and has launched a website (makeitseven.ca) to solicit email addresses and postal codes of supporters.

The NHL is disputing the validity of the bankruptcy filing and have removed Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes from all positions of authority to act for or on behalf of the clubs.

For more information and commentary check out James Mirtle's blog, From the Rink.

One thing is for certain, this is going to get ugly and should make for great theatre. The SWATE take on how this will all unfold:

The league is going to have to take over and run the team next season while the bankruptcy / sale winds its ways through the courts (which could take years). Assuming the Coyotes lose another $35 million (US) next season who is on the hook for that money? I think it would have to be the other owners, and they'll love that. I don't think you can pin it on Moyes after you’ve blocked his attempt to put the team into bankruptcy protection.

I think the outcome will be that Balsillie is blocked from acquiring the team, which will then be sold for $100m to Jerry Reinsdorf (owner of MLB's Chicago White Sox who was considering a bid) – Reinsdorf gets the team at a discount for promising to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix.

The creditors will get screwed, especially Moyes who will launch a mega-bucks ($100+ million) lawsuit against the league because he and all the other creditors would have been paid in full if the team was sold to Balsillie. Balsillie will also sue the league for blocking his ownership aspirations without good reason.

The NHLPA will launch a lawsuit against the league arguing that the commissioner's office has conspired to keep total league revenues down to protect the small market teams against a rising salary floor. Reinsdorf will then move the team to KC in 2 years. It will fail there in 4 years and will be given back to Moyes as part of the lawsuit settlement, provided he operates the team in Vegas. Where it will fail in 3 years….

The team will then play on a massive floating yacht out in the Atlantic ocean as the International Voyageurs. This will be the first step towards creating an European division and will see the Voyageurs’ play all their preseason games against top European teams such as Modo and Davos. This too will fail and the team will next play on a seasonally constructed outdoor ice rink on a gigantic iceberg. Despite the iceberg being from the North Pole the team will be called the Iceberg Penguins. The Pittsburg Penguins will then sue claiming copyright infringement. The Maple Leafs announce they are raising ticket prices.

The Tragically Hip Project - Road Apples

Road Apples - wind on the weathervane, tearing blue eyes sailor-mean

1. Long Time Running
2. Little Bones
3. Fiddler's Green

4. Bring It All Back - very strong lyrically
5. Fight (ever since I saw them play it live with the fat guy from Blues Traveller on the harmonica this has been one of my favourites)

Comments:

- On The Verge - this used to be one of their favourites to play live; in my mind it was replaced in their live show by Fully Completely. It doesn't hold up as well as some of the others, for me. - I remember seeing them live at Corkcliff Park on a roadtrip weekend back in the university days. Good times, hazy memories.

The Tragically Hip Project - Up To Here

Next up: Up To Here

This one was really tough because of all the good times associated with this album. Plus I have a special place in my heart for first albums. The list of songs could probably change on an almost weekly basis, but I think I'm comfortable that these are my favourites (for now).

Up To Here - well she was 1970, burning like a cigarette long season

1. Blow at High Dough
2. Another Midnight
3. 38 Years Old

4. Trickle Down

5. Boots or Hearts

Comments

- It is hard to leave New Orleans Is Sinking off this list but I've heard it so many times over the years that it doesn't pack the same punch anymore.

The Tragically Hip Project - Part I (The EP)

The Hip's new album rocks (well, that isn't the right word for it, but it is damn good) and they've got six shows in May at Massey Hall... so this seemed like a perfect time for the Slightly Worn Around The Edges Tragically Hip Countdown Extravaganza (hereafter known as The Tragically Hip Project).

This little project will determine the favourite SWATE Hip songs of all time. This highly subjective study will start by my choosing the top 5 songs per album* and then having some sort of elimination process. Sort of like the BCS playoffs, only the complete opposite. Well, maybe not the complete opposite. Maybe more like the NHL playoffs. Lots of teams get in but then it is a life or death two month struggle to determine the champion and the last team standing gets to hoist the Cup before enjoying a short summer vacation. Perhaps not that either, but I prefer that analogy. Sounds much more scientific than if I determined a winner by blasting tunes on my iPod and drinking Highland Park scotch (well, a little more scientific anyway). Without further ado, here is Round 1: The Tragically Hip (EP).

* These are just initial seedings and might not necessarily hold throughout the competition)

The Tragically Hip (EP) - when your nothing I am and I'm something you ain't

1. Smalltown Bringdown
2. Last American Exit
3. Killing Time
4. Cemetery Sideroad
5. Highway Girl (Would rate much higher with one of the classic live versions - e.g. double suicide... That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

The Top 10 Most Ridiculous U2 Songs

In honour of JDJ's birthday I'm doing a special U2 post today. JDJ is U2 Superfan #1 and has the life sized poster of Bono on the wall of his bedroom to prove it (actually, I'm just assuming this to be true, but it feels true). Without further ado here's my list:

The Top 10 Most Ridiculous* U2 Songs

10. New York
9. Love and Peace or Else
8. Lemon
7. Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World
6. Miami
5. Vertigo
4. Daddy’s Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car
3. Peace On Earth
2. Get On Your Boots
1. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me

* ridiculous doesn’t necessarily mean that they are bad (although sometimes it does)

A review of the new Tragically Hip album: We Are The Same

I've been listening to the new Hip album (We Are The Same) quite a bit over the past few weeks and am really enjoying it. It is very much a middle-of-the-road type of album with only a couple out and out rockers on it. The album is rootsier than previous efforts and has a country feel to it, although that sense dissipated a bit the more I listened to it.

The Bob Rock fears are again overblown, at least in terms of Rock turning the Hip into top 40 arena rockers. He does introduce some studio tricks and has fleshed out their sound with trumpets, strings and a mandolin, amongst other things. Whether or not this is a good thing will be a matter of personal preference but, for me, I like it in a few spots but find it dilutes the rock groove in others.

All in all, I think album is the logical continuation of the way they have been heading for some time. The last album, World Container, had a number of hard songs on it (e.g. The Kids Don't Get It), but I found the softer, more melodic songs to be stronger. Is this due to the advancing age of the various band members or, perhaps, due to my own advancing years (note to self: Stifle tears and rage against the dying of the light)? I think both of the above explanations are likely. The Hip can still bring it, particularly live, but they are better musicians than in the old days and are making more complex and refined songs.

My simple take on the album: Back in the day I would listen to Up To Here, Fully Completely, etc. while partying at a cottage. Now, We Are The Same, would be the perfect soundtrack for late afternoon / early evening beers at the cottage. If things start to go off the rails you can always put on some of the old stuff.

I'm not up on the official order of the songs since I've been listening to it on my iPod and the download and subsequent upload to my iPod Shuffle has created its own order of play. That said I'll comment on them in order as there are a couple of oddball things about the actual order of play (e.g. almost all the uptempo songs are on the 2nd half of the record).

Here are my thoughts....

1. Morning Moon - A great song loosely based on a question one of Gord's kids asked him ('why can you still the moon sometimes when the sun is up). This is the Hip in Ahead By A Century / Bobcaygeon acoustic mode. Interesting and sophisticated.

2. Honey, Please - I didn't give this one much notice for the first few listens but it has definitely grown on me. Surprisingly uptempo yet quite melodic. A more basic approach to the instrumentation when played live could make this a real rocker. The opening notes make me think Springsteen - Hungry Heart, perhaps?

3. The Last Recluse - Another song I glossed over the first couple of times. After about the third listen the chorus had wormed its way into my head. I've grown to become quite fond of this one and the various bits of Canadiana it name checks (e.g. Canada goose, the black canoe), but this is very much one of those personal preference Hip songs as I can see people dismissing it. An odd choice for the all-important song 3 slot.

4. Coffee Girl - Instant classic. Simple but effective. The trumpet is a nice touch.

5. Now The Struggle Has A Name - This one will throw some long-time fans. Very lush and filled with strings. Huh? I think it works although I've seen some comments that liken it to Coldplay (really??). This song is very much in the same vein as World Container (the song). Although, it must be said, that I was told by someone who is a casual fan at best that they really liked this song, and I know that they detest World Container (the song). So go figure.

6. The Depression Suite - The Hip's longest song to date. This song is composed of three suites. I really like the first one - The Book - and the third - Don't You Wanna See How It Ends? I may also like the middle suite - NewOrleansWorld - but because the song is so long it rarely captures my attention for a full, uninterrupted listen. That said, the "Gimme gimme" bit is kind of lame. This is a very good song that holds up with anything they've done. However, it is too long a song for the middle of the album - obviously it is intended to be the album centrepiece, but when listening to the album straight through it bogs down here. Perhaps this could have been the album closer? Bring on the requisiteness strangeness.

7. The Exact Feeling - A decent enough mid-tempo song but fairly forgettable. Some nice lyrics. This works as a late album song and some people will gravitate to it while others will probably never give it a second thought. Better 'filler' than on recent albums.

8. Queen of the Furrows - Perhaps the best rock song on the album. A surprising rocker to be sure - "this is how I farm, eyes up and ears down low" is not exactly "I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride" and that's a good thing. This is how I feel.

9. Speed River - This is a classic late album Hip track. It is pretty basic and repetitive lyrically but I like it. It is infectious. Gimme a dose of the hard stuff.

10. Frozen In My Tracks - Hip albums always seem to have some sort of sinister and angry song and that is this one on We Are The Same. Not buying the "whoa-ohs". Weakest song on the album.

11. Love Is A First - A classic rocker and the closest the Hip have ever come in the studio to capturing their live sound. I can almost already hear Gordie belting out "Love is a curse..." at Massey Hall later this month. It should be a show highlight.

12. Country Day - Solid song and a good, but not great album closer. I think Now the Struggle Has A Name or The Depression Suite would have been better choices to close the album, but in this iPod age that is a small quibble.

Bonus track: Hush (iTunes special, I think) - Gordie doing Rufus Wainwright doing Leonard Cohen. Would have been a better fit on a Downie solo album.

The album artwork: Pretty decent. Quite good, in fact. It matches the vibe of the record. Not as good as Trouble at the Henhouse, but one of their better covers.

Overall: A solid album. Perhaps their best since Phantom Power, although some in between probably had better individual songs. Highly recommended but temper your expectations - they won't be recording another Fully Completely or Up To Here. Those days are gone.

10 lines from TV to work into everyday conversation

Ten lines from TV you should try to work into everyday conversation. Standard bonus points apply for each initial usage with escalating points for repeated use.

10. Its not a lie if you believe it. - George Costanza, Seinfeld

9. Big Uwe Krupp - Bob Cole, Hockey Night In Canada

8. I don't want no part of your tight ass country club, ya freak b*tch! - Franklin, Arrested Development

7. What the f*ck did I do? - McNulty, The Wire

6. I don't like being outdoors Smithers, for one thing, there's too many fat children. - Mr. Burns, The Simpsons

5. I'm a little miffled. - Tony Soprano, The Sopranos

4. But that's another story. - Narrator, Hammy Hamster

3. "Mad, bad and dangerous to know. That was him and that's me" Dylan McKay, Beverly Hills, 90210

2. By the power of Greyskull - Prince Adam, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

1. Revenge is like cold cuts. - Tony Soprano, The Sopranos