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