[Chris Tanz]

The Hard Canadian is excellent.

The only thing I like about it is that I think it might be a slam on Stephen Harper.

Ct

[Killer Whale Tank]

I see it more as a take on a type of masculinity. The 'Canadian' angle is secondary to this IMHO - the type of man in question being one he's associating with a certain kind of Canadian. It's weird that our responses are so divergent, since to my ear that is one of the very strong tracks on the record.

[Chris Tanz]

I see it more as a take on a type of masculinity. The 'Canadian' angle is secondary to this IMHO - the type of man in question being one he's associating with a certain kind of Canadian. It's weird that our responses are so divergent, since to my ear that is one of the very strong tracks on the record.

I will grant my Stephen Harper reference is a little on the nose. Just placing the song in 2010, but I don’t think it strays too far from what you’re describing, which (in my own personal politics) could be a kind of Stephen Harper voter. Apologies to Conservatives and conservatives; I really didn’t like Stephen Harper. I thought he was toxic, divisive, narrow, hard, kernel-y, sterile, empty of the expansivesness which is required to be a Canadian leader. There, I said it.

[Dear readers: Please don’t @ me with memes of Trudeau in Indian garb. I get it. He has his own issues.]

As to the song. It is good as a stand-alone piece, but I don’t think AS strong that run of songs that I was originally referring to. I would certainly put it ahead of Moon Over Glenora, As a Mover, Night if For Getting, Broadcast, and Pinned. Probably East Wind too.

Ct

P.S. I didn’t think I could dislike a politician more than I diskliked Stephen Harper. Until Trump, who lacks all the things required to be a human being. And now Doug Ford, who is some cartoon reflux of all of this on an Ontario-scale.

[Killer Whale Tank]

What the politicians you deride all have in common is a propensity toward authoritarian populism. And yes, we should be able to say that without automatically being assumed to be Justin Trudeau fanboys.

As for the topic to hand, I get you. I'm not too crazy about "Moonglow," but agree with the choice of songs you'd rank behind "Hard Canadian." I'll confess to the sacrilege of having mixed feelings about "Dance," too, mostly because I find the final verse pointless. And no, its allusion to Leonard Cohen doesn't make it any less pointless, at least as far as I can hear.

"Mover" is an interesting one. It seems like I should like it more than I do; there's something in the muttering delivery that seems to detract from the song. The same is true of the metre, whereby he has to emphasize the "move-ERRR." Apparently such inversions of normal emphasis are considered suave in avant-garde circles, but if so, they're like a lot of things celebrated in avant-garde circles, i.e., poor craft masquerading as art. All that said, it's not a bad song.

[Tthip]

"Mover" is an interesting one. It seems like I should like it more than I do; there's something in the muttering delivery that seems to detract from the song.

I totally love Mover. Maybe it's the Dad in me. Love it.
I just picture him throughout the whole song sitting in the front seat of the car 'muttering' to himself, in his head, as he is playing chauffeur though the night.
She is growing up in front of his eyes while she is in the mirror. No longer the little girl who would talk to him and kiss him goodbye.

[potsie]

I see it more as a take on a type of masculinity. The 'Canadian' angle is secondary to this IMHO - the type of man in question being one he's associating with a certain kind of Canadian. It's weird that our responses are so divergent, since to my ear that is one of the very strong tracks on the record.

I will grant my Stephen Harper reference is a little on the nose. Just placing the song in 2010, but I don’t think it strays too far from what you’re describing, which (in my own personal politics) could be a kind of Stephen Harper voter. Apologies to Conservatives and conservatives; I really didn’t like Stephen Harper. I thought he was toxic, divisive, narrow, hard, kernel-y, sterile, empty of the expansivesness which is required to be a Canadian leader. There, I said it.

I think "Canadian" is germane to the song and not purely incidental. I think it is indeed an indictment of Stephen Harper and specifically his callousness towards a cause close to Gord's heart, the environment. I think there is enough ambiguity to the song so that the "Hard Canadian" could also be a characterization of an individual that stands in contract to the "archetypal" Canadian. I'd reserve "too on the nose" for something like Pearl Jam's latest song about Donald Trump. "Hard Canadian" is less a broad-side against Harper than it is a veiled attack, which is generally my preferred form of political commentary in song.

There are a few lines that point to the Hard Canadian's lack of concern for the environment. "Windswept faces" and "elusive suns" reference climate change and "dragging his brush through the wet pigment" conjures up an image of destroying a landscape. Overall, a great song.

[Moof_Milker]

The Hard Canadian is excellent.

Sure is!

I see it more as a take on a type of masculinity. The 'Canadian' angle is secondary to this IMHO - the type of man in question being one he's associating with a certain kind of Canadian.

Agreed. I'm paraphrasing from memory, but Gord said the term "Hard Canadian" was used by Trailer Park Boys' creator Mike Clattenburg -- a term used to mean Hardcore Canadian...as is, "Have you met Ricky and Julian? Those boys are hard Canadian." I think Gord just liked sound of that term -- and he used it as the character's name in his song. Here, it's not about a hardcore Canadian - with all the stereotypes embedded in that, more so it's about a guy (or type of guy) who is just an asshole. The fact he's "Canadian" is a nice subversion of the stereotype that Canadians are nice, polite people. Such a maligant fella, this hard Canadian:

"His berating heart, grown thorny with sin
And oh the silences, he don't listen to them
Whether he's just mean or wilfully dense
He says, "From life nothing; to death nothing"

One of my favourite tracks on the album.

[potsie]

I see it more as a take on a type of masculinity. The 'Canadian' angle is secondary to this IMHO - the type of man in question being one he's associating with a certain kind of Canadian.

Agreed. I'm paraphrasing from memory, but Gord said the term "Hard Canadian" was used by Trailer Park Boys' creator Mike Clattenburg -- a term used to mean Hardcore Canadian...as is, "Have you met Ricky and Julian? Those boys are hard Canadian." I think Gord just liked sound of that term -- and he used it as the character's name in his song. Here, it's not about a hardcore Canadian - with all the stereotypes embedded in that, more so it's about a guy (or type of guy) who is just an asshole. The fact he's "Canadian" is a nice subversion of the stereotype that Canadians are nice, polite people. Such a maligant fella, this hard Canadian:

I agree with what you're saying here. I phrased the Hard Canadian as being a contrast to the archetypal Canadian and you more accurately phrased it as subverting the Canadian stereotype. As such I think "Canadian" is absolutely integral to the song. I don't believe it's secondary, and in fact without that descriptor the song loses it's duality. The general press likely added "Hard Canadian" to the (mistakenly) lengthy list of Gord's patriotic lyrics ("Look, he mentioned Canada!) but once again he is not holding red and white pom-poms. He loves his country but he's not bursting with nationalism. He's suggesting that there are assholes in this country as well, and this applies nicely to Harper but whether it was truly written about him will likely remain undetermined.

There is a video of him introducing the song at a show in 2011 where he seems on the verge of stating whom the song is about, but before rushing in he pauses to carefully chose his words and in doing so ends up being a bit more vague.

[youtube]ekOC2Z2bnbk[/youtube]

[Moof_Milker]

God damn...that's a great video. Too bad the audio isn't better because that's a really great performance by Gord. A love how ambiguous he is with the introduction. And I've always loved how Gord pronounces "Canadian" as "Canadiun" in this song.

[Moof_Milker]

And there's gotta be some parallels drawn between The Dark Canuck and the The Hard Canadian, no?
For starters, if The Dark Canuck in a monster movie, then The Hard Canadian is a character study -- but maybe they are about the same thing.

[andrew sharpe]

Just noticed special "acoustic" versions of "Gone" and "The Drowning Machine" on Google Music, attached to the singles releases for the album. Didn't know about these, but they sound great. Worth your time to look them up.

Although unintended, Gone is lyrically so apt now.

I'm going to wake up
Where I was on your lawn
Where shadowy dreams are disappearing
In the light of your dawn
Dawn
And am I in your heart?
Or gone?

[Tthip]

Just noticed special "acoustic" versions of "Gone" and "The Drowning Machine" on Google Music, attached to the singles releases for the album. Didn't know about these, but they sound great. Worth your time to look them

I do not ise Google music, but I assume you can purchase through there.
These are also available on iTunes if anyone is interested.