[potsie]

What? 4 fer Take Forever?? I love that song. Yet another example of a brilliant little rock song that should have been a radio hit but gets no love.

I used to be indifferent to this song. A year after NFPA's release, I would think, "How does that one go again?" I disliked Streets Ahead...but at least I knew it. It left some impression. Take Forever grew on me though.

My only complaint is the production sounds a little thin. The song feels small. Perhaps mixed differently it would have more oomph. In the wake of the news about Gord's illness, I put every last Hip album into a big playlist and played it on shuffle and repeat and listened to it all summer long. Whenever this song came on it always sounded much thinner than the songs that played before and after. A damn good song that sounds weaker/thinner than it should.

This is a good point. I agree that it does sound "small", but I attribute that equally to the production and the meatless guitars on the song. Gord gives a nice vocal performance underpinned by a solid melody, but Paul and Rob don't contribute anything interesting to the song; the opening riff is fairly lackluster and there is no distinct solo to speak of. The guitars are just kinda "blah". Too bad because if that melody rode on top of a stronger musical bed it would have been a much better song.

[potsie]

I predict 'At Transformation' will win unfortunately. I think 'We Want To Be It' or 'Now For Plan A' could give it a run for its money though.

Attawapiskat is my horse.

Yeah. My bet is that AT and GA are the last two. But those four -- including NFPA and WWTBI -- are the strongest on the album.

I've definitely got AT, GA, and WWTBI in my final four but I think/hope MMP will nudge out NFPA for that last final four spot.

[ceebuler]

There's something about the production of this album that I don't like. It's like it's trying to capture the live feel, and as a result is under produced. There are parts that seem sloppy, like a skipped partial beat at 2:02 on Take Forever, which almost ruins the song for me - takes me out of the moment.

For me, WWTBI is the standout on this album, although it was a bit overplayed both leading up to, and subsequent to, NFPA's release.

Streets Ahead is the most (only) unlistenable Hip song in their catalogue. The loudness is just part of the problem. I suppose there's technically a melody, but I just don't hear it.

I don't understand the love for Goodnight Attawapiskat, the song I predict will win this poll. A fun game: set up a playlist containing You're Everywhere and Goodnight Attawapiskat, hit shuffle, and see how long it takes you to identify the song.

I like Modern Spirit, but there's something missing. As an aside, I generally prefer a song where Gord might be pictured singing while smiling and with eyebrows raised (see Courage video), eg: Modern Spirit and WWTBI, over a song in which he must snarl and snear, eg: Streets Ahead. Songs sung with indifferent face, eg: NFPA, About this Map, are pretty good.

[NWOntario]

I didn't even wanna vote: love the whole record top-to-bottom. I used to hate "We Want to Be It," and then something clicked for me in like 2014 (which, in fairness, might've been a joke between my friends and me when we'd go to shows and count the number of "drips" - record was 61). I love it now, and while "Take Forever" might not be my favourite Hip song ever I'll never vote a Calgary lyric off.

So..."Streets Ahead' I guess?

[Moof_Milker]

As Modern Spirit is clearly on its way out, I thought I'd share this little lyrical observation:

"...where no dissident remains...driving it like we stole it" -Modern Spirit, 2012
"He [producer Chris Walla] drove it like he stole it; to the north shore of Lake – Ontario from Portland, Oregon and that impressed everyone." -from Gord's essay/intro in the Grand Bounce liner notes, 2010
"Drive it like we stole it, through the snowflakes, into the cold of the sun." It Didn't Start To Break My Heart Until This Afternoon (with The Sadies), 2014

Clearly, Gord liked to drive it like he stole it.

[Killer Whale Tank]

We got the spirit, you got to hear it
UNDER THE SEA