PunBB

While we run through The Hip albums, I'll add in Gord's solo work.

Coke Machine Glow -- released July, 2001.

Starpainters
Vancouver Divorce
SF Song
Trick Rider
Canada Geese
Chancellor
The Never-Ending Present
Nothing but Heartache in Your Social Life
Blackflies
Lofty Pines
Boy Bruised by Butterfly Chase
Mystery
Elaborate
Yer Possessed
Every Irrelevance
Insomniacs of the World, Goodnight

For what became a pretty impressive body of solo work, I think CMG may remain my favorite. Just as an overall impression, I find it pretty interesting that Gord was able to carve out this section of a career that was really musically separate and distinct from The Hip. There are not too many instances where I hear a solo song and think "that could have been a Hip song".

My main recollection of this album was hearing complete versions of the bits and pieces that had been interjected into songs over the past few years of shows. I'm also guessing I was likely confused by some of the more casual arrangements and the spoken word, but this remains an album that I come back to fairly regularly. I'm looking forward to the vinyl issue -- I don't expect it to be sonically superior, but it will be good to sit and listen to the album without interruption (i'll admit I often skip the spoken word if they come up in shuffle).

I was always curious about the band reaction to Gord's solo work. I don't think they ever said anything publically, until Rob's interview on the guitar stand that happened right around when Gord died (my impression was the interview was done at a time Rob knew the end was near). I''ll "paraphrase", but I recall he said they were not happy about Gord making a solo album and wondered if it was maybe the end of the band, but came to appreciate what Gord was able to do with his solo work. It must have been odd to see lyrics that had become part of the Hip show go into a solo album, but possibly it gave Gord an outlet for some less traditional songs and arrangement ideas that then allowed The Hip to continue on.

I do regret never seeing a Gord solo show -- for whatever reason, it never seemed to work out in my schedule.

I'll leave the in-depth analysis to others who are much more articulate than I am. However, I will say that this album might be some of Gord's finest work. I remember when I first bought it, I didn't really enjoy it that much. It was too artsy for me and it went unplayed for a very long time. A year or so ago, I found the CD in a box and I put it on. Damn, this album has aged really, really well.

Tracks 2-6 represents my favorite run of either Hip or Downie solo songs.

It's a fabulous record. Sure, some of the spoken word stuff is a bit precious, and 'Every Irrelevance' isn't as good as Gord thinks it is, but this is a bona-fide treasure trove, the sound of an artist exulting in new textures and sounds that he hadn't been able to access hitherto.

I'm not so sure that his subsequent solo albums could not have been Tragically Hip albums. Most would have lent themselves quite easily to that band. But this album? No way.

Can this be discussed in the Hip Solo Discussion section? No disrespect for the brilliance of CMG, but it is not part of the Hip's catalog.

thebends Wrote:Can this be discussed in the Hip Solo Discussion section? No disrespect for the brilliance of CMG, but it is not part of the Hip's catalog.

Was going to post the same. Nothing against Gord's solo stuff, but seems a bit disrespectful for the remainder of the band who are just as much a sum of the whole. We've had a solo forum for years, why is there a need to bring solo albums over to the main band forum?

sure -- was thinking more "sum of the parts" as one piece of work from any band member then borrows from the previous or influences the next piece from the full band. I have no idea how to move the thread, or someone can go ahead and delete it and we'll skip on to the next Hip album.

Moved to Solo Discussion. As you were.

you guys put more thought into which was the correct forum than you did the actual album, :lol: i struggle to understand how having a discussion of Gord's solo work in the Hip Discussion forum is "disrespectful for the remainder of the band"

mark Wrote:you guys put more thought into which was the correct forum than you did the actual album, :lol: i struggle to understand how having a discussion of Gord's solo work in the Hip Discussion forum is "disrespectful for the remainder of the band"

I don't think it was disrespectful at all. But it was in the wrong forum.

Back in 2000, news of a solo Gord record was huge. So many questions! "Is Gord not getting his creative itches scratched with The Hip?" "What does this mean for The Hip moving forward?" "What would solo Gord sound like?" I think the first song I heard was a leaked-to-napster copy of Trick Rider. Ok, so it's going to be a softer, gentler sound. Different, but I liked it. I bought the cd/book combo when it came out and listened non-stop. I loved the stream of consciousness lyrics in songs like SF Song. The loose-around-the-edges production was/is endearing. CMG sounds warm and intimate, laid-back in the right places, fierce in the right places, cheeky in the right places.
I have strong feelings for each of these songs...but I'll save these thoughts for the eventual CMG weakest-link poll.

I'll be honest, I'd really prefer we get to the solo stuff *after* we work through the Hip catalogue. What's the rush? Spread it out, let's go at a leisurely clip.

Ok folks, I think it's time to resurrect this thread and start making our way through Gord's (and Paul's) solo records. It's been a little quiet in here lately so let's get the discussion going again, shall we?

I still remember the day this album came out. I was in journalism school in Ottawa at the time, and I remember driving to Future Shop at lunch time so I could buy the limited edition book/CD combo. I threw the disc on for the drive back to class, and right away it was clear that this was gonna be VERY different from Gord's day job in the Hip. I was instantly blown away by the ramshackle/experimental nature of the recording, the varied styles and instrumentation, the spoken word stuff, and the fragile & haunting quality of the songs. For me, the album features some of Gord's finest moments as a songwriter: Vancouver Divorce, Trick Rider, Canada Geese, Chancellor, Never-Ending Present, Lofty Pines, and Every Irrelevance are all outstanding songs that can easily stand alongside the Hip's best work.

Even the weirder moments are pretty cool, and I particularly love some of the spoken word material like Nothing But Heartache in Your Social Life, Mystery, and Insomniacs. Shortly after Gord's passing I listened to the entire album front to back for the first time in probably a decade, and fell in love with it all over again while bawling my eyes out. The whole record is just so damn beautiful. A true Canadian masterpiece.

I bought this at the Spring Garden Road HMV in Halifax.

Always wanted a vinyl of it, and that came to fruition thanks to Sunrise at Promenades Gatineau.

The morning that news broke of Gord's passing, I worked early. Instead of showing up at my normal time, I was late, as I drove near my work; parked my car; threw on this album and had a cry.

I bought this record the day it came out at HMV Yonge/Eglinton in Toronto. I was at the old Yuk Yuks location taking a class and went over as soon as it ended. I remember getting home (College residence) and playing it for the first time.

When Gord passed the best way I can describe how I felt was from Vancouver Divorce.

“And I found the end of the world ofcourse, and it’s not the end of the world, ofcourse”

I just love this album. I got the poetry book with the included CD and have played and read both so much since release. It is one of my favourite albums, full stop.

I picked up another copy in HMV last week to post to a Gord-curious friend here in the U.K. and I really hope it starts him off down the road we’ve all been down too.