I think Gord is kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to selling and promoting his solo efforts. Die-hard Hip fans will buy his solo albums because its Gord and we want to hear what he can do in a indie setting, but the indie scene is going to be a bit leery towards supporting and listening to his records because they are going to figure that the record companies are going to suck all the oxygen out of the scene promoting his records and push aside other deserving artists. and casual Hip fans would be expecting something Hip sounding.
Bottom line- if something is good, it should be listened to or at least respected. This applies to popular bands and bands that play bars and split 300 dollars between the four of them. Gord shouldn't be punished for being in a popular band. The Hip shouldn't be dismissed because they are popular in Canada. The quality of the Hip's music is better than most in Canada IMO, whether you compare it to the artsy musicians, rocking musicians, mainstream musicians, country musicians, rappers, etc.
The feeling I get about Gord is that he is VERY WELL respected by the Canadian musicians, if not a lot of critics. The Hip, Sexsmith, Rheos, Rush, Cowboy Junkies, Blue Rodeo, Sarah Harmer, OLP, 54-40, Weakerthans, Sadies, etc.... all seem to have a mutual respect for each other. The musicians know what's real and what's not real. They know what's genuine and what has emotion and soul and integrity.
Gord has integrity and I think he gets plenty of respect from his peers, which is all that really matters.
BTW, HOW UNBELIEVABLE IS "CHANCELLOR"? CMG is a true work of art.
It's a good point---Gord may have been leery himself about hogging a spotlight he's already dominated for years with the band. So his modesty about 'Coke' could actually have been a strategy for keeping himself a part of the team of indie musicians, preventing resentments from getting out of hand; or maybe just simple tactful politesse.
Cancellor? Gordon Downie's finest hour (or 3/1/2 minutes) on record. I listened to that song over and over when it came out...so poignant, so complex, such deep ambiguity combined with such depth of feeling. And the piano part is exquisite.
Gord's reluctance to promote CMG heavily may also have been motivated by a desire not to rock the boat with the rest of the Hip, and with Hip fans.
Critical reaction to the band in Canada is funny. It shows, I think, that critics go after you when you're on top -- which makes you wonder whether most critics are even worth reading.
Nah ... it doesn't make you wonder at all.
tigerthelion Wrote:BTW, HOW UNBELIEVABLE IS "CHANCELLOR"? CMG is a true work of art.
Indeed, it's stunning, how unbelievable is "Vancouver Divorce"? It perfectly paints the picture of a struggling couple, eyeing each other quietly at their local Tim Hortons. That's what I like most about this album, it reads like a poem. Love this album.
FighterAndLover Wrote:tigerthelion Wrote:BTW, HOW UNBELIEVABLE IS "CHANCELLOR"? CMG is a true work of art.
Indeed, it's stunning, how unbelievable is "Vancouver Divorce"? It perfectly paints the picture of a struggling couple, eyeing each other quietly at their local Tim Hortons. That's what I like most about this album, it reads like a poem. Love this album.
Yes, "Vancouver Divorce" is another absolute gem. The 'sitting here at the Hortons' line is emaculate!!!!"Trick Rider" is a wonderfully elegant tune, "Lofty Pines" is one to cool down to, and "Canada Geese" is one to, I don't know, it's a great grungy effort!! :thumb: "Possessed" is a great live tune also! Great album.
Don't forget Neverending Present, Trick Rider, and Butterfly Chase.. three of the best songs on CMG!
tigerthelion Wrote:"Possessed" is a great live tune also! Great album.
How could I forget Possessed, it might actually be my favourite track on the album!
Going over it a thousand ti-i-imes....(love this pause)
IN the narrow plume of my mind
Oh, what I'd give for just one small caress
It was the look in your eyes.........when you said something like ....yer possessed.....you're possessed....
I love the different live variations of the song. During the concert they did on PEI, Gord asked the crowd if it liked potatoes and then made a reference to the spud and the great red mud. The improvisation is wonderful during this song!
tigerthelion Wrote:It was the look in your eyes.........when you said something like ....yer possessed.....you're possessed....
I love the different live variations of the song. During the concert they did on PEI, Gord asked the crowd if it liked potatoes and then made a reference to the spud and the great red mud. The improvisation is wonderful during this song!
Going off on a tangent, my family took a trip through Canada (which I loved) a couple summers ago. We visited Prince Edward Island, and it was beautiful.
Back on track, I haven't been able to locate the book associated with CMG to purchase. I guess I'll check out that
other thread, but any advice?
FighterAndLover Wrote:tigerthelion Wrote:It was the look in your eyes.........when you said something like ....yer possessed.....you're possessed....
I love the different live variations of the song. During the concert they did on PEI, Gord asked the crowd if it liked potatoes and then made a reference to the spud and the great red mud. The improvisation is wonderful during this song!
Going off on a tangent, my family took a trip through Canada (which I loved) a couple summers ago. We visited Prince Edward Island, and it was beautiful.
Back on track, I haven't been able to locate the book associated with CMG to purchase. I guess I'll check out that other thread, but any advice?
PEI is a great place.......TO VISIT!!! HAHA, just kidding. It is a nice province and it slow paced, but there isn't much money to be made on PEI. One thing about PEI is that there are WAY TOO MANY GOLF COURSES!!!! It seems like the province is more worried about tourism than health care. It's ridiculous that not all of the outpatients rooms at the hospitals are open 24 hours!!!!!
Anyway, you can't find the book anywhere? It would be online but other than that I don't think you'll have any luck finding it in the US. It's on the Maple Music website I know for sure at <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.maplemusic.com">www.maplemusic.com</a><!-- w -->.
Just before entering Calagry from the East there is a sign pointing in the direction of the town called Chancellor. I always blast that song when I get there. I always think maybe Gord was looking out his window on the tour bus and seen the same sign. Butterfly Chase and Into The Night are going to played to my kids when they go to sleep.
Of course I pulled this album out again tonight since the vinyl presale was publicly announced today.
I have always loved this album, but it has been a couple years since I have spun it.
Wow. Is it lacking something in the production. What? I have no idea.
But it sounds quiet and muddy I'm am hoping the vinyl opens it up. Never realized the compressed feeling before.
The Grand Bounce sounds Amazing. Totally a amazing! Chris Walla produced that and the sound he captured was unbelievable. I wish he produced this album. (Although this was many years before they met.)
And I also wish he produced at least two Hip albums. I wish they would have stuck with him after Bob Rock.
The Grand Bounce is such a great album. I wish I could of made a couple live dates on that tour. Easily IMO his best solo work
Production-wise, I think CMG sounds pretty good, but I can't wait to hear how the vinyl version is going to sound. Lots of fun sounds happening on that record. Kevin Hearn's piano work on Chancellor is sublime. I even like Gord's let's-wrap-this-thing-up cough at the end of Elaborate - it adds to the carefree spontaneous vibe of the record. I complete agree that The Grand Bounce sounds incredible though -- a song like Gone is perfect in every way, imho. Production-wise, arrangement, performance and content...it all works for me. Some of my favourite lyrics from Gord on that one. Love these verses:
"The sun is quitting
It's not the end of my race
Though night is dispatching
Savages at a furious pace
Silver and violet
Shadows run the lawn
I got my antlers in the thicket
Of a dream where you're gone"
...
"As the wind inclines
The waves hit your dock
My scarf is flapping something wicked
Like it's trying to talk"