[Marcus1970]

this all seemed to start back in 2004 to be honest, gord started singing selective songs improperly such as ahead by a century, little bones and 100th meridian. Now it seems that it has spread to many other songs to the point where only the newer songs seems to get the proper vocal treatment. I fully understand gord wants to have new interpretations of songs but clearly it has gone too far. It won't be long before even the casual fans decide that this doesn't sound like the hip anymore. I feel that if gord were to watch his live show he may realize that the songs just don't sound as good, or maybe he likes the way they sound. Unless the start taking the pearl jam model they may be doomed. PJ is not afraid to playh any song they have ever done and for the most part Eddy sings all the vocals they way they sound. They still jam out certain songs and they play different covers and seem to keep it fresh even though they have staple songs they they pretty much play every concert as well. I believe Eddy also has a huge song book and refers to lyrics as well (similar to a teleprompter). Somebody needs to convince the hip that all their old stuff is pure gold and they should never be afraid to play anything. People love to hear rarities and old classics and they love to hear vocals sung they way they were recorded with minor change-ups and variations. Until they do this, it could get ugly for long time and even casual fans of the live shows.

But there's two issues here. One is the question of variety in the set-lists. That's a legitimate issue, especially if Gord (or the band) are getting bored by the same old "hits." Yes, you always have to include enough hits to keep the casual fan - who make up most of any given concert crowd - happy. But there's no reason not to go deep into the catalogue, either. That's part of the advantage of having a huge body of work, and if they're not seizing this advantage, that's dumb.

The second issue is "singing the songs properly," i.e., "the way they were recorded." This is the kind of musical conservatism that I have a problem with. There is no one "proper" way to do a song. Gord is heavily influenced by Bob Dylan, and Bob has always been very clear that his recordings are just "blueprints" that are in no way binding upon what he chooses to do on stage. The key is not to see the recorded versions as some how the "essence" of the song, but rather a launching-pad for further exploration. Indeed, as with Dylan, when it comes to the oldies Gord knows that the audience knows the song - which ought to give him leeway to mix it up. Instead, the pressure goes in the exact opposite direction ("how dare you change your phrasing!!"). I find that there's something constipated about this demand that the songs sound Just Like on the Album. It seems to be rooted in an anxiety about hearing anything done differently.

There are many was to keep songs fresh and eliminate the boredom factor. The Hip often do a good job at this. NOIS, Meridian, ABAC, Wheat Kings, etc. have all gone through some sort of evolution.

As for Grace Too, I've always been a fan of this 1997 version.

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