07-17-2016, 04:15 PM
While killing time on a rainy Sunday I stumbled across a website called the Ear of Newt. On there are a few interesting articles written during the Hip's ascension to the Canrock peak in the early to mid 90's, including one from 1995 (arguably the zenith year of the Hip's commercial powers) with Gord Downie talking about what it was like to open for the Stones and the bands he was most excited to see at ARA '95.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://earofnewt.com/2014/05/29/gordon-downie-says-opening-for-the-rolling-stones-is-like-being-a-golf-caddy/">https://earofnewt.com/2014/05/29/gordon ... olf-caddy/</a><!-- m -->
In this one from fall of 1996 Gord D talks about critics, his guitar playing abilities, and the struggles he had trying to re-write a few lines from ABAC:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://earofnewt.com/2014/04/02/my-first-and-last-georgia-straight-cover-story-on-the-tragically-hip/">https://earofnewt.com/2014/04/02/my-fir ... cally-hip/</a><!-- m -->
There are also a few interesting audio interview snippets with Downie from 1989 and 1992. The interviewer would never have survived on radio but once you get past the irritating and amateur question phrasing Downie rescues the conversation with some interesting thoughts and insights. I've put the links for a few of them below. There are others on the website.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://earofnewt.com/2016/06/10/the-gord-downie-tapes-1989-on-the-music-scene-in-kingston-and-being-influenced-by-the-yardbirds-and-stones/">https://earofnewt.com/2016/06/10/the-go ... nd-stones/</a><!-- m -->
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://earofnewt.com/2016/06/05/the-gord-downie-tapes-1989-the-hip-made-up-to-here-to-fit-its-own-standards/">https://earofnewt.com/2016/06/05/the-go ... standards/</a><!-- m -->
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://earofnewt.com/2016/05/29/the-gord-downie-tapes-1989-38-years-old-and-new-orleans-is-sinking/">https://earofnewt.com/2016/05/29/the-go ... s-sinking/</a><!-- m -->
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://earofnewt.com/2016/07/10/the-gord-downie-tapes-1992-wishing-he-was-a-thin-lizzy-freak/">https://earofnewt.com/2016/07/10/the-go ... zzy-freak/</a><!-- m -->
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://earofnewt.com/2014/05/29/gordon-downie-says-opening-for-the-rolling-stones-is-like-being-a-golf-caddy/">https://earofnewt.com/2014/05/29/gordon ... olf-caddy/</a><!-- m -->
In this one from fall of 1996 Gord D talks about critics, his guitar playing abilities, and the struggles he had trying to re-write a few lines from ABAC:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://earofnewt.com/2014/04/02/my-first-and-last-georgia-straight-cover-story-on-the-tragically-hip/">https://earofnewt.com/2014/04/02/my-fir ... cally-hip/</a><!-- m -->
There are also a few interesting audio interview snippets with Downie from 1989 and 1992. The interviewer would never have survived on radio but once you get past the irritating and amateur question phrasing Downie rescues the conversation with some interesting thoughts and insights. I've put the links for a few of them below. There are others on the website.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://earofnewt.com/2016/06/10/the-gord-downie-tapes-1989-on-the-music-scene-in-kingston-and-being-influenced-by-the-yardbirds-and-stones/">https://earofnewt.com/2016/06/10/the-go ... nd-stones/</a><!-- m -->
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://earofnewt.com/2016/06/05/the-gord-downie-tapes-1989-the-hip-made-up-to-here-to-fit-its-own-standards/">https://earofnewt.com/2016/06/05/the-go ... standards/</a><!-- m -->
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://earofnewt.com/2016/05/29/the-gord-downie-tapes-1989-38-years-old-and-new-orleans-is-sinking/">https://earofnewt.com/2016/05/29/the-go ... s-sinking/</a><!-- m -->
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://earofnewt.com/2016/07/10/the-gord-downie-tapes-1992-wishing-he-was-a-thin-lizzy-freak/">https://earofnewt.com/2016/07/10/the-go ... zzy-freak/</a><!-- m -->