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RIP Gord Downie - Tragically Hip Frontman, Great Canadian

  1. sjg22 Oct 18, 2017

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    One of the best song writers of his generation and woefully unappreciated outside of his native Canada.

    RIP - one of my favourites and a Canadian legend.

    His final, emotionally charged show with the Tragically Hip is on my DVR - I think a rewatch is in order tonight.

    If you don't know the Hip, worth a listen!
     
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  2. yvrclimber Oct 18, 2017

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    Very sad news. We (Canada) will miss him dearly.
     
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  3. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Oct 18, 2017

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    Been a tough day since I read the news...
     
  4. gostang9 Oct 18, 2017

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    Knew it was coming, doesn’t make it any easier.
     
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  5. kippyk Oct 18, 2017

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    Great band...
     
  6. oddboy Zero to Grail+2998 In Six Months Oct 18, 2017

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    A country mourns

     
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  7. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Oct 18, 2017

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  8. CdnWatchDoc Oct 18, 2017

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    Gord really did rally this country around a few issues-brain tumours, Indigenous injustice, and fantastic music. And all in his last year...Great man!!
    :(Condolences to his family.
     
  9. Paedipod Oct 18, 2017

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    spent the evening listening to Radio 2...(fully) completely Hip.....my daughter called from the coast to let me know to listen. Touched at least two generations of Canadians.
     
  10. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Oct 19, 2017

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    From an article in the New York Times...

    "The place of honor that Mr. Downie occupies in Canada’s national imagination has no parallel in the United States. Imagine Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Michael Stipe combined into one sensitive, oblique poet-philosopher, and you’re getting close."

    I think this was reflected well in their last concert in Kingston, where the CBC interrupted their Olympic coverage last summer to broadcast the concert live, without commercials, for 3 hours. Being a total Olympic junky I typically watch nothing but the Olympics when they are on, and for anything else I would have found some events to watch on another channel. But we watched every second of that concert coverage, along with about 12 million other Canadians - a full 1/3 of our population.

    The impact that Gord and the band had was huge here, and I hope the work he has done to raise awareness of aboriginal issues will not get forgotten, and that the momentum he started will carry on...

    Cheers, Al
     
  11. M'Bob Oct 19, 2017

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    I wonder if the writer of this was being generous. I'm certainly not an expert on Mr. Downie, but from appearances, he appears to hold a place of unanimous belovedness that the others mentioned only enjoy in discreet fan pockets. Okay - maybe a bit more than that, but still...
     
  12. Paedipod Oct 19, 2017

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    nothing else in Canada currently can command this, apart from maybe a mythical all-Canadian Stanley Cup final Game 7
     
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  13. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Oct 19, 2017

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    I believe that's why he said the US has no parallel...

    About 45 minutes of The National (CBC's 1 hour nightly news broadcast) was devoted to this story last night...there aren't many news events that take up as much of a news broadcast as this did. The only recent passing of a prominent Canadian artist that comes close (but still not to this level of broad impact I think) would be that of Leonard Cohen.

    If you are of a certain age, you will remember being dragged out of classes at school and sent to the gym with all other students to watch the final game of the 1972 Summit Series for example. I also believe that the gold medal game of the 2010 Olympics for the men saw 80% of Canadian households watch at least part of the game. I don't think the numbers were that high in 2014, and thanks to Gary Bettman...

    [​IMG]

    I suspect that the 2018 hockey will not create the same draw as the others.
     
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  14. Paedipod Oct 19, 2017

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    that and the various moon landings.....
     
  15. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Oct 19, 2017

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    Yes I suppose those would count...
     
  16. M'Bob Oct 19, 2017

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    Yes, I did see that. My post was more focusing on whether someone like yourself, who I'm assuming knows the other artists mentioned as well, thinks that with regard to them collectively, we are getting "close" to Mr. Downie, per the writer's statement, relative to his influence, impact, talent, etc.
     
  17. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Oct 19, 2017

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    That would require me to assess the impact of what those 3 are collectively on Americans, which was the point he was making...something I'm not really able to do...my gut says no, but that's as much as I can say.

    Personally I haven't listened to Dylan much since the late 70's to early 80's, I was never a big Springsteen fan (although I appreciate the music more than I used to), and REM was so overplayed here on the radio at one time (the song Losing My Religion in particular) that although I started out being a fan and still am to a point, I have to be in the right mood to listen to them anymore. There were times when I couldn't stand hearing them at all (that's when I sold all their CD's off), and that song, as good as it is, still grates on me a bit...

    Cheers, Al
     
  18. M'Bob Oct 19, 2017

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    Fair enough. Tough, I guess, to weigh in on this one unless one has lived in both countries, and know each culture pretty intimately.

    Many here appreciate Dylan's contributions, though his voice can be like nails on a chalk board. Springsteen is such an all-around good guy, and he is talented, though many claim (rightly), that it is almost impossible to make out the lyrics of many of his songs. And Michael Stipe? His inclusion in that list eludes me...
     
  19. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Oct 20, 2017

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    For Hip fans in Canada (and in Northern US states that might get a CTV channel) the documentary of their last tour called Long Time Running, that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year, is airing tonight so check your local listings. I already have my DVR set.

    Cheers, Al
     
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  20. Kiltie Oct 20, 2017

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    From Texas -

    I first saw The Hip touring behind Fully Completely. They were part of a week long music festival/street party/carnival thing that used to go on years back. This gig was being held at a coliseum fairground place, where they also held rodeos.

    On the main stage, in the parking lot, were such bastions of unforgettable music like TLC and Snow. The Hip were playing at the same time, on the other side of the coliseum, in a tin building used for showing livestock. It was fantastic!

    As time went on, I turned a few folks on to The Hip, bought all the albums, a couple of videos I was able to find locally, and they stayed in heavy rotation in my personal collection. I had the good fortune of seeing them on five more occasions, including the last tour. The show supporting Music At Work was my favorite.

    At the end of that show, we went out to grab some tacos and a beer before heading home. We sat at a stand across from the venue and discussed the show, our favorite parts, etc..., then headed back to the car. This was about an hour after curtain. We rounded the corner of the venue, and who should be standing there in front of the bus, but Gordon Downie, with about ten or fifteen people. He'd been out there, signing swag, since the end of the show. We had our CD's with us, and someone lent us their Sharpie, and Gord thanked us for coming. He stayed until everyone was happy.

    In Texas, these were club shows. Not like the Canadian arena affairs. 500 people? Maybe? Fully a quarter of those were deadheading the tour. I was always able to get within ten feet of the stage.

    Anyway, I still have a VHS recording of Dan Akroyd introducing Grace, Too, a set list, and a crummy one sheet from the last tour, along with my Tragically Hip hockey jersey and other knick knacks. That jersey bought me some real cred with a crew of Mississauga firefighters I spent a weekend with in Maryland. They couldn't believe anyone from Texas would be into The Hip. Moreover, that three other folks in my department were big fans.

    There are probably more good memories surrounding The Tragically Hip for me - songs associated with events, places, the concerts...- than any other band I've ever listened to.

    So, I raise my Molsen, or Labatt's, or what have you, to the Canadians on the forum. There's a big Hip fan in Texas ( a few, in fact...).
     
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