We've had the bases loaded, twice!

The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown

We're taking you on a journey through the Tragically Hip's live album, 'Live Between Us', which was released back in 1997. Our excitement leading up to its release was off the charts, and we're here to share that with you! We'll be dissecting some of the tracks on the album, such as 'Grace, too', 'Ahead By A Century', and 'Nautical Disaster'. Prepare to be immersed in the intimate connection between the band and their fans that this record so beautifully captures.

In this episode, we dive deep into the recording process of 'Live Between Us', exploring the incredible energy of the show, and the role the audience played in the final product. Also, get ready for an insight into the potential impact a sax player could've had on the band's sound, as well as a fascinating anecdote about Dave Matthews' tour bus incident in Chicago. Plus, we'll delve into the tough decision faced by sax player David Manning – stay with the Hip or leave with his girlfriend?

Finally, let's talk about the Tragically Hip's songwriting process and live performance dynamics. We'll discuss how the energy of the show and the crowd's reactions influenced their performances, and examine the live version of 'Fully Completely', which unlocked the song in a completely different way from the original recording. We'll also touch on the band's influences and listening habits, and how they incorporated lyrics from other bands into their set. So, join us as we unearth the magic of 'Springtime in Vienna' and the excitement its introduction caused among the crowd. You don't want to miss this!

Transcript

0:00:00 - Speaker 1

So, guys, this is Pete here. I'm coming to you with a very important message. Okay, this is serious stuff. I know we joke around a lot on the on the pod, but in all honesty, i'm asking for a favor. I need you to do yourselves a favor. I need you to do your family and friends a favor. I need you to do society as a whole favor. Go to getting hip to the hipcom, click on the bonus feed and join the bonus feed, because there's some pretty next level content or covering everything from geopolitics to UFOs and the tragically hit most importantly, but you're really not gonna want to miss it. So, again, do yourself a favor, do the next generation a favor. Okay, before you, before you focus on recycling and nobody cares about climate change, the more important thing is to join the bonus feed. Getting hip to the hipcom click bonus feed.

0:01:14 - Speaker 2

You.

0:01:41 - Speaker 3

A live hip record on May 2 for a weekend. What more could I have asked for? It was 1997 and I was getting ready to do my annual sojourn from Toronto back home to Waterford. The hip was still number one for me and this record was something I had been craving since having first seen them live. For some reason, though, it didn't scratch my itch the way I wanted it to. No matter how many times I spun the CD on my discman, i just couldn't get as excited about it as I did for a studio record. Were the hips so good live that it was impossible to capture the greatness in ones and zeros? I don't know, but what I can tell you is the album has aged extremely well and it's often something I go back to when I need a jolt that, for whatever reason, it didn't offer me back in 97.

Now, in this episode recorded before his untimely passing, we get into the late Davis Manning. So allow me to acknowledge that now. Rest in peace, davis. If you've been following along, you know how hungry Tim and Pete are for a live performance from the band. Although they'll never get to see them in person, the time is right to unleash live between us onto them? Will they eat it up the way I think they will? We'll find out today. on Getting Hip to the Hip. Long Sliced Brewery presents Getting Hip to the Hip.

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to hear the tragically hips music for the first time again, here's your chance. Join music fans Pete and Tim from Portland, who have never heard the band before, on a journey through the hips discography, accompanied by me, their guide, jd. Welcome to Getting Hip to the Hip. How's it going, guys?

0:03:56 - Speaker 5

Going great, it's going good.

0:03:59 - Speaker 1

Fantastic Couldn't be better.

0:04:01 - Speaker 5

Glad to be back.

0:04:03 - Speaker 3

Yeah, it is, it is. It's good to be back at it. Okay, before we get into things here, we are talking about the live record that everybody was really waiting for. You know, around the time it came out It was 1997. Everybody had heard that this was a really great band to see live and to experience live, and so we were all longing for, you know, a live record, and when it was announced we were really quite excited And I'm curious how you guys felt. But before we get into your feelings, let's take a look under the hood of this record.

This one was recorded live at Kobo Arena in Detroit, michigan, november 23rd 1996. It was released May 24th 1997 for the long weekend. Produced by the tragically hip and Mark Freakin. It clocks in at 70 minutes and 31 seconds and it was released on MCA. All Music gave this a 2.5 out of 5. And here's what they had to say about this.

The tragically hip, one of Canada's musical merry makers, are also praised for their raw, sweaty live performances. Frontman Gordon Downey is a real dynamo, lyrically and physically, and his bandmates only support the beautiful live chaos. With that aside, the hip treated fans with their first ever live album, live Between Us, recorded well. On tour in support of 1996's Trouble at the Henhouse, live Between Us documents one of the band's more ambitious evenings. Without any technical tweaking, a very loyal Detroit audience is captured at the sold out Kobo Arena and a very tight knit and fiery, tragically hip is in command.

The unity between the hip and their fans depicts something heavy. Downey's random improvising and loose poetic ramblings spark the intro of Grace 2. It creeps along with Johnny Faye's electric percussion and already Live Between Us is a steady, creatively stripped and vibrant. The emotional rage fully, completely sets up the rest of the record, particularly the relaxed ballad ahead by a century Layered backing vocals and plucking acoustics depict the hip's signature sincerity and the sneaky rock snippets of David Bowie's China Girl And the Beach Boys Don't Worry Baby midway through New Orleans' sink and flow without hesitance.

Most stunningly is his lyrical rant of Jane Sivarys' The Temple Near the End of the Taunting Nautical Disaster, which also includes a verse from the reaesthetics Bad Time to Be Poor. As a whole, the band is abrasive in a simplistic sense, making Live Between Us an intimate jam between the band members themselves and a shared moment with the fans. The tragically bad men have maintained their beloved status because of such grateful informality. What in the living fuck is a 2.5 out of 5? The only negative word in there is abrasive, and abrasive comes right to the end. It's such a pussy review, wow.

0:07:15 - Speaker 1

It's a bitch review. It's like going out on the best date of your life or something and then just saying like, yeah, maybe I'll call you next week or whatever, or maybe I won't. I can't even think of something stupid and shitty to compare it to, because it's so fucking bullshit. Sorry, what a shit. the bed review that is Sorry.

0:07:42 - Speaker 5

Well, i have a maybe, maybe, why So kind of the elephant in the room on this recording is the actual show is longer than what they put out for the album And we're missing all these. We're missing, yeah, we're missing all these songs. So if you, let's say, the writer, went to this show in Detroit and was so psyched about it And then a year or whatever, whatever it was, later bought the album and brought it home and realized it was three quarters of the songs and they don't even get the actual ending of the show on the record, and so you're kind of you're like you're playing if you got this on vinyl or CD, you're playing like the highlights of the show And as a very amateur taper and someone who absolutely loves live shows and kind of you know, on some of the bad weeks lives for them, you know, when I listened through this I was like okay, is this just the hits? Like what is this album Like?

I really questioned what was going on with it. I absolutely loved it And I loved. You know I have all these comments about everything that I dig from it But at the same time I'm like God damn. So that's when I pursued the search of the whole recording, start to finish, because I mean I have socked away whole recordings of shows And this is not a whole recording.

0:09:11 - Speaker 3

Yeah, it's interesting. It's interesting, I wonder. I was just going to say it's interesting. I wonder why they did it that way. What do you think, pete? That's what I was going to say.

0:09:21 - Speaker 1

No, it's totally yeah, because here's a couple things Like I see what you're saying, but I'm also looking at this from 1996, number one, number two it's on MCA, which at the time MCA was a really large record company. Okay, so you know, you've got, you've got the record company's influence of. oh, i don't think this track should be on there, whatever They take it off.

You know they wanted this to be a sellable record that they were going to put out number one. I'm not defending it, i'm just saying I'm just trying to get in the mind of the methodology of what, why these decisions were made. And on top of it, i think nowadays bands will put out a live record and it'll be like you know, because, for example, new Orleans is sinking. You know, nowadays that would be New Orleans is sinking. Parenthetical China girl slash, don't worry, they met me or something.

You know they'll throw that shit in, whereas back in the day, when you had a packaged live record, that shit was a no. No, you know, i didn't see it a lot that I remember Either way. Dude, this fuck all music, dude. I think that's the narrative we need to stick with, because they don't know what the fuck is going on.

0:10:38 - Speaker 5

It. Just this record blew me away. Yeah, I would say. I would just add that my my only thought behind their low review score is because they didn't get all the show, Maybe they went to it and they saw it and they wanted to hear it all again. Yeah, exactly, or maybe they didn't, i don't know, but it's just the review is written It was a bad way.

0:11:01 - Speaker 3

Kindly like it's. so it's such a nice review, really, until the word abrasive comes out and then which is weird And then it ends with like a nice, like they're redeemed, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and then it's like 2.5. It's like this person is a hard grader man. That's all I'm going to say.

0:11:20 - Speaker 1

But I don't, i don't buy that. Oh, i mean, i see what you're saying, tim, again about the record. You know. But look at, you know, a lot of live records aren't even a whole concert, let alone you're going to put a whole concert. So if a band plays for you know, three hours or plays a three hour set, like the Stones, and they put out a live record, they're not going to do that. Led Zeppelin's How the West is One great live record. It's probably. You know, if you look at the back and the liner notes, it's recorded in Madison Square Garden, it's recorded at the Long Beach Arena. It's recorded different places. It's not one concert. They kind of just took the best takes.

0:11:57 - Speaker 3

I do like they used just the Kobo Hall performance because a lot of bands do that for live. They do like two or three nights and they record and they pick the best stuff.

0:12:08 - Speaker 5

The actual album is about 83% of the show, so you you miss the whole. Encore There is some. There is some missing there The entire encore you missed.

0:12:17 - Speaker 3

So what you do get the end of the record is the Weirothal, which is the last song they played. But whatever we missing, it goes Grace to fully completely springtime in Vienna. Trust my arm gift shop ahead by a century. The luxury 700 foot ceiling is not on there.

0:12:33 - Speaker 2

Courage.

0:12:34 - Speaker 3

That sucks, is courage on there.

0:12:36 - Speaker 5

Daredevil is not. Daredevil is not Daredevil is not.

0:12:40 - Speaker 3

Flamenco is not Scape is at hand for the traveling man is not, which is crazy because that's on the next record. So they were showcasing Wow, yeah, yeah, if anyone's got this.

0:12:52 - Speaker 5

No, i'm thinking, don't wake, daddy.

0:12:55 - Speaker 3

Yeah, please send an email to Tim at getting hip to the hipcom. He's a completist. I need it. Oh little bones man That would have been fucking rad.

0:13:06 - Speaker 5

Yeah, ender with me locked in the trunk of a car would have been the ominous Ender. But then you got little bones, so new, the very end. I mean we got you another recording. You get 82, like I said, 83% of the whole entire show, which is killer. And you know, honestly, a positive there is it gives people access to the hip live who may own like one album, and then they pick up a CD with a bunch of live shit and they're like, oh man, why haven't we seen this band play yet? You know, so that could be part of it.

It's a little bit of a teaser without an encore or a second encore. I mean I don't know, though That's all the same time. I've, i've recorded shows and I've sent friends just the encore, just kind of piss them off, but sometimes like from a recording. Sometimes for me, listening to the encore, like the last three, four songs, you're like fuck, yeah, that probably was an amazing show. I get it And you know this recording without hearing the, on course I pretty much get it too, but just specifically, i talk about the show.

0:14:10 - Speaker 3

Yeah, well, this is what I want to. I want to sort of level off with the audience. You know how we're going to approach this Yeah.

And you know, you came up with the idea of approaching it like it's a real concert, like let's give, give it a concert review. My curiosity starts to go from there. What do you look for in a live concert without referencing this record? What, what are? or, if you want to reference this record, what do you look for when you go to a show like that makes it a great show.

0:14:40 - Speaker 5

Yeah, well, oftentimes it's the crowd. Man, if it's a rock and roll band, if it's a band with energy, you know there's. There's a electronic duo that we love, that we've seen play a handful of times. That really gets their crowd going like it. Just, oftentimes it's the crowd. You know, at the beginning of this album, as I listened to it, i thought, okay, probably not, because I didn't research it much. You know, i was excited to hear a live album But I thought, you know, it's probably not. The stadium sounds big, though definitely arena feeling and crowd sounds pretty hyped. They weren't. They weren't screaming like a bunch of fucking going crazy, drunk ass Canadians. They were hyped But it wasn't. To me it didn't feel like a home show.

Well Tim, the ABV in the back blue is not that high Just well, sure, sure, sure, sure, Sure, sure, but you know, but when I did research it I was like, oh, i was like, oh, detroit, okay, detroit shows must have been really fun Because you know, you're in the US, you're in the USA. Whether or not is highly regarded in Detroit is like there is their home away from home. So the crowd for me was either way like hitting the mark that the crowd was pumped in the just right off the bat I had wondered about you know, because I'm nerdy that way like how it was recorded And I thought about the time and the era and what people were using to record stuff. So I did a little bit of research on that note, just to see, like what the heck or see if there are any notes about how they recorded this thing, because back then it was like dat recorders or radar recorders.

I mean it was like the kind of the evolution beginning evolution of digital audio recording which people could then just pump out on the scene or mini discs around.

0:16:28 - Speaker 3

At that point I forget when I had, i had a.

0:16:30 - Speaker 5

Yeah that was, that was the yeah, those things were cool. Yeah, that was around the same time. You could yeah, you could plug those straight into a sound board and get like CD quality. So I was curious about that as a taper person, you know, just to hear how it went down, because it overall you know whether it was on my home sonosystem or my basement PSS premium sound system or on my my home headphones, my Bose headphones, like it sounds fucking good Like whoever. Whoever posted this did a great job.

0:17:06 - Speaker 3

What did you think, pete, in terms of your rubric for measuring a live show?

0:17:13 - Speaker 1

It's a it's a weird question because you know, and Tim comes from a place of recording a million shows in his history On me. I look, i gotta kind of look at it back. We gotta kind of look at this backwards because, number one, we worn out the show. You know, if we judge it by the crowd, i think, but by anybody's standards, you know, the show that Peter Frampton played at the Fillmore West for Frampton Comes Alive was was a banger on the show. But if you know anything about that record they dubbed in the audience of the crowd. Do you know? do you know that, right, tim?

0:17:47 - Speaker 5

Boo.

0:17:47 - Speaker 1

I say that Boo, i mean it's, it's, it's. the American Idol effect is of of making things seem like they're popular when they're not.

0:17:57 - Speaker 5

Now I have a. It's the fucking laugh track, you know it's a laugh track.

0:18:02 - Speaker 1

So I have a weird take on this. This record made me, gave me a weird take on this band as a whole that I'm really looking forward to show you guys. But just to your question, jd, before I get ahead of myself. I think the the show you can. You can hear how good the show was from the band and what the energy that the bands convey, what Gord Downey's saying and how he's interacting with the crowd, cause you never know with the crowd again. The Frampton record but based on what you're hearing from the band, it was a fucking rager.

Yeah, whoever was at this show you know, kiss my ass, i wish I, i wish I was there, i mean, you weren't there.

0:18:49 - Speaker 3

She was an email. JD at getting hip to the hipcom.

0:18:52 - Speaker 5

Hey, jd, question for you.

0:18:53 - Speaker 3

Call her Go ahead Yeah.

0:18:55 - Speaker 5

Yeah, jd, you know. So after I did research this show a bit, i came upon the reason why it's named what it's named. Do you want to share that? And yeah, so it sounded like in the early days the hip had a sax player.

0:19:15 - Speaker 3

David's.

0:19:15 - Speaker 5

Manning, that's right, am I right?

0:19:17 - Speaker 3

Yeah, talked about him in the first episode.

0:19:20 - Speaker 5

So that that kind of rocks, yeah, yeah, I forgot all about that. I forgot all about that, obviously, and and I thought, oh my God, and I just I just kind of sat there and wondered about everything I've listened to and how there has been no sax player. And there could have been a sax player, you know, and there's, and it recalled to mind some bands that I love that have horn players that you know really feels like part of the soul of that band with this horn player. So can you imagine, like recordings up to this date, having this sax player? that's like you know, i don't know, would he have been the equivalent of I don't know the guy's name, the guy that plays um Phil or violin for Dave Matthews, you know, wouldn't have been this overwhelming presence, so that that first of all.

0:20:08 - Speaker 3

First of all, dave Matthews, barf Barf.

0:20:12 - Speaker 5

Oh, i know right, the best, the best story about Dave Matthews Segway is the story about his tour bus in Chicago. Do you guys know this story?

0:20:22 - Speaker 1

Oh yeah, the the, yeah, the shit.

0:20:24 - Speaker 5

Yeah, So he's he's.

0:20:25 - Speaker 1

I thought you were going to say Clarence Clemens of uh, yeah, that's where I thought it was No, Yeah, Dave Matthews tour bus.

0:20:32 - Speaker 5

You know they're whoever's on the bus, but they're driving in Chicago across an abridge and they're uh, they're black water tank, which is all the poo, poo and wee wee supposedly broke open and burst onto a bunch of tourists on a on a boat platform, boat going down the river on a scene.

0:20:50 - Speaker 3

Oh my God.

0:20:51 - Speaker 5

So Dave Matthews has actually shit on fans, so that's, that was pretty fun. Anyway, back to this.

0:21:00 - Speaker 3

Hey, today's all about live music.

0:21:02 - Speaker 1

Metaphorically and and sonically.

0:21:05 - Speaker 5

I I last week I turned down the opportunity to co-host that Dave Matthews podcast. Um, so so this fellow uh, uh, uh, dave, dave is manning It was at a crossroads with staying in the band or not and was given to ultimate him by his girlfriend, who I wonder if he's even still with her doubt it. And, um, she, she noted that that the hip lives between us, to him, to Davis. So she was like you know, the band lives in between us in bed, the band is in between us. You got to pick, you got to pick one of us, pick the band or pick me And he's supposedly chose her, and this was spray painted on the wall of I don't remember some building I don't know in in whatever Queens Yeah, in Kingston, and, uh, you know when, it was lived between us. So I think the actual record is lived between us, but everybody calls it live between us because it's live.

0:22:06 - Speaker 3

That's why I've all got it live between us. But yeah, i knew that, but I knew that story. But I still call it live between us. I don't yeah What man. if you've got to take on that Pete, do you?

0:22:15 - Speaker 1

But isn't that a? isn't that a dick move, dude, like I mean? it's a I got to. How do you for the band in their current form to name it?

0:22:24 - Speaker 5

that is like I think it's awesome.

0:22:28 - Speaker 1

I think it's awesome too, but God.

0:22:29 - Speaker 5

Here's the code It says. There, in an alley that now stands beside a tattoo parlor, he painted a huge mural featuring a weeping eye and a shooting star, which is hard to decipher. In the art He painted the hip live between us in large letters across the wall and an apparent reference to he and his lover. In the end, davis chose his girl, left the band and continues to be an active musician to this day. The mural stood until the summer of 2005, when it was painted over by local business owners. His artwork was used as the CD art, which is fucking hilarious and perfect for the hips 97 live release. The disc, in clever turn of phrase, was called live between us.

0:23:12 - Speaker 3

That's very cool.

0:23:13 - Speaker 5

Perfect. It's just perfect. I love it. That right there just made me love the whole thing. It was like great story, Great story.

0:23:21 - Speaker 3

So let's start at the start. With the opener is Grace to a good opener. Hello.

0:23:55 - Speaker 2

This is for the real statics. We're all richer for having seen them tonight. All right, i got a son, came up shocked with the lines. Today was the day that I was already behind Steal the drink. Our brothers and sisters, our young all-ter체 Note Uhl are here at the site. Come on, blir gladzis. I can hear a singing. I'm turned off from No, they don't know no more.

That's why I'm here, for I kept them downtown, but I'm ready for you. I went well into Dona Nace and Brace to leave. I'm a little bit alone. I was, so I'm a little bit. I can't hear you. Can't you fucking hear that man? Can't you fucking hear that? Can't you hear what I heard? Look out, jesus Christ, big fuckin' bear. The secret rules of engagement Are hard to endorse When the appearance of comfort Meets the appearance of force, when I can guarantee They've been a knock on the door, i can't hear you. I'm turned off from here. I'm turned off from the door. That's why I'm here, for I kept them downtown, but I'm ready for you. I went to scale and it's my strength. Yes to you. I didn't give a fuck. Where the hell did you get an inch?

I never fought for a thing. I never fought for anything. I got a palace wage gone to do. I'm like so many of you. I see around me Nothing to live or die for, no limits in tune. Help, help, no, no. I was growing up in town. I was growing up in town And I was gonna pick up my friends And I know you'll come to some kind of dead end. Oh, but I can swear there's a bear. I can swear there's a place where all is A bit to be manned And you can never be a piece of cake. And then there's everyone Around you smiling and everyone Around you styling. You got nothing to worry about. And then you got nothing to worry about. You got nothing to worry about. You got nothing to worry about.

0:29:31 - Speaker 1

So fucking Lulie, absolutely, i mean.

0:29:34 - Speaker 5

Perfect.

0:29:35 - Speaker 1

It's just the way they come into it. I pictured like I don't know if they had played arenas this big before I know they toured. They sounded so tight, they couldn't fuck up if they tried, you know. And this band just sounded so good. Yeah, what was this? How far was this show off of their SNL release? SNL appearance.

0:30:12 - Speaker 3

Oh well, snl was March of 95 and this was November of 96.

0:30:22 - Speaker 1

Yeah, i mean, they knew then that this was a banger of a tune. But just What a way to ease in, to get everybody to get the water warm in the bathtub. Man.

0:30:36 - Speaker 3

Did you dip your toes in the bath there, timmy?

0:30:40 - Speaker 5

I did, i did, and it's good. The jets came on right away, so in the tub. So, yeah, i loved his phrase. Sun came up and shot through the blinds. Today was a day And I was already behind. You know, like I First of all, great line, great, just random thing. And it was also like I don't know. I love that phrase Cause to me it was like Sun came up and shot through the blinds. Today was a day And I was already behind.

You know, and this is this to me, is a line that says it's kind of okay, you know, it's okay to be behind. You know, i don't know, i just you could read this line in so many ways. You can read it as like You're fucked, or you can read it as fuck it, and I love that about it. So, you know, there's there's just the grace to as a starter. You know, the first time I heard it as a starter live was that 99, woodstock, woodstock, yeah, yeah, yeah. And the first time I heard that was like okay, this is what gets the crowd going, this is, this is the shot in the arm energizer, and you know this, this is it for for this show as well. And to try, i love he has.

Gord has one of his now iconic Woo. Yes, this is like, yes, the crowd is psyched, we're psyched. You know, that's to me going back to the crowd, kind of making the show. There you go, he screams. He's got like he does this droll, this guttural scream. You know, come from downtown. You know it's just, i just love it.

I love it yeah, i love it when singers kind of stray and do something a little bit different Than the recordings and just get fucking into it, and that's that's how this started, for sure.

0:32:35 - Speaker 3

And it carries on into a song that I don't recall how you felt about it on the fully, completely record, but to me this live version is so like, almost like psychedelic-y and like maybe it's because I've been listening to it high, i don't know but there's something really awesome about the live version It just unlocks live. I'm curious if you agree about certain songs, in this case, fully, completely Getting unlocked in a live version.

0:33:17 - Speaker 1

The perfect word you use is unlocked. I couldn't think of a better word to use, because I don't know if they make them anymore. They used to be these 12-cylinder Mercedes-Benz two-door coupes. Do you remember those, Timmy run around.

0:33:35 - Speaker 5

Yeah, yeah, they came with like an extra, extra gas tax on the They're ridiculous.

0:33:40 - Speaker 1

Who needs this 12-cylinder?

0:33:46 - Speaker 5

It was like a luxury gas tax in California that was added.

0:33:49 - Speaker 1

That's how I feel about this song.

0:33:52 - Speaker 5

And.

0:33:52 - Speaker 1

I actually remember, because I remember thinking about it too. Jd, this was a song that I didn't say.

I didn't like it but it wasn't my favorite on the record. I remember specifically because it was the title track And this was like again, a nice Mercedes, i would say a Ferrari, but whatever, whatever, your nice car is that you like sitting in your driveway and being like that's really cool, that's really pretty to look at. Okay, then you get in your fucking Honda, your fucking shitty beater, and you drive to work, but the live record gives you the keys to open it up and to fucking take it for a spin And it was, oh my God, yeah, exactly Like I really enjoyed this tune. It made me like and respect this tune for what it is And yeah, i mean think of all the reasons why. But again, you know I'll say that for a couple of other tunes. But I loved it, kim. What?

0:34:52 - Speaker 5

do you think, man, i related to it quite a bit. You know I loved his singing, ranting poetry, whatever. At the beginning He's talking about being in love with the old rule being raised by TV. I mean, that's me, you know, that's my childhood. But I will add the end of this, which I couldn't find any reference on. Maybe someone else can find it. But towards the end of this I think is the first time he starts singing lyrics from other bands at the show And I didn't find this noted. So he, towards the end, he starts singing. Please take me there. He sings there's a light that never goes out.

These are lyrics from the fucking Smiths from the 80s And I have a feeling, you know, i'd really just wish I could know what the band was listening to from early through later, like what they were really jiving with. You know what they listened to on the bus and what their influences were. If they were carrying around CD player, fucking Walkman, whatever. You know what they were jamming to cause. There's more see early, more see lyrics here. I might be wrong, It might just be a coincidence, but when I heard that the first time I was like fuck.

0:36:12 - Speaker 1

Well, we know what Tim was listening to, please.

0:36:16 - Speaker 5

One of my first. Honestly, that's one of my. My second tape was the Smiths Queen is Dead.

0:36:22 - Speaker 1

Same here.

0:36:24 - Speaker 5

That was it. So, yeah, i felt like this took it bigger. I hear the song in this order at this show. It took it a level bigger and louder and took it a level more aggressive. It was like Pete, you know the V12, you drive your shitty Honda, but you get in a car. it's a V12. It's like a jet boat, you know. and this I felt, i felt fully, completely, really dug in and kept us accelerating. I love your old ways, i love your old world ways is what he sings towards the end And I just that's so romantic to me.

That's like pulling on my heartstrings because, you know, I'm a Gen Xer. There's so many times in my life where I want to throw my iPhone across a room. Yeah.

0:37:11 - Speaker 1

Yeah, the torque it gave us, i thought one of the. I thought the crazy part about springtime in Vienna was and if I remember correctly, he introduces it And I don't know if the crowd goes nuts for it. But I'm just thinking to myself like the minute this song starts. I'd fucking lose all my shit if I'm in the car.

0:37:35 - Speaker 5

Yeah, yeah, losing my shit.

0:37:37 - Speaker 1

And the fact that he introduces it is almost like, kind of like, is he doing it because it's a light record? And there's maybe people that are gonna buy this record and not be looking at the back of the CD when they when it's on, i mean I don't know because, whatever, but this song, i mean just when it goes on the fucking chorus, it's just it's madness too.

0:38:02 - Speaker 5

It's Yeah, you love this song.

0:38:04 - Speaker 1

You hate to be loved, right? Yeah, i love this song and I just feel like if I I can hear the band having so much fun playing this song, you can hear it.

0:38:17 - Speaker 5

Yeah, you can, you can. You can hear it a lot of times throughout this whole performance. Yeah, you can hear the amount of fun, i think, through the bass that's happening. You know there's some really the bass guitar so many times to me is like fuck, these guys were into it, you know. And springtime in Vienna, just like that. I felt like that was the point in the show, where you're like either chugging down your second beer or you're lighting up another spliff or whatever. Like this is like serious momentum. twist my arm, which was next, you know That to me felt I don't know that's that to me for this position of this show. This is like where you were dancing, Like this is super fun, like it felt danceable. You know, it's like I'm not standing still at this show. That was my comment for that one.

0:39:14 - Speaker 1

I got some weird takes, i mean and these aren't necessarily related to this particular songs And the first thing I want to say is that I feel like like when I was young, jd, my dad used to tell me when I was playing in a band, you need to play with dynamics, right. And when you're young and you're just fucking want to turn your amp up louder than the guy next to you, you don't know what the fuck dynamics are. And it's ironically. You know, i don't have to give away my age, but I'm up there And I still I'm trying to play with people who don't know what the fuck dynamics are.

Some people get it, some people never get it. It's just the ability to listen to one another, to play to the band, not to just play your instrument right, and this you can just tell. This band is weathered by the road. They have amazing dynamics to start songs like well, springtime in Vienna gift shop, especially a head by a century which builds. So just do this, do what is. Isn't it the most streamed song of the band period? Yeah, yeah.

0:40:31 - Speaker 5

Head by a century.

0:40:32 - Speaker 1

Yeah, head by a century, which is funny because race two on this record has more streams on this live record than head by a century.

0:40:45 - Speaker 3

Oh really.

0:40:46 - Speaker 1

Yeah.

0:40:48 - Speaker 3

Oh wow, well, maybe it's not that, i'm not sure What. We should look that up, you know.

0:40:55 - Speaker 1

You know me, though, but yeah, I think they know what they're doing on stage clearly.

0:41:03 - Speaker 5

Yeah, you don't want a drummer or a guitarist or a fucking keyboardist. I'll talk a little, reference the doors there for two seconds. You don't want another musician in your band getting in the way. You know, like I actually, who is it, i'll recall. But anyways, i heard someone once say yeah, i just can't have a drummer who gets in the way. You know, you don't want somebody just cranking themselves too often And I think that's kind of what you're saying.

Pete, this show, you know it. just it gets this momentum going to where you might all of a sudden realize oh shit, we're already in song five or this is already the sixth song. Like, i feel like their shows have this build up. I would assume now, after hearing this one, that their shows kind of have this build up and then they start carrying people. you know, before you, yeah, before you realize it, you're like, oh, my God, you know, it's probably halfway over or something, i don't know. It's like a century when it, yeah by century, when it started on this recording, that kind of felt like a mile marker with Gordon, his goofy start, when he's doing his one liners and making sense and not making sense at all, like that. that was kind of like the check in to to like yeah, catharsis one Yeah.

That all about right, right. That to me was like let's see how into it the crowd is. You know, maybe we'll make somebody fall over with these statements, i don't know. But that, but there's a moment in a head by a century on this recording that I've kind of been waiting for to hear these guys live, do And that's like a right around the three minute marker. So they just start riffing a little bit more. They dig, they dig a little bit deeper. They reached that, you know, five fifth speed of the V12 Mercedes and they're finally on the stretch of freeway where they can let it go a little bit. And that's that's what happens with with this song. I've been waiting, waiting to hear that. So that was, that was good, that was good for me.

0:43:10 - Speaker 3

Gift shop I wanted to ask you guys about, because gift shop to me feels like grace two, in the sense that it's like an opener Like. It feels like an opener to me. So I'm just curious about where it gets put. Like you've you've talked about this car metaphor you know you get grace two to open the show, then fully, completely, which sort of like you know, gets you, gets you sort of high, and then springtime in Vienna to get you jumping up and down And then twist my arm is like an old classic at this point. So you're like wow, like, like Tim said, you're dancing, And then gift shop sort of resets everything.

0:43:52 - Speaker 2

You know what I mean. The rest of the world becomes a gift shop. So you're like wow, like Tim said, you're dancing. You're like wow, like Tim said you're dancing. You're like wow, like Tim said, you're dancing. You're like wow, like Tim said you're dancing. You're like wow, like Tim said, you're dancing. I don't know what to believe. Sometimes I even forget. And if it's a lie, a terrorist may be saying A beautiful love, a dangerous time, we get to feel a smile. I'm high up above. I'm high up above. I'm high up above. I'm high up above. I'm high up above. I'm high up above. I'm high up above. I don't know what to believe.

0:47:43 - Speaker 5

I wish I knew what to believe. I knew what to believe. Close the window. You'll hear the sound of death. Run, run, run, run run.

0:48:38 - Speaker 1

I feel like gift shops an opener too. Absolutely. If you want to use the car analogy, that's cool, but if we're powering a big amplifier with a car battery, it's like it's got some juice, it's got some sound. It's really pushing. You're waking up the neighbors and you hook up a second car battery. Now all the tubes are really lit up. Gift shops. It's just like Grace II and that it's another opener. It's the nitrous oxide on the engine. It just puts the show forward even faster and harder.

0:49:28 - Speaker 5

I agree with that. I think it's not my favorite song simply because it's. I feel like it's. I don't know we're up to bat against a pitcher. You know you're going to get it on. It's an easy one, the chorus is easy, it's sing-alongable. I think gift shop could be an opener of the show, but I feel like it fits here well, because it's like dude, we've had the basses loaded twice. We're going to have the basses loaded twice. Let's just fucking keep bringing them in. And that's gift shop for me for sure.

0:50:02 - Speaker 3

A lot of the baseball.

0:50:04 - Speaker 5

Yeah, that was for you, buddy.

0:50:06 - Speaker 3

Basses loaded twice. So the basses were loaded with Grace II, fully completed in springtime in Canada, and then gift shop ahead by a century and the luxury which is. This is a cool thing. If you're exploring Hiptim, you to Hiptim and you want to explore, there's a website called HIPBASE H-I-P-B-A-S-Ecom And it's got like every lot. It's like setlistfm, except for it. It's got super detailed statistics Like so, for example, the luxury this was only the 19th time that it played the luxury live. That's interesting. Yeah, it's like it's an older song at this point, but they've only played it 19 times. They only ended up playing it 65 times in total in their career.

0:51:01 - Speaker 1

I feel like it's a good. It brings it down a little bit. It it, it. It mellows it out. You know, i mean being as that ahead by a century was such a popular song, like the crowd was going I mean they were going to eat shit right. When that song started, as it was This kind of like you know, take some away from the edge for a little bit. It's a really cool song, super cool bass groove. I love that. Yeah, one thing that really showcases Tim Is that on your guys' end, That's on my end.

0:51:38 - Speaker 3

I think, yeah, that's JD, i come from downtown.

0:51:42 - Speaker 1

One thing that Tim mentioned about drummer not getting in your way. It's crazy Again because, like my thoughts on this record are more broad and as opposed to individual songs, but I felt like like Gord Downey for the longest time and listening to the records and listening to it at this point has been the draw, and not in a bad way, but I'm saying it in the context of what Tim said the guy who's in everybody's way And I don't mean that in a bad way because he's such a fucking talent, absolutely And this was the first time where I was actually and I feel kind of like a fucking douchebag, because when it comes to the whole entire band I mean the entire band you really hear like whoa, these motherfuckers are good musicians, these guys are Yeah.

And that's really hard to come through on a record because you don't know when what's recorded, how it's cut together.

0:52:42 - Speaker 5

Yep.

0:52:42 - Speaker 1

All that. When you hear it live you're like, okay, this is the way it sounded there And everybody sounds so good. So it's, you don't hear and I don't mean that again at this respect of Gord Downey getting in anybody's way, but like he's so good It's sort of hard to not Have that guy overshadowed. Yeah, yeah, the band, but live you don't get that vibe at all. On the records I sort of do. The records are really smooth, this far sort of, but on the fucking live performance holy shit.

0:53:16 - Speaker 3

Yeah, and that's. It's funny because that was one of the questions I literally just wrote down. I was going to ask you guys if the band, if you feel differently about the band now that you've heard them play live, and you just answered that exact question, do you get what I'm saying now about being sort of an improv troupe?

0:53:35 - Speaker 5

Yes.

0:53:36 - Speaker 3

Because Gord will sort of carry on and do his own thing and they still have to end a song And they don't know if he's like how far he's going. Or sometimes they'll just end a song and go into, go right into something else And he's still sort of like finishing a thought or explaining an idea or whatever.

0:53:59 - Speaker 1

The musicians clearly all listen to each other enough to know when to where things are going, You know.

0:54:07 - Speaker 3

Yeah, And they're just as in charge as he is in a sense.

0:54:12 - Speaker 5

I have to wonder what that would have been like if Davis was playing sax and all this, you know might not have been. It would have been different. Could you imagine just having a horn blowing in here and there? Yeah, like I said, having horns and bands and having a fit. but oh it may have been, I don't know I think like in excess.

0:54:34 - Speaker 3

You know, they were good with the sax, yeah, but yeah, it would have been different for sure.

0:54:38 - Speaker 5

Last night we were listening to this band that I loved, loved, from Boston, called Morphine. If anyone hasn't listened to Morphine, you got to check them out. They're no longer, but they were a three piece and saxophone, bass player and drummer, and that was it. It's one of the perfect examples of a unique rock and roll band where saxophone fits in and leads and doesn't take over, because it was such a unique trifecta of you know of a band. But you know, i just I think where was I going to go with this? I think, yeah, i think it would have been so different.

I just circled back to the luxury. I commented on this before. It's noted on the internet, of course, but I would love, jd, for you to to play the end, maybe, of the luxury of this one and then blend in, come as you are from Nirvana, cause dude, it's the same. I mean they, they, the band was listening to Nirvana. It's just the same guitar, the same bass. It's pretty fucking cool, and I've noticed that the first time I listened to the luxury, and it's completely evident in here as well.

0:55:57 - Speaker 3

But the luxury came out in 91. How much art came out in 92?

0:56:03 - Speaker 5

Well, they heard it, i swear. I mean it's timing or not?

0:56:09 - Speaker 3

Or Nirvana heard it.

0:56:11 - Speaker 5

Yeah, nirvana heard it, who knows?

0:56:12 - Speaker 1

Yeah.

0:56:13 - Speaker 5

But anyways, courage, So courage. I love courage. It couldn't come at a worse time.

0:56:47 - Speaker 2

Where something more familiar, quickly something familiar. Can't change my words, it doesn't matter. Sleep, watch so fast, asleep in a motel that has a lay of hope And piss on out of your background And piss on three eyes around your face. Can't change my words, it doesn't matter. Can't change your words, it doesn't matter. Can't remember, it doesn't matter. Can't change my words. Time. It's pretty snowy in here. Snow is so merciless for old country. There's no sample explanation for anything important Any of us do and yet a human tragedies, obsession or necessity of living with the consequences of depression and depression. Can't change my words, it doesn't matter. Can't change your words, it doesn't matter. Can't change my words, it doesn't matter. Can't change my words. Can't change my words. Can't change my words. I'm a child of the church, god. Snow is so merciless for old country. There's a spite of everything that's happening. It's a spite of love. Can't change my words, don't you worry, i'm a child of the church, god. I'm a child of the church, god. Snow is so merciless for old country.

1:00:57 - Speaker 5

Can't change my words. Can't change my words. I don't know. There's something about this song that it's positive. It's. You know, it's something I can't turn off when I hear it, Like I got to go through the whole song. I got to sing the chorus One of the coolest parts. The bridge, Yeah, yeah, it's good. One of the coolest parts of this live recording for me, of this song, Courage, is you can hear the crowd singing a little bit Like Gord stops. When Gord stops singing, the crowd carries the lyrics for him. There's a brief moment of that, which I just adore when bands do that, when the crowd is so into it that they just stop singing. But I have the question. I don't know, This is a question. Towards the end of this he starts to talk about Montreal and the snow and poor old Montreal, You know, and I guess that's a reveal on a song in the future about Montreal or something.

1:02:15 - Speaker 3

Is that true? Actually, a song from the past.

1:02:18 - Speaker 5

Oh, oh, oh oh.

1:02:20 - Speaker 3

It was a song that was written for Road Apples. Oh, that's right. It never came to light until much later on, but they always played it. They always sort of kept it in the back pocket and would pull it out and play it occasionally, and there's a live recording of it that just came out in a box set. That is a really good live recording. I also have the demo. I have the demo from Road Apples Ooh, okay, cool, cool, cool, cool. So, yeah, it's a great song and it's fucking ooh, it's a tough one. It's about the young man who shot and murdered 14 young women at a school in Montreal, and it happened in late 80s and it's recognized annually as a result.

1:03:10 - Speaker 5

Oh, yeah, So I just pulled that up. It's the massacre at Montreal's Polytechnic School, which was fueled by misogyny, horrifying memory of a bygone era. Damn Fuck.

1:03:27 - Speaker 3

Yeah, so the song Montreal is about that.

1:03:33 - Speaker 5

Got it. There's our heavy sort of segue in there to get us to New Orleans and Sinking. So New Orleans and Sinking for me. I don't know about you, pete, but man, this was fun. On this recording This is like crowd goes berserk.

The guitar has this big start, the drums are big. It feels like we've reached top speed perhaps of the show. It oddly slows down about. There's a I don't know if you caught this, pete there's this tempo, little chug, slug, like it slowed down for just a little bit there. Like it really caught my attention that the band kind of went a tiny bit out of sync and I think that was with the drums. But man, this one I think the crowd was just, for lack of a better term banging their heads and just going along and, you know, felt so awesome The fucking David Bowie references at the end talking about where's my little China girl, all that you know that was China girl was like forever stethled to my brain because of MTV as a youngster. You know that was just such a memorable video for me Made me an instant David Bowie fan. It's just I just. New Orleans and Sinking. It might have been, might have been one of my. We're gonna get into it one of my top songs here.

1:05:25 - Speaker 2

Silly way down this sidewalk in jail. My memory is muddy. What's this riff that I'm in? You gonna need to sink it, man. And I don't wanna say that I'm a child, i'm a throne. I'm going home, can't do this now. I'm a party, he said. You know yourself. Shut your big mouth. Gotta do what you feel is real. Got no pictures false gods. Got no shivers in these. My fingers she won't open when I'm thinking about those. Yeah, i'm a child, i'm a throne. I'm going home, can't do this now. I'm a party, he said. You know yourself. Shut your big mouth. Gotta do what you feel is real. I'm a child, i'm a throne. I'm going home, can't do this now. I'm a party, he said. You know yourself. Shut your big mouth. Gotta do what you feel is real With my ginocent girl.

Wake up in the morning. Where's my ginocent girl? She's too tired, she's too small. Baby, just shut your mouth, she says. She says, yeah, don't worry, baby, everything will turn out alright. There's a light bulb hanging on a wire, sucking up the sun doesn't stoop to fire. Taking out the highlights of the scenery, saw some little clouds and looked a little like this In the river, my feet back up on the banks looked up to the Lord above, said hey, hey, hey, banks. Sometimes I feel so good I've got to scream. He says Georgie, baby, i know exactly what's the change He says. He says I swear to God. He says hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. My memory is funny. What's his clever man of man? he won't need to sink in that, i don't want to sell Trout.

1:10:36 - Speaker 3

Trout, trout, trout.

1:11:31 - Speaker 1

Trout, trout, trout.

1:12:21 - Speaker 3

Trout, trout, trout.

1:12:46 - Speaker 1

Trout Trout.

1:13:00 - Speaker 5

Trout, trout, trout, trout, trout, trout, trout, trout.

1:14:13 - Speaker 3

Trout, trout, trout, trout, trout, trout, trout, trout.

1:15:25 - Speaker 5

Trout Trout, trout Trout.

1:16:12 - Speaker 3

Trout Trout.

1:16:21 - Speaker 1

Trout Trout, trout Trout.

1:16:56 - Speaker 3

Trout Trout.

1:17:13 - Speaker 4

Trout Trout. Questions or concerns, email us at JD at GettingHipToTheHipcom. We'd love to hear from you.

1:18:16 - Speaker 3

Hey, it's JD here.

1:18:18 - Speaker 5

Hey, it's Tim.

1:18:19 - Speaker 3

And Pete Fellows, i'm really excited that you're flying to Toronto on Friday, september 1st for our big party GettingHipToTheHip an evening for the Downey Wain Jack fund. We just need to sell some tickets. How are we going to do that?

1:18:33 - Speaker 5

Go to our website GettingHipToTheHipcom and you'll find a link to get tickets to our event at the rec room in Toronto.

1:18:40 - Speaker 1

Early burn tickets are 35 bucks. If you go to GettingHipToTheHipcom and click on the bonus fee, you get 10% off, which means tickets are 31.50 right now. If you were to join the bonus fee and buy tickets, you'd literally have to be stupid not to do that. Definitely join us on September 1st. I'll be at the bar putting out the vibe JD. where are you going to be at?

1:19:00 - Speaker 3

I'm going to be watching 50 Mission perform some tragically hip songs and I'm really excited for you guys to see them.

1:19:06 - Speaker 5

Yeah, and we have a silent auction which we've garnered some great prizes so far. It's amazing what people are donating. Some hip fans are really coming forward with some great donations And again, all proceeds are going to the Downey Wain Jack fund.

1:19:18 - Speaker 3

And the Long Slice beer will be flowing because Long Slice is stepped up and they are our title sponsor for the event. How cool is that.

1:19:27 - Speaker 1

I cannot wait to drink some delicious beer and also watch the comedy of Pete and I too, because that guy is a side splitter, that's for sure. September 1st, live Toronto, Be there, B-square, gettinghiptothehipcom, Click on the bonus feed at 10% off the tickets and we'll see you there.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy