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Sadly, we've reached the end with album #13. Released June 2016, recorded at The Bathhouse and produced by Kevin Drew and Dave Hamelin.

Man
In a World Possessed by the Human Mind
What Blue
In Sarnia
Here, in the Dark
Great Soul
Tired as Fuck
Hot Mic
Ocean Next
Machine

With the benefit of hindsight, the band had a definite pattern of pushing the envelope, return to a more basic approach, push the envelope again. M@W, then IBE, then Bob Rock. WATS, then a pretty conventional NFPA. So it makes sense that MMP moved band in a different direction.

I also think they were treading water. NFPA is IMO a decent album, but if I had to pick one tour where I felt the band was a bit less engaged it was in support of this release. Shakeup was likely a bit necessary. It was also interesting to learn after the fact that Gord had made Secret Path with Hamelin and Drew, I assume enjoyed the results and brought it to the band.

I have a conflicted view on the album overall. In some cases, IMO the production leaves songs feeling unfinished. Possibly it's an album that also most reflects Gord's musical interests in terms of production and sonic palette. Lyrically, he went from some of his most straightforward writing to his most deconstructed. There's allusions to family, children, sadness, separation but I find it much harder to dissect or understand than any other album.

Track by track:
Man -- an interesting opening, just as much to signify this will be a different type of album for the band, but unless I'm listing to the whole album gets skipped.

IAWPBTHM: Lead off single, which was met with a lot of vitriol on this board, especially around the drum sound. I liked, it, I still like it, especially that transition into the chorus. After that May announcement, driving to work this song came up on shuffle. I showed up to work looking like I have been on a long weekend bender, bleary eyes and snotty.

What Blue: Sort of like a later day "The Rules" in terms of vocal delivery, with a cool throaty solo from Rob. I appreciate the lyrical sentiment.

In Sarnia: I go back and forth on this. It really feels like a scratch vocal take from Gord over a completed musical piece, but it's an interesting track.

Here, in the Dark: My second favorite track on the album. I like what Gord is doing vocally, and it's too bad this one never got a chance live.

Great Soul: Similar to In Sarnia, sounds unfinished to me. I'll have to listen to it again more closely, but generally forgettable.

TAF: Maybe this is a later day The Rules? Again, a song met with mixed views. I like it -- Gord singing slightly off the beat is interesting, plus I like gin.

Hot Mic: Never really got into this track at all.

Ocean Next: A song that benefits from its unique production. That moment at 3:17 when the distorted vocals end and the guitar line is repeated and then extended in sublime. I guess in Ottawa I saw the only performance of this song?

Machine: If this is the band's final album, this is a great track to close it on and again one where the production works (I like the background hand clapping rhythm). One of my favorite solos from Rob, and likely up there with all time -- simple, but it fits the song perfectly.

The record was met with strong reviews -- by far the most positive and prolific reviews of their later day albums. I like it, but it likely filters down towards the bottom of the discography when I consider their whole body of work. Possibly because I always appreciated Gord's lyrics and phrases, and on MMP he's far more compact in his writing. I don't think there's a Hip album with fewer words? That said, there are a few phrases here that do really stick for either their insight or humour.

I would like to hear the "shadow version" of this album, with curiosity of hearing these songs either in a more stripped down approach or with Drew/Hamelin given full reign over the production. And of course I would have like to hear what was next for the band -- how these songs translated in a full tour, and if they followed what had been the pattern with a more straightforward album as the next release. I listened to Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, first time in a long time spinning that LP; it reminded me of MMP and it's interesting how that album influenced the direction they've taken.

In closing -- thanks for participating in these threads. It's been fun, cathartic, sometimes controversial. It's brought a new perspective on some songs, and made me relisten to some tracks with fresh ears.

I thought I would start a new thread to discuss the contents of Barclay's book. The intention with this second "book" thread would be to avoid diminishing the reading experience for those that haven't yet read the book, through unwanted spoilers. So, be forewarned... SPOILERS AHEAD! If you haven't read the book and care about this short of thing, stick to the first "book" thread, started by thompson girl.

Gord Downie paraphrased a quote from the 19th century French novelist Gustave Flaubert in a MuchMusic interview many years ago: "Be regular and ordinary in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work ." After finishing the book, it is clear that this is a very apt description for the Hip. They are unfailingly polite gentlemen who do the dishes at parties. This presents a challenge for someone writing a rock biography as the Hip were relatively ordinary (and some might say "boring") in how they carried themselves offstage. Barclay was unable to rely on tales of boorish and abhorrent behavior (throwing TV's out hotel room windows, doing lines of coke off a stripper's back...) that pepper many of the great rock biographies. Instead, he was left to focus on the challenge of discussing the music in a manner that would satisfy hardcore fans but also keep the book accessible to the more casual fan. I think he pulls it off nicely.

What's missing, as pointed out by others, is how exactly the sausage was made. Kieffer mentioned previously that the book is shaped in many ways by the limitations of the interview subjects Barclay had access to. I agree completely. Without access to the band members themselves we are left without much in the way of insight into the creative process. However, while content like this is what the hardcore fan is looking for (and where the band can fill in the gaps with an autobiography down the road), focusing a lot on this area would have also narrowed the appeal of his book. Barclay does a good job of analysis in this area when he is able to, predominantly through interviews with producers.

As for the "not his story to tell" criticism, I think this can also be rebutted by pointing out that much of the book is spent discussing Gord Downie and his solo career. Downie is not around to share the tale so who's left to claim ownership? I greatly appreciated the inclusion of Gord's solo career in the book, particularly the insights into the making of Coke Machine Glow.

We see Man Machine Poem and Now For Plan A eliminated leaving us with our final four.

Eliminated Round 1
The Modern Spirit
Take Forever
Streets Ahead

Eliminated Round 2
Done and Done
About This Map

Eliminated Round 3
Man Machine Poem
Now For Plan A

Vote for the song you believe to be the weakest on Now For Plan A and after 48 hours, we will remove the song that has the most votes.

The poll will end Wednesday at 11:53am Eastern.

Happy voting!

Shane

Hi there, just registered and this is my first post so I apologize if this is in the wrong place or this has already been discussed but since I can’t find the search feature on this forum I could not check but after haveing no luck google searching I figured this forum might be worth a try for my questions.

Are digital lyric booklets for any of the Hip albums available in PDF form here or somewhere else online?
Any advice on where I might find these?

[youtube]17_NDp0isF4[/youtube]

A little project for myself today.

I extracted the audio from this video - sliced, diced and tagged it.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=13WJdnZlwd_DHAqaTmvheoTeubdw74zEB">https://drive.google.com/open?id=13WJdn ... eubdw74zEB</a><!-- m -->

Yer Not the Ocean
My Music At Work
Grace, Too
The Drop-Off
It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken
Ahead by a Century
In View
Gift Shop
Courage
World Container
Long Time Running
Poets
Springtime in Vienna
Bobcaygeon
Nautical Disaster
Fully Completely
Family Band
New Orleans is Sinking

The Lonely End of the Rink
Wheat Kings
Blow at High Dough



<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thehip/albums/72157605979098624">https://www.flickr.com/photos/thehip/al ... 5979098624</a><!-- m -->

Tthip is up for this month.

Continuing on our chronological journey through the years, we are onto Music@Work!



2000-10-03 - Syracuse, New York

Set/Disc 1
01 - Puttin' Down
02 - Something On
03 - Giftshop
04 - Lake Fever
05 - Fully Completely
06 - Eldorado
07 - Fireworks
08 - Thugs
09 - Opiated
10 - 700ft. Ceiling
11 - Grace, Too
12 - My Music At Work
13 - Emperor Penguin

Set/Disc 2
01 - Boots or Hearts
02 - Train Overnight
03 - Scared
04 - Courage
05 - Sharks
06 - Poets
07 - Sherpa
08 - At the Hundredth Meridian
09 - Ahead by a Century
10 - Last of the Unplucked Gems
11 - Freak Turbulence
12 - Nautical Disaster
13 - Tiger the Lion
14 - New Orleans is Sinking

Encore
1 - The Completists


Notes: This show was cut short in the encore because of some jerks in the crowd giving Gord Downie "the finger" for most of the show.
The band walked on stage to a chorus of "Hip, Hip Hip Hip..." Gord says, "Thank you. We'd like to do a song now for Michel Trudeau, it's called, 'The Completists'"
At the end of the song Gord simply says, "Let's go!" And off walks the band.
He was understandably pissed.
The pit was out of control.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bw93T0mNqQzpMHNZLWt1TERNaTA">https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bw93T ... Wt1TERNaTA</a><!-- m -->

Hey all

Long shot here, but ISO the May 14 Berlin and May 15 Nurburg 1997 boots. I have a whack a' stuff to trade.

Thanks. Hope everyone has a Hip weekend.

We say goodbye to Done and Done as well as About This Map. With a long weekend upon us, I'm going to extend this round until Monday rather ending on Sunday.

Eliminated Round 1
The Modern Spirit
Take Forever
Streets Ahead

Eliminated Round 2
Done and Done
About This Map

Vote for the song you believe to be the weakest on Now For Plan A and after 72 hours, we will remove the two songs that have the most votes. As before, a song must have at least 10% of the vote in order to be removed otherwise it will carry forward into the following round.

The poll will end Monday at 10:36am Eastern.

Happy voting!

Shane

We see The Modern Spirit, Streets Ahead and Take Forever lead the voting in Round 1.

Eliminated Round 1
The Modern Spirit
Take Forever
Streets Ahead

Vote for the song you believe to be the weakest on Now For Plan A and after 48 hours, we will remove the two songs that have the most votes. As before, a song must have at least 10% of the vote in order to be removed otherwise it will carry forward into the following round.

The poll will end Friday at 10:26am Eastern.

Happy voting!

Shane

Morning Moon was the champion of We Are The Same and we move on Now For Plan A.

EP - Smalltown Bringdown
UTH - New Orleans is Sinking
RA - Three Pistols
FC - Locked in the Trunk of a Car
DFN - Nautical Disaster
TATH - Ahead by a Century
LBU - Grace, Too
PP - Emperor Penguin
M@W - Lake Fever
IVL - The Dire Wolf
IBE - Goodnight Josephine
YF - No Threat
TNIT - Grace, Too
WC - Family Band
WATS - Morning Moon

Vote for the song you believe to be the weakest on Now For Plan A and after 48 hours, we will remove the three songs that have the most votes. As before, a song must have at least 10% of the vote in order to be removed otherwise it will carry forward into the following round.

The poll will end Wednesday at 10:08am Eastern.

Happy voting!

Shane