Book — “The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip”
Book — “The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip”
Good music journalism is as hard to find as The Tragically Hip is to find on American radio.
Good music journalism is as hard to find as The Tragically Hip is to find on American radio.
It’s hard to believe it’s been 2.5 years since the world lost Gord Downie. As I was sifting through and re-reading “The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip”— I was again reminded of how good the band, and this book, is.
Now, unless you’re a music nerd or live in the northern part of one of the American states that border Canada, you’ve probably never heard of The Tragically Hip. Besides comedians and kindness, The Tragically Hip is one of the best things to come from the great white north (although Letterkenny on Hulu is picking up steam here in the states):
Letterkenny is on Hulu — Pitter Patter, get at ‘er!
The show continues Canada’s long tradition of exporting the best comedy to the US of Eh — so, “figger it oot.”medium.com
If you like straight ahead, blues-based rock and roll with good lyrics, The Tragically Hip will be right up your alley.
Their first full-length album, 1989’s Up To Here, is what can now officially, and deservedly, be called a classic. For over 30 years, The Hip (affectionate nickname) came to define not only the best of smart, no-frills rock-n-roll but also the best of Canadian rock.
The Tragically Hip were fronted by enigmatic lead singer and principal lyricist Gord Downie, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker, bass player Gord Sinclair and drummer Johnny Fay. These Kingston, Ontario chums would go on to release 13 studio albums, two live albums, one EP, and over 50 singles over a 33-year career. In fact, between 1996 and 2016, The Tragically Hip was the best-selling Canadian band and occupy the fourth best-selling Canadian artist overall in Canada.
The narrative of The Tragically Hip is similar to other classic bands like The Rolling Stones or U2: high school friends form band, have a dynamic lead singer, play clubs, get signed and find success.
However, unlike The Stones or U2, The Hip never found the same level of success outside of their native Canada. While we fans outside of Canada and around the world are rabid, there was always something in both their music and especially their lyrics, that remained distinctively Canadian.
I think after The Hip realized that their lyrics and sound didn’t have a universality to it that would allow them to fill stadiums around the world, they embraced their Canadian roots even more.
Michael Barclay’s exhaustive “The Never-Ending Present …” is not just a book about music or a band, it’s a book about:
the love of music
the love of friendship
the love of truth
the love of country
the love of hockey (it’s Canada)
the love of creating art
the love of life.
The title of the book may hint at a detailed focus on Downie, but rest assured this book is about The Tragically Hip, the band.
Conspicuously absent are any salacious stories about excess or groupies. Whether they were present or not isn’t relevant because unlike so many bands, it’s not part of this band’s story.
We’re left with a book that critically examines the creative work and life of a notoriously private (and notably very kind) rock and roll band. Typically Canadian, it’s fucking delightful.
Of course, that’s not the end of the story.
In May of 2016, the band revealed that frontman Gord Downie had been diagnosed with glioblastoma — terminal brain cancer. In short order, the band released one of their better-received albums, Man Machine Poem and in recognition of the significance of Downie’s illness, the band embarked on what would be their final Canadian tour in July and August.
The Tragically Hip had the rarest of blessings, they got to say good-bye to their fans … and to their country.
The Tragically Hip played their final show on August 16, 2016, in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario. On that night that the Toronto Police Department tweeted — “Dear World, please be advised that Canada will be closed tonight at 8:30 pm ET”.
The concert was broadcast live on the CBC (Canadian Broadcast Corporation). It’s estimated that the concert was watched by 11.7 million people (roughly 1/3 of Canadians).
On October 17, 2017, Gord Downie succumbed to his illness.
The Tragically Hip lost a friend and a singer.
His family lost a son and a brother.
His children lost a father.
Canada lost a unique voice.
The world lost an important artist.
In December of 2019, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario passed The Poet Laureate of Ontario Act in memory of Gord Downie. Its purpose is “to promote the arts and literacy in Ontario, raise the profile of poets in the province, and act as an ambassador for Ontario poetry and literature.”
In recognizing the honor, his brother Patrick Downie said: “He was many things to many people, but at the heart of it he was a poet and his poetry does what poetry does: it makes people think.”
The Tragically Hip, especially in later years, created songs with lyrics that did make you think.
If you live south of Canada and you’re trying to wrap their head around the magnitude of the loss of such an artist as Gord Downie, don’t bother. We don’t have one here in the US.
In his 2017 obituary, Simon Vozick-Levinson of The New York Times said:
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.
That seems about right.
“The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip” documents the loss of not only the artist and the man that Gord Downie was but also the band The Tragically Hip and their musical impact, influence, and legacy.
Is the book worth reading?
Yep.
Are The Tragically Hip worth listening to?
Can confirm.