Forged from something not of this earth

In this episode, join hosts Pete and Tim along with special guest Dan as they dissect and analyze the Tragically Hip's 2012 record, "Now For Plan A". They dive into the musical journey, reliving their first experiences and evolving impressions over multiple listens. From highlighting the unique elements of each song to the lyrics and influences behind them, no detail is too small. They examine the guest vocals of Sarah Harmer in 'Look Ahead' and the Rolling Stones-esque 'Modern Spirit', exploring the musical and lyrical details. Listen in as they debate the meaning of the lyrics in 'Take Forever' and uncover the mysterious 'About this Map'. A treat for any Tragically Hip fan, this episode is a deep dive into the iconic band's musical journey.

Tracks

About this Map - Studio Version

Man Machine Poem - Toronto 2012

Streets Ahead - Ottawa 2011

Take Forever - Toronto 2012

Transcript

Track 3:

[2:51] Hey, it's JD here, and welcome to Getting Hip to the Hip.

[2:54] A weekly podcast where I take my friends on a whirlwind tour of the Tragically Hips discography, one record at a time, week over week.

And that is the case with this week, as we're discussing 2012's Now for Plan A, the 12th studio record from the Tragically Hip.

I'm joined as always by Pete and Tim, and we've also got Dan from London here.

How the hell are you guys doing? Oh good, oh good.

Excellent. Well, after that, hold on, let me look at my segment guide here.

Uh, introduction, rousing response from the gentlemen. Yep. Check.

[3:53] Now we'll move on to the next segment, which is, uh, experience with this record.

This is a coming off of, we are the same, a record, which was, uh, roundly dismissed by these two gentlemen, uh, a week ago, Dan, um, it was one that It was one that was not well liked.

So we're hoping we've got a comeback on our, in the mids tier. It happens. Bye bye.

Pete and Tim Burse, talk to me about where you listened to the record the first time, how you experienced it on multiple listens, and overall vibeage off the top.

And then we'll fire it over to you, Dan, to get a similar reaction.

Well, I listened to it in multiple places. Listened to it first, I think, I think, working, sitting at the computer, listening to it in the home stereo system, listening to it in the car.

[5:02] I love the record. I don't want to say too much because I think we're going to get into a lot of it.

But only thing I will say, and in all due respect, I don't want to come off harsh here, but fuck you, Dan, right off the bat, Because you've had this record for some time, and we got a weekto soak it in.

A week. Let me tell you, a week wasn't even enough.

I mean, I could soak this record in for a year.

That's all I'm going to say. I'll agree with that. With all due respect, but I can't fuck you down. Like, with all due respect. Thank you. We had a week with it.

We had a week with it. I feel like we had a lifetime with We Are The Same.

But we only had a week with Now for Plan A.

And I felt a little rushed to let it resonate, but every time I turned it on.

[6:00] I don't know. I don't want to say it felt like the first time, but it just clicked with me. There are some good tunes on here that we'll get it. We'll get it. We'll get into it.

But I listen to it my usual places.

Usual places. I listen to it more, I guess, excitedly with my better headphones on around the house, which always makes for, where's dad? Oh, he's right there. but he's not here.

So I, you know, because I wanted to hear it in its entirety.

And I can only really do that in the car or with the cans on.

So yeah, that was kind of my experience. It was quick for a quick album, right?

Yeah, the fastest record in their oeuvre at like 39 minutes or so.

And only two singles as well. That was shocking to me as well.

Which were those? I didn't think they were at transformation was the first single. Of course.

And hold on. I've got it right here.

[7:09] Streets ahead. Cool. Cool. Any feedback from Spotify?

Did any of you guys look at Spotify? Like where the play counts were?

Yeah. I mean, I think that's definitely up there. there. So is, so is that transformation and, and I think the title track.

Okay, gee, I just want to get transformation. Judy, do you use the term oeuvre a lot?

And I pause it to think that you use that term a lot because it rhymes with your last name and the production company that this that is gifting us with this here podcast oeuvre.

Yeah, yeah, that's what it Is that why? It's my last name.

[8:00] And Ouvra combined without the D. Yeah, and it's because it's all my work, right?

It's my collection of work Right is do.

Yeah, so so you don't like the D is what you're saying Hey now Pete told me he thought it might be a extra terrestrial Anatomy that he's not aware of Dan, Dan, he actually said this is thisis this somebody part that I didn't learn Dan's regretting joining this podcast.

Dan, what are you, like, well I want to hear from Dan, I want to know what, he's had a wild time.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, well listen with this whole thing I'm just along for the ride, you know.

I'll let you guys play out in front of me. Um, no, um, yeah, as you say I was really lucky because it was after the last one I was on that I learned that this was the next one I was going to beon.

So I had some considerable amount of time and also time to purchase Jan's album and get it imported from Germany I think.

[9:09] So I had a real binge at first because I think it's a pretty easy album to get into.

There's a, there's a couple of tracks that sort of, you kind of misplace, you know, in the order along the way for various reasons, but, um, I've, I was just listening to on my way to work.

So that was always, you know, whilst traveling on the train, um, and, uh, and I had, I had good times of it and I had it all prepared what I was going to say.

Um, because it was many months ago, I then moved on and got busy and did different things, forgot it all.

And then spent today binge listening and making notes again.

So I'm actually catching up with you guys now, which is typical. What can I say?

I mean, that represents our week with this album.

[9:57] Oh, that's great. Dan's last visit was Trouble at the Hidden House, right? So he's had a couple of good ones. Which we also have in the collection now. Nice. Awesome. Look at that.All right. Look at that guy.

Well, what do you say we start this, Son of a Gun, then?

We get in, turn the keys, and see where we end up. All right.

Analysis of the first song, "At Transformation"

[10:16] The first song, we start in with this cancer metaphor right off the bat with At Transformation.

Can I go? Sure. This one, I was so happy hearing the first seconds of this song coming off of our last album's experience.

[10:39] This one was so fun for me. I was relieved to hear this song.

I played it three times before I went on with the album.

Literally, just like, OK, let's do that one again. OK, let's do that one again.

It's just so I mean you can feel I don't know the, the bass is on fire in this song. You can feel Gord when he does the you know after that transformation towards the kind of the end. I feltthat coming.

You knew the woo was coming, right?

I don't know, it just...

Context aside, it's a killer song and even the The outro loops back everything about the intro.

It just was this circle of a song I felt like just could have been a single, been done. OK. Yeah. Great starter.

There's some weird, on this album, there's definitely some playfulness with song endings, with distortion and feedback and keys and synthesizers or something, which this one kind ofgives us that first taste of.

So I was happy to hear it. Played 128 times live. 128 times live.

So they played this one a bit. How about you, Dan?

[12:04] I mean, my second favorite track on the album. Yeah. I mean, as soon as that sort of distorted bass kicks in, you know you're in for a bit of a ride.

And again, similar to other tracks that we were looking at when I was last in on the Hen House, this does similar things where you've got that not quite, you've got a really good bridge andthen a not quite a chorus, but then it comes in the second time with the, you know, that transformation bit.

Well, the I can see it all at once and that transformation bit, and then that bass takes off and does its thing and it just, man, it just takes off.

And as we say, it just dissipates into this weird sort of sonic, mad sort of ending.

And similar to the start, it's like after that bass is there, the guitars kind of come in in some kind of informal manner, and then it just, bang, picks up when he starts singing the verse.

So it's a banger. Yeah, absolutely. Listen to it again and again and again and again and again.

[13:04] Contextually, it's weird. I second-guess myself a lot, not just to this song, Especially with the song though, but with the whole record I say because Tim alluded to it a little bit.

Dan doesn't have the context of last week's record So I'm like is this fucking record is amazing as I think it is? Or is it, it's like, hey, I've been living in a, you know.

In a faraway prison eating rice and stale bread for three years and now I'm sitting down at fucking Ruth Chris, Steakhouse and you know eating a.

[13:59] Filet mignon medium rare with a bottle of uh It just comes in like a beat and a half before. It's fucking cool.

I'm just looking at the notes. So long, Bob Rock.

A Welcome Back to Tragically Hip

[14:21] There's a lot of that in these notes, the bass, guitars, chords, voice throughout this entire record.

This is just a welcome back, Tragically Hip.

[14:37] One thing that I thought of when I was listening to it was I pictured in my mind the whole band on stage playing this song after maybe being through some shit for a while and likeyou know 45 seconds into this tune everybody just looks over at each other and like they don't say shit they don't have to say shit they just say everything with their eyes and they look ateach other and just smile and are just like yep welcome back Welcome fucking back.

I mean, what a return.

I mean, yeah, I just feel like we drifted so much from last week, again, that listening to this first song was awesome. Loved it.

At the same time, you know, in my research and reading about Gord's wife and her breast cancer and him dealing with that and that kind of being a thread through this album, I believe.It's... BOOM!

[15:45] You know, it was exciting, listened for me and I love this first song, but at the same time, it's like, oh, fuck.

We all in our own ways, our own stories, our own experiences can relate to cancer and probably even breast cancer.

And we have a good friend who just went through it all the way and just a couple of days ago found out she was cancer free.

So. Oh, wow. You know, this is Gord's.

Yeah. Gord's wife, you know, came out. Yeah.

In the end and it didn't take her, which is fucking cool, but you know, to read, I don't know, there's one quote, just to get into it real quick.

There's one quote from him, um, from Gordon. He says, many of these songs are me trying to help, you know, through the process, mutely the way a man does around breast cancer.

So it's, it's some, some heavy conceptual.

Oh my God. Themes here going on. But even straight, even straightforward though, I was unaware that a transformation is the term, the medical term for a cell going from malignant tocancerous.

That's called a transformation. So that's what, you know, the title of the song is, right? Yeah. Heavy, heavy stuff.

And then we move into man-machine.

[17:07] Poem.

A Bold Statement: My Favorite Hip Song

[20:44] I'll tell you. Yeah, I'm going to say right off the bat, I'm going to make a bold statement.

This may be my favorite hip song. Oh, wow. I mean, I didn't I.

Tim, I'm telling you the whole thing.

I was like mourning sort of Tiger the Lion for a minute in a weird way because I was just.

I mean, I don't know what to say about this song. Yeah, Yeah, it's cinematic, JD, but it's just so different.

And it's funny, because your whole thing that you just said was it's such a return to form.

And while it is, it's still melodically nothing like I've heard from the hit before.

That when it gets that minor four, that man, it trickles down.

Howard's Strained Voice and Unique Guitar Tone

[21:37] It's amazing. Howard's voice is like, I feel like he's straining it on purpose.

It just sounds like he's screaming, singing with every fiber of his body.

And when he gets to the end of a phrase or a word or a breath, it's like, you know, it's out of gas and he's got to take a breath to recharge and say the next line.

One thing I thought of when I heard this, the guitar tone on this song is forged from something not of this earth.

I don't know what, and there's a lot of really cool effects on this record, but I just don't know what that is.

And I don't know if they remember, if they know how they got it, but it just...

The keyboards hit in this song too. Like there were so many keyboards in the last record that I think Tim and I and JD as well felt were squandered, overused.

[22:45] Like this was just. Did you gotta, you gotta write, you gotta write to Gavin Brown, the producer. I bet he'll know you should.

Oh, I mean, you're, you're talking about effects, settings, everything, all the mix to make that sound the way it did just Jesus dude it was wow what a song what a song.

[23:11] So this was played at their last show, right?

At Air Canada Center, August 14, 2016. Wasn't that it?

K-Rock Center is their last show, which was the 16th, I think.

Ah. Or the 18th. Either way, towards the end, this was played, and I can't imagine. I mean, did people know Gord had cancer?

They did, right? Sure did. Before the end. Yeah. So I just can't imagine hearing this one live, because it's, you know, originally about his wife.

And yes him talking about her having cancer and it turns out, you know I just when I heard this and put it all together I just thought this probably just made people cry towards the endwhen he was singing this song when you sorry That's exactly what I is one other thing I put my if I would have seen this song live it would have crushed me it would have physicallyFucking crushed me Yeah, I Mean the the metaphor of the Abbas it and the Peregrine Falcon.

[24:13] I mean you're talking a ballerina of a gentle long skinny legged bird versus a fucking Falcon which will swoop down and you know steal a Chipmunk or a squirrel or chicken oranything?

You know, there's just the the position in this song is just just so big and heavy.

And the first time I listened to it was in the car, and it was just like, you want to scream along with him, the chorus, but I just couldn't do it.

And then at the end, it's like this bomb going off. The end is just as explosive as the middle of the song.

So. Yeah. I mean, the song, at the end of that transformation, after you've gone through that weird little sporadic, you know, sonic soundscape thing, you get that little percussive knocking,you know, and it's, it's like a little sort of artificial heartbeat.

And then, you know, you track that in and it starts the song and then it's there at the end as well.

After the everything, you know, that big chord goes away.

It's it comes back into that as well. Um, but also within that as well.

Um, I mean, Pete was talking about guitars, but there's, there's, there's so much like weird tambourine stuff going on in it amongst all things as well.

So that was good. But I mean, man, yeah, what a huge song. And then.

[25:40] Yeah. I mean, I say that the, the, the, the chorus is huge, even though it's just three words, absolutely massive.

And, um, you know, God singing, as we were saying, it's just the, the first verse just starts off with this kind of declaration, doesn't it?

And it's a kind of desperate declaration and it just sort of, yes, this attacking desperation in his voice sort of carries on from there.

It's yeah. It was the same. It's just not like anything I've heard before.

That was amazing delivery. Yeah. And those lyrics, crazy.

Now, Pete, I want to go back to something that you said about, you know, this being something we've never heard before.

I feel like this is a band that even on the records that we didn't necessarily like, they do that every record.

They, you feel like they're touching the edge of their capabilities and you know, they're sort of, they're sort of, you know, whoa, they're sort of out there, this record, but you can do, youcan go all the way back to Road Apples and say that about Last of the Unplugged Gems, you know, well, this is sort of, uh, out of, out of left field, it doesn't necessarily fit on this record.

And then, you know, uh, we are the same. You could say that about the Depression Suite, right?

Like holy shit, who knew they had this opus in them?

[27:07] So I'm just curious, you know, if you vibe what I'm saying.

Yeah, no, it's a good point, JD.

And I think the component here that I feel is different, because I agree with you, especially you on the last record, we are the same.

And you could you could tick along to every record since. And there's an element of that on there.

But Tim said something in the beginning of the pod. I can't remember exactly how you said it, but what I had the feeling that I got was like this record being about his wife and all thatstuff.

It's one thing to be elaborate.

[27:55] It's one thing to show up to a party or whatever wearing the coolest outfit or dress or suit or whatever.

[28:09] But it's another thing if you wear it well. And what I mean by that in terms of this song is that you can feel that there's a feeling behind It's not just, hey, we're going to go fuckingbig and elaborate because, I, don't know, name a hundred reasons why the hip would go big and elaborate.

Probably the most used excuse would be that they want to break through the American market. Whatever. That's not what's going on here.

This is like organic as hell.

Everything about this song.

They're going big and elaborate on this tune because they don't have any other choice. They're like, this is the fucking song that's coming out of all of us right now.

[28:54] Yeah, it's elaborate. I'm just, this is the song. Fucking take it or leave it.

If that makes sense, JD. It's that difference, I feel.

OK, gotcha. Well, in the car with this one cranked, I just thought, imagine being in the recording studio with these guys and everybody's kind of listening to Gord belt this one out. Or Idon't know.

This song is just a gigantic one. So for song number two, following that transformation to get into this, if we want to jump ahead to the look ahead.

I mean, this gave us just a, we shifted gears a little bit and got a little more lighthearted with the look ahead.

[29:41] I thought the song packed a punch under three minutes. It's quick.

So the bass and the guitars seem a little more in tandem on this one.

If I remember right, there's like left riffs throughout.

But for me, the lyrics of you weigh a snowflake, the glamour of the sky descending past perfect eyes and hearts leaped.

That's just... Poof.

I am the look ahead. I first searched it as the look ahead three words and you know couldn't find shit until I realized look ahead was one word and then learned that that means awesomeyou know like I'll say Dan and JD have fucking look ahead shirts on today we Pete and I didn't get the memo where to wear pavement shirts but that that's that's the phrase The text wasnot sent.

The Look Ahead: A Beautiful and Uplifting Tragically Hip Song

[30:47] Yeah. I don't know. What about you, Dan? What do you think?

I think the Look Ahead is my favorite Tragically Hip song by a long shot.

And as we were saying, it's just because of those choruses, those words that just hang over between the lines.

It's just beautiful. It's just absolutely beautiful. It just does something so amazing to make you feel fantastic.

[31:17] That's it, man. If I'm having a bad day, I could stick that on and that's me.

Yeah, because I just quickly mentioned that it felt more light-hearted, but I also thought this one is still fucking full of of juice, you know, it's still, I don't know, this is kind of felt like thisgreat tragically hip rock song, but it's it's loaded. And it's under three minutes.

So yeah, it's, yeah, I say it just it comes and goes. But as it comes along, it's just magnificent.

You know, you can't say more than that. It's just it's fully formed.

And this was one of the ones that I just started listening to it.

You know, you'd start at the start and the start is just so different to what it evolves into.

And you keep thinking you've got the wrong song, but that start section only lasts about 20 odd seconds before it just everything kicks in.

And it just, you know, it's one of those songs that you just can't say that much about. It just is what it is. It does what it does to you.

And you just recognize that and it's unstoppable. Yeah, it's cool.

Yeah, I would, I tend to agree with you.

[32:26] It's a banger for sure. Wouldn't be my favorite Tragically Hip song, but it would make my top 20 list, probably.

But boy, oh boy, we haven't really commented on the backing vocals of Sarah Harmer in this one. Pete, what did you think about Ms.

Harmer's addition to this song?

Well, question, is she on the other tunes on this record as well?

Or is it somebody different? Yes. Okay. Well, I want to get up.

I'm going to kind of save that if that's okay for some other songs.

All I'll say about this is that it's crazy. I love that Dan feels it's his favorite tune, because I feel like this song is like, it is formulaic, tragically hip.

Yeah, I agree. It's not just like, there's some songs that you feel like it's, yeah, exactly, exactly. There's some songs you feel like, oh yeah, this is a hip tune.

But it's not just that, it's fucking great.

[33:35] And you know, generally with their records, they come out with two or three bangers to start and they kind of like, or ones that just jaw drop you.

And then song three or song four, they just pull it back a little bit.

And I feel like in terms of the, they take off the throttle. It's not as crazy.

But melodically, this song is just, I mean, you can't not put this song on and enjoy the shit out of it.

Like it's a surefire. You know? Yeah, Dan hit the nail on the head.

Nail on the head. He's like, if I'm having a bad day, I put this song on and it, you know, helps turn it around for me. I completely agree.

[34:24] I read a critique of this song about it being too simple or less prolific or, you know, there are even some other critiques of the album citing the lyrics to be not as complex or, youknow, less poetic.

All these kind of harsh critiques. Yeah, fucked.

For real, they're out there. I can't even believe that. Yeah, exactly, exactly.

And it just made me like this album more, you know, this.

This song in particular, it's like, I couldn't agree with you more, Pete. Under three minutes, it just totally packs a punch.

It's sure a hip song, but fuck, it's killing it.

This is a top five record for me. I figured. Hands down.

[35:13] Yeah, yeah. Hence our special guest.

Anybody else, anything else to say about The Lookahead featuring Sarah Harmer.

Okay, then we go right into the really heavy We Wanna Be In.

I don't have a lot on this one, just because it's fucking huge, you know? Like, the drip, drip, drip stayed in my head for days.

[35:38] It's so impactful. This is just a fucking loaded song.

It was played towards the end of their career live as well, and it was just another one of of those where it was like, what was this like?

I think this one was the same show I mentioned, Air Canada Center.

So what was it like to hear this in that state of the career of this band and Gord's life?

[36:05] Yeah, and I was there for one of the shows at the Air Canada Center.

The first one, I can look up what the set list is, what the setlist was, but so can anybody who's listening to this right now.

Yeah. A bunch of these, I think half of these songs on this album were played at those last shows of this album. I think it's like four or five songs off of those last shows. Four songs peralbum.