NP - NetFlix "Long Time Running"

[Mark Thibodeau]

Allan, it's a documentary about "Canada's band", the Tragically Hip, which
was fronted by the very colorful and strange Gord Downie, who passed away
this year after a long and courageous battle with brain cancer.

There really is no analog in American culture for what the Tragically Hip
represents to the average Canadian, particularly those of us of a certain
vintage, who, like me, were able to see them very early on at a university
beer garden for a buck admission, while a once-in-a-decade blizzard raged
beyond the windows. Afterwards, friends and I drank and played pool with
Gord and his bandmates.

Within a year of that show, the Hip's second album exploded in popularity
and they became a genuine phenomenon, selling millions of albums in Canada
and pretty much nowhere else, reversing the traditional Canadian success
story (Neil Young, RUSH, others) of having to make it elsewhere before
getting any respect at home.

The documentary goes a long way towards explaining the band, and Gord's,
potent mystique.

I leave you with one of my favorites of their early work, the terribly sad
Fiddler's Green, written to honor the death of Gord's young nephew, who
suffered from a congenital heart condition. It went unplayed at live gigs
for decades because Gord couldn't get through singing it without weeping.
It's so fucking beautiful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoXM95WyJjM

Jerky

On Sat, Nov 18, 2017 at 5:23 PM, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:

> I'm streaming it.  Probably not on disc yet.
>
> This is a heroe story.  GD was a troubadour.  And a brave man.  As a
> longtime fan, the songs bring back many memories.  He was a treasure.
>
> David Morris
>
> On Sat, Nov 18, 2017 at 4:02 PM Allan Balliett <allan.balliett at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Sorry to be lazy, David, but could you provide a little more information
>> so I know if it's worth a trip to NetFlix to check it out?
>>
>> -Allan in WV where we still talk to NetFlix through the TV
>>
>> On Sat, Nov 18, 2017 at 4:56 PM, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Both a tribute and an account of triumph.
>>>
>>> I saw TH many times in Boston in the early 90s, often in small clubs.
>>> Gord was way coked, and fantastic!  He is also fantastic in this film.
>>>
>>
>>
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