Fully & Completely

The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live Stream: 'The Luxury''The Luxury' sits in the middle third of "Road Apples" and somehow that's exactly where it belongs. Track four of twelve. It doesn't announce itself. It doesn't demand anything from you. It just settles in - dark, jazzy, a little snarling - and waits to see if you're paying attention. Turns out, a lot of people are.This week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle, jD is joined by three first-timers - Paul from Columbus, Jamie from LA (by way of Montreal, for the record), and Eric from Toronto, who also happens to shred guitar in Forever Hip. Three rookies. One song. Zero consensus on where it ranks on "Road Apples." All the consensus in the world on 'The Last Recluse.' So there's that.The tale of the tape: 'The Luxury' comes from "Road Apples," released February 18th, 1991, and recorded at Kingsway Studios in New Orleans - Daniel Lanois' personal studio. Produced by Don Smith. Live debut: March 1st, 1991 at the Town Pump in Vancouver. Final performance: August 10th at the Air Canada Centre - the middle show of the Man Machine Poem Tour. It ranked #67 out of 169 songs on the TTHTop40 Countdown.The conversation goes deep:Jamie breaks down a single melodic note change Gord made on the chorus - from the studio recording through the Roxy in May '91 all the way to "Live Between Us" in '96 - and how that one shift changed the song's emotional register entirely. Eric reads the lyrics as a vignette: a man fresh out of prison, hiring company for the night, seeing a colour TV and soft water as genuine luxuries. Paul connects the song to the fire at his cottage near Tobermory, a Crown Royal in hand, just letting it sit. They get into the "fleur-de-lis" line, the Playboy reference, the lyric flip on "why are you partial to that Playboy con," and Gord's famous "song about a man walking down the street shaking a banana" intro on "Live Between Us." There's also a live chat shoutout to Duxoop Douglas for the New Orleans connection. Very good, yeah.The live shuffle at the end of the episode lands on 'An Inch, An Hour' from "Day for Night." Next week.Paul from Columbus is a lifelong Hip fan from Columbus, Ohio - and the guy who connected the July 1st, 1992 Molson Park poster to the raffle happening this Saturday at An Evening for Sara J. Bada bing.Jamie from LA - originally from Montreal, where his love for The Hip was first forged at camp in '89 via a mixtape with 'New Orleans Is Sinking' and '38 Years Old' on it - is heading to Toronto at the end of the month to perform in the cast of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish with English supertitles at the Elgin Theatre. May 25th to June 7th. Go see it.Eric from Toronto plays guitar in Forever Hip, who are performing this Saturday at An Evening for Sara J at the Firkin on Yonge. Patrick Downie will be there. Two sets of all your favourites and that song you're thinking of right now. Yes, that one.Resources & References'The Luxury' - "Road Apples" (1991), Kingsway Studios, New OrleansProduced by Don Smith | Released February 18th, 1991Live debut: March 1st, 1991 - Town Pump, VancouverFinal performance: August 10th - Air Canada Centre (Man Machine Poem Tour)TTHTop40 ranking: #67 of 169 (source: TTHTop40 Countdown, 2025)"Live Between Us" (1996) - the version that changed the song for JamieLive at the Roxy, May 1991 - early live recording referencedLive at Metropole, October 1998 - referenced in conversationSetlist data: Hipbase | setlist.fmAn Evening for Sara J - This Saturday, April 11th The Firkin on Yonge, 207 Yonge St, Toronto. Doors 7 PM. Featuring Patrick Downie and Forever Hip. Tickets at tickets.tthpods.com. Every dollar raised goes directly to the cause.Next episode: 'An Inch, An Hour' from "Day for Night." Live stream, 8 PM. Be there.Join the community at home.tthpod.com @tthpods | youtube.com/@tthpods | jd@tthpods.com#TheTragicallyHip #TTHOnShuffle #RoadApples #GordDownie #TheHip #CanadianRockPodcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Getting Hip to the Hip - "We Are the Same"Pete and Tim hear "We Are the Same" for the first time. Bob Rock, big strings, and a campfire album that divides fans right down the middle.EPISODE SUMMARYReleased in 2009 and produced by Bob Rock, "We Are the Same" was the first record in over 20 years that made Tragically Hip fans wait longer than two years for new material. It debuted at number one. And it is, to put it diplomatically, a record that asks something of you.Pete Marchica and Tim Lyden sit down with jD for their first full listen, and neither of them is ready for what they get. The conversation covers every track - from the country-laced AM radio chorus of 'Morning Moon' to the sprawling, emotionally devastating nine-plus minutes of 'Depression Suite,' which Pete calls fucking magnificent. There are Pink Floyd comparisons, David Gilmour guitar tributes, a detour into the agricultural meaning of 'Queen of the Furrows,' and a story about how Gord heard a CBC news correspondent's name as "Honey Watson" mid-song and just... went with it.The residential school system, the weight of Gord's legacy as a voice for people who needed one, and the question of where that voice has gone in music today - those threads run through the episode too. Pete says it plainly. Tim agrees. jD doesn't argue.Bob Rock takes some heat. The drum mixing takes some heat. The strings - which show up on approximately every song - take some heat. And yet, somehow, this episode ends with three grown men picking their MVPs and meaning every word.'Depression Suite' is jD's. 'Frozen in My Tracks' is Tim's. Pete's? Listen and find out. Some things you've got to earn.ABOUT THE HOSTSjD is the founder and host of The Tragically Hip Podcast Series, a seven-show podcast network built out of love for a band and a community. He has raised over $35,000 for causes including the Downie Wenjack Fund, the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research, and CAMH.Pete Marchica is coming to you from Spain. He showed up this week with notes, opinions, and a strip club analogy that somehow makes complete sense in context.Tim Lyden listened to this album later than he would like to admit, did a deep dive on Honey Watson's true identity the day before recording, and watched a crow destroy something in his backyard mid-episode.RESOURCES & REFERENCESTragically Hip discography and setlist data: HipbaseLive performance history: setlist.fmBand biography: This Is Our Life by Michael BarclayThe Tragically Hip Archive - source for live recordingsIN THIS EPISODEOpening: jD on "We Are the Same" and the three-year waitThe Italian fan translating Hip lyrics into his own melodic structureTrack-by-track: 'Morning Moon,' 'Honey Please,' 'Wheat Kings,' 'Coffee Girl,' 'Exact Feeling,' 'Queen of the Furrows,' 'Speed River,' 'Depression Suite,' 'Love Is a First,' 'Country Day'The Bob Rock debate: production genius or too much Kool-Aid?Gord Downie, residential schools, and the question of who speaks for the people nowMVPs, playlist picks, and a poodle skirt fundraising pledgeCALLS TO ACTIONListen to Getting Hip to the Hip and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.Join the community: community.tthpods.comCONNECT

Fully & Completely: redux - We Are the SameThe Hip's most divisive record. The one that feels beige on first listen and breaks your heart on the fifth. jD and Greg LeGros go track by track through "We Are the Same" - and they don't hold back.jD and Greg LeGros return for the 17th anniversary episode of the "We Are the Same" deep dive. The album nobody fully agreed on when it dropped in 2009, and the one that keeps climbing anyway. The production is neutered, Bob Rock wanted to sell records out of Starbucks, and yet - 'Depression Suite' is sitting right there in the middle of it, ten minutes long, and it is a monster.They go track by track. 'Morning Moon.' 'Honey Please.' 'The Last Recluse.' 'Coffee Girl' (controversial, stay with them). 'Now the Struggle Has a Name' - which turns out to be about something much bigger than the melody suggests. And 'The Depression Suite,' which gets called hookless by critics in 2009 and is, in fact, enormously hooky.Greg lands on 'The Last Recluse' as his takeaway song. jD goes with 'Depression Suite' but admits he's going to listen to 'The Struggle Has a Name' twice on the drive home with a different set of ears. There's a Sobeys story. There's a Gandharvas rabbit hole. There's a Honey Watson correction that opens the whole album up.This is Fully & Completely: Redux. It's the same DNA as the original run. Not a sequel - a reunion. Start at the start.What We Get Into'Morning Moon' - The most complete recording on the album. Neil Young-adjacent, not in a bad way. Should have been the first single. Greg connects it to listening out a charter bus window watching Ontario roll by, and it clicks. The plume of smoke across the lake from Bath studio. Labour Day. Makes sense.'Honey Please' - The Springsteen opening that the production keeps from becoming what it should be. Mission statement buried in the first verse: I don't want to look for words, I don't want to work that hard. jD reads it as Gord's note to himself - and maybe Bob Rock's - for this entire record.'The Last Recluse' - Tragically Hip at their most Radiohead-adjacent, which is not a sentence you write about many Hip songs. A Springsteen-y tragic love story. The Radiohead gang vocal at the end earns its place. Who is the last recluse? Greg has a read. It lands.'Coffee Girl' - The most contentious track. Greg calls it the basement for this band. jD goes to bat for it from the barista's point of view - working the early shift, knowing her name, getting off the bus stop north just to walk past. He doesn't fully win the argument. But he makes a run at it.'Now the Struggle Has a Name' - This is where the episode opens up. Residential schools. Reconciliation. The first time Gord openly dedicates a full song to something this specific and this political. The applause can begin for the apology. That is a stinging line. And Honey Watson, it turns out, is Connie Watson - he misheard the name on the news, wrote it down, realized the mistake, and kept it anyway. Of course he did.'The Depression Suite' - Nearly ten minutes. Three movements. Called hookless by people who weren't listening. Are you going through something? Because I am too is one of the great hooks in this catalogue - F sharp minor, Greg can't stretch his hand to play it, it still lands. 2009 was early to be this direct about mental health. The Hip were early, as usual.'The Exact Feeling,' 'Queen of the Furrows,' 'Speed River,' 'Frozen in My Tracks,' 'Love Is a First,' 'Country Day'- The back half of the record gets a harder look. Some of it holds up better than they expected. Some of it still suffers from production that cuts the band off at the knees right when they should be rocking. 'Skeleton Park' - the bonus track, Apple Music Extra only, not on every format - is brought up as the song that should have been the closer. Never heard it? Go find it.The VerdictGreg's takeaway song: 'The Last Recluse' jD's takeaway song: 'The Depression Suite' The song to play someone to introduce them to this album: 'Morning Moon' - impossible not to like Does anything crack jD's personal top 25 Hip songs? No. He says so plainly. Is it still a good album? Yeah. It is. Greg likes 65% of it. He says so plainly too.Coming UpNext time out - a Hipstories episode with a very interesting guest. A Gord solo episode follows that. They'll get it to you as they get it to you. Life happens.Resources & References"We Are the Same" - The Tragically Hip, 2009. Produced by Bob Rock. Recorded at Bath Studios (Ontario) and Hana, Hawaii.'Depression Suite' - Track six on "We Are the Same." Nearly ten minutes. Three movements. The centrepiece.'Now the Struggle Has a Name' - References residential schools and Canadian reconciliation. Among Gord Downie's earliest and most direct political statements on record.The Downie Wenjack Fund - Gord's commitment to reconciliation didn't stop with this song. It became the foundation for everything that followed, including "Secret Path." Learn more at downiewenjack.ca"The Ecstasy of Rita Joe" - Play by George Ryga, referenced in the Athabasca section of 'Depression Suite.' If you know the connection, tell them.The Gandharvas - Canadian band, not on Spotify in original form. Go find Kicking in the Water on YouTube. Start with 'The First Day of Spring.' You're welcome.Hipbase - Primary source for setlists, catalogue data, and discography information used throughout. hipbase.comThis Is Our Life - Michael Barclay's biography of The Tragically Hip. The definitive source.Support the CauseThe TTH Podcast Series has raised over $35,000 for causes including the Downie Wenjack Fund, The Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research, and CAMH. If this community has given you something, give something back.Learn more and giveStay ConnectedCommunity: community.tthpods.com Subscribe to Yer Letter: subscribe.tthpods.com Instagram: @tthpods YouTube:youtube.com/@tthpods Email: tthpodcastseries@gmail.comTranscript available above. If you have information about the Athabasca / George Ryga connection in 'Depression Suite' - seriously, tell them. The forum is open.#TheTragicallyHip #FullyCompletely #WeAreTheSame #GordDownie #CanadianRock #TragicallyHipPodcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Eight songs. One vinyl pressing so rare most fans have never held it. And a song that — based on all available evidence — was played live maybe three times before The Hip quietly let it go. jD, Joe from Toronto, Andy from St. Thomas, and Justin from Bridport dug into the self-titled EP and found something they weren't expecting.Episode Summary'I'm a Werewolf Baby' clocks in at number 140 out of 169 songs in the TTH Podcast Series community poll. And yet. Pull it up right now and try not to move. You can't. You will fail. That's the thing about this song — it doesn't care where it ranks. It just rips.The song comes from the self-titled Tragically Hip EP, released in the Kingston area in late 1987 and distributed more widely in 1988. It was produced by Red Ryder guitarist Ken Greer. Lyrics by Gord Downie. Music by Robbie, Johnny, and Gord Sinclair. That songwriting credit breakdown — individual, named, specific — is one of the things that makes the EP a genuinely interesting document. That, and the fact that it pre-dates Paul Langlois on guitar. He played shaker on this one. And during the breakdown, apparently, Gord picked him up and carried him around the stage. So there's that.Based on what setlist.fm and Hipbase can confirm, the song was performed live only three known times — debuting in 1987 at the Alma Combo in Toronto and last appearing April 11, 1990 at the Spectrum in Montreal. Why did they stop? The panel had opinions. Some of it comes down to New Orleans Is Sinking absorbing the sonic real estate. Some of it comes down to werewolves being out of fashion by 1990. Some of it, jD suspects, is that they just didn't love it anymore — and when your setlist is building toward "Nautical Disaster" and "Fifty-Mission Cap," this one starts to look like the eight-crayon box sitting beside the 128-count set with the built-in sharpener.What the panel kept coming back to is the foreshadowing. The howl in this song, Andy from St. Thomas points out, is the same howl Gord would use between songs on the 2016 Man Machine Poem Tour — the final tour — with the mic pressed to his belly button. Nearly thirty years apart. Same sound. The embryo and the elegy.Justin from Bridport came in having re-watched the docuseries specifically to prepare. He surfaced the detail that the song predates Paul's addition to the band — this was a holdover from the Davis Manning era, a relic that got dusted off and recorded because they needed one more song. That reframe matters. This wasn't a proud showcase. It was a polished demo. It was the bar band phase. It was fresh-out-of-high-school energy — and Johnny Fay was literally still a teenager when they tracked it.Joe from Toronto, frontman of Forever Hip, put it plainly: the lyrics read like Paul Stanley wrote them. Which is not an insult, actually. It's just that from Gord Downie, knowing what came after, it reads like a deal with the devil got made sometime between this and "Locked in the Trunk of a Car." The growth from 1987 to 1989 is almost impossible to reconcile when you hear them back to back. Justin confirmed it — his algorithm served him 'I'm a Werewolf Baby' and then, immediately after, 'Blow at High Dough' from "Up to Here." Same band. Two years later. How.Community poll results from the Facebook group (approaching 5,000 members - now there's a number): 58% love this tune, 26% tolerate it, 11% skip it, and 5% had never heard it before tonight. That 5% number surprised everyone. It probably shouldn't. If you came to The Hip through "Phantom Power," this EP is a different country.Next week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle: 'The Luxury' from "Road Apples." Three new panelists. One random song. Same deal.The GuestsJoe from Toronto is the frontman of Forever Hip, the Tragically Hip tribute band playing live at An Evening for Sara J - April 11 at the Firkin on Yonge. This is his second appearance on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle.Andy from St. Thomas is a lifelong Hip fan making his first appearance on the show. He came prepared, he admitted the EP was one he'd slept on, and his insight about Gord's 2016 howl being traceable all the way back to this song was the best moment of the night. He's a good dad. His daughter knew the Blue Album better than he did.Justin from Bridport - the only Bridport in America, and a returning panelist working his way toward the five-timers sash. He re-watched the full Hip docuseries this week specifically to prep for this episode. It showed.Resources & Referencessetlist.fm - setlist and live performance data for 'I'm a Werewolf Baby'Hipbase - discography and catalogue reference. Thank you to Lance Robinson and the Hipbase team.The Tragically Hip Archive - for live recordings referenced in discussionThe Tragically Hip Reddit community - Rico Borrega's song-by-song breakdowns of the full catalogue are worth your time. jD avoids reading them before recording. You shouldn't have to.An Evening for Sara J - April 11, Firkin on YongeHip fans in Toronto - this is the one. Live episode recording with Patrick Downie. Forever Hip on stage. Six Hip concert posters and a numbered Richard Beland fine art print of Chris Cornell up for raffle. All for a great cause. Tickets at tickets.tthpods.com.ConnectFacebook community: community.tthpods.com | Instagram: @tthpods | YouTube: youtube.com/@tthpods | Email: tthpodcastseries@gmail.com#TheTragicallyHip #TTHOnShuffle #TheHip #GordDownie #TragicallyHip #UpToHereAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Some random odds and sods going on in TTH Podcast Series world at the moment. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live Stream: Train OvernightThis week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle, jD pulls 'Train Overnight' from "Music @ Work" - the twelfth track on the eighth album, a deep cut that earned exactly zero votes in the TTHTop40 fan-sourced countdown, landing in the company of only four other songs in The Hip's entire catalogue with the same distinction. 'Luv, sic,' 'Goodnight Josephine,' 'Sherpa,' and 'Are We Family.' That's the list. Five songs. Out of everything they ever recorded.The panel doesn't agree on what to make of 'Train Overnight.' And that's exactly what makes this episode worth an hour of your time.Kirk from Chino is the only panelist who saw it live - twice, in San Francisco and LA on the same tour. He noticed seven people on stage his first time seeing The Hip. A keyboard player, a female vocalist who occasionally played percussion. That was his frame of reference for what this band was. Greg from Tacoma - who first heard The Hip on the same Seattle radio station that broke Nirvana, spent two years thinking the song was NRBQ, then proceeded to do guerrilla marketing for the band across the Pacific Northwest for the better part of a decade - brings the long-distance devotion that makes American Hip fans a particular breed of formidable. Mike from Toronto was there from the very beginning. Jake Gold handed him a wristband at a Day for Night-era surprise show at the Horseshoe. Queen and Spadina. Nine in the morning. 300 people that night. He asks the question the whole panel keeps circling back to: if 'Train Overnight' had been on the first record, would The Hip have been The Hip?The conversation moves through Gord's lyrical genius - specifically the line about apologizing like an old dictator might, which Greg calls one of those Gordism nuggets just buried in the song - through the bass work of Gord Sinclair (part McCartney, part Geezer Butler, all chug), through what it meant to be an American doing guerrilla marketing for a band most of your country had never heard of, and through the generational divide the Shuffle keeps surfacing: "Music @ Work" as exit point for one wave of fans and as entry point for another. Kirk came in through this record. Mike came in at the Horseshoe in '87. Greg found them in 1989. Same band. Three completely different doors.Greg puts the whole arc into something sharp near the end: Day for Night as the blue period, the hangover after the nineties. Trouble at the Henhouse as the rosy-fingered dawn coming up the next morning. Phantom Power as the bright of day. And "Music @ Work" as a prism - every colour at once. The first record where they had 5,000 crayons instead of 64. You've got to love it.Next week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle: 'I'm a Werewolf Baby.'GuestsKirk from Chino - A returning Shuffle panelist and musician, Kirk came to The Hip through the later catalogue and has been going back to the beginning ever since. He saw 'Train Overnight' live twice on the same tour - San Francisco and LA. He's a co-host on Discovering Downie and plays in a cover band called The Darryls (his name is Larry). He has a solo album in the works and a debut live performance booked in San Diego, May 2. Follow him at Kirk Lane Music on Facebook and Instagram.Mike from Toronto - A first-timer on the Shuffle and a lifelong Hip fan who was there from the very beginning - the Horseshoe, the Alma Combo in '87, a Day for Night-era surprise show where Jake Gold gave him the wristband. His go-to record is "Day for Night." He listens to every album start to finish on long drives. He also recommends Ryan Davis Roadhouse Band - playing the Horseshoe in June.Greg from Tacoma - Another first-timer, Greg has been a Hip devotee since he heard them on the radio in 1989 - or thought he did, until he spent two years believing the song was NRBQ. His go-to record is "In Between Evolution," and Tacoma is name-checked in the 'Tacoma Narrows Bridge' lyric, which he notes with appropriate pride. He put a record out at 60. He is in the Tacoma, Washington area and has a crew of five who all attend Hip shows and all play in bands at least partially influenced by The Hip.Links & ResourcesSubmit to podList 7 - covers from The Tragically Hip EP through Day for Night: podlist.tthpods.comAn Evening for Sara J - Saturday, April 11, Firkin on Yonge, Toronto: tickets.tthpods.comDiscovering Downie (referenced by Kirk): available on all podcast platformsKirk Lane Music: Facebook and Instagram https://hadeesmarket.bandcamp.com/album/missives-at-the-turnhttps://www.youtube.com/@HadeesMarketTimestamps00:00 - Pre-show promo: Joe from Forever Hip on An Evening for Sara J 01:37 - jD opens The Tragically Hip On Shuffle 02:27 - Introducing Kirk from Chino, Mike from Toronto, Greg from Tacoma 04:32 - Go-to Hip records: "Live Between Us," "In Between Evolution," "Day for Night" 09:05 - Mike's Horseshoe stories - from '87 to the Day for Night surprise show 12:26 - The reveal: tonight's song is 'Train Overnight' from "Music @ Work" 16:32 - Panel reacts after listening 17:02 - Greg on the Gordism nugget - apologizing like an old dictator might 23:51 - Mike: was "Music @ Work" a chapter closing or a door opening? 27:40 - The zero-votes revelation: only five songs in the entire catalogue 31:52 - Kirk saw it live. Twice. San Francisco and LA. 32:04 - jD on Paul Sinclair's bass line sounding like a chugging train 32:15 - Greg: McCartney, Geezer Butler, all over the song 34:01 - Kirk on guerrilla marketing for The Hip in California 37:00 - Mike: the only time he saw The Hip in the US was New York, 2012, NHL lockout 48:16 - Greg: the colour palette theory - 64 crayons to 5,000 49:55 - jD calls shuffle for next week 54:10 - Next week: 'I'm a Werewolf Baby'

The Tragically Hip Podcast Series presents - "March 25th, 1995" (A podUMENTARY)The Tragically Hip Podcast Series - TTHTop40 CountdownMarch 25th, 1995. Saturday Night Live. Dan Aykroyd walks out, the band plugs in, and Canada holds its breath. Thirty years later, we went and found the people who were watching."I finally felt like we - maybe as a nation, as a people, as a culture - arrived."About This EpisodeHey, it's jD here. This one is different.March 25th, 1995 is a date that lives in the muscle memory of every Canadian Hip fan. The Tragically Hip on Saturday Night Live - introduced by Dan Aykroyd, two songs that weren't exactly designed for a mass American audience, and a performance that has been debated, replayed, and treasured ever since.This is a poduMENTARY, not a regular episode - something else entirely. We went out to the community and asked a simple question: where were you? What we got back was something formidable. Seventeen voices. Seventeen Hipstories. Basement house parties, university bars, dorm rooms, living rooms, a bar in St. Catharines, a campus pub at Queen's. Some people were jumping on their beds. Some were pretty sure they cried. One person was at the actual afterparty and watched David Spade walk away confused.We also hear from Bill Kenny of the SNL Hall of Fame and Saturday Night Network Podcasts, who puts the episode in full context - what kind of season it was, how Dan Aykroyd ended up hosting, and why this one still holds up.The songs were 'Grace Too' and 'Nautical Disaster.' The debate about whether those were the right choices has apparently never stopped. We get into that too.So there's that."I remember Dan Aykroyd coming out wearing a shirt that looks like something a snowboarder would wear on Laundry Day and thinking, as a country, we deserve better swag than that."Voices in This EpisodeCommunity members and contributors, in no particular order:Alan CarverBill Kenny - SNL Hall of Fame and Saturday Night Network PodcastsChristy MiskellyDean RaineyDevon LawErin RizokJason KirbyJessica NovakJeremy SchultzKim GillMark GordonMike FosterPaul Do FornoRich RaczelowskiRyan McNeilSara JScott McRaeResources & LinksMentioned in This EpisodeSNL Hall of Fame and Saturday Night Network PodcastsThis Is Our Life - The Tragically Hip (Michael Barclay)Hipbase - The Tragically Hip Discography & SetlistsThe Tragically Hip ArchiveConnect & ListenAll TTH Podcast Series links - home.tthpods.comThe Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live every weekEmail jD - tthpodcastseries@gmail.comJoin Us Live - The Tragically Hip On ShuffleEvery week we pull a random Hip song and unpack it live with a rotating panel. No prep. No script. Just the song, the room, and whatever comes up. Join us - details and links at home.tthpods.com.A Note From jDThank you to every single person who sent in a voice memo for this one. Seventeen people trusted us with a memory - a real one, the kind that lives in your chest - and that is not a small thing. This community is the whole point. Every time.Get after it.- jD / Host / Producer / The Tragically Hip Podcast Series - Est. 2018#TTHTop40 #TheTragicallyHip #GordDownie #TheHip #CanadianRockPodcast #TragicallyHipAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Fully & Completely: Redux - World ContainerBob Rock, a divisive record, and the Tragically Hip song that might just be their best. jD and Greg came around. Hard.October 17th, 2006. The Tragically Hip released "World Container" - their first of two records with producer Bob Rock, and one of the most divisive albums in the band's catalog. Twenty years later, jD and Greg LeGros are back for Season 2 of Fully & Completely: Redux, and the verdict is in: this record is better than you remember.In this episode, jD and Greg dig into the landscape of 2006 - the Wild West of music piracy, the indie pop boom, Arctic Monkeys blowing up on MySpace, and a straight-ahead Canadian rock band trying to stay relevant without chasing a trend. Then they get into the album itself, track by track: the stadium-sized riff of 'You're Not the Ocean', the disco-beat weirdness of 'The Lonely End of the Rink', the complicated love letter that is 'In View', the cool-as-hell swagger of 'Fly', and the title track 'World Container' - which gets called one of the best Tragically Hip songs of all time. No argument here.Greg also quit coffee. It almost killed him. We talk about that too.This is Fully & Completely: Redux. Season 2. We're back."I missed the boat completely. Because this song is just perfect."Greg LeGros from Toronto - co-host of Fully & Completely and the person most likely to make you reconsider a record you wrote off. Musician, music obsessive, and the only person jD trusts to go track by track through a Tragically Hip album for hours without losing the thread. This is their reunion after a longer-than-expected break - and it picks up exactly where it left off.Mentioned or referenced in this episode:"World Container" (2006) - The Tragically Hip - produced by Bob Rock"Hipeponymous" (2005) - The Tragically Hip box set collectionA Stranger to Myself: The Inhumanity of War, Russia, 1941-1944 by Willy Peter Reese - referenced in the 'You're Not the Ocean' discussion (Gord Downie connection)Hipbase - discography and catalogue referenceHipMuseum - band history and archival referenceRelated episodes:Fully & Completely: Redux - In Violet LightFully & Completely: Redux - We Are The Same (up next)00:00 - Cold Open: October 17th, 2006 01:45 - Intro & Season 2 is back 04:00 - Greg quit coffee (the dark side of a cleanse) 14:30 - The World Container year: 2006 in music and sports 28:00 - Bob Rock: the man, the myth, the Black Album 38:00 - Track by track: 'You're Not the Ocean' 48:30 - 'The Lonely End of the Rink' 57:00 - 'In View' - call your mom 1:06:00 - 'Fly' - Moonbeam, Ontario 1:14:00 - 'Luv (Sic)' and 'Kids Don't Get It' (recording gap at 1:03 - see production note) 1:22:00 - 'Pretend' 1:29:00 - 'Last Night I Dreamed You Didn't Love Me' 1:37:00 - 'The Drop Off' 1:43:00 - 'Family Band' 1:52:00 - 'World Container' - all songs are one song 2:02:00 - Final diagnosis & favourite track picksGot a take on "World Container"? A song that still hits you different? Drop it in the comments or bring it to the community - we want to hear what you think.

The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live Stream: 'Vapour Trails'Episode Date: March 19, 2026Panel: Ryan from Toronto • Patrick from Toronto • Adam from TampaIntroThere's nothing uglier than a man hitting his stride - and there's nothing better than a panel that doesn't agree on what that line even means.This week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle, jD pulled ‘Vapour Trails' from “Phantom Power” - track eight of twelve from The Tragically Hip's sixth studio record, produced by Steve Berlin, recorded at The Bathhouse in Bath, Ontario, and released July 14, 1998. It was a promo CD single that never got a video. It ranked #72 on the TTHTop40 Countdown. And for a song that lives in the shadow of ‘Bobcaygeon' and ‘Poets' on the same record, it had absolutely no problem holding its own for an hour of live discussion.So there's that.About This Episode‘Vapour Trails' is a road song. Or a loneliness song. Or a song about Gord watching Mexican farmworkers from a highway somewhere in rural Ontario and being moved enough to write it down. It might be all three at once - which is, of course, exactly how Gord Downie worked.jD is joined this week by Ryan from Toronto - a first-timer on the show and a veteran podcaster whose ear for music analysis makes itself known immediately - alongside returning panelists Patrick from Toronto and Adam from Tampa, both of whom came loaded with research, opinions, and very strong feelings about the back half of the “Phantom Power” discography.What followed was one of those conversations that starts with bass and drums and ends somewhere near ephemeral, the Canadian spelling of vapour, and whether Rob Baker was playing a Rickenbacker. Coming UpNext week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle, jD hits shuffle again - and this time it landed on ‘Train Overnight.' Three new panelists. Wednesday night. 8 PM. You know the drill.An Evening for Sara JBefore you go - An Evening for Sara J is happening Saturday, April 11, 2026 at Firkin on Yonge, 207 Yonge Street, Toronto. Doors at 7:30 PM, live podcast at 8, Forever Hip takes the stage at 9.Sara is one of our own, and this whole night is for her. There's a live podcast with Patrick Downie, a 50/50 draw, a raffle, and every dollar raised goes to Sara's GoFundMe. Go to tickets.tthpods.com to get yers now!Early Bird tickets are $20 - and they won't last. After March 25, it's $25 general admission or $30 at the door.Stay ConnectedFacebook Community: community.tthpods.comInstagram: instagram.com/tthpodsYouTube: youtube.com/@tthpodsEmail: jd@tthpods.comGet Yer LetterWant Hip news, album anniversaries, episode recaps, fundraising updates, and early previews delivered straight to your inbox every month? Subscribe to Yer Letter - the official community newsletter of The Tragically Hip Podcast Series. When you sign up, you'll also get a free copy of The Complete Hip Discography v6.0 - every studio album, every solo record, every side project across all five members of the band.Subscribe here: subscribe.tthpods.comThe Tragically Hip On Shuffle is part of The Tragically Hip Podcast Series - Est. 2018. New episodes every Wednesday at 8 PM ET, live on YouTube and Facebook!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Fully & Completely: Redux"In Between Evolution"Hosts: jD & Greg LeGros | Guest: Toronto Mike | Fully & Completely: ReduxThe EpisodeThere are records you fall into immediately - and then there are the ones that sneak up on you. "In Between Evolution" is absolutely the second kind. The Tragically Hip's 2004 record is one of their most slept-on, most politically charged, and - depending on who you ask - one of their very best. jD and Greg LeGros dig in track by track, joined by Toronto's favourite podcast man, Toronto Mike.It's feisty. It's got punk energy. And for a record that got passed over in 2004, it holds up like an absolute bruiser. So there's that.Guest SpotlightToronto Mike from Toronto, OntarioToronto Mike is the podcaster and blogger behind torontomic.com and Toronto Miked - a fiercely independent Toronto-centric podcast that's been going longer than most people can remember. He's a passionate Hip fan who - full disclosure - once had serious plans to launch his own Tragically Hip album-by-album podcast series. He abandoned those plans specifically because jD and Greg were doing it too well. That's not spin. That's what he said on mic."I went into the podcast kind of tiny bit hoping it would suck."- Toronto Mike, on hearing Fully & Completely for the first timeWhat's In This OneA full track-by-track of "In Between Evolution" plus the cultural context of June 2004 - which, as it turns out, is a lot. Here's some of what you're getting into:Why this is probably The Tragically Hip's most overtly political record - and why it had no choice but to be (they recorded it in Seattle, surrounded by American media, one year after the U.S. went into Iraq)'Heaven Is a Better Place Today' - a tribute to Dan Snyder built on funeral clichés and sports colloquialisms that somehow makes you cry. Every time.'Summer's Killing Us' - the song Greg would play for anyone who's never heard of this band. Not even officially released as a single. Absolutely should have been.'Gus the Polar Bear from Central Park' - a slow burn. Toronto Mike did not like it at first. He's come around. We dig into why.'Vaccination Scar' - the actual lead single, and a song that gets a bit more complicated the more you think about it'It Can't Be Nashville Every Night' - the one with the la-la-oos in the chorus that should not work, and absolutely does. Possibly a Toby Keith thing. Possibly a Dixie Chicks thing. Definitely a great song.'One Night in Copenhagen' - band turmoil, Gord's solo career pulling on the seams, and that one line about a payphone in the snow that Greg still talks about'Goodnight Josephine' - the closer that sounds like late-period Springsteen and contains some of the most beautiful lyrics Gord ever put down on tapeThe Stanley Cup Final, the Grey Cup halftime show (yes, The Hip played it), a commemorative Tragically Hip CD, and how the 2004 Leafs playoff run ended a sketch troupe's road trip to LAThe Cultural Climate: June 2004Greg always brings the goods on context, and June 2004 is a rich one. "In Between Evolution" landed in the middle of a musical year that included American Idiot, College Dropout, Funeral, Hot Fuss, and Songs for the Deaf. Commercially, the charts were a very different story - Usher, Evanescence, Josh Groban, and a lot of stuff these three would rather forget. It's a great time to be a music fan if you knew where to look. This was a record that knew exactly where it was looking.Pocket SongsAt the end of every record, we each pull one track to carry forward to the playlist.jD: 'Goodnight Josephine'Greg: 'It Can't Be Nashville Every Night'Toronto Mike: 'Are We Family'Why This Record MattersBecause it got slept on. Even in the band's own documentary, this one gets two seconds. And that's bananas - because it is a deep, huge favourite, and it is one of their very best. It's a hard rocker. It's a protest record. It's a record about loss, and change, and what happens when the things you love don't get to stay the same. It's the most guitar-forward record they ever made, and it has the audacity to rhyme its chorus with la-la-oos.Spend time with this album. This album is waiting for you.About Fully & Completely: ReduxFully & Completely: Redux is the reunion of the original Fully & Completely podcast - the show that started it all in 2018. jD and Greg LeGros go back through The Tragically Hip's full catalogue, album by album, track by track. Same DNA. Same chemistry. Not a sequel - a reunion.Part of The Tragically Hip Podcast Series, a network raising funds for the Downie Wenjack Fund, The Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research, and CAMH. Over $35,000 raised and counting.Find UsFacebook: facebook.com/groups/tthpodsInstagram: @tthpodsYouTube: youtube.com/@tthpodsEmail: tthpodcastseries@gmail.comListen via your podcast app of choice. Search: Fully & Completely Redux.#TheTragicallyHip #InBetweenEvolution #GordDownie #FullyCompletely #TragicallyHip #CanadianRockPodcastMeta Description (for podcast platforms)jD, Greg LeGros & Toronto Mike go track by track on The Tragically Hip's "In Between Evolution." Hipstories, fandom, and Canadian rock - TTH Podcast Series.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live Stream: 'We Want To Be It'Hey, it's jD here.Every once in a while, the shuffle lands on a song that feels like it found you on purpose. This was one of those weeks.'We Want To Be It' - track four off "Now For Plan A" - doesn't get talked about the way'Bobcaygeon' does. It doesn't get the bar rock reverence of the early records. But spend a week with it, really spend a week with it, and something starts to happen. Layers. Lots of them.This week, jD is joined by Steph from Winnipeg, Andrew from Tampa, and Tyler from Etobicoke for what turned into one of the more surprising discussions the show has had. The song is three minutes and twenty-nine seconds. The conversation ran nearly an hour. That ratio should tell you everything.We dig into what "Now For Plan A" actually is as a record - the shortest album in The Hip's catalog, a band quietly fracturing while somehow still playing out of their minds, produced by Gavin Brown under conditions that, as Tyler points out, sound a lot like band therapy. Andrew came in with ten shows under his belt from that tour. Tyler revisited the record for the first time in years and kept finding new things. Steph brought the kind of insight that makes you stop mid-sentence and say yes, exactly that.And then there's the drip, drip, drip.Is the song about Laura Downie? About the band itself? About wanting to dissolve into the music instead of having to manufacture it over and over? Tyler brings a genuinely hot take - sourced from an Alan Gregg interview on Toronto Mike's podcast and Michael Barclay's book - that reframes the whole thing. Andrew adds the Alan Arkin connection Gord himself referenced in early live intros of the song. And jD talks about the three layers of crust this song has developed for him personally over the years.It's a choose your own adventure lyric written by a guy who never gave you the map. That's the feature. Big thanks to Steph, Andrew, and Tyler for bringing the goods on this one. Next week, we hit shuffle again - no idea what's coming, and that's exactly the point.From Our Guests"I'm in season three of Pocket Full of Mojo - wherever you enjoy your podcasts. I help recovering people pleasers like me remember how to get out of our own way and figure out that there's way fewer rules in this life than we're told."- Steph from Winnipeg | Pocket Full of Mojo Podcast"If you can't make it out to the event, get on the page and get into the GoFundMe for Sarah. And you don't have to be in Toronto - you can always fly in."- Andrew from Tampa"I'll be appearing on Toronto Mike's podcast in early April to do a Q1 recap. Other than that, just keeping my head down and trying to stay out of trouble."- Tyler from Etobicoke | Toronto Mike'd Podcast• Subscribe, share, and leave a review if this landed for you.• Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/groups/tthpods• Instagram: @tthpods• YouTube: youtube.com/@tthpods• Email: tthpodcastseries@gmail.com#TheTragicallyHip #TheHip #TTHOnShuffle #NowForPlanA #GordDownie #TragicallyHipSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

FULLY & COMPLETELY: REDUX"In Violet Light" - The Tragically HipEpisode Show Notes——————————————————————————————————Fully & Completely: Redux | "In Violet Light" - The Tragically Hip (2002)——————————————————————————————————Hey, it's jD here.Some albums don't just meet you where you are - they find you exactly when you need them. **"In Violet Light" is that record.** Released in June 2002, it's the one that pulled jD hard back into The Tragically Hip after a stretch of distance. And if you listen closely, it makes total sense why. This isn't a band trying to hold on - it's a band that has let go of every obligation and is just making music for themselves. **The result is one of the most quietly assured records of The Hip's entire career.**This week on Fully & Completely: redux, jD and Greg LeGros go track by track through "In Violet Light" - the eighth studio album from The Tragically Hip, recorded in the Bahamas with legendary producer Hugh Padham - and make the case that this record has no business being this good, this far into a career.——————————————————————————————————EPISODE OVERVIEW"In Violet Light" landed in a 2002 music landscape that included Coldplay's "A Rush of Blood to the Head," Queens of the Stone Age's "Songs for the Deaf," Beck's "Sea Change," and Broken Social Scene's "You Forgot It in People." The indie pop explosion was just beginning to blow the roof off Canadian music. The Hip were eight albums deep, the mainstream had largely written them off, and **they responded by making one of their best records.** No fat. No filler. Eleven tracks of lean, confident, beautiful rock and roll.The album was recorded at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas - the same studio where AC/DC recorded "Back in Black" and Bob Marley cut some of his most enduring work - with Hugh Padham, the producer behind the gated drum sound that defined the 1980s (Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight," Sting's solo catalogue, The Police's "Synchronicity"). **jD and Greg break down why that combination - this band, this producer, this place - produced something genuinely special.**——————————————————————————————————TRACK BY TRACK HIGHLIGHTS**'Are You Ready to Love'** - The opener sets the whole album's thesis. jD hears the first verse as a direct response to the critics and mainstream fans who had written The Hip off. **"They're pulling the plug. They've got our whole dug." And then - the chorus arrives like a shrug and a fist at the same time: are you ready for love?** A great rock and roll song that doubles as a mission statement.**'Use It Up'** - Built on a lyric attributed to the booklet of a Raymond Carver collection, this is a track about seizing everything, wasting nothing, and making music for the love of it. Greg hears Radiohead's "OK Computer" in the verses and the Georgia Satellites in the chorus - **and somehow The Tragically Hip pull both of those things off in the same song.** A slow burn that rewards headphones.**'The Darkest One'** - jD turns up whatever he's listening to every single time this song starts. **"The wild are strong and the strong are the darkest ones - and you're the darkest one."** Greg calls it a safe place. A song about freedom of expression, comfort, and the strange intimacy of being fully understood. Don't let the Trailer Park Boys video fool you - this song could have broken them wide open.**'It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken'** - The centrepiece. The lead single. **Both jD and Greg pick this as their track of the record - the first time in the history of Fully & Completely that hosts have landed on the same song.** Named for a Canadian graphic novel by Seth and a phrase used by band staffer Molly Lorimer to describe life on the road, it's a song about mortality, aging, and the strange grace that comes when you stop fighting. Death is swirling all around it - and it's still one of the most uplifting things The Tragically Hip ever made.**'Silver Jet'** - The one that changes gears just right. Greg connects this song personally to the empty skies over the Danforth in the days after 9/11, and the feeling of the first plane cutting back through the silence. **A song about hope, fear, and the things that pull your gaze forward.** The wolves of Northumberland. An archipelago. A green star. Only Gord.**'Throwing Off Glass'** - Companion piece to 'Trick Rider' from "Phantom Power" - if that song is about his son, this one is about his daughter. A slow builder that rewards patience. **A soundscape that would fit comfortably on "Coke Machine Glow."****'All Tore Up'** - A great drinking rock and roll song. Dottie the bluegrass singer. Open concept. Getting a little happening with old friends. **No one else writes a lyric like this and makes it fit inside a song this well.** Turn it up.**'Leave'** - A waltz in 3/4 time. Beautiful backup vocals. A late-night phone call at three in the morning. **"You better be dying." And they were.** An emotional gut-punch that doubles as a permission slip - to leave a job, a relationship, a place that no longer fits.**'The Dire Wolf'** - A pseudo-history lesson disguised as a rock song. Tallulah Bankhead and Canada Lee, stars of Hitchcock's "The Lifeboat." Ann Harvey of Isle of Morts, Newfoundland, who rescued 163 shipwrecked souls in 1828. A poem called "Sea Surface Full of Clouds" by Wallace Stevens. **Greg pulls all of this from memory. It's an entire university lecture wrapped in six minutes of music that absolutely slaps.****'The Dark Canuck'** - The closer. Possibly the longest Tragically Hip song ever recorded at six and a half minutes. A time signature change halfway through. **Canadian soldiers as peacekeepers. Apple, Zippo, and Metronome as record labels. Jaws at the drive-in. The Dark Canuck playing second on the double bill.** Nobody at the drive-in is staying for it. And that's sort of the whole point.——————————————————————————————————WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERSThis is the album that brought jD back to The Hip in earnest - **the record that cracked open the second half of his relationship with this band.** It's also the episode where he and Greg pick the same song for the first time. And it's the one where jD, partway through discussing 'Leave,' pauses to talk about his mother. **Listen for that moment. It's what this podcast is for.**"In Violet Light" is a masterpiece with no business being this good eight albums in. And this episode earns every minute of its runtime.So there's that.——————————————————————————————————SOURCES & CREDITS• HipMuseum.com• This Is Our Life: The Tragically Hip in the 1990s (Michael Barclay)• "It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken" - graphic novel by Seth• "Sea Surface Full of Clouds" - poem by Wallace Stevens• Ann Harvey of Isle of Morts, Newfoundland - historical record• Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas - production history• Raymond Carver - attributed quote in "Use It Up"——————————————————————————————————CONNECT WITH THE SHOW• Facebook: facebook.com/groups/tthpods• Instagram: @tthpods• YouTube: youtube.com/@tthpods• Email: tthpodcastseries@gmail.comThe Tragically Hip Podcast Series - Est. 2018#TheTragicallyHip #TheHip #InVioletLight #FullyCompletely #GordDownie #TragicallyHip #CanadianRock——————————————————————————————————Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Honey, Please — Deep Cut or Hidden Gem?Sometimes the Shuffle Gods reach deep into the catalogue.And sometimes what they pull out sparks a conversation you didn't see coming.This week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle, we landed on “Honey, Please”, the second track from We Are the Same — The Tragically Hip's 2009 album produced by Bob Rock. Clocking in at four minutes even, it's one of those songs that quietly sits in the album's early stretch and doesn't always get the spotlight when people talk about the band's catalogue. But that's exactly the point of this show.Because when you put a few fans in a room and really dig into a track — the lyrics, the production choices, the album context, the cultural references — sometimes a song that felt like a bridge suddenly starts revealing its layers.And “Honey, Please” might just be one of those songs.On paper, the track finished #162 in the fan-voted Road to the Top 40, placing it surprisingly close to the bottom of the list of Tragically Hip songs ranked by listeners. Yet when fans were polled again ahead of the episode, many described it as an “underrated gem.” So what gives?That's the question we explore in this episode.Along the way we talk about:where the song fits within the We Are the Same album flowwhether “Honey, Please” functions as a bridge track between songsthe role of keys and arrangement compared to other Hip songslyrical interpretations and what Gord Downie might be reaching forpossible cultural references in the title and phrasingand how deep-cut Hip songs often reveal more when fans start connecting the dots togetherAt one point the conversation turns to the phrase itself — “Honey, Please” — and how it echoes similar titles across music history, from soul influences like Barry White to indie and punk songs with the same name. Because with Gord Downie's writing, nothing ever lives in a vacuum.And that's where the fun begins.As we talk through the track, one idea keeps coming up: even songs that seem modest on first listen can open up when fans start doing the homework — digging into the lyrics, the context, and the emotional throughline of the album.Sometimes what sounds simple is anything but.Or as we discover here, a deep cut can still be a gem once you look under the hood. Pull Quote“Even a song that feels like a deep cut can turn out to be a gem once you start digging into it.”In This EpisodeA closer look at “Honey, Please” from We Are the Same (2009)How the track fits within the album's narrative flowLyrics, references, and fan interpretationsProduction touches from Bob RockWhy some Tragically Hip songs reveal themselves slowly over timeAbout The Tragically Hip On ShuffleHosted by jD, The Tragically Hip On Shuffle randomly selects a song from the band's catalogue and explores it in conversation with fellow fans.No scripts.No predetermined rankings.Just a deep dive into whatever the Shuffle Gods decide we're listening to that night.The result is part conversation, part discovery — and a reminder that the music of The Tragically Hip always has more to uncover.Get InvolvedWant to join a future episode?Follow along in the community and keep an eye out for opportunities to participate in upcoming recordings of:The Tragically Hip On ShuffleThe Tragically Hip Top Forty CountdownDiscovering DownieFollow + ListenIf you enjoy this episode, make sure you're subscribed to the show and share it with a fellow Hip fan.And if you'd like occasional updates about episodes, events, and opportunities to join the conversation, you can sign up for Yer Letters here:https://mailchi.mp/8fca809e6a92/join-the-communitySEO KeywordsThe Tragically Hip podcast, Honey Please Tragically Hip, We Are the Same album analysis, Gord Downie lyrics meaning, Tragically Hip deep cuts, Canadian rock podcast, Tragically Hip song discussion, Bob Rock production Tragically Hip, Hip fandom podcast, Tragically Hip fan community.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Fully & Completely: redux – Music @ Work Guest: Rob Johannes

Discovering Downie: Live at Six (Gord Downie + The Sadies + The Conquering Sun) — Track-by-Track on Release DayOn launch day, jD reunites with Craig Rogers, Kirk Lane, and Justin St. Louis to break down Live at Six, a newly released live record featuring Gord Downie, The Sadies, and The Conquering Sun. It's an eight-track collection drawn from four shows (Sarnia, Fredericton, Cambridge, MA, and Dundas) spanning 2012 and 2014.This episode is a full-on fan-and-musician conversation: play it loud, follow the rabbit holes, and enjoy a record that feels like you're right up against the stage, even when it was recorded outdoors.MVP picks, deep cover-song origins, live-record sequencing debates, and a whole lot of gratitude—plus a reminder that sometimes the point isn't to decode everything. Sometimes it's just rock and roll.Episode HighlightsThe crew gets back together to cover Live at Six on release dayWhy this record feels like a sweaty club even when it isn'tThe meaning behind the title Live at Six (and where “six” actually comes from)Major rabbit holes (including the story behind “If You Have Ghosts”)Covers that still sound unmistakably like Gord Downie + The SadiesLive energy: loose-but-tight, tempo shifts, extended outros, and why that's part of the magicMVP picks from each host—plus what track people “need to hear” firstTracklist Breakdown (as discussed)1) “If You Have Ghosts” — recorded in Dundas, Ontario (Sept 1, 2012)Huge reactions to Dallas Good's performanceDeep dive into Rocky Erickson and the song's backstoryWhy the lyric “If you have ghosts, you have everything” hits so hard2) “So Sad About Us” — Sarnia (Aug 30, 2014) — a The Who coverNoted for harmonies and a vibe that recalls early rock/pop influenceDiscussion of how naturally it sits in Gord's wheelhouse3) “It Didn't Start to Break My Heart” — (live version discussed as an all-time banger)Faster than the studio version; jam section praised heavilyDescribed as completely over-delivering as a live performance4) “Grey Riders” — Fredericton, New Brunswick (Sept 12, 2014) — Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival — a Neil Young songStrong praise for backing vocals and arrangementConversation about preferring this version vs. the one they heard from Neil5) “Generation” — Fredericton (Sept 12, 2014) — a Fucked Up coverAlbum title reference comes from Gord speaking right before/around this track (“at six o'clock”)Note: the group didn't have as much time with this track due to a file miss6) Cambridge, Massachusetts set (May 3, 2014) — a track originally by The Gun Club (from Fire of Love, 1981)Described as the most “Sadies-sounding” song on the recordTalk of punk lineage and guitar swagger7) “Demand Destruction” — revisited live (from the Sarnia show)jD's MVP: the live performance hits harder than the studio versionFavorite lyric noted: “Breakdown in the verse part / Dead spot in the lyrics…” (songwriting “fourth wall” moment)8) “I Gotta Right” — The Stooges cover (closing track)Described as a “punch in the face” closerLeaves everyone wanting more; debate about wishing the album was longerJustin mentions being disappointed it wasn't “Search and Destroy” (also performed by Gord + The Sadies in other live clips)MVP PicksCraig: “If You Have Ghosts”Kirk: “Grey Riders” (and says “I Gotta Write” is the one people need to hear)Justin: “It Didn't Start to Break My Heart”jD: “Demand Destruction”Production Credits (as stated on the episode)Mixed by Ken Friesen (all tracks) except “Goodbye Johnny”“Goodbye Johnny” mixed by Dallas Good and Guillermo SabatzeMastered by Philip Shaw BovaTimestamps (approx. from transcript)0:49 — Welcome + what Live at Six is + who's on the mic3:36 — Release context: 4 shows, 2012/2014, where the recordings come from9:14 — Track 1: “If You Have Ghosts” deep dive begins21:57 — Track 2: “So Sad About Us” (The Who cover)33:11 — “It Didn't Start to Break My Heart” (live version reaction)38:27 — “Grey Riders” (Neil Young)43:54 — Side B + “Generation” (Fucked Up) + title explanation51:07 — Cambridge, MA track (The Gun Club origin discussed)55:26 — “Goodbye Johnny” (live vs studio)59:11 — Closer: “I Gotta Write” (The Stooges) + credits1:09:24 — MVP picks1:17:41 — Final thoughts + gratitude + community + live music plugListen / Follow / Join the CommunityInstagram: @tthpodseriesYouTube: youtube.com/@tthpodsFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/tthpodcastseriesEmail: TTHtop40@gmail.comSEO KeywordsPrimary: Discovering Downie, Live at Six, Gord Downie, The Sadies, The Conquering Sun, Gord Downie live album, Gord Downie coversSecondary: If You Have Ghosts, So Sad About Us, Grey Riders, Demand Destruction, Generation (Fucked Up), I Gotta Write (The Stooges), live record review, track-by-track breakdownLong-tail: Gord Downie Sadies live at six tracklist, Live at Six album discussion, Discovering Downie Live at Six episodeHashtags#DiscoveringDownie #GordDownie #TheSadies #TheConqueringSun #LiveAtSix #CanadianMusic #LiveAlbum #MusicPodcast #TheTragicallyHipSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this episode of The Tragically Hip On Shuffle, we landed on “Fully Completely,” the title track from The Tragically Hip's landmark 1992 album Fully Completely, and brought together Toronto Mike, Joe Cad of Forever Hip, and Duxoop Douglas to unpack it properly. This is a song that finished #13 in the fan-voted Top Forty Countdown and continues to hold a unique place in the Hip catalogue — not the loudest track on the record, but one that reveals itself more the longer you live with it. With Fully Completely sitting among some of the band's most iconic songs, this conversation digs into what makes the title track endure — structurally, emotionally, and personally — decades laterEpisode SummaryFrom the jump, the panel keeps circling back to how much weight “Fully Completely” carries in such a compact frame. jD points out the song's efficiency — how there's nothing wasted in its structure, lyrically or musically. It moves quickly but never feels slight. Instead, it builds tension through groove and restraint, creating something that feels dense despite its relatively short runtime.Toronto Mike situates the track within the broader context of the Fully Completely album, a record stacked with defining Tragically Hip songs like “Locked in the Trunk of a Car,” “Courage,” and “50 Mission Cap.” In that company, the title track can sometimes feel overshadowed, but he emphasizes how it stands on its own — particularly in live settings, where its emotional and musical arc becomes even more apparent.Joe Cad brings a performer's lens to the discussion, describing “Fully Completely” as his personal favorite Hip song. As the frontman of Forever Hip, he speaks to the physical and emotional experience of performing it, highlighting its gradual build and payoff. He describes it as a kind of musical ascent, where every section contributes to a sense of lift and release by the end.Duxoop Douglas reflects on discovering the song in a different way — through individual listens rather than as part of the original album rollout. His experience mirrors the premise of the show itself: rediscovering The Tragically Hip one song at a time. Over time, “Fully Completely” earned its place as a standout, not because it demanded attention immediately, but because it rewarded repeated listening.Interpretation becomes another thread running through the episode. The panel explores different readings of Gord Downie's lyrics, reinforcing how the song's meaning remains open and personal. Like many Hip songs, “Fully Completely” doesn't hand you a single answer — it leaves space for listeners to find themselves inside it.Topics Discussed• Why “Fully Completely” feels dense and efficient despite its short runtime• The song's place within the Fully Completely album and the Tragically Hip catalogue• Differences between studio and live performances of the track• Joe Cad's experience performing the song with Forever Hip• How listeners discover Hip songs outside of traditional album listening• The interpretive openness of Gord Downie's lyrics• The song's placement at #13 in the fan-voted Top Forty CountdownPull Quote“It's very economical. I don't know that there's 150 words in it. And yet it feels fucking dense, pound for pound.”About Our Guest(s)Toronto MikeToronto Mike is the host of Toronto Mike'd, a long-running podcast featuring interviews with musicians, media personalities, and cultural figures. A lifelong music fan, he brings historical context and deep personal experience with The Tragically Hip's albums and live performances.Joe CadJoe Cad is the frontman of Forever Hip, a Tragically Hip tribute band dedicated to performing the band's catalogue for audiences who continue to connect with the music. His perspective combines fandom with the lived experience of performing these songs.Duxoop DouglasDuxoop Douglas is a dedicated Tragically Hip listener whose discovery of the band unfolded gradually through individual tracks and repeated listening. His perspective reflects the personal and evolving nature of connecting with the Hip's catalogue.Guest LinksToronto Mike• torontomike.comJoe Cad• foreverhip.caDuxoop Douglas• No link providedSubscribeNever miss an episode. Follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.FollowInstagram: @tthtpodsFacebook: The Tragically Hip Podcast SeriesSupportIf you value this work and want to help keep it going:buymeacoffee.com/tthtop40Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Live Between Us – Essential Tracks, Layered Lyrics & Hip ObsessionFully & Completely – The Tragically Hip Podcast SeriesThis week on Fully & Completely, jD and Greg dive into Live Between Us, The Tragically Hip's electrifying 1997 live album — and they're joined by music publicist, historian, and walking encyclopedia Eric Alper.Together, they unpack what makes these tracks “stone cold classics,” how Gord Downie's lyrics evolve over time, and why some songs reveal entirely new meaning decades after first listen.If you've ever sung a Hip lyric confidently… only to realize years later you completely misunderstood it — this episode is for you.

The Tragically Hip On ShuffleThis week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle, we pull “At Transformation” from Now For Plan A and let it breathe.Is it about Gord Downie's wife's cancer battle? A marriage unraveling? The band's own evolution? Or something more universal — the moment when life tilts and you realize you're different now?jD is joined by Tim (Columbus), Shawn (Edmonton), and Jeff (Vaughan) for a layered, passionate, and occasionally chaotic deep dive into one of the most emotionally charged songs from the later Hip catalogue.

Fully & Completely: ReduxEpisode 6 — Trouble at the Henhouse (1996)In this episode of Fully & Completely: Redux, we land in 1996 and crack open Trouble at the Henhouse — one of the most misunderstood, emotionally loaded, and quietly radical albums in the catalogue of The Tragically Hip.What should have been a victory-lap record turns into something stranger and braver: stripped-back, red-toned, reflective, and full of songs that don't explain themselves — they linger. This is the sound of a band surviving the 90s, refusing to coast, and accidentally making one of the era's most enduring records.Hosts jD and Greg LeGros dig into the album track by track, placing it inside the cultural hangover of the mid-90s: the end of high school, the death of grunge's innocence, shifting radio formats, CanCon realities, and the moment when everything felt like it was changing — whether you were ready or not.What We Talk AboutWhy Trouble at the Henhouse feels like the hangover to Day for NightThe opening five-song run (Gift Shop → Flamenco) as one of the strongest stretches in the Hip's careerRobbie Baker's guitar finally stepping out of the shadowsThe sequencing controversy (yes, we're talking 700 Foot Ceiling and Butts Wiggling)“Ahead by a Century” as a once-in-a-generation song — and why it had to be the oneGord Downie's writing shift: misdirection, restraint, and devastating clarityDon't Wake Daddy as the emotional centre of the record (and the 90s)Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, Eric's Trip, and the ghosts living between the groovesWhy this album was divisive then — and why it's essential nowStandout MomentsThe bleed from Gift Shop into Springtime in Vienna as a mission statementThe Kurt Cobain reference that somehow lands with graceFlamenco as both comfort and confrontationSherpa as pure atmosphere — the quiet psychedelic cousin of Day for NightPut It Off as an ending that feels like everything slowly going darkWhy This Album Still HitsTrouble at the Henhouse isn't flashy. It doesn't chase hits. It doesn't hold your hand.It sits with you.This episode makes the case that the record's power lies in its restraint, its refusal to repeat past triumphs, and its willingness to capture a moment when music — and life — felt heavier, stranger, and more complicated.Red instead of blue.Morning instead of night.The hangover instead of the party.Listen & Follow

Fully & Completely: Redux — Day for Night (1994)A presentation of The Tragically Hip Podcast SeriesHosted by: jD & Greg LeGrosRelease: MondayFormat: Album deep dive (Redux edition)Runtime: ~1h 45mIn this episode of Fully & Completely: Redux, we turn our full attention to Day for Night — the record many fans point to as the moment The Tragically Hip stopped chasing expectations and fully committed to the dark, patient, cinematic version of themselves.Released in September 1994, Day for Night arrived at a cultural moment when the '90s were no longer new, no longer shiny, and no longer pretending everything was okay. What followed was an album that broke rules quietly: hit singles with no choruses, stories without resolutions, grooves that crept instead of charged.In this Redux episode, jD and Greg revisit the album with fresh perspective — tracing its creation, its reception, and why it remains one of the most singular statements in the Hip's catalogue.What We CoverWhy Day for Night felt like a deliberate pivot after Fully CompletelyHow “Grace, Too” announced a darker, stranger Hip — visually and sonicallyThe improbability of “Nautical Disaster” becoming a massive hit with no chorusGord Downie's leap into fully cinematic, image-driven lyricismJohnny Fay and Gord Sinclair quietly redefining the band's rhythmic identityThe patience, restraint, and atmosphere that hold the album togetherWhy this record feels less like a collection of songs and more like a journeyTrack-by-Track HighlightsGrace, Too – A career-defining opener and tonal manifestoDaredevil – A tumbling, vertigo-inducing rock song hiding in plain sightGreasy Jungle – Off-kilter, playful darkness with a smirkYawning or Snarling – Menace, crowd imagery, and creeping tensionFire in the Hole – Nuance over catharsis, patience over payoffSo Hard Done By – A mid-tempo, grimy, cinematic standoutNautical Disaster – One of the boldest hit singles of the decadeThugs – Swampy groove, film references, and one of Downie's greatest opening linesScared – Beauty, menace, and the illusion of safetyAn Inch an Hour / Emergency / Titanic Terrarium – The album's final descent into reflection and uneaseWhy Day for Night EnduresMore than any other Hip album, Day for Night rewards patience. It doesn't rush you. It doesn't explain itself. It invites you into the fog and trusts you to stay there. For many fans — including jD and Greg — this wasn't just another release. It was the album that turned admiration into devotion.About the PodcastFully & Completely is a chronological, album-by-album exploration of The Tragically Hip's studio catalogue. Hosted by jD and Greg LeGros, the series blends music history, personal memory, cultural context, and deep fandom — without myth-making or nostalgia goggles. Redux episodes revisit classic installments with improved audio, tighter edits, and the benefit of distance.Follow, Join, Support

Fully & Completely: Redux — Day for Night (1994)A presentation of The Tragically Hip Podcast SeriesHosted by: jD & Greg LeGrosRelease: MondayFormat: Album deep dive (Redux edition)Runtime: ~1h 45mIn this episode of Fully & Completely: Redux, we turn our full attention to Day for Night — the record many fans point to as the moment The Tragically Hip stopped chasing expectations and fully committed to the dark, patient, cinematic version of themselves.Released in September 1994, Day for Night arrived at a cultural moment when the '90s were no longer new, no longer shiny, and no longer pretending everything was okay. What followed was an album that broke rules quietly: hit singles with no choruses, stories without resolutions, grooves that crept instead of charged.In this Redux episode, jD and Greg revisit the album with fresh perspective — tracing its creation, its reception, and why it remains one of the most singular statements in the Hip's catalogue.What We CoverWhy Day for Night felt like a deliberate pivot after Fully CompletelyHow “Grace, Too” announced a darker, stranger Hip — visually and sonicallyThe improbability of “Nautical Disaster” becoming a massive hit with no chorusGord Downie's leap into fully cinematic, image-driven lyricismJohnny Fay and Gord Sinclair quietly redefining the band's rhythmic identityThe patience, restraint, and atmosphere that hold the album togetherWhy this record feels less like a collection of songs and more like a journeyTrack-by-Track HighlightsGrace, Too – A career-defining opener and tonal manifestoDaredevil – A tumbling, vertigo-inducing rock song hiding in plain sightGreasy Jungle – Off-kilter, playful darkness with a smirkYawning or Snarling – Menace, crowd imagery, and creeping tensionFire in the Hole – Nuance over catharsis, patience over payoffSo Hard Done By – A mid-tempo, grimy, cinematic standoutNautical Disaster – One of the boldest hit singles of the decadeThugs – Swampy groove, film references, and one of Downie's greatest opening linesScared – Beauty, menace, and the illusion of safetyAn Inch an Hour / Emergency / Titanic Terrarium – The album's final descent into reflection and uneaseWhy Day for Night EnduresMore than any other Hip album, Day for Night rewards patience. It doesn't rush you. It doesn't explain itself. It invites you into the fog and trusts you to stay there. For many fans — including jD and Greg — this wasn't just another release. It was the album that turned admiration into devotion.About the PodcastFully & Completely is a chronological, album-by-album exploration of The Tragically Hip's studio catalogue. Hosted by jD and Greg LeGros, the series blends music history, personal memory, cultural context, and deep fandom — without myth-making or nostalgia goggles. Redux episodes revisit classic installments with improved audio, tighter edits, and the benefit of distance.Follow, Join, Support

Every Wednesday, we spin the wheel, land on one randomly selected Tragically Hip song, and then do the only sensible thing: discuss, debate, and dissect it from top to bottom. That's The Tragically Hip On Shuffle. That's the game. So there's that.This week's shuffle pull: “Wild Mountain Honey” (Track 11 on Music @ Work), a song that got exactly zero votes in the Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown universe — and, honestly, that fact alone felt like a cosmic dare. Is it an overlooked monster? A “respect more than like” deep cut? A Johnny Fay showcase hiding in plain sight? We took it to the group chat court and let the litigious force do its thing.This Week's SongSong: Wild Mountain HoneyAlbum: Music @ Work (2000)Why this one matters: A structural outlier that some fans skipped for years — and others swear is an absolute banger.PanelistsTyler (Etobicoke) — longtime fan perspective + “meridian point” theory for the band's erasKirk (Chino) — U.S. fan, Music @ Work as the gateway record, Zeppelin energy comparisonsAdam (Tampa) — reappraisal years later, big on the Music @ Work “depth and weirdness” (complimentary)What We Get IntoThe “zero votes” mystery: how does a track like this get nothing in a 169-song voting pool?Johnny Fay unleashed: drums way up in the mix; Bonham-ish weight; pure chops showcase“Breakup song” reading: divorce / separation / relationship unraveling… and why the lyrics support itEmbassy + diplomacy imagery: neutral ground, choosing to leave before it gets uglyThe album as a turning point: Music @ Work as the “door out” for some fans, and the “door in” for othersLive rarity: discussed as being played 26 times, essentially during the 2000 eraThe eternal question: why is it called “Wild Mountain Honey” when the phrase never appears in the song?Quote Worth Stealing“Diplomacy goes even better with drinks.”(Also: “confetti cannon… with litigious force,” which… come on.)Next Week on ShuffleWe spun again — and the next song is: “Fire in the Hole” (Day for Night).Three new panelists, same chaotic method.Shout-outs + Links MentionedDiscovering Downie (podcast) — recommended by KirkFOTM Cast (quarterly deep-dive on Toronto Mike'd) — Tyler's appearanceA surprisingly heartfelt wellness moment: do your checkups, take care of your health, don't put it off.Join Us LiveThe Tragically Hip On Shuffle streams every Wednesday night — come watch live, jump in the chat, and help us decide whether the wheel nailed it or needs to be thrown in the lake.Follow / Join / Hang: (add your usual socials + group links here)Support the work: buymeacoffee.com/tthtop40Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Fully & Completely: ReduxEpisode 104 — Fully Completely (1992)A presentation of The Tragically Hip Podcast SeriesHosted by jD and Greg LeGrosClass is officially back in session.In Episode 104, Fully & Completely returns as Fully & Completely: Redux — our weekly, album-by-album wander through the studio catalogue of The Tragically Hip.This week: Fully Completely (1992). The one that didn't just kick the door down — it blew the whole damn car up.And because this is Redux, you get it in two parts:First, a short present-day catch-up with jD and Greg — sitting in the “easy chairs by the fireplace” version of adulthood — reminiscing about what this record felt like then, what it feels like now, and why it still hits like a masterclass.Then we drop into the classic Fully & Completely episode, now re-edited, re-mixed, and re-mastered — the same deep dive, but cleaned up, tightened up, and sounding better in your headphones.From the jump, the conversation is rooted in why this album became a cultural object in Canada: six singles, nonstop video rotation, and that feeling that you couldn't escape it — even if you tried. Not because of CanCon. Because people wanted it.We get into why Locked in the Trunk of a Car is such a strange (and perfect) lead single, the confidence of a band shifting from “beloved” to “the band,” and how the record meant to help crack America ended up being, arguably, their most Canadian statement up to that point.Along the way: 1992 as a time capsule (good, bad, and bananas), the shifting musical landscape, and how Gord's writing starts leaning harder into Canadian stories, mythology, and history — without turning into novelty.It's huge. It's dusty. It's intense.And it still holds up top to bottom.In This EpisodeThe Redux intro: jD + Greg reunite, reminisce, and talk about how this record lands nowWhy Fully Completely felt unavoidable in Canada (six singles, constant rotation)1992 as a time capsule — culture, headlines, and a wildly stacked year in musicThe jump in sound: new producer, bigger rooms, bigger ambition, bigger “world stage” vibeThe American push that got pulled after two weeks — and what that meantGord's shift into Canada-as-myth + Canada-as-story songwritingParty guitars, campfires, and why we all somehow still know that songTrack-by-track highlights including:Courage and the Hugh MacLennan connectionLocked in the Trunk of a Car and the bootleg “bonus for the nerds”At the Hundredth Meridian as a national singalong momentWheat Kings as the great Canadian makeout song you probably shouldn't make out toDeep cuts love for Eldorado and the title track's intensityAlbum DiscussedFully Completely (1992)Produced by Chris TsangaridesSix singles. A diamond-era cultural staple.A road album. A statement. A turning point.What's NextNext week, the journey continues — another step forward, another right turn, another era.Listen & SubscribeFully & Completely: Redux is available wherever you get your podcasts.Follow, subscribe, and settle in — we're taking this fully and completely, one record at a time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Every Wednesday night at 8pm ET, we spin the wheel and land on one randomly selected Tragically Hip song — then we discuss, debate, and dissect it with three panelists and a very opinionated live chat.This week, the wheel landed on “Leave” from In Violet Light (2002) — and we got into the groove, the two-part structure, Gord's bird-heavy storytelling, and where this track sits in the album's pacing (aka: the unsung bridge between heavy hitters).Next week's random pick: “Wild Mountain Honey” from Music @ Work.This Week's SongSong: “Leave”Album: In Violet Light (2002)Producer: Hugh PadghamFormat: Live panel + chat discussion (one song, one hour, no wrong takes)PanelistsAndrew (Winnipeg)Patrick (Toronto)Craig (Langley) (also plays in the Hip tribute band Gift Shop)What We Talk About (Highlights)Album “go-to” picks right now: World Container, In Violet Light, and We Are the SameWhy “Leave” feels like an album track / deep cut — and why that's not an insultThe band's groove (Sinclair + Fay love all over this one)The song's structure: essentially two halves instead of a standard verse/chorus/bridge patternLyrical rabbit holes: quotes, birds talking to birds, and that killer line: “How do we learn to hurt?” (discussed, not solved — because Gord)Live history note from the panel: “Leave” appears to have been played live only a handful of times (per setlist research mentioned on the stream)Chat check-in: one-word reactions and a great listener description of the track as a “start the day” song — gentle, moving, pointed but laid backTimeline (from the stream transcript)[0:38] jD sets the table: the On Shuffle format + “no wrong takes”[1:47] Introductions: Andrew (Winnipeg), Craig (Langley), Patrick (Toronto)[3:36] “Go-to Hip record right now” discussion[10:43] Song discussion begins: first impressions + where “Leave” fits[18:31] Music deep-dive: groove, dynamics, structure (two-part feel)[24:09] The “birds” thread expands (and yes, people noticed)[35:31] Live-performance chat + setlist mention[48:09] Wheel spin: next week's song is “Wild Mountain Honey”[49:54] Panelist plugs + shoutouts[53:01] Breadcrumbs teased for upcoming stuff + community reminderNext Week

Fully & Completely: ReduxEpisode 103— Road Apples (1991)A presentation of The Tragically Hip Podcast SeriesHosted by jD and Greg LeGrosIf Up to Here was the sound of a band kicking the barroom doors open, Road Apples is what happens when they walk in knowing the room already belongs to them.Released in February 1991, this record lands right in the middle of a cultural earthquake — Nevermind, Ten, The Black Album, Out of Time, Loveless, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Rock music is shedding its hairspray, sharpening its teeth, and looking for something that feels real again.And here come The Tragically Hip — louder, darker, more confident, and somehow more mysterious than ever.In this episode of Fully & Completely: Redux, jD and Greg LeGros dig into Road Apples as the moment where the band perfects their bar-band bravado — and then quietly starts planning their escape from it. Produced once again by Don Smith, recorded largely live off the floor, this album sounds like five guys in a room who trust each other completely… and aren't afraid to push.We talk about:Why 1991 might be the most important year in modern musicRoad Apples as the band's first true leap — not just forward, but outwardThe brilliance of Little Bones as an all-time album openerGord Downie's emerging lyrical mythos — cab drivers, King Lear, Macbeth, and prison-yard staresHow Cordelia and The Luxury reveal a darker, more literary HipWhy Long Time Running becomes one of the band's first truly communal songsThe quiet devastation of Fiddler's GreenAnd how Last of the Unplucked Gems gently closes the door on one era… and opens anotherThis is the album where the confidence hardens, the writing deepens, and the band stops sounding like anyone else. The last gasp of their blues-rock skin — and the first clear signal that something bigger is coming.School's still in session.And things are starting to get interesting.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Tragically Hip On Shuffle — “You're Everywhere” (In Between Evolution)Episode SummaryWelcome to the very first episode of The Tragically Hip On Shuffle — a weekly live-streamed conversation where host jD and a rotating panel of fans spin the wheel, land on one randomly selected Tragically Hip song, and discuss, debate, and dissect it from every angle: lyrics, themes, musicality, album context, and the personal connection that makes Hip fandom feel like home.For the premiere episode, the shuffle lands on “You're Everywhere” from In Between Evolution (2004) — a loud, sharp, post-9/11-era record produced by Adam Kasper that captures The Tragically Hip in full rock-and-roll form. From the opening riff to the vocal urgency in the chorus, this track becomes the perfect test case for what this series is all about: thoughtful takes, layered interpretations, and the shared realization that there's rarely one “right answer” in Gord Downie's writing.Panelists this week include:Tim (Columbus, Ohio) — co-host of the long-running music podcast Dig Me Out, and a proud defender of deep cutsRyan (Victoria, BC) — frontman of Nautical Disaster, a Tragically Hip tribute band, with a vocalist's ear for emotional deliveryJustin (Vermont) — longtime Hip fan and Discovering Downie alum, bringing album-level context and a sharp eye for lyrical subtextTogether, the panel explores why “You're Everywhere” feels both deeply personal and uncomfortably political, how In Between Evolution balances big guitars with uneasy undercurrents, and why this song—despite being lesser-played live—hits with the kind of emotional pressure that grows louder the longer you sit with it.And yes: the episode also features the first official On Shuffle tech gremlin moment, a brief detour to the green-room snack table, and a laminated birthday card signed “No.” So there's that.In This EpisodeThe On Shuffle format: one random Hip song, one hour, zero forced takesFirst impressions of “You're Everywhere” and why the groove is deceptively simpleThe vocals: urgency, desperation, and that “live-in-the-can” feelLyrics + themes: layered meaning, media saturation, democracy, identity, and memoryThe line “when I reel my Irish in” — and why it can mean 10 different thingsAlbum context: where “You're Everywhere” sits in the In Between Evolution tracklist and why it works as a centerpieceRare live sightings: an early “workshopping” version with a different working title and lyricsProducer talk: Adam Kasper (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden connections) and how the Hip chose heavyweight producers across erasThe show's mission: The Hip as refuge, ritual, and community hangKey Quotes“There are no wrong opinions. There are no wrong takes. But my hope is there will always be a moment.”“It's a simple song structure… but it's how they play it.”“Gord layers ideas — the subtext can run through the entire album.”Featured Song“You're Everywhere” — The Tragically HipAlbum: In Between Evolution (2004)Next Week on The Tragically Hip On ShuffleThe shuffle chooses the next track live at the end of the episode.Next episode song: “Leave” from In Violet Light

Fully & Completely: ReduxEpisode 102 — Up To Here (1989)A presentation of The Tragically Hip Podcast SeriesHosted by jD and Greg LeGrosIf Episode 101 was the band trying to get hired, Up To Here is the band showing up like: we're already the headliners, you just don't know it yet.Released in September 1989, The Tragically Hip's first full-length LP is the moment where the sweat and swagger of the EP turns into something sturdier — a vibe, a sound, an identity. This is the record that made the country start paying attention in a different way. Not “hey, that bar band is pretty good,” but “oh… this is our band.”We set the scene: Mulroney still running the country, the first Grey Cup at the SkyDome (and yes, the Rough Riders/Roughriders nonsense is as chaotic as it sounds), and a pop-heavy musical world where Repeat Offender, Milli Vanilli, Paula Abdul, and even Dr. Feelgood are moving units like it's a national sport. Meanwhile, the underground is brewing — Sonic Youth, the weirdos starting to kick the door open — and out of Kingston comes this bluesy, barroom, don't-overthink-it-just-turn-it-up record that somehow becomes a diamond-certified Canadian classic.We talk about why Up To Here connects with everybody — the Queens Pub crowd, the farm-town beer crowd, the “I only know four Hip songs but I know them perfectly” crowd — and how certain tracks became bigger than the band itself. There's a whole New Orleans is Sinking tangent involving Crown Royal, Lake Ontario, and one of the most wholesome cross-cultural Canadian moments imaginable.This album is loaded. Side A is basically a greatest hits package. But we also dig into the deeper stuff: the early emergence of Gord's strange, slippery cadence; the way the band's confidence jumps from the EP to this like it got shot out of a cannon; and the idea that every Hip album has at least one track that quietly points at what comes next.Up To Here is where the lesson plan gets real.In This EpisodeThe cultural and musical landscape of 1989 (Mulroney, pop domination, the underground brewing)Why Up To Here hit everywhere in Canada — bars, cottages, dorms, and car stereosThe leap in identity from the EP to a full-on signature sound“New Orleans is Sinking” as a national anthem (and as a live-performance launchpad)Gord Downie's early “how-the-hell-do-you-sing-that” cadence taking shape (“38 Years Old”)The record's “top-heavy” track sequencing — and why it worksDeep-cut advocacy hour: “Every Time You Go” gets its flowersThe “DNA track” theory: one song per album that hints at the next recordListener callout: What's your Up To Here moment?Album DiscussedUp To Here (1989)Produced by Don SmithA barroom-recorded, road-tested, diamond-certified cornerstone.Time Capsule TracksjD's pick: 38 Years OldGreg's pick: OpiatedWhat's NextNext week, we keep moving — and you can already feel the band getting sharper, stranger, and more themselves. The evolution is in motion.Listen & SubscribeFully & Completely: Redux is available wherever you get your podcasts.

Fully & Completely: ReduxEpisode 101 — The Tragically Hip EP (1987)A presentation of The Tragically Hip Podcast SeriesHosted by jD and Greg LeGrosClass is officially back in session.In Episode 101, Fully & Completely returns as Fully & Completely: Redux, kicking off a weekly, album-by-album journey through the catalog of The Tragically Hip — starting where it all began: the self-titled 1987 EP.This episode takes us back to a pivotal year in Canadian history. Brian Mulroney is Prime Minister. The loonie replaces the dollar bill. Edmonton is the City of Champions. And in a music landscape dominated by The Joshua Tree, Appetite for Destruction, Sign o' the Times, and Document, a sweaty, blues-rock bar band from Kingston quietly releases their first official recording.It's not a masterpiece. It's not fully formed.But it is the sound of a band just out of high school, road-tested, tight as hell, and figuring out who they might become.jD and Greg dig into the historical and musical context of 1987, the Canadian charts of the era, the bar-band DNA baked into this EP, and the early lyrical breadcrumbs that hint at where The Tragically Hip were headed. Along the way, they debate throwaway lines versus keeper lyrics, celebrate the power of live mythology, and agree — as most Canadians eventually do — that Highway Girl is the track that escapes the gravity of its origins.This is the starting point.The chalk outline.The sweaty stage at the Horseshoe before the arenas.And from here on out, it only gets deeper.In This EpisodeWhy 1987 matters — culturally, musically, and politicallyThe Tragically Hip as a very good bar band (and why that matters)Blues rock, R&B roots, and early Stones influenceCanadian pop vs. underground grit in the late '80sFirst signs of Gord Downie's lyrical instinctsThe role of live performance in shaping Hip mythologyTime Capsule Track: Highway GirlAlbum DiscussedThe Tragically Hip (EP, 1987)Produced by Ken “Kenny” GreerEight tracks. Under 30 minutes. A launching pad.What's NextNext week, the tour continues with the next chapter in the evolution — more confidence, sharper songwriting, and the beginning of something unmistakably Hip.Listen & SubscribeFully & Completely: Redux is available wherever you get your podcasts.Follow, subscribe, and settle in — we're taking this fully and completely, one record at a time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Happy Holidays from yer pal jDSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Hey folks, jD here. Give this episode a listen and then get cracking and submit and share your stories. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Celebrate this triumph with Justin, Craig, Kirk, and jD. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join jD and Sara J for a weekly gab fest focusing on all things The Tragically Hip!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ever wonder what really happens when I “tabulate the results using an abacus”?This is The Abacus Files — eight straight minutes of pure, mystical nonsense pulled from the fever dream that is my creative process. A parade of psychic ferrets, deep-fried deep fryers, face bidets, kumquat bongs, and ceramic televangelists with spiderweb crowns — all gathered around one sacred desk to divine the true order of The Tragically Hip's Top 40.It's equal parts séance, satire, and studio detritus — a love letter to the absurd rituals behind the show. Somewhere between noir and nostalgia, math and magic, you'll find The Abacus Files: a companion piece to chaos, and maybe the most honest thing we've ever done.So grab a candle that smells like nachos and regret. The spreadsheet gods demand tribute.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It is October 18 — twelve years have passed since Gord Downie released Secret Path, his beautiful and haunting tribute to Chanie Wenjack. Today we re-release the Secret Path episode of Discovering Downie to listen back through those ten songs with fresh ears, deep care, and respect.We trace Secret Path's journey: Gord's shift to solo purpose, how each lyric sketches escape and absence, and how the album remains a bridge between grief and activism. In this intimate revisit, we unpack the poems, the illustrations, and the moments that still haunt us.What to Expect:A song-by-song revisit: The Stranger, Swing Set, Seven Matches, I Will Not Be Struck, Son, Secret Path, Don't Let This Touch You, Haunt Them, Haunt Them, Haunt Them, The Only Place To Be, Here, Here and HereReflections on how Secret Path changed what we heard — and how we rememberInsights into Gord's vision, the artistic collaboration with Jeff Lemire, and the legacy of cultural reconciliationMoments of silence, of grief, and of renewed purposeIf this album shaped your heart — or you haven't listened closely before — I invite you to enter its shadows with me and let Gord's voice linger long after.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Enjoy this flashback to Fully & Completely as Greg and jD break down The Hip's 9th studio long play.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It is October 16. Five years ago today, Gord Downie's final solo album — Away Is Mine — was released. It's a double album: ten songs in electric form, ten more in acoustic. It's the last time Gord ever sang into a mic.  Tonight, we re-release the Away Is Mine episode of Discovering Downie. We walk those songs again. This is a record born of love, mortality, and farewell.During four days in July 2017, Gord and Josh Finlayson went into The Bathouse studio in Ontario and captured these final songs, knowing time was short.  They weren't trying to make an album — they were trying to make a moment.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join jD and Greg every week as they recap the song of the week by exploring the back catalogue of the Fully & Completely episodesSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Well, here we are. The end of the road. The summit. The final spin of The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown. After forty-four episodes, one cross-country fandom, and 441 days of counting, we hit the mountaintop—LIVE.Recorded in front of a packed room of Hip fans at A Celebration of The Hip for ALS, this finale brings all the pomp, circumstance, and pure Canadian emotion you'd expect from a sendoff like this. Joined by the incomparable Tara Slone, we crown the #1 song as chosen by you—the listeners—and dig into what makes Grace, Too such a defining moment in the band's story.There's reflection, revelation, and a few well-earned sighs. Because when the abacus finally stops spinning, what's left is something bigger than rankings—it's legacy.About the GuestTara Slone—musician, broadcaster, actor, and lifelong champion of Canadian artists—joins jD live on stage for the grand finale. Tara's Hipstory runs deep, from performing on national stages to interviewing Paul Langlois at Massey Hall. Her perspective on the band's artistry, evolution, and impact is both intimate and electric. Together, she and jD unpack Grace, Too with reverence and humour, exploring its mystique, its mythology, and why Gord's two-finger salute still echoes through time.Why It MattersThis isn't just another countdown. It's a love letter to one of the greatest bands this country's ever produced.Over nearly a year, fans from across the globe submitted their Top 20 Tragically Hip songs, resulting in this fan-sourced canon of Hipdom. From 38 Years Old to Ahead by a Century—and finally, Grace, Too—the journey has been as poetic, chaotic, and proudly Canadian as the music itself.And with Tara Slone on stage, the night becomes something else entirely: a collective catharsis. Part concert, part wake, part love fest. A moment when everyone in the room—bandana'd superfans, first-time listeners, and the just-plain-curious—felt the same electricity that Gord once bottled on stage.Pull Quote“I like to think this was a band that didn't have a logo—every record was different because the content was different. They were explorers, always chasing their own evolution.” — jDBig ThanksTo Tara Slone for being such a generous, brilliant guest. To every fan who submitted their Top 20. To the membersHIPwho kept this thing humming. And to Gord, Paul, Rob, Johnny, and Sinclair—for the soundtrack to our lives.This isn't goodbye—it's a standing ovation that never ends.Get Involved

Enjoy The Strictly Hip's amazing performace from the fundraiser. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join jD and Greg every week as they recap the song of the week by exploring the back catalogue of the Fully & Completely episodesSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Revisit Greg and I discussing Fully Completely to celelbrate the 33rd anniversay of this monster. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's the penultimate stop on this wild ride — and the abacus beads are clicking faster than ever. This week, jD welcomes Will from Columbus to break down song number two in The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown. Together, they explore the song's myth, muscle, and emotional gravity — how it's shaped their lives and where it sits in the great constellation of The Hip.Along the way, they share stories of fandom, discovery, and the strange joy of loving a band that's become part of our DNA. It's reverent, funny, and a little unhinged — just the way Gord would've wanted it.Pull Quote:“Every time I hear it, it feels like the first time all over again.”Next WeekThe moment we've all been waiting for — song number one, revealed live at A Celebration of The Hip for ALS.Get Involved

This Week on The Sunday Evening Jam

Join jD and Greg every week as they recap the song of the week by exploring the back catalogue of the Fully & Completely episodesSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week's ride on the Countdown takes us straight back to Kingston, where the Hip story really begins. I'm joined by Mike — a fan whose Hip journey stretches from pub shows in the band's early days to the heavy resonance of their final bow. Mike's got a gift for tying his own life's turning points to the music, and our conversation goes places both unexpected and deeply familiar to anyone who's ever carried a Hip song in their bones.We talk about restless youth, chance encounters that reshaped careers, and the strange way music keeps showing up right when you need it most. Mike shares stories from working life, his brush with CBC journalism, and how following the band's trail across Canada opened him up to adventure. It's less about nostalgia and more about recognizing how Gord and the boys kept nudging us to live a little bigger, a little braver.This episode is a reminder that Hip fandom isn't just about the music — it's about where those songs take us. Sometimes that's a sweaty Kingston bar, sometimes a mine in Northern Ontario, sometimes it's right back home, realizing how much has changed and how much hasn't.“It was this sense of adventure — like Gord was off having all the fun, and I thought, maybe I need to find some of my own.”About Our GuestMike is a Kingston native, longtime Hip fan, and veteran storyteller. His professional path wound through economics, CBC journalism, and documentary film — but the Hip have always been a compass point. His stories carry the grit, humour, and tenderness of someone who's lived through the same soundtrack we all share.Get InvolvedWe're counting down to A Celebration of The Hip for ALS on October 4th at The Rec Room in Toronto. Silent auction, The Strictly Hip live, and the grand finale of this very countdown. Grab your tickets: bit.ly/TTHALSOct4th.Follow + Stream

Sara J and jD are fresh off a Toronto adventure, swapping stories and laughs while gearing up for A Celebration of The Hip for ALS. We dropped some big reveals on silent auction items, checked in with the membersHIP, and gossiped about all things Hipland. With October 4th closing in, the energy was high, the chatter was loose, and the vibes were pure fan-forward. If you missed it live, grab a replay and hang out—it's like pulling up a stool with friends who can't stop talking about the band we love most.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join jD and Greg every week as they recap the song of the week by exploring the back catalogue of the Fully & Completely episodesSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join jD and Greg as we revisit Day for Night on it's 31st anniversary. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy