043: The Tragically Hip - Fully Completely (1992)
“Music brings people together. So my function in anything I do is to help bring people closer in.”
--Gord Downie
The Tragically Hip are practically Canada’s national band, but they’re virtually unknown elsewhere. Today we’re aiming to change that by covering one of their best albums, Fully Completely. Not only is this album packed full of references to Canadian history and culture, it’s also packed full of excellent rock songs. Our goal for this episode is to convert all of you into Hip fans, so come for the terrific music, stay for the Canadian history lesson!
Miscellany
When Sean was listing the Hip’s albums from the 1990s, he forgot to include Trouble at the Henhouse, the album that includes their only #1 single.
Amanda has lived in Canada for 13 years and still doesn’t like hockey.
We didn’t include it in the clip, but “Wheat Kings” begins with a recording of a loon call made by Dan Gibson, a Canadian nature recordist. They thought the recording was in the public domain but found out otherwise when Gibson sued them. They ended up settling, with the Hip making a donation to Ducks Unlimited.
Sean and Amanda quote Almost Famous quite a lot at home, so it’s unsurprising that they did it in this episode too.
The final encore at the last show in Kingston was “Ahead By a Century,” meaning that the last words Gord Downie sang in live performance were, “Disappointing you is getting me down,” just to make everyone cry a little harder.
By the way, Rich wishes to confirm that while he’s not crazy about the Hip’s ballads in general, he does love “Ahead By a Century.” He’s not a monster.
Amanda was not kidding about Rob Baker’s hair.
Other links
“We’ll Go, Too” live in Germany (YouTube)
“New Orleans Is Sinking” at the final show in Kingston, ON (YouTube)
“Killer Whale Tank” (YouTube)
“STREET SMARTS!!” (YouTube)
Kate Beaton’s Canadian stereotype comics (Hark! A Vagrant!)
The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip by Michael Barclay (Amazon affiliate link)
Long Time Running (Amazon affiliate link)
Discord & Rhyme Roll Call
Amanda Rodgers (host)
Chris Willie Williams (moderator)
Rich Bunnell
Sean Rodgers (special Canadian guest)
Fully Completely tracklist
Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)
Looking for a Place to Happen
At the Hundredth Meridian
Pigeon Camera
Lionized
Locked in the Trunk of a Car
We’ll Go, Too
Fully Completely
Fifty Mission Cap
Wheat Kings
The Wherewithal
Eldorado
Other clips used
The Tragically Hip:
In View
Fireworks
Butts Wigglin’
New Orleans Is Sinking
Ahead By a Century
Bobcaygeon
Greasy Jungle
Others:
Bob & Doug McKenzie - Take Off
Kim Mitchell - Go for Soda
Def Leppard - Animal
Mychael Danna - Courage (feat. Sarah Polley)
Venetian Snares - Winnipeg Is a Frozen Shithole
Rush - Subdivisions
Eagles - Lyin’ Eyes
Midnight Oil - The Real Thing
They Might Be Giants - Stomp Box
Band/album personnel
Gord Downie - lead vocals
Paul Langlois - guitar, backing vocals
Bobby Baker - guitar
Johnny Fay - drums, percussion
Gord Sinclair - bass, backing vocals
Credits
“Discord & Rhyme (theme),” composed by the Other Leading Brand, contains elements of:
Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf
Amon Düül II - Dehypnotized Toothpaste
The Dukes of Stratosphear - What in the World?? ...
Faith No More - Midlife Crisis
Herbie Hancock - Hornets
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Talking Heads - Seen and Not Seen
The Tragically Hip - Wheat Kings (this episode only)
You can buy or stream Fully Completely and other albums by The Tragically Hip at the usual suspects such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Amazon [affiliate link]. Follow Discord & Rhyme on Twitter @DiscordPod for news, updates, and other random stuff. Editing is by Rich, and special thanks to our own Mike DeFabio, the Other Leading Brand, for production and original music. See you next album, and be ever wonderful.