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The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip
The long-awaited, first-ever print biography of "Canada's band" -- now in paperback!
"A clever, touching, and very informative book that may well be the definitive work on an important piece of Canadian pop culture." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
In the summer of 2016, more than a third of Canadians tuned in to watch the Tragically Hip's final performance. Why? Partially because Gord Downie's terminal brain cancer made the event much bigger than merely a musical occasion. But also because these five men were always more than just a chart-topping band. They defined a generation of Canadian rock music. They were a tabula rasa onto which fans could project their own ideas: of performance, of poetry, of history, of Canada itself.
Acclaimed music journalist Michael Barclay talks to dozens of the band's peers and friends about not just the Hip's music but about the opening bands, dealing with disease through art, Gord Downie's role in reconciliation with Indigenous people, and the Hip's role in Canadian culture. It's a book for those who have always loved the Hip, and for everyone else. As Downie said at that final show watched by millions, "Everyone is invited. Everyone is involved."
"A clever, touching, and very informative book that may well be the definitive work on an important piece of Canadian pop culture." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
In the summer of 2016, more than a third of Canadians tuned in to watch the Tragically Hip's final performance. Why? Partially because Gord Downie's terminal brain cancer made the event much bigger than merely a musical occasion. But also because these five men were always more than just a chart-topping band. They defined a generation of Canadian rock music. They were a tabula rasa onto which fans could project their own ideas: of performance, of poetry, of history, of Canada itself.
Acclaimed music journalist Michael Barclay talks to dozens of the band's peers and friends about not just the Hip's music but about the opening bands, dealing with disease through art, Gord Downie's role in reconciliation with Indigenous people, and the Hip's role in Canadian culture. It's a book for those who have always loved the Hip, and for everyone else. As Downie said at that final show watched by millions, "Everyone is invited. Everyone is involved."
512 pages, Paperback
First published April 3, 2018
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860 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
February 11, 2019
The Tragically Hip, for better or worse, have been looked at as "Canada's Band" almost since the beginning of their recorded career. Rush was shared with the rest of the world, Blue Rodeo seen as limited with their country colourings, Barenaked Ladies a bit too quirky, The Hip were a band that rock fans could sink their teeth into, alternative fans could intellectualize about and casual music fans could simply enjoy the hits. Gord Downie's lyrics were unique, often very Canadian as he wrote about what he knew. So when the announcement of his brain cancer diagnosis was announced, Canada started a 1 1/2 year journey of celebration and mourning. We interrupted coverage of the 2016 summer Olympics as CBC broadcast what would be The Tragically Hip's final concert, and gathered together when he died. Yet with all of this, very little is known about The Tragically Hip beyond the records and concerts. They are an intensely private band, revealing little in interviews beyond talking about the new album or tour. So it was with great promise that I opened The Never-Ending Present to really see the inside workings of a band I'd been a major fan of for 30 years. I come away both enlightened and disappointed.
Michaels Barclay does a great job of looking at the early years of The Hip as they slog it out in Kingston bars and then other small towns in Ontario. The major role of bassist Gord Sinclair is surprising, and as a would be bass player, it's always awesome to see a normally marginalized part of band take a prominent role. Barclay documents the journey of The Hip extremely well up to 1992's smash, Fully Completely. There's not a lot of dirt to uncover, so he delves more into the making of the records and the evolving relationship of the band members as they become Canadian rock stars. He destroys the myth of The Hip not making it in the US (they're not massive, but they did sell well and toured some impressive concert halls). Barclay takes an intimate look at Downie as he branches out from the band and starts making solo records, culminating in The Secret Path and his work in bringing attention to Canadian Indigenous issues. However this is also where the book looses the script.
Because The Tragically Hip were not involved in the writing of the book, Barclay has less direct material to work with as the band becomes insular, having "graduated" from young rock stars to being part of "classic rock" in the eyes of the industry, resulting in less interviews. Instead he uses material from friends and contemporaries, focusing more and more on Gord Downie, moving the band into a background role. There's a lot of conjecture and supposition involved, especially when looking at the lyrics. Barclay's personal opinion of later albums is very obvious, as he glosses over the ones he wasn't as fond of, implying that the general audience agrees with him. The final three chapters could have easily been merged into one, as much of the narrative is repeated while Barclay jumps from one subject to another.
Of interest to fans of the band and of rock n roll in general, The Never-Ending Present, while not a bad book, is not nearly as interesting or well documented as it could be due to the non-involvement of the band and Barclay's need to pad the book with second and third party points of view. A much better document of The Hip would be to go back and listen to the albums, including the offshoots, as the important stuff is there.
Michaels Barclay does a great job of looking at the early years of The Hip as they slog it out in Kingston bars and then other small towns in Ontario. The major role of bassist Gord Sinclair is surprising, and as a would be bass player, it's always awesome to see a normally marginalized part of band take a prominent role. Barclay documents the journey of The Hip extremely well up to 1992's smash, Fully Completely. There's not a lot of dirt to uncover, so he delves more into the making of the records and the evolving relationship of the band members as they become Canadian rock stars. He destroys the myth of The Hip not making it in the US (they're not massive, but they did sell well and toured some impressive concert halls). Barclay takes an intimate look at Downie as he branches out from the band and starts making solo records, culminating in The Secret Path and his work in bringing attention to Canadian Indigenous issues. However this is also where the book looses the script.
Because The Tragically Hip were not involved in the writing of the book, Barclay has less direct material to work with as the band becomes insular, having "graduated" from young rock stars to being part of "classic rock" in the eyes of the industry, resulting in less interviews. Instead he uses material from friends and contemporaries, focusing more and more on Gord Downie, moving the band into a background role. There's a lot of conjecture and supposition involved, especially when looking at the lyrics. Barclay's personal opinion of later albums is very obvious, as he glosses over the ones he wasn't as fond of, implying that the general audience agrees with him. The final three chapters could have easily been merged into one, as much of the narrative is repeated while Barclay jumps from one subject to another.
Of interest to fans of the band and of rock n roll in general, The Never-Ending Present, while not a bad book, is not nearly as interesting or well documented as it could be due to the non-involvement of the band and Barclay's need to pad the book with second and third party points of view. A much better document of The Hip would be to go back and listen to the albums, including the offshoots, as the important stuff is there.
April 2, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book - all opinions are my own.
Michael Barclay completely blew me away with this book. It would be a disservice to pigeonhole this as a biography about the Tragically Hip - yes the focus of the book is the Hip, however it is not just a biography of the 5 guys in the band, rather, of the footprint they made in music history, and that includes an in depth look at every person and event that shaped the band into the 30 year success story they are.
This book is like a master class on the Hip, and as a fan of both the band, and Gord Downie, having such a deep dive into the band was such an absolute pleasure.to read. This book is sprawling in the history it covers - literally every step on the path, from the inception of the band in high school right through to the last days of Gord's life. Michael left no one out of this retrospective - this is the Hip on the largest scale possible - the band, yes, and of course a focus on Gord, but also the producers, agents, engineers, the bands music peers, family, fans, Hip cover bands, roadies, industry players - the list goes on. So many individuals who played a part in the history of the Hip are included, and that shapes the story in a way that gives it legs, and brings the band to life off the pages.
This book made me laugh out loud more than once, and unabashedly shed a few tears. This will be a book that Hip fans love, of course, but more than that, this is a book for that anyone with a love and respect for music and music history - Hip fan or not.
Michael Barclay completely blew me away with this book. It would be a disservice to pigeonhole this as a biography about the Tragically Hip - yes the focus of the book is the Hip, however it is not just a biography of the 5 guys in the band, rather, of the footprint they made in music history, and that includes an in depth look at every person and event that shaped the band into the 30 year success story they are.
This book is like a master class on the Hip, and as a fan of both the band, and Gord Downie, having such a deep dive into the band was such an absolute pleasure.to read. This book is sprawling in the history it covers - literally every step on the path, from the inception of the band in high school right through to the last days of Gord's life. Michael left no one out of this retrospective - this is the Hip on the largest scale possible - the band, yes, and of course a focus on Gord, but also the producers, agents, engineers, the bands music peers, family, fans, Hip cover bands, roadies, industry players - the list goes on. So many individuals who played a part in the history of the Hip are included, and that shapes the story in a way that gives it legs, and brings the band to life off the pages.
This book made me laugh out loud more than once, and unabashedly shed a few tears. This will be a book that Hip fans love, of course, but more than that, this is a book for that anyone with a love and respect for music and music history - Hip fan or not.
July 18, 2018
This is a book I don’t feel bad rating maybe a bit higher than it deserves because when it’s good it’s surprisingly good, but there are things.
I’ll step past talking about the band, Gord, the national discussion, the importance of this book’s existence at all. That’s all obvious and probably a little divisive.
What’s good is this is a book about Canadian music, with expansive outlining of the band’s peers, and explanations of their connections. So many of these people are interviewed over the course of the book—and in some cases like Ian Blurton, who I’ve always adored, promoted—and this gives it a veracity that overcomes one of the failings below. A second strength is the typical history of the band is interspersed with chapters of essay material: Canadiana, breaking in the US, poetry, Truth and Reconciliation, etc.
The failings? Well, the first isn’t Barclay’s fault. The surviving band members wouldn’t be interviewed for it. All quotes are from other times. Most is the narrative is fleshed out with the many, many quotes outlined above from other folks. But this leads to sometime conjecture. That’s where Barclay strays a bit. He rams a story into an event, but then any writer worth a snot would be inclined to do that. It’s art. And the way Barclay intersperses Hip verses throughout is clever, even masterful. But solid truth? That’s a maybe.
The biggest issue I had was the one I expected to have. A writer for Maclean’s, and most of our eastern-based journalists, have an inescapable hubris and it’s there. Barclay mostly manages to leave himself out as a character until August 20, 2016, but then he goes overboard in a theme of “this is how I saw that last show.” Then he sort of tries to shade out this ego trip by asking EVERYONE what they were doing that night, which gets a little overwrought.
His opining—though fairly standard in the bio form—is distracting. He will tell you which are the best albums, which the best songs. Which fail. Phantom Power—which I mostly love—has to be great because it’s a commercial success. And yet he relegated “Ahead By a Century” to nothing but an overplayed and tired pop classic (say nothing of how he casts off “New Orleans”). Anything after 2000 is lesser because it’s not a successful period for the band. So? He pisses all over World Container because of the Bob Rock connection, but we’re down to personal opinion here. I think that’s one of their best albums. But what the hell, we met in agreement back for Man Machine Poem.
Read this book if you’re one of the many, many of us who cared. Maybe like me you cared a lot and consistently. Maybe you were in and out but also know where you were that day in August 2016. Doesn’t matter. It’s a very dense book and for the most part I like how it’s put together. Trivializing the print of the author on the work makes it a slight distraction, not a fail.
I’ll step past talking about the band, Gord, the national discussion, the importance of this book’s existence at all. That’s all obvious and probably a little divisive.
What’s good is this is a book about Canadian music, with expansive outlining of the band’s peers, and explanations of their connections. So many of these people are interviewed over the course of the book—and in some cases like Ian Blurton, who I’ve always adored, promoted—and this gives it a veracity that overcomes one of the failings below. A second strength is the typical history of the band is interspersed with chapters of essay material: Canadiana, breaking in the US, poetry, Truth and Reconciliation, etc.
The failings? Well, the first isn’t Barclay’s fault. The surviving band members wouldn’t be interviewed for it. All quotes are from other times. Most is the narrative is fleshed out with the many, many quotes outlined above from other folks. But this leads to sometime conjecture. That’s where Barclay strays a bit. He rams a story into an event, but then any writer worth a snot would be inclined to do that. It’s art. And the way Barclay intersperses Hip verses throughout is clever, even masterful. But solid truth? That’s a maybe.
The biggest issue I had was the one I expected to have. A writer for Maclean’s, and most of our eastern-based journalists, have an inescapable hubris and it’s there. Barclay mostly manages to leave himself out as a character until August 20, 2016, but then he goes overboard in a theme of “this is how I saw that last show.” Then he sort of tries to shade out this ego trip by asking EVERYONE what they were doing that night, which gets a little overwrought.
His opining—though fairly standard in the bio form—is distracting. He will tell you which are the best albums, which the best songs. Which fail. Phantom Power—which I mostly love—has to be great because it’s a commercial success. And yet he relegated “Ahead By a Century” to nothing but an overplayed and tired pop classic (say nothing of how he casts off “New Orleans”). Anything after 2000 is lesser because it’s not a successful period for the band. So? He pisses all over World Container because of the Bob Rock connection, but we’re down to personal opinion here. I think that’s one of their best albums. But what the hell, we met in agreement back for Man Machine Poem.
Read this book if you’re one of the many, many of us who cared. Maybe like me you cared a lot and consistently. Maybe you were in and out but also know where you were that day in August 2016. Doesn’t matter. It’s a very dense book and for the most part I like how it’s put together. Trivializing the print of the author on the work makes it a slight distraction, not a fail.
October 22, 2018
This is without a doubt the worst biography I've ever read. It calls itself "the story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip," but it's not really. It's goes on and on interminably with anecdotes only tangentially related to the band:
"Gord Downie died from cancer, here's sixteen pages about other, completely unrelated, musicians who also died from cancer."
"Here's an entire chapter about the internal politics of the record labels, and how they affected other bands' records, but not how it affected the Hip's."
"That one time I went to a Tragically Hip show."
"Is the Tragically Hip really a /Canadian/ band? Or just a band from Canada?"
And lots of other banal shit like that. Skip The Never-Ending Present, it's clearly a cash-grab on the sensationalism after Downie's death.
"Gord Downie died from cancer, here's sixteen pages about other, completely unrelated, musicians who also died from cancer."
"Here's an entire chapter about the internal politics of the record labels, and how they affected other bands' records, but not how it affected the Hip's."
"That one time I went to a Tragically Hip show."
"Is the Tragically Hip really a /Canadian/ band? Or just a band from Canada?"
And lots of other banal shit like that. Skip The Never-Ending Present, it's clearly a cash-grab on the sensationalism after Downie's death.
December 8, 2018
Not for hardcore fans. The band did not participate in this book, and the author had no access to them. The book is a regurgitation of information most Hip fans already have knowledge of.
September 6, 2021
Reading this book was like reading a wikipedia page. Strictly informational, very gauche, and lacks the use of strong sources. You can’t scroll for more than one page before you run into a plethora of irrelevant topics, that just vaguely relate to your search. Before you know it, you’ll completely forget the reason you’re there.
The greatest flaw with this book, is the authors use of space-filling, irrelevant information. Because the band did not want to participate in this book; the author utilizes a lot of outside topics pertaining to the band, rather than stories with sentiment. You will find that some of the information isn’t even just “vague”, it’s just completely inapt. For example, the author mentions that Downie has cancer. He then goes on for five more pages talking about other musicians that have also have had cancer... There are no stories shared, no pictures painted for you, and there’s no emotion relayed that you could feel or relate to. This book has no depth, which really does not suit its subject.
It’s also important to mention that this book is very poorly written. The author’s rhetoric is extremely juvenile, and never seems to get any better. There is nothing thoughtful or poetic about the way he writes..which is ironic considering the poetic nature of the subject, Gord Downie. The author latches onto the use of fragments instead of sentences, and seems to reject the use of any sort of transition when switching topics. The writing is reminiscent of a high school expository essay. This book simply does not flow.
By the end of this book, there’s nothing that will really resonate with a Hip fan. But there is a reason for this. The Tragically Hip is one of the most private successes in music. Throughout his life, Gord Downie sneered at interviews, and books, and movies that had to do with the band. He believed strongly in maintaining interpretation and mystery in music. And he said, many times in his life, that publicity just ruins things. And he was right..
I think that true Hip fans will let the music speak for itself
The greatest flaw with this book, is the authors use of space-filling, irrelevant information. Because the band did not want to participate in this book; the author utilizes a lot of outside topics pertaining to the band, rather than stories with sentiment. You will find that some of the information isn’t even just “vague”, it’s just completely inapt. For example, the author mentions that Downie has cancer. He then goes on for five more pages talking about other musicians that have also have had cancer... There are no stories shared, no pictures painted for you, and there’s no emotion relayed that you could feel or relate to. This book has no depth, which really does not suit its subject.
It’s also important to mention that this book is very poorly written. The author’s rhetoric is extremely juvenile, and never seems to get any better. There is nothing thoughtful or poetic about the way he writes..which is ironic considering the poetic nature of the subject, Gord Downie. The author latches onto the use of fragments instead of sentences, and seems to reject the use of any sort of transition when switching topics. The writing is reminiscent of a high school expository essay. This book simply does not flow.
By the end of this book, there’s nothing that will really resonate with a Hip fan. But there is a reason for this. The Tragically Hip is one of the most private successes in music. Throughout his life, Gord Downie sneered at interviews, and books, and movies that had to do with the band. He believed strongly in maintaining interpretation and mystery in music. And he said, many times in his life, that publicity just ruins things. And he was right..
I think that true Hip fans will let the music speak for itself
October 13, 2018
Two problems with this book: one, the band did not participate and the author had no access, and so, if you are someone who has spent years lurking in Hip forums and read/watched/listened to every interview any of them have done and been to a number of shows high enough you've lost track, there is zero new information. None at all. Which leads to problem number two: padding. There are super long detailed digressions about the guy who engineered one song on some album, and how that guy was in a band as a teenager, and all the people who engineered that album, and maybe a line about how the guy's friend didn't like the Hip much because they were overplayed in the 90s. Okay!
So anyway, if you are a casual fan with skimming skills, then to you I recommend this book. Hardcore fans might want it for the sake of completion, and for crying into your Molson as you relive Kingston.
So anyway, if you are a casual fan with skimming skills, then to you I recommend this book. Hardcore fans might want it for the sake of completion, and for crying into your Molson as you relive Kingston.
April 12, 2021
I’m gutted having just finished the book now, about as gutted as I was at the Vancouver show where I was 2nd row in front saying goodbye to a band that I love and a man whose light was extinguishing before my eyes. Gone. But not forgotten. Forever remembered.
Currently reading
April 4, 2018Currently Reading
October 6, 2025
If this book has taught me anything, it is simply that one of the purest things that connects all of us is music. Whether or not you liked The Tragically Hip, you cannot deny the impact of the band. It could be a musical impact or its lead singer bringing a much needed awareness to Canada's Indigenous community. There is a deep seeded kindness that comes with this book. I can't even fully describe it. It is like a hug knowing that while nothing maybe went perfectly, it all happened exactly the way it was supposed to. The Hip came to me at a time when the universe knew I needed something. I can't tell you what that something is but, I feel a little more complete after reading this. Music has never really been my thing and yet, The Hip and their journey certainly made me appreciate everything people with passion, dedication and integrity can do when only given a chance. All it takes is a bit of courage... See what I did there?
April 20, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. As someone who has had an on-again off-again relationship with the band, it was fascinating to read about some of the background behind the band forming, and the recording of their albums. The interview snippets from the people surrounding the band were excellent. I also enjoyed the author's writing style.Each chapter of the book is like a mini-book; they can be read independently of the others. I would recommend this to anyone that is curious about the band and/or Gord Downie.
July 30, 2021
The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip is a biography of Gord Downie, lead singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. Michael Barclay, a music journalist wrote this biography.
Gordon Edgar Downie was a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, musician, writer and activist. He was the lead singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, which he fronted from its formation in 1984 until his death in 2017. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and popular artists in Canadian music history.
Half of the book traces the Tragically Hip's arc from its beginnings as a university band in 1984 through to front man Gord Downie's death of cancer in 2017. Barclay intersperses those chapters with thematic essays attempting to illustrate the Hip's drawing power and to describe what the band meant to Canadians, twelve million of whom watched a broadcast of their final concert.
The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip is written and researched rather well. Tracking challenges such as their break with their longtime manager, Jake Gold, with the precision and objectivity of good journalism, Barclay cites articles, news coverage, books, personal correspondence, and interviews. The book is the product of prolific research and yet is easy and enjoyable to read. Far from writing a fawning hagiography, Barclay combines his admiration of the band with his knowledge of the music industry.
All in all, The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip is a clever, touching, and very informative book that may well be the definitive work on an important piece of Canadian pop culture.
Gordon Edgar Downie was a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, musician, writer and activist. He was the lead singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, which he fronted from its formation in 1984 until his death in 2017. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and popular artists in Canadian music history.
Half of the book traces the Tragically Hip's arc from its beginnings as a university band in 1984 through to front man Gord Downie's death of cancer in 2017. Barclay intersperses those chapters with thematic essays attempting to illustrate the Hip's drawing power and to describe what the band meant to Canadians, twelve million of whom watched a broadcast of their final concert.
The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip is written and researched rather well. Tracking challenges such as their break with their longtime manager, Jake Gold, with the precision and objectivity of good journalism, Barclay cites articles, news coverage, books, personal correspondence, and interviews. The book is the product of prolific research and yet is easy and enjoyable to read. Far from writing a fawning hagiography, Barclay combines his admiration of the band with his knowledge of the music industry.
All in all, The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip is a clever, touching, and very informative book that may well be the definitive work on an important piece of Canadian pop culture.
Want to read
March 31, 2021I remember when The Tragically Hip played their last show. I watched the live broadcast on CBC television.
When Gord Downey announced to the world that he had terminal brain cancer, I, and all of my friends were absolutely gutted. We religiously followed the Farewell Tour and rooted for Gord to somehow defy the odds.
I think we all expected some last minute miracle and when that didn't happen we wept as if we had lost a family member. In a way, we did. The Tragically Hip was a fiercely proud Canadian band and the songs they wrote and sang resonated with Canadians from coast-to-coast.
This book is a MUST OWN for anyone who ever loved the band no matter what their reasons were.
I loved that Gord Downey used his star-power to inform Canadians about the attempted genocide of Canada's Indigenous population. I believe he did a lot of great things in his life and that he has left us better informed.
The Tragically Hip was not just a Canadian band. They are also important figures in the history of our amazing country.
This book needs to be purchased by every Canadian. I rate it as 10 out of 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
When Gord Downey announced to the world that he had terminal brain cancer, I, and all of my friends were absolutely gutted. We religiously followed the Farewell Tour and rooted for Gord to somehow defy the odds.
I think we all expected some last minute miracle and when that didn't happen we wept as if we had lost a family member. In a way, we did. The Tragically Hip was a fiercely proud Canadian band and the songs they wrote and sang resonated with Canadians from coast-to-coast.
This book is a MUST OWN for anyone who ever loved the band no matter what their reasons were.
I loved that Gord Downey used his star-power to inform Canadians about the attempted genocide of Canada's Indigenous population. I believe he did a lot of great things in his life and that he has left us better informed.
The Tragically Hip was not just a Canadian band. They are also important figures in the history of our amazing country.
This book needs to be purchased by every Canadian. I rate it as 10 out of 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
December 29, 2022
I was late to The Tragically Hip, as I heard about Gord Downie's terminal diagnosis but didn't investigate the group's music until Netflix ran the amazing Long Time Running documentary of the last tour. Since watching that, I've checked out most of the band's material, and I've been surprised that most of their singles failed to succeed in the United States. A little of the material in this book echoes the documentary, but the book is exhaustively researched, much in the same way Jimmy McDonough's Shakey biography of Neil Young was. It was a pleasant surprise to find that I'd probably SEEN The Tragically Hip as the opening act on the 1998 H.O.R.D.E. festival! The last section of the book focuses on Downie's work to cast a light on the atrocities committed against the indigenous people of Canada.
November 14, 2020
I see a lot of criticism of this book because the band didn't participate and because hardcore fans know everything in the book already. Where to begin? Biographers often write without the approval of their subjects. And there are a lot of non-hardcore fans who will enjoy learning the story of the band in detail. (I recommend using it as a guide to building a Spotify list of lesser-known Hip songs.) Yes, there are some rambling digressions, but not that many, and you can skim past them. It's a pretty good all-purpose Hip bio for the uninitiated.
February 27, 2021
OMG....I want all of my favorite bands and musicians to be detailed so richly in book form! Very encapsulating and thorough. Like their concerts and the band itself, I didn't want it to end. Even though Gord is listed in the subtitle, I appreciate that all band members and crew were represented fairly, and that's all you can hope for in a comprehensive collection and recollection of the band's history. There will never be another group like The Tragically Hip, never another Gord, and unfortunately perhaps never another book like this.
November 14, 2024
Perfect timing for the new Documentary. A wonderful gift from a Canadian friend. Got's death made me find them and was glad a delved deep to learn about them as a band and humans. Wonderful to listen to their catalog and read simultaneously.
July 9, 2019
Through, educational, and a lot of fun to read. Michael Barclay did an excellent job compiling stories and quotes. He also maintains a surprisingly neutral tone while discussing a wide array of Hip-related topics. I loved the inclusion of Gord Downie's solo work. I'm so thankful for this much thought and detail about one of my favourite bands, and I love them even more after The Never-Ending Present.
April 14, 2020
The format of the book was a little confusing, some of the stories were repetitive. Although I'm a big Hip fan, this was a little too 'inside baseball' for me
December 3, 2024
4.5/5
April 17, 2018
4.5 rounded up
September 22, 2024
I quite liked this book, I’ve always liked the behind-the-scenes aspects of bands that I’ve enjoyed. I was a big hip fan when I was younger, but not so much as I got older. Now that i live in Kingston, reading about the history of the band in this area is great as it is nice to recognize names and places that you know. I’ve been listening to the hip a lot more recently, most likely because of moving to this area.
September 18, 2018
I loved the band and loved the book. I've been to many of the Tragically Hip shows and once met Rob Baker in the airport in Vegas. He was on the same flight as me, so I chatted with him before the flight boarded. I'm embarrassed to say that I asked the stupidest, but most frequently asked question: Why do you think you didn't do as well in the US as you did in Canada? Michael Barclay gives a really good answer to this question... they did do well in the US and may have actually preferred the 1000-2000 person venues they played better than the arena shows in Canada. Another observation is that Canadians always wanted the top 10 songs played whereas in the US they could likely play to a less demanding audience. There are always two sides to extreme fame.
I stopped buying albums after Phantom Power, but listening to this book encouraged me to dust off my old CDs and to download the new ones. I also downloaded Gord's solo albums and am quite enjoying them all.
I know many people who really didn't like The Hip, but that's too bad for them. This book shows how unique they were in terms of band politics, friendships, song lyrics, and even talent. Not many bands stay together as long as they have and continue to create amazing songs.
Although I know many of the songs by heart, I didn't always know what they meant. The book dives into the stories behind many of the songs. It's truly amazing how some of the songs turned out to be prophetic.
I listened to the book, so George Stroumboulopoulos read the book to me. He did a fantastic job and was clearly a friend and fan of the band.
Although much of the the book centered around Gord, given the circumstances of their final tour, Gord's cancer, and ultimate death, you'll find a lot of great quotes and stories about all the members of the band.
Since listening to the book, I've also watched the movie "Long Time Running" I enjoyed it and noticed that some of the quotes from the book came directly from the movie.
I was aware of Gord's involvement in the Secret Path - raising awareness for those who suffered at the hands of residential schools, and I knew that Gord and Joseph Boyden were friends, the book gives more details on how the story of Chanie Wenjack came to be a story they focused on. One chapter of the book is dedicated to this part of Gord's history and it goes into the politics of white people telling stories / raising awareness of Aboriginals. I've the Wenjack novella and plan to get the book and the album that Gord created. It's an important story to tell so that history is not repeated and that we see that Canada has made many grave errors over the course of its history.
I stopped buying albums after Phantom Power, but listening to this book encouraged me to dust off my old CDs and to download the new ones. I also downloaded Gord's solo albums and am quite enjoying them all.
I know many people who really didn't like The Hip, but that's too bad for them. This book shows how unique they were in terms of band politics, friendships, song lyrics, and even talent. Not many bands stay together as long as they have and continue to create amazing songs.
Although I know many of the songs by heart, I didn't always know what they meant. The book dives into the stories behind many of the songs. It's truly amazing how some of the songs turned out to be prophetic.
I listened to the book, so George Stroumboulopoulos read the book to me. He did a fantastic job and was clearly a friend and fan of the band.
Although much of the the book centered around Gord, given the circumstances of their final tour, Gord's cancer, and ultimate death, you'll find a lot of great quotes and stories about all the members of the band.
Since listening to the book, I've also watched the movie "Long Time Running" I enjoyed it and noticed that some of the quotes from the book came directly from the movie.
I was aware of Gord's involvement in the Secret Path - raising awareness for those who suffered at the hands of residential schools, and I knew that Gord and Joseph Boyden were friends, the book gives more details on how the story of Chanie Wenjack came to be a story they focused on. One chapter of the book is dedicated to this part of Gord's history and it goes into the politics of white people telling stories / raising awareness of Aboriginals. I've the Wenjack novella and plan to get the book and the album that Gord created. It's an important story to tell so that history is not repeated and that we see that Canada has made many grave errors over the course of its history.
December 31, 2018
Super-interesting, many anecdotes I had never heard before, fairly dense reading at times (ie, not the best for late night before falling asleep). Lots of music industry insider stuff too.
June 10, 2019
I've love the Hip for a very long time. It's music that's always made me feel Canadian, at the cottage, and united. I was in the Canadian Naval Reserves for 10 years. I spent summers in Halifax and Victoria, and my training summers were filled with Canadians from every province, and everyone would sing together whenever the Hip played. It doesn't matter where I am in Canada, I can play the Hip. This is a book I didn't know I needed to read.
It's well written. It't touching. It's important for Canadian culture. There's also a very moving section on cancer and someone's last years. Although I've been listening to the Hip for a long time, there's a lot of stuff I didn't know about the band. Michael Barclay touches on almost all subjects. Although the band declined fact-checking the book, it's very accurate. There are hundreds of interviews and conversations, which make a very interesting read.
The only drawback, which isn't really a drawback, is that it's sometimes too detailed. He goes album by album, song by song, and describes who sang in each song and who produced what. Some sections got a little long because there were so many names I didn't know and was over my head. I didn't really need to know who produced a specific song on a specific album and where it was recorded. That's more for the reaaaaaaally big music fan. Although.... I did listen to whatever album he was describing at the same time as I was reading, so it was actually pretty cool. It was like having a soundtrack!
That said, it's worth the read and I recommend it to anyone who is remotely attracted to the Hip.
It's well written. It't touching. It's important for Canadian culture. There's also a very moving section on cancer and someone's last years. Although I've been listening to the Hip for a long time, there's a lot of stuff I didn't know about the band. Michael Barclay touches on almost all subjects. Although the band declined fact-checking the book, it's very accurate. There are hundreds of interviews and conversations, which make a very interesting read.
The only drawback, which isn't really a drawback, is that it's sometimes too detailed. He goes album by album, song by song, and describes who sang in each song and who produced what. Some sections got a little long because there were so many names I didn't know and was over my head. I didn't really need to know who produced a specific song on a specific album and where it was recorded. That's more for the reaaaaaaally big music fan. Although.... I did listen to whatever album he was describing at the same time as I was reading, so it was actually pretty cool. It was like having a soundtrack!
That said, it's worth the read and I recommend it to anyone who is remotely attracted to the Hip.
March 5, 2020
A well presented biography of this iconic Canadian rock band.
April 21, 2018
Since there are not many books on the Canadian band The Tragically Hip, this is the book to have about one of the most underrated bands in music, especially in Canadian Music.
The book is almost 500 pages, and covers everything about the band , from the early bar days of the members to interviews with former roadies, friends, and musicians. The band did not have any input on the book , but that does not deter from the research the author puts into it.
As detailed as the book is, sometimes it gets a little off track with comparisons to other bands that made it in the US from Canada, and some die hards may be put off on the chapters that look at whether or not the band was worth the hype. However this is a book that Hip fans should get, especially since there are very little books about the band. ECW Press has another great book from their company.
For an in depth review, go to https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/201...
The book is almost 500 pages, and covers everything about the band , from the early bar days of the members to interviews with former roadies, friends, and musicians. The band did not have any input on the book , but that does not deter from the research the author puts into it.
As detailed as the book is, sometimes it gets a little off track with comparisons to other bands that made it in the US from Canada, and some die hards may be put off on the chapters that look at whether or not the band was worth the hype. However this is a book that Hip fans should get, especially since there are very little books about the band. ECW Press has another great book from their company.
For an in depth review, go to https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/201...
June 29, 2018
Aboslute Garbage... When a man ask no book be written and the band behind him tells you they want no part of this. Then that man dies and you write it anyways your a disgusting piece of shit! As a Canadian and a fan of TTHP since the 80s Michael Barclay is a huge piece of shit for trying to profit off of the death of Gord Downie. this is all this was. Do Not Waste Money On this do not pay this pile of garbage for trying to profit off of the death of a celebrated Canadian musician poet and artist.!!
August 31, 2020
When the news broke on May 24, 2016, that Gord Downie, the charismatic front man of the Tragically Hip, had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, it seemed the entire country took a sharp inhalation of breath and released it with a collective “Oh shit, no.” Whether you were a die hard Hip fan or just recognised their songs from three decades of forced patriotic listening at hockey games and Canada Day events, chances were good that if you knew who Downie was, the announcement felt like an unexpected kick to the chest – though this paled in comparison to the national outpouring of grief (including a tearful tribute from the prime minister) when, on Oct. 17, 2017, the singer died.
The Hip always valued its privacy. Occasionally, Downie or one of the other band members – guitarists Rob Baker and Paul Langlois; drummer Johnny Fay; or bassist Gord Sinclair –would grant an interview, but they were always reluctant to discuss anything but the songs, even refusing to clarify some of Downie’s more oblique lyrics. So it’s not surprising that Michael Barclay’s new biography of the band was written without the Hip’s input.
To work around this, Barclay relies on interviews with numerous people who were in the Hip’s orbit – from friends and other musicians to former managers and even fans and cover-band members – to provide a sense of the boys from Kingston, Ontario. The band is still quoted extensively, from 18-year-old interviews the author conducted and from secondary sources; several pages of endnotes cite print and online articles as well as radio and TV interviews.
Despite the lack of the band’s direct involvement, The Never-Ending Present is an informative and entertaining read, though we never really get into the personal lives of the band members beyond a few asides about marriages, births, deaths, and friendships. Instead, Barclay works chronologically (with a few side trips thrown in here and there) through the Hip’s albums, giving readers a great sense of what went into making each record and the characters involved (and many of them were characters in every sense of the word).
But the author is also guilty of spending inordinate amounts of time on superfluous topics. Do we really need entire chapters on the Hip’s connection to hockey, their treatment of and influence on their opening acts, or – most frustratingly – other musicians who toured in the face of terminal illness?
Barclay’s thoroughness also detracts from his discussion of Downie’s late-life activism in the area of Indigenous issues. Detailing the singer’s involvement in bringing the story of Chanie Wenjack to light is vital, as is the creation of the graphic novel Secret Path (illustrated by Jeff Lemire). Deep-diving into the history of residential schools, however, is not.
Where the narrative shines brightest is in Barclay’s descriptions of the band as performers. From scuzzy barrooms to massive arenas, watching the Hip provided a huge adrenaline rush, and Barclay’s writing about these shows, and the tour they embarked on after Downie’s diagnosis, is transcendental. His account of watching the final performance in the band’s hometown is emotionally devastating, even if you were among the third of Canadians to tune in to the CBC broadcast to watch the event as it happened.
The major takeaway from Barclay’s book is that the Hip were a great bunch of guys who formed a band in high school, smoked a lot of pot, treated everyone with kindness and respect, and galvanised a Canadian identity for a largely white, working-class, male demographic. Which will come as a surprise to no one who would be tempted to read the book in the first place. But the rare glimpses we get of Downie (and make no mistake, the subordinate status of the band in the book’s subtitle is not accidental) as a person and performer make The Never-Ending Present a worthwhile read
The Hip always valued its privacy. Occasionally, Downie or one of the other band members – guitarists Rob Baker and Paul Langlois; drummer Johnny Fay; or bassist Gord Sinclair –would grant an interview, but they were always reluctant to discuss anything but the songs, even refusing to clarify some of Downie’s more oblique lyrics. So it’s not surprising that Michael Barclay’s new biography of the band was written without the Hip’s input.
To work around this, Barclay relies on interviews with numerous people who were in the Hip’s orbit – from friends and other musicians to former managers and even fans and cover-band members – to provide a sense of the boys from Kingston, Ontario. The band is still quoted extensively, from 18-year-old interviews the author conducted and from secondary sources; several pages of endnotes cite print and online articles as well as radio and TV interviews.
Despite the lack of the band’s direct involvement, The Never-Ending Present is an informative and entertaining read, though we never really get into the personal lives of the band members beyond a few asides about marriages, births, deaths, and friendships. Instead, Barclay works chronologically (with a few side trips thrown in here and there) through the Hip’s albums, giving readers a great sense of what went into making each record and the characters involved (and many of them were characters in every sense of the word).
But the author is also guilty of spending inordinate amounts of time on superfluous topics. Do we really need entire chapters on the Hip’s connection to hockey, their treatment of and influence on their opening acts, or – most frustratingly – other musicians who toured in the face of terminal illness?
Barclay’s thoroughness also detracts from his discussion of Downie’s late-life activism in the area of Indigenous issues. Detailing the singer’s involvement in bringing the story of Chanie Wenjack to light is vital, as is the creation of the graphic novel Secret Path (illustrated by Jeff Lemire). Deep-diving into the history of residential schools, however, is not.
Where the narrative shines brightest is in Barclay’s descriptions of the band as performers. From scuzzy barrooms to massive arenas, watching the Hip provided a huge adrenaline rush, and Barclay’s writing about these shows, and the tour they embarked on after Downie’s diagnosis, is transcendental. His account of watching the final performance in the band’s hometown is emotionally devastating, even if you were among the third of Canadians to tune in to the CBC broadcast to watch the event as it happened.
The major takeaway from Barclay’s book is that the Hip were a great bunch of guys who formed a band in high school, smoked a lot of pot, treated everyone with kindness and respect, and galvanised a Canadian identity for a largely white, working-class, male demographic. Which will come as a surprise to no one who would be tempted to read the book in the first place. But the rare glimpses we get of Downie (and make no mistake, the subordinate status of the band in the book’s subtitle is not accidental) as a person and performer make The Never-Ending Present a worthwhile read
December 11, 2018
Review written: December 11, 2018
Star Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Heat Rating: N/A
An Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book was received free via Netgalley for an honest review.
What can I say about this book beyond how grateful I am that I have finally finished it? In ugly and stark contract to my favorite book of the year (also a biography), Barclay has taken one of my favorite bands and one of my favorite songwriters into something and someone I don't want to read another word about.
I have loved The Tragically Hip and Gord Downie for years. Every time they came to my city, I went to see them. They've had some interesting opening bands, some of which are mentioned in the book, and some I didn't care for, but they were always something new. Gord Downie was on my top 5 list of people I really wanted to just spend hours talking to because his mind was so fascinating.
Fast forward to this trainwreck of a book. First, this is an unauthorized biography and it shows. What does that mean? Well, almost nothing is said about the other members of the band. Johnny Fay, Gord Sinclair, Paul Langlois, and Rob Baker only exist to back up Gord Downie in this book. They had nothing to say to Barclay and I learned nothing about them I didn't already know.
As for Downie, I learned very little about the man, let alone about the songwriter. There are flashes early on that talk about specific songs and their inspirations, but that's only within the context of how they shouldn't be considered "Canada's Band".
So what actually fills out this 380 page book? Discussions of the music industry, long tracts of pages about musicians they knew, some information about how certain records were mixed (and by that I mean, literally, they used this instrument or put a mic in water or some such thing). There was a lot of industry stuff.
What else filled out this book? Bias. Barclay just could not stop editorializing, contextualizing, and preaching. I don't really care how or what Barclay feels about, for example, another of my favorite bands. He hates them, btw. But he was determined to insert himself and his beliefs and his preferences into this narrative at every possible moment. It wasn't just off-putting; it changed the narrative considerably.
That it took me - on and off - the better part of a year to read this book says a lot. Skip it and wait for a real biography. This one isn't worthy. And worse, I feel sullied and cheapened for having read it, as though I have participated in a nastily voyeuristic ritual I never meant to be part of.
This review is ©December 2018 by Monique N. and has been posted to Netgalley.
Star Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Heat Rating: N/A
An Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book was received free via Netgalley for an honest review.
What can I say about this book beyond how grateful I am that I have finally finished it? In ugly and stark contract to my favorite book of the year (also a biography), Barclay has taken one of my favorite bands and one of my favorite songwriters into something and someone I don't want to read another word about.
I have loved The Tragically Hip and Gord Downie for years. Every time they came to my city, I went to see them. They've had some interesting opening bands, some of which are mentioned in the book, and some I didn't care for, but they were always something new. Gord Downie was on my top 5 list of people I really wanted to just spend hours talking to because his mind was so fascinating.
Fast forward to this trainwreck of a book. First, this is an unauthorized biography and it shows. What does that mean? Well, almost nothing is said about the other members of the band. Johnny Fay, Gord Sinclair, Paul Langlois, and Rob Baker only exist to back up Gord Downie in this book. They had nothing to say to Barclay and I learned nothing about them I didn't already know.
As for Downie, I learned very little about the man, let alone about the songwriter. There are flashes early on that talk about specific songs and their inspirations, but that's only within the context of how they shouldn't be considered "Canada's Band".
So what actually fills out this 380 page book? Discussions of the music industry, long tracts of pages about musicians they knew, some information about how certain records were mixed (and by that I mean, literally, they used this instrument or put a mic in water or some such thing). There was a lot of industry stuff.
What else filled out this book? Bias. Barclay just could not stop editorializing, contextualizing, and preaching. I don't really care how or what Barclay feels about, for example, another of my favorite bands. He hates them, btw. But he was determined to insert himself and his beliefs and his preferences into this narrative at every possible moment. It wasn't just off-putting; it changed the narrative considerably.
That it took me - on and off - the better part of a year to read this book says a lot. Skip it and wait for a real biography. This one isn't worthy. And worse, I feel sullied and cheapened for having read it, as though I have participated in a nastily voyeuristic ritual I never meant to be part of.
This review is ©December 2018 by Monique N. and has been posted to Netgalley.
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