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The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip
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About The Never-Ending Present: The Story Of Gord Downie
Product Description 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.” Review “Laying out the history of the band from the early years of its members and its founding in Kingston in the 1980s through to Downie’s final weeks, The Never-Ending Present is indeed as definitive a work on the band as anything that exists, and stands on its own against last year’s excellent documentary of the band, Long Time Running.” ― Winnipeg Free Press From the Back Cover “Barclay’s remarkable chronicle of the Tragically Hip is as wide as it is deep. He sets down their story with a historian’s care and an artist’s rambling curiosity, revisiting each note with wit, expertise and so much heart. It’s eminently readable, clever and funny―what an achievement.” ―Sean Michaels, Giller Prize–winning author of Us Conductors “Barclay is the perfect inside outsider, pulling back the cloak on an iconic, insular rock band to reveal its hold on a country’s conscience and the poetic genius of its heroic front man. A fascinating story masterfully told.” ―Nicholas Jennings, author of Lightfoot “An essential addition to every music fan’s bookshelf. It’s a thorough and beautiful love letter to the Tragically Hip and their legacy.” ―Andrea Warner, author of Buffy Sainte-Marie: The Authorized Biography “The Never-Ending Present is much more than a love letter to a fallen Canadian hero. It’s an ambitious chronicle of a moment in our cultural history, a richly detailed and clear-eyed investigation into why this music and these people mattered, and still do.” ―Paul Wells, Maclean’s “Stands on its own against the excellent documentary Long Time Running. It’s a mammoth endeavour.” ―Winnipeg Free Press “This is a remarkable and moving and excellent book.”―John K. Samson, The Weakerthans The Tragically Hip sold millions of records and defined a generation of Canadian rock music, but these five men were always more than just a band. They were a tabula rasa onto which fans could project their own ideas: of performance, of poetry, of history, of Canada itself. In the first print biography of the Tragically Hip, Michael Barclay talks to dozens of the band’s peers and friends about not just the Hip’s music but about the bands who opened for them, the hockey connection, dealing with disease through art, the Hip’s role in Canadian culture and Gord Downie’s role in reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. 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.” About the Author Co-author of Have Not Been the Same, Michael Barclay is the Associate Editor of Exclaim! Magazine, a national free monthly devoted to underground music. He is also a contributing writer to Toronto’s eye Weekly and a freelance writer and broadcaster.
