Ten years or so ago I went to Canada. I loved the place and the feeling of it all, but that's another story.
Whilst there, I discovered a band I did not know, and have not heard about before or since -OK, I live in France, remember , and have yet to meet anyone out here who's even heard of brillianty named "The Tragically Hip".
A fine name for a rock band. Their lyrics weren't too good, to be honest, but they did/do have a tight rock sound. "Springtime in Vienna" stood out for me.
Anyway, I read that they've just played at a Canadian-graced affair in New York's Manhattan. WHy disn't anyone tell me about it? Can anyone give me more details?

I can't give you any information on that particular event, Colin. But I love The Tragically Hip, and a have some of their cds. I hadn't heard of them before I moved here, but they are extremely successful in Canada.

I'm sure you have heard
New Orleans is Sinking

Glad you liked Canada

Hi dance girl, it's been a while! I do hope you enjoy tomorrow's shenanigans in true UK/Canadian style!
Yes, I do know "New Orleans is sinking", written way before the tragedy of summer 2005 of course, and with a fine drum-line on the video you link to. The Tragically Hip are just unheard of in France and, I would suggest, in the UK too, though others, perhaps (?) may wish to come in and contradict me on this, though I don't think so. A fine band.
Thanks for responding so quickly, dance girl - and all the best for the forthcoming celebrations as 2008 approaches. All the best to you from France!

Have a Happy New Year too, Colin.

I had been meaning to post this for you. I have a feeling you might be a Cat Stevens fan too.

Yusuf Islam: Father and Son 2007

I came across this, and loved it. I wish I could have seen the whole show. I read that it was his first live performance in London in nearly 30 years.

All of thirty years since he last performed? Yes, it was indeed. The voice is pretty good still, isn't it, though? A little lower, yes, true, especially on the high notes ("How can I try to explain" and "From the moment I was born, I was ordered to listen", for example), but time just does not stand still and the original was, after all, released all of 37 years ago, and as we paly our vinyl LPs, we just do have to bear that in mind.
Interestingly, I have a close friend (best man at my wedding in fact) who is now a music journalist and who interviewed Cat Stevens some years ago, several years after he left the music business to pursue his religion in Northern Cyprus. What Cat Stevens (Yussuf Islam) revealed in the interview was a valuable insight into the man and his music as he now was, but also into the man and his faith (vis-à-vis his reasoning for not recording/not performing any more, ever) - as he saw it then.
But this view changed and, evolving, he later justified his decision to perform once more and to sing again in accordance with the new terms of his faith as he saw it.
He looks older these days, doesn't he? But don't we all?

quote:

Originally posted by Colin, Paris, France:
He looks older these days, doesn't he? But don't we all?

Yeah..but he looks pretty good to me ! Especially when one considers he'll turn 60 in 2008.

I agree with you about his voice being deeper, but he's still 'got it' though. I wonder why he changed his mind, and sang some of the old songs after all these years?

So why did he change his mind? Well, in the interview he granted to my friend and former colleague in the music press all those years ago (which took place in Cyprus), Yussuf Islam explained that his decision not to sing or perform any more was based on the advice and teachings he was receiving from others practising the new faith to which he was now party. This was behind his silence for decades.

Challenged, upon his re-emergence a year or so ago, as to why he was singing and performing again, he said only that he had now changed his mind and that the teachings and views of others eh had hitherto been listening to no longer appeared valid to him in this partiular context. This was well documented at the time.

I repeat it here in no way as a religious comment, but only to emphasise his assertion that he had changed in terms of his own view of making music and performing that music, again, in public.

And yes, dance girl, he does so with no little success after all this time. Believe me, I was listening to "Matthew and Son" again just yesterday.