''Coke Machine Glow'' is the first solo album released by
Gord Downie
Gordon Edgar Downie (February 6, 1964 – October 17, 2017) was a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, musician, writer and activist. He was the singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, which he fronted from its forma ...
, the singer for
The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as the Hip, were a Canadian rock band formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1984, consisting of vocalist Gord Downie, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker (known as Bobby Baker until 1994), bassi ...
. It was released in 2001.
Early copies of the album were released as a joint package with a book by Downie, also titled ''Coke Machine Glow''. The book included the song lyrics from the album and other poetry. The book included photographs by Toronto-based artist Michael Adamson. As a result of the album's sales, the book is one of the best-selling volumes of poetry ever published by a Canadian writer.
Downie's backing band on ''Coke Machine Glow'' was credited as "the Goddamned Band". Participating musicians included
Julie Doiron
Julie Doiron (born June 28, 1972) is a Canadian singer-songwriter of Acadian heritage. She has been the bass guitarist and co-vocalist for the Canadian indie rock band Eric's Trip since its formation in 1990. She has released ten solo albums, begi ...
,
Josh Finlayson
Skydiggers are a Canadian roots rock band from Toronto formed by Andy Maize and Josh Finlayson. Since 1990, they have released 19 albums/EPs and have had a number of singles that have appeared on the Canadian charts. Their most successful album i ...
,
Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan (; hy, Աթոմ Եղոյեան, translit=Atom Yeghoyan; born July 19, 1960) is a Canadian filmmaker. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge in the 1980s from Toronto known as the Toronto New Wave. Egoyan m ...
and members of
The Dinner Is Ruined
The Dinner Is Ruined is a Canadian indie rock band. the band plays an experimental and improvisational brand of blues rock. The band members are Dale Morningstar, Dave Clark and Dr. Johnny Pee.
History
The Dinner Is Ruined was formed in 1991 by ...
.
An online music publication formed in 2002 was named after the album.
In 2021,
Arts & Crafts Productions
Arts & Crafts Productions is a music-focused media and artist services company that offers information as an independent record label, management firm, merchandiser, and publisher worldwide. It has earned 21 Juno Awards. Arts & Crafts has been ...
announced the release of ''Coke Machine Glow: Songwriters' Cabal'', an expanded 20th anniversary reissue of the album.
["Gord Downie’s ‘Coke Machine Glow’ to be re-issued with bonus record, audiobook"]
''Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
, July 20, 2021. The reissue will feature a bonus disc of unreleased demos, alternate versions and outtakes, as well as an
audiobook
An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements.
Spoken audio has been available in sc ...
version of the poetry book read by figures such as singer-songwriter
Sarah Harmer
Sarah Harmer (born November 12, 1970) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and environmental activist.
Early life
Born and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Harmer gained her first exposure to the musician's lifestyle as a teenager, when her older sist ...
and actors
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1979). During his tenure on ''SNL'' ...
and
Bruce McCulloch
Bruce Ian McCulloch is a Canadian actor, comedian, writer, musician and film director. McCulloch is perhaps best known for his work as a member of the comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall, including starring in the TV series of the same name. He ...
.
[
]
Track listing
All tracks written by Gord Downie
Gordon Edgar Downie (February 6, 1964 – October 17, 2017) was a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, musician, writer and activist. He was the singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, which he fronted from its forma ...
unless otherwise noted.
# "Starpainters" (Downie, Morningstar)
# "Vancouver Divorce"
# "SF Song"
# "Trick Rider"
# "Canada Geese"
# "Chancellor"
# "The Never-Ending Present"
# "Nothing but Heartache in Your Social Life" (Downie, Egoyan)
# "Blackflies"
# "Lofty Pines"
# "Boy Bruised by Butterfly Chase" (Perez, Downie)
# "Mystery" (Downie, Egoyan)
# "Elaborate"
# "Yer Possessed"
# "Every Irrelevance"
# "Insomniacs of the World, Goodnight" (Downie, Morningstar)
References
2001 debut albums
Gordon Downie albums
Canadian poetry collections
Zoë Records albums
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