PunBB

Howdy. (I was Problem Bear but I can't remember my login.)

As someone who always liked the Hip because of their thoughtful lyrics and interesting song structures, I didn't really even notice that the album is mellow, nor do I agree with the newspaper critiques that feel the disc is backloaded. This is a solid album. Middle-of-the-pack among Hip albums, I think, but that's still a high bar to jump over. I don't see how this disc is any mellower than Trouble at the Henhouse.

Anyway, unlike Music@Work, In Violet Light, or In Between Evolution, I did not need to listen to the disc more than once for it to grab me. (Similarly, World Container hit me right away.) In particular, Last Recluse grabbed me by the throat in the movie theatre and during its first spin in the CD player.

My ranking right now:

1) The Last Recluse (Might go on my Hip top 10 list; the quavering chorus buckles my knees and the pause before "without you" catches me every time. Great with headphones).
2) Queen of the Furrows (I've never heard a song that earns its build so well. It starts off as a country song, becomes a pop song, then an all-out rocker, and if you're not paying attention, you wouldn't even notice. The guitar solo is both perfectly fitting and a complete surprise; that's amazing song construction.)
3) Depression Suite (Some part of me thinks that one of the best Canadian songs of all time was in here and they missed it by *this much*, but I still think it's great. Between "Are you going through something" "I'll be driven" and "Don't you wanna see how it ends?" that's three vocal hooks that push and pull you and in the case of 1 and 3 linger afterwards.)

The middle (unranked as of yet, but something close to the order written here)

Morning Moon (I've listened to this so much I don't feel it anymore, but it will come back. Great beer by the lake song, I think. It's the song you sing to the daughter you had after marrying the girl from Bobcaygeon. When she goes emo on you at age 13, you sing Last Recluse. )

Now the Struggle Has a Name (The slightest smidgen too long, but excellent. I like it when Gord writes overt political lyrics that still manage to be subtle on their own terms. And Robbie's guitar aches.)

Coffee Girl (For a CD that's supposedly 'experimental,' there have never been a higher number of songs on one Hip disc that would slide right into current radio, for better or for worse. This is one of them. I like the Beck reference/sound together.)

Frozen in my tracks (I find the chorus a bit of a sucker punch, especially compared to the honest build of Furrows, but it's an entertaining sucker punch, all the same. Good companion piece to Last Night I Dreamed You Didn't Love Me. Very curious to hear what this sounds like live.)

Country Day (The closest to a classic Hip sound on the record, and fits the mould of most Hip CD closers. Makes me content. It's like the cigarette after the sex, not that I've smoked ever or had sex lately. )

Love is a First: (This is a nice palette (sp?) cleanser on the album, but other than the transition to the soar in the chorus, it doesn't do much for me. Simulating spontaneity is the definition of a performance artist, but here it's too obvious.)

Honey, Please (I like it, but it's almost too upbeat sounding for me. And I always forget how it goes when it's over.)

And finally:
The Exact Feeling: (The one song I don't like. There's nothing wrong with it, per se, but I can't think of anything to recommend it either, other than the lyrics, which don't say anything some of the other songs on the album don't say. On an album that is almost an hour long, I don't think it's necessary. For me, it's quickly become The Rules of We Are the Same.)

Overall, I made a list in my head and rank this disc seventh out of the 12. Let the countdown to the next disc begin! Hooray for the Hip!

Cheers,
John

saganfan Wrote:Howdy. (I was Problem Bear but I can't remember my login.)

As someone who always liked the Hip because of their thoughtful lyrics and interesting song structures, I didn't really even notice that the album is mellow, nor do I agree with the newspaper critiques that feel the disc is backloaded. This is a solid album. Middle-of-the-pack among Hip albums, I think, but that's still a high bar to jump over. I don't see how this disc is any mellower than Trouble at the Henhouse.

Anyway, unlike Music@Work, In Violet Light, or In Between Evolution, I did not need to listen to the disc more than once for it to grab me. (Similarly, World Container hit me right away.) In particular, Last Recluse grabbed me by the throat in the movie theatre and during its first spin in the CD player.

My ranking right now:

1) The Last Recluse (Might go on my Hip top 10 list; the quavering chorus buckles my knees and the pause before "without you" catches me every time. Great with headphones).
2) Queen of the Furrows (I've never heard a song that earns its build so well. It starts off as a country song, becomes a pop song, then an all-out rocker, and if you're not paying attention, you wouldn't even notice. The guitar solo is both perfectly fitting and a complete surprise; that's amazing song construction.)
3) Depression Suite (Some part of me thinks that one of the best Canadian songs of all time was in here and they missed it by *this much*, but I still think it's great. Between "Are you going through something" "I'll be driven" and "Don't you wanna see how it ends?" that's three vocal hooks that push and pull you and in the case of 1 and 3 linger afterwards.)

The middle (unranked as of yet, but something close to the order written here)

Morning Moon (I've listened to this so much I don't feel it anymore, but it will come back. Great beer by the lake song, I think. It's the song you sing to the daughter you had after marrying the girl from Bobcaygeon. When she goes emo on you at age 13, you sing Last Recluse. )

Now the Struggle Has a Name (The slightest smidgen too long, but excellent. I like it when Gord writes overt political lyrics that still manage to be subtle on their own terms. And Robbie's guitar aches.)

Coffee Girl (For a CD that's supposedly 'experimental,' there have never been a higher number of songs on one Hip disc that would slide right into current radio, for better or for worse. This is one of them. I like the Beck reference/sound together.)

Frozen in my tracks (I find the chorus a bit of a sucker punch, especially compared to the honest build of Furrows, but it's an entertaining sucker punch, all the same. Good companion piece to Last Night I Dreamed You Didn't Love Me. Very curious to hear what this sounds like live.)

Country Day (The closest to a classic Hip sound on the record, and fits the mould of most Hip CD closers. Makes me content. It's like the cigarette after the sex, not that I've smoked ever or had sex lately. )

Love is a First: (This is a nice palette (sp?) cleanser on the album, but other than the transition to the soar in the chorus, it doesn't do much for me. Simulating spontaneity is the definition of a performance artist, but here it's too obvious.)

Honey, Please (I like it, but it's almost too upbeat sounding for me. And I always forget how it goes when it's over.)

And finally:
The Exact Feeling: (The one song I don't like. There's nothing wrong with it, per se, but I can't think of anything to recommend it either, other than the lyrics, which don't say anything some of the other songs on the album don't say. On an album that is almost an hour long, I don't think it's necessary. For me, it's quickly become The Rules of We Are the Same.)

Overall, I made a list in my head and rank this disc seventh out of the 12. Let the countdown to the next disc begin! Hooray for the Hip!

Cheers,
John

Easily the best impressions I've read about the album so far (and that's a lot). Definitely agree with you.

The track numbering is interesting on this one. I think I've listened to the album all the way through about 20-25 so far (been doing a lot of driving the last couple days).
Very mellow A-side with back-to-back hard songs at 10 and 11. No real guitar solo until track 8. I thought track 4 could be interchanged with 10 to get some mellowness before "Love is a First" and add some hard sound early in the album. Also, "Honey, Please" could even be a closing track. Maybe I think this because of the Emporer Penguin-esque guitar toward the end. With saying that, 2 and 12 could also be switched.

Thanks very much for the thoughtful discussion, saganfan! I enjoyed readying your comments!

I was introduced to The Hip only last year, so this is the first album I've heard for the first time at pretty much the same time as everyone else. My opinions regarding the other songs in The Hip's catalog were developed completely independent of radio station play rotations, top 40 lists or even other fan comments and views. So it ought to be interesting for me to be in on that a bit this round. Not that I'm likely to hear any of these songs on Atlanta radio.

Anyway, I like the album, and think it is a good addition to the catalog. This is (roughly) my preference order, but this is after only 2 - 3 listens to each song, so it might change.

Favorite tracks:
The Last Recluse - this is one of those songs that gets you lost in the depths, and I love songs like that.
Now the Struggle Has a Name - some real passion in this song. Might well end up being my favorite song on this record, in the long run.
Honey, Please - this is simply a catchy, upbeat tune. Also adds some good balance to the album.
The Depression Suite - love the first part especially
Queen of the Furrows - never thought a guitar solo like that would mix well with farming terminology, but there it is. :lol:

Like these alot, but more 'the middle of the pack' for me:
Morning Moon
Speed River - for me, the most mainstream sounding song on the CD. This song could easily be on a Matchbox 20 album.
Country Day
Love is a First
Coffee Girl - quirky!

Songs that will take a bit more time to grow on me:
Frozen in my Tracks - Don't dislike it. I just need some time to warm up to it more.
The Exact Feeling - Jury still out on this one. But I suspect that if there is a song on this CD I'll end up not really liking, this will be it. Doesn't really feel like it goes anywhere. Just a sort of vague impression, but that's the way I feel right now.

Interesting thing i noticed today which may be a connection in lyrics. In "No Threat", from "Yer Favorites", the lyrics specifically mention "If i'm not in the saddle, im nothing". Interesting connection between that and the lyrics from Depression Suite that also mention "saddle". cratch:

Remi_Gaudet21 Wrote:Interesting thing i noticed today which may be a connection in lyrics. In "No Threat", from "Yer Favorites", the lyrics specifically mention "If i'm not in the saddle, im nothing". Interesting connection between that and the lyrics from Depression Suite that also mention "saddle". cratch:

No mention of Carmelized onions, though.

And thanks for the kind comments above, previous posters.

Cheers,
John

pktrekgirl Wrote:Thanks very much for the thoughtful discussion, saganfan! I enjoyed readying your comments!

I was introduced to The Hip only last year, so this is the first album I've heard for the first time at pretty much the same time as everyone else. My opinions regarding the other songs in The Hip's catalog were developed completely independent of radio station play rotations, top 40 lists or even other fan comments and views. So it ought to be interesting for me to be in on that a bit this round. Not that I'm likely to hear any of these songs on Atlanta radio.

Anyway, I like the album, and think it is a good addition to the catalog. This is (roughly) my preference order, but this is after only 2 - 3 listens to each song, so it might change.

Favorite tracks:
The Last Recluse - this is one of those songs that gets you lost in the depths, and I love songs like that.
Now the Struggle Has a Name - some real passion in this song. Might well end up being my favorite song on this record, in the long run.
Honey, Please - this is simply a catchy, upbeat tune. Also adds some good balance to the album.
The Depression Suite - love the first part especially
Queen of the Furrows - never thought a guitar solo like that would mix well with farming terminology, but there it is. :lol:

Like these alot, but more 'the middle of the pack' for me:
Morning Moon
Speed River - for me, the most mainstream sounding song on the CD. This song could easily be on a Matchbox 20 album.
Country Day
Love is a First
Coffee Girl - quirky!

Songs that will take a bit more time to grow on me:
Frozen in my Tracks - Don't dislike it. I just need some time to warm up to it more.
The Exact Feeling - Jury still out on this one. But I suspect that if there is a song on this CD I'll end up not really liking, this will be it. Doesn't really feel like it goes anywhere. Just a sort of vague impression, but that's the way I feel right now.

Great reviews by Saganfan and yourself...Always interesting for me to hear opinions from one that did not 'grow up with this band'...

...this band has chronicled much of the last 20 years for me and this album hits all the right notes, at the right times of my, and many lives. As Mansbridge* stated, 'The Tragically Hip are the greatest musical chroniclers of our times'. This CD strays into the home and I hear compromise, promise, hurt, anger, depression, questioning, hope, enthusiasm, optimism and a few 'that's right's,

i can;t wait for the tour

* Peter Mansbridge is a big news anchor in Canada, (like JD Roberts in the US) and that is how he introduced them at a benefit concert for _________ ...someone can hopefully fill in the blank, but it was a pretty cool intro at the ACC,

Just a question here for those of you that have heard the album (still waiting patiently, Canada Post is killing me), about "Coffee Girl".

I have seen the Bathouse live version and am just curious as to how close that is to the studio version on the album? I was blown away by that live version what a great song (even with the low quality audio, on the youtube clip.)

thanks in advance

Finally getting my first taste...Queen of the Furrows blew me away!!

Two listens so far, both sober. This one's gonna take a couple of times to digest. I think musically it's great. (Yeah, musically is a word, I'm sure of it.) The guys are tight. Rob is showing off through out. The lyrics are great. Gord's voice is fantastic. But the production is odd. So is the style of the music. Not bad, certainly not "soulless" which I think I heard some Baser throw around. But right now, "odd" is all I got. Another term I read was "adult contemporary". Yeah, maybe I can't argue that with some of the tracks. But who cares what category of rock it is, as long as the music is groovy (if I can say musically, I can say groovy too!) to you. My next question I want answered for myself is, is it a fan boy album?

My turn....

So many thoughts and emotions I don't really know where to start.

I've never loved a Hip song so fast as when I heard the boys break into Depression Suite in the live show! It is almost the perfect Hip song for me. Live @ The Bathouse left me so eagre to listen on the way home. Now after about 5 solid spins these are my thoughts:

I absolutely love Depression Suite and Now the Struggle Has a Name. I can't understand some of the negativity around these by official reviewers; though I do see how people think Struggle is a tad long. Not far behind these two is The Last Recluse.

I won't pretend to know anything about music in the way some of you know music, but it really seems the boys hit a new level with the writing and production of this entire album. It just seems an entire step above anything I've heard as a whole. It is very creative and exciting. I think this is the Hip album I've been waiting for. Just a bunch of beautiful songs that you can sit back and enjoy. It may not have the classic Hip anthem types like Courage, 50 MC etc, but I think the great tunes on WATS will stand alone in their own place in Hip greatness.

A song I need to hear more is Honey Please. Coffee Girl and Speed River are slowly climbing up the hill. I really am indifferent to The Exact Feeling, it is just...another song on the album to me, kinda boring. Probably after the high I get off Struggle and Depression, it just can't measure up.

I haven't heard Queen of the Furrows enough but it is also a winner! This one will end up high in no time. Morning Moon is probably # 7 for me, though when listening to it it's as good as any other. Weird how that is.

As far as songs what could end up as big arena show staples I think Frozen in my Tracks and Country Day have the most potential there. Also killer tunes! I've never had a Hip album with so many tracks that are this good.

As for Love is A First, it doesn't do much for me. It's not bad and it's not awesome. It has that made for radio feel, sorta like In View, but I like View better.

I'm sure my views will change with more listens, as they always do with each album. But from all the comments it seems almost unanimous that the boys hit this one out of the park! I'm so happy with all the positive comments. There hasn't been much complaining at all, which is rare.

How lucky are we?

As a newbie on this forum (but fan since 1989) I was blown away by The Depression Suite. One of the best Hip tracks ever.

The entire album is lush and sparkling and - while I'm fond of the more rockier Hip stuff - I think this newborn is a real corker.

Any news on a European (or better: Dutch) leg of the forthcoming tour? I really can't wait to hear this new stuff live!

I am really digging The Last Recluse.

I wasn't sure how I'd react to the slow opening to the album. But this disc has a very complete feeling.

By the way, for those still waiting for the shipment to arrive and can't exercise self-control (like me) you can listen to all the songs on Rhapsody - for free.

Just thought I would give my thoughts after a couple run throughs.

**Disclaimer (a little background info in order to avoid being called a "fanboy" or a "douchebag") my favourtie Hip album (or any album for that matter) is Phantom Power. I like albums to be mostly mid-tempo tunes with lots of acoustic guitars, 3 real rockers, and a couple of slow mellow tunes. I like an organic sound, not too polished, something with a bit of hair on it. It takes me a while sometimes to warm up to an album, I hated In Between Evolution at first but it is now my 2nd favourite Hip Album.

1)Morning Moon- this song got me so excited for this album, what a flawless song.
2)Honey, Please- airy, summer fun-time type song. I'll like this tune much more while drinking beer on a patio in plus 30 weather, but for now its pretty meh.
3)The Last Recluse- beautiful, beautiful song up until the Rickard's beer commercial style background vocals near the end, they don't belong on this song.
4)Coffee Girl--Catchy, beautifully catchy. Trumpet! Instantly likable. The background vocals could be better, it sounded better on Live and Intimate from the Bathouse when it was just the 5 ...er, 6 of them. Can't wait to hear this one live.
5)Now the Struggle Has a Name - what started out so promising, ends up in overblown strings, melodrama and cheesy guitars. An understated approach would have served this one better considering the subject matter.
6)Depression Suite-still trying to digest this, epic is the word that comes to mind.
7)The Exact Feeling- nice tune, nothing mind blowing, nothing crappy. I would have replaced this with Skeleton Park
8)Queen of the Furrows- this song is freaking cool and astonishing, except for that jarring and ridiculous guitar solo.
9)Speed River- really good tune, this song is going to be absolutley great live, I cannot wait. This time the guitar solo actually meshes with the song.
10)Frozen in my Tracks- honestly, again with the background vocals. However this one seems like it'll eventually grow on me.
11)Love is a First- I am kind of schizo on this one, I either like it or absolutely can't stand it. Time will tell.
12)Country Day- a song where everything comes together, nothing gets in the way, it all seems to belong. Wonderful, wonderful song it will be mind-boggling great live.
13)Hush-very Tom Waites-y, also very cool. That chunky guitar at the end is phenomenal. But it would definetly not mesh with the rest of the album.
14)Skeleton Park- should have been on the album, I would have made it the first single in fact.

All in all this album is very very good it has some truly amazing moments (the core music and songwriting is wonderful ,the whole album is inventive, the instrument playing superb and Gordie is in tip top form). It also has some real head scratchers (the ridiculous guitar solos, the overblown strings and background vocals) . Much like World Container in that regard. I do hope this is the end of the Bob Rock experiment, not that it didn't produce some really, really great songs (Family Band, Morning Moon, Country Day, Lonely End of The Rink, Coffee Girl, Etc.). He definetly re-energized the band and brought some fresh ideas. I can definetly see why the band likes working with him, but he just seems to keep fucking with things, it just seems that there is no pulling back with him, its all bombast and overblown. He can't just let the song be, always adding and messing with it. Sort of like the guy who keeps pruning the tree after he has already gotten it nearly perfect, and ends up with something not nearly as beautiful.

Which is why this tour will be so amazing because these songs that have been pruned too much, will get a little time away from Bob, which will allow the foliage to grow back a bit and be beautiful. I feel these songs will be damn near perfect after the boys reinterpret them. I can't wait to hear these songs without the extra baggage, because it is going to be absolutely outstanding.

TG Wrote:Just a question here for those of you that have heard the album (still waiting patiently, Canada Post is killing me), about "Coffee Girl".

I have seen the Bathouse live version and am just curious as to how close that is to the studio version on the album? I was blown away by that live version what a great song (even with the low quality audio, on the youtube clip.)

thanks in advance

I'm still not sold on Coffee Girl really, but I know it will grow on me.
But in terms of the performance, I developed a new appreciaton for the song after the Bathouse version. When Gord started walking into the loft to meet the boys who had already started the opening jam to Coffee Girl, I couldn't even tell what song they were starting. The version live @ the Bathouse sounded much more raw, even more country-ish, which I loved because it made it easier to hear the guitars.
The only problem I had with the live performance of Coffee Girl was that whenever Gord S and Paul would sing they're back-up part, they would sing "Hey there Coffee girl." In the album recording, it is more of an "Hey there coffee giiirllllllll." The quick, abrupt "girl" sounded a bit off to me. But that's my thought on the song.