I'm older than dirt too, but it seems that even after I became a Hip lifer, the real nails were put into my coffin by Nautical Disaster. Hands down the best song EVER -- I dare you to name another song that compares in structure, intensity or gravitas.
Of course other Hip songs have tickled me in other ways -- the old-man headbanger Family Band, which I listen to at 11, Gift Shop, Wherewithal, Membership........songs that have that enduring imagery somehow embedded with the music. OK some of these were singles, but still.
Toss up between Lionized, Cordelia, and Bring It All Back from Roxy & Elsewhere.
I had heard Blow on the radio a few times and really liked it and as soon as I heard New Orlean's I figured the CD was worth the $15 to pick up.
I'd have to say it was the rest non-radio of Up To Here that got me completely hooked. The riff to Trickle Down had such a Stones influence to it, that's the one that hooked me for life. Up To Here is still my fav CD till this day, not just for the songs, but the memories they all bring back whenever I hear it.
Fully Completely, Phantom Power (minus the singles)
*edit* plus Roxy & Elsewhere
I grew up in Kingston, hating The Hip. I saw them play Fort Henry for Almost Home but didn't get it. At all. I was too young. And then NCAA Basketball came out for the SNES and I saw the light. I played Road Apples on repeat every time I played the game... And I played the game a lot. The track that hooked me was Cordelia.
But the moment that sealed the deal for me was at Richardson Stadium in 1993 somewhere around the 3:45 mark of this video:
[youtube]UQg3rEhiHPU[/youtube]
Chris,
Did 'Done and Done' drive you away?
:p
Goddamn, what an awesome clip. Reminds me of how incredibly powerful this band used to be when Gord actually sang and they weren't just going through the motions. I really hope they can recapture some of that magic again as a live band. The world of rock n' roll is a much better place with these guys in it, and I really want to love them again.
My girlfriend is obsessed with Leave and Stay. It's taken me about a decade to warm up to the latter. At first, I thought it was one of the weaker songs on M@W, but now I can't get enough of it. The guitar playing in particular is magical.
Living in Chicago, there were no 'radio hits'. Heard NOIS a couple of times, but it was ABAC that got me hooked. I heard it once on WXRT and had to find out who the band was... then when i went to my first show and they opened with Grace. LMAO.. wow. that was it. GORDIE!