We Are The Same - Critic Reviews

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Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - Tthip - 04-06-2009

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jn0RnoIR3zX5gDE0gea0RN-DE25g">http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadi ... a0RN-DE25g</a>

On 12th album, Tragically Hip flirt with new sounds while sounding like themselves

The Tragically Hip have always been blissfully out of step with the trends of the music industry.

So when Bob Rock signed on to guide the Tragically Hip's 2006 album, "World Container," fans fretted that the pop-minded producer would smooth away the subtle, literate side of the band in favour of arena-friendly fare.

That worrying was needless, as it turned out - the band's Hip-ness endured for another compelling collection of tunes.

Rock returns for the Hip's latest, "We Are the Same," a sombre, grounded set that showcases a band that seems even less interested in scoring a radio hit.

The album's title would seem to refer to the everyman focus of frontman Gord Downie's lyrics. "The Depression Suite" is a three-part examination of characters plugging away in menial jobs, while "Coffee Girl" tells the story of a "beautiful and disaffected" employee at a java shop.

"Hangover hanging on by the fangs, walk to work on wild feet," Downie sings. "Get to the back door, look around then turn the key."

But if the record's title is a reference to the all-for-one nature of Downie's lyrics, it also seems a bit ironic given the record's disjointed flow.

The first half of the album is composed of stately, country-inflected tunes while the tempo nudges up on the flip side with some distorted rockers that will seem right at home blaring out in hockey arenas.

"Now the Struggle Has a Name" and "The Depression Suite," which clock in together at well over 15 minutes, comprise the album's turning point but also its saggy, momentum-killing midsection.

The album suffers when it finds the Hip straying too far from their comfort zone. Strings are uncharacteristically prominent here, with the production occasionally swelling to levels of Coldplay-like grandeur, while the blazing guitar solos in "Queen of the Furrow's" and "Speed River" feel likewise overblown.

Such broad strokes have never really suited the Tragically Hip, and it's the album's smaller moments that truly resonate.

"The Last Recluse" is a highlight, with Downie delicately crooning above the accompanying acoustic guitar and organ, "Coffee Girl" is sprightly yet nostalgic, while "Love is a First" promises to be a live favourite with its fist-pumping chorus and stream-of-consciousness spoken-word section.

On "Frozen in My Tracks," Downie imagines "the day you take me for granted." Yet his band seems to have discovered a winning formula. Even on their 12th album, the Hip continue to flirt with new sounds while sounding precisely like themselves.

"We Are the Same"

Tragically Hip (Universal)

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - The Heron Outside - 04-06-2009

This isn't exactly a "Review," but it's a piece I penned about the band's relevance in 2009. I pitched it to a number of newspapers, but freelance writing budgets being what they are at newspaper's these days, nothing doing. So now it's for all of you to have a gander. Let me know what you think.

---

At the 2009 Juno Awards in Vancouver, The Tragically Hip were everywhere. Host Russell Peters spoke of the band in laudatory tones, claiming that if viewers didn’t know who The Hip were, they “Weren’t Canadian.” Lead singer Gordon Downie joined Dallas Green onstage for a stirring rendition of their duet, “Sleeping Sickness.” Even famed Hip producer Bob Rock was kicking around, just metres away from Gord at times. This barrage of Hip-mania should come as no surprise, given the band’s iconic stature on the Canadian rock and roll landscape.

What should have come as a surprise however is that at the Junos, even with Downie and Rock in tow, there was absolutely no mention that in just nine days The Tragically Hip would release their eleventh full-length studio record, “We Are The Same.” And on a night where surprisingly youthful angst-rockers Nickelback dominated the awards, one can only wonder why no mention of “WATS” was made and whether or not it even matters.

The Tragically Hip have long been the sound of nationalist bliss in Canada. Yet in 2009 a prevalent opinion in many musical circles is that Canada should be seen as a haven for young, groundbreaking indie artists such as Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene. Hip classics like “New Orleans Is Sinking” and “Little Bones” now gain their greatest reception on classic rock radio. Most music fans in Canada have a “Hipstory” from their past in their back pocket; but as well as their tunes have resonated, what have The Tragically Hip become?

There’s no doubt that The Hip have their collective backs against the wall. The band continues to release records like clockwork. Although in the past few years they have attempted to diversify their sound, bringing keyboardists and female vocalists into the fold. They put producer Bob Rock behind the reigns as a means to send a jolt through their sound. And yet unless The Tragically Hip run through the hits at their gigs, fans leave disappointed and echo the timeless sceptical rock fan credo: “Yeah, it was alright. But they played too much of the new stuff.”

The Tragically Hip’s lead-off singles from their last three records (“Vaccination Scar,” “In View” and their latest, “Love Is A First”) were as varied as the seasons in southern Ontario. You’d think that this would have worked in The Hip’s favour. Yet with the wash of available music in 2009, discerning rock fans have no problem distinguishing the enticing from the stale and regurgitated. The only thing that was remotely enticing about “Vaccination Scar” and “Love Is First” was the desperate attempt to sound something like they had in the past. But on the flip side, “In View” was pop-sounding but ultimately contrived. The tune drew looks of confusion across the board and was the nail in The Hip’s slowly closing “Relevance” coffin.

But then, how can one neglect the fact that tickets to The Hip’s upcoming tour across Canada have nearly sold out? To have a steady fanbase is an honour. The Tragically Hip have worked very hard to get where are today, touring every crevice of this land and its surrounding areas to bring their music to the fans that crave it. They are treading dangerously on the possibility that they will soon be the band that is booked in casinos. What kind of response this draws remains to be seen. It won’t however, alter their legacy.
What will forever cement The Hip’s legacy is that they shifted the winds of Canrock. Speaking in terms of new music, The Tragically Hip are indeed irrelevant. But like other musical legends such as The Rolling Stones and R.E.M., this fact is strangely irrelevant. Though the days of “Little Bones” are long gone, they still have the ability to write honest tunes, like the subtle, campfire groove of “Morning Moon” from their latest record and the rousing “Family Band” from 2006’s “World Container.” They can change and evolve, just like family. No matter what the band does however, there will always be a soft spot in the hearts of Canadian music fans. It is after all, a family matter.

The Tragically Hip have made the musical equivalent of pork chops and mashed potatoes: comfort tunes. If you can believe their track record, they probably have another eleven records up their sleeves. Tunes from “We Are The Same” will then be on par with “New Orleans Is Sinking.” The Tragically Hip are forever confined to their past successes.

In the saturated world of music there is simply no room for The Tragically Hip. They are indeed irrelevant, though it’s hardly their fault. Try as they might to do otherwise, the Tragically Hip have fallen from national legends to purveyors of a niche sound.

Yes, The Tragically Hip are trying getting with the times. “Live And Intimate At The Bathouse” is the band’s attempt to get the faces out there. They are premiering cuts from “We Are The Same” live from their studio outside of their native Kingston to be shown live on Cineplex theatres across the country. Unfortunately, the sight of aging rock stars mortifies many young music fans. But The Tragically Hip’s fans, a generation that is more comfortable buying records (As if it’s that old-school) instead of Twittering, that may not be such a hindrance to The Tragically Hip.

“We Are The Same” was not mentioned at the Junos because the plug would have fallen on deaf ears.

As The Tragically Hip’s music fills arenas, clubs, bars and karaoke machines across Canada, one thing becomes clear. They represent the belief that for better or worse, there is work to be done. They must get up in the morning and do their job, because this is the only life they know. Conceding to hope that their work will make people happy is noble, as dated as that may be. “We Are The Same,” irrelevant as it is, sure makes a whole lot of sense now.

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - mojo_mattv - 04-06-2009

Prepare for "the collective wrath" that is the hipbase, Heron. lol

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - kennedy11 - 04-06-2009

Heron

that was probably the WORST verbal attack of The Hip I have ever read!
And you post threads on here too...
Shame on you!!

Brad

and you call yourself a fan????

Re: We Are The Same - Reviews - Flamenco - 04-06-2009

direwolf74 Wrote:
screw_ball Wrote:
Tthip Wrote:The title of The Tragically Hip's 11th studio album suggests the Kingston Can-Rock veterans haven't changed a bit.
Ummm... I think this guy missed the point.

Definitely. Darryl Sterdan has been reviewing albums for quite some time now. Generally I tend to agree with a lot of his reviews, as he and I seem to share similar tastes. But I disagree with a lot of his WATS review. He complains that The Depression Suite is too long, but for me that song doesn't drag at all. In fact those 9 minutes fly by rather quickly when I listen to it. At least he gives them credit for trying something different on this album.

Yeah I seem to think he probably listened to the album once and wrote his review. WATS keeps getting better after each listen. I really appreciate the musical details that go into each tune.

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - Joe - 04-06-2009

kennedy11 Wrote:Heron

that was probably the WORST verbal attack of The Hip I have ever read!
And you post threads on here too...
Shame on you!!

Brad

and you call yourself a fan????

I thought it was a good read.

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - chris - 04-06-2009

The Heron Outside Wrote:This isn't exactly a "Review," but it's a piece I penned about the band's relevance in 2009. I pitched it to a number of newspapers, but freelance writing budgets being what they are at newspaper's these days, nothing doing. So now it's for all of you to have a gander. Let me know what you think.

---

At the 2009 Juno Awards in Vancouver, The Tragically Hip were everywhere. Host Russell Peters spoke of the band in laudatory tones, claiming that if viewers didn’t know who The Hip were, they “Weren’t Canadian.” Lead singer Gordon Downie joined Dallas Green onstage for a stirring rendition of their duet, “Sleeping Sickness.” Even famed Hip producer Bob Rock was kicking around, just metres away from Gord at times. This barrage of Hip-mania should come as no surprise, given the band’s iconic stature on the Canadian rock and roll landscape.

What should have come as a surprise however is that at the Junos, even with Downie and Rock in tow, there was absolutely no mention that in just nine days The Tragically Hip would release their eleventh full-length studio record, “We Are The Same.” And on a night where surprisingly youthful angst-rockers Nickelback dominated the awards, one can only wonder why no mention of “WATS” was made and whether or not it even matters.

The Tragically Hip have long been the sound of nationalist bliss in Canada. Yet in 2009 a prevalent opinion in many musical circles is that Canada should be seen as a haven for young, groundbreaking indie artists such as Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene. Hip classics like “New Orleans Is Sinking” and “Little Bones” now gain their greatest reception on classic rock radio. Most music fans in Canada have a “Hipstory” from their past in their back pocket; but as well as their tunes have resonated, what have The Tragically Hip become?

There’s no doubt that The Hip have their collective backs against the wall. The band continues to release records like clockwork. Although in the past few years they have attempted to diversify their sound, bringing keyboardists and female vocalists into the fold. They put producer Bob Rock behind the reigns as a means to send a jolt through their sound. And yet unless The Tragically Hip run through the hits at their gigs, fans leave disappointed and echo the timeless sceptical rock fan credo: “Yeah, it was alright. But they played too much of the new stuff.”

The Tragically Hip’s lead-off singles from their last three records (“Vaccination Scar,” “In View” and their latest, “Love Is A First”) were as varied as the seasons in southern Ontario. You’d think that this would have worked in The Hip’s favour. Yet with the wash of available music in 2009, discerning rock fans have no problem distinguishing the enticing from the stale and regurgitated. The only thing that was remotely enticing about “Vaccination Scar” and “Love Is First” was the desperate attempt to sound something like they had in the past. But on the flip side, “In View” was pop-sounding but ultimately contrived. The tune drew looks of confusion across the board and was the nail in The Hip’s slowly closing “Relevance” coffin.

But then, how can one neglect the fact that tickets to The Hip’s upcoming tour across Canada have nearly sold out? To have a steady fanbase is an honour. The Tragically Hip have worked very hard to get where are today, touring every crevice of this land and its surrounding areas to bring their music to the fans that crave it. They are treading dangerously on the possibility that they will soon be the band that is booked in casinos. What kind of response this draws remains to be seen. It won’t however, alter their legacy.
What will forever cement The Hip’s legacy is that they shifted the winds of Canrock. Speaking in terms of new music, The Tragically Hip are indeed irrelevant. But like other musical legends such as The Rolling Stones and R.E.M., this fact is strangely irrelevant. Though the days of “Little Bones” are long gone, they still have the ability to write honest tunes, like the subtle, campfire groove of “Morning Moon” from their latest record and the rousing “Family Band” from 2006’s “World Container.” They can change and evolve, just like family. No matter what the band does however, there will always be a soft spot in the hearts of Canadian music fans. It is after all, a family matter.

The Tragically Hip have made the musical equivalent of pork chops and mashed potatoes: comfort tunes. If you can believe their track record, they probably have another eleven records up their sleeves. Tunes from “We Are The Same” will then be on par with “New Orleans Is Sinking.” The Tragically Hip are forever confined to their past successes.

In the saturated world of music there is simply no room for The Tragically Hip. They are indeed irrelevant, though it’s hardly their fault. Try as they might to do otherwise, the Tragically Hip have fallen from national legends to purveyors of a niche sound.

Yes, The Tragically Hip are trying getting with the times. “Live And Intimate At The Bathouse” is the band’s attempt to get the faces out there. They are premiering cuts from “We Are The Same” live from their studio outside of their native Kingston to be shown live on Cineplex theatres across the country. Unfortunately, the sight of aging rock stars mortifies many young music fans. But The Tragically Hip’s fans, a generation that is more comfortable buying records (As if it’s that old-school) instead of Twittering, that may not be such a hindrance to The Tragically Hip.

“We Are The Same” was not mentioned at the Junos because the plug would have fallen on deaf ears.

As The Tragically Hip’s music fills arenas, clubs, bars and karaoke machines across Canada, one thing becomes clear. They represent the belief that for better or worse, there is work to be done. They must get up in the morning and do their job, because this is the only life they know. Conceding to hope that their work will make people happy is noble, as dated as that may be. “We Are The Same,” irrelevant as it is, sure makes a whole lot of sense now.

Ouch.

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - ceebuler - 04-06-2009

The Heron Outside Wrote:At the 2009 Juno Awards in Vancouver, The Tragically Hip were everywhere. Host Russell Peters spoke of the band in laudatory tones, claiming that if viewers didn’t know who The Hip were, they “Weren’t Canadian.” Lead singer Gordon Downie joined Dallas Green onstage for a stirring rendition of their duet, “Sleeping Sickness.” Even famed Hip producer Bob Rock was kicking around, just metres away from Gord at times. This barrage of Hip-mania should come as no surprise, given the band’s iconic stature on the Canadian rock and roll landscape.

Sorry to be so blunt here, but I couldn't even read past this first paragraph. Even the first sentence is incredibly misleading. It's obvious you are trying to push forward a thesis that would be weak without a distortion of the facts. Anyone who missed the Junos would have a completely incorrect impression of that awards show after reading this paragraph. For anyone who missed the Junos, let me explain how this paragraph misleads:

1. "The Tragically Hip were everywhere" - unless I missed something during a bathroom break, the Tragically Hip were not featured in any way during the Junos, or even during the preshow (which I, unfortunately, watched). Maybe the Hip were in the audience, but Gord Downie was the only member of the band shown on camera.

2. "Russell Peters spoke of the band in laudatory tones..." - Nope, he talked only about Gord Downie, whom he was introducing as one of the next performers. Nobody at the Junos even said "Tragically Hip".

3. "Lead Singer joined Dallas Green..." - Here you wrongly imply that this point differs in some way from point 2, when in fact Russell Peters only mentioned Gord Downie to introduce this very performance. These two points happened within minutes of each other and no other reference to the Hip was made throughout the broadcast.

4. "Even famed music producer Bob Rock was kicking around, just metres away from Gord at times" - ummm are you serious? He was metres away from him because that's where the stage was. There was no mention of any relationship between Rock and the Hip, and Rock was there to pay tribute to Lover Boy. As you say, he is a famous producer who was at the Junos for reasons completely unrelated to the Hip.

5. "this barrage of Hip mania" - Wow, I'm speechless. This Juno awards featured so little Hip - less than any other show I can remember. To reiterate, Russell Peters introduced City and Colour with Gord Downie. Then that band played. Then Bob Rock talked about Loverboy. End of story. Painful read.

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - The Heron Outside - 04-06-2009

kennedy11 Wrote:Heron

that was probably the WORST verbal attack of The Hip I have ever read!
And you post threads on here too...
Shame on you!!

Brad

and you call yourself a fan????

Love gettin' the input. I really do. Anyway, I am a fan. As big a fan as anybody else on this board. I'm doing a few of the Vancouver shows, San Fran 1 and the film tonight. This doesn't however, mean that I can go on admitting that The Hip matter to the world of pop music the way they used to.

It was hard for me to write, though I doubt that'll matter at all to anyone who reads it.

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - tth_fan - 04-06-2009

The Heron Outside Wrote:
kennedy11 Wrote:Heron

that was probably the WORST verbal attack of The Hip I have ever read!
And you post threads on here too...
Shame on you!!

Brad

and you call yourself a fan????

Love gettin' the input. I really do. Anyway, I am a fan. As big a fan as anybody else on this board. I'm doing a few of the Vancouver shows, San Fran 1 and the film tonight. This doesn't however, mean that I can go on admitting that The Hip matter to the world of pop music the way they used to.

It was hard for me to write, though I doubt that'll matter at all to anyone who reads it.

No I get where you're coming from. Because you're a fan doesn't mean you can't be critical! You've heard the new album, and by comparing it to their older stuff, you just don't see the impact the Hip once had, & I respect that! However, I think it's unfair to compare new-Hip to old-Hip. They've changed their sound so many times, it's like comparing completely different bands altogether!
One of the reasons I like the Hip is because they're always changing it up, not giving us the same thing. You could go to a Hip show and if they have a setlist that includes a song from at least every one of their albums, it's like changing the entire mood and feeling of the concert with every song played. I appreciate that.

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - direwolf74 - 04-06-2009

tth_fan Wrote:No I get where you're coming from. Because you're a fan doesn't mean you can't be critical! You've heard the new album, and by comparing it to their older stuff, you just don't see the impact the Hip once had, & I respect that! However, I think it's unfair to compare new-Hip to old-Hip. They've changed their sound so many times, it's like comparing completely different bands altogether!
One of the reasons I like the Hip is because they're always changing it up, not giving us the same thing. You could go to a Hip show and if they have a setlist that includes a song from at least every one of their albums, it's like changing the entire mood and feeling of the concert with every song played. I appreciate that.

What he said.

:thumb:

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - Dark Canuck17 - 04-06-2009

Hey Heron I searched something for you...

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.nickelbackfanclub.com/">http://www.nickelbackfanclub.com/</a>

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - longseason - 04-06-2009

After having caught the Hip performing the new album, I feel that the reports of the death of the Hip's relevancy have been greatly exaggerated, ie "Beware purveyors of cool, with their compacts of one..."

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - Great Waiting List - 04-06-2009

Kmon, a band that sells out every show is hardly irrelevant.

Re: We Are The Same - Critic Reviews - Roy-at-tth - 04-06-2009

Well,

Just read three reviews - National Post, Canadian Press, Vancouver Sun.

All three dislike the album -- consider it mediocre, and vancouver sun points out that they killed the momentum established by WC.

Ah well, the courage didn`t pay off.