In Violet Light is a glorious album

In Violet Light is a glorious album - Printable Version

+- PunBB (https://punbb.in)
+-- Forum: General Discussion - Hipbase.com (https://punbb.in/forumdisplay.php?fid=4)
+--- Forum: Tragically Hip Discussion (https://punbb.in/forumdisplay.php?fid=7)
+--- Thread: In Violet Light is a glorious album (/showthread.php?tid=6220)

Pages: 1 2 3

- Stephen Dame - 06-07-2005

I think "Leave" is the quintessential Hip song. Intelligent and melodic and it's got that gorgeous lyric: "The blind feed the blind/Whispering things like/On the money and bullseye."

And it's fun to try and ramp your voice up and hit the incremental notes Gord does when he sings "Your the Darkest One!" especially if your voice cracks... which is cool, 'cause so does his. Smile

- The Horrible Esthete - 06-08-2005

Stephen Dame Wrote:I think "Leave" is the quintessential Hip song. Intelligent and melodic and it's got that gorgeous lyric: "The blind feed the blind/Whispering things like/On the money and bullseye."

Pssst! That's right on the money....

- musicatworkusa - 06-10-2005

I think the whole album is wonderful. Big Grin

- Rye - 06-10-2005

I listened to it the other day again. I think I'm the only one here that doesn't really like Dire Wolf and I'm pretty indifferent about Dark Canuck. Infact, I usually stop listening after Leave.

On the other hand The Darkest One is one of my favourite all-time Hip tunes and I think that It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken would be thought of as a classic Hip ballad along with Scared and Wheat Kings song if it was on Day For Night, Henhouse or Phantom power. It's too easily dismissed as sounding like a "new" Hip song by casual observers just because it's slower.

- intothenight - 06-10-2005

Rye Wrote:I listened to it the other day again. I think I'm the only one here that doesn't really like Dire Wolf and I'm pretty indifferent about Dark Canuck. Infact, I usually stop listening after Leave.

On the other hand The Darkest One is one of my favourite all-time Hip tunes and I think that It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken would be thought of as a classic Hip ballad along with Scared and Wheat Kings song if it was on Day For Night, Henhouse or Phantom power. It's too easily dismissed as sounding like a "new" Hip song by casual observers just because it's slower.

This is a really good point.

- tigerthelion - 06-10-2005

I love IAGLIYDW. I think it is a classic. I think it's a marvelous song.

ABAC, Bobcaygeon, Wheat Kings, Scared, LTR, Get Back Again, Flamenco are also some other gems which are of the slow tempo variety. Sherpa is great too. The Rules is great also. Stay is another great one.

- intothenight - 06-11-2005

Wow Throwing off Glass is a beauty. The Hip never cease to amaze me. I've had this album for three years and this song finally just hit me right now.

- direwolf74 - 06-11-2005

intothenight Wrote:Wow Throwing off Glass is a beauty. The Hip never cease to amaze me. I've had this album for three years and this song finally just hit me right now.

I've loved that song since day one when I first heard it on the Men With Brooms soundtrack. Beautiful song!

- j-monster - 06-12-2005

Personally I think that's one area where the Hip have really progressed as a band over the years... the quality of their slow songs (or ballads or whatever you wish to call them). Not to say that their older ones were bad, but I think the newer slow songs are much more consistent, deeper and moving.

Some of my absolute favourite songs from the last couple CDs would fall into this category, in fact... It's A Good Life, Throwing Off Glass and Are We Family.

- The Horrible Esthete - 06-12-2005

intothenight Wrote:Wow Throwing off Glass is a beauty. The Hip never cease to amaze me. I've had this album for three years and this song finally just hit me right now.

Yeah. I just keep liking it more and more as time goes on. The bass line is awesome (Gord S strikes again), and I love the little harmonics that Bobby throws in there throughout that lovely chord progession. So metered, so under-control, and Downie's vocals softened just enough to capture the tenderness of the lyric...the Hip are really one of the best ever....

- chicagoblackhawks77 - 06-13-2005

I resurrected IVL on my trip home from chicago. Great great album. Dire Wolf, Darkest One, and Silver Jet all rock.

Love darkest one b/c of its connection with the trailer park boys. "Gord says he'll get us some chicken if we steal a motor for his car."

Silver Jet: "All you Gregory Peck Fans" Never a huge fan of this jam until the motown show of last september. These chicks were waving a "Gregory Peck Fans" sign and then Gord gave them a shout out before busting into song. Sweet.

Dire Wolf: I've said this one before, but I love the phrase "september off". Well, I'm a high school teacher, and the possibility of having any time of in september intrigues me.

Solid album, as under rated as Up to Here.
Mick

- Killer Whale Tank - 06-13-2005

It's not one of my favourite Hip records, but this is an 'appreciation' thread, so I'll shut up. What I want to know is: does anyone OTHER than me think that 'Beautiful Thing' would be a really nifty little song if it weren't for the overblown chorus (complete with that regrettable phallic ricochet :oops: )? They should have just done two verses, guitar solo, then call it quits. You'd have a 1:50-minute nugget.

As for 'Glass:' overwritten, but gorgeous vocals and lovely verses. 'I know I'm losing you, I know what that means' catches my heart every time.

- The Horrible Esthete - 06-14-2005

Killer Whale Tank Wrote:As for 'Glass:' overwritten, but gorgeous vocals and lovely verses.

May I ask what you mean by 'overwritten'?

- sean.bonner - 06-14-2005

I love this album, I mean The Dire Wolf, A Beautiful Thing, Use It Up, and Good Life are jaw dropping. My least favorite on this album though I'd say is Are You Ready. And what a cool pic of the hip members smiling in the booklet!

- Killer Whale Tank - 06-14-2005

The Horrible Esthete Wrote:
Killer Whale Tank Wrote:As for 'Glass:' overwritten, but gorgeous vocals and lovely verses.

May I ask what you mean by 'overwritten'?

'Exquisite'---the word around which the whole lyric is constructed---rings false to me. I just don't believe that's an honest representation of what a father would say to his daughter after watching a car full of Yahoos throw a bottle onto the street. More grating is 'barbarous threats' (leaving out the adjective would have been more effective. That's a classic example of overwriting; just say 'threats' and leave the specifics to the listener's imagination).

Between 'iridescent,' 'exquisite,' 'exulted' 'barbarous' and the acceptable, but slightly too cerebral 'stub-toe effects', parts of the lyric have a precious quality that detracts from the splendid verses. IMHO.

Of course, it matters more in a song like this, where the simple structure means that every word carries weight.