Thoughts and Insights -- Up To Here - Printable Version

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Thoughts and Insights -- Up To Here - edgoffin - 08-29-2017

Conversation on the EP has been great -- I'll move to Up To Here, but feel free to keep adding to the EP conversation.

Released September 5, 1989
Recorded in Ardent Studios, Memphis
Produced by Don Smith

"Blow at High Dough"
"I'll Believe in You (Or I'll Be Leaving You Tonight)"
"New Orleans Is Sinking"
"38 Years Old"
"She Didn't Know"
"Boots or Hearts"
"Everytime You Go"
"When the Weight Comes Down"
"Trickle Down"
"Another Midnight"
"Opiated"

If the EP grabbed my attention, Up To Here really stopped me in my tracks. I think like what some expressed in the EP conversation, there's a lot of "time and place influence". If you got into the band at a later date, these earlier albums maybe sound like relics.

One of my curiosities with this album is how they landed Don Smith as producer? At the time Smith has been producing and engineering with bands like Tom Petty, Travelling Wilburys, etc. The Hip stand out as a smalltime band in comparison to who else he was working with.

Just some quick thoughts -- I'll have to listen to the album again more closely.

Blow -- never got tired of seeing this song live, and there was an extended period where it fell off set lists. That closing solo became epic, still pretty good on the recorded version. Maybe I'm just missing it on the EP or it's lost in the mix, but interesting how much Rob embraces the slide on this album.

I'll Believe in You -- short spoken word section still makes me laugh. It's a bit of a middling song, but I appreciate Gord trying out some different vocal styles and Paul's background brings it together.

Any time I hear New Orleans I mentally add "I had a job before this...". I don't know if they ever made a particularly good video, but I recall this one was pretty neat. Never quite figured out what was going on with the guy and all the jars, but it had a neat look.

38 Years -- most surprising thing about this song it how it fell off the map for set lists. Last time I saw it was Kingston DFN tour, and even then it was a rarity. I still rank it highly as a "story-telling" song -- done better with examples like Wheat Kings and Bobcaygeon -- but a solid tune.

She Didn't Know -- always liked that little harmonic Rob throws in around the 40 second mark and repeats a few times. Curious about the song writing on this one, just because of the prominence of Paul's vocals.

Boots of Hearts -- most impressive thing about this is Gord's vocals. Huge leap from the EP.

Everytime & The Weight Comes Down -- always really liked these songs, again dropped from set lists quick.

Trickle Down -- I remember this being a really popular song in some early shows that I saw, took on a bit of a life of it's own with a rambling Gord just before the solo. Again, I really like Gord's vocals on this track.

Another Midnight -- bit contrived lyrically.

Opiated -- started the tradition of last album track being of my favorites. No clue what's if fully about, but some definite eye moistness when they played it 27 years later in Ottawa.

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Re: Thoughts and Insights -- Up To Here - potsie - 08-29-2017

There is a very wide chasm between UTH and the EP in terms of the lyric writing and musicianship of the band. UTH is truly a quantum leap forward. I think it still holds up very well 28 years later, including in the areas of production and sound.

I’ve always viewed UTH as the Hip’s “party album”. The straight-ahead blues rock is likely a product of the band’s over-riding philosophy for their live shows in the 1980’s: To make music that filled the dance floor at the clubs they were playing (a credo espoused by Downie in print in the mid 1980’s). The songs of UTH accomplish that goal better than any other album in their catalogue, FC included.

When paying a cover charge to hear an unknown band and experience new music in a club, people want to have a good time. That’s a simple concept that generally involves the band playing music that induces both drinking and dancing. The songs on UTH would have worked well on both fronts, resulting in a happy club owner that invites the Hip back for future shows, and patrons that tell their friends about the fun band they saw last night. And the audience grows.

Simply put, the Hip made the album they needed to make at that time to solidify their future as a viable (and profitable) live act. To illustrate my point, drop any five random tunes from UTH and imagine instead that it contained “Don’t Wake Daddy”, “Flamenco”, “Apartment Song”, “Sherpa”, and “Put it Off”. For many people (although not me) these songs may be on par or better than any they hypothetically drop from UTH, but they are not “good time” songs and do not represent the type of music the Hip needed to fill clubs in 1989 and 1990.

All that being said, the subject matter of the album is very incongruous to the musical spirit. In fact, this may be one of the Hip’s darkest albums, something I almost always overlook when listening to UTH. Song protagonists often find themselves in very troublesome situations: The resulting disaster of messing around with a unknowingly loaded gun on “She Didn’t Know”, suicide in “Opiated” (“It was see if you like it or see you up there”), end of life as the metaphorical calendar burning in “Another Midnight”, a rape avenged with murder in “38 Years Old”, and a scorned women prodded by her mother to her teach her wandering husband a lead-filled lesson in “I’ll Believe in You”. In addition you’ve got a bitter break-up song about a self-centred individual in “Boots or Hearts”, and some potentially heavy material on “Weight”, “Everytime” and “Trickle Down”, depending on how one interprets these songs.

When you dig into the lyrics on UTH, the album really does begin to feel like a bit of a downer. Yet, I can clearly recall myself standing on a coffee table with some buddies at a party in the early 90’s belting out 38 Years Old and singing “See my sister got raped so a man got killed” like it was a breezy line without any weight. That discordance between the “feel” of the album and the darkness of the content is what makes UTH very interesting to me.

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Re: Thoughts and Insights -- Up To Here - cochise - 08-29-2017

Ah, where my addiction all began.

I can still fully remember being at a stop light in Brampton on a September morning in 89, had just started college up there. Listening to Q107 and the two DJ's were talking about a song from a new band and the one DJ asking the other what the name of the song was and he said "oh I can't remember, something like Blow for Dough or Blowing High Dough", momentary pause and then "oh, its called Blow at High Dough", then they played it. The intro hooked me instantly, but I always used to have a rule that I wouldn't buy a new album (especially from some band I never heard before) unless I heard three songs I liked. Student and all, had to budget my money accordingly!

Well Blow stuck with me, a few weeks later NOIS hit the airwaves, surprise it was from the same band. Still waiting for that third and a few weeks later bam, Boots hit the radio and that was it, I drove over to the mall to buy the CD as Boots was still playing on the radio. Never looked back since.

Every song brings back so many memories. I think the best part was introducing others to this new incredible band. "You haven't heard them yet? They are going to be The Rolling Stones of Canada, just wait and see"!

They grew a ton since this album, leaps and bounds, but to me this was the album that hooked me on them and still my personal all time favourite. Top to bottom, beginning to end, its one album I can listen through all the way without ever skipping a track.

Sure NOIS became a warhorse and it got a bit tiring on setlists, but ever now and again I would listen to it like it was the very first time hearing it and realize again what an incredible dirty, bluesy song it truly is. Warhorse, yes, all time classic song, double yes.

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Re: Thoughts and Insights -- Up To Here - gsmacleod - 08-29-2017

Like many, this was the first album I heard in its entirety however it wasn't until '96. The lab I was working in during my undergrad had a desktop that was full of mp3's and we were constantly downloading more. Blow, NOIS, 38 Years and Boots were on regular rotation (along with a few other Hip tunes). After I realized how many of their songs I liked, in '96 I went to Radio Shack and bought their whole catalogue. Looked at the EP, didn't recognize any songs, grabbed UTH, knew four so a plugged it in.

Boom! I was floored. Fantastic songs, listened to the CD on repeat for days. There wasn't a single song I wasn't singing along to and still one of my favourite albums to put on just sit back and let it play.

This album also became my motivation to pick up a guitar; this and Ten were the first two albums I could play beginning to end and when I pick up my guitar, it's usually something from UTH I play to warm up.

This was also my first vinyl; my sister got me a copy of the LP for Christmas in 2003 or 2004; didn't have a turntable until 2014 but a great piece of my collection.

Will give it a track by track listen in the next couple of days.

Shane

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Re: Thoughts and Insights -- Up To Here - potsie - 08-29-2017

edgoffin Wrote:Everytime & The Weight Comes Down -- always really liked these songs, again dropped from set lists quick.

I absolutely love these two. However, there is something about Everytime that seems to hold it back and I can't quite put my finger on it. It may be the way it's mixed, with guitars being a bit too low, particularly at the beginning of the song. It may be the interweave being Rob and Paul being off just a bit... I don't know. What I do know is that it feels like a song that should pack more wallop with those guitars yet comes up just a bit short. Regardless, it's a still a killer tune.

The other thing I noticed while listening to UTH today is Paul's background vocals. He's all over a number of songs. He practically sings all of "She Didn't Know"... off the top of my head I can't think of another song that he plays a larger role on. Plus he's great on Everytime (along with what I presume is Sinclair pitching in) and he has a nice role in drawing out "waaaaaaay-t" on the chorus of "Weight".

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Re: Thoughts and Insights -- Up To Here - edgoffin - 08-30-2017

potsie Wrote:

edgoffin Wrote:The other thing I noticed while listening to UTH today is Paul's background vocals. He's all over a number of songs. He practically sings all of "She Didn't Know"... ".

Yeah, that struck me too when listening to the album track by track vs. coming up in a shuffle. Possibly the most background vocals of any album?

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Re: Thoughts and Insights -- Up To Here - hotmetal401 - 08-31-2017

Up To Here - the soundtrack to every hockey dressing room circa 1990-1996.

Everytime You Go was the first song I "chased" live and I never did end up seeing it performed. On the 2000 tour, it was brought out in Detroit and in Buffalo. I had tickets the following night, both times.

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Re: Thoughts and Insights -- Up To Here - gsmacleod - 08-31-2017

edgoffin Wrote:

potsie Wrote:

edgoffin Wrote:The other thing I noticed while listening to UTH today is Paul's background vocals. He's all over a number of songs. He practically sings all of "She Didn't Know"... ".

Yeah, that struck me too when listening to the album track by track vs. coming up in a shuffle. Possibly the most background vocals of any album?

I would say this is the case; I noticed this much more when I listen with good headphones or cranked on a good stereo. Never really noticed it until I got a good pair of headphones and just sat back and listened.

Shane

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Re: Thoughts and Insights -- Up To Here - andrew sharpe - 08-31-2017

I'm no hater of the EP, but has to be one of the greatest leaps from album 1 to 2 in rock music history. Johnny goes from bar room open miker to professional rock drummer.

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Re: Thoughts and Insights -- Up To Here - andrew sharpe - 08-31-2017

edgoffin Wrote:I'll Believe in You -- short spoken word section still makes me laugh.

The entire bridge is pretty great. I love the guitar fading in and out over top of Johnny's high hat...like cars passing on the highway...and then...5:55 he comes walkin in the front door smilin...they bring it all back (again) and finish with a sick Rob solo.

NOIS has held up despite the over exposure, though I think the guitars make it what it is. I wouldn't rate it one of GD or JF's best efforts.

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Re: Thoughts and Insights -- Up To Here - Scotty12 - 08-31-2017

Here is a promo package I have that was distributed with the album.

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Re: Thoughts and Insights -- Up To Here - potsie - 08-31-2017

Thanks for sharing Scotty. Those were a fun read. The part I enjoy most in a band's story is the time when things are just starting to take off and these articles represent that time period. "The Tragically Hip will be a group to look out for in the 1990's"... indeed!

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Re: Thoughts and Insights -- Up To Here - hotmetal401 - 09-01-2017

Thanks so much for sharing these! Great to read.

A couple of things stand out for me. First, I had no idea about the regular gigging in Memphis at the time Up To Here was recorded, although I guess that shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. What does surprise me is that somehow, none of those shows were taped. If they were playing regularly and getting some sort of buzz, would have figured a music town like that would have had a taper that was catching on and made it to a couple of gigs. Still, that they received the key to the city is kind of awesome.

The review articles stand out to me more than the advancers. Near as I can tell, the two shows reviewed took place July 8 in East Lansing, Michigan, and July 11 in St. Louis. I wish there had been a review included from the July 7 show, which took place in Madison, Wisconsin. That was the night Nirvana opened.

Also, the line about All Canadian being among the freshest material is somewhat adorable, seeing how the song was likely five years old by that point. Still, probably was better than most stuff at the record store at that time.

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Re: Thoughts and Insights -- Up To Here - Killer Whale Tank - 09-02-2017

Great discussion! My two cents:

I agree that this album represents one of those rare, quantum leaps forward from a young band, like The Beatles' lurch from hum-drum demos to jaw-dropping originality in 'Please Please Me' or Nirvana's massive surge forward with 'Nevermind;' the most extreme and important manifestation of this phenomenon being Dylan's leap from affable folk covers to ageless originals on 'Freewheelin'.

That said, the album still has elements of juvenalia to it. Gord is finding his voice as a lyricist (NOIS, Opiated, 38 Years Old) but is still in the process of finding it, or else GS is writing 'em and just isn't up to the bar that Downie comes to set with RA, where, in my opinion, he attains something close to Peak Downie, even if this happens most fully on FC. The guitar interplay is definitely where it needs to be, but the drumming - not a Hip strength until much later - is almost embrassingly unimaginative. Tracks like 'Leaving' and 'Midnight' just aren't good enough, despite strong elements. Looking back at it from this distance, then, much of it is still sort of 'adolescent' Hip. But it also has a clutch of true classics, and there is a crystalline clarity to the recording which, while perhaps not always successful in capturing their excitement as a live act, has been too often lost in a frequently murky-sounding body of work.

Definitely a record I loved at the time. I couldn't believe how this band was giving me EXACTLY what I wanted to hear, right down to the casual Canadiana - something whose absence had long bugged me on supposedly Canadian acts like Bryan Adams ('if they're Canadian, how come they sing about Los Angeles and Manhattan - ?' I was also bemused by the fact that the CanCon establishment of CBC, etc., seemed oblivious to what was going on). The Hip were like the realization of a sound and thematic palette that I'd been waiting for.

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Re: Thoughts and Insights -- Up To Here - Moof_Milker - 09-03-2017

As stated by everyone, the leap in quality between the EP and UTH is astonishing. I don't find fault in any of the tracks here -- solid, meaty production, iconic riffs, great songwriting, and kick-ass interplay between guitars. The first 5 seconds of Blow at High Dough is a million times better than anything on the EP. A lot of love for Gord Sinclair on the forum lately and his Blow at High Dough bassline is my Exhibit A of his genius - a riff that's simple, hooky, rhythmic, groovy and FUN to play on any instrument. One of the all-time great bass lines. A recent discovery for me (from this forum) was hearing the demo versions of some UTH songs. They lacked the final punch of the songs that ended up on the album. These songs are TIGHT with lots of space in between the notes. A funny note, my first exposure The Hip was from my older brother who bought home Road Apples...and a copied cassette version of UTH. The UTH cassette only had the right channel on it...so when I bought my own cassette I was blown away to hear the other half of the recording! I seriously listened to NOIS for year without hearing Rob's guitar. One final thought: I always thought it was interesting that Gord would always change the "Gordie baby" line in live shows. I always thought he was a little embarrassed by that line...hence the change. Although 13 years later we did get "snoring Gords and Cheryls"...so "Gord" did make another lyrical appearance.

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