02-27-2018, 01:22 PM
My least favorite Hip album, not counting the EP. Like it's predecessor, there are some wonderful songs on this record (Morning Moon, Coffee Girl, Last Recluse, Depression Suite, Country Day), but also a handful of stinkers.
There are some cool moments sprinkled throughout, like Robby's smokin' guitar solo on Queen of the Furrows and the beautiful slide guitar in Honey Please. But those moments are rare. I appreciate the sentiment of Gord's lyrics for Now the Struggle Has a Name, but musically the song is slathered in the usual Bob Rock bloat, which unfortunately robs the song of it's lyrical power and turns it into a boring, wimpy dud.
All that being said, the good moments on this album are pretty damn solid. Morning Moon and The Last Recluse are two of their greatest compositions that can proudly stand alongside their best work.
I didn't like Coffee Girl when the record first came out, but it's really grown on me over the years. A simple, lovely little pop song. The trumpet adds a nice touch as well.
Depression Suite is easily the most ambitious thing they've ever attempted, and I think they pulled it off nicely. It's one of the only songs on the album where Rock's extra flourishes actually accentuate the song and raise it to another level. When they did this song live, it was absolutely brilliant.
Country Day is just a great tune with fantastic lyrics, and Gord sings it beautifully. Love Robby's pedal steel as well. And that bridge is pure magic.
Last but not least, I have to mention how much I love the b-side Skeleton Park. The fact that this song was left on the cutting room floor in favor of duds like The Exact Feeling and Speed River is a travesty.
There are some cool moments sprinkled throughout, like Robby's smokin' guitar solo on Queen of the Furrows and the beautiful slide guitar in Honey Please. But those moments are rare. I appreciate the sentiment of Gord's lyrics for Now the Struggle Has a Name, but musically the song is slathered in the usual Bob Rock bloat, which unfortunately robs the song of it's lyrical power and turns it into a boring, wimpy dud.
All that being said, the good moments on this album are pretty damn solid. Morning Moon and The Last Recluse are two of their greatest compositions that can proudly stand alongside their best work.
I didn't like Coffee Girl when the record first came out, but it's really grown on me over the years. A simple, lovely little pop song. The trumpet adds a nice touch as well.
Depression Suite is easily the most ambitious thing they've ever attempted, and I think they pulled it off nicely. It's one of the only songs on the album where Rock's extra flourishes actually accentuate the song and raise it to another level. When they did this song live, it was absolutely brilliant.
Country Day is just a great tune with fantastic lyrics, and Gord sings it beautifully. Love Robby's pedal steel as well. And that bridge is pure magic.
Last but not least, I have to mention how much I love the b-side Skeleton Park. The fact that this song was left on the cutting room floor in favor of duds like The Exact Feeling and Speed River is a travesty.