[NegPhil]

Soupy, I can't wait to read your review of Road Apples. I think it may be my favorite album. As for TATH I think it's fantastic. I am starting to think unless one was exposed to it when it was brand new it looses it's revolutionary aspect. At the time nobody had ever recorded anything like it.

[Soupy]

Wow, Soupy, for a new fan you've come a long way in a short time! As a Hip fan of over 10 years, there's not much you've said that I would disagree with. Oh to be in your position again - to hear Fully Completely for the first time! You've still got years of listening ahead of you; of interpreting and re-interpreting lyrics and melodies....

You'll form an impression of the Hip, and then that next album they release will be super special for you, because it will be the first album they'll release while you're a fan. Back in the day you might have lined up at midnight to buy the album a few hours early (unfortunately, I don't think shops do this anymore), as I did for Trouble at the Henhouse in '96, while the record shop blasts the new album and all the diehards are standing in line, trying to make sense of the new songs.

Once you know all the albums by heart, you'll discover a wealth of unreleased/bootleg material. There's lots of classic stuff that Hip fans know about. Just ask for opinions about what bootlegs to look for first, and you'll probably get a hundred different suggestions from fans on the hipbase. You'll hear songs like "Get Back Again", "Blonde Solid" and "Montreal" and wonder what the hell the Hip were thinking when they decided not to release these songs.

Congratulations on discovering this magnificent band. Keep the reviews/impressions coming, as it reminds us what it was like to be a new fan, discovering this material for the first time. Thanks for your post.
CB

Thank you. It's somewhat disapointing to discover a band like The Hip 15 years too late, but I'll take some comfort in the fact I did finally find them whereas several other people outside Canada won't.

I think i'm pretty much the right target audience for the Hip, I enjoy what I called intelligent rock (that does sound pretenious I admit.) bands like The Who, REM, Pearl Jam and alot of those early 90's acts that got dumped in the 'grunge' tag. I think the Hip fit nicely in with those bands.
The odd thing is i've been awoken to alot of Canada's new bands that seem to have sprung up in the past few years like Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, The New Pornographers & STARS but despict buying their albums I still never heard of the Hip. Christ I was even buying Our Lady Peace albums in the mid 90's (Naveed is the only classic), I really don't understand how the Hip didn't break out of Canada in the early 90's, thier sound was perfect to ride the alt-rock/grunge wave that was so big at that time, then I would have discovered them early - grrr.

Anyway I came here to do my review for Road Apples.

Road Apples.
A good old fashioned ballsy rock album with a hint of country twang. Road Apples is pretty well represented on 'Yer Favs' with 5 tracks. Yeah this album is another strong one the 5 tracks I'd heard are amoung the strongest tracks (which isn't always the case with 'Yer Favs' I've found). '3 Pistols' is a pure class rocker, 'Cordelia' sounds like the band Live at there best (throwing copper era). 'The Luxury' and 'Fight' are the best of the new songs to me.
I'm really looking forward to hearing Fully Completely, to see how they developed their sound from RA to DFN.

Fav Track : 3 Pistols.
Other Highlights : Cordelia, Fiddler's Green & Fight
Rating : B+

Couple of interesting points. Firstly I've not actually come across a Hip song i'd actively say I dislike, there are a couple that I think are pretty average but there has yet to be a song I'd skip reqularly.
Secondly although the band to have a distict sound, each album has it's own unique sound. Take a song from one album and put it on another album and it would stick out despict the fact it's clearly the same band.

[Zenith]

Just remember with FC, to look past the production. To me it sounds like the whole thing was recorded through a sock - but it's still great! Courage was definitely remixed for Yer Favourites (I'm not 100% sure about the others) There are some really strong songs on there.

I agree with your point about all the albums sounding different, but with the underlyin similarity. I think that's part of the reason I like them, as you can really track their progression. I'm also suprised that they didn't break onto the world stage more with the likes of Pearl Jam. I do get the feeling that they write and sing about very Canadian things though, which might explian why people in other countries didn't really connect with them, but why they are so huge over there.

I didn't really get into The Hip until about 2002, but like they say, better late than never! :thumb:

[Tthip]

Couple of interesting points. Firstly I've not actually come across a Hip song i'd actively say I dislike, there are a couple that I think are pretty average but there has yet to be a song I'd skip reqularly.
Secondly although the band to have a distict sound, each album has it's own unique sound.

Great reviews Soupy.
Have you purchased the live album yet? Or the live DVD? And I am not sure if I missed it, but I do not believe you have seen the band live yet.
I am just saying this because it was 4 years between when I bought my first album - Road Apples 1992 - and when I first saw them live, 1996.
I thought I loved this band just from the albums, but after seeing them live - the songs actually were better, and some that I did not care for I now loved. Live gave every song, every note new meaning.
TTH: see them live.

[day_for_night]

Just remember with FC, to look past the production. To me it sounds like the whole thing was recorded through a sock

after owning the albums before the time of cds, ala the casset tape era, none of the older albums sound bad to me. you should here what pigeon camera sounds like on a tape after you've played it 300 times!

[Zenith]

Absolutely! I'm with Dana on this one. You have to see/her them live (even if it's just a recording!) I'd definitely recommend getting the 'One Night In Toronto...' DVD (or get yourself over to the tracker and download one of a number of superb quality fan made DVD's! You won't regret it! :thumb:

Just remember with FC, to look past the production. To me it sounds like the whole thing was recorded through a sock

after owning the albums before the time of cds, ala the casset tape era, none of the older albums sound bad to me. you should here what pigeon camera sounds like on a tape after you've played it 300 times!

Yeah, good point! :lol:

[tfoe]

Wow, Soupy, for a new fan you've come a long way in a short time! As a Hip fan of over 10 years, there's not much you've said that I would disagree with. Oh to be in your position again - to hear Fully Completely for the first time! You've still got years of listening ahead of you; of interpreting and re-interpreting lyrics and melodies....

I couldn't agree more with you than this piece of your post. Just the thought of being able to go back and hear "Fully Completely" again for the first time!! In my opinion FC is the greatest album, which produced a few of my favourite songs of all time. Wheat Kings, 100th, Fully, Locked etc...!!!

[Daryl24]

Courage was definitely remixed for Yer Favourites (I'm not 100% sure about the others)

yeai think they called it "digitally inhanced" or whatever. I think most of the songs (at least the older ones) were re-done. looking for a place to happend was for sure, u can tell at the end of the song it doesn't fade-out at the same time as the original, u can hear the very last words of the song more clearly (We've all been here since, God, who knows?)

[chris]

The tracks were re-mixed and re-mastered - not re-recorded - for YF.

[Chris Tanz]

yeai think they called it "digitally inhanced" or whatever. I think most of the songs (at least the older ones) were re-done. looking for a place to happend was for sure, u can tell at the end of the song it doesn't fade-out at the same time as the original, u can hear the very last words of the song more clearly (We've all been here since, God, who knows?)

Was just listenting to and enjoying this closing bit of Looking for a Place to Happen from Yer Favourites the other day. I used to crank the volume on the Fully Completely CD to be able to listen to that bit as it faded out on the original recording, cuz I loved how Gord got that last "God, who knows" in, changing the inflection just a little bit.

The re-done Fully Completely on YF is also a great version of an already great tune.

And back to the thread topic -- Soupy, great reviews. Go get yerself blown away by FC. Don't give up on TATH, though, because one day you'll just start absent-mindedly singing Let's Stay Engaged and you'll be loving it (... got me to the gate, in time for a coffee ...)

ct

[prairieman]

Hey soupy, great reviews, very refreshing to hear from a brand new fan, instead of listening to the die hards pick and probe, which I am guilty of myself.

15 years late yes, but you'll get caught up fast. Be sure to get Live Between Us cd, and That Night in Toronto dvd, it just never gets old.

:thumb:

[thesellout]

The re-done Fully Completely on YF is also a great version of an already great tune

they took out that friggen backwards drum thing. I hated that

[Soupy]

Well I finally got my hands on my copy of Fully Completely (damn you Amazon with your delays).

So to the review.

Fully Completely.
This album is well represented on Yer Fav's with 7 of the 12 tracks on it, however as with Road Apples and Phantom Power (also both heavly represented on yer...) some of the songs tend to lost of the compliation. 'Locked' for example is a song I could barely remenber on 'Yer' but on FC it shines (this is probably the problem with best of albums, it wasn't till i got Day for Night I truely discovered 'Nautical').
Anyway this albums picks up where Apples left off but also shows hints at the direction the band will take on Day For Night. 'Pigeon Camera' is the best of the new songs to me, infact it's probably my second fav song on the album. Overall i'd say this album is maybe just slightly better than Apples.

Best Track : At The Hundredth Meridan.
Other Highlights : Pigeon Camara, Courage.

Rating B+


So with just 'Up To Here' to go (amazon say I'll get it mid march ) I thought I'd pick my 15 favourite tracks so far.

15. You're Everywhere.
14. Ahead By A Century.
13. The Darkest One.
12. Vapour Trails.
11. Luv(sic).
10. Poets.
9. Are We Family.
8. Last Night I Dreamed....
7. At the Hundredth Meridan.
6. Stay
5. Nautical Disaster
4. Escape is at Hand...
3. Three Pistols
2. Bobcaygeon
1. The Direwolf

[Chris Tanz]

15. You're Everywhere.

amen!

great underdog choice for the Top 15.

ct

[Ballgame]

Good stuff. Always interested in what other people think about the albums. And the good thing is that there is a lot of albums so everyone opinions will vary. Here is how I would rate them


World Container
Rate: A
Bob Rock made a great album! This album really brought the Hip back to the fore front. The bass on Luv(sic) is so clear and big, that’s really hard to do with bass since it eats up the lower frequencies.

In Between Evolution
Rate: C+
Another album I think they should have spent more time on. Gus and Vaccination Scar are solid songs, and Mean Streak has potential, but the rest seem undone to me. Sonically this is a warmer album to me.

Trouble at the Henhouse
Rate: B
The time this came out I thought Gift Shop really had a pulse sonically for what was going on in the world at that time. Not the lyrics just the tone of the song. I remember listening to it the first time and it made so much sense! Although I don’t listen to the studio version of ABAC live it’s amazing and when Paul finally comes in and they jam its special.

In Violet Light
Rate: D
I can’t even listen to this album. I respect it because it’s the Hip but too mellow for me and thank god Silver Jet is on here
I respect the Hip and everything they do. But not everything can be an “A” or a “B”. Sorry

Music@Work
Rate: C
If you are about to listen to this album for the first time it has so much promise once M@W starts but really not much after it. Tiger the Lion is amazing because is sounds nothing like anything the Hip have done before or since. So I give them credit for that. Sharks is another good one but after that the songs don’t flow in my opinion. I don’t know, I feel like they didn’t spend enough time on this album

Fully Completely
Rate: A+
To me this is when the Hip were at the finest rock and roll point. Road Apples was a rock record and Fully is where they started to experiment more and with a detailed ear you can hear the changes that would become DFN
Locked in the Trunk of a Car is a well written song that takes you on a journey musically and vocally.

Phantom Power
Rate: A-
I have to give this an A because of Poets, Vapour Trails, MEMBERSHIP, Emperor Penguin. But I give it a “-“ because of the sonic qualities. Its not as warm as Fully and I would consider the over tone of this album as “dry”. Still good none the less

Day for Night
Rate: A
My fav album. Very dark and I would consider this an “alternative” album. Or an “arty” album because they really use sonic characteristics to add different color to the songs. The one solo that comes to mind is Grace Too where a good part of the solo is feedback. If done properly it really speaks to you

Road Apples
Rate: A-
The solo in Bring all Back alone gives this album an A. Little Bones and who could forget Twist my Arm or Three Pistols. This album also carries one of the most underrated Hip songs that I’ve NEVER HEARD LIVE…..Fight.

Up to Here
Rate: B+ A strong effort and a raw record. For its time was a solid effort and really started to get peoples attention

The Tragically Hip
Rate: C-
Positive is that it has Highway Girl which really is a great rock and roll song. But the production is really rough. It is an EP after all and who knows where they would be without this album,