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And months later, I realize I mixed NFPA and WATS up in my post. D'oh.
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Some quick remarks about their most controversial albums:
World Container and M@W are just awful. Awful, awful, awful. Hard to decide which is worse; it's like choosing between puke and poop - although the latter has one indisputably great single (the title track) and the former has a couple of memorable moments (e.g., the priceless 'The Kids Don't Get It'). Nonetheless as a whole these are best forgotten.
WATS has bloated tracks, certainly. But it also has several gems that pull it way above the "worst of" category. Any album containing 'Morning Moon,' the toe-tapping intelligent pop of 'Coffee Girl,' and the magnificent 'The Last Recluse,' along with some of Downie's most tasteful singing, is too good to be awful.
In Violet Light has good *material* compromised by the absolute worst production of any Hip album since the EP. Basically unlistenable, but I don't rate it as the "worst" because most of the songs are good - as songs, not recordings.
In Between Evolution, meanwhile, is a wonderful, live-off-the-floor album full of urgent, razor-sharp stuff - far from one of their worst, it's one of their best and sadly underrated, which I can only explain with reference to the album's spontaneous and lo-fi sound. Since I regard this sort of non-slickness as a positive virtue, that's hardly a "problem" for me.
In short, I just can't relate to how most Hip fans seem to think about these records. Anyone who reviles IBE just doesn't get it, as far as I'm concerned.
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Killer Whale Tank Wrote:Some quick remarks about their most controversial albums:
World Container and M@W are just awful. Awful, awful, awful. Hard to decide which is worse; it's like choosing between puke and poop - although the latter has one indisputably great single (the title track) and the former has a couple of memorable moments (e.g., the priceless 'The Kids Don't Get It'). Nonetheless as a whole these are best forgotten.
WATS has bloated tracks, certainly. But it also has several gems that pull it way above the "worst of" category. Any album containing 'Morning Moon,' the toe-tapping intelligent pop of 'Coffee Girl,' and the magnificent 'The Last Recluse,' along with some of Downie's most tasteful singing, is too good to be awful.
In Violet Light has good *material* compromised by the absolute worst production of any Hip album since the EP. Basically unlistenable, but I don't rate it as the "worst" because most of the songs are good - as songs, not recordings.
In Between Evolution, meanwhile, is a wonderful, live-off-the-floor album full of urgent, razor-sharp stuff - far from one of their worst, it's one of their best and sadly underrated, which I can only explain with reference to the album's spontaneous and lo-fi sound. Since I regard this sort of non-slickness as a positive virtue, that's hardly a "problem" for me.
In short, I just can't relate to how most Hip fans seem to think about these records. Anyone who reviles IBE just doesn't get it, as far as I'm concerned.
My interpretation of the poll was "Least Favourite", not which album is the most awful. I personally do not revile any Hip music, just rating as the poll suggests, least favourite.
"we've only got three hundred feet to go ..."
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I'm not at all surprised that WATS is in the lead. That album was a huge disappointment. The Hip are always best with a little bombast. That album sounded very small.
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Upon further review, I change my vote.
It may be dumb to admit, but I don't dislike anything these guys touch, I'd say.
Having said that, I originally voted for World Container, but I'm pretty sure I don't even believe that. To me, that album shreds (The Lonely End of the Rink, The Drop-Off, The Kids Don't Get It, Family Band), In View kicks my ass, and World Container live was phenomenal (especially loved it when WC would lead into Springtime In Vienna).
My vote now goes to Fully Completely. I love the material on FC, but I love all TTH material it appears. It gets my vote based on the overall production. Remix, remaster, and repress Fully Completely, and my vote will probably change.
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Yeah. I heard The Drop Off for the first time at the Fort York show in June 2006. Loved it then. Some great lyrical work in that tune, too.
Personal stakes get raised and get raised 'til your story gets compellin'
If you lacked the sense or were willfully dense is forever in the tellin'
Awesome.
Jeff
June 21, 2003 Toronto, ON: SkyDome
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Music @ Work is my least fav, how did I come to this conclusion? Well I never bought the CD until just 2 years ago and still I don't really listen to it. So im guessing that makes it my least fav, all the other albums get regular rotation, and Im really surprised that WATS is the least fav of the group. I actually like that album front to back.
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MOST SURPRISING is that someone actually voted for Road Apples.
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Different strokes, for different folks, I guess...
For me, IVL is the best sounding Hip album recorded in the last 20 years. Hugh Padgham did amazing work on this recording and it is proof that in this age of digital, compression, etc, you can still produce something that sounds great, something seriously lacking in the last couple of Hip albums.
Killer Whale Tank Wrote:Some quick remarks about their most controversial albums:
World Container and M@W are just awful. Awful, awful, awful. Hard to decide which is worse; it's like choosing between puke and poop - although the latter has one indisputably great single (the title track) and the former has a couple of memorable moments (e.g., the priceless 'The Kids Don't Get It'). Nonetheless as a whole these are best forgotten.
WATS has bloated tracks, certainly. But it also has several gems that pull it way above the "worst of" category. Any album containing 'Morning Moon,' the toe-tapping intelligent pop of 'Coffee Girl,' and the magnificent 'The Last Recluse,' along with some of Downie's most tasteful singing, is too good to be awful.
In Violet Light has good *material* compromised by the absolute worst production of any Hip album since the EP. Basically unlistenable, but I don't rate it as the "worst" because most of the songs are good - as songs, not recordings.
In Between Evolution, meanwhile, is a wonderful, live-off-the-floor album full of urgent, razor-sharp stuff - far from one of their worst, it's one of their best and sadly underrated, which I can only explain with reference to the album's spontaneous and lo-fi sound. Since I regard this sort of non-slickness as a positive virtue, that's hardly a "problem" for me.
In short, I just can't relate to how most Hip fans seem to think about these records. Anyone who reviles IBE just doesn't get it, as far as I'm concerned.
"They're your blues, we just play 'em"
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WATS is the only album that i don't own, so that's gotta count for something. Oddly enough, Morning Moon is one of my favs from them in the last ten years.
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The Darkest Canuck Wrote:WATS is the only album that i don't own, so that's gotta count for something. Oddly enough, Morning Moon is one of my favs from them in the last ten years.
Love is a curse by tragicaly hip thank u limewire
not gooder as there song s happy hour, hockey song and wreck of the edmund fitz cover w/ perl jam 'tho
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