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I'm certainly not writing them off as a creative force. Now for Plan A is a terrific album and one of the best things they've done in recent years. I still think they've got a couple more great albums in them. But I refuse to fork over any more money for their concerts until they repair their broken live show. They have such an unbelievably rich body of work, and they really need to rediscover that and make the setlists more interesting. Not too long ago the Hip were considered to be one of the greatest live bands on the planet, right up there with Pearl Jam, Springsteen, Wilco, etc.. and I'd love to see them to earn that reputation back. And for the love of all things good and pure, Gord needs to start using his natural singing voice again. This guy possesses one of the most unique instruments in all of rock, and it's an awesome and powerful thing when he actually sings in key and doesn't scream. Judging by the clips I heard from his recent solo gig, he can clearly still sing when he wants to. So it's baffling to me that he chooses to butcher the Hip's material when he performs with the band. I wish I could understand it. Perhaps the other members of the Hip don't even understand it.
Perhaps Escape@Hand is right. Maybe these guys need to crank out another album quickly and get right back on the horse instead of waiting 3 years. This band still has it in them to be a great live act. Whatever is missing, I hope they can get it back. C'mon Hip! Make me a believer again!
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I'm not sure that the "crank it out quick" approach is one that works for the band anymore. It was certainly working for them circa Road Apples, but In Between Evolution came out a little half-baked.
I don't think they're writing at the same rate, or in the same way that they were during their early period. Their songs tended to emerge from extended jamming at that point, whereas now the band uses a slow back and forth between Toronto and Kingston.
I think that part of the problem we're facing as fans right now is that the guys themselves are mostly content to sit on their laurels and focus on their personal lives. There doesn't seem to be much of a sense of urgency anymore. I hate to say this, but they seem to have lost the die hard work ethic of their early days.
It's not that they don't have anything to say anymore, but they're not in much of a hurry to say it. It probably doesn't help that so many musical trends have come and gone over their career that it's hard to know where they fit in anymore. DFN kind of made sense in the grunge age, but that's probably the last time they were comparable to any band but themselves.
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don't be such an arseface
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^^^ Agree with the arseface quote from the last post also.^^^
Been a Detroit area fan for over 20 years. More casual than hardcore, but I always come back and see what they're up to. I'm roughly Gord's age. You go through so many things at this point, even possibly questioning how deep your love for music itself is. Plus there's the issues with his wife's health. As far as the live singing, I think he's actually a frustrated punk rocker. Didn't he say something along those lines in the last Q interview? Or he's just majorly stressed. I think he also scream-sings in reaction to the crowd singing along, in order to sing over them or phrase differently. It seems like it makes him queasy when there's too much 'feel-good harmony'.
I hope it's not, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is the end. 25 years, Live DVD, box set, Bobcaygeon film, calling the last album Now For Plan A. We'll see. Personally, I'd love an acoustic based new album of rich, nuanced songs with good bridges and warm vocals.
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I'm thankful the Hip are still putting out relevant music. I do get to see them for 30 or 40 bucks a show in the eastern leg of the u.s. tour. I know it's not about the money but its always about the money. If i was paying 100 bucks i may feel differently. If we all look in the mirror we are not the same as we were 25 years ago. Hopefully we've all grown and aged gracefully.
My approach with the Hip is to accept them for who they are. i trust that if they are making music it is because they are truly excited about it. I don't think they are faking it or going through the motions.
For me there is excitement for new music and tours still. Tremendous sadness at the final show of the tour.
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I'd just like to remind everybody that I got my hate on for the Hip back when Plan A came out. 8) I maintain that it's a really lacklustre album with a couple of decent tracks (The Lookahead, At Transformation). Looking back, it's pretty obvious the Hip have been in a holding pattern since at least World Container, and the boys are more interested in their solo albums and side projects than the material they produce as a band that lets them keep coasting on their legacy.
For real, though: I used to be shaking with excitement whenever a new Hip album was near and a track would pop up online or leak somewhere. I'd share it on every social media network I could with everyone I knew. I didn't even listen to Now For Plan A in full until a week after it came out, and don't think I've listened to the whole album in full since.
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:roll: Yawn...nothing to see here...these are all opinions and everyone is entitled to them...so many here love NFPA me being one of them but WATS...I never play that one again IMO...
want to be a nobody without peer
want to be a thought that's never done
want to shake your faith in human nature
want to break the hearts of everyone
want to be your wheezing screen door
want to be your stars of Algonquin
want to be your roaring floorboard
want to break the hearts of everyone
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Like many of you I think i'm still a fan of The Hip but I would say in the last 5-10 years The Hip have been more involved in their solo careers than the actual Tragically Hip band. I think the Hip is just a reason for a bunch of old buddies to come and make some music together and make revenue off of it. The live shows are a prime example of that with pretty much the same set lists in every show. I do love their last few albums like NFPA and We Are the Same because of the lyrics but the live shows are nowhere near as good as they were when i first saw The Hip in Burlington VT in 2000. The videos that one of the members on here posted was a video of Grace Too and it was absolutely horrific. When i was watching this video I remember back at that Burlington show and thought that this is not the feeling Grace Too gave me when I first heard it live. The first time I heard it live was nothing short of amazing and this is what got me hooked into a die hard hip fan. I know things can't last forever but like a lot of you on here, I agree that Gordie with his screaming during songs make me cringe, especially when you know Gordie has an amazing unique singing voice. Take for example when The Hip do Fiddler's Green and Gordie doesn't scream so his lungs explode all over the mic but uses his unique voice to feed the listeners with musical genius.
