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IMO Cream is the best song on TATH
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I think IBE is awesome! It proves just how special this band is. After all these years together they are still as fresh and creative as the day they began.
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Yeah, IBE does seem to be gettin cooler and cooler. But IVL will always be the worst album in my opinion. I never got around to liking that one for some strange reason. Some of the songs are cool but.. it just... doesn't snap...
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Well in my opion it is one of their best albums and certainly one of my favourites after Fully Completely and Live Between Us.
This is what I really like about the Hip. First I like one or two numbers and then after listening very often some more and finally it grows to something that is on your mind forever.
So guys you are so welcome to Holland.
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IBE is a great album ive probably listened to it over 200 times and still cannot get enought it definately ranks up on my top 3 hip albums. Just put her on and let it spin no need to skip songs just so good...
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The whole album is great, from the first listen, I can't pick a favourite, Copenhagen is amazing!!..way too catchy not to like.
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I agree. One Night in Copenhagen is one catchy tune, I love it.
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It's got one of those great all-purpose sayings...if I lived to be 100, I could never think "you talentless fuck, good fucking luck!" enough. It's engraved on my brain. Sometimes when I'm listening to someone I don't agree with, or somebody who has plans I doubt they'll succeed in - nobody here of course! - it comes to mind and I grin for no reason. Which has the secondary effect of making them think I appreciate what they're saying. Kills two birds with one stone, amusing me and appeasing the clueles speaker...!
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I definitely understand about Heaven, but I really love the chugging guitars in Copenhagen...I absolutely the repeated riff that starts high and falls...don't know what you call it in musical terminology, but you can hear it roaring away in the background...fantastic stuff. At first I was reaally, REALLY disappointed that it's only 2:20 long (and I still am a bit), but now I have adjusted to it and I find myself liking it as the brief sort of interlude between the heavy rocking songs preceding it and Family.
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So.....
I wanted to give IBE a fair shake, so I gave it two full months to let it ‘develop’. Upon the first listen, the only song I really liked on IBE was Gus, so this album had plenty of room to grow. I found that it did improve with repeated spins, mercifully. Some notes:
Summer Is Killing Us - Initially, I felt that SIKU was hackneyed and overproduced, but now, I think this song compares favorably with The Hip elite. The guitars are phenomenal on this track....rich and full. Has anyone seen TTH perform this one live yet? If so, is Baker playing that Rickenbacker that we had previously discussed someplace on this forum? (I posted a pic of him with it somewhere). I’d almost be willing to bet that it is, but I’m not positively sure. Regardless, the guitars really do it for me in this track, and Gord’s energy and vocal stylings are top-notch; the labour and strain evident in his voice elevate the emotion inherent to the lyrics. ***** (Five of Five Stars)
Gus, The Polar Bear From Central Park - Loved this one form the get-go. Gord’s maniacal intonation reinforces an already dark and eerie drone, which is what I personally think the Hip does best. Musically, TTH means business on this one. Baker shines again on this one, playing masterful leads that fit right into place. ***** (Five of Five Stars)
It Can’t Be Nashville Every Night - This cut grew into a favourite so quickly and suddenly, even a veteran Hip fan like me was taken aback. Once it hooked me, I couldn’t put it down. Never would I have expected to find a chorus comprised mainly of exclamations so catchy, but I do. I find myself singing it sometimes for days on end. ***** (Five of Five Stars)
One Night in Copenhagen - Ultra-cool intro; guitar technique & texture reminiscent of Giftshop, another Hip classic. This type of triumphant, power-chord structure seems to be yet another of this band’s lasting strengths, due in large part to Sinclair’s aggressive yet cohesive bass-play. I just wish they would lengthen this track (and some others), so there is more ‘jam’ time. GS, PL, and RB should all fine guitarists, and their talents should be more prominently showcased by way of drawing out some of the instrumental segments. **** (Four of Five Stars)
Selections earning a rating of *** (Three of Five Stars):
As Makeshift We Are
Are We Family
You’re Everywhere
Vaccination Scar
Selections earning a rating of ** (Two of Five Stars):
Heaven is a Better Place Today
Mean Streak
Selections earning a rating of * (One of Five Stars):
If New Orleans is Beat
In the Heart of the Melt
Goodnight Josephine
Note: The ‘ratings’ indicated above are not based on critical review - they merely reflect the extent of my personal appreciation.
Overall, this album ranks towards the bottom of my ‘Hip List’, along with IVL. There are too many songs I don’t care much for on this record which blow the curve(* and ** songs, as indicated above,). My critical opinion of the production of IBE is much more favorable; I think it could be the best sounding Hip release to date.
Maybe some live performances will grow my love for some of those less-liked tunes.......
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wow..goodnight joe only gettin one star...my buddy and i the other day were talking about how brilliant that song was..just goes to show ya!
hock: 
