[Killer Whale Tank]

Well, I for one had no prior bias regarding Bob Rock. Heck, I quite liked what he did with Ron Sexsmith. It's not the slickness, necessarily, although I do prefer a live-off-the-floor sound; it's the total lack of taste that bothers me about WC. His whole approach on that record was to ADD stuff (pianos, strings, etc.) straight from the 1970s Bloated Rock toolkit. That's not a 'new sound,' it's tacky bludgeoning, like pouring a gallon of ketchup all over fine cuisine.

Anyway, water under the bridge! How's that for mixing metaphors.

[paulster2626]

I actually like every album. I must be wacko.

[thedarkestone]

I actually like every album. I must be wacko.

Me too. Except Music @ Work. Although listenable, it is one I rarely ever find myself listening to.

I also think the last 4 albums have gotten progressively better. MMP>NFPLA>WATS>WC

[andrew sharpe]

I actually like every album. I must be wacko.

Same. I've tried so many times to rank them and the only thing that's consistent is DFN is #1.

[direwolf74]

Love WC but don't even listen to WATS.

Me too. WATS is probably my least favorite Hip album. Although there are still a few solid moments that I enjoy. Morning Moon, The Last Recluse, and Country Day are all terrific songs, and the Depression Suite is brilliant. Also, Rob Baker's face-melting solo on Queen of the Furrows is pure ear candy and one of his finest moments as a lead guitarist. Other than those songs though, that album just doesn't do it for me at all.

[hurls15]

Love WC but don't even listen to WATS.

Me too. WATS is probably my least favorite Hip album. Although there are still a few solid moments that I enjoy. Morning Moon, The Last Recluse, and Country Day are all terrific songs, and the Depression Suite is brilliant. Also, Rob Baker's face-melting solo on Queen of the Furrows is pure ear candy and one of his finest moments as a lead guitarist. Other than those songs though, that album just doesn't do it for me at all.

Could not agree more in sentiment, songs, and solos. :thumb:

[chives]

Possessed has the Phantom Power vibe (Escape?), but I think it could have fit on Now For Plan A
What, Blue is a definite Now For Plan A vibe
Here, in the dark has an IVL leftover vibe
Man and Machine have a Tiger, the Lion leftover vibe - just sort of "out there"
Great Soul has a Chagrin Falls/Phantom Power vibe - slow steady grind building
Hot Mic would fit nicely on anything from M@W to IBE (IMHO, I think this is the best tune and should be outstanding live)

Just my $0.02 after the weekend listen

[emperor penguin]

Possessed has the Phantom Power vibe (Escape?), but I think it could have fit on Now For Plan A
What, Blue is a definite Now For Plan A vibe
Here, in the dark has an IVL leftover vibe
Man and Machine have a Tiger, the Lion leftover vibe - just sort of "out there"
Great Soul has a Chagrin Falls/Phantom Power vibe - slow steady grind building
Hot Mic would fit nicely on anything from M@W to IBE (IMHO, I think this is the best tune and should be outstanding live)

Just my $0.02 after the weekend listen

This is an interesting take. One thing that's struck me about the album is that while being something completely different than anything else they've ever done, there seems to be an homage to a lot of previous songs and albums. It's a great amalgam of their previous work. Or maybe I'm just projecting that based on the fact that it's probably the last album.

Other's have alluded to similarities they hear in certain songs. What Blue gives me a big 'The Rules' vibe and sounds like it could fit right in on Phantom Power. In a World Possessed gives me a real Escape is at Hand feeling. In Sarnia seems to take a lot of influence from 'Stay' especially that opening guitar riff. Here, in the Dark gives me a big IBE vibe and as others have mentioned, Hot Mic could fit right in on DFN. I get a Fire in the Hole feeling from it. And then there are songs like Man and Great Soul which sound nothing like anything they've ever done.

Overall, I love the album. I've listened to it about 6 or 7 times now and I think it's an all time classic. It's cohesive in theme and tone, but each song adds something unique and different.

[Dev]

Trouble At The Henhouse
In Between Evolution
Day For Night
Phantom Power
Fully Completely
Music At Work
Man Machine Poem
In Violet Light
Road Apples
Up To Here
We Are The Same
World Container
Now For Plan A
The Tragically Hip

I'm trying to be conservative about how high I rank Man Machine Poem this early on

[Cpt. Trips]

Awwww yssssss, rankings:

Up to Here
Road Apples
Phantom Power
Fully Completely
Day for Night
World Container
Music At Work
The Tragically Hip
Trouble at the Henhouse
Man Machine Poem
In Violet Light
We Are The Same
In Between Evolution
Now For Plan A

[carebread]

I actually like every album. I must be wacko.

Me too. Except Music @ Work. Although listenable, it is one I rarely ever find myself listening to.

I also think the last 4 albums have gotten progressively better. MMP>NFPLA>WATS>WC

THANK YOU. I seem to have a hate on for M@W more than most. There's maybe 3, 4 songs I'll not skip on that album.

[carebread]

Also, rankings? Okay.

Day For Night
Fully Completely
Road Apples
Trouble at the Henhouse
Phantom Power
Up To Here
The Tragically Hip
World Container
In Between Evolution
Man Machine Poem
In Violet Light
Now For Plan A
Music At Work
We Are The Same

[Chris Tanz]

How is the EP not at the bottom of all of these lists, seriously?

Evelyn?? I'm a Werewolf, Baby? srsly.

Totally loving Ocean Next and Great Soul today. One exits languidly into an ocean sunset; the other resists loudly against eternity and nothing.

ct

[Escape@Hand]

How is the EP not at the bottom of all of these lists, seriously?

Evelyn?? I'm a Werewolf, Baby? srsly.

Seriously, I totally agree with this. I don't even know where my copy of the EP is and I don't know if I ever need to listen to it again. There's no way for me to rank their albums; certainly some stand out more than other, for a variety of reasons (DFN being at the top), but I really like all of their albums. I think their early material (UPT and RA) would be at the bottom, though. I've even come around on WATS - it was my least favourite, and hadn't listen to it in years (although it seems like yesterday it was released!), but after the news about Gord, I went on a Hip binge and put it on. I really enjoy it, outside of a track or two (and the requisite frustration on some of the production). All that to say, I can find many things to enjoy on every Hip album.

[edgoffin]

Vinyl arrived and got to give it a listen while trying to read the lyrics. It is a good album, I thought the production was interesting but now coming around to what it brings to the music.

Rankings, I won't even try except for DFN a the top, and WATS and the EP at the bottom. But not a huge gap in albums, and depends on the mood and season. MMP is somewhere in the middle.