06-29-2004, 10:25 AM
well i just finished my first listen and all i can say is wow...this album is great...the song that sticks out the most to me is gus...great tune...cant wait to hear it all live on thursday
IBE: Post your reviews and first impressions here!
06-29-2004, 10:37 AM
I very much liked the album. For IVL, it took me about five listens before I really got into most of it. But this one, it's a keeper! Gus is great, but I love Heart Of the Melt and Heaven quite a bit!!
06-29-2004, 04:24 PM
Ok, I'm sure everyone has given the new album a few spins by now. So what are everyone's first impressions of the Hip's latest opus??
Personally I'm loving it. The songs are some of the best the Hip have ever written in my opinion, and the band sounds like they're having a blast. The album has a really nice flow to it, and I gotta say that Josephine is right up there with Emperor Penguin, Dark Canuck, and Unplucked Gems as one of the best album closers in HIPstory!
I'm also very pleased and impressed with Adam Kasper's production. The Hip are essentially a *live* band in the truest sense of the word, and I think Kasper's raw, live-off-the-floor approach works beautifully on the album. IBE is as close to what the Hip sound like live as you're gonna get without it actually being a live album. I love it! I'm also really digging Cameron Tomsett's incredibly cool artwork on the cover, as well as inside the CD booklet.
Speaking of the songs, is it just me, or is the bridge in "Mean Streak" the weirdest bridge you've ever heard? Whenever it gets to that point in the song it always catches me off guard a little. It's weird, but somehow it works perfectly as they make the transition back into the chorus. I freakin' love this band!!!
Favorite lyric so far: "It's only human to want to inhabit every feeling you've got, and more often than not let's take it to the Nth degree."
I'm looking forward to reading everyone's thoughts.
Cheers,
Casey
Personally I'm loving it. The songs are some of the best the Hip have ever written in my opinion, and the band sounds like they're having a blast. The album has a really nice flow to it, and I gotta say that Josephine is right up there with Emperor Penguin, Dark Canuck, and Unplucked Gems as one of the best album closers in HIPstory!
I'm also very pleased and impressed with Adam Kasper's production. The Hip are essentially a *live* band in the truest sense of the word, and I think Kasper's raw, live-off-the-floor approach works beautifully on the album. IBE is as close to what the Hip sound like live as you're gonna get without it actually being a live album. I love it! I'm also really digging Cameron Tomsett's incredibly cool artwork on the cover, as well as inside the CD booklet.
Speaking of the songs, is it just me, or is the bridge in "Mean Streak" the weirdest bridge you've ever heard? Whenever it gets to that point in the song it always catches me off guard a little. It's weird, but somehow it works perfectly as they make the transition back into the chorus. I freakin' love this band!!!
Favorite lyric so far: "It's only human to want to inhabit every feeling you've got, and more often than not let's take it to the Nth degree."
I'm looking forward to reading everyone's thoughts.
Cheers,
Casey
06-29-2004, 05:04 PM
Ya know what I really like:
#1 The image of the boys on the inside of the disc: Cameron, Way to go!
#2 The raw flurishes at the end of songs. In kind of a "Boots or Hearts" type thing, I like hearing the guitars wind down or Johnny clashing his sticks together at the end of a song. There are some nice touches here...
#3 As a collective, as a complete album, this record is fantastic. And I love the fact that the "Bottom's of their boots" lyrics found a home, and the tounge in cheek "Be all you can be" ARMY lyric.
#1 The image of the boys on the inside of the disc: Cameron, Way to go!
#2 The raw flurishes at the end of songs. In kind of a "Boots or Hearts" type thing, I like hearing the guitars wind down or Johnny clashing his sticks together at the end of a song. There are some nice touches here...
#3 As a collective, as a complete album, this record is fantastic. And I love the fact that the "Bottom's of their boots" lyrics found a home, and the tounge in cheek "Be all you can be" ARMY lyric.
06-29-2004, 05:12 PM
What strikes me about this record, is that they've "corrected" any errors on records past. Example, "Heaven" is essentially a newer "Are You Ready". A simple, loud, catchy opener. Yet with deeper lyrics, and flat out better song-writing, it works much better. And to me, "Mean Streak" is a newer "The Bear". Lyrics which hardcore fans heard before the song was even released, so they almost sound odd within a new song. "I waited for more men to come, they docked their boats, they cocked their guns/It's the way the dust clings to air..." Both songs, musically, sort of roll, and are not "excellent". And maybe thats why Gord used those lyrics there. Weird bridges as well,as previously mentioned. But "Mean Streak" does have a Pidgeon Camera resemblance to it, especially the outro solo, something "The Bear" didn't have...much better. As of now, those are the only similarities I have caught, but I caught them right away. We're all digging this record....here's to a great summer, which for many of us, officially began today. :thumb:
Escape Is At Hand-Tales of a Boy and a Band due June 2013 from Eternal Cavalier Press
http://eternalcavalierpress.com
http://www.twitter.com/eternalcavpress
06-29-2004, 08:18 PM
Stephen Dame Wrote:#3 As a collective, as a complete album, this record is fantastic. And I love the fact that the "Bottom's of their boots" lyrics found a home, and the tounge in cheek "Be all you can be" ARMY lyric.
I agree totally with the tongue in cheek remark you made Stephen. I think Gord is using that line as a paradox (?). Gord is making an anti-war statement yet truely saying to us, try to 'Be All You Can Be'. Just my opinion.
06-29-2004, 08:24 PM
There isn't a song on this album thats not at the top of the list. I love all of them. Great rocking tunes and great melow tunes. Lovin summer's killing us. will be a great one live.
I think mos of these songs will be really good live.
Seeya all in Buffalo!!!!
I think mos of these songs will be really good live.
Seeya all in Buffalo!!!!
06-29-2004, 08:34 PM
I absolutely love the raw guitar sound of Gus. I think the lead guitar work exhibited is absolutely stellar. I can't wait to hear some of these tunes live.
06-29-2004, 09:06 PM
This starts off as song title, my favourite line and then my comments.
In Between Evolution – The Tragically Hip
Songs Of Triumph And Drunk-Taxi-Home
By Lord Brazle (Stu MacMillan)
01 Heaven Is A Better Place Today (for Dan Snyder)
“...if and when you get into that endzone act like you’ve been there a thousand times before...”
Most of us have already heard this one. When I first heard it, I had this noble image of a guy running around a football field, facing the opposition, dodging tackles and reigning triumphant. Under the shadow of the Dan Snyder dedication, this song has now taken on a more sombre feel. A eulogy, but not the typical sad one, more of a celebration (and, by this, I don’t mean the sick, demented relief sort of celebration) of a life well-lived.
02 Summer’s Killing Us
“...and does your family know your wishes ‘cause this chorus’ll do ya like the dishes...”
The sun causes cancer so, technically, “summer IS killing us.” This tragic little number alludes to the feeling ya get in your stomach as you’re growing up. A life where how many summers you lived braves a true inkling to your age. Kids go to school all year except for the summer and the summer is then the epitome of transitions. Afterwards we almost “come back” so to speak. We reunite with friends and see others we don’t really want to. Back to the grindstone. The passing summer was freedom.
03 Gus: The Polar Bear From Central Park
“...Is that what’s troubling ya Gus? No one is afraid enough?...”
This one is probably my favourite song off the whole album. Is it the malevolent repercussions of caging animals for our own pleasure? It’s somewhat saddening and yet, still holds a hint of nobility. Obviously this bear remembers what it was like before he was imprisoned. “No one is afraid” anymore, whereas before he was the terror of the arctic. Mightily speculative? Maybe others will find a different feel from it.
04 Vaccination Scar
“...I’ll tell you if I’m able that is. I’ll tell you like it is...”
This was released firstly of all the songs and a video was made for it first because this song is a description of the entire album. “In Between Evolution”? Exactly how it’s put. It gives a taste of a journey, a journey that could be attributed to almost anything, but most casually The Hip’s career. We take vaccinations for protection (that sometimes hurt) against natural harms that, if left untreated, could cause more harm in the long run. The lesser of two evils.
05 It Can’t Be Nashville Every Night
“...He sang, ‘I’ll die before I quit’ and this guy’s the limit...”
A heel-tapping adventure. Is it just me or does the beginning of this one sound like “Little Bones”? No real comments on this one. It’s good cuz it’s a new Hip song. My second least-favourite of the album but it still grooves.
06 If New Orleans Is Beat
“...here where the Mississippi quits, where its still got a bit of Minnesota in it...”
This is the song you’d sing as you watched a city crumbling before you. If it was your city, you’d probably even cry from singing this song. Yes, it is that sad. My expectations for this song were low because of the success of a previous song, “New Orleans Is Sinking.” This is not a sequel. This is meant to be an entirely different story. I had negative assumptions of this song, using New Orleans again, but the Hip pull it off perfectly. It’s an excellent song.
07 You’re Everywhere
“...now its time to drown out all of that poetry now...”
Once again, painting the tragedies of life into a song, except I don’t know what the tragedy is for this one so it could be attributed to any tragedy really. It has that ambiguity to it. Lost love? Bad reception? Favourite team lost? Depends on who’s listening.
08 As Makeshift As We Are
“...here’s where I slowly close my eyes and say, ‘I’m too drunk for this’...”
“Makeshift” - ‘Rough and ready’, temporary, crude.
About two people, the narrator, and who (s)he is arguing with and also who (s)he is later remembering. This is a ballad of getting ready for something. Maybe a final encounter or a ‘performance’.
09 Mean Streak
“...it’s the way dust clings to the air when a stranger’s been here...”
A couple of cowboys mad at the world? Was this song written during or after watching a Western? It’s, once again, a combination of both something sad and something noble.
10 The Heart Of The Melt
“...enough about you and your representative hell...”
Really kickin song. Starts off screaming into the receiver of a payphone and ends up swimming from a shark. All she has to do is out-swim me not the shark. Probably that hard kinda love. We all say we like it gentle but you so know that’s not true. Yeah, I let her beat the daylights out of me sometimes and this song will probably be our soundtrack. How evil is that. This sounds like "The Wherewithal" at the beginning.
11 One Night In Copenhagen
“...conviction + tone = hope...”
This most definitely started as a poem. The other songs could have but this one you can tell by its layout. This is definitely “shades of Up To Here” bluesy kinda rock. Obviously a moment (real or fiction) in Copenhagen (duh) that somebody felt should be documented. From the lyrics you can’t tell anything of the story, just observations of the surroundings which, depending on who you are, will provide you with a backdrop for whatever this song will hit your heart as.
12 Are We Family
“... It’s only human to (bleh)...” (sorry, can’t do it)
In my opinion; probably the worst song of the album. I can’t even listen to this long enough to say something constructive of it.
13 Goodnight Josephine
“...‘but, isn’t this where the crimes begin?’...”
This is the song to sing while walking home in the rain after a big break-up. Who’s this Josephine and why are people always writing songs about her? Joey Potter from Capeside? I’d write a song about her, too. This song has got some “na-na”s in it which brings it’s prestige down a few notches but still a very very good closing song (for the album or a concert or for random purposes in life generally). Probably my second favourite.
In Between Evolution – The Tragically Hip
Songs Of Triumph And Drunk-Taxi-Home
By Lord Brazle (Stu MacMillan)
01 Heaven Is A Better Place Today (for Dan Snyder)
“...if and when you get into that endzone act like you’ve been there a thousand times before...”
Most of us have already heard this one. When I first heard it, I had this noble image of a guy running around a football field, facing the opposition, dodging tackles and reigning triumphant. Under the shadow of the Dan Snyder dedication, this song has now taken on a more sombre feel. A eulogy, but not the typical sad one, more of a celebration (and, by this, I don’t mean the sick, demented relief sort of celebration) of a life well-lived.
02 Summer’s Killing Us
“...and does your family know your wishes ‘cause this chorus’ll do ya like the dishes...”
The sun causes cancer so, technically, “summer IS killing us.” This tragic little number alludes to the feeling ya get in your stomach as you’re growing up. A life where how many summers you lived braves a true inkling to your age. Kids go to school all year except for the summer and the summer is then the epitome of transitions. Afterwards we almost “come back” so to speak. We reunite with friends and see others we don’t really want to. Back to the grindstone. The passing summer was freedom.
03 Gus: The Polar Bear From Central Park
“...Is that what’s troubling ya Gus? No one is afraid enough?...”
This one is probably my favourite song off the whole album. Is it the malevolent repercussions of caging animals for our own pleasure? It’s somewhat saddening and yet, still holds a hint of nobility. Obviously this bear remembers what it was like before he was imprisoned. “No one is afraid” anymore, whereas before he was the terror of the arctic. Mightily speculative? Maybe others will find a different feel from it.
04 Vaccination Scar
“...I’ll tell you if I’m able that is. I’ll tell you like it is...”
This was released firstly of all the songs and a video was made for it first because this song is a description of the entire album. “In Between Evolution”? Exactly how it’s put. It gives a taste of a journey, a journey that could be attributed to almost anything, but most casually The Hip’s career. We take vaccinations for protection (that sometimes hurt) against natural harms that, if left untreated, could cause more harm in the long run. The lesser of two evils.
05 It Can’t Be Nashville Every Night
“...He sang, ‘I’ll die before I quit’ and this guy’s the limit...”
A heel-tapping adventure. Is it just me or does the beginning of this one sound like “Little Bones”? No real comments on this one. It’s good cuz it’s a new Hip song. My second least-favourite of the album but it still grooves.
06 If New Orleans Is Beat
“...here where the Mississippi quits, where its still got a bit of Minnesota in it...”
This is the song you’d sing as you watched a city crumbling before you. If it was your city, you’d probably even cry from singing this song. Yes, it is that sad. My expectations for this song were low because of the success of a previous song, “New Orleans Is Sinking.” This is not a sequel. This is meant to be an entirely different story. I had negative assumptions of this song, using New Orleans again, but the Hip pull it off perfectly. It’s an excellent song.
07 You’re Everywhere
“...now its time to drown out all of that poetry now...”
Once again, painting the tragedies of life into a song, except I don’t know what the tragedy is for this one so it could be attributed to any tragedy really. It has that ambiguity to it. Lost love? Bad reception? Favourite team lost? Depends on who’s listening.
08 As Makeshift As We Are
“...here’s where I slowly close my eyes and say, ‘I’m too drunk for this’...”
“Makeshift” - ‘Rough and ready’, temporary, crude.
About two people, the narrator, and who (s)he is arguing with and also who (s)he is later remembering. This is a ballad of getting ready for something. Maybe a final encounter or a ‘performance’.
09 Mean Streak
“...it’s the way dust clings to the air when a stranger’s been here...”
A couple of cowboys mad at the world? Was this song written during or after watching a Western? It’s, once again, a combination of both something sad and something noble.
10 The Heart Of The Melt
“...enough about you and your representative hell...”
Really kickin song. Starts off screaming into the receiver of a payphone and ends up swimming from a shark. All she has to do is out-swim me not the shark. Probably that hard kinda love. We all say we like it gentle but you so know that’s not true. Yeah, I let her beat the daylights out of me sometimes and this song will probably be our soundtrack. How evil is that. This sounds like "The Wherewithal" at the beginning.
11 One Night In Copenhagen
“...conviction + tone = hope...”
This most definitely started as a poem. The other songs could have but this one you can tell by its layout. This is definitely “shades of Up To Here” bluesy kinda rock. Obviously a moment (real or fiction) in Copenhagen (duh) that somebody felt should be documented. From the lyrics you can’t tell anything of the story, just observations of the surroundings which, depending on who you are, will provide you with a backdrop for whatever this song will hit your heart as.
12 Are We Family
“... It’s only human to (bleh)...” (sorry, can’t do it)
In my opinion; probably the worst song of the album. I can’t even listen to this long enough to say something constructive of it.
13 Goodnight Josephine
“...‘but, isn’t this where the crimes begin?’...”
This is the song to sing while walking home in the rain after a big break-up. Who’s this Josephine and why are people always writing songs about her? Joey Potter from Capeside? I’d write a song about her, too. This song has got some “na-na”s in it which brings it’s prestige down a few notches but still a very very good closing song (for the album or a concert or for random purposes in life generally). Probably my second favourite.
06-29-2004, 09:31 PM
Great Artwork
Great Tunes, It is still growing on me...
Should be a good summer and fall.
Great Tunes, It is still growing on me...
Should be a good summer and fall.
I need 2 Kingston Tickets, please help.
06-29-2004, 10:10 PM
so far i love all the songs on this...i think Bobby's guitar really stands out on this album, its definetly his best work
06-29-2004, 11:05 PM
lord brazle Wrote:12 Are We Family
“... It’s only human to (bleh)...” (sorry, can’t do it)
In my opinion; probably the worst song of the album. I can’t even listen to this long enough to say something constructive of it.
Really?? This song is easily one of my favorites. I love the music, the lyrics, the melody, and especially the beautiful guitar work from Paul and Robby.
06-29-2004, 11:10 PM
direwolf74 Wrote:Agreed. Hearing this song live tonight brought it into a whole new light for me...I can see it eventually entering the rarified air currently occupied by Wheat Kings, Scared and Bobcaygeon...lord brazle Wrote:12 Are We Family
“... It’s only human to (bleh)...” (sorry, can’t do it)
In my opinion; probably the worst song of the album. I can’t even listen to this long enough to say something constructive of it.
Really?? This song is easily one of my favorites. I love the music, the lyrics, the melody, and especially the beautiful guitar work from Paul and Robby.
M.
06-29-2004, 11:15 PM
direwolf74 Wrote:Really?? This song is easily one of my favorites. I love the music, the lyrics, the melody, and especially the beautiful guitar work from Paul and Robby.
Tryin to give it another listen right now but i just don't feel it at all. Sorry to all those who favour this one. To me, Gord sounds like he's trying to sing this song. As if the lyrics don't fit the music. Not like I'm gonna say anybody's wrong or anything. It just doesn't appeal to me very much.
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