The Tragically Hip Thread

Flower

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I really enjoy The Tragically Hip, unfortunately they don't get the air time that they deserve in the States. I was wondering what other members thought of them and what your favourite "Hip" tunes are?

Post your favourite Tragically Hip tunes in this thread.

I'll post mine a bit later ......

 

Hepcat

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I pity any band with the possible exception of the Rolling Stones finding themselves playing on the same bill as the Tragically Hip anywhere in Canada. The Hip have scored a couple of dozen well played radio hits in Canada which they absolutely nail in concert to delighted squeals of approval from the audience. I saw the Hip play for two hours in front of a massive standing room only crowd in London, Ontario's Harris Park last summer and there wasn't a single member of the audience who didn't leave with fully sated expectations.

:****:
 

LG

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I have missed this band completely,,,for some reason I just never connected with the Hip, and I am a rabid supporter of most Canadian artists...I think I might have to catch up.

Anyone recommend the Best album to start with, and not the greatest hits or any other compilation please.
 

Magic

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I have to admit I dont know this band. It would have been nice to have had some background on them in the OP. *never assume everyone knows a band*

I am generally lazy and wont look bands up, but since I really like Flower and Trust his/her judgement of bands, I looked this group up.


I have acquired the recommended albums, plus two more....I like them. Very similar to The Watchmen, Tom Cochrane, and Red Rider.


Nice recommendation Flower :grinthumb

Pigeon Camera
 

Flower

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I have to admit I dont know this band. It would have been nice to have had some background on them in the OP. *never assume everyone knows a band*

I"m so ashamed .. You're correct about assuming.

The Hip's 2009 tour sold out every venue in under an hour with extra shows added in Toronto, which also sold out in record time .. It's just difficult at times to image that they don't get the air play that they deserve and aren't more widely known


I am generally lazy and wont look bands up, but since I really like Flower and Trust his/her judgement of bands, I looked this group up.

Time is not always on my side when posting or surfing online.

I am female ...


:D


Nice recommendation Flower :grinthumb

Thanks.
 

Flower

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The Tragically Hip Appreciation Thread

This bio has been "lifted" from both "Starpulse" ...

Formed in 1983 in Kingston, Ontario, the Tragically Hip came together with childhood friends Gordon Downie (vocals), Bobby Baker (guitar), Paul Langlois (guitar), Gord Sinclair (bass), and Johnny Fay (drums). The group took their name from a Michael Nesmith video entitled Elephant Parts and focused on making a name for themselves in the local scene during the mid-'80s. While performing Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern, MCA Records president Bruce Dickinson was impressed by the Hip's infectious live presence and offered them a deal. A self-titled eponymous EP appeared in 1987, but it took the band two years to get critical attention. Their proper studio debut effort, 1989's Up to Here boasted the swagger of "Blow at High Dough" and Downie's powerful songcraft was blossoming.

College charts were instantly attracted and fellow Canadians were appreciative of the Tragically Hip's insatiable appeal. Road Apples, issued in 1991, was moderately successful; however, the band's third album, Fully Completely (1993), allowed for international crossover. Singles such as "Courage" and "Wheat Kings" became mainstays in pockets of Michigan and New York; the Hip were slowly being noticed and American fans began cherishing them as much as their Canadian loyalists. They continued with a steady rise for 1995's somber storm, Day for Night, and their star power was burgeoning. Sold-out tours across Canada and Midwest America and a spot on Saturday Night Live catapulted the vibrancy of "Grace, Too" onto modern rock charts. The Tragically Hip were becoming an anthemic band among the split indie and rock crowds, practically on the verge of being an arena attraction.

Trouble at the Henhouse, their first for Atlantic, was blistering with similar passion of Day for Night, but released too closely to the previous effort. It wasn't radio-friendly enough for America, either, but the band wasn't concerned. The Hip trudged on, selling out countless dates in North America. Downie, who was also a poetic madman, composed a frenzied stage presence and the band's tight rhythm was infectious. The mix of roots rock and light country tinges was something tangible for the mid-'90s grunge reign. While touring in support of Trouble at the Henhouse, the Hip recorded their first-ever live album, Live Between Us (1997). This particular album captured an astonishing night at Detroit's Cobo Arena in 1996 and was uncut and unfearing. The band was at the top of its game, never selling out to corporate ideals. They were a stadium sensation without ever having a major hit in America. The rest of the '90s were a time of rest, but also a period when the band returned to basics of true rock & roll grit.

Phantom Power (1998), their sixth studio album and eighth overall, marked their most cohesive work to date. It was also their debut for Sire Records. The album was recorded in the band's hometown of Kingston and the songs themselves were cathartic and seductive. "Fireworks" and "Poets" were again mainstays on college radio. A showcase at Woodstock '99 proved glorious for Canadians the next summer. Music Work followed in summer 2000 with subsequent U.S. tours with Guster. The next year, Gordon Downie put his pen to paper for a book of poetry and a solo album, entitled Coke Machine Glow. Downie returned to the studio in 2001 to join his bandmates for another Hip record. Producer Hugh Padgham (Split Enz, XTC, Phil Collins) was also on board to tweak the Tragically Hip's ninth record, In Violet Light, issued in June 2002.

In Between Evolution, the band's most introspective work yet, followed in summer 2004. The following year saw the release of Hipeponymous, a limited-edition box set that included the two-disc greatest-hits compilation Yer Favorites and the live DVD =That Night in Toronto: Pierre & Francois Lamoureux as well as a bonus DVD of all of the group's videos. Fellow Canadian and famed producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe) signed on for the Hip's 11th studio LP, World Container. Intimate club shows in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, and Montreal were also scheduled in celebration of its release in fall 2006. We Are the Same arrived in 2009. MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide.


the-tragically-hip.jpg
 

Flower

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Re: The Tragically Hip Appreciation Thread

The following was "lifted" from "Wikipedia" and is not a product of Polecatsorcery ~

Known for their energetic live performances, the band is noted for their improvisational renditions of songs. Lead singer Downie often strays from the song lyrics to rant to the audience or wander off into fictitious monologues and conversations. Some of these become lyrics for future songs. The most famous live monologue is the "killerwhaletank" version of "New Orleans Is Sinking",[3] recorded at The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, California, May 3, 1991. During the song, Downie tells the story of how he worked as a diver in a killer whale tank only to have his arm ripped off. This version was released on CD in 1996 as the B-side to "Grace, Too". Other notable monologues include the "Police Frogman" version of "New Orleans Is Sinking" (Downie rescues a family trapped in their car at the bottom of a frozen lake), the "Greek Porter" version of "Highway Girl" (in which Downie has an affair with a female porter on a luxury cruise ship while on an ocean crossing), the "Double Suicide" version of "Highway Girl"[4] (in which Downie "accidentally" shoots his girlfriend) and the "Japanese Exchange Student" version of "At the Hundredth Meridian" (the day before Halloween, Downie accidentally shoots a Japanese student trick or treating). During a cover of the Them hit "Gloria", Downie talks about tying his friend to the railroad tracks and being unable to free him in time to avoid the approaching train.

The band has had three of their songs—"New Orleans Is Sinking", "Courage" and "Poets"—chart on Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and one ("Courage") on the Modern Rock Tracks chart [5]. Their most-seen appearance in the United States was on March 25, 1995, when they appeared on Saturday Night Live (performing "Grace, Too" and "Nautical Disaster") with fellow Canadian and friend Dan Aykroyd guest starring, and with John Goodman hosting. In 1999, The Hip were also one of the featured bands at Woodstock '99 held in Rome, New York. When touring in Canada they play to sold-out arenas; when touring in the United States they play smaller venues and clubs, or festivals where they are not the headliner. Performances abroad are usually attended by Canadian expatriates. The band permit audience recordings of their performances and an active taping and trading community exists.



I'll post a few of my favourite "Hip" tunes now ~






 

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