In about 1993 a friend who had recently returned from a trip to Canada lent me a CD by the Tragically Hip. To my great shame and delight I have never returned that CD(in my defence I think he still has some of mine), and it has gone on to be a timeless favourite, sounding as good today as it did on that first listen.
Technically this is the bands first album though they had released an 8 track EP prior to this, whether it is a first or second album most second albums have no business sounding this good, the guitars are strong and smart with some hooks that stick in your mind well after they leave, but this albums strength (as with most of their later work) lies in it’s lyrics. From the opening lines of the opening track “Blow at High Dough” :
“They shot a movie once in my hometown, everybody was in it for miles around, out at the speedway, some kind of Elvis thing…”
The wordplay carries on in “I’ll believe in you(or I’ll be leaving you)” The title says it all but the lyrics sum it up entirely:
“… ah but desperate times call for desperate measures, she went to the cupboard and pulled the old gun down, I’ll put a bullet in his heart if he ain’t home by sundown, Well at 5.55 he comes a walking in the front door smiling, saying don’t read too much into what I ain’t denying”
Possibly the bands best known song “New Orleans is sinking” rolls out next, the lyrics star here too, and to quote the best ones would be to quote the whole song. The song precedes Hurricane Katrina by about 16 years so it isn’t about that, the internet is full of theories about what it is about but none of them convince me.
The song that sticks with me most on this album is “38 years old”, a song that plays like a movie or a book:
” 12 men got loose in 73 from Millhaven maximum security, 12 pictures lined up across the front page, seems the mounties had a summertime war to wage” , it goes on “… same pattern on the table, same clock on the wall, been one seat empty 18 years in all, freezing slow time away from the world, he’s 38 years old, never kissed a girl”
Based around a real life jail break, the story is deeply personal and intense “See my sister got raped, so a man got killed. Local boy went to prison that man is buried on the hill. Folks went back to normal when they closed the case, still stare at their shoes when they pass our place.”
Once again, to quote the best lyrics would be to quote them all.
Most young bands might put the cue in the rack after nailing four great songs on side one, but no the Hip keep plowing on, track 5 “She didn’t know” doesn’t quite hit the same heights but lets keep in mind the bar has been set high early.
Track 6 marks the return to form, a slow slick alt country drawl of “Boots or Hearts” grabs form the first acoustic guitar lick. Once again some great lines in this capped off by the brilliant ” Fingers and toes, fingers and toes, the forty things we share. 41 if you include the fact that we don’t care.
Track 7 ” Every time you go” is straight up rock classic in the tradition of every lonely boy rock and roll act. They nail the formula perfectly without breaking any serious new ground.
The stories continue through the rest of the album “When the weight comes down”, Trickle Down”, “Another Midnight” and “Opiated” all providing slice of life stories and snippets of life, death and fever dreams.
I had the advantage of listening to this album cold, never having heard a single on the radio(it was at least 7 years later until I heard a Hip song on the radio), and I recommend anyone does that, it’s a refreshing way to hear it and it’s meant most of the songs stand in my mind as great songs, not just the hits.
Is this the Tragically Hips best album? Probably not, but it’s a great place to start. I can recommend later albums “Trouble at the Henhouse”, “Fully Completely” and “Phantom Power” for further exploration, or ask your music streaming service to come at you with the best of the Hip. You won’t regret it, just like I don’t regret not returning the CD.
fell in love with a girl 