The Tragically Hip
from: Kingston, Ontario, Canada
website: www.thehip.com
myspace: www.myspace.com/thetragicallyhip
My friend Chris is just about the biggest Tragically Hip fan you'll ever meet (it's in line with his loving all things Canadian), and I'm thrilled that he offered to cover one of his favorite bands for this year's round of previews.
Move over Geddy, Alex and Neil: Rush may be the biggest Canadian band in the world, but the Tragically Hip are the biggest band in Canada. The Hip’s drummer, Johnny Fay, is quoted as saying that was “like being the world’s tallest midgets.” Or as fellow guest reviewer Jeff and I like to say, “the best bass player in country music.” All inappropriate little people jokes aside, the Hip are also one of the most “Canadian” bands ever. (The top honor going to the amazing “Canadian Shield art-rock band,” the Rheostatics) Having two guys named Gord and writing songs about dead hockey players certainly doesn’t hurt.
Despite their wild popularity in their homeland and my well-known love of things Canadian, I was unfamiliar with the band until 2004 when Jeff let me borrow a copy of their 4th record, “Fully Completely.” I wasn’t instantly hooked, but like the music I always end up enjoying the most, the album grew on me and obsession soon followed. The band formed in Kingston in the 80’s and released their first record in 1987. Since then the band’s line up remains unchanged and they have released 10 studio records, one great (and unaltered!) live record (1997’s Live Between Us) and a fan-selected greatest hits collection. The two disc greatest hits CD, Yer Favourites, released last year, can also be had as part of a wonderful boxed set, Hipeponymous. The boxed set contains a concert DVD, One Night in Toronto, and a bonus DVD with videos and other extras. Hipeponymous won the Juno awards, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys, for artwork design and music DVD of the year. The Hip have won 14 total Junos in their career and were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
The Hip’s early sound was, to me, bluesy roots-rock. Musically, they became and remain a solid straight ahead rock and roll band both live and in the studio. I think the band’s sound and the fact that they have not tried to make it “south of the border” are really what have endeared them to their Canadian fans. Lead singer Gordon Downie’s delivery adds to the band’s unique sound; Neil Peart has written that upon first listening to the Hip’s Phantom Power CD, he thought the first several songs were each sung by different people. To me, Downie’s brilliant lyrics make the Hip a truly remarkable band and his references have ranged from Jacques Cartier to John Cage to Bruce Springsteen. On the 2004 release, In Between Evolution, the band even threw well-deserved barbs, without naming names, at Toby “boot up your ass” Keith on a song called “It Can’t be Nashville Every Night.” Since I can’t see the band in Austin, I’m hoping that sometime soon it can be Nashville for at least one night.
"Grace, Too" (from Live Between Us)
"Nautical Disaster" (from Live Between Us)
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