ColinP's Full Review: Up to Here by The Tragically Hip
One could argue that The Tragically Hip are the biggest rock artist in Canada. I say "in Canada" because the band has never really broken outside of the country unlike other Canadian acts such as Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Alanis Morrissette, and Brian Adams. However, inside Canada, they are simply huge, setting sellout records for concerts, holding huge festivals, and consistently having their albums and songs at the top of the Canadian charts. What is it about this band that simply drives Canadian rock fans wild, while keeping them a Canadian secret.
Many of the answers can be found on the Tragically Hip's first major album, "Up to Here." On it, the band (often called simply "The Hip") distinguished themselves as a band that rocked hard, with a singer who had an excellent power behind his voice. His lyrics, at times imponderable, were at other times literate, extremely creative, creepy, or biting. Some examples:
"Her mother said kill him, slow to your leisure
But desperate times call for desperate measures
So she went to the closet and pulled the old gun down
'I'll put a bullet through his heart if he ain't home by sundown.'"
-"I'll Believe in You (or I'll Be Leaving You)"
"Some times, the faster it gets, the less you need to know
But you gotta remember the smarter it gets
The further you're gonna go."
-"Blow at High Dough"
Gord Downie drew interesting pictures, loved playing word games, and sang every note with a passion that burned off the album. I remember a reviewer at the time seeing a live show and commenting about Downie's performance. He said that by the third song Downie was drenched in sweat from head to toe, demonstrating the level of energy he put into his singing.
As much energy as Downie put into his performance, the rest of the band more than made up for in their playing. Quite simply, this band *rocked*, both in the talented guitar work of Bobby Baker and the solid, tight rhythm section of Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay. Every song leapt off the album, insistent, vital. The band distinguished itself not by attempting to be musically unique or challenging, but rather by being the most solid, tight rock band out there.
The Hip simply became huge after this album, and, with the exception of "Road Apples," never rocked harder.
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