Getting Hip to the Hip

Watching and listening...

I was not ignorant of The Tragically Hip. I’m pretty sure I had Fully Completely on CD at one point and may have also had a copy of Phantom Power (or maybe I just checked it out from the library?). Obviously, the music didn’t stick enough for me to hang onto them, though I did always love “Bobcaygeon.” I also watched their final concert at some point, but it didn’t have that much of an impact because I only knew a handful of songs. I don’t know that I would have checked out the new documentary if it hadn’t been for friends in the Rockin’ the Suburbs podcast community talking it up. I’m glad they did.

The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal - This is in four parts and was released on Amazon Prime. In classic documentary style, the story of the band is told chronologically and through the words of the band members (including lead singer Gord Downie, who passed away in 2017). Not only do we get the story of how they met in school and formed the band, the context of their burgeoning Canadian stardom and the push to break through in America, and the warts-and-all ever-changing interpersonal dynamics, but also a ton of music. I realized that I had a preconceived notion of the band’s sound and maybe it was time for a deep dive into their catalogue. I was also fully invested in the band as individuals and a collective and, of course, felt the emotion in the aftermath of Downie’s death. It is a great documentary and well worth checking out whether you know the band or not.

Up to Here - I skipped over their debut self-titled EP for this debut album from 1989, in large part because I was taken with the songs from it that were included in the doc. “Blow at High Dough” starts the album off with some skeletal instrumentation and Downie singing about a movie shot in his hometown, before kicking in and delivering some bluesy rock slathered in slide guitar. Right away, I wished I had known about this album in real time. “New Orleans Is Sinking” has a guitar riff that will lodge in your head and charismatic vocals from Downie; it’s the kind of song you want to listen to a few times in a row and you still won’t be sick of it. “She Didn’t Know” is propelled by Johnny Fay’s drums and Gord Sinclair’s active bass and when you throw in Downie’s growl and multiple guitar solos from Rob Baker, you get a deep cut that could be a single. Another standout is “When the Weight Comes Down,” which has the band firing on all cylinders. The tightness of the band combined with the strong songwriting makes this a debut album that anyone who likes rock music would definitely be into. It’s sure hooked me 35 years later.

Road Apples - Their second album (released in 1991) picks up right where Up to Here left off, with “Little Bones,” a coiled and confident opening track. It’s followed by the funky blues of “Twist My Arm,” with Sinclair’s bass doing a lot of the work and Downie’s “woo”s adding the right spice. “Cordelia” is another sharp rock song, completing an opening salvo that proves the band didn’t use up all their ideas. They also show they don’t need to “rock” to be effective with the slow burn of “Long Time Running.” They lock into a mighty groove on “Fight,” which runs for 6 minutes and could run for longer. Heck, they stay in a groove for “On the Verge,” which again prominently features the bass. Gord Sinclair might be the MVP of this record for me and that’s saying something with Rob Baker’s guitar work and the other Gord doing his thing. Speaking of, “Fiddler’s Green” is a moving tribute to Downie’s young nephew, who passed away during the writing of the album. It’s easy to see how Road Apples built on the success of the first album and really helped propel the band to stardom in Canada.

I haven’t yet explored beyond these two albums, because I’ve really wanted to spend time with them and let them sink in before adding more songs to the mix. I feel like I’m at the point where I can move on to Fully Completely and see how much of it I remember, though I imagine my impression will be much different this time. I will drop back in to write about my continued journey with The Hip if you’re willing to read more. Let me know what you think.