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The Tragically Hip - Up to Here Audio CD

A fair review of the The Tragically Hip "Up to Here" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all The Tragically Hip reviews here, or go back to the The Tragically Hip tabs.

The Tragically Hip Band: The Tragically Hip
Title: Up to Here
Rating:
Release Date: 2000-02-01
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Blow at High Dough 2: I'll Believe in You (Or I'll Be Leaving...) 3: New Orleans Is Sinking 4: 38 Years Old 5: She Didn't Know 6: Boots or Hearts 7: Everytime You Go 8: When the Weight Comes Down 9: Trickle Down 10: Another Midnight 11: Opiated

Will the Hip ever get the respect and attention they deserve
Here is a band who in their infancy, rival seasoned vetrans on the concert stage. Let's face it, the Tragically Hip are as well known outside of Canada as our poutine fries. The "Up to Here" album is as raw and powerful as any released during the 80's.
Gordon Downie headlines a solid line up which includes guitarists Bobby Baker and Paul Langlois, bass player Gord Sinclair and drummer Johnny Fay.
Well written songs such as the unofficial anthem "New Orleans is Sinking" characterize the bands dynamite stage show presence and the album keeps getting stronger as you listen to it.
Other notable cuts include the chilling "38 Years Old" which was penned in reference to Gordons brother Mike who went to prision after killing his sisters rapist. The Hip bring a lot of personal baggage along with their songs and it shows. Listen to the great statements made in "Trickle Down", "Another Midnight" and "Opiated". These guys have been around the block and are only getting better. Some call them Canada's U2 or a ripoff of REM but with all due respect, It could be just as easily be the other way around.


Will the Hip ever get the respect and attention they deserve
Here is a band who in their infancy, rival seasoned vetrans on the concert stage. Let's face it, the Tragically Hip are as well known outside of Canada as our poutine fries. The "Up to Here" album is as raw and powerful as any released during the 80's.
Gordon Downie headlines a solid line up which includes guitarists Bobby Baker and Paul Langlois, bass player Gord Sinclair and drummer Johnny Fay.
Well written songs such as the unofficial anthem "New Orleans is Sinking" characterize the bands dynamite stage show presence and the album keeps getting stronger as you listen to it.
Other notable cuts include the chilling "38 Years Old" which was penned in reference to Gordons brother Mike who went to prision after killing his sisters rapist. The Hip bring a lot of personal baggage along with their songs and it shows. Listen to the great statements made in "Trickle Down", "Another Midnight" and "Opiated". These guys have been around the block and are only getting better. Some call them Canada's U2 or a [copy] of REM but with all due respect, It could be just as easily be the other way around.


Second album shows potential
An excellent album. While the first self titled album was ok Up To Here really gave the first look at the full potential of the band. Their most frequently requested - and arguably most popular song in the U. S. - New Orleans is Sinking is about average for this album. There are a couple of songs I am not a big fan of (I'll believe in you for example and blow at high dough is average hip at best) but even they aren't bad. The flip side is excellent - Another midnight, opiated, etc. are absolutely fantastic. I always start on song 7 or so and let it play around. 38 years old is also a classic.


read this review
Not by a long shot. The Tragically Hip's first album is not, as some would have you believe, their best. That being said, this is a remarkable album from a young (at the time) band. There is a driving force pushing these songs out of the speakers. The production is not as good as later Hip albums, but the energy of the songs makes up for it. "Blow At High Dough" kicks things off right, and is soon followed by their most well known tune, "New Orleans Is Sinking". Not only are these Hip classics, but rock classics. "New Orleans" is a mardi gras memory in song as only Gordon Downie can provide. The album version here only hints at what this song becomes on the stage. Elsewhere on the album there are many very good songs, such as "Another Midnight" and "Trickle Down", and some weaker ones, like "I'll Believe In You". It was clear even this early that this was not your average rock band. Gordon Downie's songs and Rob Baker's guitar hint at the heights they would achieve on their very next album, the looser "Road Apples". It was a shame then just as it is today that there isn't room on American rock radio for hard rock 'n roll as smart as this.


Seminal Canadian Rock
Although the Hip still don't seem to have broken in the States, I'm willing to bet that 9 out of 10 Canadians will call these Kignston, Ontario boys their favorite band. If you are curious about canadian music, this is the place to start. 'New Oreleans is Sinking'is practically a national anthem. If the Hip spent half as much time touring the US as they do Canada, they'd probably be huge there too (take the Barenaked Ladies, an inferior band, as an example). This is the music I grew up to, and I'd say the best way to hear the Hip is to hear them live. An often played radio single of 'Highway Girl'(from the period of 'Up to Here') is testament to that. A band that's this good live only gets better in recordings. This is the best of Canadian music and the beginning of a brilliant legacy that continues to form.


You can see a complete list of all The Tragically Hip discography, or go back to the The Tragically Hip tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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