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The Tragically Hip - In Violet Light Audio CD

A fair review of the The Tragically Hip "In Violet Light" 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: In Violet Light
Rating:
Release Date: 2006-08-08
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Are You Ready 2: 'Use It Up' 3: Darkest One 4: 'It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken' 5: Silver Jet 6: Throwing off Glass 7: All Tore Up 8: Leave 9: Beautiful Thing 10: Dire Wolf 11: Dark Canuck

they're baaaack
It delves. It kicks. There's texture & grace. You can enjoy getting lost in it.

After being decidedly disappointed by Music @ Work, I found this CD to be a renaissance.

For me, it's on par with Phantom Power, Trouble at the Henhouse and World Container (i. e. - not essential (like Up to Here, Road Apples, Fully Completely or Day for Night) but delightful nonetheless).


Got me totally hooked
The lyrics are straightforward, yet laden with double-entendre and deeper meaning. If there ever was an album that could get you hooked on a band, 'In Violet Light' is that album. A true poetic achievement from Gordon Downie. (I believe there is even a lyric/poem book published for this album. ) A group of us even presented a rendition of "Its a Good Life if You Don't Weaken" at our summer camp as a tribute to a staff member who was diagnosed with cancer, but continued to work the summer. Truly powerful stuff in here!

This is not to say, though, that there are not upbeat, fun tunes that are infused with pure energy and excitement ("All Tore Up", "Are You Ready"). The wordsmithing in some of these songs is really great also.


Going To A Cottage This Summer?
This is the perfect music to accompany some late evening drinks under the stars by the fire side (with friends; if its just you and your lady, then be a gentleman and throw on some Marvin Gaye or Coldplay or whatever she's into). If you plan to trek out to some lake-side wilderness come warmer weather, this CD is a must buy.

Sorry, I got off track. This is a beautiful CD. It starts off rocking (Are You Ready, Use It Up, Silver Jet) and moves towards classic Hip-style serenity (Good Life, A Beautiful Thing, Leave). Dire Wolf is in my top 5 Hip songs of all time, which (for me) is really saying something.

Take, for example, some typical(ly beautiful) lyrics, from the aptly titled Beautiful Thing:

In ulcerating silence
perspective comes
the way it always does - it's ransom.
So randomly, somebody calls
the phone rings and it brings Niagara Falls.
"It's 3 o'clock in the morning,
You'd better be dyin" and you were
so we talked about the time
and where it went,
unremarkable events,
and how one day took two days
and they got spent.
How you'd continue, carefully in degrees
trying to do one true beautiful thing.

Its not the most radio single-ish music that the Hip have ever done, and it takes a listen or two before you find yourself humming (and then singing) along. But this CD is like my old blue blanket, that makes me feel happy and peaceful and comfortable.

This isn't entry level stuff, but if you really like the Hip, you'll really like this!.


So-so by Hip standards
But the fact is, In Violet Light combines with their previous effort, Music@Work, to mark the low ebb in the career of this remarkable band. The Hip have a certain percentage of uncritical fans who go ga-ga over whatever they do; and some folks just do dig this CD. Yes, it improves on M@W in that it actually features coherently-written songs with actual, discernable melodies and hooks (including the devastating rumination on Canada's role in an age of teror, 'The Dark Canuck'). But Gordon Downie's lyrics---which are spectacularly revitalized on the subsequest disc, 'In Between Evolution'---remain too scholarly and abstract here, the vocals lack conviction, and the production values sap the band of all the energy and menace that define it. An album to buy if you are already a convinced fan. Otherwise, skip this, and go directly to 'In Between Evolution,' which shows the band snapping back into form and kicking ass on all levels.


just when I was loosing hope...
Lots of great songwriting with tight music arrangement and Downy sings quite well. An excellent new disc by the TJ, after a decidely mediocre, "Music at Work. . . Like all Hip discs (except their first few, less complex, ones) it takes some listens to truly appreciate. Great Canadian music?. . . NO, just amazing music with a distinct Canadian flavour. WOW!!!.


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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