I feel this deserves its own thread.

Good god, this is great. Living in Canada, you might find the Hip oversaturated at points. I know I did. You can hear at least one song of theirs on the radio any given day. I can sing along to almost any single of theirs from 'Blow At High Dough' to 'Poets' to 'New Orleans Is Sinking' without even thinking about it. But hearing them all in one place like this just cements the total awesomeness of them all.

To settle the question raised in a thread a few weeks back, I think they can safely be called the quintessential Canadian band.

We had disc one of this set on at work today. 'Boots Or Hearts' must have played five or six times by the time I was done my shift, but I didn't get sick of it once.



fingers and toes, fingers and toes
are forty things we share
forty-one if you include
the fact that we don't care

Insanely good sample of the Hip's best songs. It really has them all, but I'm hardly objective because I can't get sick of these songs. It's like with the Stones. They've been around forty fucking years. We've all heard Exile a billion times yet we don't get tired of it. This is the same. I got the box set last month and the two discs have barely left my cd player, despite me having all of their albums and knowing every song by heart. It's an awesome representation of their stuff, chosen by the fans no less. Save for a couple of song from their first album, like 'Small Town Bringdown' or 'Last American Exit', it's a perfect set. The live set 'That Night in Toronto' is such a great concert too. It's easily a Canadian cliche, but these songs are completely weaved into the fabric of most of my memories. Having been to their shows, the reaction is nothing short of rabid when something like 'Little Bones' comes on. Nothing gets me going like these songs, 'New Orleans is Sinking' or 'The Darkest One'. This is Canada's band, like it or not.

For a recent review of the above set, read this

I sometimes wish I could like this band. Maybe it's a function of age; the fact that I was nearly 30 years old when The Hip first appeared and took over Canadian radio. It's like Rush (another band I never really had time for), politely stepped aside and said the last 15 years were ours, you get the next 15. So who's Canada'a band for the next 15 after The Hip? Barenaked Ladies? What is it, we can only have ONE fucking band in this country at a time?



At Points? I have never owned a hip album and I am friends with maybe 2 people who have owned any Hip, yet I would probably recognize 30 of their songs if I heard them. That is simply wrong, and illustrates the problem with Canadian popular music and the state of Canadian radio. Christ-man, isn't there more to the Canadian rock music industry than Rush and The Hip and The Guess Who?

At least with The Hip I can recognize the quality of their music, the singles are consistently enjoyable. It's the force-feeding from the Canadian Music industry, that has taken place over the last 15 years that I find so objectionable, to the point of rendering the quality of the music, a moot point.

As far as Canadian mainstream rock music industry is concerned:

'70s = Guess Who
'80s = Rush
'90s = The Tragically Hip
'00s = yet to emerge

Very sad indeed.

Just imagine trying to define England so definitively?

Sad!? Give me a break. Who the fuck here is trying to define the country by a single band?!! Our statements here and those in the previous threads were based on popular reactions to the Tragically Hip's music in different venues over the years. Whether it be in an office, bar, show or at a wedding. There's more to Canadian music than the Hip, obviously. As bad as an example as this may be, look at some of the critical faves over the last couple of years, The Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, Broken Social Scene, The New Pornographers. Obvious examples, I realize, lord knows Radcliffe could cite dozens more. But still, to simplify decades exemplified by certain bands trivializes the entire industry. It's not only simplistic, it's insulting. I think most Canadian musicians would have issues with that statement.

My own statement above, and of the orignal post are clear. We're fans, and unabashed ones at that. It's clear by your initial statement that you are not a Hip fan, having never owned an album and neither were your friends. I've lived all over Ontario and now in Saskatchewan. Over my travels I've met my share of snobs who decry the Tragically Hip as populist losers, but the vast majority are huge fans. And who the fuck cares about radio?! I thought this was about music, not about an industry.

And the Guess Who are awesome. Sorry about your self-loathing.

Relax, I'm not making any judgement on The Hip or their fans. I am judging the state of the Canadian music industry, (note I said industry, not music) that so closely defines the various generations to one particular band. Sure The Arcade Fire, and New Pornographers, and BSS and Wolf Parade, are great and have met with critical success, but walk into those bars and offices and weddings and shows, and mention those critics darlings and you're met with blank stares. Sure, maybe they are all young bands, and The Hip were once young and unknown too, but mention quality veteran Canadian artists like Sloan, and Ron Sexsmith, and you'll be met with the same blank stares.



uhhh this guy!




Why do we have to have a fucking mascot band. Who is Englands quintessential band? Who is America's? They don't have one. They don't need one? The whole concept is absurd.

Look, I make no judgements about anyone for whatever bands/music they like. It does fascinate me though that the industry and yes most Canadians seem to latch on to one particular band and decide they are "Canada's band". The implication is clear; if you don't like them, you're somehow anti-Canadian. Hell, even Don Cherry loves these guys. You no what? I am not a Hip fan, and I'm just as much a Canadian as you are.

I'm also going to vote Conservative and I think fighting in hockey is stupid. So there!

Jesus, the whole "Canada's Band" thing is not official, like we voted on it in a referendum or something. If The Hip, particularly, get tagged as Canada's quintessential band a lot has to do with the lyrical content of the songs. Thematically, songs like 'Courage', '50 Mission Cap' or 'Something On' touch on hockey, 'Born on the Water' touches on billingualism, 'Wheat Kings' is about David Milgard etc. Any song that mentions Tom Thomson is pretty damn Canadian. There are many more like that. You put that content in your songs and you're going to get a rep as "Canada's band". And what's wrong with that? According to you, it's "absurd". I disagree, but fair enough. And as far as playing those Canadian critical darlings in bars or weddings? I may be wrong, but I really don't think it would fly, not because it hasn't gotten played on the radio so they don't know what they should like, but because those bands don't exactly pair with that environment. I've heard Sloan in bars plenty of times and have heard Ron Sexsmith at a wedding. It was a slow song. As far as the quintessential band from England? What about The Beatles? Pretty much synonymous with the UK. When I think of American popular music, I think of Elvis. Those are obvious examples but I think they do exist everywhere. Some artists can best exemplify their cultural backgrounds.

If you honestly don't like The Hip's music, I don't view you as anti-Canadian at all. It's not a big deal, but I personally I think you are implicitly judging them, by calling them or the Guess Who, a 'mascot band'. There's a condescesion there.

And I'm voting Liberal in January because I don't see the Conservative leader as our next PM and I'm not the only one. If Peter Mackay were running, I'd think about it. And fighting is part of hockey, like it or not, deal with it.

TG haven't been on American radio much the early 90's.

i've seen these guys live like 4 times. and I couldn't tell you a damned thing asbout them other than that they're Canadian.

I don't want to belabour this too much as I think we are arguing apples & oranges. I said previously that I recognize the quality of their music, but their god-like stature is something I don't like, or understand, and yes it does make me feel that they are being force-fed to me. My point about the critics darling bands was not about whether you could play their music in different places, but that if you mention the name of say Sloan, or Ron Sexsmith to 95% of Canadians, you'll be met with blank stares..."huh never heard of them". And i think that the Tragically hip hype machine has taken away from other Canadian artists who are deserving of so much more. None of this is the Hips fault or responsibilty or a reflection on the quality of their music.

I'll refrain from getting into a political debate, it just baffles me how anyone from the West can vote for the Liberals. 13 straight years of their brand of corruption, thievery and lies is quite enough thank you. (Oops, I did say I wasn't going to get into a political debate).

man, i love tragically hip. it started with that mediocre song, "ahead by a century"... local station wxrt was playing the hell out of it and my mom liked it a lot. i bought the album for her and ended up keeping it for myself. i think that phantom power is full of some of the most honest lyrics around. and live, holy crap, they're just incredible. i saw gordo solo once and although he sounded really good and the songs were done well, it just didn't have the same energy as a hip show. two thumbs up for the hip, yo.

We're cool. I get yr point.

And I should say that I'm not a Western Canadian. I just moved here from Ontario, hence the Liberal vote . To me, it's the devil you know and, man, I just can't stand Stephen Harper.

If you ever need anymore, drop me a pm.

It's nothing short of pathetic to think that a corrupt, holding-pattern government like the Liberals will get voted back in power - but that's exactly what will happen, and mainly because there's no viable alternative. The other parties are so bush league and disorganized they make the American democrats look like world-beaters. And even if there WAS an alternative, fucking Ontario would continue to suck Liberal cock anyway, which, as usual, renders all votes west of Kenora null and void.

The Tragically Hip = REM without the hooks. A big load of MEH.

<----- still hoping and praying for Cascadia to take shape.

Can't disagree with you. I'm born and raised in Northwestern Ontario, we're as neglected as the west when it comes to decisions in Ottawa. The province ceases to exist north of Barrie.

But as for the Hip being MEH? I say BAH to that. There's lots to love there. But what do you expect from a westerner .

<---Misses Ontario

Um, what? Mediocre? That's one of my favorite Hip songs, and one of my favorites, period.

okay. i happen to think it's mediocre compared to the rest of their catalog. no big deal. i'm sure you wouldn't like all of my favorite songs, either.

The Beatles?

Or was that a rhetorical question?

That's what I said. The Who could be another. The Stones have always seemed more American to me.

I'd say The Jam, or The Kinks, both are too "British" for big-time North American success.

The Beatles? They are The Western World's quintessential band.

Those were the other two I was thinking about. 'Down in the Tube Station at Midnight' as an example.

Or Mr. Clean, Eton Rifles, English Rose, Going Underground, That's Entertainment, all with distinctively British references, if not subject matter.