Music @ Work

The Tragically Hip | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 18, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Fontana Universal
• ASIN: B000065OM2
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,896 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully diverse and grand accomplishment, February 25, 2004

By 

Eddie Konczal - See all my reviews

This review is from: Music @ Work (Audio CD)

Over three years after its release, I'm ready to go out on a limb and say that "Music @ Work" is The Tragically Hip's best record - certainly not a consensus view, given the comments here. But I believe in terms of musicianship, lyrics, variety, innovativeness, and sonic excellence, it's second to none in the Hip's discography.

Unfortunately, "Music @ Work" begins with its weakest song, the relatively inane title track - a fairly cynical attempt at a hit single. The next song, "Tiger the Lion," is unquestionably an acquired taste, with its sinister guitar chords and obscure John Cage references. But to me, this is the type of song that makes The Hip great - a gutsy, idiosyncratic reworking of the rock idiom. After that comes one of the Hip's best songs ever, "Lake Fever." It's simply a beautiful song, with lush acoustic instrumentation, spine-tingling chord changes, and one of vocalist Gordon Downie's strongest performances.

The rest of the record weaves through varied musical territory. There are straight-ahead rockers, like "Putting Down" and "The Bastard," as well as atmospheric ballads such as "Toronto #4" and "As I Wind Down the Pines." How many bands have written a song from a carnivorous bear's point of view? Not many - but on "The Bear," the Hip do it with tongue-in-cheek aplomb.

The Hip's charmingly peculiar style establishes a sense of continuity that helps guide the listener through their diverse musical landscape. Their Canadian milieu informs their music with a unique cultural and geographical sensibility that sets them apart from other current alternative artists.

As bold and varied as the colors on its cover, "Music @ Work" is a wonderfully diverse and grand accomplishment. For everyone? Maybe not. But for this Hip fan, it's their best.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lose Gord's Doctoral Thesis Song and we're good..., November 17, 2004

By 

DerWeg - See all my reviews

This review is from: Music @ Work (Audio CD)

As I mentioned praising "Violet Light" I always find "Tiger The Lion" a jarring, disruptive tune that I think puts a lot of people off playing this record through. I just don't get why it's there - and I take no real issue with the Hip's other 100 songs, just this beast on track #2 of this otherwise fine CD.

This record did not do very well. (Damn that track #2!) Yet it has as many good tunes as their best sellers. I generally skip tracks playing any CD (opinionated as I am) yet most of this CD has me glued to the speakers rather than the skip button.

There are essential tunes on this CD for any Hip music consumer. And they sound great which is a bonus.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My first Hip album ever..., June 15, 2005

By 

D. Collins (Park Ridge, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Music @ Work (Audio CD)

Music @ Work was my first TTH album ever, and remains one of my favorites. The band has come a long way from this style of music with the recent release of 'In Between Evolution' and the difference is quite stark. The days of 'Music @ Work' seemed to have been simpler times, with simpler, more 'popular' tunes and solid, stick-with-you songs. "The Completists", "Tiger the Lion", and "Sharks" sit high on my favorite Hip songs list. A definite must-have for your Hip listening pleasure. There is just something about song lyrics that actually mean something...