Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Music for your work, for your home, for your pleasure..., June 13, 2000
There are few bands of the present day that will garner special recognition and remembrance twenty years from now: only a small but distinct list of bands readily come to mind when one talks of the 60's or 70's. The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin were bands of such distinction, and had such reverence amongst their fans, that one almost feels disdain to lump them into a generic genre, like "rock". There are three modern bands that also define this distinct brand of classification-distorting music. Radiohead and Pearl Jam take home two of the honors. The third, The Tragically Hip, may come as a surprise for some, but only seems natural to their dedicated following, who have watched while their idols carved for themselves a wholly unique niche of the music market. After fifteen years and eight albums, The Tragically Hip are as Canadian as they are talented masters of lyric and melody. Perennial under-achievers in terms of "the big-time", the Hip fail to lose focus or let the lack of US attention prevent them from making magical music. Their latest effort, the epic Music@Work, continues in the special Hip tradition of sounding warmly familiar but somehow unique. Many bands have trouble producing a new sound after only one or two albums. Not here: with eight Hip albums in the disk-changer and a comfortable chair one could have a eight-hour work day with a soundtrack that is as full of twists and turns as the drive home later that night. Even songs that follow the traditional Hip album formula of hard-but-catchy singles ("My Music At Work") or slow-poetic-campfire-sing-a-longs ("Toronto #4") still surprise. "Toronto #4", which sees the hauntingly beautiful harmonic accompaniment of Julie Doiron (formerly of Eric's Trip) is the "Bobcaygeon" of the album: beautiful, seductive, sweet. "As I Wind Down The Pines" gives off a folksy, Lightfoot air; "Tiger The Lion" makes you hit fast forward...and then press rewind to take another listen, and then one more. It is "the most audacious thing we've ever done" explains Hip frontman Gordon Downie, whose penmanship continues into the uncharted, and only feels more forward with each masterful attempt. Music@Work gives fans 14 more gems to ponder, each with its own story - its own spot in the sun. Still, the knockout punch of the album is "My Music At Work". As the writer who listens to music throughout each workday it can be solidly said that Music@Work will be his music at work for the foreseeable future.
|
|
|
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another Solid Album, July 7, 2000
I must admit I may be a bit biased in this review. I have every Hip record and attend their live shows when they are in town. I'd categorize the Hip as an adult oriented band which has a blues/rock sound but isn't boring as an Eric Clapton or a Dire Straits record is. The Hip do not cater to Phil Collins "easy listening" fans. If you like Pearl Jam, U2, and the Rolling Stones, you should like the Tragically Hip. Music @ Work shows that the Hip can write a terrific pop song with catchy hooks, eg. My Music At Work, but also put out rockers which are not necessarily radio friendly because they don't have a 'hook' within the first 20 seconds of the song, eg. Tiger the Lion (which sometimes sounds a bit like AC/DC meets Pearl Jam). Gord Downie continues to pen unique lyrics which are odd on their own but always seem to work within the music ("I had a bird's-eye view of a bird's-eye view when I saw you.") and his voice has definitely matured from previous efforts. Music @ Work IS more radio-friendly than previous Hip efforts but this is not a "sell out" type record. (Even if the Hip did attempt to "sell out" it probably wouldn't matter as fickle radio station program directors don't seem to play them much anyway. Great bands like the Hip are ignored while generic uninventive pop like MatchBox 20 gets on top 40 playlists. However, that is a different topic.) "Lake Fever" and "Stay" are catchy and when listening to this record it's difficult to continue past the 5th track because they are an easy listen. I often skip back and repeat the record's first five songs. The rest of the record is also impressive and worth a listen. There is not a "Bobcayeon" (from PHANTOM POWER) on this work but considering that is my favorite Hip song it is difficult to replace, but if you like songs like "Emperor Peguin" (also from PP) you'll enjoy "Freak Turbulence" and "Wild Mountain Honey". Bottom line...this is a solid album which does not dissappoint. Buy it. Listen to it. Tell your local radio station to play it.
|
|
|
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Shot from the Hip, June 19, 2000
It is tough to be a fan and articulate an objective view, but here goes: (Maybe it helps that I am at work and listening to Music @ Work.)I am a huge fan of music, but being a twentysomething, have not seen music evolve and emerge anywhere near its zenith. No, I wasn't there to snatch up each new Beatles or Stones vinyl record with bated breath and crumpled ten dollar bill, but I am here to e-order each new Hip compact disc with exhausted credit card. And although Music @ Work does not blow me away initially, I believe these matured Hip-sters are evoking their subtle genius just the same. If you are not a fan, you're missing out on hearing the obscured mouthpiece for a smart & confused generation in band form. Now, one would think that people outside of Canada would have a difficult time relating to a band consisting of two members named "Gord," but how can mesmorizing guitar licks and cryptic, intelligent, emotive lyrics not appeal to all? All their work means nothing, if you don't want to be intellectually and rhythmically stimulated by a band. But if "your finger wiggles and landscapes emerge," dive in. The Tragically Hip is all that is good in music. A rabid following, yet no "sell-out" lavish success. In Music @ Work they continue their evolution process. Mr. Downie evens admits that he is "starting to choke on the things I say" after babbling about the Appian Way. You can spend years trying to figure out what he is saying, all the while the music and mood takes you to fabulous places on your journey. All my babble aside, if you're a fan, this is more of a great thing. If you're not a fan, please become one and perhaps, like me, you'll be saying: "you lured me with your diamond flower you lured me with talk of still more talk you lured me with carmelizing power you lured me a lot." Oh yeah, and they rock.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
~ The Tragically Hip
~ The Tragically Hip
~ The Tragically Hip
~ The Tragically Hip
~ The Tragically Hip
is The Tragically Hip's 
