Anyone else dig The Tragically Hip?

SlavaF · #1 07-20-2006, 01:45 PM

They're real big in Canada if you haven't heard of them

My band recently picked up "Grace, Too", what a wicked song! So atmospheric, really well written IMO, and I happen to love Gord's unique voice. "Courage" and "50 Mission Cap" are some other great tunes.

I really like how they use 2 guitars (and an acoustic), all of them adding a different texture to the music instead of playing identical riffs. One of the guitarists is always playing some solo-like thing, and it makes their songs sound really full. The bass player (forget his name) is also solid, his bass lines drive a lot of their songs, with the guitars playing on top of his riffs. Makes for a cool, unique sound.

They're one of those bands that just sound totally Canadian

Anyone else listen to 'em?

jamfree · #2 07-21-2006, 10:14 AM

I dig em'. Finally going to get to see them at the Austin City Limits Festival this year.

SlavaF · #3 07-21-2006, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamfree

I dig em'. Finally going to get to see them at the Austin City Limits Festival this year.

nice... I hope Gord doesn't blabber like a drunken idiot through the whole show...

haha... have you seen the Hip's live DVD? I think it's called "That Night In Toronto"... I was horribly dissapointed by it, because the performance is perfect except for ol' Gord either talking through every instrumental break (something about his mic stand trying to get away from him lol) or changing around the vocal arrangements to most of the songs. Got really annoying after awhile...

either way, next time they come to E-town, I'm definitely gonna be there

markjazzbassist · #4 07-21-2006, 11:51 AM

i saw them a couple of years ago. my brother took me to the show, i don't listen to them. but, they put on one HECK of a live show. Great show.

mgood · #5 07-21-2006, 11:54 AM

They had a couple songs on the radio in the early nineties which I really liked.

I ran sound for them once in Lubbock, TX. Great show.

Haven't heard of them in a long time.

SlavaF · #6 07-21-2006, 01:33 PM

Haha I thought they were totally unheard-of down there!

I was really impressed by how awesome they sound live on the DVD I have, except for the one little problem I mentioned

johnvice · #7 07-21-2006, 01:37 PM

I opened for 'The Tragically Hip' in (I think) 1987. I was asked within the last year to open for "Almost Hip', a clone band!

chrisp2u · #8 07-21-2006, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlavaF

They're real big in Canada if you haven't heard of them

My band recently picked up "Grace, Too", what a wicked song! So atmospheric, really well written IMO, and I happen to love Gord's unique voice. "Courage" and "50 Mission Cap" are some other great tunes.

I've seen them about 7 times. Though I was never a super fan to begin with, I completely lost interest in them over the past 5 years... nothing too new or exciting going on there for me... just seems to be more of the same. Gord is certainly entertaining live with his random nonsense rap.

The tunes you've mentioned are pretty much the top of the t-hip crop along with a few others. The more recent stuff doesn't do much for me though, not exactly sure why... every once in a while there's something decent in there.

Oh, and don't forget "Killer Whale Tank"

---
c

cmhgreg · #9 07-22-2006, 09:36 AM

I "discovered" them about six months ago and have been devouring their library of songs since. Great stuff. I've become a big Gord Sinclair fan -- nothing real fancy, just rock solid grooves. I almost drove 3 hours to Pittsburgh last month to check them out. I would really like to see them live.

Anybody know anything about Gord Sinclair's rig?

SlavaF · #10 07-22-2006, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmhgreg

I "discovered" them about six months ago and have been devouring their library of songs since. Great stuff. I've become a big Gord Sinclair fan -- nothing real fancy, just rock solid grooves. I almost drove 3 hours to Pittsburgh last month to check them out. I would really like to see them live.

Anybody know anything about Gord Sinclair's rig?

I don't know anything about his rig, but I'm sure a lot of his sound comes from his P-bass. Pretty simple, traditional sound, but it works. I totally agree though, about rock solid grooves. It's cool that so many Hip songs are written around his grooves - Grace, Too being my favorite.

Chris: wow, 7 times? That's impressive for not being a "super fan"... haha

yeah I agree with you there, their new stuff isn't really "new" sounding at all, their sound doesn't seem to be evolving (or changing at all) over the years. I bought "In Violet Light" when it came out a few years ago, and as an album I didn't think it was very good at all.. Silver Jet is a cool tune, but it was mostly just more of the same old Hip... Their older stuff is where all the gold is IMO

Oh yeah I forgot to mention, some of their best songs are their mellower ones, like "Bobcaygeon" and especially "Ahead By A Century". Beautiful, simple and melodic.

Brookb · #11 09-19-2006, 07:32 PM

Hi, I don't chime in too much here, but the hip is one of my all time favorite bands. I've seen them 6 times, mostly in Grand Rapids. I think the best stuff is from "Up To Here" through "Fully and Completely". I'm still new to bass, but I've learned a few hip tunes. Gord Sinclair is great.

snappytom · #12 11-25-2006, 08:22 AM

The Hip ...... Oh yeah, big time fan.

We cover "Grace Too" also along with "Ahead by a Century" and "Darkest One". Down here people in the pubs either know the tunes and go nuts when we play them, or have no clue (poor bastards).

Have seen them twice, 10 years ago and this year in July. Both were great shows.

SlavaF · #13 11-26-2006, 08:03 PM

I'm goin to see them January 10th, can't wait!

I'm really digging "Daredevil" and "Yawning or Snarling" off of Day For Night at the moment...

Oh as for the new album, it's good, but nothing outstanding. It's very melodic as usual, but Gord tends to strain his voice a lot more and tries to sing higher than before, so it gets pretty annoying for me. I definitely prefer the older Hip. I thought it would have been a bit better considering how much it was promoted, and how much hype there was!

98dvl · #14 11-30-2006, 12:22 PM

I was in a band a few years ago, and we played New Orleans is Sinking... great song... but has totally different meaning these days!

SlavaF · #15 11-30-2006, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 98dvl

I was in a band a few years ago, and we played New Orleans is Sinking... great song... but has totally different meaning these days!

that's for sure... I wonder if they ever spin that song in the States anymore

Bush probably banned it haha

Smallmouth_Bass · #16 11-30-2006, 10:22 PM

They are an aquired taste. I never used to like them, but now I do. They are a fun band to cover and the songs always go over well (in Canada anyway). Straight up rock with a quirky vocalist.

Smallmouth_Bass · #17 12-02-2006, 09:12 AM

Does anyone know what Gord Sinclair's main bass is these days? From what I can see, it looks like a G&L SB-2 with one P pickup and the headstock hook cut off.

Pedulla-Player · #18 04-14-2011, 02:03 AM

I did a search on Gord Sinclair because I'm a big Tragically Hip fan and this old thread popped up. Instead of starting a new thread on "The Hip" - I figured that I'd ressurect this one. Of course a lot of "Hip" fans live in Canada because they don't get the radio play (I feel) they deserve in the States. Any other Tragically Hip fans in the US besides me and the couple that already posted in this thread several years ago?? Canadians or people outside the US can chime in also.

bass_snake · #19 04-15-2011, 09:59 AM

I like them now. I' d like to see them live.

Friedrich