PRODUCT REVIEWS

CD: The Tragically Hip - Yer Favourites

Written by: Fred | May 2006

I’ve had an affinity for The Hip since I first saw them perform live in a small club on New Years Eve 1989 (or was it 88?) I’ll admit that I have not followed them on all of their musical excursions, there is no denying that the oh-so Canadian outfit has been responsible for some great music over their near twenty year career of releasing music. It has always been a bit of a mystery why a band that could be so successful in Canada never crossed over into the U.S. Perhaps it’s because songs about Hockey, Bobcaygeon, the wrongful conviction of David Milgaard or the great ice storm are a little bit too Canadian.

But even if The Tragically Hip are solely a pleasure to those of us north of the 49th parallel, the 37 songs assembled on Yer Favourites are a clear indication that The Hip have forged their rightful place in the pantheon of Canadian Rock And Roll Icons.

Their songs have an uncanny ability to capture the imagination of the listener with their combination of raucous guitar riffs, catchy melodies and the beautiful and often enigmatic poetry of Gord Downie. (With two Gordons in the band – could they be more Canadian?)

It’s interesting to see the progression of The Hip through the years, from the early rockin’ tracks like Highway Girl, only entry from their debut self titled EP, and Twist My Arm to the more introspective, contemplative singles like Ahead By A Century, Bobcaygeon and Wheat Kings.

The Hip released Yer Favourites, the Live DVD That Night In Toronto and the box set Hipeponymous simultaneously. The box set includes the two CDs from Yer Favourites, the live DVD and a bonus DVD including all their videos. Sadly, absent in all of these releases is the much-loved, live “killerwhaletank” version of New Orleans is Sinking, a version that was only released to radio stations. Maybe some day it will make its way onto a CD.