Pre-Release
- NOV 8, 2024
- 39 Songs
- Trouble At the Henhouse · 1996
- Up To Here · 1989
- Day For Night · 1994
- Fully Completely (Deluxe Version) · 1992
- Phantom Power · 1998
- Fully Completely (Deluxe Version) · 1992
- Up To Here · 1989
- Up to Here (International Version) · 1989
- Fully Completely (Deluxe Version) · 1992
- Road Apples · 1991
Essential Albums
- The Tragically Hip’s Canadian-chart-topping second album, 1991’s Road Apples, elevated this hardscrabble bar band from Kingston, Ontario, into Canada’s most popular rock group. Fully Completely, released the following year, made them legends—a self-contained musical universe with an intensity and identity entirely its own. Seeking to replicate their Canadian success outside their home country, the Hip decamped to London, England, to work with Chris Tsangarides, best known for applying a platinum polish to hard-rock acts like Thin Lizzy and Judas Priest. But in the producer’s hands, the Hip didn’t so much toughen up as branch out. If Road Apples positioned the Hip as the thinking man’s drinking band, Fully Completely betrayed a musical and lyrical depth their previous, classic-rock-rooted work only hinted at. From the jump, the opening “Courage (For Hugh MacLennan)” reveals a newfound finesse, showcasing a band eager to glide where they used to grind. But while it provides ample space for frontman Gord Downie’s latent melodic graces to shine through, the song proved to be a hard sell in a US rock market dominated by the more primal, nihilistic sounds of grunge. Certainly, the titular shout-out and lyrical nods to revered Canadian author Hugh MacLennan flew over the heads of most kids in the mosh pit. And yet “Courage” is the ultimate testament to The Tragically Hip’s own uncommon valor—i.e., their willingness to go against the grain in their own peculiar ways, and sing about the kind of people and places rarely celebrated in rock songs. Where past Tragically Hip albums were largely rooted in the dive bars, small-town scenery, and personal experiences that birthed the band, Fully Completely finds Downie engrossed in obscure historical figures and arcane geographical details, forging a new national mythology in the process. On the dramatic “Fifty-Mission Cap,” he recounts the chilling true story of a Toronto Maple Leafs player, Bill Barilko, who went missing a few months after scoring the winning goal in the 1951 Stanley Cup Final, while the equally hard-charging “Looking for a Place to Happen” and “At the Hundredth Meridian” respectively deconstruct Canada’s benevolent national identity through the lens of colonialism and regional divides. And on the instant campfire classic “Wheat Kings,” Downie pays tribute to David Milgaard, a Winnipeg man who spent 23 years in prison for a rape and murder he did not commit. Like Road Apples, Fully Completely went to No. 1 on the Canadian album charts, but it proved to be more than just another platinum record for the band to hang on the wall. For Canadian listeners raised on a steady diet of American and British pop culture, it was a wake-up call that their own seemingly placid country had many dark mysteries to unlock, and in The Tragically Hip, they had the perfect band to crack the codes.
Artist Playlists
- If anyone can claim the title of Canada's band, it's this quintet from Kingston.
- The Canucks branch out from their blues-rock base.
- Find out what makes these alt-rock titans tick.
- Meet the artists who fell under the spell of the Canadian rock heroes.
Singles & EPs
Compilations
More To Hear
- A conversation with Paul Langlois, Rob Baker, Johnny Fay and Gord Sinclair.
- The Tragically Hip shares stories and their EP 'Saskadelphia.'
About The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip—known to their legions of fans simply as the Hip—were the preeminent Canadian rock band of the '90s. Their poetic, detailed lyrics centered on the country's history and landmarks; notable songs cover the tragic disappearance and death of Toronto Maple Leafs player Bill Barilko ("Fifty Mission Cap") and the contrast between life in Toronto and in a small town ("Bobcaygeon"). The Hip originally formed in Kingston, Ontario, in the early '80s around the nucleus of vocalist/guitarist Gord Downie and several high-school friends, including guitarist Rob Baker, bassist Gord Sinclair, and drummer Johnny Fay. Gigs in Ontario clubs eventually led to a record deal, and their 1989 debut LP, Up to Here, which kicked off a two-decade-plus run where each of their studio albums went platinum or multiplatinum in Canada. Although the Hip's approach echoed R.E.M.'s intricate storytelling and social conscience—for example, Downie was a vocal supporter of indigenous rights—the Hip's music incorporated inspiration from melodic classic rock and the acoustic-electric tension favored by fellow Canadian icon Neil Young, in the form of loose folk grooves ("Ahead By a Century"), gritty blues swagger ("New Orleans Is Sinking"), and hard-rock boogie ("At the Hundredth Meridian"). Sadly, in 2016, the band announced Downie had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. That same year, the group embarked on one last Canadian tour that illustrated how beloved they were—a massive hometown farewell show streamed and broadcast live reached 11.7 million people—and released the incisive album Man Machine Poem. Although Downie was open to the Hip continuing without him, the band officially called it a day after their frontman's death, securing their legacy as one of integrity and influence in Canada and beyond.
- ORIGIN
- Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- FORMED
- 1983
- GENRE
- Rock