Tragically Hip - In Violet Light Review
Posted by Shayne Robinson on 09.10.2002
Those wacky Canadians are at it again.
Is there is anything quite as Canadian as the Tragically Hip (well perhaps dumb French people and ugly women but never the less)? Up in the North, these guys have a huge following but once you cross the border they sell about as well as Poison currently does. I’m guessing that because of their lack of fame in the States many of you probably haven't even heard of them. If that’s the case I suggest you go out and buy one of their CD’s as soon as possible because they really are a great band. The question then is, is this the CD you should buy first to start your Hip collection? To find out the answer just keep reading.
Cover-
Compared to some previous Hip CD’s the cover is rather plain. It shows a silhouetted crane standing in violet colored light. The cover might be as simple as George Bush but it’s a hell of a lot better looking. It stands out due to it looking quite different than most other CD covers in record stores these days so I guess that is what they were aiming for.
Booklet-
Yes I realize that the cover is actually part of the booklet but I still think that they should be reviewed separately. The cover is the first thing you see and the only thing many people see, so I think it should be reviewed as its own separate entity. Anyway, back to reviewing the booklet. It has everything a great booklet should have. It has funky pictures (people still say funky right? I’m hip Kids, really), song listing, lyrics, production notes, and of course a section for thank you’s. The only way this booklet could have been better is if they had actually thanked me personally or if they had included naked pictures of great Canadians like John Candy or … damn I can’t even think of another great Canadian.
The music-
There are eleven tracks on this CD and not a single one is crap, which is a rarity in today’s market. The CD starts off with Are You Ready, which was a great choice because it’s a very energetic song. From there it only gets better. Such songs as Silver Jet and It’s a good life if you don’t weaken are sure to be classics. None of the songs can really be compared to such previous hits as At the Hundredth Meridian or Little bones though. The CD has a very different tone compared to their previous releases. Usually when a band sways from their tested and true formula the results are crap (Guns and Roses I’m looking at you and your piece of shit Oh My God)) but in this particular case it worked out very well. My only complaint is that they should have made it an enhanced CD and thrown on some bonus live videos or something. But hey if that’s my biggest complaint you know the CD is worth 15 bucks.
Conclusion-
If you are a fan of the Tragically Hip I suggest you buy this CD right away if you haven’t done so already. However, if you are someone who isn’t really a fan but are interested in becoming one, I suggest you start at their earlier CD’s and work your way up. This CD carries on the legacy of great albums from Canada’s band (hehe) and should have received way more recognition from the media.
Track Listing-
1) Are you ready
2)’Use it Up’
3) The Darkest One
4) ‘It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken’
5) Silver Jet
6) Throwing Off Glass
7) All Tore Up
8)Leave
9) A beautiful Thing
10) The Dire Wolf
11) The Dark Canuck
