Search - Tragically Hip :: Music @ Work

A wonderfully diverse and grand accomplishment

Eddie Konczal | 02/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Over three years after its release, I'm ready to go out on a limb and say that "Music @ Work" is The Tragically Hip's best record - certainly not a consensus view, given the comments here. But I believe in terms of musicianship, lyrics, variety, innovativeness, and sonic excellence, it's second to none in the Hip's discography.Unfortunately, "Music @ Work" begins with its weakest song, the relatively inane title track - a fairly cynical attempt at a hit single. The next song, "Tiger the Lion," is unquestionably an acquired taste, with its sinister guitar chords and obscure John Cage references. But to me, this is the type of song that makes The Hip great - a gutsy, idiosyncratic reworking of the rock idiom. After that comes one of the Hip's best songs ever, "Lake Fever." It's simply a beautiful song, with lush acoustic instrumentation, spine-tingling chord changes, and one of vocalist Gordon Downie's strongest performances.The rest of the record weaves through varied musical territory. There are straight-ahead rockers, like "Putting Down" and "The Bastard," as well as atmospheric ballads such as "Toronto #4" and "As I Wind Down the Pines." How many bands have written a song from a carnivorous bear's point of view? Not many - but on "The Bear," the Hip do it with tongue-in-cheek aplomb.The Hip's charmingly peculiar style establishes a sense of continuity that helps guide the listener through their diverse musical landscape. Their Canadian milieu informs their music with a unique cultural and geographical sensibility that sets them apart from other current alternative artists.As bold and varied as the colors on its cover, "Music @ Work" is a wonderfully diverse and grand accomplishment. For everyone? Maybe not. But for this Hip fan, it's their best."

Why do I like this album?

Matt Frantz | San Francisco, CA | 01/17/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I can't figure it out. Deconstructing it reveals a basic rock band, with interesting vocals and lyrics. The production quality is excellent. It sounds great at any volume, at home, in the car. The tunes get stuck in my head. I don't see why I don't hear this on American radio stations. I revisited "Trouble in the Henhouse" when I dusted off an old CD case, so that prompted me to buy this, their latest offering (at this time). These guys are cool, and this album shows their contiuous improvement. I bought their entire collection, to see how they did it. I still don't know."

Grows on you

K. Davis | 08/14/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Wasnt thrilled with this one when I picked it up on its release date 3 years ago. Kinda hard to top Phantom Power. But this album grows on you and will find its way in your cd player as often as other Hip recordings. The best all around ROCK band out there today."