A new Hip EP in 2021?!?!?!? Whaaaa????!!!!, said no one. We ALL knew the posthumous releases were going to be heading our way after The Tragically Hip’s team captain, Gord Downie, passed away in 2017. Lost tapes will be found, unreleased live shows will be released, and remixes and remasters will be remixed and remastered. So, Saskadelphia wasn’t exactly a surprise and will be the first of many to come.
But this expected arrival didn’t make it any less exciting! It was announced on May 21st, 2021, and boom! It hit the streets the very next day. I’ve been told by people who watch hockey that it was promoted a lot during last year’s playoffs, and we Canadians welcomed it by making it Canada’s fourth best-selling vinyl record of 2021. It’s good to know some Canadian rock ‘n roll can still make waves somewhere.
Montreal is the sole live track on the EP. Since any studio recordings for this song were lost, so we got a live track recorded in 2000 instead. And it is the only song on here that I don’t love. At its best, it sounds like paint-by-numbers Hip, as they force themselves to have a song in their catalogue with “Montreal” in it. And it sounds whiny at its worst.
The remaining studio outtakes, Ouch, Not Necessary, Crack My Spine Like A Whip, Just As Well, and Reformed Baptist Blues, are excellent. They sound like they belong with ’89s Up To Here instead of Road Apples, which might be why the songs were cut as the band was growing out of the bar-rock sound.
Listening to these songs now makes me wish they stayed in the pub for one more album. The band had a great swing during this period, and it was marvellous to hear it again in these freshly uncovered songs. Especially the closer, Reformed Baptist Blues, which might be the heaviest song they have ever recorded. Thinking about how we could have received them 31 years ago on an Up To Here, Part 2 type of album… ah, it was not meant to be, I guess.
4/5
Get More Hip from Canadian Grooves!
[EP Review] The Tragically Hip – Self Titled EP
[Album Review] Up To Here
[Album Review] Road Apples
[Album Review] Fully Completely
[Album Review] Day For Night
[Album Review] Trouble At The Henhouse
[Album Review] Live Between Us
[Album Review] Phantom Power
[Album Review] Music @ Work
[Album Review] In Violet Light
[Album Review] In Between Evolution
[DVD Review] That Night In Toronto
[Album Review] Yer Favourites
[Album Review] World Container
[Album Review] We Are the Same
[Album Review] Now for Plan A
[Blu-ray Review] Bobcaygeon
[Album Review] Fully Completely Deluxe Edition
[Album Review] Man Machine Poem
[Blu-ray Review] Long Time Running
[Blu-ray Review] A National Celebration
[EP Review] Saskadelphia
[Book Review] The Never-Ending Present | The Story Of Gord Downie And The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip Albums & EPs | Ranked Worst to First
Fifty Mission Cap | What The Lyrics Mean And Dispelling The Misinformation For One Of Gord Downie And The Tragically Hip’s Most Famous Songs
Canadian Grooves 
You Canadians did The Tragically Hip proud by making ‘Saskadelphia’ the fourth best-selling vinyl record of 2021!
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You got to celebrate the small victories since rock is going the way to jazz.
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Unfortunately rock isn’t popular like it was 20-30 years ago.
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Oh, I’d say 40 or 50, lol. Hip hop really started taking over in the 90s.
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If it was back in the 90s, that was about 30 years ago. Rock was still popular during the 80s.
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Yeah, dozen’s of rock songs were on the charts in 1982. By 1992, there was not much rock unless it was a ballad.
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I can’t confirm that since I wasn’t born until that late 90s, but I’ll take your word for it.
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No need to take my word for it. We have the internet! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_1992
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At least Def Leppard made it into the top 100 for 1992! “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” made number 80 and “Let’s Get Rocked” made number 98. But you’re right, it was mostly hip hop, pop, and R&B.
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Glad to see more Hip for your series!
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Thanks, John! I think I can do a rank the albums post now which I know you are looking forward to reading, lol
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I am. I appreciate them as they are huge in Canada. Lots of respect. I just don’t enjoy them doesn’t mean they aren’t great and the ranking would be fun.
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I know, John. You’re a good dude. I’m just teasing you.
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I know…busting my balls!
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I bought this and love It than passed it on to Tbone as I got another copy in the box set! Still what a killer 6 pack of tracks. Amazing that they sat on this stuff for 30 years.
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Yeah, I kind of understand how it happens though. You love the new stuff you create more, so the old stuff stays on the back burner. Plus, they thought it was lost in that fire for over a decade. Glad we have it now!
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I’m good with it as we both know the Roxy show is worth the dough
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Absolutely!
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Amazing how they had such awesome material just sitting for bloody decades. Glad I have it now…but not glad they quickly reissued it in a box set.
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Yeah, that was a dick move.
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I forgive them. It’s the Hip. They don’t usually re-re-release.
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No. Lesson learned though if there is a Day For Night EP. Wait for the boxset!
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This can be applied to many bands too. I often made the mistake of buying stuff for the box set to emerge shortly after!
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I like this stage of their career.
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Me too
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