The Tragically Hip – Road Apples (1991)
For me, Road Apples & High School are inextricably linked.
1) The Hip helped me get into Shakespeare.
My favourite track at the time, Three Pistols, featured the line “Shakespeare’s bent to touch.” Well, if Gordie Baby’s singing about the Bard, I guess it’s worth a read.
And my favourite of the Shakespeare plays, King Lear, had a lead character named Cordelia. Yes, that Cordelia from Road Apples.
2) Road Apples was a critical part of both the soundtrack to my high school experience and also the soundtrack to the 1995 film Bonjour Timothy.
Objectively, the movie probably isn’t that good.
But because the band was name-checked mid-film (the lead character talking about the music she likes) and both Bring it All Back & Three Pistols were played several times throughout, the 1995 Canadian/New Zealand film Bonjour Timothy represents the peak of international cinematic achievement.
3) My Yearbook Graduation Statement
Not only did I cite “TTH” among my favourite memories, my closing high school words were provided by the evergreen Long Time Running.
Before this year, perhaps I’d forgotten or underestimated the role The Hip has played in my life.
Before this Road Apples revisit, I’d certainly forgotten or underestimated this album’s sheer excellence!
In addition to the aforementioned tracks, there’s the gorgeous Fiddler’s Green; the all-in opener Little Bones; the tantalizing, ultimate song fragment, The Last of the Unplucked Gems.
And there were still many, many more Hip gems to come.
.
The Hip Tour/My Post Schedule
Jul 22 2016 The Hip played: Victoria, BC. I played: The Tragically Hip (1987)
Check out these TTH (1987) reviews by: Brian, Aaron
Jul 24 2016 The Hip plays: Vancouver, BC. I played: Up to Here (1989)
Check out these Up to Here (1989) reviews by: Brian, Aaron
Jul 26 2016 The Hip plays: Vancouver, BC. I play: Road Apples (1991)
Check out these Road Apples (1991) reviews by: Brian, Aaron, Deke
Jul 28 2016 The Hip plays: Edmonton, AB. I play: Fully Completely (1992)
Jul 30 2016 The Hip plays: Edmonton, AB. I play: Day for Night (1994)
Aug 1 2016 The Hip plays: Calgary, AB. I play: Trouble at the Henhouse (1996)
Aug 3 2016 The Hip plays: Calgary, AB. I play: Live Between Us (1997)
Aug 5 2016 The Hip plays: Winnipeg, MB. I play: Phantom Power (1998)
Aug 8 2016 The Hip plays: London, ON. I play: Music at Work (2000)
Aug 10 2016 The Hip plays: Toronto, ON. I play: In Violet Light (2002)
Aug 12 2016 The Hip plays: Toronto, ON. I play: In Between Evolution (2004)
Aug 14 2016 The Hip plays: Toronto, ON. I play: World Container (2006)
Aug 16 2016 The Hip plays: Hamilton, ON. I play: We are the Same (2009)
Aug 18 2016 The Hip plays: Ottawa, ON. I play: Now for Plan A (2011)
Aug 20 2016 The Hip plays: Kingston, ON. I play: Man Machine Poem (2016)
Trackbacks & Pingbacks
- The Tragically Hip – Fully Completely (1992) | 1001albumsin10years
- The Tragically Hip – Day for Night (1994) | 1001albumsin10years
- The Tragically Hip – Trouble at the Henhouse (1996) | 1001albumsin10years
- The Tragically Hip – Live Between Us (1997) | 1001albumsin10years
- The Tragically Hip – Phantom Power (1998) | 1001albumsin10years
- The Tragically Hip – Music @ Work (2000) | 1001albumsin10years
- The Tragically Hip – In Violet Light (2002) | 1001albumsin10years
- The Tragically Hip – In Between Evolution (2004) | 1001albumsin10years
- The Tragically Hip – World Container (2006) | 1001albumsin10years
- The Tragically Hip – We are the Same (2009) | 1001albumsin10years
- The Tragically Hip – Now for Plan A (2012) | 1001albumsin10years
- The Tragically Hip – Man Machine Poem (2016) | 1001albumsin10years
- Top 5 “I’m Grateful For…” | 1001albumsin10years
1001albumsin10years 
I’m already behind! I need to catch up and work back.
Nice nostalgia trip! You know I’m always in favor of that.
This is one of my favourite Hip albums because it’s so damn hard.
My thanks Mike!
I don’t think I’d be able to separate these songs from where & when I heard them, so the nostalgia trip was inevitable!
I’d agree – front to back, this is likely their hardest record. They had heavier individual tracks (fire in the hole) but as a collection, this is the one
Looking forward to revisiting the evolution of these albums as we go through the series! There definitely is an evolution.
In between evolution!
BAM!
And don’t forget Falstaff’s sorrowful refrain (Fiddler’s Green), even more Shakespeare!
Oh man. Road Apples is sooooo good. Like, not even fair to other bands. I’m glad you got another chance to go through it and hear its excellence. WHAT A RECORD!
Also, good on ya for including your high school picture. In mine, I still had hair! Haha oh man.
I’ve never been in style – so I’m not terribly embarrassed about the high school pic, more just showing I was consistently not en vogue!
And more Bard, bonus!
Oh I was never in style either. Not even close. I’d wager we would’ve hung out in school, although you’re waaaay better at the maths than I ever was. For me, high school was the 3 Bs: band, basketball, and babes. 😉
Holy Crow Geoff once again your schooling me. Great review as always and this is easily in my all time Top 20! For me these early Hip albums are so good and one cannot forget Don Smiths basic production of keeping the sound raw!
Deke it was Gord & company who gave us all a schooling with all those literary references!
I didn’t recognize the name Don Smith – just looked at his bio, that’s an impressive resume of artists!
Don Smith captured the Sonics on those first two albums perfectly
I’m lovin your Hip trip down memory lane, Geoff! …and I keep thinking “Wow, 2000 he graduated h.s., the young pup…” 😉
Thanks Sarca – I was one of the last classes with OAC, so not the youngest pup I suppose 😉
Enjoying this series, Geoff – nice to learn how ‘The Hip’ is woven into specific times. I think those kind of attachments are incredible. Never broken.
As for this album, I’m obviously new to it, but I like it a fair bit.
Thanks J, the next album was my gateway, it would definitely qualify as an unbreakable connection!
Excellent! Looking forward to reading!