The Hip's first full-length release turned 25 years old earlier this week (September 5, 1989), which also happened to be my first day of high school. Where has the time gone? You couldn't hear the Hip on radio in Fredericton back in 1989--The Fox wouldn't launch for another 10+ years. All four singles ( "Blow at High Dough" "New Orleans Is Sinking" "Boots or Hearts" and "38 Years Old") are still in regular rotation on many Canadian rock stations, although many stopped playing New Orleans Is Sinking for a period of time back in 2005 due to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
Much has changed in the music business since the fall of 1989. Grunge was starting to simmer in the Northwest and would explode into the mainstream within a couple of years. Cassette tapes were the most popular format in 1989, but CDs were just starting to gain popularity and would become the preferred purchase for music consumers by 1990.
I was strictly listening to hard rock and hair metal back in '89, but this album really struck a cord with me and broadened my musical horizons. Happy Birthday to a true Canadian classic album.
