Just prior to the June 2016 release of Man Machine Poem, the Tragically Hip announced that frontman Gord Downie was diagnosed with brain cancer.
Given this news, it's hard not to listen to the album through the prism of mortality, even though the album was completed prior to his illness.
Nevertheless, Man Machine Poem does contain an undercurrent of contemplation, darkly pulsing to understated rhythms and playing to muted arenas.
Sometimes the tempos quicken, Downie's singing grows impassioned, but usually the album is quietly roiling, sometimes drifting toward the meditative (as on the otherwise profane "Tired as F***"), yet always circling back to fierce, searching spiritual rock.
"Machine" ends the album on something of a positive note -- it's not only one of the faster numbers, it's expansive where the rest of the record recedes -- but what lasts is that hunger for answers, a sentiment that suits a band facing a middle age but also could act as a fitting farewell for the Tragically Hip.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ManRob Baker, Gordon Edgar Downie, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair | The Tragically Hip | Play | 05:17 | 12 MB | 33 MB |
| 2 | In A World Possessed By The Human MindRob Baker, Gordon Edgar Downie, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair | The Tragically Hip | Play | 05:17 | 12 MB | 33 MB |
| 3 | What BlueRob Baker, Gordon Edgar Downie, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair | The Tragically Hip | Play | 02:46 | 6 MB | 16 MB |
| 4 | In SarniaRob Baker, Gordon Edgar Downie, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair | The Tragically Hip | Play | 04:37 | 10 MB | 27 MB |
| 5 | Here, In The DarkRob Baker, Gordon Edgar Downie, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair | The Tragically Hip | Play | 04:03 | 9 MB | 25 MB |
| 6 | Great SoulRob Baker, Gordon Edgar Downie, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair | The Tragically Hip | Play | 03:44 | 8 MB | 26 MB |
| 7 | Tired As FuckRob Baker, Gordon Edgar Downie, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair | The Tragically Hip | Play | 03:45 | 8 MB | 23 MB |
| 8 | Hot MicRob Baker, Gordon Edgar Downie, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair | The Tragically Hip | Play | 03:55 | 8 MB | 23 MB |
| 9 | Ocean NextRob Baker, Gordon Edgar Downie, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair | The Tragically Hip | Play | 03:57 | 9 MB | 22 MB |
| 10 | MachineRob Baker, Gordon Edgar Downie, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair | The Tragically Hip | Play | 05:29 | 12 MB | 37 MB |
| 42 mins | 98 MB | |||||
| 42 mins | 269 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rob Baker | Composer |
| 2 | Gordon Edgar Downie | Composer |
| 3 | Johnny Fay | Composer |
| 4 | Paul Langlois | Composer |
| 5 | Gord Sinclair | Composer |
| 6 | The Tragically Hip | Primary Artist |
The Tragically Hip
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |