Between 40th anniversary celebrations, the release of Mike Downie's No Dress Rehearsal documentary, and the publication of their "definitive" anthology, the Tragically Hip have had a lot to celebrate this year. What's one more milestone? The 35th anniversary expanded reissue of their debut album, 1989's Up to Here, is out today via Universal Music.
Available digitally and as a vinyl or 3CD box set, the remastered version of the album features studio recordings of four previously unreleased songs: "Get Back Again," "Wait So Long," "She's Got What It Takes" and "Rain, Hearts and Fire." Second pre-release single "Wait So Long," in particular, captures the politically charged energy the band became known for and the grit present in beloved late frontman Gord Downie's affected snarl from the outset.
Up to Here (Deluxe) also includes live recordings of the MuchMusic special Live at Misty Moon (appearing in Blu-ray video form in addition to audio with the box set), as well as studio outtakes from the album sessions and earlier demos put to tape in 1988.
Upon its initial release in 1989, Up to Here earned the Hip their first breakthrough No. 1 singles on Canadian rock radio with "Blow at High Dough" and "New Orleans Is Sinking." Based on these merits, the band also won the 1990 JUNO for Most Promising Artist, which has since been rebranded as the Breakthrough Artist of the Year category of the awards.
Listen to the remastered and expanded deluxe edition of Up to Here on your streaming platform of choice below.