Trouble at the Henhouse explained

Trouble at the Henhouse is the fifth studio album by Canadian rock band the Tragically Hip, released in 1996.^{[2] [3]} It was their first album to be released simultaneously in Canada and the United States.

Commercial and critical performance

Trouble at the Henhouse debuted at #1 on the Canadian Albums Chart and stayed there for four straight weeks.^{[4] [5]} By March 1997, it had sold 650,000 units in Canada^[6] and has since been certified 5× platinum.^[7] The album peaked at No. 134 on the Billboard 200^[8] and at No. 80 in the Netherlands.^[9]

The Encyclopedia of Popular Music deemed Trouble at the Henhouse "reliably melodic". The Washington Post wrote that "a surprisingly large number of these songs are more atmospheric than aggressive."^[10] Trouser Press wrote that "too much of Henhouse finds the Hip wallowing in meandering psychedelica, and too many of the slower songs ('Sherpa', 'Flamenco', 'Put It Off') sound too much alike."^[11] The Orlando Sentinel praised Gord Downie's ability to pen lyrics that "found beauty in the tiny wonders of life while exploring big questions of existence."^[12]

The record won Album of the Year and North Star Rock Album of the Year at the 1997 Juno Awards.^[13]

Track listing

All songs written by the Tragically Hip.

Personnel

• Gord Downie – lead vocals
• Rob Baker – lead guitar
• Paul Langlois – rhythm guitar
• Gord Sinclair – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Johnny Fay – drums

Notes and References

1. Web site: Music: The Hip Hop (July 11 – July 17, 1996). tucsonweekly.com.
2. Web site: The Tragically Hip | Biography & History. AllMusic.
3. Web site: Tragically Hip Lacks U.S. Fans in Following | The Spokesman-Review. www.spokesman.com.
4. Top Albums/CDs – Volume 63, No. 14, May 20, 1996 . RPM. December 3, 2011.
5. Top Albums/CDs – Volume 63, No. 17, June 10, 1996. RPM. December 3, 2011.
6. Book: Tragically Hip, Celine Dion Top Juno Award Scorers. March 22, 1997. Billboard. May 31, 2014.
7. Web site: Gold Platinum Database: The Tragically Hip – Trouble at the Henhouse. Canadian Recording Industry Association. December 3, 2011 .
8. The Tragically Hip. Billboard.
9. Web site: The Tragically Hip – Trouble at the Henhouse . Dutch Charts . March 24, 2021.
10. Web site: DOWNSHIFTED HIP. Mark. Jenkins. May 24, 1996. www.washingtonpost.com.
11. Web site: Tragically Hip . Trouser Press . February 8, 2021.
12. Web site: Gord Downie, singer for Canadian rock band the Tragically Hip, dies at 53. August. Brown. orlandosentinel.com.
13. Web site: 1997 Juno Awards. https://web.archive.org/web/20090208155811/http://www.metrolyrics.com/1997-juno-awards.html. February 8, 2009. unfit. MetroLeap Media. December 29, 2009.