For fans of The Tragically Hip the 30th anniversary edition of Road Apples is here.

I was not around when the album first came out (Road Apples was released 1991 and I wasn’t born until ‘95) but like many Canadian children growing up in the 90s I listened to The Hip by virtue of the adults around me and I ended up loving them too, but as I got older, and music streaming platforms became more available I was able to catch up to old records and enjoy them all over again. 

Road Apples is my favorite album and I was really excited to check out the 30th Anniversary edition on Spotify. It’s been remastered by Ted Jensen, who is quite literally a legend in audio engineering and mastering, working with bands like The Eagles, Talking Heads and Billy Joel. 

The remaster sounds pretty damn good but sometimes you wonder “Hey I bet this would sound even better on vinyl” and that’s how I found out there’s also a  30th Anniversary Edition Set.

The set is 4 discs, and includes the remastered edition of Road Apples, also includes the Saskadelphia EP (which also sounds amazing with the remaster) as well a disc of demos and outtakes called “Hoof-Hearted” and “Live at the Roxy Los Angeles, May 3, 1991″. There’s also a ATMOS Blu-ray Video edition and a 36 page booklet with reproductions of Gord Downie’s handwritten lyrics, liner notes, and rare photos. 

There’s 2 versions of this set, the CD version is $120 and honestly for what you’re getting I think it’s good price, but for $225 you can get the vinyl version and for anybody looking for a gift for a the die hard hip fan (and for my relatives who read my articles) I think this would constitute a pretty sweet Christmas gift.  

The whole collection is also available to listen to on Spotify and Apple Music