It was released in 1989, and made the band almost instantly famous in Canada; although it was also released in the United States, there was little reaction to it there. Many of the songs on the album are now considered classics, and are staples of various formats of Canadian radio.
Blow at High Dough is the theme song to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation comedy Made in Canada. 38 Years Old is a fictional account of an escape from Millhaven Penitentiary in the band's hometown of Kingston, Ontario, although many people still mistakenly believe it refers to events from singer Gord Downey's life. New Orleans is Sinking is perhaps the band's most well-known song. When performed live, Downie often goes off on an ad-libbed tangent; a popular bootleg of a live version has him singing about swimming with killer whales (this version is known as Killerwhaletank).
All songs were written and performed by The Tragically Hip.