Tip (album)

Tip's style is often compared to that of Tool (pictured).

Tip marks a radical departure from the Rainbow Butt Monkeys era of the band, and the 1995 Letters from Chutney album. The overall style of the album is dark and heavy, exemplified by the "ass-kicking" tone of "Tip," "Above," and "Condenser."[6] According to critics Roxanne Blanford and Alex Steininger, Tip extensively experiments with musical timing, tempo, and loud-quiet-loud dynamics, setting Finger Eleven apart from their peers such as Stone Temple Pilots and Our Lady Peace.[7]

Tip is often compared to the work of Tool. Steininger described Finger Eleven's style on the album as "Tool-influenced power-rock/metal,"[6] and reviewer Lesa Pence highlighted the Tool influence on "Glimpse," Tip's eighth song.[8] Hayashi-Tennant asserted that "a dark, Tool-ish vibe" underlies every song on Tip, and singled out "Thin Spirits" as exemplifying this characteristic.[9]

Mercury Records (logo pictured) released Tip in 1997 before dropping Finger Eleven six weeks later.

Tip was initially released on Mercury Records in 1997.[10] This first release of the album was unsuccessful, and Mercury unceremoniously dropped Finger Eleven and ceased to promote their album six weeks after Tip debuted in stores.[5] Even after losing Mercury as a label, the band attracted the attention of Wind-up Records, who signed the band on short notice[5] and had them open for Fuel and Creed in 1998.[11] On September 15, 1998, the date Finger Eleven's tour as an opener concluded, Wind-up re-released Tip,[11] after which the album gained more attention.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[12]
In Music We Trust	B[6]

After Tip's September 1998 re-release, the album was critically acclaimed,[13] with emphasis on its darkness and angry tone. Blanford wrote that the songs "Above" and "Awake and Dreaming" possess "remarkable levels of emotion" and asserted that "This collection of powerful and deeply felt songs moves through rock soundscapes with impressive results."[12] In a very favorable review, Pence wrote that she emotionally resonated with the songs on Tip, recommended the album to brokenhearted people, and said that her listening to the album for the first time "will remain an unforgettable experience."[8] Hayashi-Tennant also wrote favorably about Tip, but disagreed with Pence's view that its full merit was clear upon first listen. He instead argued that Tip is "the kind of album that you first think is good, but it gets better each time, grows on you with each listen and gains a more permanent hold on you."[9] Steininger was more critical and concluded that while the album contained "a good mix of lyrics and music," its consistent heaviness got repetitive, giving Tip a B.[6]

KRXQ (logo pictured) played "Quicksand" in the leadup to Tip's re-release.[11]

Even prior to the Wind-up re-release, the Tip opener "Quicksand" was already being played on American stations KRXQ and WRCX.[11] After the re-release, the "Quicksand" single emerged as Finger Eleven's breakthrough into the American market,[14] becoming a "Top 20" radio hit in the United States.[9] The song gained further exposure in the United States after being featured in Roswell, though Finger Eleven was not credited.[3] When Hayashi-Tennant commented to the band about American Finger Eleven fans leaving supportive comments on the band's website's guest book, Scott Anderson remarked, "Yeah, it's die-hard enthusiasm. Americans are like that."[9]

By July 2000, shortly before the release of The Greyest of Blue Skies, Wind-up Records claimed that Tip had sold over 100,000 copies in Canada and the United States combined.[15] On October 1, 2014, Music Canada awarded Tip with Gold certification, representing sales of 50,000 units in Canada.