Flatfish

Flook | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 23, 2000)
• Original Release Date: 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: The Orchard
• ASIN: B00004U39N
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #781,547 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Debut album from 1999 for traditional Irish folk band featuring 9 tracks with a modern twist. Featuring the twin flutes of Sarah Allen & Brian Finnegan, Ed Boyd on guitars and John Joe Kelly, acknowledged as one of the worlds best Bodhran players. Digipak. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stellar first release by giants of the New Celtic Thing, November 4, 2004

By 

Jan P. Dennis "Longboard jazzer" (Monument, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flatfish (Audio CD)

This band's debut studio disc, if not as absolutely accomplished as their sophomore effort, Rubai, is nonetheless a recording of remarkable subtlety, drive, and musicianship, providing the hearer with nearly unending listening pleasures. It takes musicians of not only consummate skill but also penetrating aesthetic discernment to produce a disc of this weight and consequence.

For shear rhythmic intensity and melodic/harmonic joie de vivre, this band sets an astonishingly high bar. Listen. It's really difficult to conjure such burning cadences and still sound natural, not wildly--let alone unpleasantly--frenetic. Yet these people handle it without missing a beat, so to speak.

In some ways, I like this disc even better than Rubai. There's a certain freshness, an innocence, a naiveté shining through these digital bits that, although not entirely lacking on their second offering, nevertheless defines this disc in a way that it doesn't Rubai. Consequently, it's nearly impossible to choose between the two: Do you want sophistication or intensity? Subtlety or strength (not that each doesn't participate in both; we're just talking emphases here)? Mature reflection or youthful enthusiasm?

If I were you, I'd opt for both. If I HAD to choose one over the other, I think I'd take Rubai. But it'd be an awfully close call.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun!, December 21, 2005

By 

J. Polak "Guitarsof Pikesville" (Baltimore, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flatfish (Audio CD)

This is the debut studio CD from Flook. It's perhaps my favorite of thier 3 CD's because it is not very produced and sounds more like their live performance. If you are not familiar with Flook this is a good start but you would do best seeing them live. Brain Finnigan improvises on the whistles like nobody you've ever heard and is king of triple tonguing. Sara Allen is like no flute player I've ever heard and she holds down the bottom end with a big Bflat flute. John Joe Kelly is an amazing bodrahn player. Ed Boyd is very tasteful and leaves room for the others to show their stuff. I love this stuff!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply excellent., October 23, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Flatfish (Audio CD)

Probably one of the most creative young irish/english band.
A nice selection of tunes (compositions, Breton music, Balkan colours...), inventive arrangements and a very lively flute style
by Brian Finnegan. I just loved it.