Customer Reviews

Nadurra

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With this album Capercaillie provide a more traditional sound than they have in several years. The music still has a contemporary feel, but the traditional element is prominent, as it has not been since 'Delirium'. I found it a welcome change; however, those who prefer the group's more recent approaches should enjoy the album also. The playing, and Karen Matheson's singing, are top-notch as always.

Once more, Capercaillie set a milestone in schottish folk music. There is nearly nothing that is comparable. Harmony for your soul.

Even the greats sometimes have "just ok" releases, and I think this is one of them. The music is (as always) well performed, but it's not breathtaking (as "Beautiful Wasteland" was). Enjoyable and worth owning.

I have always been partial to Capercaillie's non-English tunes, particularly the ballads, but I have enjoyed the more Afro-Celt tunes on cd's like "Beautiful Wasteland." If you feel similarly, then a few of the ballads here are nice, but the upbeat songs are "pop" in the worst sense of a shallow, thin energy. I'd reserve this cd only for die-hard fans.

Although I don't have too many of their albums (yet), it seems anything this band puts out is wonderful, and so far, "Nadurra" is my favorite (although I just ordered "Beautiful Wasteland," so that may change when I get that one). I think it's a good sign when I can only rate the individual tracks as to which one is more wonderful than another. My only criticisms would be that they haven't included much in the way of their signature funk-puirt-a-beul that I've grown to love (although "Hoireann O," the one they did, is one of my favorites), and that the English pop songs such as "Hope Springs Eternal" and "Rapture" come off sounding a bit gimmicky. But there isn't a single track that I don't like, and this is more than made up for by the album's many high points. My favorites are "Skye Waulking Song," "Hoireann O," and "Gaol Triomh Aimsirean," which is one of the most beautiful Gaelic ballads I have ever heard. (even though I have no idea what the heck she is singing about ;-) All in all, a wonderful CD, and a great introduction to Capercaillie for those who are unfamiliar with them.

Prior to its release, rumour had it that this album would see Scotland's Capercaillie "return to their roots" - presumably meaning Scottish traditional folk. Seeing the band in concert in Scotland at around that time convinced me that such talk would have to be seriously qualified. A new bass player and two percussionists added beef to a band already famous for accenting the lilt inherent in traditional Celtic music, and then tweeking it further still. And the stellar voice of Karen Matheson - whether singing in Gaelic or English (or any language she might choose!) - has always lifted the band into a category of its own.

Live in June 2000 they were a brilliant blend of funky rhythms and fine melodic musicianship. Ditto with Nadurra. From gently lyrical Gaelic songs like "... A Phosa Mi" to dazzling tradition-stretching tunes like fiddler Charlie McKerron's "Michael's Matches" or piper/whistler Michael McGoldrick's "The Bass Rock", this album is as varied as it is superb. One moment they are plumbing the emotional depths of Celtic melancholy (as with Manus Lunny's "Truth Calling"), the next they are showing its irrepressible flip-side (as with Shaw's "Inspector Hector" or Lunny's wonderfully-titled "Granny Hold the Candle While I Shave the Chicken's Lip 2").

Rarely will you hear a band so at home with the individual and collective skills of its members. This is a beautiful album - as shimmering and unpredictable as a summer's day in the highlands.

This is by far the most sophisticated, syncronized CD of Capercaillie's to date. It has a little of everything from the past CDs; a lot of Gaelic music (including one of the most beautiful songs ever, "Number Four", since I can never remember the Gaelic!), a few English songs, and perhaps the best jigs and reels they have produced thus far. The band has also adopted a newer, more modern, marketable feel that may alienate some, but if you get past that, you'll see pure brilliance.

Next to Delirium, this cd is one of the very best of Capercaillie. Finally they have dropped those Afro-Celt influences, which to me seemed somewhat out of place, though I like both afro and celtic music as such. Instead they have made some very good original songs, and luckily most of them are in Gaelic. For some reason, I always feel that the Gaelic language takes Capercaillie one step higher

I love this CD. Beautiful music. Innovative and modern Celtic sounds, wonderful voices. A great companion to From Dusk Till Dawn.

This is the first album I've heard by Capercaillie. I was looking for a lot more traditional music than I found. All in all, though, the album did catch my eye and would not put me off from buying more of their albums. It wasn't all that horrible. There was one song that caught my attention...it was a bit different than what I usually associate with Celtic music and that was Truth Calling. Over all, I'd say that it was a good first exploration and I hope to buy many more albums.