Customer Reviews

One for the Road

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Playing Time - 50:08 -- `There's a world of whiskey out there, so let's have another dram," is the opening statement from Robin Laing, a well-known Scottish singer/songwriter who makes his home in rural South Lanarkshire. "One For The Road" is Robin's third album on the subject of Scottish whisky, and it's his seventh album overall. In fact, he also sings about whiskey from other regions too. His self-penned "Heaven Hill" about Kentucky bourbon is arranged with some understated banjo to give it a slight bluegrass flavoring. More than half of the songs on "One For The Road" were written by Laing, and the remainder come from Karine Polwart, Mark Wise, Amy Allison, Simon Haworth, Tegwen Roberts, and Harley Allen & Carson Chamberlain. Lyrics for all are found on his website robinlaing.com.

It's interesting that Robin has focused his study to songs and poems about whisky, but I can see how there would be demand throughout the world for a skillful singer/songwriter with his interest and specialty. Of course, he also has songs about many other subjects on other albums. I wonder how he discovered his calling. At present, Robin chairs the tasting panel of the Scottish Malt Whisky Society. He writes many of their almost poetic tasting descriptions. He also contributes regularly to Whisky Magazine and has published "The Whisky Muse," poems and songs about Scotch Whisky. He is also about to publish "The Whisky River" about the distilleries of Speyside.

In a humorous vein similar to Hank Snow's "I've Been Everywhere," Robin's "Speyside Whisky Song" is a real tongue twister about a a wee dram waiting at the end of every mile. One verse exclaims, "From Glenrothes to Gentauchers, From Glenfarclas to Glenspey, From Glen Moray to Glen Elgin and Glen Grant, From Glenfiddich to Glenlossie, Glenlivet to Glen Keith, I'm a whisky-sippin' Speyside sycophant." I'd like to see him try singing this song about a sip or two of Scotland's finest.

If you also see potential for whisky as a deadly lethal weapon, then be sure to pay attention to the words in "We Can't Let Al Qaeda Get Their Hands On This." A song like "Uisquebaugh Baul" is pure unadulterated edu-tainment. Laing uses his sense of humor and musicianship to both entertain and educate. His presentation has country, folk and pop leanings largely the result of choice of instrumentation (guitars, bass, keyboards, banjo, drums, pedal steel, accordion, sax, flute, and vocals). The supporting cast of musicians includes David Scott, Jim Gash, Derek Star, Ian Barbour, David Cormack, Brian Molley, Stuart Kidd, Rachel McKenzie, and Ursula Laing. They've produced an intoxicating concept album that is sure to boost your spirits. Whether a shot, double or drappie, you must sample some of his smoothly blended music. (Joe Ross, Roseburg, OR.)