Customer Reviews

Eddi Reader Sings the Songs of Robert Burns

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This is probably one of the best albums I've ever listened to. The songs were written more than two hundred years ago by the great Scottish poet Robert Burns, but sound inceredibly fresh and relevant. Eddi Reader's voice is wonderful and, accompanied by the Royal Scottish natioanl orchestra, she gives the songs a classy, powerful interpretation. Most of the songs are subtle, melancholic, and moving, but there are a couple that will make you want to practice your Scottish dancing moves (and I'm not even Scottish!). All in all - this is a beautiful album.

My husband and I watched and very much enjoyed an Irish Film called "A Love Divided". In it was a beautiful song "Ae Fond Kiss" so we looked for a CD, but could not find the same performer. We decided on Eddi Reader and found so many more beautifully done songs. My very favorite, and it moves me to tears every time, is "Wild Mountain Side". "Willy Stewart" is great fun, and her rendition of "Auld Lang Syne" will make it a new favorite for you, too, probably. "Ae Fond Kiss"? Oh, it's just wonderful. What you hear on the promo here is just a teaser and not the best parts!

Eddi has a beautiful strong voice and with her lovely Scottish accent makes her music breathe, and laugh and cry like few I have heard. I'm not the kind of person who buys lots of CD's, very few in fact. But I'd hate to be deprived of this one.

If you like Celtic music, give this a try. It's something different. If you like beautiful music, give this a try. If you hate music and have been waiting for something to 'turn you on', give this a try.

I'm not related to Eddi Reader nor have I any personal interest whatever in this music company, the music industry, amazon.com,
musicians in general, or any other thing that might 'color' my strong opinion, in case you wanted to know. :)

I can't find the words to adequately express my appreciation of this fine CD. I consider Robert Burns to be one of the finest poets and songwriters of all time and Eddi brings to life again his amazing songs. She handles his songs with a deep understanding and her voice and singing style is beautiful in itself. She really has a lovely melodic and stirring voice. "My Love Is like a Red, Red Rose" is a masterpiece when her beautiful voice is combined with Burns' immortal song lyrics and melody. And I challenge you to listen to "Auld Lang Syne" the first time without tears in your eyes. If you like the poetry and songs of Robert Burns and you enjoy a clear and beautiful melodic voice backed by excellent orchestral arrangements, you'll enjoy this CD.

I've just finished listening to "Ae Fond Kiss" for the umpteenth time and still felt myself tearing up! The lyrics, melody, and orchestration exemplify the sadness of parting forever. But the tears are mostly brought on by the joy I feel hearing Eddi Reader's passion and command of her material.
Her interpretation of the other songs is just as rich (listen to her "Auld Lang Syne" and you'll understand it and feel it as never before).
Be sure to try her other CDs, as they all are brilliant! Her voice is a delight, her material insightful and lovely.

There are few things in this world more beautiful than Eddi Reader's voice. Only she could have made a set of ostensibly impenetrable material so beguiling and accessible. From the earthy come-hither of "Jamie Come Try Me" to the languidly beautiful romance of "My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose", all the way through to a heart-stopping "Auld Lang Syne", Reader takes these songs and breathes real life into them, replacing prissy antiquity with sensuality and a warmly beating heart. "Ae Fond Kiss", one of the most beautiful laments to lost love, and "John Anderson My Jo", a hymn to life-long love, might be thematically opposed but the tenderness of the singing adds the seal of truth to every line. Listen to this music and wallow in the most sublime heartbreak.

That a pop fan like me can be so enraptured by these old songs is a tribute, yes, to Burns' poetry and to the sensitivity of producer Boo Hewerdine and the stellar musicians, but chiefly to the magic of Reader's incredible voice.

A wonderful CD of a great artist. I have only recently been introduced to Eddi's work by a Glaswegian friend and he claims that this is Eddi at her best. I can only testify that this CD is amazing in and of itself. Wonderful words and music, complemented by Eddi's great voice. Sheer beauty.

This is one of my alltime favoite albums, and I have played it several times per day for the last eight months. I agree with the other reviewers, and think Eddi's version of, 'Winter It Is Past' is wonderful. Buy a copy for yourself, and one for your friend, too!

It is hard to justify the price, but this CD is well worth having as Eddi Reader gives a loving tribute to Robert Burns. Her beautiful voice gives the poems and songs such resonance that they will indeed bring tears to your eyes. The former lead vocalist of "Fairground Attraction," is constantly pushing the boundaries of her musical range, making her one of the most engaging voices in popular music today. She seems quite at home on this CD, pulling from the deep well of Burns' canon to provide listeners with a new appreciation for this great Scottish poet.

I wrote this review before I knew about the expanded edition with seven extra tracks. If you're interested in this album, you may wish to buy that version instead.

Robert Burns is primarily remembered as a poet, but his contributions as a songwriter - a related but different craft - are also significant. Everybody knows Auld lang syne, even if they don't always understand some of the words, because it is used for closing parties. Another famous song is the sentimental love song, My love is like a red red rose. Eddi first recorded Ae fond kiss in her Fairground Attraction days. Of the rest, the most famous may be the light-hearted upbeat Charlie is my darling, but there are plenty of other great songs here.

Musically, there is a lot going on here, with a group of folk musicians supported by an orchestra, yet the end result is very effective. The musicians are Eddi Reader (vocals and acoustic guitar), Ian Carr (acoustic guitar and piano), Phil Cunningham (accordion, piano and whistles), Roy Dodds (percussion), Christine Hanson (cello), Boo Hewerdine (acoustic guitar), John McCusker (violin, cittern and whistles), Colin Reid (acoustic guitar), Ewen Vernal (double bass) and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Kevin McCrae.

The booklet is very informative, containing lyrics to all the songs and insightful comments by Eddi. Those unfamiliar with the dialect will appreciate Eddi's translation of some of the words, though Eddi refrained from translating all the Scottish words in Brose and butter. As Eddi explains, it's a bawdy song and she'd rather that you look elsewhere for the full translation. Near the end of the booklet, Eddi discusses Ayrshire, to where her family moved from Glasgow in 1976.

In recording these songs, Eddi didn't always stay true to the originals. There is also one contemporary song, Wild mountainside, apparently included to show that the Burns tradition and influence is still going strong. It certainly sits comfortably among all the other songs. I would have expected, upon buying this, for one of the less-heard song to emerge as my favorite track. Not so. That distinction goes to Auld lang syne, which begins with Eddi singing unaccompanied, the musicians joining in later. But throughout the song, it sounds so completely different in every respect from the way we normally hear it.

This is a great tribute to the music of Robert Burns, recorded by somebody who knows both Ayrshire and folk music well, and therefore is better suited than anybody to sing his songs. I also have Jo Stafford's album Songs of Scotland, which contains mainly Robert Burns songs and which was originally recorded in the fifties, but Jo sings all the songs in translated English. I love that album in a different way. It shows that the songs do not need to be sung in a Scottish dialect to sound great. If you're only looking to buy one album featuring the songs of Robert Burns and you are ambivalent about which one to go for, choose this one, perhaps in its expanded form.

If you're reading this review, then that means you've scrolled all the way down the page and maybe even clicked a link or two before deciding to buy this record. And that, my friend, is a waste of valuable time that you could be spending listening to this remarkable collection of songs.

If you're a Burns fan already, this CD will simply deepen your love for the (other) Bard's work. If you're new to Burns, this CD will inspire you to grab a copy of his poems and start reading. And if you don't care about Burns at all, this album is simply beautiful.

Reader has a lucious, enchanting voice. She's also an excellent arranger, breathing new life into some of the ultimate war horses, such as "My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose" and "Auld Lang Syne." Some of the arrangements are lush and haunting, while others, like the first track, are spritely and spirited.

Whatever. Get this record right now.