Customer Reviews

The Road North

5 star:		(18)
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I have been familiar with this album for almost ten years, not long after it came out as a cassette. To now have it on CD is a blessing! The J.S. Skinner piece, "Bovaglie's Plaid" is worth the price of the entire CD! J. Scott Skinner was literally a giant, creating for and playing the fiddle like no one else in Scotland during his era. And Alasdair Fraser with his friend Paul Machlis have created arrangements that will reach deep inside of one. The haunting "Traditional Gaelic Melody" and "Bennachie Sunrise" (with a plucked bass intro.) will echo with you long after you've stopped playing the CD. It takes a master knowledge of different bowing styles used in Scottish fiddle music to play with such artistry; and it takes the courage to feel deeply and convey all that beauty and pain so the listener is changed forever. You will be changed!

I recently purchased five Celtic CDs from Amazon for some random-track listening in our beach condo's 5-disc changer. Several times during the first evening I was so struck by a particular track that I checked the CD player to see which disc was playing. Again and again, it was "The Road North".

This is a "must own" disc for anyone looking for something more than Celtic elevator music. One track alone is worth the price of the disc: "Tommy's Tarbukas", an infectious reel with some very interesting chord progressions. I guarantee you'll play this track over and over.

Fraser and Machilis are not only skilled musicians but seem to reach for your heart in this CD. I have listened to this a hundred times and I still love it. If you like Celtic music, you will love it too.

One of my favorite cuts is Invercassley Falls/Trip to Ballyshannon. I love the piano, drums, and of course the fiddle. I love the rise and falls and the cadence.

Picture driving alone on a dark, rainy night. Car lights and neon signs reflecting in pools of standing water, while raindrops lightly dance across the windshield. Flowing from the radio a mesmerizing piano and violin duet that perfectly captures the mood the night.

This, was my introduction to the magnificent CD, "The Road North," the song, "Slow Train" had touched me so deeply that I telephoned the radio station to learn its title. This was 10 years ago and I had to special order the CD from a local store. The CD was and is, after 10 years, a perfect delight. It began my Celtic collection and to my ears, nothing has rivaled it yet. Shakespeare wrote "Is it not strange that sheep's guts should hale souls out of men's bodies?" No matter that today's violin strings are made of steel or Perlon, in the right hands, they still have the ability to tug upon the heart and soul of the listener.

As with the original, this re-mastered version is a must for any lover of Celtic music. From rollicking reels to haunting melodies "The Road North" is an inspiring journey.

His ability to give emotion to music is astounding. I especially loved the Banks of Spey/Brenda Stubbert's Reel. He is the son of a bagpiper and you can hear it in this tune. I hear something different every time I play this CD. The Road North, track 10 is a beautiful haunting song that also displays is piping ability. This man knows how to handle a bow!!

I could write this review for ANY of Alasdair Fraser's music. His fiddle playing truly is medicine to the soul. It simply moves you. It encourages, entertains, inspires, and comforts. I think any Alasdair Fraser recording would be a wise choice. And from personal experience...Live in concert is icing on the cake. In person you get the bonus of a warm and witty personality.

Raw emotion and spirit best describe the music of Alasdair Fraser. His command of grace, power and clarity overwhelm the listener and jetison them into another place and time. This was my first purchase of this artists work and it has sent me scrambling to buy his whole collection!

Love this album. Tommy's Tarbukas is the current favorite reel of just about our entire Irish stepdancing school! Fraser is an amazing fiddler.

one of the finest collection of celtic songs I've ever listened to. For those fans of Rain Dance this is a must!! Powerful, emotional, and full of spirit this is a cd you'll want to crank up loud. A wonderful balance of instruments will lift your spirits to woderful heights.

The Road North is my favorite Alasdair Fraser CD. In fact, I think I would place it on my Top 10 Favorite Music list. It introduced me and my family to the soul of Scottish music and inspired both of my kids to buy violins with their own money and start taking lessons of their own volition. I thought my hair would be on ends to listen to two kids practising violin with all the screeches and scratches of learning, but when they are playing songs from The Road North, I am in bliss. Having never performed in public before and only starting lessons 10 months earlier, my son played Slow Train for his high school graduation ceremony to a packed auditorium. His hands were shaking but the notes of that wonderful song touched the hearts of many. I am grateful to this cd for its powerful inspiration. Even if you're not that into Celtic music, The Road North will find a place in your soul and in your music collection.