Customer Reviews

Sailing And Whaling Songs Of The 19th Century

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

 

 

I, too, grew up listening to the record and am excited to see it's available on CD. It's a great collection of songs and a great introduction to the genre. It's a fun way to learn a bit of history. And they're sea chanties, for goodness sakes! The reviewer who was looking for sea chanties sung by a British chorus is nuts. Clayton sings it just the way I imagine some old sailor singing it 150 years ago. And I wouldn't want it any other way!

All 20 of the well-engineered recordings on this CD are sung by Paul Clayton accompanied by a solo guitar. Many traditional and familiar shanty tunes are included, some of which have the lyrics modified to fit the whaling trade (as was actually the case).

Shanty lovers are likely to find this CD unusual in that the presentation of nearly every song is more of a folk-tune style than true shanty. As such, you really can't consider any of the offerings rousing by any stretch but some might find this a refreshing change and even quite enjoyable since Clayton's voice is both clear and pleasing throughout.

So, my advice is to look elsewhere for rousing shanties but you may want consider this CD if you enjoy folk music with a maritime flavor.

If authenticity is your main criterion for your choice of folk music, don't buy it. Paul Clayton sings clearly and beautifully. I'll admit to having a personal attachment to this album--when my children were young, I learned many of the songs and sang them as lullabyes. Songs like "Farewell and Adieu to You Spanish Ladies and Santy Anna, as sung in Clayton's style, are just as soothing as the old standbys. Not authentic, but lovely.

I greatly preferred "Shanties & Songs of the Sea" by Johnny Collins to this CD. The main singers on Collins' CD have more baritone voices and there's backup singers for the choruses that really brings out the feeling of it being sung as it would have been on a ship by a crew.

Paul Clayton sings solo and has brought in an acoustic guitar for backup. In my opinion, this just detracts from the authentic flavor of the pieces. Where Collins' CD puts you on a ship, Clayton's CD puts you in a recording studio.

Warning: this is the same album as his reversed-title "Whaling and Sailing Songs," available on Amazon with a different cover.

A good set of chanteys, but badly presented; Clayton's got a light, unemphatic tenor, tends to trail off and mumble, and accompanies himself with light modern guitar that doesn't add to the ambiance.

However, if you prefer that light style to either (my favorite) a chorus of rough baritones or a smooth British men's choir, then this may be for you.

Me, I'm not gonna bother to keep mine.

As others have said, Paul Clayton's work runs on the folksy side of authentic sea shantys. But it is a pleasant, easy to listen to album. Some of the works, particularly "Greenland Whale Fisheries," sound off tempo. This is a little offputting, if you've actually worked to working songs.

Altogether, though, the album is a keeper.

a good collection of sea shanty standards, sung the way they should be sung, with an authentic flavor that can't be faked.

First time I heard this was on an actual boat. If I closed my eyes, between the rocking of the boat, the sounds of the splashing of the water and this music, I could swear I was on an actual 19th century whaling boat. The music accurately depicts what songs would sound like back then. I don't recommend this to anyone without a good imagination, though. I've even heard criticisms say that it sounds too much like a sound studio record and not enough like a shanty being sung on the open sea. In my opinion, this is as close as your going to get other than the real thing. To be honest, though, the only way you'll understand is at least listening to this once.

Reminds me of the days my dad and I would sit and listen to the record. Great songs for Reenacting and for the kids to learn a little history. Want to see some of Paul Clayton's Southern Appilacian music out on disc.