Sea of No Cares

Great Big Sea | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 26, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Zoe Records
• ASIN: B000060OI8
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #120,844 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Sea Of No Cares

2. Penelope

3. Clearest Indication

4. Scolding Wife

5. Stumbling In

6. A Boat Like Gideon Brown

7. Widow in the Window

8. French Perfume

9. Yarmouth Town

10. Barque In the Harbor

11. Own True Way

12. Fortune

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Big Sea of No Cares, February 20, 2003

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sea of No Cares (Audio CD)

Great Big Sea is one of the top sources of Celtrock out there, and certainly one that is vastly underestimated. These guys use instruments and songs old and new to mingle traditional Celtic songs and modern rock music, and the results are warm, rousing and very danceable. Not perfect, not quite like what they've done before, but still head and shoulders over most efforts.

Among the rock songs are the guitar-and-drums-dominated "Sea of No Cares" ("you threw your fears/ in the sea of no cares"); poppish and fast-paced "Penelope" which is quite similar to their earlier song "Seagulls," although a bit more personal and precise; the fast-paced (faster and faster?) "Stumbling In," and more. The ballads include the more poignant "Clearest Indication," ("what am I supposed to do/give me the clearest indication/I'm not alone with you"); the traditional "Scolding Wife" which harkens back to earlier works with all the guys singing, the bodhran and the accordion; the poignantly-written "Widow in the Window, the toe-tapping, traditional-sounding "French Perfume," and others.

There's more of an electronic edge to this album rather than simply the instruments being used for rock music. Whether you like this will probably depend on your tastes, and what you like best about Great Big Sea's music. The usual instruments -- bodhran, drums, accordion, mandola -- are still quite present, and the songs are pure Great Big Sea.

This album is a bit of a step out of what they've done before, but "Sea of No Cares" remains a fantastic bit of Celtrock, with memorable songs and fantastic singing. A wonderful bit of music, a mix of the traditional and the modern. Swim in the "Sea!"

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, upbeat album, March 5, 2002

By 

Peter F. Guenther (Detroit, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sea of No Cares (Audio CD)

Great Big Sea's newest album is a powerful accomplishment. The album mixes more traditional Newfoundland/Celtic music such as the tracks "A Boat Like Gideon Brown" and "Yarmouth Town" with more modern, but still folk-influenced, tracks like "Sea of No Cares" and "Own True Way." This continues the trend we've seen on _Rant_and_Roar_ and _Turn_, blending the old with the new for a unique sound. The sound is addictive; like the previous GBS albums, I just can't stop listening to _Sea_of_No_Cares_.

While the album is fantastic, someone new to the group may want to start with _Turn_, which is a slightly stronger album overall.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sailing Away on the Great Big Sea, December 9, 2002

By 

Kelly Langston-Smith (Atomic City, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sea of No Cares (Audio CD)

Finally--a new set by the greatest band on earth. It is fun...it is vibrant...but it isn't quite Great Big Sea.
You can't fault the boys for putting a few tracks on this CD that scream for radio play, but it disturbed me how slickly produced and how much of the raw energy and power were edited out of these songs. "Sea of No Cares" and "Clearest Indication" are certainly catchy tunes, but they almost sound like a page from the Corrs music library. "Penelope" is a simple (and maybe too blatant) re-working of the theme from "Seagulls." The less said about "Widow in the Window" the better. Most of the traditional arrangements on the CD are very good with "Scolding Wife" probably coming out on top. I am disappointed that "Own True Way" is the only original score that seemed to have much of GBS apparent. I was hoping for another "Ordinary Day" or "Consequence Free." I missed the really hard and fast tune like "Mari-Mac" or "The Night Pat Murphy Died" as I was hoping to sing at the top of my lungs and work up a sweat getting jiggy with it. I also missed the acoustic harmony song (which has always been one of the best on their previous releases), and didn't think the CD should have wrapped up with the instrumental piece. I was taken aback when the songs just ended abruptly with no big finish like "Jolly Roving Tar" or "Bad As I Am." This CD seemed VERY short.
Don't get me wrong, I love these guys more than any other band past or present, and this is a good set, but it isn't the best. I would suggest picking up "Play" or "Road Rage" to supplement the tunes found here. I'll enjoy this piece for what it is and wait with bated breath for the next offering.