Customer Reviews

Songs

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

 

 

Not strictly traditional. Some songs do feature the call and
response, but most have a more folk feel, with acoustic guitars
and an occasional pennywhistle or concertina. A few even have
drums, (sounding a little like the Pogues). There are three
different singers, all unique in there own right. The sound
has plenty of rough edges, which is good, and the melody is
always foremost in the songs. An enjoyable listen.

Sleeping under tables at the bars where they played when I was small or at my uncle's (Peter Marston) house when the practiced. Leave her Johnny Leave her is like a lullaby to me. This cd brings back many fond memories and the songs are great. David Jones' voice is something special to listen to. Peter, David and Charles (O'Hegarty) really give these songs their due.

This CD covers the complete range of sailing and whaling songs of the 1800's. Most interesting is the history of each song included in the jacket cover.

This extended play compact disc combines two complete Adelphi LP's: Songs of the Tall Ships and Cruising 'Round Yarmouth. Rousing renditions of no less than thirty shanties and fo'c'sle songs in all their lusty glory.

This item is definitely on the current list at Folk-Legacy Records, and should be available in days, not weeks.

This cd's got a definite sea shanty theme with an ex-military bias, which is not surprising considering the background of the members. "Early One Morning" is so clearly an old military cadence that it's a little creepy, and combined with "Farewell to Sicily" makes it plain the old navy/marines flavor of the album. "The Grey Funnel Line" is slang for the navy.

There's 4 songs about pirates or sea battle, namely, The Royal Oak, High Barbaree, The Alabama, Bold Princess Royal. I doubt you'll find a higher concentration to fit this niche elsewhere, although I haven't looked.

Generally, the tone is visceral and authentic, with what I suppose are faithful renditions of some rollicking old songs. Whup Jamboree is always a good song to hear, and they do not dissappoint. Bull gine run, while being about a train, i'd swear sounds practically piratical, what with all the 'way hey yo ho'. Cruising around yarmouth is always a crowd pleaser, it's a story about a man who accosts a woman and gets a venereal disease, sung entirely using nautical terminology. Paddy Lay Back is a raucus and ribald one that I sing often, which almost but doesnt come to the point of saying a naughty word. Classic yankee clipper is a Starboard List original, which has a bit of a wailing grating tone.

Which brings me to the tone... they aren't the most pleasant singing voices. I can't tell which one he is, but one guy's got a grating voice and when he gets worked up there's no saving the song, such as "The Alabama". From time to time they'll throw in drums and a banjo, which might have as well been left out and leave the music a bit hokey-sounding.

All told, it's a good sea shanty album, you can't go wrong with 30 songs, and that guy on the cover has huge arms. If you have a thing for all things old british navy, or you're caught up in that stupid pirate craze, this is highly recommended.

EDIT: On repeated listens i've decided that these guys while well-intentioned have made a few mistakes that shanteyman ought not to. In Banks of Newfoundland, they say "me pulley boys of liverpool" where the proper word is bully, and all pulleys are blocks. Then there's the last line of "black ball line", "stand by your halyards fore and aft". It's a bit suspect; shanteys aren't square dances, there's usually very little talk of the actual actions on the ship other than "haul".