Turning Tide

Solas | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 16, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Compass Records
• ASIN: B0031Y4AJE
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,580 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #23 in Music > World Music > Europe > Continental Europe > General
  • #23 in Music > World Music > Europe > Continental Europe > General AAS
  • #35 in Music > World Music > Europe > British Isles > Ireland

Editorial Reviews

Review

...a band at the top of its game. --Denver Post

Product Description

For over a decade, SOLAS has been recognized as the most influential Irish-American super group. On THE TURNING TIDE, the band delivers the raw instrumental virtuosity, the power, the rhythmic 'hump', and the dynamic vocal blend that no other band since The Bothy Band has mastered. THE TURNING TIDE offers well-conceived set of tunes and songs that share an underlying theme of social commentary. Renditions of Josh Ritter's 'Girl The War', Bruce Springsteen's 'The Ghost of Tom Joad', and Richard Thompson's 'Poor Ditching Boy' are as topical and engaging as anything SOLAS has ever done.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How do they do it?, February 25, 2010

By 

KEVIN C. DELAHANTY "Kevin C. Delahanty" (Newburyport, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Turning Tide (Audio CD)

Straight away I'll admit to my bias: I've been a fan of Solas since their first album. Therefore, you may interpret my review with a grain of salt. However, you will not be disappointed in the least by Solas' latest CD. How can such a small profile band create such a stellar sound? How do they craft such wonderful interpretations of established songs? How do they avoid the pitfall of "cookie-cutter formulaic music" which lies in wait to trip up every other musical group? If you want to hear genuine Celtic-flavored music that is either light as a butterfly or strong enough to get your foot tapping you simply cannot miss with Solas. These folks are exceptional musicians and they ply their trade extraordinairly well.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The new Solas album, March 16, 2010

By 

J. Best (West Milford, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Turning Tide (Audio CD)

Solas is one of my favorite Irish/American groups. "Turning Tide" is a wonderful new album

and features songs by both Richard Thompson and Bruce Soringsteen done with Solas' Irish twist.

If you've never seen Solas live,(which you really should), this album is the next best thing to being at one of their shows.

I DO have one small gripe. There's not enough of Winnie's fiddle at the forefront for my taste but I'm a fiddler.

Get this album if you like modern Irish music.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Again an Irish Gem, July 16, 2010

By 

Myra Schjelderup "Ignolopi" (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Turning Tide (Audio CD)

Irish music and style is a real joy, and Solas helps keep it alive. Their takes on songs continue to stand above other versions in my collection (i.e. Clothes of Sand, Wind That Shakes the Barley, etc.). Full of life and feeling, their music never gets old.

I held some apprehension when I learned that Solas had a new lead singer starting with The Turning Tide. I loved previous singers Karen Casey and Deirdre Scanlan, and sampling the new songs on iTunes I wasn't sure if Mairéad Phelan was anything special. Once I listened to the CD a few times, however, my opinion changed. Not only is her voice sweet and lovely, but it leads to a slightly different style of music (which helps keep the band interesting!).

As with most of their albums, The Turning Tide has too many instrumental pieces. While Solas' jigs and reels are always pleasant, I'm not inclined to listen to more than four or five of them total. I recommend Trip to Kareol and A Waltz for Mairead from this album. On the other hand, I am falling completely for the new vocal tracks.

A Girl In The War is a beautiful, sad tune, Ghost Of Tom Joad is a little mysterious, Sorry is more neutral, A Sailor's Life is another upbeat sailor song (I like it!), The Ditching Boy is a little more ordinary (but for Solas that still means it's good), and they did not disappoint me with their Gaelic number (Sadhbh Ni Bhruineallaigh) which is really catchy.

I look forward to their next album, and hope for more Gaelic and Seamus Egan's voice.

This is Solas. I've loved their music for years; I have high standards. Their latest album has, like all the others, turned out to be a gem.

Also recommended:

Altan, Sinead Lohan, The Chieftains, Dolores Keane, Clannad, Loreena McKennitt, Capercaillie, Susan McKeown, Steve McDonald.