Customer Reviews

Up

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Buy this CD. Play it often. Learn all the words to "Mari-Mac" (I dare you). And go see the greatest band in the world in concert. There is no way you will be disappointed.
From start to finish, this set is a winner. "Run Runaway" starts the ball rolling and it doesn't stop until track 15. People will recommend this band if you like Irish Rock, but I say if you like music AT ALL you have to love these guys. The original compositions are every bit as good as the re-workings of traditional Irish songs. You will sing, you will dance and you will have as much fun as you can possibly have with you clothes off or on (pants required in public, please).
If you own this CD, you should hunt up a copy of "Fire in the Kitchen" produced by Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains which has GBS doing an even better version of "Lukey."
Sit back, take a sip of the old black rum, and enjoy.

If you're sick and tired of angry angst-ridden music, try anything by Great Big Sea, especially Up. I'm not from Newfoundland, but I wish I was after listening to this music. It has life and character, all driven by happiness! What a fantastic combination!

I discovered Great Big Sea when a friend from Toronto played one of their songs for me. I liked it so much that she bought me this cd for my birthday. It's full of upbeat music that just picks you right up and sweeps you away! About half of the songs are arrangements of traditional Newfoundland tunes (not that I know anything at all about Newfoundland, being from Boston), the rest are original songs that are surprisingly tender, in particular my favorite track, "Fast as I can". This is fun music. It's really too bad these guys are pretty much unknown in the US.

Great Big Sea are a terrific band from Newfoundland. This album has 15 songs ranging from traditional celtic to newly composed songs by Great Big Sea members, Alan Doyle, Sean McCann and Bob Hallett. "Mari-Mac" is an amazing song...they sing and get faster and faster, accelerating almost at the speed of sound...as they say in the liner notes "Bawling our heads off is a Great Big Sea trick." These guys are amazing. For anyone who loves traditional celtic / celtic rock and great music, then don't pass this album up. It's fantastic.

I had to go to Newfoundland to find out about Great Big Sea. The 17-year-old son of the people I was staying with in St. John's told me that I should buy this CD before leaving Canada. I did - in the airport - and what a CD it is! These guys do everything: they sing a capella, in multi-part harmony, play a bunch of Celtic instruments, and do ballads, dance tunes, and anthems equally well. Up will have you dancing in your kitchen, singing along, and compulsively sharing this lively, colorful music with your friends. Maybe it'll even inspire you to make your own trip to Newfoundland - another experience that's worth the effort.

I picked this CD up (excuse the pun) by accident on a trip to Canada 4 years ago. After hearing it, I listened to practically nothing else for a year until their next CD, "Play" was released. I would not use the word "Masterpiece" lightly, but this CD qualifies for that distinction. Listening to "Up" is like spending an evening in an Irish pub surrounded by people that you love. Buy it. Words cannot describe the sheer joy of listening to this landmark recording.

Unfortunatley for New Yorkers, living in the supposed capital of all things, music such as this is impossible to hear unless you purchase it on CD. As great as it is, I guess its just not the "ethnic" flavor of the moment. In any case, celtic music with a rough edge is just what the doctor ordered. At a time when the most heavily celebrated artists seem to be the most negative, angry, mean etc, persons youd ever want to encounter, listening to happy and "Up" tunes such as this,,,,well,, what a relief.

I really love this album. I've been putting off buying it because of the $32 cost but then I found it at www.greatbigsea.com for $11.99. Makes me a little disgruntled at amazon.

A guy I work with is from Prince Edward Island. He turned me on to this band, and this album. This particular album is truly a masterpiece, woven and well crafted cover tunes (traditional and popular) mixed with the truely maritime and comical sensiblities of the Maritime Provinces. Growing up in Michigan and on the greatlakes, songs such as Wave over Wave strike a chord in my heart. It makes me homesick.

These songs are about work, loves, drinking, and unfortunate circumstances and situations.

"UP" is my favorite of all the GBS albums. The feeling they portray in these folk songs passed down from generation to generation literally take my breath away. The songs get you off your feet and you end up singing them at the top of your lungs. Every time I hear a GBS song I have to turn the volume up and scream the lyrics.