Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Canada's Best Kept Secret!, September 6, 2002
A friend of mine at work knew of my love for good folk music and gave me a copy of this CD for my birthday. All I can say is that I'm glad she did! This is an absolutely lovely compilation of some of the best modern eclectic folk that I've ever heard. Though my tastes in folk music definately run toward the ethnomusicological/authentic, I have to make exceptions for groups as lovely as this.The Rankin Family hails from Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. On of the most far-flung of Gaelic speaking areas, Cape Breton has kept pure the traditions of their Scots ancestors, with a fair mix of North American folk and sea chantey traditions. The Rankin Family is steeped in these traditions, singing ancient songs in Gaelic, with a beautiful choral blend. The men in the group are also excellent instrumentalists...the late John Rankin's fiddle playing is wonderful in an authentic Gaelic style. But the Rankins are not just traditionalists. They also sing contemporary "celtic revival" songs and some things that have an almost country flair (not a fan of country myself, but this stuff is really good.) The songs reflect their love of Cape Breton and of the sea. I found myself haunted by so many of the tunes on this album. And the singing is marvelous. The family is blessed with wonderful voices, particularly the women. The harmony is dense and absolutely pure. It reminds me of the best of family groups in the Appalachians and in Ireland. Highlights of the album include the lovely Gillis Mountain and Rise Again, which I can't stop listening to. This is pure music, filled with love of people and land. There is a sweetness in the music that touches me deeply. If you like Clannad, Mary Black, or the McGarrigle Sisters, you will love this music. I can't recommend this album highly enough!
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good golly, July 16, 2000
Ever since I passed through Mabou, the delightful little Nova Scotian hometown of the Rankins, I have been dying to buy one of their recordings, and boy am I glad it was this one. The powerful lyrics and harmonies beautifully express the hundreds of years of struggles that Cape Bretoner's experienced. "Roving Gypsy Boy" tells the all-too-familiar tale of an individual searching for his place in life, and "Rise Again" proudly boasts that "we" (Nova Scotians in the case of the Rankins) take back seat to nobody. The tale of a Cape Bretoner then continues with tracks like "Christy Campbell Medley," an arrangement which represents the good old fashion fiddling that many Bretoners use to relieve the stress after a long hard day's of work. The CD then concludes with a highly energized rendition of "The Mull River Shuffle," a piece which leaves the soul feeling refreshed. I am ecstatic to add this recording to my Celtic collection of more than 40 CDs, and I highly recommend it to anyone.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What an introduction!, February 16, 2000
Sadly, I only learned of The Rankins upon hearing of the death of brother John Morris Rankin. I ordered "Collection" the next day and was not disappointed. The incredible sibling harmonies are mesmerizing and terribly addictive. I now wake up most mornings with Rankin melodies in my head.One important note as yet unmentioned by other reviewers is that "Collection" is also a multimedia CD. Pop it in your PC or Mac and you get video clips, photos, history and sound clips from each song on the band's preceding albums. Very well done and a great bonus! I want all my CDs to be like this.
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by The Rankin Family 
