A competition seems to have arisen to see who can push the furthest!
This latest from one of the world's premier Bands, I would suggest pushes
that wee bit further. Twelve tracks of absolutely superb music from Bill
Livingstone et al.
78th Fraser Highlanders
Flame Of Wrath
Lismor LCOM8018
A competition seems to have arisen to see who can push the furthest!
This latest from one of the world's premier Bands, I would suggest pushes
that wee bit further. Twelve tracks of absolutely superb music from Bill
Livingstone et al.
Track one is the only track I have reservations with! (Good start!) The intro. is full of imagination but my big moan is that it is far too long and gets (whisper it) boring. It takes nearly three minutes before any pipes are heard. Now I'm all for innovation but it must be tempered with reality! I found the piping brilliant - I found the intro. too much, far too OTT.
Track 2 brings about one of the Band's competition medleys. Ten tunes in all and all played to a massive standard.
Track 3 is an impressive display of Band piping by any standard. I read in another publication that only one Band had previously tried this discipline, but he had forgotten the Scots Guards 'Desperate Battle of the Birds' in the late 60s early 70s. I first heard this tune at the Piping Centre in Glasgow last year, and whilst certain soloists look down their noses at the tune, .........I like it! and the band do one heck of a job playing it.
Track 4 is aptly named Tag Team Solos. Four solo performances and a mini Band to round things off. The one small criticism is that I wasn't too fond of the version of Crossing the Minch played here but I was bowled over by the different treatment of Glasgow City Pipers in the first track so that evened things up!
Track 5 and he's done it again! A slow air followed by a Canadian reel with a Brazilian backing rhythm. Seamus MacNeill must be spinning in his grave!
Track 6 is a competition MSR and why don't they get better results at the Worlds when they play like this? Mind you, the Band probably ask the same question!
Track 7 is just magic! Not one pipe to be heard either! As an imaginative piece of drum score as you'll hear in many a day. The Drum Corps based it on a tragic mine explosion in which 26 miners were killed with many remaining there to this day. The Drum Corps bring in dancers to enhance the experience. Cracker!.
Track 8 is the second competition medley and I repeat my comments of Track 2!
Track 9 is a new lament composed by Allan MacDonald & played superbly by Colin MacLellan. A beautiful tune beautifully played.....nuff said!
Track 10 is again innovative in that three different time signatures are woven into a piece that really works well and keeps the interest from beginning to end.
Track 11 is one of those 'Love it or Hate it' sets. I personally like the first half but the second gets a wee bit too complicated for my liking. One description I've heard is 'messy'...possibly a bit strong but this one is definitely going to be up to the individual.
Track 12 brings the band back on track (ouch!) with The Mason's Apron & The Crooked bridge. Two tunes that the Band have virtually made their own and their enjoyment shines through big style!
That's it, another massive CD from a massive band. I've got a problem in that I'm liking everything that is coming through at the moment. This is no exception.
Out of 10? 7 simply for the opening and the second half of Track 11 not equalling the remainder. Would I recommend it? Yet again........too right I do!!
The Victoria Police Pipe Band
Masterblasters
Monarch CDMON832
This is the latest from certainly the best band to have come from Australia in my life time led by the inimitable Nat Russell from Northern Ireland. Masterblaster comes from both the tune and from the power the Band achieves whilst playing.
Track 1 is a set of three reels accompanied at the opening and closing by a...wait for it...didgeridoo! It had to happen one day! Guess what? it works and works well!
Track 2 is one of the band's competition medleys heavily influenced by one of the band's top pipers, Murray Blair. It's a bit difficult to say that without insulting the other players but I mean absolutely no offence there. He had a direct hand in six of the nine tunes. Bet he kept his fingers crossed at the World's!! Listen to this and you'll see why they were No 1 at the World's this year.
Track 3 is a more trditional style of offering in that it consists of a Slow Air/Strathspey and two Reels.
Track 4 is a solo track by Dany Boyle and demonstrates the depth of talent both within the band and in Australia at the moment. Good stuff this.
Track 5 is three big 6/8 Marches that any drum Major would kill to have played like this at a D/M's competition! Dornoch Highland Gathering/Mrs Liliy Christie & Andrew K. Sloan are played with exactly what a D/M would be looking for! Ask A Drum Major & they'll tell you!
Track 6 is called a Dance set so that lets you know where this one is coming from. It's full of eastern promise! It has three rare, for 'our' style of Pipe music, rhythms in that they are from eastern Europe and played in that style with a 2/4 time signature. Confused? Try it.
Track 7 two hornpipes here that save me an awful lot of writing as the title tells you.......'As Good as it Gets.'
Track 8 has one of the Band' MSRs. The Highland Wedding/Atholl Cumers & Mrs MacPherson of Inveran. Now personally I wish the Highland Wedding would get a divorce and Mrs MacPherson would go back to Inveran along with Susan MacLeod! May I say to all bands......they've been played to death, find some others...PLEASE!
Track 9 a tune by another of the Band, Alan Anderson named for his son. Nice one.
Track 10 has eight Reels and all foot-tappers. It's easy to see which tunes bands like best & least, these are the former!
Track 11 two Hornpipes again heavily influenced by Band members. The first is a traditional tune added to by Brian Niven and the second named after this very medium of the Web! Who said computer people were insular?
Track 12 is an 'in' tune in that the story is not being revealed, or at least I've not got it.........yet!
When is someone going to produce an album that I can't recommend? Bands just seem to get better at producing excellent pieces of recorded work and this is yet another. Sorry to bore you but this another one to be recommended. Out of ten? Nine as I'm still a wee bit confused by Track 6! nothing wrong with it at all, it's me that's confused!!
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