The Hard and the Easy review
Oct. 25th, 2005 06:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annathepiperOkay folks, you know that huge burst of squee I promised upon the acquisition of The Hard and the Easy?
Here it comes!
First and foremost: ohhhhh yeah, I'm already loving this album. After one playthrough and a couple extra runs through some of the songs, I already have an overall feel that while this one won't perhaps overtake Rant and Roar for Anna's Most Loved GBS Album, it may well give it a good run for its money. Just going by number of songs I'm thinking will go onto my "GBS Favorites" playlist (i.e., the songs I'm going to be playing over and over), it actually ranks third behind Rant and Roar and Turn, but I haven't been playing most of the tracks off Turn lately--so!
The overall feel of it hearkens back strongly to the very first GBS album, Great Big Sea, enough that when I first listened to the sample tracks I got a bit nostalgic and sniffly and thought, "Gosh, all this needs is DARRELL." On the other hand, this one's got the added muscle of the band having many years of experience under their belts at this point, with their style fully in place, so it's like the best of both worlds for me--because while I have a strong intellectual appreciation for the heavily trad nature of that first album, most of it just doesn't quite sound like Great Big Sea to me!
Plus, this album comes with an extra-special extra cool goodie: the 50-minute DVD! It's footage of the B'ys playing these songs in true kitchen party style, just hanging around a couple of their houses banging away on their instruments, with friends and family around singing along. Each song was introduced by members of the band giving comments about the history and background of the songs, then we got the footage of them playing the songs. I loved every minute. It was like watching one of the Three Good Measures jamming sessions, complete with multiple false starts and lyrical fuckups, and Bob's cell phone going off in the middle of a song. The only thing wrong with it was that they had no PIE. My beloved![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
solarbird says I should send in fan mail and say that they do jam sessions weird in Newfoundland, because don't they know that music is always followed by pie? ;)
Also, Alan is Still Pretty, Séan looks good with longish darker hair, and while I still miss the goatee and short hair on Bob, his new look is slowly growing on me. He still has an unexpectedly gorgeous smile. And don't even get me started on the squeeing about their accents and how I could listen to them talk for about six or seven years, or else we'll be here all night!
And now, track-by-track commentary:
"Come and I Will Sing You": Not sure what I think about this one yet. It's very, very cool to hear Bob singing lead on another song, but hearing Bob sing lead on a song is still a novel enough experience that I'm just not used to it yet! But his voice does sound splendid on this track, very clear, very pure. The lyrics are a bitch to follow, though. (And there are no lyrics in the jewel case insert, either. Very likely because of the same thing the band said once about why they never post lyrics to traditional ditties on their web site--because they had to learn all these songs orally, so we fans get to, too!)
"Old Polina": Oh, this is a good 'un. Séan at his salty shanty best, and the bodhran banging away! And for once I actually have the pleasure of noting that this is a song I'd known about even before GBS covered it--because of another GBS fan, a Newfoundlander in fact, telling me about it a couple of years ago. I really like the bit where all the instruments fall away and leave the voices for a few bars. Okay, I like that in every song GBS does it in, but they do it so well.
"The River Driver": WOW. People have been telling me this is haunting. It is. Some of the harmony I caught in there, with Murray's deep voice rumbling on the bottom notes, is shiver-inducing. I have one tiny musical quibble with how they're doing the harmony on the last few notes of the choruses, but I can't quite articulate why yet. I think it has something to do with how Alan's ending all the verses on a minor note, so my brain seems to be expecting a more minor-flavored resolution to the choruses too. But this is an extremely small quibble. Because WOW. THE HARMONY. It is gorgeous!
"The Mermaid": BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yeah, this is about what I was expecting, but I'm giggling mightily. "Here, fishy fishy! Show me your fin!" >:) I'm withframlingem, this is hands down the bawdiest thing that GBS has ever done. I love it. I love it so.
"Captain Kidd": Great Big foot-stomping, hand-clapping, everybody-bellow-this-at-the-top-of-your-lungs fun. I still think that the lyrics are almost too simple, but since Alan is in such fine vocal form here I am not about to complain. Unexpectedly cool bouzouki-picking under the second verse and scattered throughout the rest of the song, and I love the little ornamentation bits towards the end as well.
"Graceful & Charming (Sweet Forget Me Not)": Séan in ballad mode. Very sweetly done. Not sure if this'll be on my repeat play list yet, but when I was listening them do it on the DVD, I caught myself trying to harmonize along with the choruses. So yeah, this is a winner.
"Concerning Charlie Horse": What is it with these B'ys on this album trying to cram a few zillion syllables into every line of their lyrics on this album, anyway? Well, okay, maybe just on "Come and I Will Sing You" and this song, but still. It's going to be a bitch deciphering all the lyrics on this, just at the rate at which Alan's tearing through the syllables. I can catch just enough of what's going on in the song to find it giggle-worthy, but I'm going to have to listen to it quite a few times to really learn it. Oh darn. ;) Watching this song's bit on the DVD did provide one helpful tip, though, about how the bit in the chorus that sounds like "Here's to shave the master" is actually talking about the name of the guy that owned the horse that's the subject of the song. I.e., "shave". Though I'm not at all sure about the spelling there. That's just what it sounded like when Alan said it.
Also, I was deeply amused by Alan's remarking upon the unusually high percentage of songs on this album about horses falling through ice.
"Harbour LeCou": BWAHAHAHAHA, again! Somehow, Séan really is the perfect member of this band to sing a deceptively sweet-sounding song that's all about the viewpoint character getting caught playing around on his wife by an old shipmate. I don't know if this'll be a repeat play yet, but it's definitely funny.
"Tishialuk Girls Set": There are a few rules about Great Big Sea albums. Here are a couple of them:
1) There must be at least one Bitchin' Instrumental.
2) In this Bitchin' Instrumental, there must be a segment towards the middle or the end in which the B'ys abruptly break into a couple of verses of tightly harmonized vocals.
This song satisfies both of these rules quite nicely. :D
"French Shore": Very pretty ditty, and sweetly sung by The Doyle. Don't think I'll be playing it often, though. Not because it's bad, but because the slower GBS ditties aren't usually the ones that draw me.
"Cod Liver Oil": This is an odd 'un! More wryly, ironically amusing storytelling in the lyrics, but I'm honestly not sure if I like it yet. I'm going to have to give it a few more listens. Oh darn. ;)
"Tickle Cove Pond": And the big album closer, wherein the title of the album may be found, and which takes the album out on a grand high harmonious note. I liked this one a lot. So did our parrot. I heard her making happy squawky noises underneath all the choruses.
All in all: fun! If you folks need me, I'll be over here in the corner busily working on learning all these songs in time for the February show at the Moore. :D
Here it comes!
First and foremost: ohhhhh yeah, I'm already loving this album. After one playthrough and a couple extra runs through some of the songs, I already have an overall feel that while this one won't perhaps overtake Rant and Roar for Anna's Most Loved GBS Album, it may well give it a good run for its money. Just going by number of songs I'm thinking will go onto my "GBS Favorites" playlist (i.e., the songs I'm going to be playing over and over), it actually ranks third behind Rant and Roar and Turn, but I haven't been playing most of the tracks off Turn lately--so!
The overall feel of it hearkens back strongly to the very first GBS album, Great Big Sea, enough that when I first listened to the sample tracks I got a bit nostalgic and sniffly and thought, "Gosh, all this needs is DARRELL." On the other hand, this one's got the added muscle of the band having many years of experience under their belts at this point, with their style fully in place, so it's like the best of both worlds for me--because while I have a strong intellectual appreciation for the heavily trad nature of that first album, most of it just doesn't quite sound like Great Big Sea to me!
Plus, this album comes with an extra-special extra cool goodie: the 50-minute DVD! It's footage of the B'ys playing these songs in true kitchen party style, just hanging around a couple of their houses banging away on their instruments, with friends and family around singing along. Each song was introduced by members of the band giving comments about the history and background of the songs, then we got the footage of them playing the songs. I loved every minute. It was like watching one of the Three Good Measures jamming sessions, complete with multiple false starts and lyrical fuckups, and Bob's cell phone going off in the middle of a song. The only thing wrong with it was that they had no PIE. My beloved
solarbird says I should send in fan mail and say that they do jam sessions weird in Newfoundland, because don't they know that music is always followed by pie? ;)Also, Alan is Still Pretty, Séan looks good with longish darker hair, and while I still miss the goatee and short hair on Bob, his new look is slowly growing on me. He still has an unexpectedly gorgeous smile. And don't even get me started on the squeeing about their accents and how I could listen to them talk for about six or seven years, or else we'll be here all night!
And now, track-by-track commentary:
"Come and I Will Sing You": Not sure what I think about this one yet. It's very, very cool to hear Bob singing lead on another song, but hearing Bob sing lead on a song is still a novel enough experience that I'm just not used to it yet! But his voice does sound splendid on this track, very clear, very pure. The lyrics are a bitch to follow, though. (And there are no lyrics in the jewel case insert, either. Very likely because of the same thing the band said once about why they never post lyrics to traditional ditties on their web site--because they had to learn all these songs orally, so we fans get to, too!)
"Old Polina": Oh, this is a good 'un. Séan at his salty shanty best, and the bodhran banging away! And for once I actually have the pleasure of noting that this is a song I'd known about even before GBS covered it--because of another GBS fan, a Newfoundlander in fact, telling me about it a couple of years ago. I really like the bit where all the instruments fall away and leave the voices for a few bars. Okay, I like that in every song GBS does it in, but they do it so well.
"The River Driver": WOW. People have been telling me this is haunting. It is. Some of the harmony I caught in there, with Murray's deep voice rumbling on the bottom notes, is shiver-inducing. I have one tiny musical quibble with how they're doing the harmony on the last few notes of the choruses, but I can't quite articulate why yet. I think it has something to do with how Alan's ending all the verses on a minor note, so my brain seems to be expecting a more minor-flavored resolution to the choruses too. But this is an extremely small quibble. Because WOW. THE HARMONY. It is gorgeous!
"The Mermaid": BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yeah, this is about what I was expecting, but I'm giggling mightily. "Here, fishy fishy! Show me your fin!" >:) I'm with
framlingem, this is hands down the bawdiest thing that GBS has ever done. I love it. I love it so."Captain Kidd": Great Big foot-stomping, hand-clapping, everybody-bellow-this-at-the-top-of-your-lungs fun. I still think that the lyrics are almost too simple, but since Alan is in such fine vocal form here I am not about to complain. Unexpectedly cool bouzouki-picking under the second verse and scattered throughout the rest of the song, and I love the little ornamentation bits towards the end as well.
"Graceful & Charming (Sweet Forget Me Not)": Séan in ballad mode. Very sweetly done. Not sure if this'll be on my repeat play list yet, but when I was listening them do it on the DVD, I caught myself trying to harmonize along with the choruses. So yeah, this is a winner.
"Concerning Charlie Horse": What is it with these B'ys on this album trying to cram a few zillion syllables into every line of their lyrics on this album, anyway? Well, okay, maybe just on "Come and I Will Sing You" and this song, but still. It's going to be a bitch deciphering all the lyrics on this, just at the rate at which Alan's tearing through the syllables. I can catch just enough of what's going on in the song to find it giggle-worthy, but I'm going to have to listen to it quite a few times to really learn it. Oh darn. ;) Watching this song's bit on the DVD did provide one helpful tip, though, about how the bit in the chorus that sounds like "Here's to shave the master" is actually talking about the name of the guy that owned the horse that's the subject of the song. I.e., "shave". Though I'm not at all sure about the spelling there. That's just what it sounded like when Alan said it.
Also, I was deeply amused by Alan's remarking upon the unusually high percentage of songs on this album about horses falling through ice.
"Harbour LeCou": BWAHAHAHAHA, again! Somehow, Séan really is the perfect member of this band to sing a deceptively sweet-sounding song that's all about the viewpoint character getting caught playing around on his wife by an old shipmate. I don't know if this'll be a repeat play yet, but it's definitely funny.
"Tishialuk Girls Set": There are a few rules about Great Big Sea albums. Here are a couple of them:
1) There must be at least one Bitchin' Instrumental.
2) In this Bitchin' Instrumental, there must be a segment towards the middle or the end in which the B'ys abruptly break into a couple of verses of tightly harmonized vocals.
This song satisfies both of these rules quite nicely. :D
"French Shore": Very pretty ditty, and sweetly sung by The Doyle. Don't think I'll be playing it often, though. Not because it's bad, but because the slower GBS ditties aren't usually the ones that draw me.
"Cod Liver Oil": This is an odd 'un! More wryly, ironically amusing storytelling in the lyrics, but I'm honestly not sure if I like it yet. I'm going to have to give it a few more listens. Oh darn. ;)
"Tickle Cove Pond": And the big album closer, wherein the title of the album may be found, and which takes the album out on a grand high harmonious note. I liked this one a lot. So did our parrot. I heard her making happy squawky noises underneath all the choruses.
All in all: fun! If you folks need me, I'll be over here in the corner busily working on learning all these songs in time for the February show at the Moore. :D
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 01:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 03:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 02:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 03:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 02:11 am (UTC)Yaaaaaaay!! Everyone has music now! Is good music!! Whee!!
:)
no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 03:33 am (UTC)"As I SAILED, as I SAI-ILED, oh my name is Captain Kidd, as I saaaaaaailed! My name is Captain Kidd, and God's laws I did forbiiiiiiiiid! And most wickedly I did as I saaaaaaaaailed!"
And OH my the bodhran goodness in so many of these songs!
no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 02:37 am (UTC)The lyrics to "Come and I Will Sing You" are pretty similar to "Green Grow the Rushes, O", in case you want to cheat a little. :-)
no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 04:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 02:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 03:42 am (UTC)Now, mind you, Rant and Roar will likely remain nearest and dearest to my heart forever just because of the holy trinity of "Ordinary Day", "When I'm Up", and "Mari-Mac", all back to back. ;) But I've found excellence on every single GBS album to date (mmm, "John Barbour" on Something Beautiful*, mmm!), and this one is no exception!
Nance here from Fishtank!!
Date: 2005-10-26 02:57 am (UTC)Nance from the fishtank here!! Just wanted to say I loved your review. It's always great to here how other feel about the music. I personally think this is my favourite album so far!! I loved Up too but this is kind of tied for first but the more I listen to it the more I love it!! I can't believe how far you biked to get this album!! Just goes to show how big of a GBS fan you are!!
Re: Nance here from Fishtank!!
Date: 2005-10-26 03:57 am (UTC)It's hard for me to place up or Play on my ranking of the albums, since I actually heard Rant and Roar first, so I tend to associate all of its songs with that title rather than either of the other two as one might argue I should. And I tend to think of up and Play only in terms of the songs that aren't actually on Rant and Roar.
And heh, I could have driven or taken the bus to the Barnes and Noble where I bought the album, but I needed the exercise. Plus, it's a nice bike ride along a very pretty river trail, and a good way to spend my morning and early afternoon! It only took me a little under an hour each way.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 03:34 am (UTC)The eldest and I are already harmonizing on "The River Driver" and i'll be soloing on it Friday.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 05:16 am (UTC)Soloing where?
no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 03:40 am (UTC)Try Shay LeMaster. The family name fits Newfoundland, and the first name is either Shay, Shae, or possibly Shane.
Oh, yeah- and we should have a little Seattle kitchen party of our own before the February show.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 04:33 am (UTC)And yes, there should definitely be a Kitchen Party!
no subject
Date: 2005-10-26 08:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-27 12:09 am (UTC)I have to admit that there are bits of "Come and I Will Sing You" that are definitely growing on me; there's some sweet little bits of harmony in some of the latter verses where Alan's hitting a particularly neat note on "ohhh" just before the final lines. I don't know the lyrics yet so I can't better pinpoint where it happens, but it sounds fabulous.
"Cod Liver Oil", I have decided, feels incomplete to me. Like there ought to be more of a story there than the one we get, e.g., the wife of the speaker in the lyrics being caught fooling around with Doctor John or something. ;)
no subject
Date: 2005-10-27 02:17 am (UTC)The jealousy bit and what exactly is happening to his wife? She's getting stout?
Maybe when I get a moment I'll do some hunting around online and see if I can figure out exactly what's going on in that song
no subject
Date: 2005-10-29 01:54 am (UTC)And I have a theory. The guy's actually bitching about Doctor John as a coverup for being pissy that now that his wife is healthy, she'll kick his ass for hitting on those floozies over in Harbor LeCou! ;)