Clancy Waltzes Matilda

One of the best known traditional Irish groups are a group of four brothers. Pat, Bobby, Tom and Liam took celtic music to a whole new level and traveled all over the world to spread their rich culture. A chap by the name of Tommy Makem would typically be at their side helping along either playing or singing along to their favorite songs. The Clancy Brothers were well known all over the world and also tagged along with the big folk boom throughout New York City and the rest of the states. Playing at the Newport Folk Festival numerous times and becoming good friends with folks biggest name and grandfather Pete Seeger, they even had a hand in influencing Bob Dylan in his push to become folk/rocks biggest name. The Clancy's can sing of booze, death, wakes and seas but here they borrow a sad song born in Australia called The Band Played The Waltzing Matilda. Its one of the saddest songs I've ever lent my ears to. Its one of those songs you just can't help but hold onto every word. Its a song about a young man who loved to dance in his younger years but, especially a song called Waltzing Matilda. He was called into war and has his legs blown off on a dreadful day where thousands died. No longer could he dance like he used to and loved to do. He couldn't do most the things that he used to be able and it just killed him without being dead. The Band Played The Waltzing Matilda is one of the most heartbreaking war songs to be ever written and its probably more considered a Irish tune now more so than an Australian song, thanks to The Clancy's. They made this song their own and you can see it in their face as they sing through the words. Its a tragic song but you can see how great the Clancy Brothers really could play with this song. Beautiful!

A Tribute To The Islanders

While scanning through youtube I stumbled across this gem. I was looking for a nice version of a traditional Newfoundland song of the same name. I've never heard of Nightwish in my life and probably wouldn't have but something told me I should check this video out and so I did and I am pleased. Nightwish is a Finnish band who alot of their songs are based on mythology and folk lore.  Such a beautiful song about the struggles of mariners, us Newfies know all about it so it kinda hits home. Beautiful instrument play and a very nice voice from the lead. The video is done very well, kinda going in the direction of the weird and abnormal but I like it. The old mariner in the video is what a typical sailor looks like and is also what a typical Newfie looks like.The video looks alot like a Tim Burton movie or the movie Big Fish. Take a look at the video and be blow away by the sights and sounds of a well produced song.

First cut is the deepest

How great is vinyl? Well to me its the greatest way to enjoy any kind of music be it old or new. Record collecting has been an addiction that I've embraced for about 8 years now, with a collection of well over 2000 albums. I am constantly adding as well as enjoying the sound the needle makes as it rotates around that crisp wax until it reaches the middle. I really enjoy the snaps and crackles of old records as it adds to its history. There's nothing better to me than closing my eyes while the record is spinning and just imagining how great would it be to be there in the studio, how personal it must have been for the artist/artists to have just finished the last cut and listen to their final product, their heart and soul poured into the songs, be it pain or love or both.

In my opinion vinyl is much better sounding than a digital cd can ever sound. Don't get me wrong, I must admit that I do have a cd collection of my own, not nearly as vast as my record collection though. As it is with vinyl you can find albums that are not and will not be released on cd, same goes for cds especially newer music. For instance Neil Young (one of my favorite artists by the way) has two albums (Time fades away, Journey through the past) that he has openly announced that will never be released on cd. Why you ask? Because he has said that those albums will never sound as good digital; which I agree with on most albums.

The first thing that drew me to love vinyl is the sound. It's just untouchable and never bettered. Second is the history and collectabilty of albums. There are so many different sub versions of records; be it first pressings, colored vinyl, imports, promos, etc. These can make the same album go from being $10 to $150. There is always that chance of finding a diamond in the rough, the thrill of the search. Thirdly its the Art. You can never truly appreciate a well thought out album cover by just a tiny cd picture.

A record cover is the perfect size to pick out the details of a brilliant cover. For instance Iron Maiden's Powerslave album. Its Egyptian flavor is great but the amazing part is when you get really up close and you can pick out all the details in the pyramids (a hidden Mickey Mouse head on the bottom left hand corner above the sphinx); a stoners paradise. There are banned covers such as Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland British import that had a fold out of nude women of all shapes and sizes (which I have in my personal collection) to the Beatles infamous Yesterday and Today Butcher cover that has all four Beatles sitting and standing, smiling, with baby doll parts laid out on their body's covered in blood. Not good for publicity so it was yanked from the shelves. Then you have the great cover art of Pink Floyd, King Crimsom, Mahogany Rush, Yes, Rush, so on and so on. In my blog which I will be posting to mostly every day, I will be discussing my love of music, from my album collection to video postings to live music that I have enjoyed that day. I love a huge array of music from classic rock to blues to folk to jazz to gypsy to country to celtic to prog to punk... so I can promise you there's something for everyone in my collection. Music is my passion and I really enjoy sharing that passion with everyone I meet and now people I may never meet.