Search - Dick Gaughan :: Outlaws & Dreamers

Another terrific collection from Scots artist Gaughan

o dubhthaigh | north rustico, pei, canada | 12/01/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Early on, advance notice on this disc was that it was every bit the match of "Handful of Earth." Well, that is slightly overstating the case, but as with Gaughan's entire ouvre, this is strong, passionate and compelling music played and sung in Gaughan's idiosyncratic style. Heavily percussive, Gaughan's attack on the guitar strings provides its own rhythm patterns, especially in an instrumental such as "Florence in Florence." The song itself or the music of itself is always foremost with Gaughan, and he seeks to live within the lyrics as fully as possible, be it his affinity for Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs or Si Kahn, or his own Scots Nationalist convictions. Accompanied by the remarkable Brian McNeil, who has authored several on the songs on this disc, the music is uncluttered and all the more dramatic in its effect as a result. The production, handled by Gaughan, is clean, clear and puts the music front and center. This is extraordinarily well crafted.But is it "Handful of Earth"? No. How could anything be? That album set standards that all by themselves assured Gaughan's reputation and notched his contribution to music, and to Scots music in particular, for all time. "Handful" was brilliant start to finish. "Outlaws" isn't quite "Sail On" or even "Redwood Cathedrals," yet is entirely worth repeated and rewarding listens for the sheer power Gaughan brings to his craft. Even a rather weak tune like "Wild Roses" achieves a dynamic that it does not really command on its own. I am not sure this is a tune worthy of Gaughan, and certainly, it finishes the CD on a less than compelling note. Without Gaughan, it is just another tepid effort from an American singer-songwhiner.But this is a minor quibble, and perhaps others love this track. The more important thing is that Gaughan remains a force to be reckoned with and continues to speak and sing and play with a conviction that puts every one on notice that music and the power it commands demands all you have. Gaughan never delivers anything less."

Liking taking a visit to Scotland

R. Kyle | USA | 06/13/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dick Gaughan's an acquired taste. He's not your soft spoken, funny Scot. His music talks of the harsh life quite often and doesn't pull punches. His voice is about as harsh as gorse, too. He's also one of the best gifts Scotland's given us.



This 11 song collection is penned by various authors from Scotland's Brian McNeill (Formerly of the Battlefield Band) and Woody Guthrie. Here's a summary of just a few of the songs.



When we were in Scotland, we visited the "Yew Tree" he's singing about, the same yew that John Knox preached beneath and started a revolution. You enter what seems to be a hedge and the next thing you know you're in a cathedral of green. Our tour group was about 40 people and we fit quite comfortably. Knox's crowds were in the hundreds and the verdant green foliage hid them from view hundreds of years ago.



"What you do with what you've got" is a song we all need to hear. The message is that it doesn't matter what your abilities are, just how you use them. Very inspiring.



"Tom Joad" is a lyrical retelling of John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath." This is Woody Guthrie's two-part version, one of the best of the great folksinger's writings.



The rest, I will let you discover on your own. Gaughan is well worth listening to and this collection is as good a place as any to start.



Rebecca Kyle, June 2009"