Search - Old Blind Dogs :: Live

The Best o' me Dawgs! Excellent from start to finish!

Michael | Placerville, CA USA | 10/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is THE album tribute to the old crew of OBD. Without much exposure to the public outside of Scotland, Americans are overlooking a real gem of a CD. What better exposure than the band playing at home to friends, family and a wild pub atmosphere with people dancing to the music? The change in musicians happened shortly after this CD.



This CD is much more acoustic than the others. Consequently, Buzzby McMillan's mastery of the cittern (5 string large Mandolin) as the backbone of the arrangements stands out. I found the chord arrangements on all of these pieces absolutely mesmerizing. Ian Benzie's guitar and lead vocal pronunciations of delightful Aberdeen-Scotland accent lyrics stand out also. This makes sing alongs fun. Davey Cattanach's wild percussion, including conga's and djembe, are clear and energetic but a little less of the usual mix. These are the three that left the band. Johnny Hardy continues with OBD, and contributes absolutely excellent fiddle. When this group first presented their wild fiddle, Aberdeen accented lyrics and wilder than wild world percussion, they were the pioneers. The tracks start with "Twa Corbies," which translates as "two corpses" with the lyrics being the conversation between two ravens about to eat dinner. The second track starts slow, but then rips through "Rip the Calico," and two other pieces. "Bonnie Earl O'Moray" starts with exquisite Cittern and group vocal harmony. "Malcom Ferguson" returns with cittern and Renaisance style flute. The track ends with a raucous "Finbar Saunders." The Bedlam craziness continues with the "Bedlam Boys" and "Rights of Man." "Pills of White Mercury" is a folksong put to good harmony and rhythm (a young man taking the old cure for the romance disease -STD). "Lay Ye Doon Love" is a slow beautiful piece fit for romantic slow dancing with your "Lady Faire." "Barnyards of Delgatty" is a lyric story of a man who buys scrawny cattle at auction that can't even "do it," but has no problem in that department himself with the wives of the local cattlemen. "McPherson's Rant" is the folktale of a William Wallace type Scotsman that was betrayed by a gypsy lover and hung. "Cruel Sister" is a tragic, poetic love story put to song of a younger and older sister both falling in love with the same seaman. "Bennachie (Gin Whaur the Gaudie Rins)" is my favorite Scottish pub song that is either in Gaelic or it is late at night and everyone has had more than a few drinks and slurring the lyrics. Here's tribute to the old-Old Blind Dogs, "May the old crew tae' the bonnie, brothy brew.""

Third Experience with Old Blind Dogs

linneablue | Ann Arbor, MI United States | 03/08/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was introduced to Old Blind Dogs through a National Public Radio interview, and found the music upbeat, meaningful to the culture, and enjoyed the Scottish blend, as it is so different from the popular music here in America. I looked them up on the web and requested "Fit?" for my birthday, but got this album instead. I am glad I did. Unfortunately, I am trying to contact someone via e-mail for possible help with the lyrics, since I can't quite understand the Scottish colloquilisms, and there are none in the liner of this album. But I am really enjoying it at the moment even if I can't understand all the words! I would rate this CD 4.5, but that's not an option. Good job OBDs!"