Search - Schooner Fare :: We The People

No Finer Musicians

Mark Bryant | Portland, ME | 08/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the folk realm, you are hard-pressed to find three finer musicians than the Romanoff brothers (Steve and Chuck) along with their Schooner Fare partner for over 25 years, Tom Rowe. From Steve's incredible lyrics and music, Chuck's rich baritone voice, and Tom's eclectic musical style, Schooner Fare has captivated audiences world-wide for nearly 3 decades with their portrayals of Maine seafarers, history-based anthems, and life in general. "We The People" is considered by many Schooner Fare afficienados to be a Greatest Hits recording in its own right. Two of their signature songs, "We The People" and "Portland Town" (which spent 14 weeks at the top of the Irish music charts) appear here, along with the wistful "Salt Water Farm", a true dream by Hugh Tracy, Tom's grandfather. "Summer Roads" has you wishing you were strolling down a sunny, summer country lane, smiling at and greeting those you pass along the way. The undulating "Leviathan", written in a very unusual 5/8 time, makes you feel like you are riding a great sea vessel; the great Biblical God of the sea guiding you along underneath. Chuck's accapella rendition of "Peggy Gordon" is powerful, yet at the same time tender. I don't tell people they should buy this CD - I tell them they HAVE to *S*. This 1985 classic is music for the ages."

These guys sing history like it should be!

Mark Bryant | 12/07/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These three guys contribute to the sense of altruism that we all once had. Their sense of history, in their music, lets us all know that we may lean on our historical character to do what SHOULD be done, and be comfortable in the fact that we aren't the first to try. Can"t wait for the next one and hope to see you in Rockland next Jun/July."

Got me hooked!

Jessee J. | Cincinnati, Ohio | 01/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the first Schooner Fare album I heard, but these tightly crafted, singable songs ensured that it wouldn't be the last. Many of the songs on "We the People" still rank among my Schooner Fare favorites, even after adding most of the other albums to our collection. Songs like "Molasses," "Peggy Gordon," and "My Heart's in Cape Breton" have a resonant, haunting quality; on first listen, it seemed as though I had always known them, and as though they were surfacing from memory rather than being newly learned. On the other side of the coin, some songs, like "We the People" itself, take on new freshness each time I hear them (especially in light of changing political contexts...but let's not go there).



With their clear harmonies and crisp instrumentation, Schooner Fare provides a wonderful refuge from the synthetic cookie-cutter music that is all too ubiquitous these days. Give 'em a try...and see if they don't hook you, too!"