"In 1983 my cheif officer on the S/S Marine Electric survived for hours in the water, after the ship sank, durning a blizzard waiting rescue. He kept himself awake by singing Stan's Mary Ellen Carter. The cheif, Bob Cusick, got me hooked on the songs. I thank Stan for saving Bob. When I stand on the bridgewing of my ship and the wind is so high that no one can hear me, I sing Stan's songs. I would never think of going to sea without him. His maritime songs are so true to the sprit of the mariner."
Still the Best Introduction to Rogers' Music
Mark K. Mcdonough | Reston, VA USA | 07/19/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the Stan Rogers album I heard first, back before his death, and all things considered, I think this incredibly spirited live set is still the best introduction to Rogers' music. Included are the definitive versions of "Barrett's Privateers" and "Mary Ellen Carter," the haunting "First Christmas" (ever a contender as the saddest song ever written), and the thought-provoking lament "Harris and the Mare." And that's not all... The songs on this album represent Rogers' songwriting talent at full flower and the band is snapping with energy. My only complaint -- gee I wish they'd used a better vocal mic. It's not awful, but fairly typical of the late 70s."
Stan Rogers Own Living Memorial
Mark K. Mcdonough | 07/03/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I drove my wife crazy playing The Mary Ellen Carter over and over again back in the '80s. I'm so pleased that Rogers' albums found their way to CD and can be enjoyed by future generations. His big sweet voice is unique as is the musicianship on this album. Listen to the riffs between the verses. One of the guitarists is Grit Laskin whose career is resurfacing and none to soon. This album should be in the nucleus of anyone's folk music collection along with Joan Baez's early recordings, the original Guthrie Folksay (not Folkways), early Josh White, Cisco Huston, and Logan English's interpretations of Guthrie. This one is deservedly a classic."
If you like Gordon Lightfoot ...
J. B. Barton | Saint Petersburg, FL | 07/16/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"you will love Stan Rogers. His music runs along the lines of 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald'. Beautiful and haunting folk songs mostly about the hard life of sailors (The Flowers of Bermuda and Rolling Down to Old Maui). This CD has a unigue track on it - "The White Collar Hollar" - which is a modern 'blues' rant by computer programmers from the time of punch cards. I love it. Also, Harris and the Mare is a great tragic song about a peaceful man who's wife is attacked in a bar and none of his friends came to his aid when the attacker pulled a knife on him. I can't come up with the words to express it's eloquence."
Unforgettable.
Stephen H. Orel | NYC | 05/19/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"No one who saw Stan Rogers perform will forget the sight of this huge man from the great north singing songs of the sea and of Canada. I saw him several times, including one enchanted summer eve in 1982 at Penn's Landing in Philly, singing "Mary Ellen Carter" while tall ships glided silently up and down the Delaware, showing only their running lights. At the time, not having heard him before, I was astounded that so many in the capacity crowd not only knew the songs but sang along with the chorus. Hear this album and learn why. I never met the man personally, but I was pained when he and many others died in an Air Canada fire (there's a reason why smoking is forbidden in airplane lavatories). IMHO, one of the best live albums, of any genre, ever recorded."