Search - Wicked Tinkers :: Rant

They Haven't Lost their Edge -- Much

Robert Shepard Jr. | USA | 05/10/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've been listening to Wicked Tinkers for about three years now, and enjoy the raw energy of their music. They're billed as pioneers of Tribal Celtic Music, and I can vouch for that: their very first CD consisted primarily of bagpipes, drums, drums and more drums. The pipes always give the impression that their drones are ever so slightly out of tune. If you love the sound of Battlefield Band or Old Blind Dogs, well, this is quite different. According to the liner notes in "Loud", the Tinkers' third CD, they play "the kind of music you might have heard hundreds of years ago ... around the campfire of a Highland raiding party".



By the time of "Loud", the group had added a couple of noteworthy new instruments: the Didgeridoo and the Bronze Age Irish Horn in B Flat. Given how the Didgeridoo was invented half a world away from the British Isles, by the Australian Aborigines, you might think it's not authentically Celtic -- but you'd be surprised. Archaeologists for years kept unearthing these mysterious bronze horns from Irish tombs thousands of years old, but were baffled at how they could have been played. Then, in the 1970's, a certain Professor Peter Holmes of London figured out that they could be played like a Didgeridoo -- indeed, the brazen bellow which you can hear on a Wicked Tinkers CD sounds like a didge on steroids. I want one in the worst sort of way, but they're seriously not cheap. They're custom built by Simon O'Dwyer of Galway, Ireland.



"Rant" is the sixth Wicked Tinkers CD, their first studio production since "Loud". Once again they've expanded their lineup of instruments, this time to include Uilleann Pipes, whistles and a Hmong Harp, while a guest musician plays the violin on a couple of tracks. As a result, the music isn't quite as wild and woolly as it used to be, but it still sounds pretty good. Along with the usual shrieks and hollers on the more raucous tracks are the enraged pig squeals emanating from Track 11, "The Hog". As a further departure from previous works, the Tinkers sing more, on several tracks.



One example of a vocal track is "Donald MacGillivray", a song I first heard on a CD by "Silly Wizard" called "Live Wizardry", recorded back in the 1980's. While I think I prefer the Wizards' version more, the Tinkers do a good job, and I like the way they close the track with "Man of the House", a traditional reel played with fiddle (or violin) and whistle.



Another track I enjoy is "The Hog", a traditional song with extra lyrics penned by the Tinkers themselves. It's the epic tale of a clash between the fearless MacPherson and a wild boar (Hogzilla?) whose den is littered with the bones of 1000 men -- or is that 1001?



For some lovely Uilleann Pipe music, try "Pat Collin's Fancy". It ends in another lively traditional ditty called "Maggie in the Woods". For some excellent virtuoso Didgeridoo playing, try "Last Embers". It makes me want to pick up my slide didge and see what heights I might be able to reach on my own.



"Shenavallie Farm" starts out very haunting, unlike anything else I've heard the Tinkers do.



Tracks like "The Dean Set", "The Rant" and the latter part of "Shenavallie Farm" are the kind of primitive fare I love to crank up on my car stereo. In fact, when I first put this CD in my bedside player, "The Dean Set" sounded hopelessly wimpy. I grumbled about lousy, subpar sound recordings, but in fact the answer was simple enough: my poor little player can't handle bass-intensive fare like the Wicked Tinkers. You really need a good subwoofer for that. It sounds great in my car, and on my computer.



I can imagine myself cruising East Colfax with my windows rolled down, bagpipes blaring and drums pounding ("Take that, ya' Rap-lovin' young rascals!!!"), but I'd probably get busted for disturbing the peace and they'd burn my CD publicly. So, never mind.



There is a very brief Track 14 not listed in the CD notes: a song with the lyrics "I want whiskey". iTunes labels it as "A Piper's Christmas".



One thing I wish they could have done is include the lyrics in the CD notes. I have no idea what they're singing in "MacFarlane's Lantern" -- is it even English, or some unholy attempt at singing Gaelic? Your guess is as good as mine.



All in all, this will probably be a welcome addition to the collection for long-time Wicked Tinker fans, and a good introduction to their music for newcomers. If you decide you like their tribal sound, you can then move on to their earlier, more uniformly wild works.

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Balanced, soulful Tinkers

charliechillout | WASHINGTON, DC USA | 06/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The previous reviewer did an excellent job describing the technical aspects of the CD, the Wicked Tinkers' background, and the different instruments played, so I won't go into that. While this CD doesn't have as much of the same driving, pounding energy of their previous releases, I like it just as well, though for different reasons. There is still a lot of vigor to the music, and they still make great use of each instrument in a way that makes each one shine, including the ones that are new to this recording. The smallpipes and the Uilleann pipes are more indoor instruments than are the great Scottish pipes, and it makes sense to include them on an album recorded in the studio.



There are a few pieces on "Rant" that could be described as poignant, soulful, or longing -- they seem to reach some deep, wistful place in the soul, and they are played with a strength and clarity that I appreciate more on each rehearing. Though the Tinkers have always been known for their "loud" music (hence the name of one of their CDs), they have always had a subtlety in their arrangements, I've felt, and this is even more evident in some of the pieces on this recording. The eighth track, called "Pat Collin's Fancy," is an excellent example of this; it is a medley of "Eanach Dhuin" and "Maggie in the Woods." The first piece is slow and intense, and the second is brighter and light-hearted, yet they are blended together beautifully -- and the instrumentals in Eanach Dhuin are wonderful, and terrifically arranged. I also like the vocal tracks on this CD; each one is a bit different in tone and mood, and they are well-performed. And, as I've come to expect from the Tinkers, there are still some wonderful drum solos throughout the CD. Just a note about "MacFarlane's Lantern," it's sung in Gaelic, and it's all about cattle-raiding -- I think the Gaelic subtitle, "Thogal nam Bo," actually refers to stealing cattle. It would have been nice, as the previous reviewer noted, to have the words included in the liner notes.



One other thing that I like about the studio recording as opposed to the live recordings -- as much as I enjoy listening to their banter and little stories the first few times I listen to a "live" CD, after a while, the "talky parts" become tedious and annoying and I find myself wanting just to skip them and listen to the music. There's no banter or talking on this studio recording, just the music.



The energy of this CD is not the almost wild energy of the live recordings, but I think it is very present, even in the more sombre or sedate pieces -- it's focussed, intense, and vigorous. "Rant" makes a nice complement to the Wicked Tinkers' previous CDs and also shows their versatility. While this may be a less wild Wicked Tinkers, it is by no means bland!



I highly recommend "Rant"!"

Although different from other CDs, this is excellent

David A. Faries | Bainbridge Island, WA USA | 09/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is quite different from other Wicked Tinker CDs. The best way to evaluate it is to buy the CD and listen to it several times.



Although I have played it several times, the CD continues to be enjoyable listening. "The Hog," "Smallpipe Set" and "Rant" are exceptionally good.



Dave Faries





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