SKERRYVORE - Decade
Tyree Records TYREE07CD
Even though I struggle often to work out where the time goes (sure there’s a song in there somewhere), I am nonetheless astounded that 10 years have elapsed since the first Skerryvore album. Rather than recycle album tracks that their core fan base already own, they have delivered a bunch of previously unreleased studio tracks and seven live tracks (nine if you count two recorded ‘live’ in the studio). Four are right up to date, being taken from this year’s Celtic Connections appearances (they had two nights at the Old Fruitmarket – if these tracks are owt to go by, they were cracking gigs). A lucky 6000 fans also managed to attend a ‘Decade’ gig at Oban’s Mossfield Stadium back in May, which suggests that this milestone year is of great significance to the band. (They were certainly on top form at Cropredy this August.)
Most of the song writing credits continue to be apportioned to Alec Dalglish, which are all creditable, but the track Happy To Be Home, which features a stellar performance from Sharon Shannon, is the icing on the cake. The tune sets showcase the rhythm section of Fraser West (drums) and Jodie Bremaneson (bass), who are as tight as is humanly possible, and emphasise the driving fiddle, pipes and accordion, complemented with Alan Scobie’s fine keyboards. All in all a cracking album, well packaged, and giving a fair cross section of their past triumphs – and pointing us all in the direction where they are focused on hurtling. Here’s to another decade guys…
www.skerryvore.com
Grem Devlin
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this CD online from The Listening Post The Listening Post is the CD mailorder service of The Living Tradition magazine. This album was reviewed in Issue 110 of The Living Tradition magazine. |