SHENANIGAN: Mortal Daze

Shenanigan

Mortal Daze

© 2001 Shenanigan (778224127727)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

SPECIAL: 10% discount if you buy more than one copy of it today!

(About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)

Clare Brett's voice is clear and sparkling with a powerful gentleness... the tunes are unstoppably toe-tapping.

tracks

1 Jackie Coleman's/Farewell to Milltown Malbay/Fred Finn's (reels)
2 The Dragon and the Phoenix (song)
3 The Revernd Brothers/Road to Durham/Far from Home (jigs/reel)
4 Carrickfergus (song)
5 McGann's/Pottinger's/Charlie Mulvihill's (reels)
6 Muruche (song)
7 Le Violin Accorde Comme Une Viole/La Bastringue/Spootiskerry (re
8 The Long Road Home (air)
9 The Battle of Aughrim/The White Cockade/Jer the Rigger/John McGo
10 Ae Fond Kiss (song)
11 She Moved through the Fair (song)
12 Last Tango in Tipperary (tango)
13 Coleraine's/StanChapman's/The Maid at the Well (jigs)
14 The Harper (song)
15 Tommy Coen's/The Sally Gardens/The Gravel Walk (reels)
16 Archibald MacDonald of Keppoch (air)
17 The Wild One (song)

notes

Shenanigan play a mix of traditional and original songs and tunes in the Irish/Celtic idiom, centered around the outstanding voice of Juno nominee Clare Brett.

The songs and airs are enhanced with original and sensitive arrangements and when it's time to tap your foot, this band kicks.

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • Perfect! Simply perfect!
    author: Kathleen Corkum

    What a wonderful CD! I heard the track The Dragon & The Phoneix on CBC radio and simply had to rush out and buy the CD. Every other track was as wonderful as the one I'd heard on the radio!

  • Absolutly Astounding.
    author: Gina Welch

    I found it to be an excellent choice in Irishe music and and well pleased with it.The Silkie song is my favorite.An ole Irishe leagend if there ever was one.But listening to Shenanigan do this particular song really makes you wonder.This album as a whole is unique in itself and ever so very Irishe.An absolute MUST BUY for all the Irishe at heart,

  • Generally speaking its hard to find fault with this album,
    author: Folk And Roots

    Recently formed Canadian Band Shenanigan here present their debut recording (they came together around a year ago). A lengthy contribution (77 Minutes and 17 tracks of both original and traditional tunes material). The band have a variety (and varied) of musical backgrounds including jazz, cajun, hard rock and country and the different influences come to bear on their music. One benefit of the CD being a decent length is the full range of the bands style are given a decent airing, here are included a reasonable scattering of Polkas, Airs, Reels, Tango's, Songs and Jigs. All performed well and with energy. There was however no gentle introduction to this album, no sooner have you pressed the start button than you are joined by the sounds of a merry set of reels (Jackie Coleman's/Farewell to Milltown Malbay/Fred Finns), which is followed by a self penned tale (The Dragon and the Phoenix) of stone dragons and dark eyed ladies, descriptions of flaming winds, accompanied by atmospheric and gentle strings and flutes to transport you to the place of the tale (within us rather than without I suspect). For me the vocals of lead vocalist Claire Betts come to full fruition on their self penned songs, and she is well placed to sing slow melodic tunes with feeling and deepness giving her own interpretation (I cant help feeling that hers is the jazz influence although I maybe wrong on that), , although that said she tackles the traditional "Carrickfergus" with feeling and skill, there is definately a touch of the classical in Betts singing. The album comes to close with another self penned song "The Wild One", a slight hint of the new age here (but dont let that put you off), elements of nature interwoven with emotions, dreams and fury. Again Betts vocals definately come to fruition here althought im not sure about the harmony vocals here. Generally speaking its hard to find fault with this album, and plenty to find right with it, what it does (at least in Canda) is lay down a fine basis for their future and a niche for Shenanigan, one I suspect they will fill well

  • For a debut CD, this release is good.
    author: Daniel Sandford

    When asked where the Celtic music in Canada is, fingers are invariably pointed to the east coast. Although this where most of this traditional music is produced, it is not the only place. The Scottish and Irish heritage that strongly influences Celtic music is distributed throughout the country and even the farthest point from the east coast; the west coast, has it. A relatively new group, the Vancouver-based Shenanigan, perform Celtic music, and on their debut CD, Mortal Daze do a decent job of it. Shenanigan was formed in early 2000 and consists of six members; Ruth Boggild on flutes and whistles, Clare Brett on lead vocals and guitar, Ewan Clark on fiddle and vocals and Graham Johnston on banjo, mandolin, bouzouki, guitar, piano and whistles (Johnston also produced the CD). Bassist Stuart MacDonald and Revellie Nixon on percussion and vocals round out the remainder of the group. The sextuplet are all experienced musicians that decided to pool their talents and form the band. Collectively the crew is focused on the Celtic tradition, yet all of them have different influences that determine how they interpret that tradition. For a debut CD, this release is good. The instrumentation shown by all of the members is strong. Such a variety of instruments within the group add intricate layers to the music as a whole. The songs are largely traditional although both Clare Brett and Graham Carver (a guest musician on the CD) make forays into original compositions which can be an intimidating experience when one looks at the age of many traditional Celtic music compositions. 'The Dragon and the Phoenix' is a delicate song sung by Brett and Nixon which makes good use of their harmonic abilities. 'The Long Road Home', composed by Carver and performed by Ruth Boggild is a very nice flute composition which invokes the sadness of leaving home - a motif that was embodied by much of the Celtic heritage long ago. Shenanigan has produced a good initial effort. They create fine music by combining their wide instrumental ability with powerful vocal skills. Mortal Daze combines both intense tunes and slower laments to fine effect. With a little more time to perform as a group and polish their interpretation skills, Shenanigan will only get better. By Daniel Sanford, CanEHdian.com 2001

  • Go out and buy it, you won’t be disappointed!
    author: Kevin Fitzgerald

    Mortal Daze – Shenanigan (SOCAN 2001) This is the debut album of the Vancouver based six piece. Irish/Celtic in genre, the sound is both tight and measured. No prima donnas here, simply a group of very accomplished musicians who have all paid their dues and produce a very “together” sound on fiddle, accordion, guitar, flute, whistles, banjo, bouzouki, bhodran and fretless bass. The album passes the weight test at 17 tracks and no less than 76 minutes playing time ranging from traditional Irish jigs and reels a plenty (many of which I haven’t heard recorded previously as well as old favourites) through to modern jazz style arrangements, a tango, some Cape Breton style double stopping fiddle and four original songs by singer Clare Brett including “Muruche”, her interpretation of the story of the “Selkie”. Clare’s voice is something well worth buying the album for alone, as its clarity and integrity are something rarely come across. Her version of “Carrickfergus” is a one off. The music transcends a range of Celtic styles with echoes of Silly Wizard, De Dannan, Bullywee Band and The Bothy Band to name but a few. Shenanigan do, however, defy all attempts to pigeon-hole. The sound is all their own – great at first hearing – then it grows on you to the extent that I’ve played the album at least twice a day for the last four weeks. This is one of the best arranged and engineered folk albums I’ve heard in a long time. It isn’t on general release in the UK yet, but soon will be. In the meantime, check out Shenanigan’s website to see how to get it. Go out and buy it, you won’t be disappointed! Kevin FitzGerald

  • Mortal Daze shouts - superb quality from the time you press the play button.....
    author: Irish Bands Live Uk

    Editors Choice: Full Review at http://www.irishbandslive.co.uk This is an album of outstanding beauty, both in its musical content and in the skills of the musicians.... Carrickfergus, sung by Clare Brett, is so beautifully performed that for a moment I thought I had died and gone to heaven..... Mortal Daze shouts - superb quality from the time you press the play button...... .... this is one album I will be playing over and over again

email

Please log in to email this artist.