Published on Jul 6, 2005
This CD should be subtitled “Portraits Of The Artists As
Severely Young Men.”
Zoe’s re-release of Canadian folk/Celt/rock outfit Great Big Sea
(hereafter known as GBS) comes hard on the heels of successful CD
releases and tours, and completes GBS’s catalog’s release in
America. While for completists it’s nice to finally be able to get
our hands on
Great Big Sea without having to pay ruinous import prices,
this is, to be honest, the weakest of the band’s CDs.
Originally recorded in 1993,
Great Big Sea is where GBS was finding their identities and
voices. The song choice is still a little awkward – there’s more
traditional songs than they would ever do again, and to be honest
only “Excursion ‘Round The Bay” remains a classic, still performed
in some of their live shows — and the production is at best
adequate. However, the energy is as bright and insistent as later
CDs, and frankly there are times when this CD is downright fun in a
raw sort of way.
The highlights remain the original songs. “Someday Soon”, while
perhaps being a little naïve, is a sweet, straightforward
commentary on dishonest politicians and broken promises. “What Are
You At?” is a rollicking, delightful paean to how good it can be in
a strange town to hear a hometown accent. “The Fisherman’s Lament”,
with lyrics written by Sean McCann’s father Edward, is a ‘death of
the fishing industry’ song, somewhat reminiscent of Billy Joel’s
“Downeaster Alexa”, that is heartbreaking. Among the traditional
songs, only the aforementioned “Excursion” and a driving, fierce
“Drunken Sailor” stand out. The other traditional tracks aren’t
bad, and if this weren’t a GBS CD I’d probably be kinder to them.
Nevertheless, if I wanted to hear Ye Olde Generic Celtic Fiddle
Music I could go down to that mood music display in my local Target
and press the buttons that aren’t already broken.
In the long run, Great Big Sea would become one of the greatest
Celtic bands of all time, and even this early in their career there
are flashes of greatness.
Great Big Sea is worth it, if only for the historical
reference point.