The World's Room

Artist: Old Blind Dogs
Label: Green Linnet
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 048248120128
EAN: 0048248120128
ASIN: B00001ZSTI

Release Date: 1999-10-12

Related Categories:

Irish Folk

| Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Scottish Folk

| Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General

| International | Styles | Music

General

| Pop | Styles | Music

General

| International | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Celtic

Celtic Folk

| Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General

| Celtic | International | Styles | Music

Ireland

Scotland

Listmania:

$1 Wonders: Some Good, Great, & OK CDs I Acquired Cheaply

Tracks:

To The Beggin' I Will Go
The Branle: The Aird Ranters/The Branle
Forfar Sodger
Mill O' Tifty
Bannockburn Road
Battle Of Waterloo
Soup Of The Day
Roslin Castle
Edward
The Ritual: The Ritual/The Leap Year/Johnnie Macdonald's Reel

Similar Items:

Fit?
The Gab O Mey
Close to the Bone
Five
Play Live

Customer Reviews:

Collision of traditional Scottish music and modern tones.......2004-01-22

I'm a latecomer to Blind Old Dogs, having missed the band in its previous incarnations, so I have no frame of reference regarding old vs. new lineups or sounds. That said, I've listened to this disc half a dozen times and keep hearing something new each time: some clever percussion, a vocal harmony, buzzing of bagpipes, even some electronics.

The layers of music and clear fidelity demand close attention, but it's the excellent musicianship and crisp, sometimes haunting vocals that tend to linger. I know that some people are cursed or blessed with senses that don't behave as they should (they smell colors or hear textures, it is said), and I keep associating vivid blues, greens, and reds with this music---for what that's worth.

Back to the music, the songs, a combination of traditional Scottish tunes and some originals that sound like traditional Scottish tunes, balance tales of woe and loss with celebrations of love and life. It took me a listen or two to penetrate the sometimes thick Scottish dialect, but the actual words almost don't matter, for it's the vocals imbue much of the character to the songs. Several splendid instrumentals round out the session. It's intriguing to hear the interweaving of modern and traditional instruments that occurs in a few spots, a collision of influences that yields a fresh sound.

There is a color or timbre here that sometimes seems missing in some (by no means all) of the English folk music I've heard, and the fiddle, which ruins a great deal of Irish music for me, does not seem overdone. All in all, a very enjoyable CD that bears repeated listenings. I'll be looking to add more of this music to my collection.

MELLOW OLD BLIND DOGS.......2003-10-28

There is no denying the talent and skill of the Old Blind Dogs. One need only listen to tracks like To The Beggin' I Will Go, Mill O'Tifty and The Ritual. However, they have yet to make THE Old Blind Dogs Album.

This group is awesome live. They have energy, intelligence and wit that are rarely matched. The World's Room serves as a very good introduction to the band's mellow side.

There is not a weak song on the disc. There are flashes of brilliance (the tracks I mentioned above, The Battle of Waterloo, Roslin Castle). I just feel it should all come together more.

I have yet to find an album by the Old Blind Dogs that allows me to demonstrate fully to others why I love their music. My copy of The World's Room was given to me for Christmas by my brother so it holds a special place in my heart. Fit? is another excellent album that showcases the rowdier side of the Old Blind Dogs.

This listener is still waiting for the true greatness of the Old Blind Dogs to shine through on a recording. Until then, I recommend The World's Room and Fit?. They are not perfect Old Blind Dogs recordings, but they are miles ahead of anything you're liable to hear on commercial radio.

Excellent Album.......2003-04-16

I found this album in the [money amount]bin at a local CD store. I had heard one of their cuts on a Putomayo label compilation, so I bought it. I was amazed. The opening track is by far the best. Its full of energy, rythem, and a great melody. If I knew how to dance, this song would have me doing that. The other vocal songs on the album are also very good, with very beautiful lyrics (written in the dialect in the CD booklet). The instrumental tracks aren't quite as great but they are still good. At one point they even sound a bit like Blues Traveler with a harmonica solo. All in all, a very good album. It could have been a little better. But definitly worth the full price.

Disappointed.......2002-07-09

Before buying this album, I had not heard of Old Blind Dogs, although I enjoy Celtic (mostly Irish) music a great deal. I purchased the album on the strength of the other customer reviews. After listening to the album several times, I can only say that it is uninspiring. The singing is flat, without character. Same for the music. The CD case, on the other hand, is very attractive. Anyway, it's not bad, just unremarkable. I would never go out of my way to listen to these guys. Contrast this album with a much better album by Seamus Tansey called "Easter Snow."

Bold, impassioned, a terrific merger of the old and new.......2001-07-05

It's not often that I rate an album so glowingly, but OBD's The World's Room is most deserving of such praise. This is a well produced and exceptionally played disc that'll have you returning to it time and time again. It's a bold, impassioned work, stretching the boundaries of celtic music while all the while keeping a firm grasp on tradition. I was especially impressed with the lead singing of Jim Malcolm (check out The Battle of Waterloo and Mill O'Tifty). As for tunes, OBD's is in very fine form. Pipes, fiddles, and whistles come together in breathtaking form, and the listener can't help but "crank it up." By all means, don't miss The World's Room.

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