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COMMENT(S): Start spreading the muse
Published: November 27, 2012
Author: Lawrie | (report inappropriate content) |
| RJ Houston, I'm just playing and listening to music that I like. That's mission accomplished as far as I'm concerned. I’m sure the composer of 400% and SFU feel the same. There’s no problem with this, just a matter of taste. ;-) |
Published: November 27, 2012
Author: RJHouston | (report inappropriate content) |
| Lawrie, some of what you are saying makes sense regarding 400%. I'd be interested to know what kind of pipe band music that you are playing these days which is more new and exciting than this, and also which compositions you have recently composed to rival this piece, or even a backing track to rival the backing track in this. It's pretty easy to pelt stones at something, much harder to actually do better.
-RJ Houston |
Published: November 26, 2012
Author: Lawrie | (report inappropriate content) |
| Most of the album is terrific, but I can't say I liked 400% much at all. In terms of performance, there's a lot of separation in it - piping (especially top hand work) falls noticeably behind the very metronomic and over-the-top backing track. It's not a very memorable melody, and comes across as an attempt at being far too epic and dramatic rather than musical - like the opening to a new playstation game. It would serve a purpose in this regard, however the hammering 4/4 counterpoint genre of all these Hellbound Train wanna-be's is starting to be very passe and generic. What is actually 'new' and exciting with this sort of thing anymore? Personally speaking, I think it's been flogged to death and is starting to become more about the backing track (and available technology to play with) than the actual pipe music. |
Published: November 24, 2012
Author: Bagpipefan1 | (report inappropriate content) |
| What a mega cd, not a moment boring! It makes you feel happy to be alive with your pair of sound ears, just to witness. SFUPB, I feel, is bagpipe perfection on the pulse of the times, while fully honouring tradition. And 400% is really special, something that could well be a hit for a much broader public, a break through, for bagpipes leading the best orchestras, or so. P.S.: I liked the bass drum too, this time, with its excellent discrete volume and beat. |
Published: November 22, 2012
Author: ScottSkrynecki | (report inappropriate content) |
| "Note: Brian Niven asked that his remuneration for his work on this review be donated to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, which pipes|drums Magazine was pleased to do." Class act. -ScottSo |
Published: November 22, 2012
Author: mcrac | (report inappropriate content) |
| Have been a huge SFU PB fan for years and could not wait for the CD to come out. This has been a constant staple of my daily muisic diet for the last 3 months and I have to say it is my favourite SFU CD thus far. My teenage children are always subjected to Dad's piping music wherever they are around me - not thier favourite - this CD - though...they often ask for it in our travels. Favourite tracks? Me and My Practice Chanter, 400% and Thunderstruck - in my 16 yr old's sons' way of describing; "Kicks A**". I think SFU PB has taken an evolutionary step forward in Piping with this album and as a Piper - it is inspiring. 5 out of 5
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Published: November 21, 2012
Author: Lawrie | (report inappropriate content) |
| Not only was the review solicited, I thought it was fair. Like any recording, not every track is going to hit the mark with each listener. In fact, we’d all be lying if we didn’t admit to not being fans of certain tunes our own bands play from time to time. In my opinion, it’s a good product that serves up variety – an important facet of any concert and/or recording. There is something about New York - and anyone who’s been there will agree – it draws something out of you, like a free spirit you never knew you had. A set list needs to be looked at differently for this city.
The sound is at times magic and at other times it just reminds us of the fickleness of the instrument, especially when on stage and under lights in and air conditioned concert hall. I agree with the reviewer’s comments about the tuning issues with other instruments and, for me, I just think there should be a ban on bass guitars and drum kits being utilised with pipe bands. Sounds a bit desperate, cheesy and misguided to me every time I hear it, no matter what recording or band. We should be grateful that pipe bands take the risk to record and produce albums. SFU are probably now the most prolific, by a long way. The market is limited and the margins are tight, so it is to be commended and, more importantly, enjoyed.
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Published: November 21, 2012
Author: misfit | (report inappropriate content) |
| my 14 year old daughter who has been taking lessons for 2 months now said three month ago, " all my friends are going to what to play after they hear this" she said that immediately after hearing "Me and my practice chanter".
I owe a huge amount to this project. Cheers Ed |
Published: November 21, 2012
Author: che2 | (report inappropriate content) |
| yours is an opinion bagpipermann, but you have written it off after a few months of it being around. if in 50yrs you and i are still around and the tune we're talking about has long been consigned to the back of the pipebox, then i'll give you your due in lieu of your last post. until then though i'll stick to my opinion of your first post about it essentially being no good, as everything has a time and place and a relevance, even if the tune doesn't see light of day again after the end of this year, it does not take away from the fact it is a great piece of music.
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Published: November 21, 2012
Author: Bagpipermann | (report inappropriate content) |
| che2. What we are both offering are opinions. It is therefore not nonsense. I ask that y'all consider this. How many "Classical" suites have been composed over the ages? I have no idea, but it must be 1000's... How many have survived the test of time by being played and listened to today?.... Don't know the answer to that either, but I will bet our collective lives that the "survivors" are the best of the best and are somewhere around 10-20% or so or about 100ish out of the whole lot. Now, how many can y'all, Kim Q Public, actually name or hum? 10? (Did you learn them from Bugs Bunny?)Of the 10, think of y'alls favourite classical musical suite or piece. Does it have 3 repetitive chords only? I seriously doubt it. For contrast in this case, listen to "Hall Of The Mountain King". Somewhat similar to the 400% in structure (very loosely) in that it is basically repetitive chording, but, there is so much more to it. Now, ask y'alls selves, which one will more likely be played and listened to in 50 years? 100 years? and why?
I'm stayin' with 25% with 100% effort..... |
Published: November 21, 2012
Author: che2 | (report inappropriate content) |
| nonsense bagpipermann.......a suite doesnt have to have all or even any of those things to make it good. like i said, as a whole the 400% piece is in my mind EPIC when you take the sum of all the parts.
the me and my practice chanter piece definetly has resonances of pachelbels kanon and of an andrew douglas piece, but again as a whole it is terrific.
both are tremendous pieces of music that include bagpipes. i could easily see either of them being included on a film soundtrack actually.
look beyond them as tunes for bagpipes and look at the bigger picture as pieces of music with bagpipes. tremendous! |
Published: November 21, 2012
Author: Bagpipermann | (report inappropriate content) |
| 400%? -> F E D E F E D E F E D E F E D E F E D E F E D E.......Where is the Chorus? Bridge? Relative Major/Minor transition? Counterpoint? Variation? Key change? Time Signature Change? More like 25%...but at least played with 100% effort. |
Published: November 21, 2012
Author: kiegelmann | (report inappropriate content) |
| Great recording. Different direction than their last NYC cd. I liked the Carnegie Hall recording better as I am not a huge fan of the piano/drum kit etc - this is my opinion. The playing on this recording is top notch, as expected. Overall a good review and everyone should buy it. |
Published: November 21, 2012
Author: herecomethedrums | (report inappropriate content) |
| I agree....400% is a superb tune, and really I struggle to find fault with it! |
Published: November 21, 2012
Author: RJHouston | (report inappropriate content) |
| And I don't mean to harp on, but in my opinion the 400% suite is the best ever suite for the bagpipes I have ever heard. I remember being 13 or so and hearing Hellbound train on the Live in the Rockies album and being so thrilled that I listened to it over and over and over again. When Lincoln first sent me a recording of 400% on the practice chanter I felt the same way. To hear one of the world's best bands play it, I feel even better and have listened to it dozens of times on repeat. It's a brilliant piece of music for the bagpipe. |
Published: November 21, 2012
Author: che2 | (report inappropriate content) |
| i think the review is far too over-critical. for me the 2 stand out tracks were the 2 lincoln hilton suites, particularly 'me and my practice chanter'. epic. |
Published: November 21, 2012
Author: RJHouston | (report inappropriate content) |
| I just bought this CD myself and had my first listen today. I loved it. I really like "Me and My Practice Chanter" as a piece and "400%". I would of compared "400%" a little more to an Andrew Douglas composition than a Mark Saul one, perhaps because of the key it is written in, although no doubt Mark has influenced and inspired Lincoln in composition. I really liked Will's inclusion of the Breton tune in his solo set. It is not often that Breton music is played by a traditional pipe bands, and I think it deserves a place in the repertoire. I also like that some of the younger, less accomplished, soloists in the band were given a shot at playing on the big stage and representing the band's fine soloist talent, rather than having Alan, Andrew, Jori or Jack play a solo. I particularly like the sound that Gordon got out of his bagpipe. Great solo-sound. Personally I think this is SFU's best-yet pipe band recording and one of the most pleasing-to-listen to recordings I have ever heard.
-RJ | |
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