Search - Capercaillie :: Capercaillie Live in Concert

It seems quite incredible for a band that has built so much of its reputation on stage, but Live in Concert is Capercaillie's first live album. The whole thing was recorded on a single night in Glasgow, so it genuinely captures what it's like to attend one of their gigs. And while many artists fall prey to the atmosphere of the live arena by sounding more excited than exciting, Capercaillie sidestep that trap quite neatly. Apart from the occasional bit of crowd noise for atmosphere, this album does full justice to the delicacy and complexity of their arrangements (in particular the backing vocals) without resorting to slavish reproduction of original versions. The most radical overhaul of all is on "The Rob Roy Reels"; it was originally composed of two tunes, but they've dropped one and added five new ones to it! A more typical transformation, though, is the likes of "Bonaparte," which benefits from being subtly funked up, and features prominent wah-wah guitar by Manus Lunny, as do several other songs. He's aided substantially by a rhythm section that includes former Deacon Blue bass player Ewen Vernal. Fans of Radio 2 Folk Musician of the Year Michael McGoldrick will be pleased to hear plenty of his pipes, flutes, and whistles. And singer Karen Matheson is featured more prominently than ever. Finally, there's also a generous amount of new and unfamiliar material, which should silence fans unhappy that it's been two years since Capercaillie's last studio album, Nàdurra. --Jon Lusk