Search - Dan Ar Braz :: Theme for the Green Lands

Powerful and gentle Celtic music

Gary A. Davenport | San Antonio, Texas United States | 02/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is difficult to figure out what to purchase often in the area of Celtic music if one is unfamiliar with the artist. For those who don't know Dan Ar Braz and are looking for an initial splash into the world of Celtic music but are more accustomed to the guitarist approach, then Green Lands will please and appease. This is a very beautiful and powerful work that has always been one of my very favorite albums in the realm of Celtic music because of its rich flavorings and traditional uses of bagpipes as well as an array of textures using acoustic as well as electric guitar. Ar Braz is a master of acoustic and electric guitar and has been overlooked far too long in the U.S. for his very rich and potent blendings of the two formats of guitar interweaving and blending both types of sounds into one. He is quite capable of punching out searing leads of electric guitar when it is appropriate to do so (bringing to mind Andy Latimer of Camel) yet having the sensitivity of gentle pastoral moments on his acoustic as well as soft texturings with the electric. The contributions of the other musicians is not insignificant as they bring in the sounds that make celtic music the enjoyable and unique experience that it is. This is an album that you will return to listen to again and again until you finally tire from overplaying it. And then one day after putting it away for some time, you come across this little gem and re-experience the beauty of it all over again. This is good stuff Maynard."