Introducing the Oysterband
nickjam | Chatan-cho, Okinawa | 09/04/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"It's a shame the Oysterband isn't better known in the States. At a time when Celtic culture is booming in popularity, the music on this offering--recorded primarily in the late 80s--still offers the freshest perspective on the traditional music of Britain and Ireland. Oysterband is still around and going strong; although their updated sound is more dense and hard-hitting, there's more honesty and urgency in the unadorned and uncluttered production of their earlier recordings. The Oysters bring imagination and ingenuity to the tired phrase "folk-rock". Traditional ballads like "Bold Riley" and "The Lakes of Cool Flynn" are given a spare, beautiful treatment, while "Star of the County Down" becomes a driving rocker with a wicked version of "Wind that Shakes the Barley" as a coda. Equally adept at transforming nontraditional material, the band throws in a quirky and startling take on New Order's "Love Vigilantes". But the majority of the Oysters' songs are great pop originals backed by a unique combination of melodeon, fiddle, electric guitar and cello.All that said, most Oysterband albums tend to be a little uneven, and this set is no exception. This CD might have been better off with 5 or 6 songs left off, and the omission of better songs such as "Hal-An-Tow" is perplexing. But the fact is, few of the Oysters' albums are readily available, and if you're looking for an alternative to straight traditional Celtic music (and we're not talking about The Corrs), don't pass this up. This price for a 2CD set is unbeatable--all in all a wonderful introduction to this seminal band.And for diehard Oyster fans, the last 2 tracks (as far as I can tell) are previously unreleased on album and are well worth the listen."
Depends on what you own already
cammykitty | Minneapolis, MN United States | 01/03/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If I were new to The Oyster Band or only had their later albums, I'd think this album was fantastic and give it 5 stars. But I've been a fan for over ten years and seen them in concert many times. Their energetic, hard working approachable guy style is hard to resist. First time I saw them, I wanted to hate them but couldn't. After about five songs, I was swept along with the music and caught up in their energy.I've taken several somewhat unwilling people to see them and they always leave the concert as fans. Most of them get crushes on John Jones too. And yes, I'd usually be leary of a band whose front man plays anything like an accordian, but trust me this is the most kicking melodian/accordian you will ever hear. But, if you already own almost everything they've ever done, this is a bust. It is a great compilation of all their earlier (more straight-forward and traditional) work. They truly did choose the best from that time. But unlike their compilation Trawler, they didn't publish alternate versions of the songs. So if you already have Ride, Wide Blue Yonder and Step Outside, you pretty much have Pearls from the Oyster. However, it is nice to have all this music in one place. New liner notes are always fun. And my copy of Wide Blue Yonder is worn out from use. So I am happy I have Pearls from the Oysters."
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1
