Dropkick Murphys Albums (8)
'The Meanest of Times'
Release Date 9/17/2007
Tracks 15
Label Cooking Vinyl
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What The Critics Say
Dropkick Murphys are a band closely tied to their roots in Boston, proud products of a working-class neighborhood where kids suffered through Catholic school, grew up to be regulars in the local bar, and watched their friends do the exact same thing. Life isn't always easy, and it's in these moments of hardship that many of the tracks on The Meanest of Times find their muse. The record is a dark, passionate, and rousing collection of songs that fit in nicely with the Murphys' unfailing back catalog of gritty beer-soaked punk rock anthems. But even in its consistency with everything else the Beantown crew has ever released, The Meanest of Times stands tall as the band's tightest and most developed set of songs yet. With such ease, the Murphys combine eyes-wide observation, rough defiance, and emotion rubbed raw into heartfelt songs like the explosive opening duo of "Famous for Nothing" and "God Willing," where elegiac bagpipes coexist with searing guitars and delicate mandolins supplement aggressive drum rolls. Traditional songs also get model Murphy makeovers; "Spancil Hill" gets Boston-ized into the mournful "Fairmount Hill," while "Lannigan's Ball" takes a nice shot of punk rock adrenaline to turn it into the clamorous romp of "(F)lannigan's Ball," complete with guest vocals from the Pogues' Spider Stacy and the Dubliners' Ronnie Drew. Elsewhere -- in varying degrees of unrestrained energy and sore-throat shout-singing -- the crew relates tales of families broken and friends lost, the sad realities only proving further that above all else, it's being true to yourself and the ones you love that is most important. But it's not all just heartfelt sappiness; this is the Dropkick Murphys, so be assured the emotion is still packed into about 45 minutes of beer-sloshing riotous punk rock glory. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On their fourth studio album, Blackout, the Dropkick Murphys work with their soused punk rock style for their tightest material to date. Sure, the intensity that made The Gang's All Here and Sing Loud, Sing Proud so great is intact, but there's a bit more polish and the Dropkick Murphys' Irish-colored rock jigs have never sounded better. Bassist Ken Casey produces this energetic set of working-class anthems. Shared vocal duties between Casey and frontman Al Barr are ferocious yet playful in leading this Boston septet of beer-room brawlers. From the merry singalong of "Kiss Me I'm #!@*faced" to the tomfoolery of "The Outcast," Blackout captures the band's undying spirit. Traditional Irish favorites like "Fields of Athenry" and "Black Velvet Band" are equally rowdy, and "Walk Away" nicely represents the Dropkick Murphys' lasting brotherhood. Rockabilly riffs blaze about on "Gonna Be a Blackout Tonight," a riotous good time put to the words of an unpublished Woody Guthrie song. Such an effort is quite fitting for the band as well, since the Dropkick Murphys are keen to Guthrie's classic working-class ideals. But they have a spark that matches the soul of Shane MacGowan and Billy Bragg, and that's what makes Blackout so impressive. The rawness behind making a living is balanced with a good swig of whiskey, and despite the band's aggressive presentation, this is no motley crew. Blackout is honest in words and heart, so raise your fist. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
'Live on St. Patrick's Day From Boston, MA'
Release Date 9/9/2002
Tracks 26
Label Hellcat
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What The Critics Say
Great live albums accomplish two things: They show how an artist sounds in real life (or something close to it) and they make you wish that you were there the night they recorded this gig. By this measure, Live on St. Patrick's Day From Boston, MA is one of the best of the breed. You may have to go back to Live at Leeds to catch this kind of stage energy. Dropkick Murphys, working-class heroes in blue-collar Boston, crash through their set with hair-raising exuberance. Their sound, a muscular collision of punk and traditional Irish elements, connects directly with the crowd, whose presence is never lost in the mix; throughout the set the band welcomes relatives in the balcony, runs footage of old Boston Bruins hockey games as a video backdrop, opens the stage to a bunch of step-dancers, brings a guy up from the audience to propose to his girl as the crowd roars its approval (the girl, no fool, says yes), and invites any woman in the crowd to join them as their massive, beer-swilling piper, Spicy McHaggis, plays a jig. ("His pipes are gigantic, and so is his schlong," Al Barr yells as the band thunders merrily.) From the opening moments, a stirring skirl provided by the Boston Police Gaelic Column Pipes & Drums, to a final chant of "Let's go, Murphys!" performed in the wreckage that follows the finale, Live on St. Patrick's Day From Boston, MA is ultimately a raucous, brawling, and sentimental testament of love between a band and their perfectly matched audience. ~ Robert L. Doerschuk, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Mob Mentality is a dozen track full-length of scowling punk rock featuring Boston's Dropkick Murphys and U.K.'s the Business. Both groups initially got together to cut a 7", but many beers and laughs later lead to a riveting collection of the Dropkicks covering songs written by the Business and vice versa. It's surely a solid collaboration of raw Oi! Both bands come together on the title track, but it's the cover versions that carry this metal-edge power punk sound. The Dropkick Murphys' rendition of the Who's "The Kids Are Alright" is a quick, slurring swagger track. Throbbing basslines and Al Barr's beer-soaked growl turn this classic mod cut into a new generation kind of thing for the skate-punk pop kids. The energy is real, the sourness is still as bad as it ever was, so the Dropkicks' pleasure is obvious. Inspired by the Dropkicks' version, the Business also search for a staple '70s song, picking the Faces' "Borstal Boys." Might Mighty Bosstones' Dicky Barrett shares lead vocals to make this track a thrashing blend of American and English Oi! so get the family together! ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
'Sing Loud, Sing Proud'
Release Date 1/1/2000
Tracks 16
Label Hellcat
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What The Critics Say
Boston's Dropkick Murphys exude an energetic rowdiness, a definite slice of punk-o-rama appeal. Fans raise their fists in the spirit of Oi!, and the Dropkicks playfully snarl into Irish-American song traditions and musical unity. On Sing Loud, Sing Proud, it became more than a family affair. The band's new lineup featuring James Lynch (guitar), Spicy McHaggis (bagpipes), and Ryan Foltz (mandolin) allowed the album a broad-based instrumentation, a spastic composition scaling above 1999's The Gang's All Here. The fervor surrounding a hearty jig, a group of hearty men, and social woes in the midst of relaxing with a scally cap is something commonly found among the Dropkicks' fun-spirited chants. "The Torch" resonates Celtic folk vibes, acoustics blending inside Barr's and bassist Ken Casey's roughcast duet. "Good Rats" and the vinyl-only version "The Wild Rover" feature ex-Pogue Shane MacGowan on guest vocals. One of the '80s biggest headaches, MacGowan's presence adds a hint of old school rock ambience, but his contributions are lackluster. Barr's throaty growl overshadows MacGowan's monotone; the songs might have done decently without him. But again, it is Shane MacGowan, one of the original barroom heroes who helped lead Irish rock to near mainstream level. The Dropkick Murphys do remain at the heart of things, particularly on "Fortunes of War." Dedicated in memory of a punk rock fan who was killed in Texas, Cock Sparrer's Colin McFaull joins Barr for a touching swan song, skatepunk style. Recognizing the working class' blood and tears while patronizing the use of societal scapegoats, "Fortunes of War" makes Sing Loud, Sing Proud a decent addition to the band's album roster, but thanks to a pint of ale, of course. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Produced by Rancid's Lars Frederiksen, The Gang's All Here is a solid course in topical punk with tough Irish-American strains. The Dropkick Murphys, from Boston, take up the expected us-against-the-world pose, but back it up with lyrics a cut above the hormonal angst of their late-'90s contemporaries. They use a combination of topical observations and self-examination that gives their stance a bit more validity, especially in "Curse of a Fallen Soul." It's smart and generous punk, but still decidedly tough thanks to Al Barr's gruff vocals and the impressive power of drummer Matt Kelly. Musically they don't veer too much from the only three chords and the loud volume setting you really need for punk. Isolated moments, like the bagpipe/guitar cover of "Amazing Grace" or the faux military march, "The Fighting 69th," show they could be capable of versatility along the lines of the Clash or Rancid. ~ Paul Pearson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The full-length follow-up to their debut EP, Boys on the Docks, Boston's Dropkick Murphys serve up an interesting blend of hardcore-style punk with traditional Irish inflections on Do or Die. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
