The Tannahill Weavers Albums (12)
What The Critics Say
The 16th album from this distinguished Scottish folk group is, thankfully, more of what one has long come to expect: expertly rendered medleys of instrumental dance tunes alternating with songs that feature the band's trademark richly arranged harmonies. As usual, listeners will enjoy the instrumental sets to the extent that they enjoy the sound of the highland pipes, which are featured prominently in the arrangements; the band's new piper, a young virtuoso named Colin Melville, is a brilliant player, and he brings both tremendous chops and inventive taste to tunes like "Arnish Light" and "Fear a'Choire" and to a drop-dead gorgeous set of jigs that includes Phil Smillie's lovely "The Bell Rock," "The Fittie Boatman," and "Bessie Brown." But as always, the album's real highlights are the vocal numbers -- traditional songs like "Lassie Wi' the Lintwhite Locks" and "Ower the Hills and Faur Awa'" and bandleader Roy Gullane's lovely original composition "The Rose Amang the Thorn." This is yet another solid contribution to the Tannies' brilliant catalog. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Fans of the Tannahill Weavers know just what to expect, and they get it here: an opening set of swirling pipe tunes to get your heart racing, then an achingly gorgeous vocal tune filled with historical regret and couched in intricate harmonies. Then more of the same: a set of swirling flute tunes (the wonderful "One for the Road Set") followed by a slightly less-achingly gorgeous love song. And again: a medley of tunes from Brittany, then -- you know -- an achingly gorgeous love song. Got it? Predictable the pattern may be, but that doesn't make this album any less fun. If it doesn't quite measure up to the brilliance of one or two other Tannahill Weavers albums (Capernaum, for instance), it's only because it lacks a clear centerpiece of musical transcendence, though a thoroughly charming rendition of the traditional classic "Malley Leigh" comes close. Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
No great departure here from the Tannies' usual fare: lovely and expertly arranged sets of jigs and reels alternating with traditional Scottish songs, equally well-arranged and often featuring startlingly dense and tight vocal harmonies. Epona gets off to a rather slow start, with the weak and sludgy "Interceltic Set." But the gorgeous harmony singing on "When the Kye Come Hame" brings things back up to speed, and they stay there for the remainder of the program; the multi-tracked whistles on "Lord Drummond" are heartbreakingly lovely, as are (yet again) the sung harmonies on "The Braes o' Gleniffer." Guitarist Roy Gullane's own "The Great Ships" is one of the album's highlights, and with "Rich Man's Silver" provides a spot of astringent social commentary on the otherwise traditional program. There are also excellent arrangements of two Robert Burns songs, "Craigieburn Wood" and the ever-popular "Westlin' Winds." Epona doesn't stand head and shoulders above the rest of the Tannahill Weavers' catalog, but it is certainly up to the group's usual high standard. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
'Leaving St. Kilda'
Release Date 10/15/1996
Tracks 12
Label Green Linnet
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The Tannahill Weavers have never really made a weak album, and this one is far from weak, but their best albums all have one or two moments of emotional and musical transcendence, and there are not any such moments on Leaving St. Kilda. As usual, the songs are more exciting than the instrumental sets, which are generally dominated by the sound of the highland pipes and get to be just a bit much by the third or fourth tune in the set (though the gorgeous "St. Kilda Set" is a notable exception on this album). Leaving St. Kilda peaks at the end with a ravishingly beautiful song of farewell entitled "Fareweel You Silver Darlin's" (written by guitarist and lead singer Roy Gullane), but other highlights include the slightly creepy "The Shearin's No for You" (in which a young swain reassures his love that he really has no intention of killing her) and the hearty drinking song "The Three Healths." There is also a very fine version of the classic William Motherwell song "The Wars o' Germany." If Leaving St. Kilda falls a bit short of the Tannahill Weavers' best work, that fact only underscores the consistently high quality of their other albums. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Tannahill Weavers are the class of the modern Scottish folk bands -- not only do they boast great singers and focus primarily on traditional material, but they also make tasteful use of the Highland bagpipes. Don't laugh -- for many listeners, that's a serious issue; the Highland pipes have a sound that you either love or hate. The Tannies help you love it by putting great care into their arrangements. For example, the opening medley on this disc features no fewer than five traditional fiddle tunes (performed in under five minutes), and that approach is part of what makes those skirling pipes so easy on the ear; by the time you get tired of hearing one melody you've already heard two more. Then they throw themselves into the serious vocal work on the title track, and you think you've died and gone to Aberdeen -- or Edinburgh, given the tune's subject matter. "Capernaum" is a setting of Lewis Spence's poetic lament over the bloody and repressive history of that city, and the melody is a bracing dirge sung with authority by the Weavers, who handle the dense, tight harmonies with passionate ease. The next track is a heartwrenching ballad called "The Plooboy Laddies," and from this high point on, the album's quality basically never falters. Instrumentals and songs are fairly evenly distributed; the liner notes include a handy glossary of Scots Gaelic terms used in the lyrics. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In 1984, after recording four outstanding albums for the regional Hedera label, Scotland's Tannahill Weavers set their sights on the American market by signing with Green Linnet. Passage ushered in a new era for the group. Canadian singer/multi-instrumentalist Bill Bourne introduced electric guitar into the fold and focused on contemporary covers like Stan Rogers' "Harris and the Mare" and "Marie Christine" by Gordon Lightfoot. His contributions, while excellent, do little to overshadow frontman Roy Gullane's powerful voice, whose emigration lament "Jamie Raeburn's Farewell" provides one of the record's finest moments. Piper Alan MacLeod opens the collection with the blistering "Roddie MacDonald's Favourite," a song in two-parts that the band learned during a break in Philadelphia, and co-founder Phil Smillie, who applies tasteful keyboard work, remains the glue that keeps the band so cohesive amidst its constant lineup changes. While by no means their best record, this leap into the future serves as a fascinating peek into a band stretching its legs outside of the traditional folk circle. Passage also marked the beginning of the addition of a Scots glossary -- a helpful guide to Gaelic terminology -- which has since accompanied each and every release. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Tannahill Weavers pull off a minor miracle with their ninth release, the breathtaking Mermaid Song. For the first time in over 20 years of recording, the band has made the transition from one album to the next with all but one member intact. Piper Iain MacInnes, who finally found his muse on the group's last effort, Cullen Bay, has been replaced by Kenny Forsyth. Forsyth gels immediately, launching into the opener, "Greenwood Side/The Highland Laddie/Pattie," with a zeal that bodes well for the band's future -- if they can manage to hold onto him. Singer Roy Gullane provides the record's most beautiful ballad, the melancholy seafaring lament "The Cuillins of Rhum." Similar instrumentation and melodies are used to great effect on the album's centerpiece, the epic "The Mermaid's Song/The Herra Boys/Captain Horn/The Fourth Floor." "Come Under My Pladie" is a bawdy tale about the many uses -- or abuses -- of a kilt. Forsyth and co-founder Phil Smillie close the record with a beautiful tin whistle rendition of "The Ass in the Graveyard," bringing the delightful Mermaid Song to a lovely and whimsical end. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Celtic music began to gain enormous popularity in the late '80s, and after the release of Land of Light, Scotland's the Tannahill Weavers -- who are now known in the U.S. -- spent the next three years touring. In 1987, after a lineup change that included the departure of piper Alan MacLeod, they released their seventh record. Dancing Feet is a real return to form for these folk veterans. Their brief experimentation with keyboards and electric guitar -- while tastefully executed -- isolated some of their most fervent supporters. Beginning with an explosive set of reels, "Turf Lodge/The Cape Breton Fiddlers' Welcome to the Shetland Isles/Lady Margaret Stewart/The Flaggon" and featuring the definitive version of the Scottish classic "Wild Mountain Thyme," the record as a whole is meticulously arranged, yet spirited and touching. Newcomer and master piper Iain MacInnes -- the band goes through pipers like Ozzy Osbourne goes through guitar players -- carries each song like his job depended on it -- it probably did -- and proves himself proficient on the penny whistle and small pipes as well. Founders Roy Gullane and Phil Smillie share the lead on the rousing battle anthem "Tranent Muir," and Gullane delivers a heartbreaking version of Archie Fisher's fishing lament "The Final Trawl." This is an exceptional record. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After a brief experiment with electric instruments, the Tannies returned to a primarily acoustic approach on this album. As always, it's the singing that sets them apart most decisively from the competition: songs like "The Scottish Settler's Lament," "The Rovin' Heilandman" and the album's title track practically shimmer with the band's dense harmonies. Enjoyment of the instrumentals will hinge mainly on one's appreciation for the highland pipes, which are generally the core of the sound, though Phil Smillie's flute and whistle playing are also frequently out in front. Bandleader Roy Gullane is a fine songwriter, and contributes both the title track and "Bustles and Bows," a song decrying the whaling industry. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Tannahill Weavers last release for Hedera records is also their finest. The loss of multi-instrumentalist Hudson Swan and fiddler Mike Ward -- former member Dougie MacLean appears briefly here to rosin the bow -- does little to stop the momentum built by their previous record. The addition of Les Wilson, another multi-instrumentalist, smoothes over any rough edges that may have arisen from the spilt, and adds another strong voice to the group's already streamlined vocal abilities. Tannahill Weavers IV opens with the fiery "Johnnie Cope/The Atholl Highlanders," a blistering tune about an English general who feared the sound of bagpipes, that has since become a concert highlight. A great deal of the record -- classics like the aforementioned "Cope," "I Once Loved a Lass," and "Auld Lang Syne" -- appear on the group's 1989 Best Of collection. However, the real gem is a chilling rendition of Ewan MacColl's lament for Scotland's traveling gypsies "The Terror Time," marking IV as a classic in its genre. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
