Bending Tradition

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Music reviews of Bending Tradition

Music Review: Decisions, decisions...
Rating: 5 Stars

It is NOT all ballads, and does contain some of their more justly famous "get up and dance" tunes, but the ballads are the stand out stars of this album in my opinion. "Penny in the Well" (track one), a postively stellar cover of "Lucky Man" (track three, "Castle of Arianrhod" (track 10) and "Hills of America" (track 13) showcase their slower ballad work amazingly. In fact i have been stunned to find i prefer Emerald Rose's version of "Lucky Man" to the origional by Emerson Lake and Palmer!

Still, no album of theirs would be complete without some of the spectacular drumming, wonderful pennywhistle, and magnificent energy of such songs as the traditionally based "Fire in the Head" (track 2),and "The Gallagher Lass" (part of track 4). I dare you to listen to their jigs and not get up and dance! (warning: this is real excersize, and you *will* feel it later)

This CD has a few of their more famous pagan songs, like "Freya Shakti" (track 11), "Merry May Folk" (track 8), and "Pagan Girl" (track 6) that are practically required listening for any of the Pagan community. "Freya Shakti", especially, is destined to be one of those songs that will be sung and enjoyed at festivals by people who may never even know who wrote it!
Pity, that. I guess we will just have to tell them so they can enjoy the rest of the Emerald Rose play list!

If you are looking for a CD that is NOT obviously Pagan, but is still good solid Emerald Rose, i suggest "Celtic Crescent" which contains no overtly Pagan songs.

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