Great Big Sea - Safe Upon the Shore
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CD Details
Artist: Great Big SeaEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2010-07-13
Music Label: GREAT BIG SEA
Soundtracks:
- Long Life (Where Did You Go)
- Nothing But a Sing
- Yankee Sailor
- Good People
- Dear Home Town
- Over the Hills
- Hit the Ground and Run
- Safe Upon the Shore
- Have a Cuppa Tea
- Wandering Ways
- Follow Me Back
- Road To Ruin
- Gallows Pole
- Don't Wanna Go Home
Music reviews of Safe Upon the Shore
Music Review: Great Big Sea evolves but keeps one foot in the water
Rating: 4 Stars
For longtime fans, SAFE UPON THE SHORE is a celebration of sorts. It marks the 10th studio album for the Newfoundland-based folk/pop outfit. Those same fans will also readily note how the band has evolved during their 17 years together. Aside from 2005's all-traditional The Hard & The Easy, the band has been gradually moving toward a more pop-oriented sound for years. More often than not, the change suits them. Singers Alan Doyle and Sean McCann have always been front-and-center; with Doyle seemingly more comfortable mixing the traditional folk songs of his beloved homeland with more modern instrumentation.
SAFE UPON THE SHORE follows in the path of the band's previous release, Fortune's Favour, by combining up-tempo pop with their own self-penned traditional-sounding tunes. Great Big Sea is a tireless touring band, and it's easy to interpret several of the tracks as semi-autobiographical longings for home. "Long Life (Where Did You Go)" and "Nothing But a Song" are not necessarily the group's best non-traditional songs (which include past gems like "Sea of No Cares," "When I'm Up," and "Consequence Free"), but are nonetheless catchy and straightforward ponderings of what life on the road can do to a family man. Things get back to basics with "Yankee Sailor," a lovely and sad song with one of Alan Doyle's better choruses: "You say America is beautiful/And I sure hope you're right/If I could see you across the water/I'd say America is beautiful tonight."
Things stall momentarily with Sean McCann's well-intentioned but cliched "Good People," an earnest folk song that really has nothing new to say. Doyle return to the homesick theme with "Dear Home Town", which presents the puzzling notion that the pride of St. John's has let its hometown down by "selling my soul for a song." The sometimes-neglected Bob Hallett offers up the tradtional-styled "Over the Hill," while Russell Crowe serves as co-writer of "Hit the Ground and Run," a revved-up comic tale of a shotgun wedding about to go wrong.
Next up, McCann sings the title track a capella. It's a beautiful and heartbreaking tale of the sea as a harsh mistress, and a wish that becomes a curse. I don't think it's a stretch to call "Safe Upon the Shore" (the song, I mean) among GBS's best compositions. It's the kind of song that the band has perfected after years of singing traditional songs handed down through the ages.
It seems strange to find cover songs on a Great Big Sea album, but there are two here. "Gallows Pole" is a Led Zeppelin tune that was actually offered as a download on the GBS website when FORTUNE'S FAVOUR was released. "Have a Cuppa Tea" is an irresistable take on the Kinks' song. Another song, "Wandering Ways", was also offered previously as a download. A sleepy ballad, "Follow Me Back," and two somewhat standard Doyle tracks round out the disc.
If you've made it thru all that dissection of the track list, it's safe to assume you're a fan of the group. SAFE UPON THE SHORE doesn't necessarily break any new ground, but it's another solid collection of songs from some very talented musicians. Nothing on here made me want to press the SKIP button during the 46-minute runtime. And I'd rank 2 songs--Yankee Sailor and Safe Upon the Shore--among the band's best work. If you're a fan and enjoyed FORTUNE'S FAVOUR, chances are you will like this one. If you happen to be new to Great Big Sea, I'd highly recommend picking up what I consider two essential releases: Up and Sea of No Cares.
Description of Safe Upon the Shore
On March 11, 2010, Great Big Sea celebrated their 17th birthday as aband. Like almost all of their many anniversaries spent together, they
celebrated by playing a concert, this one in Omaha, Nebraska. For the
players it was an important landmark, but for the fans, some of whom
had traveled hundreds of miles, it was a chance to spend a night with a
band that has come to define the energetic spirit of Newfoundland.
While music fashions come and go, Great Big Sea has continued to
build audiences across the continent. Their hard working approach to
touring and performance, along with a genuine love for the music, has
kept the band growing. On July 13, 2010 they will release their
TENTH full length LP, Safe Upon The Shore.
Containing their signature blend of folk and pop, the album s 14 songs
cover many of the band s inspirations, but also reflect the real concerns
of men trying to balance family life while spending many months in the
adolescent world of a touring band.
Recorded in ''fits and starts'' over six months last year, the album
includes co-writes with various acclaimed artists, including Russell
Crowe and Canadian singer-songwriters Randy Bachman, Jeremy
Fisher and Joel Plaskett.
Safe Upon The Shore was produced by Los Lobos Steve Berlin and Great Big Sea in New Orleans, LA and St. John s, NL
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