Something Beautiful

Great Big Sea - Something Beautiful

Something Beautiful
List Price: $17.98
Our Price: $13.49
You Save: $4.49 (25%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.95 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Listen soundtracks from this album



(Click here)
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store

CD Details

Artist: Great Big Sea
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2004-03-09
Music Label: Zoe Records
Soundtracks:
  1. Shines Right Through
  2. When I am King
  3. Beat the Drum
  4. Helmethead
  5. Summer
  6. Sally Ann
  7. Somedays
  8. Let it Go
  9. John Barbour
  10. Lucky Me
  11. Love
  12. Chafe's Celidh

Music reviews of Something Beautiful

Music Review: Something close to beautiful
Rating: 4 Stars

"These days I feel a change/All the patterns rearranged." These lines could easily describe the rocky mainstream path that Canadian Celt-rockers Great Big Sea have followed. In "Something Beautiful," the guys return to the robustly fun acoustic rock that got them to where they were.

Starting off on the right foot is "Shines Right Through Me," followed by rounds of deliciously bouncy rockers like the catchy "When I Am King," the thumping "Beat the Drum," and trite but amusing "Love." But a quieter sensibility shines through in the gentle "Something Beautiful" and sweetly romantic "Summer," and their pub-crawler humor bounces out in the rollicking "Helmethead." The album finishes off on a traditional note with the danceable instrumental "Chafe's Celidh."

Great Big Sea strayed from their old sound in their last release, "Sea of No Cares," going more toward a typical electric-guitar sound than their usual blend of rock and fun Celtic music. Here they're back in fine form, presenting the sort of songs that you'd expect to hear on a Saturday night, as pubcrawlers dance on the tables.

The music is well-rounded, and polished with long experience. The guys effortlessly juggle the guitar, fiddle, accordian, and banjo with slightly more exotic instruments like the bodhran, the bouzouki, the mandola, and little whistles and pipes. It's mostly acoustic, although it is tainted with a few electric riffs and flourishes that sound out of place, like the harder-edged opener of "Shine Right Through Me."

Alan Doyle's voice is a little rough, but full and lively. He can wistfully murmur ballads and roar out hilarious songs about falling in love with all the wrong girls. The songs have their bad moments -- "Love" is effective as an anti-war anthem, except for the "la la la love" part -- but overall they have the same bouncy, vibrant quality as the music itself. "Goodbye! Fare thee well!" the guys roar without an ounce of levity. "Don't ever trust a fella with a helmet on his head." Words to live by.

"Something" isn't entirely beautiful, but it is a solid return to the lovable pub-rock sound that made Great Big Sea so popular in Canada and the U.S. A satisfying dose of Celt-rock.

More Something Beautiful free music reviews:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Description of Something Beautiful

The multi-Platinum band Great Big Sea has become one of Canada's most popular exports, and with the help of producer Michael Phillip (Barenaked Ladies), they're about to become even more popular with the release of Something Beautiful, their new studio album. From brisk Celtic pop sing-alongs like "Shines Right Through" and "When I Am King" to introspective, brooding laments like "Summer" and "Lucky Me," Something Beautiful is the most accessible Great Big Sea album yet. "Great Big Sea has been more successful than any other contemporary North American band in bringing Anglo-Celtic folk sounds into rock clubs." - Dirty Linen
A Platinum-selling act in their Canadian homeland, Great Big Sea has mined that country's proud Scots/Irish Celtic heritage in a decidedly modern context. Their arrangements are honeycombed with the accordions, bouzoukis, pipes, whistles and fiddles typical of traditional music and nicely handled they are, too. But these come across as afterthoughts amid a powerhouse hit machine featuring robust lead vocals, a booming drum kit, and close-harmony hooks obviously calibrated to induce stadium sing-alongs. The group is a throwback to seventies folk-rockers in that they veer between trad/arr material ("John Barbour") and original tunes ("Helmenthead," which catalogues the conquests of a kiss-and-tell hockey player). In contemporary terms, they occasionally recall singer-songwriter Paul Brady's polished lyrics or the crowd-pleasing barroom roughhousing of Black 47. But ultimately, this is a mainstream band, high-energy and very good at what they do; the question is how they'll play outside their comfort zone. --Christina Roden

Folk CDs

Music Genres
Bestsellers in Folk CDs
Another Place ImageMargie Adam - Another Place
Release date: 1994-07-26; Music CD
Best price: $16.99
Road of the Heart ImageAnn Reed - Road of the Heart
Release date: 1994-06-29; Music CD
Best price: $29.99
Back & Forth ImageAnn Reed - Back & Forth
Release date: 1994-07-26; Music CD
Best price: $2.00
Price in other shops: $9.98
Rainbow Path ImageKay Gardner - Rainbow Path
Release date: 1994-07-26; Music CD
Best price: $15.05
Price in other shops: $17.99
Grant Me Eyes ImageJoanne Rand - Grant Me Eyes
Release date: 2001-08-02; Music CD
Best price: $9.96
Price in other shops: $14.98
Hello Betty! ImageBetty - Hello Betty!
Release date: 1994-03-21; Music CD
Price in other shops: $11.98
Amazon ImageKay Gardner - Amazon
Release date: 1994-07-26; Music CD
Price in other shops: $9.98
Stage 2: Human Heart ImageStage 2: Human Heart
Release date: 1997-04-11; Music CD
Best price: $14.95
Price in other shops: $19.98
Heart Is the Only Nation ImageCyntia Smith, Ruth Barrett - Heart Is the Only Nation
Release date: 1996-07-17; Music CD
Best price: $3.99
Price in other shops: $16.98
Giants! A Colossal Collection of Tales and Tunes ImageGiants! A Colossal Collection of Tales and Tunes
Greathall Productions, Inc.; Release date: 2000-04-05; Published: 1996; Music CD
Best price: $8.68
Price in other shops: $14.95
Similar CDs
Courage & Patience & Grit - Great Big Sea In Concert [CD/DVD Combo] ImageGreat Big Sea - Courage & Patience & Grit - Great Big Sea In Concert [CD/ DVD Combo]
Release date: 2006-11-21; Music CD
Best price: $53.47
Road Rage ImageGreat Big Sea - Road Rage
Release date: 2009-04-28; Music CD
Best price: $5.06
Price in other shops: $8.98
Great Big Sea ImageGreat Big Sea - Great Big Sea
Release date: 2009-04-28; Music CD
Best price: $5.11
Price in other shops: $8.98
Up ImageGreat Big Sea - Up
Release date: 2009-04-28; Music CD
Best price: $5.26
Price in other shops: $8.98
Play ImageGreat Big Sea - Play
Release date: 2009-04-28; Music CD
Best price: $5.16
Price in other shops: $8.98
Fortune's Favour ImageGreat Big Sea - Fortune's Favour
GREAT BIG SEA; Release date: 2008-07-08; Music CD
Best price: $8.29
Price in other shops: $13.99
Turn ImageGreat Big Sea - Turn
Release date: 2010-11-23; Music CD
Best price: $10.14
Price in other shops: $13.98
Hard & The Easy ImageGreat Big Sea - Hard & The Easy
Release date: 2007-01-08; Music CD
Best price: $12.69
Price in other shops: $29.98
Sea of No Cares ImageGreat Big Sea - Sea of No Cares
Release date: 2002-02-26; Music CD
Best price: $13.14
Price in other shops: $17.98
Safe Upon the Shore ImageGreat Big Sea - Safe Upon the Shore
Release date: 2010-07-13; Music CD
Best price: $8.83
Price in other shops: $12.99
Compare prices and find music notes for more than one million Music CD titles