A great collection of old Scottish folk ballads
D. Hutchins | 02/21/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Andrew Calhoun has to be the only American who can sing Scottish folk music without sounding fake. His deep rich voice with its own distinctive quality that fits perfectly with the music. In fact it wasn't until I started reading the liner notes that it really hit me that I was listening to old Scottish folk tunes being sung by a non-native speaker. It just works. I believe this is his first major foray from his traditional urban-folk style but I hope it's not his last. In "Tefler's Cows", Calhoun has collected a wide range of rare Scottish ballads (some dating back to medieval times) and translated the dialects into (some-what) modern English. What surprised me was how well this works. The music retains the feel while being easier for modern listeners to follow. Calhoun's reason for updating the language was simple: these songs are stories, meant to be heard, enjoyed, and yes understood. It was a new experience for me to hear these songs this way, and I think any fan of traditional Celtic music will enjoy it."
Amazing voice
D. Hutchins | 03/14/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I caught Calhoun in concert on the advice of a friend a few weeks ago and I was completely blown away. He just has this amazing voice. In fact if you listen to this CD on a cheap stereo you aren't doing it justice. I listened to it on my car stereo on the way home from buying it and I thought it was great, but it didn't quite have the magic of the live performance. Then I put it on the good stereo at home and cranked it up just a notch. Man it was awesome. I have to rate Calhoun as my best new find in a long while. I think any fan of Celtic music needs this CD."
Great Album
D. Hutchins | Stanhope, NJ United States | 06/29/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I don't know if Andrew is Scottish by heritage, but it doesn't matter. He does a great job of interpreting these rare Scottish ballads. He worked with people to not only get the story translated for modern times, but also to get the pronunciation as close as possible to a dialect he doesn't speak. He put an enormous amount of work into this album and it shows. His website (www.andrewcalhoun.com), says he has workshops that offer cover song appreciation, songwriting, and traditional ballad singing. He has a discussion about the meaning of the ballad and comparing them to current events. I have music by other genuine Scottish singers (Archie Fisher, Enoch Kent, David Francey), and this is right up there with them. I love his finger-picking style of guitar playing. I imagine (not being a guitar player myself, I can only guess) it takes a lot of effort to master this technique and it shows he put the time in. He's a very serious musician and it shows. Check out his website for more interesting tidbits."