Search - Battlefield Band, Various Artists :: The Best of Battlefield Band / Temple Records: A 25 Year Legacy

Too Short Overview of a Long Career

Jadwiga | San Diego, CA United States | 06/06/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This two-CD set only contains one real Battlefield Band CD - which contains one number for each of the 19 albums recorded by the Battlefield Band during their 25 year career - not including their latest, Time and Tide. (The other CD contains an overview of traditional Scottish recordings by Temple Records, including various current and past members of Battlefield Band). So this is way too short to cover their output. Still, everyone who likes the group will have favorites on this CD. Although there are differences depending on the particular lineup of the group at the time, it is still surprising that the group could manage such consistent quality throughout all their changes."

Classic Scottish Folk - Nothing New for Long Time Fans

L. C KAUFMAN | Long Island, NY | 08/17/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Battlefield Band is one of the finest, and perhaps most authentic of the Scottish folk groups that is recording today.



Perhaps the initial reveiwer of this work, X-Man, does not understand that Battlefield Band is NOT an Irish group, and there is a vast, vast difference between Irish folk music and Scottish folk music. Not only are they from two different cultures, but the instruments and playing styles are completely different. To compare Battlefield Band to the Chieftans is like comparing a Porche Carerra and a Boxter - there maybe a superficial resemblance, but under the hood, the engines are completely different.



This collection is weak in a number of areas- favoring the instrumental pieces over the songs, and is missing some of my personal favorites, such as "The Snows of France & Holland," "I Am the Common Man," the haunting cover version of Sting's "We Work the Black Seam," as well as the anthem to Scottish liberty - "Montrose".



All in all, though - a good introduction to the group, but not worth buying if you've already got most of the discography - which can be said for any long-range retrospective album."

Too short

Efrem Mikhailovich | Woodland Hills, CA United States | 01/24/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A good compilation, but a better one would have been 2 CDs long (at least). Another flaw is the accompanying notes, in which the solo singers and instrumentalists for each track are not identified."