Amazon.comOver the years, Dougie MacLean has played in the seminal Scottish folk bands the Tannahill Weavers and Silly Wizard, composed music for numerous TV and movie soundtracks, including The Last of the Mohicans, and written a piece for chamber orchestra called "Perthshire Amber." But even though MacLean has been successful in every musical setting he's entered, he is still best known for his songs. On Live: From the Ends of the Earth, he performs a dozen of his most famous compositions--including "Ready for the Storm," the song that introduced him to American audiences when it was covered by Kathy Mattea--backed only by his own delicately fingerpicked guitar. He also sings a moving, understated version of "Caledonia," which has become something of an anthem for the supporters of Scottish independence. MacLean's melodies retain echoes of the ancient music of Scotland, but his lyrics have a universal appeal. His songs have been covered by singers such as Mary Black and Dolores Keane, played by orchestras and marching bands, and even remixed with drum loops and techno backbeats, but MacLean's intimate renditions included here are destined to become the definitive versions. --Michael Simmons