Search - Emerald Rose :: Fire In The Head

Energetic offering from a fun-loving band

Carl McColman | Clarkston, GA USA | 05/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As this album attests, Emerald Rose's success is built on the energy of their live shows, which feature a perfect blend of good-time energy, enjoyable original songs, reverent interpretations of traditional tunes, and sheer comic playfulness. And it's all here on 'Fire in the Head.' Recorded in a small venue, this live album has a warm, intimate feel to it, with audience noise never distracting from the performance.The CD opens with "Star of the County Down" and closes with "Donald McGillivry," anchoring the band in their contemporary interpretation of traditional standards. But most of the space on this CD is given to Emerald Rose's original tunes, all of which are memorable, danceable, and singable. Their signature song, "Freya Shakti" is greatly enhanced by the enthusiastic vocals of the audience. The band's harmonies shimmer on "Worlds Wedding" and "Merry Mayfolk," while "A Pict Song" resonates with the darker energies of the ancient outlaw Celts.If you think that Celtic folk musicians take themselves too seriously, two show-stopping tracks on this CD will lay your anxieties to rest forever. "The Chicken Raid of Cymru" takes themes from Welsh mythology and, er, barbecues them. As clever and twisted as a Monty Python skit, this stream-of-consciousness song-story recounts an unfortunate event involving magic, trickery, and Celtic `warrior chickens.' It will amuse all listeners thanks to its sheer zaniness--although if you know Welsh myth enough to get the full impact of the joke, well, your side will hurt because it makes you laugh so hard. And then there's the "Vampire Girl from Orn." This bizarre excursion into the twilight zone of the science-fiction erotic underground sounds like something the B-52s should have recorded. If your kids hear it, be prepared to explain what `prosthetic' means. As playful as these comedy songs are, they point to a basic quality of this band: Emerald Rose knows how to have fun, and their audience loves them for it.My only complaint about this CD is that it leaves the listener wanting more. As a single disc with a mere thirteen tracks, some of the band's best original tunes ("Penny in the Well," "Hills of America") are conspicuous in their absence. One can only hope that this means a second volume will appear down the road some day.If you're new to Emerald Rose, this is a fine place to start. If you already know this band, you won't want to miss this CD."

A Wonderful Musical Compilation

A. Brick | Maryland, USA | 03/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fire in the Head is my second ER CD (I own Bending Tradition as well), and I must say, it was a wonderful choice. The CD combines Celtic, Pagan, and some just plain weird songs in a wonderful combination of music. Also, as a lover of live CDs, I can appreciate the small audience interaction. For a quick review, this is an awesome CD!



Star of the County Down - Wonderful music and a nice little story to accompany it.



Fire in the Head - This is arguably the greatest track on the entire CD. This live version is about 300x better than the recorded one from Bending Traditions, and its virtues cannot be extolled enough. Absolutely amazing music combines with a Pagan theme to create one of ER's best songs.



World's Wedding - This song gets a bit slower, but Logan's voice is truly shown off. Although not among the greatest tracks on the CD, this is certainly a wonderful song.



Drowsy Maggie / Morning Invention / Green Groves of Erin - Fire in the Head's three-song collection of Celtic music. You just can't go wrong with it. Great music. Morning Invention especially is very exciting and fast-paced, with guitar, bodhran, and whistle.



Merry Mayfolk - This was one of my favorite songs from Bending Tradition, and I don't think that the live version meets the quality of the studio one. That said, it is still a good song to hear.



A Pict Song - A very slow and mournful song, I'm not exactly sure how to describe it, but rest assured that you will enjoy hearing it.



Vampire Girl from Orn - Opening with "That doesn't sound very Celtic", this is definitely among the oddest songs I've ever heard (though admittedly, Chicken Raid of Cymru beats it). This is a funny story of an alien vixen who lands in a small town. Very funny, and VERY enjoyable. I especially love the way in which certain lyrics are said, that adds a whole new level to the song. This is certainly among my favorite songs on the entire CD.



Summerland - This is a more serious song that is more of a ballad than a folk song. And while it's not among the CD's best, this track is still very enjoyable to hear.



Call Me Home - If there was one song that I had to say was my least favorite, this would be it. Featuring mostly a singer, it just doesn't hold my interest. It's not nearly as exciting as some of the other songs, and while the music is good, the lyrics don't hold my attention.



Never Underestimate - A small combo of a good song and a bit of social commentary, this is the story of a Christian who comes to a Pagan gathering and tries to preach to them. A catchy tune with a little humor thrown in, this song is also among my favorites.



Chicken Raid of Cymru - The single weirdest song I've ever heard. Ever. This is also the longest track on the CD. This is the story of a Celtic warrior who fights with "a teeny weeny little itsy bitsy wooden shield, and a chicken." It's full of lunacy, and though it doesn't stand out in its lyrics or music, the comedic commentary more than makes up for this.



Freya, Shakti - This song will likely become a staple of Wiccan learning at some point in the future. As if the studio version was not powerful enough already, this live version adds the energy of an audience into it. I still shiver everytime I hear the live version. There are no words to express how wonderful this song is, and I cannot recommend hearing it enough.



Donald McGuillivray - A great song. The lyrics are nice and musical, but the true catch of this track is the music. The drums here are absolutely amazing. The vocals also simply have the sound that fits perfectly with this sort of song. Another great song.





All in all, this is another CD that I can listen to nonstop, several times over. I cannot recommend it enough."

Being in the audience is still better, but this is close...

Kirsten M. Houseknecht | philadelphia, pa USA | 06/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Some bands are better in the studio, and some are better live. Emerald Rose is great either way, but they shine their brightest when playing to a live audience. I own all of their CDs, and they are all wonderful, but this one captures more of the energy and zest of their live concerts.
Yes, many of these songs (not all of them) are available on studio recordings. Personally i like to listen to both versions, live and studio, but the energy and tempo in this CD really make you wan to get up and dance... or fall over laughing...
The songs on this CD range from traditional Celtic songs, although played with more energy and beat than i usually hear, (Star of the County Down)to the comedic (Chicken Raid of Cymru).
There are some of the obviously Pagan songs like "Freya Shakti", "Summerland" and "Never Underestimate" as well as the wonderfully funny, very weird, "Vampire Girl from Orn", so this isn't the CD to play for your non-Pagan-friendly friends or family. (If you want a CD that is NOT obviously Pagan from them, i suggest "Celtic Crescent" which has more of the traditional folk songs on it)"