Search - Old Blind Dogs :: New Tricks

Classic OBD from the original line-up

Clay M. Capps | Baconton GA | 08/07/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While not as popular (or arguably quite as good) as Close to the Bone or Legacy, this is still the classic sound of the Benzie era OBD. The music has a drive and an energy that even the best of the competition (such as the Tanahill Weavers or, dare I say, the classic super group Silly Wizard) can never quite match. I call it "hard core" Scottish Folk. Good Celtic music always makes you want to dance, but this is the only stuff I've found I can also head bang to! The lyrics also have a starkness, even a black humor, far removed from the sentimental ballads of most other bands (see Bonnie Banks of Fordie and Bedlam Boys) Yet there are tender moments, too. Song for Autumn is simplistic ballad perfection, with Benzie's incomparable voice delicatly accompanied by just a single guitar. Of course, the rest of the tracks are great too, just listen to the samples!



In short, the Dogs haven't quite reached the fever pitch they would in Legacy, Close to the Bone, or Live, but then, they haven't started the slide towards light jazzy-celtic easy listening that they reach on their latest (Gab o May) either. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with that, if you're into that kind of thing, but you have to admit, bands with that sound are a dime a dozen in Celtic music nowadays. So if you've already fallen in love with the hard hitting sound of the original lineup in their later works, and want to know where to go from there, THIS is the album you want. As a matter of fact, its not a bad one to start out with, either.



-(note, for those who don't know, singer guitarist Ian Benzie and drummer Dave Cattanacht left the band after Five, and Jim Malcom took over as vocalist/guitarist on the Fit? album. This work still has some hard hitting numbers, but Malcolm brought jazzier chords and crooning vocals to most tracks. This trend grew with the next albums, and there is a BIG difference in the sound of the band from Benzie's years.)"

One of the best.

William S. Grigsby | Chillicothe, OH USA | 01/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Not just one of the best of OBD's albums, or even that strange genre known as 'Celtic', or even 'Folk' - this is one of THE BEST CD's no matter how you slice it.



Simply superb.

"