OLD BLIND DOGS – Room With A View (own label OBD013)

Room With A ViewIt has always been my opinion that an album/CD should have a minimum of twelve tracks to offer the purchaser value for money. I equally believe that if you do not have twelve tracks ready to record then you are not yet ready to release an album/CD. Room With A View has only nine tracks and sort of backs up my belief. There is no doubt that Old Blind Dogs is a group of great reputation and comprises of four fabulous musicians, although one of them has appeared on three of the last six albums which I have reviewed.

Their line up has changed over the 25 years that they have existed. They still have a large following who will no doubt love this latest release, Room With A View. As seems to be the fashion these days, several of the tracks are fairly long with ‘Newe’ running over six minutes. Throughout these long tracks the musicianship is wonderful and arrangements very clever and I know I would love them in a ‘live’ performance. ‘Bunkerhill’, track one, has many aspects to it and mixes cultures. I am sure I can hear ‘Old Joe Clark’ running through the melody.

Two of the songs cover “one of my favourites” to “a song I’m not sure about”. ‘The Earl O March’s Daughter’ is a fabulous song which you will hear sung at festivals throughout Scotland by Scots song enthusiasts. A great song to harmonise with. ‘Sawney Bean’ covers one of the most interesting subjects in Scotland about a cannibal family from the South West of Scotland. Both songs are written by Lionel McLelland.

This is a good CD. The overall package is minimal and tells you very little about the content of the CD. There are editing faults which I would have addressed, especially related to breathing. However, it will be enjoyed by many as will the ‘live’ performances of Old Blind Dogs.

Fraser Bruce

Artists’ website: http://www.oldblinddogs.co.uk/


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