5.0 out of 5 stars
Masterpiece of Traditional Folksong, Dec 18 2003
By A Customer
This is one of the greatest recordings of traditional British folksong ever made (and even the newly minted songs here become traditional in Gaughan's hands). His guitar playing is innovative, sensitive, expressive, beautiful; his voice is by turns tender, harsh, angry, passionate, lamenting. The scope of emotion between songs like "World Turned Upside Down" and "Now Westlin Winds" is breathtakingly large. I have to say, this is what music is all about: the utter honesty and transparency of an artist's heart, shining through masterful technique, in a total faithfulness to the spirit of tradition, but without excluding creative and innovative artistic contribution. Am I sounding a little superlative here? Look, here's the bottom line: if you have ANY LIKING for traditional or acoustic music, you simply MUST BUY this album. Not having it would be like a lover of Romantic music not owning a recording of Beethoven's late quartets.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Musicianship, Oct 5 2003
By A Customer
A sparse and endearing album, full of both understated love songs and fiery anthems, this is a must buy for anyone who loves true Celtic music (no new age dream songs, thank goodness). If you buy it for nothing else, buy it for the song "Now Westlin Winds" which features Gaughan's fantastic guitar playing and deep, crackly voice. The tune itself is gentle and winning with soft swells of feeling. The Burns lyrics are a seducing view of the autumn.
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