Fifteen years is a long time in the life of any band and most who reach that milestone are content to rest on the tried and true formulas that have worked in the past. Not so for Scotland's Old Blind Dogs whose releas Four on the Floor takes them bravely in many new directions. The Dogs, one of Scotland's most highly touted traditional folk bands, are not known for shying away from change. The Dogs' popularity has never dimmed though and the current foursome of Jonny Hardie (fiddle, guitar and vocals), Aaron Jones (Bass, Bouzouki, Guitar, Vocals), Rory Campbell (Border (Reel) Pipes, Whistles, Vocals) and Fraser Stone (Drums, Percussion) have proven more than capable of carrying on the tradition of the band
The tracks on Four on the Floor run the gamut from contemporary songs such as Ewan McColl's "Terror Time" and Davie Robertson's "Star O' The Bar" to tunes from Brittany and Galicia, to tunes found, as many a favorite Dog's tune has been, in "dusty old books".
"The Old Blind Dogs play with a compelling energy and intoxicating rhythm," says The Scotsman, "as players and audience seem to share a wild ecstasy of emotion."
Fifteen years is a long time in the life of any band and most who reach that milestone are content to rest on the tried and true formulas that have worked in the past. Not so for Scotland's Old Blind Dogs whose newly released Four on the Floor takes them bravely in many new directions.
The Dogs, one of Scotland's most highly touted traditional folk bands, are not known for shying away from change. A strong, shared musical vision has allowed the group to ride out inevitable line-up changes to the extent that the only original member still with the band is Jonny Hardie (fiddle, guitar and vocals). The Dogs' popularity has never dimmed though and the current foursome of Hardie, Aaron Jones (Bass, Bouzouki, Guitar, Vocals), Rory Campbell (Border (Reel) Pipes, Whistles, Vocals) and Fraser Stone (Drums, Percussion) have proven more than capable of carrying on the tradition of the band.
The tracks on Four on the Floor run the gamut from contemporary songs such as Ewan McColl's "Terror Time" and Davie Robertson's "Star O' The Bar" to tunes from Brittany and Galicia, to tunes found, as many a favorite Dog's tune has been, in "dusty old books". As to the title, Hardie claims that it "is just a reference to there being four of us on the stage now as far as I'm concerned--but everyone has there own theories (everything from manual gear boxes to us falling around a lot!) You decide."
PAOLO BONFANTI & MARTINO COPPO - You Were Right
from the CD "Pracina Stomp"
