View Full Version : celtic influenced rock
BriMcFly88
Mar-31-2005, 11:39am
I'm a big fan of the mando & violin in rock songs. I think Led Zeppelin's mando songs are their best work and I really like Andy Leftwich's use of the mando and violin. I'm looking for more of it though and it's hard to come by. Can anyone lead me in the right direction?
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Brian
mad dawg
Mar-31-2005, 12:02pm
Fisherman's Blues by The Waterboys is a great tune with mandolin that you might enjoy playing (if you don't remember the tune by name, I can almost guarantee that you will recognize it once you hear it). Steve Earle's Galway Girl is also a great tune with a very fun mandolin part.
(BTW, wasn't Led Zep's work in that period more Hobbit-influenced than Celtic-influenced? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif )
BriMcFly88
Mar-31-2005, 1:41pm
I'll check those out. I'm not too sure about the hobbit part. You might be right. I like how led zep incorporated the mandolin, banjo, acoustic guitars, and other instruments into their music.
I dont hear the violin enough in rock. I think it sounds good.. from the songs ive heard.
Right now i'm at work but when I get home.. the first thing im doing is trying those out.
PEACEEEEEEEEE
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mandocrucian
Mar-31-2005, 2:00pm
Horslips - Happy To Meet, Sorry To Part
Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief
Fairport Convention - Full House
Jethro Tull - Heavy Horses
5 Hand Reel - 5 Hand Reel
5 Hand Reel - For A' That
Moving Hearts - Moving Hearts
Moving Hearts - Live Hearts
Pogues - Rum, Sodomy & The Lash
for starts...
mad dawg
Mar-31-2005, 2:37pm
I had a feeling that Niles would be able to provide a great list for you!
others include:
Blue Merle more of southern alt rock (some people say they sound alot like Coldplay) using mando, violin etc. but you can download a whole show for free on their website.
CarbonLeaf particularly older stuff live shows available in Mp3 and Flac/shn at archive.org
Their is a ton of celtic punk, the Pogues Fogging Molly and Dropkick Murphy are perhaps the most famous, but also bands like Black 47 (although they use more synth than string)
Martin Jonas
Mar-31-2005, 4:17pm
Great list, Niles, although I would have picked "The Tain" as the first Horslips choice, or possibly "Dancehall Sweethearts". I'm still trying to get hold of the new Horslips reunion album -- it's only on release in Ireland and can be ordered from there (http://www.irishmusicshop.ie/detail.php?Code=MOO23).
"Live Hearts" is a rocking album, and vastly underrated. Get it while you can -- it's out of print again, but still lingering around in shops and online.
For use of the violin in rock, get yourself a solid range of Fairport Convention (start with "Liege & Lief", "Full House" and the live "House Full") and Steeleye Span albums (start with "Commoner's Crown" and the incredibly good value compilation The Lark In The Morning (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000A55U9/qid=1112303040/sr=1-12/ref=sr_1_2_12/026-1470963-8573255) which contains their classic first three albums in their entirety in the original running order): exploring their respective offshoots and side projects will provide you with a lifetime's pursuit, and will be well worth it.
Martin
David in IL
Mar-31-2005, 4:52pm
I would recommend Jethro Tull's Songs From the Wood instead of Heavy Horses; the celtic influence is at least as prominent and the songs are much better.
To me Celtic Rock is Tempest with Lief Sorbye playing his double neck mando/OM.
Wayne
mandocrucian
Mar-31-2005, 6:27pm
Heavy Horses has more mando on it than Songs From The Wood which is why I gave it the nod. Catfish Rising uses mando a lot more than their other albums.
Actually my favorite Tull albums are Stand Up and Benefit. #But those don't really have the "Celtic" element.
And the Steeleye albums (especially the earlier ones, say the first five) are great, but while electric, they never were quite rock. They did become a pop/rock band with All Around My Hat and Rocket Cottage, which I didn't like a lot. Now We Are Six and Commoner's Crown, albums 6 & 7, got rock-er with the addition of a drummer to the lineup, but material was still trad. oriented. My favorite of their early stuff was Hark The Village Wait with Gay and Terry Woods in the lineup, with the big plus of twin female Maddy Prior/Gay Woods vocals. But all the first five had steady rotation on my turntable.
Which reminds me of one of my favorites, spun-off from Steeleye, and now reissued on CD: The Woods Band. Lots of mandola playing by Terry Woods on this. Terry & Gay, plus elec bass and drums. The drummer is interesting in that he plays a lot on the toms rather than the snare for a more bodhran-influence drum kit sound.
On the other hand, the (great) Scottish band 5 Hand Reel with Dave Gaughan on a telecaster, had a military style drumming. #Lots of snare ala the pipes and drums marching band.
I loved the first Horslips albums, and there is a substantial of acoustic & electric mando on it; some of the electric mandolin playing can be mistaken for electric guitar. Not really that much folk component on The Tain; at the time it came out I was disappointed that it was mostly straight ahead rock. #Never did care for Dancehall Sweethearts that much.
If you want more info on these bands, plug in the names at the All Music Guide (http://www.allmusic.com/)
NH
mandoaz
Mar-31-2005, 9:14pm
I'll second that vote on Carbon Leaf--Check out their album Ether Electrified Porch Music.
GnomeGrown
Mar-31-2005, 9:37pm
could anyone suggest a carbon leaf show from the Live Music Archive?
i have heard the new single......ahhhh, not too impressed personally (my girlfriend likes it though)
I know quite a few folks here dig them, and it seems like the older stuff may be more to my liking...
willing to give them a second chance
mandoaz
Mar-31-2005, 9:51pm
I don't really have a show to recommend...All I can say is that the Ether album was released in 1999 and "Echo Echo" was their next album both of which, IMO, are them at their "Celtic-est" if you will...So maybe a show anywhere from 2000 to 2003?...The new single and new album is a very different sound for them...Ether and Echo Echo have much more of an acoustic/Celtic emphasis...
Mike
jefflester
Mar-31-2005, 9:55pm
My favorite of their early stuff was Hark The Village Wait with Gay and Terry Woods in the lineup, with the big plus of twin female Maddy Prior/Gay Woods vocals.
And some nice drums from Dave Mattacks. I love that version of The Blacksmith.
mandocrucian
Mar-31-2005, 10:47pm
I should have mentioned Breton harpist Alan Stivell (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:z7d2vwrva9qk~T1) who more or less coined the term "Celtic Music". Before Stivell, it was Irish musicm or Scottish Music or Welsh music etc. He put all these different geographical regional music under the umbrella of "Celtic" music. He had a great folk-rock band in the early 70's which provided a different approach than the Fairport/Steeleye brand of electric-folk and folk-rock.
Go for either the 2-CD compilation Zoom 70-95, or his 1972 classic, Renaissance of the Celtic Harp.
One of the musicians in Stivell's early group was Gabriel Yacoub, who went on to form the French folk-rock band Malicorne (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gxkxikl6bb39), who were superb. One of my all-time favorites.
If you really get a taste for these folk-rock hybrids, you can usually find some band(s) doing something first-rate in almost any country, from the raw material of their own folk musics. #It may not be on a major label, or hugely popular even in their home country, but it's there.
For example (and these range from semi-electric to electric instrumentation, and some of bands no longer in existence):
Sweden: Garmarna, Hoven Droven, Hedningarna
Norway: Annbjorn Lein
Finland: Varttina, Karelia
Latvia: Ilgi
Estonia: Kirile Loo
Denmark: Lars Lilholt
Germany: Hoelderlin Express
Czech Rep: Cechomor
Greece: Eleftheria Arvanitaki
Okinawa: Shoukichi Kina, Nenes
Japan (proper): Takio Ito, Osamu Kitajima (early records like Benzaiten)
The Rough Guide compilations are a good way to sample various geographic areas and/or countries. Tune in to WorldLink TV and watch their blocks of international music videos.
Niles H
I like 10-24-03 7 Brides & 7 Sinners and Desperation Song are fairly "celtic" or at least have what I consider vestiges of ITM. #You might want to download those two tunes and see what you think.
Also, Flogging Molly's "Drunken Lullabies" album has a couple of good cuts IMHO. #You will hear that there is better "celtic" punk ou there, and there is, the Pogues leap to mind, but FM use a fiddle, a mando and a tin whistle, especially on cuts like "Whats left of the Flag" #definately does not sound like Zep though, completely different.
If what you are after is a more "folk" like sound, may I humbly suggest Nick Drake, atremendously underated songwriter, no mando that I know of, but great use of strings in general.
Dagger Gordon
Apr-01-2005, 1:19am
The Hooters had a good album a few years ago with quite a bit of mando.
You might like Scottish Celtic band Shooglenifty. Definitely Celtic, but loud with drums and quite experimental. Mandolin very prominent. Try and listen to snippets of all their albums ( 5 or 6) on Amazon or something.
Yeah, don't know how I could have missed Shooglenifty. They might be right up your alley. I definately second that rec.
what about stuff like - flogging molly??? dropkick murphys?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif
grsnovi
Apr-01-2005, 6:32pm
Eric B of the Hooters turned me on to Hedningarna some years ago and I fell deeply into the whole Nordic thing. In the States there is an importer in Minneapolis that has a label called NORTHSIDE with a great website with lots of sound clips (www.noside.com) and cheap sampler discs. Borders usually has them in the world music section.
Totte (Hedningarna) and Stefan (of Garmarna) have a side project called THE HURDY GURDY PROJECT and I'm eagerly awaiting their first recording after seeing them live.
Gotterdamerung
Apr-03-2005, 10:08am
You should check out the San Francsico Bay Area band, Wake the Dead, who do Greatful Dead songs with a decidedly Celtic style. They feature a great mandolin player who posts here at the cafe.
withak
Apr-03-2005, 12:31pm
Flogging Molly is the first thing that came to mind when I read the thread title.
Kirby161
Apr-24-2005, 3:55pm
A new band that is on the rise along with flogging molly and the rest of em is a band out of ireland by the name of The Young Dubliners.[B]
Though i fee they are stealing a name from "The Dubliners", their music is really cool. Traditional irish with a very electric twist.
Kirby161
Apr-24-2005, 3:55pm
A new band that is on the rise along with flogging molly and the rest of em is a band out of ireland by the name of The Young Dubliners.
Though i fee they are stealing a name from "The Dubliners", their music is really cool. Traditional irish with a very electric twist.
mad dawg
Apr-24-2005, 5:34pm
To me Celtic Rock is Tempest with Lief Sorbye playing his double neck mando/OM.
Wayne
You mean this guy?... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif