The Skels "Headed for the Knacker's Yard" Three-Second Records
Release Date: 26 July 2011
Running Time: 43:45, 13 tracks
After their third album and masterpiece “Any Port in a Storm” the band from New Jersey The Skels is back. One may think that the band had called it quits, since “Any Port in a Storm” was released in 2003. So it’s really amazing to know that the band is back and their line-up remains the same: Chris Freid (lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitars) Scott Heath (mandolin, tin whistle, lead vocals), Tim Ross (banjo), Henry Ryan (bass guitar) and Rich Perry (drums).
I remember the first time I listened to The Skels. I downloaded from mp3.com some songs that were free: “Pot to Piss In”, “I’ll See You in Hell”, “Glass of Stout” and “Swing”. Then I got “Stoney Road” on a trade in 2000, because I have fallen in love with their sound: punk attitude, excellent banjo and mandolin players and the best tin whistle I’ve ever heard in the Celtic punk world. Therefore, I can say that The Skels is a seminal outfit and it’s really a shame that they have only released four albums since 1998.
I was looking forward to hearing their new album, “Headed for the Knacker's Yard” and I have not been disappointed: 13 tracks, 11 originals and 2 traditional covers (“I’ll Tell Me Ma” and “The Parting Glass”). The main difference with previous albums is that mandolin and tin whistle player Scott Heath has written a couple of songs, the poignant “Lily’s Song” (Scott lost his baby daughter a few years ago) and the Social Distortion sounding “Fire in the Rain”
The best songs? “Blood in the Pub” (a classic Skels drinking song with that f*cking good tin whistle), “American Men” (Dropckick Murphys must be green with envy), “Any Port in a Storm” (more tin whistle), “Lily’s Song”, “The Butcher’s Bill” (the mandolin and banjo sound that I enjoy) and “I’ll Tell me Ma” (it gets the Skels treatment).
Other interesting numbers are “Ain’t Never Coming Back” (country song), “Say Your Prayers” and “Pints of Whiskey”.
As a Skels diehard fan I miss the “in-yer-face” tin whistle on a couple more songs. Anyway, I won’t be wrong when I say that even if “Headed for the Knacker’s Yard” is not better than their previous CD, it’s and excellent album and far better than many of the albums that I have reviewed in 2011. And I keep on saying that 2011 is a great year for Celtic punk, with a lot of amazing albums.
By the way, the packaging is also top-notch. If you have bought the Lexington Field’s debut album, it’s the same kind of packaging. All the self-penned lyrics are there together with the credits. And if you were thinking that this bunch of drunkards never were kids, just have a look to the pictures at the back. Come on Celtic punk fans, buy CDs, not mp3s!
“Any Port in a Storm” had a song whose title was “Stoney Road” (the title of the band’s second album) and “Headed for the Knackers Yard” has a song whose title is “Any Port in a Storm” (the title of the band’s third album). So, I guess that their following album will be titled “When the Green Shores Call Me Home” or “American Men”. Only one request to Chris and Scott, the songwriters: boys, I’m getting older, please don’t wait another eight years to release your fifth album.
Tracklist:
1. Blood in the Pub 2:37
2. Ain't Never Coming Back 3:12
3. Say Your Prayers 3:01
4. When the Green Shores Call Me Home 3:53
5. American Men 3:33
6. Any Port in a Storm 3:33
7. Lily's Song 5:58
8. The Butcher's Bill 2:04
9. I'll Tell Me Ma 1:37
10. Fire in the Rain 2:53
11. Pints of Whiskey 3:58
12. Don't Promise Me Heaven 4:17
13. Parting Glass 3:02
http://www.theskels.net
http://www.myspace.com/theskels
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Skels/180972861974
http://twitter.com/#!/TheSkels
Click to buy from CDBaby
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/theskels
Click to buy from Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Headed-Knackers-Yard-Explicit/dp/B005HZ1PU2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1315068690&sr=1-4
Review by Kinksmarkham
.
Release Date: 26 July 2011
Running Time: 43:45, 13 tracks
After their third album and masterpiece “Any Port in a Storm” the band from New Jersey The Skels is back. One may think that the band had called it quits, since “Any Port in a Storm” was released in 2003. So it’s really amazing to know that the band is back and their line-up remains the same: Chris Freid (lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitars) Scott Heath (mandolin, tin whistle, lead vocals), Tim Ross (banjo), Henry Ryan (bass guitar) and Rich Perry (drums).
I remember the first time I listened to The Skels. I downloaded from mp3.com some songs that were free: “Pot to Piss In”, “I’ll See You in Hell”, “Glass of Stout” and “Swing”. Then I got “Stoney Road” on a trade in 2000, because I have fallen in love with their sound: punk attitude, excellent banjo and mandolin players and the best tin whistle I’ve ever heard in the Celtic punk world. Therefore, I can say that The Skels is a seminal outfit and it’s really a shame that they have only released four albums since 1998.
I was looking forward to hearing their new album, “Headed for the Knacker's Yard” and I have not been disappointed: 13 tracks, 11 originals and 2 traditional covers (“I’ll Tell Me Ma” and “The Parting Glass”). The main difference with previous albums is that mandolin and tin whistle player Scott Heath has written a couple of songs, the poignant “Lily’s Song” (Scott lost his baby daughter a few years ago) and the Social Distortion sounding “Fire in the Rain”
The best songs? “Blood in the Pub” (a classic Skels drinking song with that f*cking good tin whistle), “American Men” (Dropckick Murphys must be green with envy), “Any Port in a Storm” (more tin whistle), “Lily’s Song”, “The Butcher’s Bill” (the mandolin and banjo sound that I enjoy) and “I’ll Tell me Ma” (it gets the Skels treatment).
Other interesting numbers are “Ain’t Never Coming Back” (country song), “Say Your Prayers” and “Pints of Whiskey”.
As a Skels diehard fan I miss the “in-yer-face” tin whistle on a couple more songs. Anyway, I won’t be wrong when I say that even if “Headed for the Knacker’s Yard” is not better than their previous CD, it’s and excellent album and far better than many of the albums that I have reviewed in 2011. And I keep on saying that 2011 is a great year for Celtic punk, with a lot of amazing albums.
By the way, the packaging is also top-notch. If you have bought the Lexington Field’s debut album, it’s the same kind of packaging. All the self-penned lyrics are there together with the credits. And if you were thinking that this bunch of drunkards never were kids, just have a look to the pictures at the back. Come on Celtic punk fans, buy CDs, not mp3s!
“Any Port in a Storm” had a song whose title was “Stoney Road” (the title of the band’s second album) and “Headed for the Knackers Yard” has a song whose title is “Any Port in a Storm” (the title of the band’s third album). So, I guess that their following album will be titled “When the Green Shores Call Me Home” or “American Men”. Only one request to Chris and Scott, the songwriters: boys, I’m getting older, please don’t wait another eight years to release your fifth album.
Tracklist:
1. Blood in the Pub 2:37
2. Ain't Never Coming Back 3:12
3. Say Your Prayers 3:01
4. When the Green Shores Call Me Home 3:53
5. American Men 3:33
6. Any Port in a Storm 3:33
7. Lily's Song 5:58
8. The Butcher's Bill 2:04
9. I'll Tell Me Ma 1:37
10. Fire in the Rain 2:53
11. Pints of Whiskey 3:58
12. Don't Promise Me Heaven 4:17
13. Parting Glass 3:02
http://www.theskels.net
http://www.myspace.com/theskels
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Skels/180972861974
http://twitter.com/#!/TheSkels
Click to buy from CDBaby
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/theskels
Click to buy from Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Headed-Knackers-Yard-Explicit/dp/B005HZ1PU2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1315068690&sr=1-4
Review by Kinksmarkham
.
Thanks for the great review!!
ReplyDeleteYour friends, The Skels