REVIEW: BLACK TARTAN CLAN "The Loyal Men" 4Subculture Records (2010)

The Black Tartan Clan – The Loyal Men (4Subculture Records)
Release Date: April 2010
Running Time: CD1: 32’30 - 10 tracks, CD 2 28’47– 10 tracks


I was looking forward to listening to the Black Tartan Clan new album. These guys, together with Pipes and Pints and Bastards on Parade, are at the forefront of the Bagpipes punk European scene. Then, my expectations were high and I felt that it would be a Must have album.

So I ordered the CD and as soon as it arrived I opened it. A 2 CD set, only 15,00 EUR + P&P. I put immediately the CD in the player: 33 min. I thought that maybe the second CD would be longer. Quite the contrary, 29 min. At that moment I was wondering why these Belgian guys had chosen to release a 2 CD set when all the tracks would fit in a single CD. So, I did what I should have done before placing the CD1 in the player: I looked to the tracklist. Then I understood it immediately, CD2 was a covers CD.

I felt that this would make it more difficult to review the album. Which approach should I follow? To review the two CDs as a whole or consider that the second one was a bonus free CD? I decided to take the second option.

As I have written previously, I was expecting an excellent CD, since I have really enjoyed their debut album. Am I disappointed? Not really. “The Loyal Men” is a great album. Maybe it is not as good as I have expected, but, to be honest, the album is very good.

The opening track, "Scotland “Part I” is a good starting point. The second track “Na fir Dileas” is just the kind of song that I love from these Celtic punks: hot piping and powerful arrangements. The third track, “Kilt Song” follows the same path. It’s a song about the band itself: “But the best way to know is to come to our shows/and you’ll see five guys rockin’ having fun like young kids/we are there to make fun … that’s all”.

Next song, “Proud to be Kelt” is the twin brother of track no. 5 “Strong, Loud & Proud”. The titles are clear and I think of The Business straightaway. Celtic Oi! Great chorus and favourite sing-a-longs at their gigs, I guess.

Between those tracks, "She’s the One" is, IMHO, the weakest number. No, it is not a Ramones cover, but a self-penned slow number. I do understand that some calm numbers should be placed between the firing pipes tracks. Some people’s ears need this (even if it’s not my case; I can stand a full piping hot album). I find that the lyrics are rather poor in this stripped down song. No pipes on this track, but a wonderful violin that recalls me Bobby Valentino, a usual guest on The Men They Couldn’t Hang albums. I guess that the problem is not the music, but the lyrics.

Track 7, “My Father My Hero” is another slow number, but this one works better and has some interesting piping and fiddling arrangements. Once again, I feel that the lyrics could be improved.

The following number, “The Old Man” is quite similar, but musically I find it stronger.

The last two tracks are “Ye-De-La-Hey” and “Scotland Part II”. The first one begins with “The Atholl Highlanders” tune and I imagine that it is another high moment at their live shows: “The Clan Will Go, The Clan Will Go”. “Scotland Part II” is the perfect closing track for this album, faster and punkier than Part I.

As far as the covers CD is concerned, those who have heard the band’s demo will find here some numbers that were included in it: “If the Kids (Are United”) and “Border of Salt”. The first one is really great, better than the cover that Les Ramoneurs de Menhirs have recorded for their second album.

“Amazing Grace” rocks, but I feel that it’s a song that has been covered by many bands, including Dropkick Murphys and Flatfoot 56.

John Denver’s “Country Roads” is another excellent cover, not as good as the one recorded by the West Virginian band The Gentlemen. Anyway, it’s a strong number.

Another song that I have really enjoyed is “La Poupée (qui fait non)” a song by the French songwriter Michel Polnareff originally released in ….1.966!!!

IMHO “Warriors Code” (Dropkick Murphys) doesn’t receive the right treatment. It is played at a slow pace and I feel that that pace doesn’t fit the lyrics.

To finish up, just a few comments. The folded booklet has a high quality design, but there are some minor defects.

- There are pictures of all the band members, including a guest fiddler. But the name of the fiddler has not been mentioned anywhere.
- Track 7 is not “The Old Man”, but “My Father My Hero”. In both booklet and back cover the track order is not correct. I remember that The Real McKenzies made the same mistake on their “10.000 Shots” album, so maybe The Black Tartan Clan has made it on purpose. Who knows.
- Finally, it is not stated who wrote the original tracks on the second CD

If The Black Tartan Clan is able to improve the lyrics and avoid these small details, I guess that their third album will be their masterpiece. But now, let’s enjoy “Na Fir Dileas” while we drink a Chimay Bleue Trappist beer, because it’s an awesome album.

Tracklist:

CD1

01 - Scotland “Part I”
02 - Na Fir Dileas
03 – Kilt Song
04 – Proud to Be Kelt
05 – She’s the One
06 – Strong, Loud & Proud
07 – My Father My Hero
08 – The Old Man
09 – Ye-De-La-Hey
10 – Scotland “Part II”

CD2

01 – Hills of Argyll (McIntyre)
02 – Country Roads (Danoff, T.N./Danoff, B./Denver, J.)
03 – Banks of The Roses (traditional)
04 – Amazing Grace (traditional)
05 – Warriors Code (Barr/Brennan/Casey/Kelly/Lynch/Orrell/Wallace)
06 – Highland Cathedral (Ulrich Roever/Michael Korb)
07 – Wild Rover (traditional)
08 – If the Kids (Parsons/Pursey)
09 – La Poupée (Michel Polnareff)
10 – Border of Salt (traditional)


http://theblacktartanclan.com

http://www.myspace.com/theblacktartanclan

http://theblacktartanclan.com/shop/contents/en-us/d1.html (click here to purchase the 2 CD set)


Review by Kinksmarkham
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