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 | Dropkick MurphysSing Loud, Sing Proud2001 Hellcat 
 Review by: Adam See others by this writer ![[staff]](/images/icons/staffsticker.gif){kind=icon}
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Published on March 4th 2001 I’ll never understand people who lament about bands developing their sound. If anything, the Dropkick Murphys can’t be accused of letting their songwriting become stale and repetitive. Yes, their folk influences are more pronounced than ever before, but this review would certainly be a negative one if the Murphys had been rehashing their successful debut album over and over. Thankfully, that’s not the case… There are a few line-up changes this time around. While Al Barr replaced Mike McColgan on 1999’s “The Gang’s All Here,” he sounds much more comfortable with the band’s sound here. A pair of guitarists, Mark Orrell and James Lynch, have succeeded founding member Rick Barton. The band also incorporated full time folk instrumentalists Spicy McHaggis (bagpipes) and Ryan Foltz (mandolin, tin whistle, dulcimer). Rancid’s Lars Frederiksen, who produced the band's first two albums, has stepped down and allowed bassist Ken Casey to take over. Casey’s production is very clean, which is necessary capturing more than the typical guitar-bass-drum sound. Musically the album blends the sounds of "Do or Die" and "The Gang's All Here." The band covers a fair amount of folk and pub songs, none of which seem out of place with the band’s own material. These include Billy Bragg’s class-conscious "Which Side Are You On?" and traditional pub stalwarts "The Rocky Road to Dublin" and "The Wild Rover." The band also gives a spit-shine to a few older B-sides such as "The Legend of Finn MacCumhail" and "Caps and Bottles." Shane MacGowan, Pogues frontman and an obvious source of inspiration for the band, lends his slurred vocals to “Good Rats.” MacGowan’s half of the duet is unfortunately rather monotone and lackluster. Cock Sparrer's Colin McFaull lends a frantic verse to “The Fortunes of War,” which protests the injustice following much publicized murder of Brian Deneke. The Murphy’s skill is in blending their folk influences into their street punk sound, without losing the attitude and energy of the later. This separates the band from acts with similar setups like Flogging Molly. There’s rarely a moment when a folk instrument seems forced or out of place. Overall a strong release and definitely something to check out.
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The Murphys are an amazing band but this album is not their best effort. It only has 2 songs, Rocky Road to Dublin and the Spicy McHaggis Jig its okay i guess. too "blah." cool record and phantastic if you're drunk... *hehe* all of my mates who listened to this cd now want a copy or whatever, i caught them do spicy mchaggis jig on conan obrien ages ago and thought it was a hoot this is their second best (do or die is their best) Woah! Why does everyone like this album, it's lame and repetitive with a few good stand out tracks that rule to see live but that's about it. The gang's all here is a far better purchase. Or even better, get a Floggin Molly album. This CD shows them at there best using all of there influences. I love this cd. GET IT NOW if you like this one get the new record,BLACKOUT on June 10th great record,good rats and wild rover are the best. All you people who think the new sound sucks are dumb and should eat crap God fucking forbid they release something that isn't rehashed from older albums. I personally like the new sound, it definately gives DKM more distinction and pushes them away from being just another punk band, but with occasional bagpipes. After Mike McColgan left they couldn't pull off straight punk. Now the irish thing has completely taken over. They're using it as a gimmick. This band isn't even a shadow of what they used to be. The Gauntlet is a good song. OK to the guy that said ken casey is killing this band... Fuck you he is. He is one of the original members of the band. He is a founding father of what is bostons greatest band. The irish thing works for the murphys their sound has grown so much from do or die and even The Gangs all here. To say that an original member of a band is killing the band at the present is probably one of the stupidest things ive ever heard. Ken Casey makes the dropkick murphys what they are. The Bagpipes give the dropkick murphys their distinctive style. Plus isnt irish what the dropkick murphys are and have always been. So Al Barr isnt irish so the fuck what. He doesnt want to stand in the way of where the dropkick murphys want to go. i love the murphys previous releases but i wasnt too impressed with sing loud sing proud, its irish theme was too over the top. i like bagpipes and shit but not on every song. Grat album from a grat band with great live-shows! So it sucked, (exept for Rocky Road To Dublin) right? Well, too bad for you that you can't see right from wrong bonehead... This years greatest album! Okay...first some inaccuracies for the review...which side are you on was not a billy bragg cover, it was a remake of a song by a woman named Florence Reece that was written during the great depression. Calling Caps and Bottles a "B-side" is a shame also...Al Barr completely killed a mccolgan classic. They experimented, indeed...but the fact of the matter is Ken Casey is killing this band. Al Barr is old school boston skinhead who has been playing aggressive street rock and roll for years and years, previously with the bruisers...casey wants to take this "irish" appeal elsewhere...barr could give a fuck about that, he's scottish...its just a pity to see a band who was so great years ago turn to shit...next to rancid they are the best sellers on hellcat...with millions of fans shouting oi! and not having a clue what it means...blah...crappy album from the remnants of a great band. (only 1 original member...is it really dropkick murphys anymore?) Good band, Good Album, Good live show. Do some research if you haven't already. i though it sucked, except for rocky road to dublin. Great band. |
