Ashley MacIsaac

• Artist: Ashley MacIsaac
• Rating:
• Release Date: May 06, 2003
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: World

Review

Cape Breton fiddler Ashley MacIsaac is as schizophrenic as ever on his self-titled first release for Decca. With his uniquely punk rock approach to Celtic reels and jigs, MacIsaac has plenty of room to toy with drum loops, reversed passages, and bizarro studio effects, and there are certainly moments where that experimentation pays off. The layered and loping "To America We Will Go" and the brittle "This Is My Father" both benefit from this multi-tiered approach, but it can also seem cluttered and unnecessary ("Grapes" may be the worst of these offenders). MacIsaac's strength has always been in his forceful fiddle playing, and this translates best in his updates of the traditional "Chorus Jig" and "Bog an Login," but the songs he has decided to test his own singing voice on fare less well. While his voice is forceful and in key, it is not necessarily interesting, and although this bluesy bar-belting could do justice to a pub-swaying drinking song or an impassioned battle ballad, on the majority of these tunes it just falls a little flat. Overall, as MacIsaac continues to push the boundaries of Celtic fusion he continues to hit and miss, and on this album the interesting textures and adept playing don't always make up for what the songwriting and singing lack. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Cello Song (Lyrics)	Nick Drake	Ashley MacIsaac	(3:44)
Lay Me Down (Lyrics)		Ashley MacIsaac	(3:58)
Save Me from Tomorrow (Lyrics)	Terry Radigan	Ashley MacIsaac	(4:02)
I Don't Need This (Lyrics)		Ashley MacIsaac	(3:56)
Grapes	Ashley MacIsaac, Traditional	Ashley MacIsaac	(3:36)
To America We Go (Lyrics)	Mary Jane Lamond	Ashley MacIsaac	(3:41)
Chorus Jig/The King's Reel	Traditional	Ashley MacIsaac	(2:51)
The Wedding Funeral	Terry Radigan, Michael McGlynn	Ashley MacIsaac	(4:30)
Captain America (Lyrics)	Ashley MacIsaac	Ashley MacIsaac	(3:44)
Mull of Kintyre (Lyrics)	Paul McCartney, Denny Laine	Ashley MacIsaac	(4:48)
Bog an Login	Traditional	Ashley MacIsaac	(2:05)
This Is My Father (Lyrics)		Ashley MacIsaac	(4:07)
Fairy Dance (Lyrics)	Traditional	Ashley MacIsaac	(3:37)

Credits

Mary Jane Lamond (Producer), Leah M. Panlilio (Artist Coordination), Greg Riley (Engineer), Maxim Moston (Strings), Bob Ludwig (Mastering), Kevin Killen (Engineer), Ashley MacIsaac (Arranger), Rex Gibson (Drum Programming), Rex Gibson (Percussion Programming), Scott Hollingsworth (Drum Programming), Ashley MacIsaac (Organ), Ashley MacIsaac (Vocals), Ned Mann (Digital Transfers), Shawn Pelton (Tambourine), Kaysh Shinn (Photography), Larry Gray (Vocals (Background)), Gerry Leonard (Loops), Laura A. A. Johnson (Package Coordinator), Max Feldman (Assistant), Matthew Gruenberg (Bass), Paul Bryant (Bass), Ross Peterson (Assistant), Lisa MacIsaac (Vocals), Scott Hollingsworth (Percussion Programming), Gerry Leonard (Guitar (Electric)), Jaime Babbit (Vocals (Background)), John Maher (Producer), Rob Sanzo (Engineer), Rex Gibson (Chamberlin), Rory Johnston (Producer), Carla Leighton (Design), Terry Radigan (Vocals (Background)), Kevin Killen (Mixing), Denis McNamara (Executive Producer), Kevin Killen (Producer), Adam Blackburn (Assistant), Rory Johnston (A&R), John Morris Rankin (Arranger), Ashley MacIsaac (Fiddle), Paul Bryan (Chamberlin), Terry Radigan (Vocals), Rex Gibson (Harmonium), Carla Leighton (Art Direction), Penny Bennett (Creative Director), Mary Jane Lamond (Vocals), John Maher (Guitar (Electric)), Andy Snitzer (Digital Editing), Rex Gibson (Engineer), Rory Johnston (Executive Producer), Paul Bryan (Synthesizer), Paul Bryan (Harmonium), John Maher (Engineer), Rex Gibson (Synthesizer), Shawn Pelton (Drums), Larry Gray (Vocals), Ashley MacIsaac (Piano), Dallas Smith (Vocals), Scott Hollingsworth (Engineer)