- Rant & Roar

If you really want to know what these guys are all about...see them live when they come to your area...this is a compilation for the US of their second & third Canadian releases, and is just a taste of what they do. Road Rage, their live CD...or the Great Big DVD & CD is an even better representation of these fun loving Newfoundlanders. I've been to four of their live shows in the Burlington VT area since 2002 and I'm ready to see them again when they come to Lebanon NH in the fall of '06. Live in concert is the way to truly experience these guys. They love what they do and it shows. If you can't get to one of their shows, at the very least, get this and then the live albums, and by all means, keep going till you have them all (there are eight). Alan Doyle, their lead singer, puts it this way: "We're not a band you come to see or hear. Great Big Sea is something you do." Audience participation only gets them going even more, and it's impossible not to get caught up into it. Whoever said they were "annoying and cloying after a few listens" needs to learn how to cut loose and have a great time. These guys are the real deal!

I was introduced to Great Big Sea while listening to Radio Canada International. Some of their shows used a few GBS tunes as bumper music, then didn't tell me who they were! I was going mad.I had to find out who this bunch of b'ys were. After I found out, I discovered that you couldn't buy any GBS CDs in the U.S. No matter. I imported them from Canada, and they've been an integral part of my musical life ever since. There are none to compare. Their style is their own. Beware! They become an addiction. You'll laugh, you'll cry. But mostly you'll feel really good while you're listening and at least for the rest of the day. Alan is one of a kind, vocally and as a performer. The rest of the guys are talented, energetic, and in love with their material and their Newfoundland. Buy every one of their CDs, now that they're available. And at least once in your life, see them live. The love affair will last forever.

This CD is a very nice mix of pop-rock and Celtic music. The upbeat songs are handled so well you can't help but sing along. The musicianship and arrangements are both excellent. GBS's version of "Mari-Mac" is the best I've heard anyone do and they handle REM's "End of the World as We Know It" very well. I've always liked "The Night Pat Murphy Died" and they do a good rousing version here. The only songs that get to me are the two ballads, both of which are a little too sappy for my taste.

These guys are a breath of fresh air. Completely removed from the everyday radio play of predictable sounds, artists, and routine rock and roll. You can't miss with Great Big Sea. They seem to have an almost cult following, and folks that attend their shows know the lyrics, or at least the chorus, of every song. They make you feel alive and I am a devoted fan.

folksy songs

I am a clogging teacher and bought this CD because I wanted the music to "Jolly Beggarman" which is the hidden track (#14) on the CD. There are other songs I have enjoyed also on the CD such as "Merri-Mac". Fun to listen and dance to.

If you like traditional Irish music that has grown with the times, this is for you. The album moves along at a great pace and there is just enough of Irish tradition to make you feel right at home. Don't try to drive while listening and singing along unless you have your cruise control set!

given as gift

Was new to Great Big Sea before this CD.Very good introduction and now a big fan.

Enfin, j'ai découvert un groupe (malheureusement inconnu -ou presque- en France) de musique celtique/folk/pop digne de ce nom. Ce disque, qui est un peu le "best-of" du groupe terre-neuvien, est tout simplement superbe. Ca bouge, c'est entrainant, vif : fiddle, guitare, bodhran, bouzouki, mandoline, tout est là. On est tranporté là-bas, par-delà les mers, grâce au rythme énergique de ces chants de marins, de ces ballades, tout droit puisés dans les racines celtes des musiciens. Les musiciens, d'ailleurs, tous excellents, dominés par la voix puissante d'Alan Doyle et celle, plus nuancée, de Sean McCann, produisent une musique survoltée qu'on ne se lasse pas d'écouter.Si vous cherchez un cd celtique/folk qui bouge, n'hésitez pas, c'est Great Big Sea. A écouter aussi : leur nouvel album, "The hard and the easy".

Good mix from their second and third CD's. Glad to have purchased it to complete my GBS collection. Well done boys.