April 23, 2011

‘Dropkick Murphys’. Very few band names have ever looked so good written down, or spoken out loud. That was a pretty good start. We are born and our parents give us a name and we often are that name, somehow. Likewise with bands. The best ones sound like the music itself. The actual name ‘Guns’n’Roses’ – no matter what may have happened since – sounds like the music on Appetite For Destruction. Rose Tattoo SOUND LIKE a band called ‘Rose Tattoo’. One of the best pairings of bands I’ve ever seen was indeed Rose Tattoo and Dropkick Murphys. The combination somehow showcased DKM at their best; a raucous soulful rock band with some bagpipes in the mix. A simple and spirited equation. Mean and clean and going toe-to-toe with Rose Tattoo. It looked and sounded better than other combinations I’ve seen them with play with. Hardcore bands, or skinhead bands, playing in support of Dropkick Murphys always seems too flatulent & ‘underground’ for my liking. Rose Tattoo, for fuck’s sake?! THAT’S more like it, and the two bands’ respect was clearly mutual.

I bought a black t-shirt with a skull and hockey logo (what else??) and left the venue uplifted by the utter lack of bullshit.

And I’ve bought a few more t-shirts since. We all have. Again, that name just looks so damn mean and right, written down above a skull. Throw in a shamrock or two and you’re part of a mythology. A hundred other bands have copied it, but who do you reckon you’ll remember?

Doesn’t matter how many by-numbers punk dandyisms you might bear witness to in a DKM audience, the music and delivery, at its best, has always been more akin to a Springsteen-and-denim approach than anything else. And thus Springsteen’s appearance on the new album’s sentimental singalong Peg O’My Heart seems pretty earthy and right, and not novelty at all. And despite a merchandise catalogue that brings to mind Iron Maiden in its lurid flair and Madonna in its range of products (kids’ pencil cases), the paradox is that the Murphys maintain the credibility of Springsteen himself. They are mentioned in the same breath as fart-joke suburban mega ‘punk’ acts like NOFX (Fat Mike lends his tired whine to the new album) and yet they invite Dubliners and Pogues into their studios. The Church of Dropkick Murphys is a very broad church indeed.

But this Church has its tenets. From the mock-brawling skinheads who cheerfully incorporate the hockey skull into their own narrow regalia, right through to the lonely suburban kid with a cheap Dropkick Murphys flag pinned up in his bedroom, the audience know that the Murphys are on our side. The Murphys are on YOUR side! Solidarity must count for something, and there is power in the union.

And pirates are fun. The best song on Going Out In Style has to be the opening track, Hang ‘Em High. We don’t know who exactly the enemy is but we know we’re going to fight ‘em to the death, with our presumably vintage weapons, and that we’re all going to swing into action Captain Blood-style and the whole thing is going to be fucking mad fun. And only Dropkick Murphys can deliver that sort of fun. Jesus, they’ve out-pirated Flogging Molly ten times over by now. This song is like Master And Commander writ large in rock font. It’s got as much clout as Shipping Up To Boston and could only have been performed by the Murphys, (and I can’t even say for sure that the nature of the fighting is nautical, but there is a shark reference, so that’ll do).

Another tenet of the Church, of course is; Though Shalt Honour All Things Irish. Well, not all things Irish, but some things. Well, a couple of things. Irish equals tough. We’re in a black & white time capsule somewhere between James Cagney and On The Waterfront. That suburban kid in his bedroom, with his flags of punk piracy on the walls, he might be a Germanic Midwesterner, but if he squeezes his eyes tight, he can recall his great-great grandfather O’Flynn and proudly realize his imperative for clannish, rebellious, rough diamond behaviour. If he is, on the other hand, a lad in, say, the midwest of Germany, he can always get drunk on Guinness while listening to the new record, or settle for a show with some clone paddypunk band from Bavaria.

And so, everyone belongs, and everyone is sorta Irish. But there’s more to the Church than this, and also less than this, because the Murphys pepper their lyrics with in-jokes and hometown references – the title track is a case in point – in such a way as nobody can accuse them of over-tailoring their act for maximum audience haulage. This too is something of a paradox. In this sense, you can say they have stayed true to their roots, a cliché that has rarely meant much at all.

I saw a blaze of Dropkick Murphys t-shirts for sale at a market stall the other night, skeletons grinning away alongside Motley Crue and Iron Maiden, stacked up nicely against a leering AC/DC Angus-devil. Begorrah! Never mind all the blarney – and certainly don’t mind the bollocks, and the ever-present little punk mafias with Cock Sparrer patches pinned alongside Barroom Hero – we in Australia understand perfectly well that highland bagpipes belong in rock’n’roll. Those of us who saw the Murphys sing ‘Long Way To The Top’ as an encore, on the same bill as Rose Tattoo, certainly do hold this truth to be self-evident.

Let’s Go Murphys.

http://www.dropkickmurphys.com/

Will Swan
Sydney, Australia, April 2011

So, how good is it when the Bastards put out a new release? Yeah, you know what I’m talking about…and of more immediate concern to me – how the hell do you even begin to review the indescribable brilliance that is the Filthy Thieving’ Bastards? Well let’s see…
Filthy Thieving’ Bastards began as a Swingin’ Utters side-project almost 10 years ago, which by all measures of that term make it a little more than a side-project methinks. They combine incredibly cheery and cheeky melodies with punk attitude (and sometimes sound), over the top of whatever country/folk/bluegrass type of sounds takes their fancy for that particular track and then wrap the whole thing up in an overall rockabilly type of…I dunno…general aural pleasure. And they do all of that FAR KING WELL. You just cannae but enjoy it!

I’ve been listening to the Bastards for a couple of years I guess, so I’m a relative newbie to it all but I will say this, the initial EP and 2 follow-up albums kick some serious arse, so you should go get them if you don’t own them already. I can categorically state that if you aren’t a fan right now it’s either because you haven’t heard them or you are a tasteless d*ckhead.

As for my thoughts on “I’m a Son of a Gun” released March 2007…well I have to start with a statement of admiration. What would I do if I had what was already a perfect punk/folk/country band that I it was going to be extremely tough to improve on? I’d go get one of the Pogues to come and guest-star on it, and this is precisely the case on the album’s opener – Phony Drunken Poet which features Spider Stacy on whistle. It’s a great tune with a catchy chorus, “Lend me this month’s rent, My Dad just bought a round, You’ll get your money just before I leave this town…” Great example of the Bastards at their finest, very clever little song, slightly understated but at the same time rocks out just the right amount.

Overall the album is a really solid effort with a bunch of standout tracks over and above the opener mentioned above. Will appeal to those who are already a fan, and would be a reasonable introduction to any newcomers, although I’d probably recommend “My Pappy Was a Pistol” or “A Melody or Retreads and Broken Quills” over this one to a total newbie. A quick whip-through of the highlights as follows:

When the Wallflowers Wilt – great little guitar melody on this one, a track about being upbeat about being down and out. Catchy chorus again.

Dusty Roads –dirty little country guitar sound on this one, I absolutely dig it when the Bastards do country in their unique, gruff style. Great lyrics with lines like: “Sometimes it seems I’m on some sadistic crusade just to get wasted, ripped off, tired and underpaid”. Also uses a great phrase that could be used to describe the band themselves: “hardcore troubadours”

Santa Maria – a slightly more straight ahead song with a touch of grungy surf guitar.

Bring Me Back – This one just has to make you smile with a happy-go-lucky bass line, dirty guitar melody following the vocals and swift acoustic rhythm guitar. “Bring me back to the happy times…”

Down Every Day – A modern sea shanty, dark enough, and so well done.

Dumb Dead Goats – This is probably my second favourite off the album after the opener. It got me on the first listen – great chorus: “Hey, is anybody even listening? Cuz Dixie ain’t the only thing I’m whistling’”. And I love the line: “The high horse you rode on in is as stubborn as a mule”. Upbeat, buoyant track.

When We Were Kids – This is probably the heaviest song on the album, and probably wouldn’t be too far away from home if it were found on an Utter$ album. Great track.

Last of the Big Spenders – understated track to finish the album out, good feel to it. Good political messages in it too…I can relate to the “I’m the last of the big spenders with money from a lender” – that’s for sure. Beaut little slide guitar action here too.

So in closing, another fine instalment of Filthy Thieving’ Bastards gems…they’ve lost nothing with time! Still putting the spunk into punk, giving folk a stoke, and driving the c*nt back into country music, choice! Gotta love these hardcore troubadours.

2007

Review: Alex Dean

A quick flick through “D” in my CD rack tells me that this is the Dropkick Murphy’s sixth album release (not including collections, live albums, singles/EPs etc.) and I have to say it’s a pretty darn good one – running at warp speed just about from start to finish. It sounds to me like they’ve taken the experimentation of “Blackout” and “Warrior’s Code” and applied it to the energy of “Sing Loud Sing Proud” and just done what the Murphy’s do best – create cracking good rock n’ roll songs with enough Celtic flavor that you know its there, but only enough that’s allowable in the Dropkick Murphy’s world of slam-it-down-your throat working class hymns.

By the way, I’m kidding about having a “D” section in my CD rack, I’m nowhere near that organized, but my Dropkick Murphy’s collection is all together and safely on one of the top shelves (out of reach of my baby daughter), so it was easy to count for the purposes of this review. Only special bands like this one get a place on the top shelves where they avoid the very real dangers of being chewed and soaked in dribble on a daily basis.

The album launches with the sound of a school bell and playground noises before cranking into “Famous for Nothing”, a song about the (mis)adventures of youth. The song is a real solid example of the Murphy’s with tight, heavy rhythm and a dirty guitar over the top that almost has a bit of a “surf” sound to it before adding in first a mandolin and then pipes as it builds into a breakneck, anthemic crescendo.

Next up is a number about lost loved ones called “God Willing” which, if anything, increases the pace of the opening track. It really cranks through and has a killer, catchy chorus.

“The State of Massachusetts” has some awesome banjo throughout it, and the song overall is real quality and one of my favorites after the first couple of listens. This despite the rather depressing subject of family neglect / child abuse and the vicious circle this introduces.

A couple of straight-ahead punk songs come up next in the form of “Tomorrow’s Industry” and “Echo’s on ‘A’ Street”, covering a working-class perspective on hard times and the support of family respectively.

“Vices and Virtues” is a fast-paced anthem about 4 dead brothers and the various ways they managed to die too young. Catch-cry of “Whiskey, war, suicide and guns”.

“Surrender” has some nice guitar work and is followed up by a re-working of Lannigan’s Ball with some new Boston-esque lyrics and guest appearances from The Pogues’ Spider Stacy and The Dubliner’s Ronnie Drew. Ronnie Drew’s voice is just gold – sets the song off brilliantly. I read a quote somewhere once, but buggared if I can find it now, that described Ronnie Drew’s voice as being able to “take the head off a pint of Guinness at 10 paces” or something to that effect and it’s spot on – Its so deep and rough and sends a shiver down your spine. Magic stuff…and great arrangement of the song overall I reckon with the mix of singers working well (almost a bit like the Murphy’s legendary version of Rocky Road to Dublin but with Spider and Ronnie adding their bits).

“I’ll Begin Again” is a flat-out punk track about prison life and as the CD booklet says “A mother’s love for a son…”

“Fairmount Hill” is another re-take of a traditional tune, and in this case “Spancill Hill” gets a pretty decent Murphy’s working over. It’s the only slower tune on the album. “Loyal to No One” comes after this which rekindles the album’s pace and paints a picture of a stubborn, self-reliant asshole who will suffer a lonely death. Some cheeky little banjo in the middle adds another element to the song. “Shattered” comes after this one blasting the bullshit out of every aspect of society, and next is “Rude Awakenings”, a rather comical view of the morning-after a one night stand with disappointment all around.

The third traditional song is up next, “Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya”, a great version of the anti-war song accurately portraying the shell of a person that returns from such unfortunate adventures. And the album closes out with “Never Forget” which features Scruffy Wallace’s pipes in their most prominent position (although they are used in a complementary role very well throughout the album). The track is about love and family values and despite the uplifting pipes I found it a little bit of a weak ending to an otherwise really solid album.

Overall an album that sees the Murphy’s focusing back on their roots a bit more and it works really well. Existing fans will love it and if you’re new to the Murphy’s this is definitely a good listen, however if you prefer the folk end of the folk-punk genre “Blackout” would be a better bet.

2007

Review: Alex Dean

Dropkick Murphys loom so large over the current Irish Punk/Celtic scene that it’s hard to give an objective opinion about their new album. Their importance cannot be understated. Indeed Dropkick Murphys are a major reason why many bands on this website exist; in fact, it’s a primary reason why the website itself exists.

Added to this somewhat grandiose opening statement is the fact that, while the band has been huge in it’s beloved Boston for years, recent national exposure via “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” in Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award winning film The Departed is now making them huge nationwide. If one looks at record sales, one can determine that there exists something of an event surrounding this latest offering. However, when a genre-defining band releases a new album in this sort of Boston/Celtic Zeitgeist, there also exists a weird type of conundrum; there will be longtime fans who offer nothing but support, there will be detractors that cry “sell-outs”, there will be an embarrassing contingent of fleeting fans in Bruins jerseys who hop aboard all the latest trends, and then there will just be the regular Joe Bud Light who likes the band for whatever reason, with however much fervor they so choose. And that’s simply the way of the music fan. And somewhere in the middle lies the truth about this record.

American Heritage defines “evolution” as 1. A gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form. 2. The process of developing. Dropkick Murphys have, for better or worse, been evolutionary since their inception. It took me a second to realize this, but unless you are Cock Sparrer or AC/DC, the natural process is to evolve, if only in a small way, to satisfy themselves as artists, and to make the type of music they have the technical chops to make. Bands evolve. This is nothing new, but rather a well-worn cliché with the rock’n’roll canon.

In truth, bassist Ken Casey has said that the band now is pretty much how he envisioned it from the beginning, he simply didn’t have the resources to put together all of the instrumentation he wanted, in 1996 in the fledgling Boston punk/oi! scene. Fair enough. And while I’m often times nostalgic for the Do or Die 4 piece that played basement shows in Chicago, I respect this band, and put them on s pedestal above many classic oi!/punk bands who also evolved. Why? Because unlike groups like your SSD’s or Stiff Little Fingers (to use two of DKM’s longtime influences) this band’s evolution did not include making music that I’d consider far less than stellar.

The results of The Meanest of Times? I’ve had the chance to listen to the album many times over, and I can safely say that it’s my favorite Dropkick Murphys record since Sing Loud, Sing Proud. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed each post-Sing Loud album on it’s own merits, and I feel they all have their strong suits, but I think The Meanest of Times is the most solid of the three. The most cohesive and complete.

The album kicks off with one of my favorite tracks, Famous For Nothing, which details the woes, but also the good times, of growing up in Catholic schools. The track has a nice driving rock’n’roll punch to it, and a catchy-as-hell pre-chorus and chorus.

From here, the album runs the gamut of styles that have influenced Dropkick Murphys since day one: punk, Irish, hardcore, traditional and others in-between.

One of the things that really drags down modern day oi!/streetpunk is badly clichéd lyrics. One only needs to look at something like The State of Massachusetts to see that lyrics need not always be about the same tired barroom crap. Probably the most poignant on the record, dealing with drug problems, and the reality a lot of kids grow/grew up with, it really does show how the band have matured.

To be honest, a few of the past choices of traditionals have left me a bit under whelmed, but the inclusion of Flannigan’s Ball (a reworking of an old Irish tune Lannigan’s Ball) works as well as any they’ve ever done. Why? Something about the song seems dark to me, and hearing Dubliner Ronnie Drew’s vocals, mixed with Pogues whistler Spider Stacey, mixed with Ken and Al really works. Ronnie Drew has an amazing voice, and hearing him speed it up for this tune was really something, and for lack of a better word, “cool.”

Shattered is a nice, simple, straight-ahead hardcore offering, sans any Irish flavor, that shows the Dropkick Murphys have lost none of their Boston Hardcore roots, and showcases drummer Matt Kelly at his best. The inclusion of such songs is a treat for me, and reminds me of the old days. I, for one, appreciate songs on the album like this one and I’ll Begin Again the break away from the full-on Irish flavor that the majority possesses.

An example of how the full-on Irish flavor works amazingly is Rude Awakenings, which sounds like it could well be a hundred’s years old Irish tune. It truly sounds like something The Dubliners could have recorded. The banjo playing is outstanding, the pipes compliment the tune to a tee, and the age-old subject matter of getting drunk, and getting into misadventures with the opposite sex, is a can’t miss – passed down from generations of drunken, horny Micks to Ken Casey’s pen.

The album closes on a universal theme for a band that has always remained loyal to it’s city, it’s friends and it’s family. Never Forget, singing the virtues of such loyalties, succinctly wraps up an album that, indeed, seems to preach these very virtues from start to finish.

Certainly this band has evolved, but the core beliefs that started the band remain intact, and the music never suffers. The band may grow, and the fan base as well (and I can’t think of a more deserving group of folks for this to happen to) but the values remain the same. To reiterate, “evolution: A gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form.”

More complex. And better.

2007

Review: Sean Holland

Kind of a stop-gap between releases I guess, putout just in time for Paddy’s Day and the DKMs now traditional run of shows in Boston, Basically this a collection of b-sides and other rarities that you spent a lot of money on eBay trying to amass. It’s a mixed bag of covers. A decent but not essential release.

February 2005

http://www.dropkickmurphys.com/

Sing Loud Sing Proud part deux…

Warrior’s Code represents the next step in the evolution of Dropkick Murphys from a pure punk oriented outfit to a more refined, mature band. They’ve found their niche and are sticking to it.

That said, the Murphys don’t totally abandon their roots and have created a sound like previous releases and good on ’em for that. Songs such as “Your Spirit’s Alive”, “Warrior’s Code”, “Take It And Run” and “The Walking Dead” are classic Dropkick Murphys while songs like “The Green Fields of France” show a nice evolution of their skills. Tunes like “The Auld Triangle” is a good mixture of new and old.

Still, a lot of their songs are reminicient of earlier offerings and that will not disappoint fans while recalling days past. All in all, the Murphys continue to deliver an energetic, enjoyable outing and it’s worth the money on this latest offering too.

Their live shows are worth attending as Ken Casey and crew continue to deliver the goods and you could do a lot worse than attend a live Dropkick Murphys show. I would recommend seeing them at a club or hall rather than a venue like an outdoor festival however. The sound and energy are better and you get the chance to join them on stage at the end of the night!

In summation, “Warrior’s Code” is a good Dropkick Murphys release that shouldn’t disappoint fans but won’t garner any new ones that don’t like them already.

February 2005

Review By: TheBlackStuff

http://www.dropkickmurphys.com/

Popularity is nothing to hold against a band. Making a living isn’t a crime. Putting food on the family’s table is, contrary to what some may think, an important aspect of making a living and adult life. Teenagers with so-called ‘noble’ visions of bands toiling away doing basement shows all their lives are missing one thing – when the band (who spent years playing said shows) includes several guys in their mid-30’s with families, playtime is over. Bands normally can’t continue making records without making a living, which is why so many punk/skinhead bands fade into obscurity and break up. And, as an example, and this may just be me, but I’d have rather seen Bannon and Negative Approach play to 3,000 people and sell some records, instead of breaking up, releasing very few records and having them become a footnote in hardcore history that only true fans will appreciate.

In the end, when the dust has cleared and when all is said and done, those who are screaming ‘sell-outs’ at the Dropkick Murphys become ridiculous and appear stupid and selfish. And the Murphys are still standing. The band maintain the same high integrity and vision as they ever did, though their sounds have changed a bit. It makes no sense to whine about change – almost all of the revered Oi!/punk bands changed up their sounds, and most, unlike the Dropkick Murphys, did it very badly. So, while detractors wear their Cockney Rejects shirt and whine about DKM (forgetting that CR went shitty metal like the majority of British Oi/skinhead bands, as well as Boston hardcore bands, did) just be safe in the knowledge that the Dropkick Murphys core sound and values still hold true, and you won’t be hearing them doing a ‘Break It Up’ anytime soon….and, when those fans who do all the whining hit their mid-20’s and don’t have their parents money to fall back on and have to get a job in the real world, maybe they’ll realize that their d.i.y ideals weren’t always the ‘be all, end all’ that they made them out to be.

So, enough of my editorial, let’s check out Blackout! Early reviews I’d read by fans seemed split. The negatives mainly had to do with it being a more ‘poppy’ effort than we’re used to. As a whole, I’d agree it is more poppy, if by poppy you mean, more melodious and less hardcore attack. The early, charging streetpunk sounds are, for the most part, gone by the wayside. Replacing it, however, is great, melodic rock and roll. The Murphys hearts have obviously not changed – they still champion the cause of the underdog and raise a glass to those that will never win, but by God, will die trying.

The talent level is definitely upper crust, and the band as a unit shines like never before. I’m not gonna break them down member by member, but will only say that each member plays his part to the fullest – it’s taken to a whole new sphere. I think the best way to give you a sense of what I think about the record is to do a song-by-song breakdown.

Walk Away – lead single from the album. Nice, ringing guitar intro and dual vocals by Al and Ken, this one is one of the cuts that has a more melodic feel than much of what we’re used to from the Murphys. To me, it is ‘Forever’ sped up and a bit more rockin’. Very nice tune, with deadly serious subject matter – deadbeat dad’s who leave their family behind.

Worker’s Song – right back into familiar Dropkick territory. Bagpipe fuelled anthem that has the big group choruses like fans are used to. Subject matter is, of course, the downtrodden worker’s life. Very ‘Heroes of Our Past’-ish.

The Outcast – Not a big fan of this one. More straight-up rock n roll. Good background vocals/melody in the chorus. Not bad, but just one of the weaker cuts in my opinion.

Black Velvet Band – Irish traditional song. If you’ve heard the tune, then you know what to expect – it’s given the Murphy’s party treatment like ‘Finnegan’s Wake’ and belts along nicely.

Gonna Be Blackout Tonight – Woody Guthrie’s lyrics put to the Dropkick’s background. It might well be the heaviest thing on the record. Harkens back to Ken’s hardcore roots. Not one of my favorites, but still – it’s angry and fast.

World Full of Hate – Folksy and almost old-school country-ish ballad. Again, somewhat ‘Forever’-ish.

Buried Alive – GREAT tune. It’s quick and catchy, and it’s rock-n-folk, pounding along with pipe accompaniment and a great, anthemic feel, and a nice, folksy backbone to it.

Dirty Glass – remake of classic from Face-to-Face split. Read my review of that to hear what I think of the tune (great.) That being said, I prefer the version on the split to this. I like Kay Hanley’s vocals better. Still a great tune, though.

Fields of Athenry – one of my favorite Irish tunes of all-time. The Murphys pound home not only the emotion felt in this song, but also the burning anger beneath. Very well done, boys. Now let’s hear ‘Holy Ground’ sometime.

Bastard’s on Parade – Very folksy with a great mandolin-driven melody and superb drumming by Tough Sticks. “Fairytale of New York” as done by the Dropkicks, with a McGowan-style toast to the downtrodden, complete with Broadway reference. Good stuff, kids.

As One – Best pipes on the album. You open like that and I’m a fan for life. This one probably gets my vote for best tune of the record – it’s just the best of what the Dropkick’s do in one song – damn fine rock-n-roll, catchy and anthemic, big-time crowd chorus and propelled along by the instruments of war. THIS is why I love this band.

This Is Your Life – Another rocker. Big-time group singalongs.

Time to Go – Nice rave-up tribute to the hometown Bruins. Very catchy and very BIG. DIG that accordion, giving it a sea-shanty feel for those cold Boston nights! I guarantee this one rocks over speakers at Bruins games. I will never sing along, as I am most definitely not a Bruins fan – Go Blackhawks!!!! Not as good as the Bears ‘Super Bowl Shuffle’ – “My name’s Scruffy and I like to dance, running the ball’s like making romance……” Kidding, Ken….kidding.

Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced – Nice, rowdy, drunken closer. Very Macc Ladd-ish. First hand tale by a braggart ladies man who turns out to be anything but. Hilarious lyrics and chorus makes this a great closer.

As a whole, to me, it’s better than Sing Loud, Sing Proud. Yeah, you heard it a-holes! BETTER. It’s a bit early, and it might take a few more listens, but I’m nearly ready to proclaim this the best album of Dropkick Murphys Version II’s career. It’s more melodic, but still hard. I like how the guitar sounds throughout as well – nice, clean and ringing. Everything about them I love is taken up a notch. Here’s to seeing them get as big as they want, and, if you think they’re long odds, well…..put all your money on ‘em, because I know they’ll always come through down the stretch.

May 2003

Sean Holland