Close to the Bone

Close to the Bone

Track Listings

1. Gay Old Hag

2. William Hollander

3. Week Before Easter

4. Earl of Murray (Child No. 181)

5. Waterford Waltz

6. With Kitty I'll Go for a Ramble

7. Torn Petticoat/Rambling Pitchfork

8. I Know Where I'm Going

9. Bobby's Britches

10. Sliabh Na Mban

11. Ferrybank Piper

12. Ham Sunday

Tracks:

Kilbogie
Linden Rise
The Cruel Sister
The Honeymoon Reel / Kings / The Claysaps Reel
The Twa Corbies
The Universal Hall/ The Nuptial Knot/ The Barlinnie Highlander
Mac Pherson's Rant/ The Winging
Seonaidh Mor/ The Fall/ Dick Gossops
Margaret Cromar
The Trooper And The Maid ( The Trumpet Sounds At Burreldales )
The Broken Pledge/ Claggy's Dilemma/ Hamilton's Jig
Jean O' Bethelnie ( Glenlogie )

Customer Reviews:

An outstanding Celtic folk album.......2004-08-27

Innovative, yet solid, modern Scottish trad that branches out into several directions and musical modes. The band's a bit showy, actually, if truth be told, wearing their virtuousity on their sleeve, while flitting gleefully about through a variety of styles. Fortunately, they're also really, really good, and capable of playing soulfully as well as energetically. Lead singer Ian F. Benzie has a bit of a Nic Jones about him (which is a very high compliment in my book), and fiddler Jonny Hardy adds a mournful, magic touch to several tunes. This is particularly rich and rewarding album, well worth checking out!

Not blind, not dogs and not old but good music nevertheless!.......2004-07-16

When I first discovered Scotland's "Old Blind Dogs" I thought of images of dogs trying to jump through hoops for their trainer and missing, or making it only half through the hoop of fire and just laying their smoldering with a man's best friend type of smile. Well, the secret is out. They are not blind, they are not dogs and..... I believe the lead singer is about my age, so I don't think of him as old. For decades, they have had a unique sound of lead singing with a heavy Scottish accent and wild percussion, including djembe and conga drums. Ian Benzy has been the lead vocal through that period of time, with Dave Cattanach simply listed as percussion ( they must we weary listing all of the exotic instruments than having to spell them correctly). They start with a strong synchopated rhythm in track one "Kilbogie." I usually play along and lose sense of time and tracks until track 8. That is why I am giving this CD 5 stars. MacPherson's Rant is a poignant little dittie sung in the first person of someone about to be hung by the British. My background is Irish, and this usually gets me to standing and ranting along. Excellent Cittern and Low "D" Whistle are contributed by Buzzyby McMillan. Jonny Hardie looks too young for a veteran group but contributes absolutely excellent fiddle. I do have to mention missing the piper. The dogs are easy to lose track of for Irish and Irish American Celtic Music basketcases like myself. They are well worth the investment to put a few of their CD's in a Celtic collection. My only complaint is that the lyrics didn't come with the CD. "A Beggin'I Wool Go" was, my introduction to English sung in a Scottishy way. The usual question was "Whut is greazy braed laddie? My friends and I loved to sing along to this song accompanied by good Scottish Whiskey. Toward the end of the evening I will have to admit to humming through parts of songs. Then we would get teary eyed listening to their voices only harmony in "Tatties are in 'Oven." We thought this was a religious song about something being in heaven, and we cried into our whisky. Then a Scottish friend enlightened us as to why he was laughing so hard. Tatties are a pastry and they were refering to the oven. The harmony is still there and each CD has at least one voices only track. My hope is the dogs stay together and keep making these fine Celtic Music CDs.

We wore out the CD!.......2000-10-01

Seriously. They say that CDs are supposed to be indestructable (under normal conditions, of course) but we really did wear this one out, we listened to it so much. There is simply no better band at combining the traditional with the modern and giving everything they do a punch. Buy it and you won't regret it... until you wear it out and have to buy another one!

never leaves my CD player.......1999-09-10

All the Old Blind Dogs' albums are worth listening to--and having for your own. Not one has failed me yet. They have just the right combination of tradition and innovation, otherworldliness and jauntiness... I could go on, but if you know them you'll know what I mean. Sadly the lead vocalist Ian will be retiring soon, but we hope for a new voice just as engaging. I don't get too excited about bands, but this one I heartily reccomend.

This is the CD that got me interested in Celtic music.......1998-11-26

I bought this CD years ago at the suggestion of a friend who knows Celtic music, and it remains my favorite. The more I listen to it, the more I love every tune. The songs, sung by Ian Benzie, caught my attention first, but I soon became just as captivated by the other tunes. I can't recommend this CD highly enough.

Average customer rating:

And Then There Were Two...

Close to the Bone
Thompson Twins
Manufacturer: Bmg Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Queer
Here's to Future Days
The Ocean Blue
Quick Step & Side Kick

ASIN: B00000DOQP
Release Date: 1988-11-09

Tracks:

Follow Your Heart
Bush Baby
Get That Love
Twentieth Century
Long Goodbye
Still Waters
Savage Moon
Gold Fever
Dancing in Your Shoes
Perfect Day

Customer Reviews:

And Then There Were Two..........2006-01-04

I find it hard to believe that no-one has bothered to write a review of this album. The previous TT album "Here's To Future Days" was the last album Joe Leeway would appear on, and this album now defined Tom Bailey & Alannah Currie as "The Thompson Twins"

Tom and Alannah released this modest and mostly likeable album, produced by Rupert Hine in 1986. I'm not sure how I missed it, but I remember living in Los Angeles in early 1987, and heard a tune on the radio that sounded like a Sting-penned song, sung by Corey Hart. [How I confused Tom's distinctive voice with Corey Hart remains a mystery to this day].

I was later to learn it was the Thompson Twins and a cut from their new album, which I immediately picked up. Alannah wrote the lyrics and Tom wrote the music. While this album was somewhat derivative of their own work, it did seem to lack something - my own humble opinion being - the songs on this album were very formulaic. This also was the case on their debut album for Warner Brothers "Big Trash", although that approach seemed to work better on Big Trash than this album.

I really like this album, but truthfully, something's missing, although I am hard pressed to say exactly what that is. As with all TT albums, the production is flawless, synth sounds and instrumentation are all first rate. The best tunes are "Follow Your Heart", "Twentieth Century", "Long Goodbye" [which is the song I first heard, and probably the best tune on the album] and "Savage Moon".

After this album, TT released "Greatest Mixes - The Best Of The Thompson Twins" and that concluded their alliance with Arista Records. The Twins immediately signed with Warner Brothers and released two albums for them: "Big Trash" and "Queer" - both are highly recommended.

If you are a fan of the Thompson Twins, this belongs in your collection - if you are only a casual fan of the Twins and only desire their hits, this may not be for you.

Average customer rating:

Winters Never Quit
Laura DiStasi
Manufacturer: Laura DiStasi
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CA7JZW
Release Date: 2005-07-05

Tracks:

Sure to Fade
No City Life
Moonsong
Song You've Sung
Move Me
Sailing Away
Expectations
Stay

Average customer rating:

Tom and Alannah go down the stony end...
Love the Twins - But this is Boring!
ONE OF THEIR BEST!!
Not the Twins' best, but still some tasty ear candy
Different ---- But Great!

Close to the Bone
Thompson Twins
Manufacturer: Bmg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Dance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Queer
Light at the End of the World

ASIN: B000005S1Q
Release Date: 1997-09-23

Tracks:

Follow Your Heart
Bush Baby
Get That Love
Twentieth Century
Long Goodbye
Still Waters
Savage Moon
Gold Fever
Dancing in Your Shoes
Perfect Day

Album Description

Japanese edition of the new wave duo's 1987 album that's out-of-print domestically. Ten tracks including, 'Follow Your Heart', 'Bush Baby', 'Get That Love', 'Twentieth Century' & 'Long Goodbye'.

Album Details

Japanese Reissue after Being Deleted for Some Time.

Customer Reviews:

Tom and Alannah go down the stony end..........2006-08-08

This was, of course, the turning point in the career of the Thompson Twins. No longer were they a threesome, with Joe Leeway departing the band in a surprising decision that came at the conclusion of their successful world tour for the previous album, "Here's To Future Days". The Thompson Twins were finally a true duo, and their first appearance as such was on the soundtrack to the film "Nothing In Common". "Close to the Bone" represented their first full-length album without Joe, and it was jarring for a number of reasons.

First off, the sound here is much different than the previous offerings from the Twins. "Close to the Bone" uses a lot more guitar sounds, especially acoustic sounds. The production on the album is technically large and amazing.

The problem comes at the level of songwriting. There is a certain pall that hangs over the entire thing, possibly due to a series of personal crises that had befallen Tom and Alannah (Joe departing, Alannah suffering a miscarriage, the passing of her mother). There are subtle ways that the sound mix suggests something winsome going on, as on the album's only hit single, "Get That Love". There's a jangling acoustic guitar down front, but also a vague, ghostly synth drone in the background like a lingering sadness. "Long Goodbye" goes for the jugular and deals with outright anguish. It was also on "Close to the Bone" that the lyrics began to take on a lazy reliance on cliche phrases, like "still waters run deep/you better look before you leap". The intentional use of these kinds of standard lines may have been intentionally ironic, but the effect is just boring.

There are some jewels here, though. The album opener, "Follow Your Heart", finds the perfect balance between their newer, more mature approach to pop music (read: adult contemporary) and the impeccable production that they always strove for. "Bush Baby" is a great part of the Thompsons canon, with some great, weird guitar work. Although in keeping with the album's utterly depressing theme (with lyrics that suggest the devastation of war), "Perfect Day" has a certain something that takes it above the rest of the filler tracks (like "Savage Moon" and "Dancing In Your Shoes").

This lyrical malady stuck with the band for the rest of their careers as Thompson Twins, carrying through their following album "Big Trash". However, while "Big Trash" wound up being at least more adventurous, "Close to the Bone" has little to revisit after all these years.

Love the Twins - But this is Boring!.......2006-01-30

Hate to say it, but if your looking to expand your TT collection after discovering the pleasure of The Gap or Sidekicks or perhaps Babble, make sure this is the LAST recording you seek as it will give lease satisfaction. I really think is for die hard fans/completists only. As someone below mentioned, this record really killed their career.

ONE OF THEIR BEST!!.......2004-08-08

WELL, EVERYONE SEEMS TO THINK THIS IS THE TT WORST ALBUM. I DISAGREE. ACTUALLY, THIS ALBUM ALONG WITH SIDEKICKS IS MY FAVORITE."FOLLOW YOUR HEART" AND "THE LONG GOODBYE" ARE MY TWO FAVE TT SONGS EVER. "THE LONG GOODBYE" HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART. AND ON THIS ALBUM, I THINK TOM BAILY'S VOCALS ARE STRONGER THAN ON ANY OTHER ALBUM. THE CHORUS TO DANCING IN YOUR SHOES IS PROOF OF THAT. SOME OTHER HIGHLIGHTS HERE ARE "SAVAGE MOON"-(...if i could beleive in fairytales, a life of happy endings that would never ever fail...), "GET THAT LOVE"- THE ONLY TOP 40 HIT FROM THIS ALBUM. AND THE ROCKIN' "STILL WATERS"
THIS IS THE HARDEST TT ALBUM TO FIND, SO IF YOU CAN FIND IT, GET IT.

Not the Twins' best, but still some tasty ear candy.......2001-07-31

"Close to the Bone", the first CD the Thompson Twins recorded as a duo (after the loss of long-time member Joe Leeway), shows a musical maturity... but a slight loss of heart. Whether it was the loss of Joe or the circumstances surrounding the Twins at the time -- you can tell that the shine, fun, and heart was mostly lacking with this CD.

Luckily, there are definitely some choice cuts to keep any Twins' fan happy. Tom Bailey's vocals show great maturity on the guitar driven "Follow Your Heart" and the exuberant bounciness of "Twentieth Century". Alannah Currie's lyrics have also matured, especially the farewell to her recently deceased Mother on "Long Goodbye" and the devastating results of war on "Perfect Day". Toss in the light fluffiness of "Get That Love" and the frog (yes, ribbit ribbit) layered keyboard action of "Bush Baby", and I bet you'll walk away satisfied.

Though "Close to the Bone" is not the best of their repertoire, it is still a decent listening experience for anyone that enjoys the highly-capable offerings of the Thompson Twins.

Different ---- But Great!.......2000-06-16

This is not the typical Thompson Twins Album. The music is different. The lyrics are different. The singing? The same. As someone in the music buisness, I find it quite entertaining, even if its not their usual stuff.

Average customer rating:

Close to the Bone
Robbie O'Connell
Manufacturer: Green Linnet
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Irish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Celtic | International | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000008J1X
Release Date: 1993-01-05

Tracks:

Gay Old Hag
William Hollander
Week Before Easter
Earl of Murray (Child No. 181)
Waterford Waltz
With Kitty I'll Go for a Ramble
Torn Petticoat/Rambling Pitchfork
I Know Where I'm Going
Bobby's Britches
Sliabh Na Mban
Ferrybank Piper
Ham Sunday

Average customer rating:

Close to the Bone
Sheena and the Swamp Dogs
Manufacturer: J-Bird Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000JLJYHU

Product Description

contains 9 songs: 1- Walking blues, 2- Runnin' Wild, 3- Insomnia Cafe, 4- Close to the Bone, 5- Lay My Burden Down, 6- Devi's Playground, 7- Start My Life, 8- Strong Man, 9-Come on in My Kitchen