I had heard this CD several times a couple years ago & loved it. I finally ordered it and I love it even more now. It is typical Wicked Tinkers: energetic, lively, spontaneous, and yet with subtlety in the use of the different instruments together. It has a spontaneous sound and feel, but for all that, it doesn’t feel as though it’s just thrown together willy-nilly. The pieces are well-arranged, and each instrument & musician has opportunities to shine, whether by carrying the tune or by performing a solo. I honestly can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed drumming as much as I do when I’m listening to the Wicked Tinkers. And it goes without saying that the bagpipes are fabulous, but so are the violin, the Bronze Age Irish horn & didgeridoo, and all the other instruments that play fabulous supporting roles.

This is a companion CD to Banger for Breakfast, and is similar in feel to that one, but it is not a repeat of it. There are even a few vocals on it — one of them, a silly and slightly naughty humorous song that sounds like something you’d hear in an old-fashioned pub, nicely performed, but without “professional polish” (not a bad thing for a song like this — it is always kind of a weird experience for me to hear an opera singer singing a folk song or traditional ballad; they never sound quite right to me); another one, “Wicked Bough” is actually “Golden Bough” & “Wicked Tinkers” together. The vocal part of the medley is wonderfully performed.

As they usually do, most of the pieces on the CD are medleys. The Tinkers have a knack for putting together pieces of music that fit together well and flow into one another without being jarring.

They call the album “almost live” because the sets were recorded live, but then were polished up some to improve the balance — the didgeridoo portions were rerecorded in the studio and remixed in so that it be at its best and well-balanced with the other instruments. Good call on their part, since recording live, particularly outdoors with lively fans, can be a tricky thing. I’d rather have an “almost live” CD that was a pleasure to listen to than a live CD that was poorly balanced and recorded.

Warning: if you listen to any Wicked Tinkers CDs while driving down the highway, put on your cruise control or watch your speedometer — they can get you speeding along without even realizing it!

When I bought this CD, the price was several dollars less, but even at a higher “import” price, it’s worth every penny. (I wish they would come out to the East Coast and perform!)
Rating: 5 / 5

This CD is a great companion to the Banger For Breakfast CD, as both have very similar settings, i.e. live in front of fans in a tight atmosphere. For any fans of Irish or Scottish traditional music, this is a must have. But better yet, it’s updated with what initially seems like odd pairings of instruments, like the bagpipes and the didgeridoo. Once you listen to how well those sounds plus snares, etc. meld into a wonderful set of tunes, however, you will look at Celtic music in an entirely different way. Plus, the band inserts humor and jokes, sometimes at their own expense, that gives their performances a funny and relaxed feeling. Each song is uniquely rendered but still has that familiarity that makes this genre of music so appealing. You simply can’t go wrong with this one, from the nearly dirty poem to a new style Radar Love, and will quickly become a huge fan of the Tinkers. At nearly one hour in length, it will leave you wanting more. Thankfully, they have plenty more available!
Rating: 5 / 5