What's cool is that the cover looks like some 80's metal artwork, in the style of Stryper's To Hell With the Devil or Messiah Prophet's Rock The Flock painting, with a medieval warrior with a flying V and a Marshall stack, repelling some attacking soldiers. Continuing in the rich tradition of Celtic music, The Electrics again squirt some vibrant rock & roll into a folky mix of said leanings. For example, "Rolling Home," complete with penny whistle, sounds a lot like a traditional melody, and the bag pipes finishing off the title track could've been bigger, and I'd have been happy. But don't forget the guitars, which usually have an energetic undertone, but thrive in the occasional solo. Thankfully, some popped up again in "Hey Paddy," which actually turns into what may be referred to as Celtic rockabilly. For more of this including appropriate guitar work hear the hilarious "Face." Julie Miller lent her vocal to "Come Back Down," which was cool to hear, as she actually did one of their songs ("Back of Your Head.") on her *Invisible Girl*record several years ago. (That's a bit o' trivia for ya, laddy.) Phil Keaggy also contributes some guitar. "Yer Man McCann Can" bears a melodic and structural resemblance to the old song "Riders in the Sky." In fact, a lot of country music is taken from traditional Celtic music. Just listen to the nearly honky tonk fiddles in "Party Goin' on Upstairs." The rollicking instrumental, "Piping Hot," is just that, and will get your heels a clickin'. Never short on energy and smiles, these Scotsmen don't disappoint.
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Linda T. StonehockerFor most of this century, tenors warbling "Danny Boy" have defined the sound of Ireland worldwide. Claiming ancient authenticity, Celtic music has pushed aside such sentimental slop, but the other popular musical form, the Irish drinking song, as practiced by the likes of the Chieftains or the Clancy Brothers, is still great fun. The Electrics fit right into this second tradition, cranking out a…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by James StewartTen years and five albums down the line, The Electrics are still releasing albums that would make many of their juniors blush at the energy. Last year the band were unleashed on a mostly unsuspecting American public with a compilation album which contained many of their best tracks, even if it wasn't quite balanced enough sonically to keep every listener going the whole way through. This all-new…Similar sounding releases
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