Dusk Till Dawn: The Best Of Capercaillie CD

Capercaillie was responsible for some of the more forward-thinking Scottish/Celtic sounds of the '90s. Although the Scots were well aware of their country's rich musical traditions, they refused to be enslaved by them. For Capercaillie, it made perfect sense to fuse Scottish/Celtic music with rock and pop. And the band's risk-taking often paid off handsomely. Released in 2000, Dusk 'Till Dawn: The Best of Capercaillie is a 17-song collection that paints an attractive picture of the explorers' 1991-1998 work. By Survival's own admission, this CD isn't the last word on Capercaillie; the label laments the fact that it was unable to include anything from 1989's Sidewaulk due to licensing restrictions. Nonetheless, Survival had access to a lot of first-rate material, and selections from albums like 1991's Delirium, 1992's Get Out, 1993's Secret People, and 1997's Beautiful Wasteland leave the listener with a very favorable impression of Capercaillie and its expressive, charming lead vocalist Karen Matheson. For those who are seeking an introductory overview of Capercaillie in the '90s, this generally excellent CD would be the logical choice. ~ Alex Henderson

Includes liner notes by Colin Irwin.

Producers: Donal Lunny, Capercaillie, Calum Malcolm.

Capercaillie: Karen Matheson (vocals); John Saich (acoustic guitar, bass, background vocals); Manus Lunny (Martin acoustic guitar, bouzouki, background vocals); Charlie McKerron (fiddle); Marc Duff (whistle, Yamaha EWI, bodhran); Donald Shaw (accordion, keyboards).

Additional personnel: Hijas Del Sol (vocals); Michael McGoldrick (whistle, pipes); Fred Morrison, Davy Spillane (pipes); Will Taylor, James Mackintosh, Ray Fean (drums); David Robertson, Ronnie Goodman (percussion);