| | Dougie Maclean Inside The Thunder CD Dougie Maclean Discography of CDs
 (2 Customer Reviews)
The pervading mood on Inside the Thunder, Dougie MacLean's first album in several years, is sadness. The title comes from "Song for Johnny," a tribute to the late Johnny Cunningham, who was once replaced by MacLean in the band Silly Wizard. "It seems we never learned to play it slow," MacLean sings, "We just danced inside the thunder." But on the album, he seems to have learned finally to play it slow. These are deliberately paced songs with attractive folk-rock arrangements, many of the instruments played by MacLean's son Jamie MacLean, who also produced, engineered, mixed, and even mastered the record. MacLean sings them wistfully and with occasional touches of anger. His imagery has a traditional turn; the language often refers to nature (as often in a mystical as a realistic sense), monarchy, and rural work. In fact, the only really positive song on the album is "Strathmore," a worker's reminiscence about bringing in the harvest on a farm. The rest of the time, things are not nearly so happy, although it often isn't exactly clear what's wrong. Now and then, a particular object of scorn is identified. In "It's Not for Me," MacLean condemns "the media saints with their journalist jibe [whose] broadcasting taints almost the whole of their lives," and in "Into the Flames," he identifies some leader -- a king, a knight, a chosen one -- who has "a clever word to calm our fear," but is "laughing when we cannot hear." Even these are somewhat generalized villains, however, and elsewhere the source of the songs' sense of despair is even vaguer. Clearly, MacLean is aiming for a heightened, poetic impression, and he sometimes achieves it. At the same time, the music is never less than engaging. But by the end, although a mood has been established clearly, one wishes the reasons for it were equally transparent. ~ William Ruhlmann
Personnel: Dougie MacLean (vocals, acoustic guitar); Dougie MacLean; Gordon Duncan (whistling, bagpipe); Ross Ainslie (whistling); Al Ferguson (electric guitar); Greg Lawson (violin, viola).
Dougie Maclean Inside The Thunder Songs | 1. | Not Look Down |
| 2. | Song for Johnny |
| 3. | Home |
| 4. | Seventh Sea |
| 5. | Strathmore |
| 6. | Eternally You |
| 7. | Open Fields |
| 8. | It's Not for Me |
| 9. | Into the Flames |
| 10. | Beside You |
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Inside The Thunder Music Review Average Rating: (5 out of 5 stars)  If you are a Dougie MacLean fan, you'll love this CD!
I purchased "Inside the Thunder" for my wife -- she writes:
When I got Dougie's new CD, I sat down to read the lyrics as I listened the first time through. When I reached "Song for Johnny," I was overwhelmed how Dougie had captured the essence of his friendship with Johnny Cunningham in a few simple lines. In the summer of 2003, I saw Dougie on the Millennium Stage in Washington D.C. with Johnny and Phil Cunningham. During a light moment, Dougie and Johnny danced across the stage together laughing. A few months later Johnny suddenly passed away. In "Song for Johnny," Dougie reflects on the magic of music's power to bring us together -- and how those magic moments can be elusive when we try to define them. He also captures one of the themes of the album: trying to make sense of the mysteries of life as we watch our loved ones leave, while we are left to face the future, unable to leave our pasts behind. "Song for Johnny's" violin interlude is reminiscent of Johnny's sweet fiddle tunes -- and I dare you to listen without getting a lump in your throat. Dougie's chorus refers to the melody that's danced away, and hearing it sing across the ocean on his way back home. Interpret as you will, but I'm glad Johnny danced across the ocean to share his music with us in the States, and well, if you know timeless Scottish tunes, you know that the souls of Scots find their way back home when the inevitable moment comes.
If you are a Dougie fan, you will love this CD. Dougie's songs reflect his growing maturity. He looks back on the historic past, along with his own journey, and faces life square on, trying to make sense of it all. "Into the Flames" is an exquisite piece about truth and lies, leadership and wisdom, and the jumbled mess we must try to see through in life. Instrumentally, I find this the most interesting song. Dougie sings the verses with just his acoustic guitar, his voice honest, the chiming clarity of his guitar notes muffled only by the sound of his fingers sliding across the frets. Then he builds to a more complex chorus with intriguing drum rhythms, electric and steel guitars softly wailing, and then he returns to just the voice and guitar. Somehow, the lyrics and the music work perfectly together, as we listen for that clear voice to emerge from the confusion.
As I make my way through the confusion of life, it's nice to hear the voice of someone who, like me, is profoundly touched by all that goes on around us, and who is trying to find meaning in it all. --Angela
Submitted by philbloch (York, PA, USA) 
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No Dougie MacLean does it again...and even better!
Having enjoyed his music for a few years now I'm so glad to have bought "Inside the Thunder" which ranks already with my all time favourites...right up there alongside Jackson Brown's "Late for the Sky", Joni Mitchells "Blue", Van Morrison's "Moondance" and Beth Orton's "Trailer Park"! The song lyrics are thoughtfully profound and yet beautifully poetic and the arrangement always fits the lyric perfectly...ranging from wonderfully layered rhythmic tracks with atmospheric and accomplished instrumental solos to simple, perfect acoustic guitar with vocal. Dougie MacLean's voice is so distinctive and positively addictive and this album is the man at his best!
Submitted by Ian (Scotland, UK)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No | Have you heard this album? |  |
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