A band that has made a name for itself since 1992 by updating the Celtic and, more specifically, Cape Breton tradition, Great Big Sea has long mixed poppy original tunes with traditionals goosed up to fit a more modern aesthetic. On the band's eighth album, The Hard And The Easy, the Canadians focus wholly on traditional Newfoundland folk tunes of all shapes and colors. All the music is acoustic and most (surprise!) have a seafaring theme to them. These are tunes that band-members grew up playing at home with family and friends, and there is no pretension or airs. The band¹s sense of humor comes through on gems like country-ish "Concerning Charlie Horse" and "The Mermaid," while "Graceful & Charming" is a sentimental ballad. The Breton tradition comes through strongest on "Harbour Le Cou" and "Tishialuk Girls Set." Adding its musicianship and excellent vocals to the Celtic continuum, Great Big Sea has come up with one for and of the ages. ­ --Tad Hendrickson

Track Listing

1. Come and I Will Sing You (The Twelve Apostles)
2. Old Polina
3. The River Driver
4. The Mermaid
5. Captain Kidd
6. Graceful & Charming (Sweet Forget-Me-Not)
7. Concerning Charlie Horse
8. Harbour LeCou
9. Tishialuk Girls Set
10. French Shore
11. Cod Liver Oil
12. Tickle Cove Pond

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17600 in Music
• Released on: 2005-10-25
• Number of discs: 2

Album Description
Includes bonus DVD -- an exclusive concert and conversation with the band!

The Hard and The Easy is the ninth album from Great Big Sea, the Juno-nominated band that fuses Newfoundland traditional music with modern pop in a crowd-pleasing formula both heartfelt and vital. A pure force of nature - much like the ocean surge they take their name from - Great Big Sea's blend of instruments such as guitar, mandolin, bodhran, fiddle, and concertina, along with their vocal harmonies, revels in the melodies they create and the Newfoundland tunes they love. Their sound bellows joy. After almost thirteen years together, Great Big Sea is releasing a new kind of album, one that spans the spectrum of the Newfoundland songbook. This all-acoustic album of traditional and local songs is a first for singers and multi-instrumentalists Sean McCann, Alan Doyle, and Bob Hallett, but it's also a logical progression. Newfoundland music and Newfoundland culture are both their genesis and their raison d'etre.

Amazon.com
A band that has made a name for itself since 1992 by updating the Celtic and, more specifically, Cape Breton tradition, Great Big Sea has long mixed poppy original tunes with traditionals goosed up to fit a more modern aesthetic. On the band's eighth album, The Hard And The Easy, the Canadians focus wholly on traditional Newfoundland folk tunes of all shapes and colors. All the music is acoustic and most (surprise!) have a seafaring theme to them. These are tunes that band-members grew up playing at home with family and friends, and there is no pretension or airs. The band¹s sense of humor comes through on gems like country-ish "Concerning Charlie Horse" and "The Mermaid," while "Graceful & Charming" is a sentimental ballad. The Breton tradition comes through strongest on "Harbour Le Cou" and "Tishialuk Girls Set." Adding its musicianship and excellent vocals to the Celtic continuum, Great Big Sea has come up with one for and of the ages. ­ --Tad Hendrickson

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Customer Reviews

A thousand years of history in about 40 joyful minutes
For a longtime fan, The Hard and the Easy is quite a memorable feat. On the one hand, you could say Great Big Sea is playing to their strengths with an all-traditional album. But on the other hand, many of the songs here do not resemble anything they've ever done, even on traditional-heavy discs like the seminal UP or their eponymous debut.

Although they've always leaned heavily (and successfully) on folk sounds, The Hard and the Easy breaks new ground for the band by being their first entirely acoustic album. The songs are lean, quick and at times vaguely familiar. The informative liner notes give the history of each tune. . .a welcome education for us faraway fans who may never set foot on the isle of Newfoundland.

It's nice to see Bob Hallet getting a couple of tunes, and Sean McCann continues to improve at balladry, something he sometimes faltered at on Something Beautiful. His rendering of Graceful & Charming ranks with the band's best love songs.

But for the most part, The Hard and the Easy is about having fun. The expected seafaring tales are there, but there is also further exploration of Newfoundland history in songs like Concerning Charlie Horse and darkly funny Cod Liver Oil. The Mermaid is guaranteed to put a smile on your face; Captain Kidd, Old Polina and the bittersweet Harbour Lecou are destined to be classics.

I confess, I like GBS's original songs every bit as much as the traditional stuff. And UP is still the standard for providing a mix of the old and the new. Which is why I've given this release 4 instead of 5 stars. For other longtime fans, especially those who felt letdown by the more pop-oriented Something Beautiful, this album will be a 5-star one.

And by the way, if you're new to Great Big Sea, this is a fine introduction. . .but there are MANY more joys to be found in their catalog. I'd recommend you get 'em all.

One last note: The DVD included in this release is a nice bonus, mostly footage of the 3 guys playing and talking about their love of their homeland's culture. Best part: Singer Alan Doyle points out that The Hard and the Easy is perhaps the only album in history to include not one, but TWO songs about a horse falling through the ice! It's ultimately nothing groundbreaking, but fans will certainly appreciate it.

Who else can make history so joyful!
Rains, gales, any kind of weather, the 'goofy Newfies' making up Great Big Sea add joy and inspiration to their musical tradition. Their eighth album covers the traditional ballads of Newfoundland and Cape Breton. When listening, the music flows as easily as the coastal waters on a calm day, but there's complexity and strength in the music--and harmony. This is one album to listen to on a down day--and keep you joyous even on good days!

Another Great Big Sea Hit
This is just another great CD by Great Big Sea. While this album is traditional folk songs they still manage to put their spin on it. I have listened o this cd over and ever again. If you like Great Big Sea you will not be dissappointed. If you have never heard of them.. you will still probably not be disappointed.