Track Listing

1. The Maid Of Amsterdam
2. Old Stormalong
3. The Girls Around Cape Horn
4. Paddy Doyles Boots
5. Spanish Ladies
6. Sally Brown
7. The Dying Sailor To His Shipmates
8. Ranzo
9. The Mermaid
10. Johnny's Gone To Hilo
11. Saturday Night At Sea
12. Shenandoah
13. Admiral Benbow
14. Round The Corner
15. The Greenland Whale Fisheries
16. Go Down You Blood Red Roses
17. The Turkish Revelee
18. Boney Was A Warrior
19. Lady Franklin's Lament
20. Santy Anna

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #79742 in Music
• Released on: 1994-07-18
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

4 out of 5 ain't bad, right?
First time I heard this was on an actual boat. If I closed my eyes, between the rocking of the boat, the sounds of the splashing of the water and this music, I could swear I was on an actual 19th century whaling boat. The music accurately depicts what songs would sound like back then. I don't recommend this to anyone without a good imagination, though. I've even heard criticisms say that it sounds too much like a sound studio record and not enough like a shanty being sung on the open sea. In my opinion, this is as close as your going to get other than the real thing. To be honest, though, the only way you'll understand is at least listening to this once.

Not for the purist, but most of us aren't purists
If authenticity is your main criterion for your choice of folk music, don't buy it. Paul Clayton sings clearly and beautifully. I'll admit to having a personal attachment to this album--when my children were young, I learned many of the songs and sang them as lullabyes. Songs like "Farewell and Adieu to You Spanish Ladies and Santy Anna, as sung in Clayton's style, are just as soothing as the old standbys. Not authentic, but lovely.

Shanties performed as folk songs
All 20 of the well-engineered recordings on this CD are sung by Paul Clayton accompanied by a solo guitar. Many traditional and familiar shanty tunes are included, some of which have the lyrics modified to fit the whaling trade (as was actually the case).

Shanty lovers are likely to find this CD unusual in that the presentation of nearly every song is more of a folk-tune style than true shanty. As such, you really can't consider any of the offerings rousing by any stretch but some might find this a refreshing change and even quite enjoyable since Clayton's voice is both clear and pleasing throughout.

So, my advice is to look elsewhere for rousing shanties but you may want consider this CD if you enjoy folk music with a maritime flavor.