As those people who visit and read my blog know already I collect photographs, articles and reviews about the members of Great Big
Sea as well as the fandom I find interesting. Recently, I found a couple of really nice reviews on
Alan Doyle’s book Where I Belong, album So Let’s Go and a So Let’s Go tour concert in Saskatoon. I
have edited the original copies here for a post and circulated the unedited
version on the Google + page attached.
The first article is a review of the So Let’s Go album by
Brian Kremakau for the online magazine Read Junk. Brian is long term Great Big
Sea and Alan Doyle fan and has written articles for Read Junk on the Indoor
Garden Parties and Great Big Sea concerts. What I like about this article (other than the nice words from
a fan) is that he provides links to Alan Doyle’s home page and to Amazon where those who wish to purchase
the album can. He gave the album 5 stars.
The second article “Tall
Tales from Petty Harbour and Other Stories by Alan Doyle” is about Alan Doyle’s thoughts on writing
his book Where I Belong. When I was in St. John’s I was able to pick up a copy in a local magazine Fine Lifestyles (St. John’s/Avalon). In the magazine was the interview and a collection of
charming black and white photographs. My favourite photograph is one of a very
happy young Alan Doyle playing the piano at home around Christmas time.
While the interview is available online as part of the
magazine, I just wanted to record some of the comments which I found
interesting. If you get a chance go and visit the edition online as the magazine has
some great articles on the Newfoundland Chocolate Company, the George Street
Festival and other great stuff about St. John's and Newfoundland.
The third article “Doyle’s Republic gets a first rate
concert” is an excellent review of a concert in Saskatoon on the 12 March, 2015.
Perhaps what I love about this review is it highlights Alan Doyle as the star
of the concert, but includes a description of the performance by some of the
band members and in particular the very talented and gorgeous Kendel Carson,
and the superfans down the front that contributed to making this concert a
grand night indeed.
All the articles have been edited for copyright reasons.
Alan Doyle-So Let’s Go album review by Brain Kremakau on ReadJunk.com
(no copyright infringement intended)25 January 2015.
“Great
Big Sea’s Alan Doyle second album So Let’s Go is one of the best albums of the
year, and we’re only a month into the year! Alan’s first solo album, Boy On
Bridge, was an excellent album but I really think So Let’s Go takes his music
to another level…
Many of the songs have catchy hooks and clapping which will be fun to hear live. Alan Doyle is a highly enjoyable person to see perform live in concert. Every note that is sung, you can tell he is so passionate about his music and he’s just having a great time doing it. One notable song I can’t wait to hear live is the rousing yet simply named “1,2,3,4.” It’s got super fast fiddle playing, loud clapping, a chorus that you’ll want to sing along to and everything else that makes a song catchy as hell…
It’s hard to ignore the fact that Alan is a talented singer. He always seems to be surrounded with talented songwriters & musicians as well, which is why I love everything he’s ever released. Even when Alan sings for his audiences, without any mics or other band members with him, you can tell the guy is truly talented. I’m trying hard to hide the fact that I’m a big fan but just can’t help it. But if this album wasn’t that great, I would say so…
Usually the end of an album is subdued or filled with filler songs but not the case with So Let’s Go. “Sins of Saturday Night” will be another live favorite featuring some cool guitar riffs. “Shine On” is another folk troubadour sounding tune that picks up during the chorus. You think it will be just a folk song but then changes gears into a poppy chorus. The last song of the album is “Take Us Home” and what a way to finish the album! If this isn’t the second single, it should be! It’s sort of in the same vein as “So Let’s Go” in that the song will be stuck in your head (in a good way).
Just a fantastic album from beginning to end. I wouldn’t change anything except maybe adding one or two more songs. It makes you wanting more and feels too short even though there are 10 tracks on here. Keep rolling out the good tunes, Alan!”
“Tall Tales from Petty Harbour and Other Stories by Alan Doyle” by
Henny Buffinga Photos Courtesy of Alan Doyle in Fine Lifestyles”.(no copyright
infringement intended).
“…As a seasoned
songwriter but novice writer, Doyle’s debut shows his roots in music, with
critics and readers alike suggesting his voice as an author is lyrical.
“Writing a song is kind of a reflex; you get an idea for something and then you
just go do it” he says. “If you don’t have it in a day it’s probably not going
to come. A book takes a lot more time and perspiration.” Doyle wrote the book
himself but thanks his editor, Nita Pronovost, for her invaluable input and
guidance in navigating the new form writing.
As with his song
writing, Doyle was focused on maintaining an authentic voice. "I never sing
anything I wouldn’t say, and I kind of stuck to that rule in my book as well,”
he says. “When I tried to write something I wasn’t sure if it sounded like me,
I would do the only thing I knew how: I went down to the recording studio in my
house and read it out loud.
The difference between
writing music and writing about himself is not lost on him, though. He says,
“You can easily hide between a song, or a character you’re playing on TV, but
when it’s just words about yourself, your town and your family, you’re naked out
there.
Where I Belong reads
as a tribute to Doyle’s hometown, and a celebration of Newfoundland in its
prime. The moratorium and all that it brought is lurking on the edges of the
book, but never intrudes into the story as it happened after Doyle left home
for university…”
'Doyle’s
republic gets first-rate concert' by Cam Fuller, The
StarPhoenix (no copyright infringement intended).
“It was the So Let’s
Go tour for Doyle’s second solo album…
…It does take two to tango, and a group of superfans near the front led the way, standing for the Great Big Sea hit When I’m Up. The version featured lively solos by Kendel Carson on fiddle and Todd Lumley on chest organ, aka accordion
Boy, that Kendel. “A strong wind would blow her over,” one’s father might have said. But with a bow in her hand and a long blonde braid down her front, she can whip up a whirlwind. If you like the fiddle on John Mellencamp albums, this activates the brain’s same pleasure sensors…
Part biopic, maybe, since that very night was the 22nd birthday of Great Big Sea. (Sea of No Cares and Lukey were other GBS songs in the first half.) And it’s a movie with some drama, since the band that gave Doyle his start is on semi-hiatus with the departure of Sean McCann.
But it’s also a comedy because Doyle is genuinely funny, full of life and infectiously enthusiastic.
“Every time I come to Saskatchewan, I learn a new name for something,” he said, laughing at the term “white man shuffle” for a lame dance step.
With the abundance of banter, Doyle was clearly in no rush to get through the songs (barely half of which made it under the reviewer’s deadline). He knew what he had in store for the second half — rabble rousers like 1,2,3,4 from the new album and covers no doubt of Mellencamp’s Paper in Fire and maybe even that hey-there-chameleon chestnut Run Runaway.
The buildup was gradual with careful explanations of the origins of a couple of the slower new songs like The Night Loves Us and, after he got everyone standing and singing for Lukey, the chilling and beautifully written Laying Down to Perish.
“
It’s kind of a sit-downy one,” Doyle sort of apologized, adding “There’ll be standy-up ones later.”
