ALBUM: Parallel Tracks by The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards!
The Pipes & Drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
The most recent released in 2003
MUSICAL CREDITS:
Highland Bagpipes, small pipes, whistles, percussion & Didgeridoo by The Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.
Guitars, Keyboards, Grand Piano, Digital percussion and programming by Ant Clark
Extraordinary guitar on “Going Home” by Mark Knopfler!
Lead Vocals for “She Moves through the Fair” by Natasha Jenkins!
Violin on Auld Lang Syne, The Ceilidh, Erin and The Gael – Natalie Bonner!
PIPE MAJOR: Beyon Brotherton
DRUM MAJOR: Stewart Orr
There are total 15 sound tracks in the album and each one is different from another.
There is only one track which has lyrics though but the album is basically musical.
The awesome Scottish pipes and drums and magical tunes just mesmerize your soul.
Following are the tracks:
1 – Going Home
2 – The Bells of Dunblane
3 – The Gael
4 – Top Deck in Perth
5 – Lewis Jig, Munro’s Jig, Rory Gallacher, Lee’s Lullaby, Crossing the Minch
6 – Raigmore
7 – Celtic Cottage
8 – Erin Shore
9 – Hector The Hero
10 – The Ceilidh
11 – Ashley’s Thinning Napper
12 – She Moves Through The Fair
13 – Piobaireachd
14 – Amazing Grace
15 – Auld Lang Syne
1 – Going Home (Mark Knopfler)/Rondor Music
This exceptional track needs no introduction. It’s the finest one. Going Home is written by Mark Knopfler for the film “Local Hero”.
The tune was first arranged for pipes and a military band in the early 1990’s. It was adapted for guitar and bagpipes in 94 and recorded by BBC (with mark on guitar) at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh.
2 - The Bells of Dunblane (Robert Mathieson)/ Isa Music
A gunman slew 16 children and their teachers, in a school in the highland city of Dunblane on 13 March 1996.
The tragedy struck the nation. The pipe band with number of others played at special event in Dunblane to lift the morale of the city n school.
3 – The Gael (Theme From The Last Of The Mohicans)
Dougle MacLean is well known as one of Scotland’s finest musician and composers.
The track has been composed for the film “The Last of the Mohicans” and the tune has been steadily developed over the last 9 years and first picked up by the band in 1992.
The track is the pipes and Drums arrangement of the Gael!
4 – Top Deck in Perth (Murray Blair) Bulk Music
Top deck in Perth has been written by one of them band’s members and composed by Murray Blair of the Victoria Police Pipe band.
The writer of this track was afraid of heights and this tune celebrates his phobia.
5 – Lewis Jig
Lewis Jig is an amalgam of 3 traditional Scottish Jigs (Lewis Jig, Munro’s Jig, Rory Gallacher), a slow air (Lee’s Lullaby) and a home-pipe (Crossing the Minchi).
Lee’s Lullaby was written by Bryon Brotherton to celebrate his mother-in-law’s victory over cancer. A good traditional music!
6 – Raigmore - (Ally Reese)/ Patterdale Music
The Pipes and Drums moves seemingly from a traditional to contemporary style. Raigmore was composed by Ally Reese and is named after a motel in Inverness.
7 – Celtic Cottage – MCS Music
Celtic Cottage is composed by Lance Corporal Ross Munro and is inspired by his view of a small Scottish croft on the edge of Loch Glass by the village of Evanton near Dingwall – a place where he was brought up.
The tune features the whistle (another traditional instrument) and its melody set against majestic scenery and a powerful Scottish sky.
8 – Erin Shore – MCS Music
Erin Shore is a traditional Irish air also known as “Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shores”.
9 – Hector The Hero – (MCS Music)
This track is very powerful. There is an air of mystery about the tune. It is believed to tell the story of Hector McDonald, formerly of the Gordon Highlanders.
10 – The Ceilidh – MCS Music
Imagine you are walking along a windy Scottish street and it has been raining. Cars and busses pass you through in the wet of the road. Right a head, you hear the traditional dance music filter from a bar.
You enter the bar and immediately the warmth of festivities rocks you. A traditional Scottish tune has been written for Duke of Atholl’s private army.
The soldiers of the pipe band accompany the track on beer, glass, spoons, beer mats, bar top and good humour.
11 – Ashley’s Thinning Napper
It’s the most advanced track on the album. It takes bagpipe music a major step forward.
Anyone has never before tried to come up with this sort of complex dance beat using traditional instruments.
The track develops into a traditional Irish tune – Queen of the Rushes.
Tracks 12, 13, 14 and 15 are totally unique in their style, are not that fast beat and rhythm and pace but are worth listening.
Though I like many tracks such as track 1 is unique “ Going Home” and track 2 “ Bells of Dunblane” is very touchy.
Track 7 “Celtic Cottage” is just to chill. Track 8 “Erin Shore” is for Violin lovers and I like it as well. I also like track 3 “The Gael” and track 13 “Piobaireachd”.
However, I love Track 5 “Lewis Jig”; track 6 “Raigmore”, track 11 “Ashley’s Thinning Napper” and my personal Favourite among all of them track 10 “The Ceilidh”.
It’s awesome. It’s fast paced and party type just makes you crazy. Even you want to dance with the rhythm; but you give up because the music is amazingly magical that it embodies your soul.
When I stepped in the Music shop in Edinburgh, Scotland I heard this track “Ceilidh” and I couldn’t stop myself and ended up buying this album at the very moment.
I highly recommend “Parallel tracks” to everyone and take my words it won’t disappoint you.
PS: This album is not from the Blondie. As I couldn’t find any refrence to Royal Guards here so I picked this category randomly. :)
Enjoy!