The Turning Stone - the album reviews & poll

Well not long now till the new album is with us, we have had a sneak preview with 2 new tracks The Caller and The Turning Stone on Karin's Sunday Getherin'.......

Has anything surprised you with the new sound and the way that Coast have gone forward as a band.

What are you now expecting from the album

What am I now expecting from the album? PURE awesomeness!!!

Celtman wrote:

What are you now expecting from the album

Well , i "was" thinking , if its as good as there first album , they would have done well . But from what i have heard so far from the new album , they have [/u]exceeded[u] all my expectations .
I cant wait to hear the entire new CD .
I absolutely love "The Caller"..

I am convinced this is going to be a materpiece but all we can do is wait. I have ordered and offered my body also for a copy now. I can do no more.

With a week to go till the official album launch I have found myself this past week overwhelmed by the sheer brilliance of the latest Coast tracks to get there first play on Radio......The Ghost of Dan the Boy and Valley High Valley low........put to some stunning video footage once again by the legend that is Celty which I sit and watch on youtube.........the production on these songs is first class and the whole sound is one of quality but the song writing itself is second to non.I thought the first cd was the dogs dooddars but by golly this is.......is...is....flippin awesome!
To all going to the shows over the next few months have a great time......we shall all meet up one day and sing along together....in the meantime for the album launch.....SEE YOU THERE!!!!

As the album is now being shipped out over the next few days I've edit this topic and added a poll.

The band would love to read your reviews of the new album

From what I had heard so far I thought 'Valley High, Valley Low' was going to be my favourite. Then I heard 'Victory O'..... *thud*
I think I am going to love the whole album and will be as unable to pick out one favourite track as I was with the first one!

OK, I don't think it's exactly a state secret that 'Victory O' is/was meant to be the first in a trilogy of songs played together and that for logistical reasons/time constraints the other two didn't make it on to the new album. Speaking to Paul at the Talking Heads last Friday he said they now probably wouldn't be included on a future album and these other two songs might be dumped. THIS CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If they are half as good as 'Victory O' which is so brilliant it defies my vocabulary in describing it, then they must not be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Please, please, please can the Band release this trilogy, perhaps as an extended single/download later on in the summer??

Look - I'm on my knees, begging! [And with the state of my knees I may not be able to get up again! ]

I can't be alone in feeling this way about the 'Victory O' three-song set, can I? Can we somehow nag Iain and Paul to let these be heard?

numbersix wrote:The Ghost of Dan the Boy and Valley High Valley low........

Well, I've just listened to these tracks and, at the risk of being lynched on Saturday, can I just say that I found them both a bit, well, boring. What's happened to Coast the rock band?

DT

Davey I think you have a point but I am sure any album need to be balanced I think turning stone and The caller have the wommf factor and we havent heard Docks yet. I however dont understand boring hehehe. But will agree I want to see coast belting out the celtic rock. I think this album is going to be outstanding.

Well, I'll review the album after hearing it some days in an infinite loop...
From what I heard so far it's all very promising !
But I can't find WE MADE IT on the tracklist...
It's a shame, one of my favourite live tracks !

However, can't wait to hear all this stuff live on Saturday and with HiFi-Sound from CD !
Matthias.

I received the new album in the post yesterday morning, just as I was going out for the day, so had to wait 'til 11pm to listen to it Well, it was not what I was expecting!! Where's the Celtic rock gone?? It definitely brings out (well to me at least) Paul's classical ability. He's very versatile! I'm sure it will grow on me as I listen to it a bit more, and musically it's very good, and the lyrics are meaningful. At least COAST'S music can't be said to be all the same! But, for me, Bring back the ROCK!!!!!!!!

JUST BACK FROM INVERNESS. LAST NIGHTS GIG WAS EXCELLENT ON EVERY LEVEL,VERY POLISHED,VERY PROFESSIONAL.THE BAND HAVE COME A LONG WAY SINCE I FIRST SAW THEM IN OBAN ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHERE THEY PUT ON A GREAT LIVE SHOW BUT WERE PERHAPS LET DOWN BY A MEDIOCRE VENUE .LAST NIGHTS GIG WAS ENHANCED BY A GREAT LIGHT SHOW AND A GREAT P.A. SOUND.RE THE NEW ALBUM I CAN ONLY AGREE WITH DAVEY TEE AND FRANCESP I FEEL THE SONGS THAT WORK BEST (FOR ME) ARE THE ONES WHICH HAVE THE MORE CELTIC INFLUENCES,"THE CALLER","THE BEAT OF YOU" AND "THE TURNING STONE".

Puffin wrote:
OK, I don't think it's exactly a state secret that 'Victory O' is/was meant to be the first in a trilogy of songs played together and that for logistical reasons/time constraints the other two didn't make it on to the new album. Speaking to Paul at the Talking Heads last Friday he said they now probably wouldn't be included on a future album and these other two songs might be dumped. THIS CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If they are half as good as 'Victory O' which is so brilliant it defies my vocabulary in describing it, then they must not be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Please, please, please can the Band release this trilogy, perhaps as an extended single/download later on in the summer??

Look - I'm on my knees, begging! [And with the state of my knees I may not be able to get up again! ]

I can't be alone in feeling this way about the 'Victory O' three-song set, can I? Can we somehow nag Iain and Paul to let these be heard?

I agree completely. Somehow we need to pester cajole and bully them into putting this out as an ep.

sob still waiting for mine hehehehe

Its early days but at the moment its Victory O for me. Its such a moving song and like most songs its on an epic movie soundtrack score.
I love every song and its a much fuller album than the debut.

Second fave song is "The Road Outta This Town", a song that a number of years ago before all this pop idol stuff would have gone top 5.

My only niggle is the running order of the tracks

anyway its the album of the year

It arrived today in the post .
IMHO ..one word ....MASTERPIECE ..
I find some bands find it hard to match there debut album , infact , some even struggle to match there debut single .
But Coast ,not only matched there debut album , they have PASSED it . Something i did not think they would do .The Turning stone is brilliant . For me it has everything . Great music , great lyrics .
Like a cake , a base of great Celtic rock , top layer of beautiful ballads , and what goes on top ? Cream ! the cream being the great vocals of Paul .
As Celtman said "it is early days" , but if i was pushed to choose a a favorite i would be hard pushed to pick just the one , but i would choose .........well i've narrowed it down to "9" so far ...

I can see this being in my truck cd for a very , very long time .

Just one mistake the band made , putting the lyrics in the cover , so people like me can "murder " it with our very poor singing

As usual it seems that I'm the odd one out. Yesterday, Radio4 being very poor, I put ther album on repeat play while I was working. Certainly it's beautifully sung and produced and the musicianship is top notch, but I'm afraid that it hasn't grabbed me like the first album did. Earlier in this thread Tiz remarked on the necessity to balance an album, and I don't think that's happened here - there are just too many slow numbers and not enough rock!

As might be anticipated from the above, for me "The Caller" is the stand-out track.

DT

DaveyTee wrote:As usual it seems that I'm the odd one out. Yesterday, Radio4 being very poor, I put ther album on repeat play while I was working. Certainly it's beautifully sung and produced and the musicianship is top notch, but I'm afraid that it hasn't grabbed me like the first album did. Earlier in this thread Tiz remarked on the necessity to balance an album, and I don't think that's happened here - there are just too many slow numbers and not enough rock!

As might be anticipated from the above, for me "The Caller" is the stand-out track.

DT

Hi DT,

First things first....great to meet to you at last at the weekend :-)

Was interested to read your observations above on the 'rock' vs 'ballad' side of things.

I guess it depends on one's definition of 'rock'. Assume you're referring to the 'faster guitar based tracks'?

To me, there are only 3 original COAST "rock" songs on their debut album:

1. Oceanos
2. America
3. Big Blue Sky

(I'm going to cheat slightly here and not include 'These Walls" as that was released before the album and was added as a 'bonus track' relatively late on due to deadline pressures ahead of the first launch date)

The other songs on the debut album are either out-and-out ballads, slow instrumentals or more mellow tracks such as 'To The Windward'

So, comparing this to the new album we have the following "rock" based songs:

1. The Caller
2. Road Outta This Town
3. The Turning Stone
4. Docks of my Hometown

I guess it's debatable whether 'Docks' should be in that list as it's arguably more akin to 'To The Windward' in that it's not an out and out rock fest (on the studio version)

Another possible debate is whether 'Road Outta This Town' is more pop than rock but you could say the same about 'Big Blue Sky'.

The new album has 5 'slow' tracks - the same as the first album, but two of these new slow tracks ('Ghost of Dan the Boy' and 'Valley High Valley Low') have rock laden second halves.

So, on balance I would say both albums have equal levels of 'rockiness' on them. I think what they've done is not packaged the 'rock' into such obvious chunks this time around, but instead created something more holistic with blended genres.

Also picking up on what one or two others have said about it being "less Celtic" than the first album, again, it's interesting to hear different opinions as when I first heard it I thought the opposite, and still do!

The new album has a much more liberal sprinkling of "celtic" instruments and influences....fiddles, mandolin, accordion, Irish pipes, to name a few.

But, as I say, it's good to hear different opinions. Keep 'em coming :-)

Right hand on heart first listen. Best album of all time for me. I so want to say I wish there were some more up tempo faster tracks to give it some added woomf, but every track is a masterpiece in its own right. I kind of see both sides of the debate. Think the rifts on the first album were very celtic......this one less so. I said to Paul at earlier gigs that I felt the live set needed a few ballads to balance a gig as comments that Coast were samey I understood but didnt think quite right. This album gives Coast live sound balance and difference with the ballads. My Dad loves it to bits and has requested both cds. I think Road outta is more poppy than rock but again this gives balance and difference and as Jacqui would say feel good factor.

10 out of 10 my best album on first listen of all time.

The next album I would like a stipped acoustic peice, another Instrumental ( bagpipes would be good )and some soaring lead guitar led fast tempo rock anthems but with the same tried and tested lyrical style. Songs that are about real people events and places move me the most and Paul has perfected that by the bucket load.

Hi Folks,
The Turning Stone arrived in my mailbox yesterday. I listened to the album at once - of course. I loved what I heard - but I must say that after listening to it at every opportunity all day (on my iPod) I must say that I love it even more. For instance, I liked "Docks of my home town" best - okay, I still do, but now I fully understand those who say that Victory-Oh is best. A great album, I think!

Le deagh dhùrachdan - Eubha

Since Roz brought back the album from Inverness I have had a lot of opportunity to listen to it and I can only say it just gets better and better though so different from the first album.I can understand why some people feel its perhaps not as good as the first one but they have to try to understand this is a different body of work.This is not the work of just some pub band,this is the work of a band that need to be taken very seriously now.They are showing us another facet to their work and skill and frankly I'm loving it!This is another foundation block being laid on which to build even better and greater albums upon I think.Coast have always,at least since I have known them had good musicians from the Chris,Adam,Alec days and latterly Charlie to the present line up with Steve,Hamish,Chris and Mongo so they have always sounded good, add then in to that Paul who to my mind is growing not only in confidence but skill as a songwriter/composer and I can hardly wait already for their next offering.No this album probably wont please everyone but to me there are some classic tracks here and when the time comes as no doubt it one day will I would hate to have to be the guy who has to pick the tracks to make a best of album!Personally I could see Paul writing musical scores for films one day,he is a man who has so much more talent than maybe even he realises yet.I do however just have to say one more thing.(Steve please dont think I'm ignoring you here you are an excellent guitarist)The drums, percussion and bass section,guys you just get better and better,what a platform you build for Steve and Paul and Mongo if you are getting that sound from your old Yamaha kit,mate I would stick with it cos it sounds excellent!!

My opinion...

Paul Eastham has the best singing voice that I have ever heard. Such pure, genuine emotion.

I was convinced I wasn't going to like 'The Turning Stone' (individual track) as I wasn't too keen when it was played previously at gigs but I lost the bet and the bag of jelly babies. I like it! The rest of the album I totally love and I think it crosses the whole spectrum of emotions from the rocky 'The Caller' to the amazingly emotional 'Victory O'. Yes, Tiz, I would describe 'Road Outta This Town' as a feel good track. So I get everything from this - rockiness, feel good, and crying my eyes out.

Live performance in Inverness was amazing. Brilliant sound and brilliant interaction between all the guys. First time I've heard them live with the 'new guys' and I loved the sound. Steve Picken is utterly amazing on guitar!

I just want to do it all again this weekend!

Conor2 wrote:Just one mistake the band made , putting the lyrics in the cover , so people like me can "murder " it with our very poor singing

I have been doing just that for about 5 days now

Like most of the reviewers, I love it, on the whole. The Caller and the Turning Stone are the stand-out tracks, but there is nothing that I really dislike.

But . . .

I do feel that, compared with the debut album, there is something missing which I can't quite put my finger on. There was something about the debut CD that really grabbed hold of me and I think it's the 'big band sound' on pretty much every track. Both albums have a good mixture of up-tempo and slower tracks, but I prefer it when slower tracks have a heavy instrumental side - it's that heavy hitting, thunderous quality that reverberates around the room that gets me, whether it's a fast or slow number - "To the Windward" is probably a good example of a slower track with a great atmospheric sound.

Perhaps it's the running order that isn't quite right on this one. The three big tracks are all at the beginning of the album, leaving the rest slowly chugging along after. I like the rest, but it's the first three that have me reaching for the repeat button. The playout on "Ghost" is pretty awesome though and is another thing I love: a slow start but building to a big, loud playout at the end.

But, as I say, overall it's very, very good and it's been played a lot. Beautiful songs, great atmosphere and a whole lot better than most of the run-of-the-mill tosh that is popular music. I hate to sound too critical of something that I really do love a lot but I am trying to give an honest opinion.

"Coast", the debut, still wins it, but this is a great follow-up.

Rachel

Racheal if I were to make one critisism of the album it would be possibly that the running order isn't quite right. That said it is easily remedied and if you have an ipod shuffle play with both cds its amazing and I think the new ones really stand out then not that the debut was weak. Give it a try.