Spirit Of The Glen Review

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(More customer reviews)The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards was formed in 1971, by the amalgamation of two earlier regiments (the Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards and The Royal Scots Greys). They are a crack armored regiment, equipped with Challenger 2 tanks, which saw action in the 1991 Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo, and the recent invasion of Iraq. All this is to say that this is a real regiment of real soldiers. But, they are also real musicians.
This album is not just a collection of bagpipe tunes, but is instead a wonderful selection of wonderful, modern Scottish musical pieces. All of the tunes include bagpipes, which is considered by many to be THE Scottish musical instrument, but they are backed up by a many other instruments, including the keyboard and guitar.
Overall, I found the effect to be excellent, reminiscent of the more modern Scottish music I have heard at Scottish music festival. It has a more rounded sound that your older pipe-and-drum music, one that is sure to please anyone that likes ethnic music. I must say that I liked the selection of older and newer tunes, including Mull of Kintyre and Dances With Wolves.
I think that this is a great album, and I don't hesitate to recommend it to everyone!

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The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards is Scotland's senior regiment and her only regular cavalry.The band members, as well as being trained musicians, are all Army soldiers who crew tanks and have served two tours of duty in Iraq. The album, both Scots and classical tunes, is a tribute to the dedication and talent of this group of military pipers.While they are first and foremost soldiers, the music on Spirit of the Glen is a heart-warming and beautiful demonstration of the incredibly powerful and emotive sound of bagpipe music. Some album highlights: the McCartney popularized #1 single, Mull of Kintyre, Amazing Grace 2007, a reworking of Rod Stewarts `Sailing,' and film themes Dances with Wolves & The Last of the Mohicans.

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On Tour Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the recording from the 1972 Scots Guards coast to coast USA tour. The regimental band was under the direction of Major James Howe, one of the dynamic directors of music for this band. His arrangments truly make the most of the band's impressive resouces. The recording quality is also top notch, even though this is an older recording, you won't find anything better today. The band sounds bright and crisp. Since this is a USA tour alot of the music reflects that. Still, you won't find any better versions of these selections out there. There are also some good marches of the better known variety which are exceedingly well played and recorded. The massed pipes and drums of the 1st and 2nd battalions of the Scots Guards sound wonderful as well. The pipe band medlys are excellent. In particular the dance medly is most thrilling with simulated shouts and cries of the Highland Dancers as the music plays the rapid reels that they normally dance to. This is thrilling stuff! The bands combine wonderfully for some medleys of popular scots tunes. Here we see the genius of Howe's arrangments as he has the band alternate with the pipes for a truly moving effect. The finale has all the ingredients of a good combined concert by two excellent bands, distinct in their quality of music, but woven together to provide a truly moving conclusion to an exciting recording. Originally released as an LP, the CD version has retained the same tonal qualities of the records, providing the listener a top quality musical portrait of the Scots Guards during their 1972 tour. This is martial music at its best, raised almost to the level of an art form. The Scots Guards were the first bands brought over to inaguarate what has become a bi-annual tradition of visiting British/Scottish bands in the USA. You won't find a better example of this than on this recording. Strongly recommended for both the casual and serious listener of this kind of music. Listen and enjoy!

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