86817-2 Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, & Chanteys
Produced by Hall Willner
Released on August 26, 2006
no chart information
Find it at GEMM
86817-2 cover
[high resolution scan]

K ronomyth 10.6: BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEPP BLUE SEA. A weird washashore that escaped all but the most ardent beachcombers, Rogue’s Gallery is a hidden treasure: 43 songs from C-faring families (The Thompsons, The Carthys, The Wainwrights/McGarrigles), salty dogs (Nick Cave, Gavin Friday, Baby Gramps, Lou Reed) and even a few captains of industry (Bono, Bryan Ferry, Sting). Produced by compilation king Hal Willner, the idea for an album of modernized pirate ballads, sea songs and chanteys was hatched by Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski and its guitar-playing anti-hero, Johnny Depp. Musicians and pirates both being adventurers after a sort, nearly all of the invited artists relish their roles. Highlights and surprises appear at every turn: The Cruel Ship’s Captain, Good Ship Venus, The Cry of Man, Hog-Eye Man, Little Boy Billee, Old Man of the Sea, Turkish Revelry, Baltimore Whores, Bully in the Alley, Haul on the Bowline, Lowlands Low, A Drop of Nelson’s Blood, Shallow Brown and I probably missed a few more. The treatments here are either authentic or idiosyncratic, generally depending on whether the artist is a folker or a rocker (I have no idea which category Sting fits into these days). Ireland accounts for a disproportionate number of artists relative to the island’s small size, which gives the collection a Celtic list, but the Irish have always had an affinity for outlaws. In an interesting twist, not all of the featured artists are technically musicians; actor John C. Reilly and illustrator Ralph Steadman hold their own and then some. And some of the guests, from Baby Gramps (imagine if Popeye’s Pappy swallowed a didgeridoo) to David Thomas, push the concept of singing past its logical borders. It’s a motley crew for sure, and those expecting smooth sailing should prepare themselves for periods of turbulence and dead calm, but at 43 tracks it’s a bootyfull bounty.

TRACK LISTING

    Disc One
  1. Baby Gramps: CAPE COD GIRL
  2. Richard Thompson: MINGULAY BOAT SONG
  3. John C. Reilly: MY SON JOHN
  4. Nick Cave: FIRE DOWN BELOW
  5. Loudon Wainwright III: TURKISH REVELRY
  6. Three Pruned Men: BULLY IN THE ALLEY
  7. Bryan Ferry: THE CRUEL SHIP'S CAPTAIN
  8. Robin Holcomb: DEAD HORSE
  9. Bill Frisell: SPANISH LADIES
  10. Joseph Arthur: COAST OF HIGH BARBARY
  11. Mark Anthony Thompson: HAUL AWAY JOE
  12. David Thomas: DAN DAN
  13. Sting: BLOOD RED ROSES
  14. Teddy Thompson: SALLY BROWN
  15. Rufus Wainwright & Kate McGarrigle: LOWLANDS AWAY
  16. Gavin Friday: BALTIMORE WHORES
  17. Eliza Carthy: ROLLING SEA
  18. Martin Carthy & The UK Group: THE MERMAID
  19. Bob Neuwirth: HAUL ON THE BOWLINE
  20. Bono: A DYING SAILOR TO HIS SHIPMATES
  21. Lucinda Williams: BONNIE PORTMORE
  22. Richard Greene & Jack Shit: SHENANDOAH
  23. Mary Margaret O'Hara: THE CRY OF MAN

    Disc Two
  24. Jack Shit: BONEY WAS A WARRIOR
  25. Loudon Wainwright III: GOOD SHIP VENUS
  26. White Magic: LONG TIME AGO
  27. Nick Cave: PINERY BOY
  28. Bryan Ferry w/ Antony: LOWLANDS LOW
  29. Akron/Family: ONE SPRING MORNING
  30. Martin Carthy & Family: HOG-EYE MAN
  31. Ricky Jay & Richard Greene: THE FIDDLER
  32. Andrea Corr: CAROLINE AND HER YOUNG SAILOR BOLD
  33. John C. Reilly: FATHOM THE BOWL
  34. David Thomas: WHAT DO WE DO WITH A DRUNKEN SAILOR
  35. Ed Harcourt: FAREWELL NANCY
  36. Stan Ridgway: HANGING JOHNNY
  37. Baby Gramps: OLD MAN OF THE SEA
  38. Van Dyke Parks: GREENLAND WHALE FISHERIES
  39. Sting: SHALLOW BROWN
  40. Jolie Holland: THE GREY FUNNEL LINE
  41. Jarvis Crocker: A DROP OF NELSON'S BLOOD
  42. Lou Reed: LEAVE HER JOHNNY
  43. Ralph Steadman: LITTLE BOY BILLEE

CREDITS

Akron/Family --
Antony --
Joseph Arthur --
Baby Gramps --
Bono --
Eliza Carthy --
Martin Carthy & The UK Group & Family --
Nick Cave --
Jarvis Cocker --
Andrea Corr --
Bryan Ferry --
Gavin Friday --
Bill Frisell --
Richard Greene --
Ed Harcourt --
Robin Holcomb --
Jolie Holland --
Ricky Jay --
Kate McGarrigle --
Bob Neuwirth --
Mary Margaret O'Hara --
Van Dyke Parks --
Lou Reed --
John C. Reilly --
Stan Ridgway --
Jack Shit --
Ralph Steadman --
Sting --
David Thomas --
Mark Anthony Thompson --
Richard Thompson --
Teddy Thompson --
Three Pruned Men --
Loudon Wainright III --
Rufus Wainwright --
White Magic --
Lucinda Williams --
Johnny Depp -- executive producer
Gore Verbinski -- executive producer

REGION RELEASE DATE LABEL MEDIA ID NUMBER FEATURES
US August 26, 2006 Anti 2CD 86817-2  

 

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