Love at Fyrst Nyte (CD)

[Dept of PMM Castle Life]

Love at Fyrst Nyte (released 2001)
Recorded live at First Night Annapolis

Note: because this was a live album, we did something a little differently and put the introductions and band chatter on separate tracks instead of with the song tracks. That way, listeners can opt out of hearing our silly banter by programming their CD players accordingly. However, it can make things a bit confusing if one programs "random play."

1. Band Introduction
2. Bonny Ship The Diamond
3. One More Day Intro
4. One More Day
5. Swing the Cat Intro
6. Swing the Cat
7. Minguelay Boat Song
8. Twiddles Intro
9. Twiddles
10. Shanghai Brown Intro
11. Shanghai Brown
12. Paddy West Intro
13. Paddy West
14. Wild Goose Intro
15. Wild Goose
16. The Ballad of Old Redcoat Intro
17. The Ballad of Old Redcoat
18. The Boatman
19. Hellship Intro
20. Hellship
21. Topman and the Afterguard
22. Auld Lang Syne Intro
23. Auld Lang Syne

PLAYERS:

Lynn Cunningham
. . . as Peg Reilly -- vocals, bodhran, beverages

Paul DiBlasi
. . . as Drake Mallard -- vocals, tacky accent

Jennifer Garman
. . . as Fifi le Bon Bon -- vocals, violin, feathers

Brad Howard
. . . as Capt. Fletcher T. Moone -- vocals, principle bastard

Darcy Nair
. . . as Kat Fairbanks -- vocals, octave mandolin, hammered dulcimer, wedgies

Craig Williams
. . . as Long John Skivvee -- vocals, guitar, long-winded liner notes

The Pyrates Royale: Love at Fyrst Nyte
By Christine Lampe
No Quarter Given -- January, 2002

As always, I love the Pyrates Royale, and this new collection is no exception. These lads and lasses can really do it all - from rowdy & rousing, to lovely & sweet, and to comical & ironic. This album may be a little rough in spots, but it has that "live" energy, and thus well makes up for any lack of polish. Of course, there's some traditional shanteys & forebitters, "One More Day," "Paddy West," and a few others, done in their superb style. But then there's the songs they make their own -- such as "Bonny Ship the Diamond" - very rousing rendition concluding with an innovative round, or the "Mingulay Boat Song" sung in such a lovely lyrical way, with a nice lilting instrumental interlude.

I enjoyed the delightfully fun songs. "Swing the Cat" is a joyous rendition of this great musical pun written by Meg Davis. "Twiddles," written by Jane Meneely, turns the tables on the "girl in every port" mentality of the typical sailor.

There is a joke that is passed around the Internet about the Captain and his Red Shirt. I've been sent this joke innumerable times - so I was very amused to discover it turned into a ballad by Richard Follett in "Ballad of Old Redcoat."

This crew has a flair for the dramatic, as shown in the ominous ballad "Hellship," by N. Robertshaw, about a tragic cruise around the Horn. In the musical dialog, "The Topman and the Afterguard," they act out the grumbling and curses between two sailors.

It all concludes with the poignant "Auld Lang Syne" - the words may be similar but the beautiful lyrical tune is not the one most people are familiar with.

So run, swim or paddle to yer nearest shantey dealer, to get this album, or, send your check or money order to: The Pyrates Royale, 1767 Old B&A Blvd., Annapolis, MD 21401. Compact Discs: $15.00 Add $1.50 (per item) for postage & handling Allow 4-6 weeks. www.pyrates.com

Christine Lampe, also known as Jamaica Rose, is the Editor and Publisher of No Quarter Given, a monthly publication specializing in all things piratical -- including history, present-day festivals and activities, and music.

To subscribe, write to: No Quarter Given, PO Box 7456, Riverside, CA 92513. A one-year subscription is $12. Copies of particular issues may also be purchased for $2.50 each plus 75 cents postage, up to $4 total.

You can also peruse other articles by visiting the No Quarter Given website: http://www.noquartergiven.net


A term in vogue this summer, thanks to Fed chairman Allen Greenspan, is "infectious greed." The Pyrates Royale, however, fill their audiences with nothing less than "infectious humour."

It's next to impossible to listen to this Annapolis-based group, either in person or on a recording, without a grin or a guffaw. Their choice of music and their interaction with each other and the audience is infectious. Without realizing it, you're suddenly part of the rowdy mayhem that is the Pyrates' crew.

I picked up the band's thyrd CD, Love at Fyrst Nyte, at their recent performance at the Elizabethtown Celtic & Folk Music Revels. It was recorded at the White Hart Tavern in Annapolistowne on Dec. 31 "in the year of our Lord 1700." (That's what the lyner notes claim and who am I to argue with a bunch of cutthroats.)

I have the Pyrates' two earlier CDs -- Lyve Behind Bars and Hello Sailor -- and this new recording, produced by Big Bear Productions, keeps the group's naughty nautical tradition alive.

The Pyrates are not just funny and somewhat ribald, they are accomplished musicians utilizing a variety of instruments and vocal harmony -- an all-inclusive and entertaining maritime voyage.

This merry bunch of buccaneers includes FiFi "le" Boaboa, a.k.a. Jennifer Garman; Captain Fletcher Tyberius Moone, a.k.a. Brad Howard; Drake Mallard, a.k.a. Paul DiBlasi; Ullyses Katherine "Kat" Fairbanks, a.k.a. Darcy Nair; Bosun Bonney Peg Riley, a.k.a. Lynn Cunningham; and Second Mate "Long John" Skivee, a.k.a. Craig Williams.

A traditional whaling song, "Bonny Ship the Diamond," opens the performance followed by a shanty, "One More Day," often sung by sailors while pumping slop from the bilge. One of the funnier songs is "Swing the Cat," which describes the crew's answer to a horde of rats on the ship.

"Twiddles" is a rollicking modern shanty that turns the tables on every able-bodied seaman who thought he was getting away with something by having a faithful girl in every port. The women folk didn't just twiddle their thumbs when their men sailed away. "The Ballad of Old Redcoat" humorously explains the secrets of derring do at sea. If, during battle, you wore a red doublet, the enemy couldn't see you bleed; if you wore brown trousers, they couldn't see you -- well you get it.

It seems almost oddly out of place, but Fairbanks sings a beautiful solo rendition of "The Boatman," which includes Gaelic words in the chorus. Thankfully, the notes tell us they simply mean "doo be doo be doo." A boisterous version of "Hellship" describes the horrors of sailing round Cape Horn (unwillingly) under a bully mate.

Since the recording was made on New Year's Eve (actually on Dec. 31, 2000), it is only fitting that "Auld Lang Syne" be included as the final track.

Whether you own one, two or all three of the Pyrates Royale's CDs, you won't be disappointed. It is solid entertainment at its best. I'm already looking forward to their next one.

[ by Bill Knapp ]
Rambles: 10 August 2002


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