Pirate Music

Posted by Brett Hooton Sep 30, 2006

Because you are all faithful Folk101 readers, I’ll let you in on a little secret. All folk musicians start playing the music just so they can eventually add a handful of sea shanties to their repertoires. Let’s face it, folk musicians all fantasize about being pirates. And really, who doesn’t?

An interesting new compilation came out about a month ago, and here at the old 101 we knew you would love to be made privy to this information. A new album of “pirate ballads, sea songs, and shanties” was released featuring such talents as Nick Cave, Jolie Holland, Loudon Wainwright III, and even Sting! Shocking, I know, but the material is so inspiring that even Mr. “Fields-of-Gold” himself sounds like a sun-baked, rum-swiggin’ buccaneer.

It is called Rogue’s Gallery and it features forty-three tracks of bawdy, funny, and all-in-all rousing renditions of classic songs born of the high seas. Many of the songs are true to the traditional, stripped-down sound usually associated with this material, while others are given a complete overhaul. Either way, this is not an album for the kiddies, and often it features the colorful language that so deservingly earned the phrase, “Curses like a sailor.”

The album is another unexpected result of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise. (The first unexpected result was making me actually like a Disney movie again). Apparently, during filming of the sequels, Johnny Depp and the film’s director, Gore Verbinski, became fascinated with the lore and music that is associated with those blood-thirsty, yet loveable marauders of the open ocean. They then put together a rowdy crew and put out this album. The result is an interesting, educational and entertaining record.

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