CEILI RAIN (Say "KAY-Lee")

Review "Halligan's songs prove once again the power of music to uplift and encourage." -- American Songwriter, March/April 2001 "Music that makes your feet want to dance and your soul soar."--Deborah Evans Price -- Billboard, December 26, 1998 "The music is fresh and innovative and the band's debut disc captures the charm of its live shows." -- Billboard, April 25, 1998 Product Description Ceili Rain is a Celtic-influenced pop/rock band. In addition to the traditional pop band anchor of bass, drums and guitar, the seven-piece unit also features fiddle, accordion, tin whistle, uillean pipes, Irish flute and Highland pipes. About the Artist With the exception of two miserable days as an electrician's assistant, Bob Halligan, Jr. has never held a "day job" in his life. The lead singer, songwriter, guitarist and creative force behind the Celtic-flavored rock band Ceili (KAY-lee) Rain has earned his living--and reputation--as a working musician and songwriter for most of his life. "For years, songwriting has been not only a passion, but my bread and butter," says Halligan, a Syracuse native whose tunes for Michael Bolton, Judas Priest, Cher, Joan Jett, Kathy Mattea and others have built an impressive catalogue and helped pay the bills during lean times. "But for those who know me as the guy who wrote [Judas Priest's] 'Some Heads Are Gonna Roll,' Ceili Rain is sure to be a departure." Indeed, Ceili Rain is a departure from many things; among them, the ordinary. The seven-piece ensemble melds hard-driving rock guitar licks with traditional Celtic sounds and instruments such as button accordion, tin whistle, fiddle and bagpipes. Pairing rock and roll with traditional music is not a novel concept, but when you can make an audience dance a jig to songs about death and hell; now, that's an art. But Bob Halligan, Jr. is not one to shy away from taboo topics. "Here's a little song about death," Halligan quips from the stage, as he introduces on of the band's most popular and upbeat numbers, "Long Black Cadillac" (a hypothetical account of that long, last ride in a hearse), which is not to be confused with the album's closing track, "666 Degrees," Halligan's little ditty about Hell. "Not everything we do is politically incorrect," he chuckles. "There's a lighter side to Ceili Rain. Even Ceili's spiritual songs are not religious in a 'born again,' in-your-face way," says Halligan. "They're about universal themes--about feelings, struggles, dilemmas. Most of all, they're open to interpretation." Take "That's All the Lumber You Sent," which Halligan co-wrote with his wife Linda and fellow musician and pal Rick Cua, about Judgment Day. "To me, it's about that ultimate balance sheet at the end of one's life, but it's actually about accountability in any situation." Likewise, "I Don't Need A Picture" can apply to any significant, personal relationship. "The most important thing about Ceili Rain,"Halligan says, "is that our music celebrates life." Ceili Rain was formed in 1995 when Halligan, who had begun gigging again as a solo artist after a performing hiatus of several years, realized that he had just "too much energy" to play one-man acoustic gigs in coffee houses. "The universe showed me in no uncertain terms," he recalls, "that I was not cut out to be a folkie." So Halligan took all of his bottled up energy and channeled it into what has become one of the most critically acclaimed repertoires to emerge out of Nashville's "other row" in recent years. Ceili's current lineup comprises lead guitarist Raymond Arias; drummer Chris Eddy; bass player Bob “Buff “Harmon; award-winning accordionist Buddy Connolly; fiddle player Gretchen Priest; and tin whistle and bagpipe player Skip Cleavinger. Both Ceili Rain and their self-titled debut CD, a 12-song collection that (originally) hit stores April 7, 1998, have garnered accolades from critics and fans alike, including Billboard, which raved that Ceili's "literate, well-crafted lyrics and melodic, Celtic-accented pop tunes...deserve to be heard by the entire world." At the moment, Halligan--like the fans and critics who continue to embrace him--has high hopes for Ceili Rain. "I've always been focused," he reflects. "When I was a kid, I was an excellent baseball player. But I knew I would never be Mickey Mantle, so eventually I gave it up. Music was different though. I always knew something was going to happen. And that something is Ceili Rain." By Carol Caffin/CRW Music
ASIN: B00005LOZW
VSKU: DBV.B00005LOZW.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Ceili Rain
Binding: Audio cd
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