Scottish Tranquillity: Piano & Orchestral Classics Phil Coulter 1992 CD

Not many composers have worked with Elvis Presley, Cliff Richards, The Dubliners, and Planxty. Such is the strange musical world of Phil Coulter, who has recorded a series of Tranquility records that emphasize lush orchestral arrangements of various national folk music from Ireland to America, and on this title, Scotland. “Lush” is the operative word here, as he spins classic Scots melodies like “Ye Banks and Braes” and “Auld Lang Syne” into Mantovani-like flourishes for piano and orchestra, punched up with a fuzzy but gentle electric guitar and drums to give it “punch”. It’s the apex of Celtic nostalgia, and you will love it or hate it based solely on your tolerance for lots of airy strings, rippling piano lines, and reverbed, mountainous flute sounds. Coulter has had a lot of gold and platinum recordings over the years, so there’s plenty of fans for his Celtic lounge act. –Louis Gibson
Tracklist:
1 Flower Of Scotland
2 The Skye Boat Song
3 Will Ye No Come Back Again
4 Loch Lomond
5 Dark Island
6 I Belong To Glasgow
7 Ye Banks And Braes
8 Will Ye Go Lassie Go?
9 Annie Laurie
10 Rowan Tree
11 Lochnagar
12 Amazing Grace
13 Eriskay Love Lilt / Westering Home
14 Red Red Rose / Bonny Mary Of Argyll
15 No Awa’ Tae Bide Awa’ / Scotland The Brave
16 Auld Lang Syne