I just got this CD by the 42nd Royal Highlanders off of Amazon. Man, I love it. Why? Rope-tension drums. The drums in this album are awesome!!! I love rope-tension drums, and you never get to hear them with pipes anymore.

Another thing about this album: the piping in the album is awful. Simply dreadful. Intonation and accuracy are all thrown out the window. But you know what? I still love it. It gives it an air of authenticity. These days, where every pipe band records and sounds the same, the 42nd sounds like a group of soldiers playing to and from a battlefield. It sounds like I would imagine the pipes of WWI sounded like as they rang out above German gunfire whizzing over the heads of soldiers in the trenches. It's amazing.

So basically, if you want a pretty, world-class competition band, don't buy this album. But if you want a gritty, dirty, rugged fife, bagpipe, and drum band, purchase this album! It takes me back to when men were men, and pipers had a purpose.


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