Review: Emphatical Piratical

Rating: ★★★☆☆
boggsalty_emphaticalwww.eatalime.com
Genre: Children (and adult) Pirate Rock and Alternative
Rating: G
Target Audience: Kids will definitely love it, but adults will also find some good stuff

Since the very beginning, Captain Bogg & Salty has always walked a fine line. On the face of it they’re children’s entertainers, and therefore sing silly songs of a kid-friendly nature. But the genius of their first album, Bedtime Stories for Pirates, was that – rather than sounding like preschool teachers like so many other childrens’ “pirate” entertainers – Bogg & Salty lent the impression of being real pirates; actual buccaneers, albeit good-natured ones, doing their level best to “keep it clean” for the duration of the album. This made Bogg & Salty a rare beast, being a pirate band that could be enjoyed by kids and their parents (and even angsty teens and 20-somethings) alike. Continue reading

Review: Prelude to Mutiny

Rating: ★★★★½
Captain Bogg & Salty
www.eatalime.com

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Genre: Original pirate songs and tunes of various non-traditional styles.
Rating: G
Target Audience: All Ages (and I mean that – this is not an album adults should ignore!)

“Prelude to Mutiny” is the third album from the groundbreaking pirate band Captain Bogg & Salty. Their first album, “Bedtime Stories for Pirates,” remains one of the must-have albums in any pirate collection. Next was “Pegleg Tango,” which I felt strayed a bit too much from their strengths, although it still had some very brilliant tracks that were well worth the price of admission. So what of this third album? It contains many of the elements from the previous two albums, and yet brings on a new edginess previously unexplored by Bogg & Salty. And it rocks. Continue reading

Review: Pirates of Scamalot

Rating: ★★★☆☆
Hucklescary Finn
www.kevinhendrickson.com

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Genre: Non-traditional. True pirate alternative.
Rating: PG
Target Audience: Ages 15 and up

It never ceases to amaze me that one man – Kevin Hendrickson – can simultaneously be behind three pirate-themed bands yet still keep each one distinctive in both content and tone. Captain Bogg & Salty is highly polished, kid-friendly, sometimes silly, and fun throughout. Pirate Jenny is the rock/punk side of things – also silly at times, but relatively grown up, and somewhat raw (in temperament, not quality.) Hucklescary Finn, on the other hand, seems deeply introspective, and musically speaking is certainly the most experimental of the three. Continue reading

Review: Pegleg Tango

Rating: ★★½☆☆
Captain Bogg and Salty
www.boggandsalty.com

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Genre: Original pirate songs and tunes.
Rating: G
Target Audience: All Ages.

Captain Bogg & Salty’s first album, Bedtime Stories for Pirates, is without a doubt one of the finest pirate albums ever made. It’s silly enough to entertain the young, yet clever enough for the old. But what I like best about it is that you don’t need to listen to the lyrics to know that the songs are a) piratey and b) funny. It spews pirates and laughs from its very core, and thus induces me now and then to dance about the living room whilst flailing my cutlass in meriment (a practice for which my son has scolded me.) Continue reading

Review: Bedtime Stories for Pirates

Rating: ★★★★★
Captain Bogg and Salty
www.boggandsalty.com

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Genre: Original pirate songs and tunes.
Rating: G
Target Audience: Kids, but HIGHLY recommended for all ages

Usually when someone makes a sing-a-long pirate album you get the distinct impression it was made by children’s entertainers trying their best to pretend at being pirates. As such, its appeal tends to be very limited. Continue reading

Review: Once Upon a Wave

Rating: ★★★★☆
Pirate Jenny
www.kevinhendrickson.com/kh/pirate-jenny/pirate-jenny.html

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Genre: Contemporary pirate rock and alternative.
Rating: PG
Target Audience: Ages 15 and up

I heard Never Sea Land first. It’s how I was introduced to Pirate Jenny, and how I fell in love with them. So by default, Never Sea Land is my favorite. Were it not for that edge, I might argue that Once Upon a Wave is the slightly better album. Or I might not – I’m really indecisive on this one. In Never Sea Land I was briefly introduced to the character Captain Slaymore. In Once Upon a Wave he returns along with Scabby the seaman. This was when it becomes apparent there is actually a story at works. Scamalot, pirate paradise, is in a state of transition. Its walls are in peril and a new king must rise. Of course, it’s not as straightforward as that, but its close enough. Continue reading

Review: Never Sea Land

Rating: ★★★★☆
Pirate Jenny: Never Sea Land
http://www.kevinhendrickson.com/kh/pirate-jenny/pirate-jenny.html

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Genre: Contemporary pirate rock and alternative.
Rating: PG-13
Target Audience: Ages 15 and up

What can I say about this album? It’s unfair of me to review it, I’m too biased.

I don’t know about you, but I grew up with sea shanties. Schooner Fare and its ilk were what I listened to as a teenager (which is probably why I didn’t get invited to the cool parties.) But in time I needed something different. Enter Pirate Jenny. Continue reading